The way to get me to clean

Cheryl asked if I actually got anything done and believe it or not, the answer is yes. When I know that company is coming over, I make sure to clean. When people come unannounced, most of the time I talk to them on my porch (if you can call it that). My house is now in an acceptable state, but it's still not great. I have 2/3 of the carpet up in the living room. Underneath was old linoleum that has glue and paint stains all over it. It doesn't look good, but there's nothing I can do about it. I found out that we're not getting our bonus (grant) money from school until our August paycheck. So I'll just have to explain to my guests that it's a temporary thing.

I went to Walmart today to get the things I need for dinner. I found a really good deal on the chicken... or so I thought. They rang up the original price so they had to go check on it.... for 10 minutes. Turns out that it was for different chicken that was not where the sign was located. I really hate that. I thought I checked carefully to make sure I was getting the right chicken. Luckily, they gave it to me for the lower price otherwise I probably would have just sent it back and gone to United to get it.

My kitchen is now clean as well as the living room (aside from the floor). I have furniture in the living room back in some semblance of order. Josh's bathroom is mostly clean, but I haven't tackled the toilet yet. I still need to tidy up the craft room, my bedroom and my bathroom. My bedroom and bathroom aren't really necessary because nobody should be going in there so I may just do those later. I do need to wash the sheets and comforter for the guest bedroom and remake the bed.

I talked to Marty tonight and wished him a happy birthday. He hasn't gotten his card, but he also hasn't checked his mail in the last several days. Oh, and Prison Pete's editor just celebrated a birthday so if you read that blog you can say something over there. Well, I'm going to get a few more things done before bed time. I can't believe I cleaned almost all day and didn't read any of my book.

Me procrastinate?

No. Of course not. That's why I'm sitting here writing instead of cleaning. I woke up late this morning. I must have forgotten to set my alarm to the correct time. Luckily, my student responded to a text message I sent last night and it woke me up this morning. I took a quick shower, got dressed and headed to camp. They took a break for breakfast at the beginning so I left and went and picked up donuts. There was a huge line and it took ten minutes before I got my order. I went home and dropped off donuts for Josh and then took my milk and two donuts back to camp. They talked about intros and character development today so I'm glad I went this morning. I got permission to pick up my students for lunch tomorrow and then I left at noon. I went to the store to get the food for tomorrow along with other necessities. I put up most of the groceries and now I really need to get busy. I have to clean the living room (God help me), the kitchen (including mopping which I hate), Josh's bathroom (you don't even want to know), and then tidy up the other rooms which are still relatively clean depending on your point of view. So I guess I better get off my duff and actually get busy. I'm going. Really. I mean it. Does anyone want to help? I really shouldn't ask that because I would have to clean before I would let anyone come help me clean... I know it doesn't make sense... but it's like cleaning for the maid comes so she doesn't see the real slobs that you are. O.k. Maybe I'm the only slob... even though I hate that word. Call me untidy or chaotic or domestically challenged. O.k. I'm going now.

You won't believe it

I'm serious... you probably won't, but I actually did something productive today. I did do some reading as well, but between bouts of reading, I also cleaned the garage! It's not perfect (meaning all the boxes have not been gone through and stuff thrown away), but the boxes and other junk is on the shelves. I have a clean laundry area, tools are put away and I can even park my car in it! I think this might be the 2nd time since I've moved in that I could fit my car in the garage. I didn't get any house cleaning done which means that is what I'll be doing all day tomorrow. I am still reading the 5th Harry Potter book and I'm about halfway through it now. I probably won't finish it tonight, but will probably get through another 200 pages or so.

Summer, I know you probably thought this would never happen... but I really did it. Now if I could just get the rest of the carpet in the living room up and the nail boards, and the dishes and the bathroom... It's never ending, isn't it?

More sleep issues

I went to bed at 11:30 last night and was still up at 1:00 a.m. I took half a sleeping pill which did the trick, but was so tired this morning that I couldn't go to camp. I tried getting up at 8:20 and it just didn't work. I finally gave up (I had already gotten dressed) so I undressed and went back to bed until 10:30. That seemed to do the trick. I really need to get on a better schedule and quit taking those naps during the day. Today I vow to not sleep until it is bed time.

At noon I went with Josh to hear the final summer band concert. They played it on the town square and there was really a nice crowd that showed up. Now I'm having a bit of lunch. After lunch, I'm either going to read or start cleaning. Can you guess which I'll end up doing?

Just reading

I don't have much to say. It's been the same old thing. I go to camp in the mornings. (It forces me to get up and about in the summer.) At noon I come home and eat lunch. Sometimes I take a nap. Today I read, then took a nap. I've been mostly reading instead of doing any work (though I did get some laundry done). I have now finished the fourth Harry Potter book and am starting the fifth. I should probably pace myself and slow down because there's still almost a month before the next book and at the rate I'm going, I'll have the 5th & 6th books finished by this weekend.

I made dinner and dessert tonight. I made a Chinese chicken dish that was a bit too spicy, but pretty good. I also made cheesecake brownies and I hate to admit I've had three of them. I need to put the rest up and take them to camp tomorrow so I won't be tempted.

That's all the excitement here. I did have a weird dream during my nap this afternoon though. I had to spy on people by living in an attic without getting caught. It was very strange. Oh well. Guess I'll go read some more.

Wednesday Ramblings

I went to camp this morning again. (And for Mago and others... I am helping with the WT Speech and Theatre Camp which is for high school students). I found some poetry for one of the students I'm helping and mostly read this morning. At noon I came home and made lunch. I took my daily brief nap at 1:00. I read blogs and have been mostly a lazy bum today. I've started the fourth Harry Potter book so I've been reading that for the past couple of hours. I really need to get busy on laundry. I haven't washed all the stuff I took to Nationals and now I'm running out of clothes to wear.

I guess I'll get busy on that tonight. I also need to clean house. My students are coming over on Sunday to have lunch. I've owed them a cashew chicken dinner for a while so I decided that Sunday would be a good day for it. It also gives me the excuse I need to get busy. Of course I'm sure I'll put it off until Saturday at least.

Nothing much more to tell today. I've got to figure out what I'm going to make for dinner tonight. For some reason after going to the store, I've come home with a lot of chicken dishes.

Getting back to normal

Well, my appetite is back at least. I got up around 7:40 this morning and had more time to get ready so I did make-up today. I went to camp from 9-12. I went to lunch with my students, my co-teacher and some former students. Luckily I had exactly $4.00 and lunch was $3.99. It's not that I'm broke, but I tend to use my visa/debit card most of the time and I don't always carry cash with me and this place didn't take cards. After lunch, I came home so Josh could take the car to band. I laid down a bit but then remembered things that needed to be done. I got my package ready to mail to Summer and a birthday card for Marty. I then went to Hereford to turn in receipts, credit cards and left over cash from the Nationals trip. After Hereford, I went to the post office and got my things mailed.

I came home and read blogs and then did a lot of reading this afternoon. I am re-reading the Harry Potter books in anticipation of the final book coming out in July. Yes, I am one of those people... completely addicted. I realize as I'm reading how much the movies are not accurate in many ways and how much is left out. I've finished the third book and am moving on to the fourth now. I am almost kind of scared about the seventh book. You know me... I HATE surprises, but I think for the first time I'm not going to try and find out how it ends before I read it. I do have a sneaking suspicion though that Harry will be killed (probably as a self-sacrifice) in the last book.

I'm not feeling 100 percent, but am feeling a little better. I am giving thought to going to a chiropractor. I talked to a fellow teacher on our national trip and she swears by her chiropractor. I'm not certain, but I have a lot of general aches and pains and I just feel old. I've been having some dull headaches and sinus issues as well. Nothing incapacitating, but not feeling completely up to par either. Yeah, I'm probably run-down and I know that I need to eat better, exercise and such, but it's hard to get motivated when you just don't feel like it. Well, it's just a thought... what's your opinion about chiropractors?

Feeling off

I did not want to get up this morning. I thought I had forgotten to set my alarm, but it actually went off about two minutes after I got up. That gave me 30 minutes to get ready. I decided to go au natural... meaning without make-up. I put on clothes, brushed my hair and made it to the camp right on time. I was there until 12:00. I came home to eat and planned to go back at 1:00 and ride with Josh when he went to band. But he had plans for after band and wouldn't be able to pick me up. I decided to take a nap instead. I was going to still go up there but I decided to get some other things done like pay bills. I'm also working on a long post for my Catholic blog. I went to the store a little after 5:00. It was there that I started to feel off. Josh asked me to pick up Thai Kitchen for dinner and I couldn't decide what I wanted because I didn't feel hungry. For me to not feel hungry is saying a lot. I went ahead and ordered take-out and then came home and brought in the groceries. I then went and picked up the dinner. Now I'm home and feel kind of achy and still don't have much of an appetite. I'm picking at my dinner. I think I must be coming down with something. I feel exhausted even though I got enough sleep last night. I think I'm going to save my dinner for lunch tomorrow and call it an early night.

Sunday happenings

I planned on going to the 8:30 Mass this morning, but decided against it. Instead I slept an extra hour. I went to the adult faith formation class at 9:45 and Mass at 11:15. I found out that Josh's cousin's have moved back to Canyon and I saw them at church this morning. They are related to his dad and have always taken a special interest in him. They both used to work at his day care when he was little. We visited for a while. After church I went to the store and got some things for lunch and dinner. I'll do the major shopping tomorrow or Tuesday. I came home and checked email and such. I continued reading the second Harry Potter book that I had started while in Wichita. (I'm re-reading them awaiting the last book coming out in July).

I was thinking of taking a nap when my brother called and said he would come install the dog door for me. So I got up and cleaned the sliding windows and tidied up a bit before he came. He got here a little after 3:00 and spent about 45 minutes installing the door. I then had to re-teach two of my dogs how to use it. Mollie (the 3rd dog) is being stubborn about it. She learned to use the door to the garage but she doesn't seem to care for the door directly to the back yard. The other two caught on quickly but I've had to shove her out the door. Once she's outside, she will use it to come back in since I've blocked the entry to the garage. I think that when there's a squirrel or something to chase in the back yard, she'll start using it more. At least I hope so. I guess this means I can start cleaning out the garage, huh?

At 5:00 I went to the speech camp picnic. I decided to help with Oral Interp again but I'm only going to go in the mornings. Since Josh needs to use my car to go to band rehearsals, I'm not going to mess with going back in the afternoons. Besides, there's still too many things that need to be done around here. In the mornings I can spend time reading books and such.

My dad called me and he found some used engines for Josh's car, but it will cost around $700 for one (with the shipping). I don't have the money right now. I have almost enough in savings, but I'm still planning to use that for my trip to Atlanta. I'm still hoping that the bonus money from school comes through soon this summer. I should be o.k. once that money comes thought it means that I'm going to have to go with really cheap floor tile for the living room. I guess I'll just watch for some good sales. It also means I probably won't be able to have my clarinet fixed for a while. Oh well... I think vacations are important. I know that perhaps it's a good idea to pinch and save money, but I am of the mindset that you have to enjoy things when you can because you never know when your time is up. If I save and save for a rainy day and avoid doing things for fun and seeing the world, I may not ever do it.

Now it's time for bed. I did finish the 2nd book tonight and I think I'll wait to start the 3rd one.

Home finally

Made it home in one piece. I am so glad to be back. I looked through my mail and then immediately changed into pajamas and plopped here on the bed. I'm reading a few blogs and then I'm going to take a nap because I'm exhausted after seven hours of driving. I realize that I've been going on about the events and such I observed and judged at the tournament I was at, but understandably many of you have no idea what I'm talking about! Here's basically what is going on.

I am a speech and debate coach/teacher. My students compete in a variety of speaking, acting, interpretation, and debating events. They generally compete all year long in varying events for different kinds of tournaments. Most of the year is spent on TFA (Texas Forensic Association) tournaments which allows for certain kinds of events. To qualify for state students had to earn points by placing at different TFA tournaments during the year. They have to earn 8 points (last year - will be 10 this year). Points ranged from 6 or 8 points for 1st place (depending on number of entries) down to 1 pt for placing 6th-8th generally. (There's a chart that shows how points are determined.) My students participated in about 7-8 TFA tournaments this year in addition to hosting a TFA tournament at our school. I had 6 students qualify for TFA state with some students qualifying in multiple events.

During the spring, they focus more on UIL (University Interscholastic League) events which are different in some ways. UIL is a state based organization for ALL schools in Texas and basically is what manages all school competitions from Academic events to sporting events to music. It is a great opportunity for students to earn scholarships when they qualify for state. To qualify for UIL state, students had to compete at the District level and place 1st, 2nd or 3rd. From there they went to regionals and also had to place 1st, 2nd or 3rd. From there, they qualify for state.

The tournament my students were involved in this past week was part of the NFL (National Forensic League), however. NFL has many similar events as TFA, but a few are different and in some ways the rules are a bit different as well. To qualify for NFL nationals the students had to compete in a district tournament and place 1st or 2nd. They may compete in two events at the district tournament, but if they place in two events, they then have to choose one event for nationals. At nationals, they have 6 preliminary rounds that are guaranteed. After those six rounds "breaks" are posted and students with low scores (ranks of 1,2,3 for the most part in each round) go on to rounds 7-8. From there, they keep cutting students until they get to the top 6 students that make finals. If they are out after round 6, 7, or 8 they can then enter supplemental events. If they get out of supplemental events after round 4, they can enter consolation events.

I don't know if this makes any more sense to you, but here is a link to part of our speech team website that explains the organizations and events. Comment if you have any questions.

Winding Down

Yesterday was kind of miserable because of having major allergies. I had all the classic symptoms. Sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose. My co-teacher gave me some cold medicine to take yesterday morning which didn't seem to help much other than making me a little sleepy. My students were out after rounds 5 and 6 yesterday so we were able to leave a little early. We came back to the hotel and I remembered that I had some other allergy medicine in my bag so I took it. It actually helped, but did make me a little sleepy. We went and had lunch and then went to watch the finals rounds of most of the main events. I was disappointed in watching Humorous finals, but the Duo Interp was absolutely amazing. We got there around 3:30 and didn't leave until 9:45. We didn't have dinner so we went to Applebee's by our hotel for a late dinner. I slept very well and enjoyed being able to sleep in this morning.

This morning we went to the Village Inn for a brunch meal and then headed back to watch more finals. We watched LD debate, International Extemp, and Dramatic. We also stayed for the award assembly. We were there for seven hours. We left and went to dinner at a mexican restaurant. We got in around 9:30 tonight. I packed my suitcase, took a quick shower, and will be retiring soon. I am anxious to get home. I've missed it. I really want to sleep in my own bed.

Well, it's getting late and we're leaving at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow so I've got to get some rest.

Too tired to blog

but I'll give a brief update. My kids are out of the tournament. We watched finals of some of the main events tonight. I've been miserable all day with major allergies. I've been on drugs and fighting sleep all day. I'm finally in bed and am going to get a good nights sleep (hopefully). Luckily we get to sleep in tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll be going to watch LD debate, International Extemp, and Dramatic. We're leaving early Saturday morning. I'll write more tomorrow.

Meeting Abbagirl and Phelan

What a delightful evening! It was very nice to meet some blogging friends. I didn't know Phelan before tonight, but Abbagirl had mentioned earlier that she might be joining us. Abbagirl picked me up from the high school around 6:30 and we headed to Outback. We had a nice conversation on the way there. We met Phelan at Outback. We ordered and had some nice girl talk. We talked about our kids, our lives, our exes, relationships, all sorts of things. It turns out that Phelan has a bit of a wild side to her. Abbagirl is simply nice and a great conversationalist. She will draw you into conversations by asking questions and seems to be a great listener. We all have very different lives, but it was very cool to be able to get together like we did. Hopefully at some point Abbagirl will make it down to Texas since she has never been there. I enjoyed the experience very much and I am anxious to meet more of my blogging friends.

Today has been a decent day for my students. Jon didn't make it to rounds 9-10 in Dramatic, but was able to compete in another event starting at rounds 3-4. My other student who was out yesterday began competing in two supplemental events today and has stayed in all day which is good. I had to be in a judge pool this morning to see if I would be needed to judge but we have so many students from Texas in events that we weren't used. (We're not supposed to judge students from our own state.) Around noon I went out and got the new Janet Evanovich book that was released yesterday. I also got a throw to keep myself warm as the air conditioning in the auditorium at the school is up pretty high and it's quite chilly in there. I started reading my book for a while and then when they were calling judges, I started some crocheting. Around 3:15 another coach was ready to get out for a bit so I took her to Starbucks. I got a Chai Tea Latte and a piece of raspberry pound cake that was quite yummy. Then I did more waiting. I wasn't sure if I would be at the school or at the hotel when Abbagirl would be picking me up. They got a very late start on round 4 this afternoon/evening so I called her to let her know that I'd still be at the school.

Now I'm back at the hotel and I'm sure I'm the first to post because I'm a total internet addict. My kids are out to dinner with the other coach and when they're finished, they're going back to the high school to check for postings to see if they're still in rounds. I called them and one of them is still in one of her events, but the other doesn't know yet. So I'm going to sit back and catch up on blogs, watch a little t.v. and just veg for a while.

Goings on in Wichita

It's been a long day. We left at 7:45 and got to the school shortly after 8:00. I had a not so great donut for breakfast. I had to judge Dramatic at 8:30 this morning. To answer Mago's question, my students are competing in a National speech tournament. I turned in my ballot after the round, had about a 45 minute break before I had to judge again. At 11:30, I judged a round of Duo Interpretation. That was a difficult round to decide. I ate lunch around 1:00 and my students wanted to go eat at 1:30. I took them out to eat and I had dessert (country apple pie a la mode). We made it back by 2:45 when they were posting breaks (students that are going on to the next rounds). One of my students made it so he's competing in rounds 7 and 8. My other student didn't make it, but will be competing in supplemental events tomorrow. I was supposed to judge at 3:30, but I couldn't because a student from my state was in the round. We were finished by 5:00 so we headed back to the hotel to change and then went to the zoo. The zoo was nice, but it was hot and it involved a lot of walking. We left the zoo around 8:30 and got a quick dinner. Now it's past my bed time.

I've been sporting a headache all day. I think it's because I didn't have any caffeine today. I also have a sore shin as I fell yesterday when walking into the middle school. I tripped on an entry way and fell forward. I scraped the top of my ankles and hit my shin. I also have a bruise on my arm because of my backpack that I was wearing.

Tomorrow is going to be an earlier day. We have to leave at 7:15. I have to be a stand-by judge in the morning at 8:30. After that, my judging assignment is finished, but I have to be at the school until 4:00. The other teacher I'm with is going to lunch with some friends of hers and I have to stay until she gets back. Sometime after that, I'm meeting Abbagirl for dinner.

Well, I'm going to turn in. Thanks for all the nice comments yesterday.

1000 and counting

Today marks my 1000th post in this blog. I have been blogging for a little over three years now and I just missed my three year anniversary which was on May 25. For the most part I've blogged daily with some exceptions here and there. I admit not all are original writings as I've done a few silly quizzes and memes. I have to thank my friend Patrick for getting me involved in blogging. It wasn't my first experience as I had a live journal page for a while before I got on blogger, but I didn't update it regularly. Patrick is a gifted writer, but doesn't update much these days as life (work and family) take up his time which is understandable. You all know that I have no life so I blog pretty regularly. I don't know what it is, but I feel almost an obligation to blog daily if possible. I hate to say it, but I often get the most comments when I don't blog because then people start worrying about me! I know I don't have too many insightful things to share with you but I am grateful for those of you that stop by regularly just to read about my day. I know it doesn't change much and I don't often share my deepest thoughts, but I am delighted to know that there are some people that have bookmarked me!

My first post was a basic introduction and I know that some people haven't read since the beginning. A good portion of the blog was spent on my relationship with Marty. I gave a somewhat brief summary of it here. One of my summer projects is going to be updating my posts with tags. I have a few favorite blogs that I've written. My best work was probably the one about choices. I created my own meme once that didn't get much response, but I thought it was a cool idea. I often write about the same things, but I guess we all do to some degree. I started with coasters, progressed to relationships, and I think a post that doesn't mention housework is probably incomplete. I often brag about my son or my kids at school. I chronicled much of my Catholic journey until I created a separate blog for it. I have changed quite a bit in the past three years I've noticed. I started letting go of the bad girl side of me that was left over from my marriage and I'm getting close to figuring out who I really am (or at least who I really want to be).

I have developed some amazing friends from blogging. Of course there's Patrick who I dated briefly. Two of my oldest and dearest blog friends are Andrew and Summer who I both met because of Prison Pete's blog. I happened on Pete's blog early in my blogging experience and thought it was very interesting. I nominated it for blogs of note and amazingly it was chosen. Because of the boom in Pete's readership, both Andrew and Summer started reading his blog which in turn lead them to mine or me to theirs... I can't remember really, but I am so thankful for both of them. I am excited to meet Andrew later this summer and I truly hope to meet Summer at some point as well.

I also have met Susan. She was a friend of Patrick's and I found out that she has a degree in speech and theatre and she graciously volunteered to judge at tournaments for me. I haven't been able to sit and talk with her at length because I've kept her busy judging when I've been busy myself. One of these days I'm coming down to Lubbock and we're going shopping together! Patrick's wife, Tiffany, also blogs and I've met her briefly as well. They both came to my confirmation which I thought was very kind of them.

I don't know if it's fate that the National Speech tournament is in Wichita this year, but I was so excited to find out that I would be able to meet Abbagirl. We have talked on the phone twice and she gave me a nice compliment in her blog about my voice. We are getting together Wednesday evening and I am looking forward to it very much. I identify with her quite a bit with she and I both being a single mom with a son.

There are several others that I've grown to care about and read their blogs regularly. I love Pipe Tobacco's ability to completely share his emotional state on his blog. Lisa is going through some major turmoil lately that breaks my heart because I have been in the same position she's in now. Recently, I've been reading some other blogs and am growing very involved in them. If you're listed in my links, I have you in my google reader and read every time you update, even though I don't always comment. If you're not listed, but you read my blog regularly, please let me know and I'll add you.

Well, I think I orginally had more to say, but it's taken me a long time to write this and I'm going to call it a night. I just want to say thanks to all my readers and I hope you continue to stop by because I'm going to continue writing.

The Chase is over... almost

Today was a nice easygoing day. I was actually wide awake at 6:00 a.m though I didn't get up until around 6:40. I got ready and my students and I left for church at 8:00 a.m. We made it there quickly thanks to google maps. It was a nice service that included a baptism of a baby this morning. We got back to the hotel around 9:45. I checked mail (nothing) and caught up on blogs. We went to registration at 10:00 and finished around 11:30. We came back to the area where our hotel is and had lunch at a restaurant called Spangles. It was pretty good. I wanted dessert (they had shakes, and lots of frozen treats pictured all over the place) but I was too full. After lunch we made a run over to the schools so we'd know how to get there in the morning. We got back around 2:30 and I called Abbagirl so that we could make plans for the week. We're going to go to dinner on Wednesday evening. I'm very excited about it. We're about to leave to go to a dinner theatre. I'm going to leave you with the last of my 1985 post. I have a special post planned for tomorrow so stay tuned!

• After all I’ve gone through with Bret I have to thank him for one thing. Because of being in misery and upset over him, I lost my appetite and I lost weight. (I thought I didn't obsess about weight until well after I had Josh - back then I was a size 3) That’s the only good thing that I got ouf chasing him. After what seems like forever, I finally realize that Bret isn’t worth wasting my time on him. I’ve written him notes. I gave him a tape and I talked to him and he hasn’t listened to anything I’ve said the whole time I’ve liked him. It has never seemed fair but Bret is just an immature little boy and it will take a while for him to grow up. (O.k. maybe I was just upset - but Bret actually was and always has been for the most part mature - except for the whole birthday surprise thing - another story, another time.) I tried to settle things with him but he wouldn’t listen so I decided to just pretend that nothing ever happened and we could start all over as just friends. That’s the way it is and will always be. Now that everything is over I’m a happy person again. (I admit I didn't quite let go completely at that point, but I did by the time I was a junior in high school. Bret has been and continues to be one of my very good friends.)
  

Made is safely to Wichita

The trip was uneventful which is usually a very good thing. I arrived in Hereford around 7:50 and we were headed out by 8:05. We got to Amarillo around 9:00 and left there around 9:15. We made some pit stops along the way and got to the Wizard of Oz museum in Liberal around 12:30. It was a nice little tour. We had lunch in Liberal and hit the round shortly before 2:00. We went through Greensburg on the way and to see the tornado devastation up close was disquieting. It's one thing to see pictures on the web or television, but to actually drive through it... words cannot explain it. It was interesting though, one of the few places left standing was a liquor store. I had to chuckle at that. We got into Wichita around 6:15 and got checked into our hotel (after a bit of shuffeling). The person I'm staying with cannot handle stairs well (she's due for a hip and knee replacement) and there is no elevator. We had to trade rooms with some students from another school that had already checked in so that we could be on the first floor. We went to dinner around 7:15 and ate at a place called the Italian Garden. Everyone seemed to enjoy their food, but mine wasn't that great. I probably should have just ordered something different. I ordered the Chicken Fettucini but it was drowned in sauce. The salad and breadsticks were good, however, so I filled up on those mostly. Tomorrow, the kids and I are going to Church and then we'll go register for the tournament. Well, I gotta go get ready for bed. Here's more of my story from 9th grade. I don't know if anyone is enjoying this but I thought I'd throw it out there. Seems kind of quiet in blogdom these days.

• I went band camp and it was fun and boring at times until I met Todd. The bad thing is that I met him on the 3^rd to last day of band camp. I thought that he was kind of cute and he was a neat guy. I was bored at the camp ball because I wanted to dance with somebody. I decided to get up the nerve to ask somebody. There were two guys that I wanted to ask. Todd was one of them. One of my friends said to ask this other guy so I started to look for him but I couldn’t find him. When the next song came on Todd asked me to dance and we danced the rest of the night. I thought that he really liked me. He waited for me after the concerts but when he left, I realized that I didn’t know his last name so I couldn’t get hold of him and I knew I’d never see him again. The one guy that I’ve liked since Bret and I can’t even see him again. I finally got hold of him but he wasn’t too interested in me so I said to forget it. It’s not worth it. School started and I found out that Bret only moved 4 houses down the street where he used to live. (He really was going to be moving to another town 45 miles away from Amarillo, but his dad got a position at another local church.) Of course I fell in love with him again but this time I told him how I felt and that I really liked him. I made him a really neat tape telling him how I felt by using songs. (I have since done this for others including Richard.) I wrote him dozens of letters telling him how I felt but everything I did was useless. He wrote me back once and I liked his note but it was too good to be true. It was a big joke. He had me just for a while but I’m not stupid and I figured things out for myself. One of Bret’s best friends liked me but nothing ever happened. I wasn’t interested in him but I didn’t have the heart to tell him. I was going to go with him but I realized that I’d still like Bret and I wouldn’t be happy with him.

I'm off - and the chase continues

I will be leaving in about 10 minutes to drive to Hereford and then up to Amarillo and then off to see the Wizard! O.k. maybe just the Wizard of Oz museum along the way. We hope to get into Wichita some time this evening. People were kind of shocked when I told them we were driving but they don't realize that it's actually a shorter trip to Wichita than it is to Austin. I'm going to leave you with a continued excerpt from my writing in 1985.

• I was happy with Michael and I thought that I really liked him but I was wrong. I only liked him for about two weeks and then I just acted like I liked him. I was still in love with Bret but I didn’t want to break up. I know that I was being a jerk and I shouldn’t have said yes in the first place. I was just a nice person and I didn’t want anybody to get mad a me. (I still don't like it when people are mad at me.) Finally I decided to flirt with Bret and then Michael might break so I wouldn’t have to. My idea worked but I denied liking Bret because I still didn’t want Michael mad at me. Michael started hating me so I decided to forget it and just chase after Bret like I had planned. (I have since discovered that in junior high... guys don't like to be chased and but it's a little different in adulthood... some guys do and others still don't - boys are still confusing.) I liked him and he knew it and the whole school practically knew it but I wasn’t embarrassed like I used to be. I got really mad when April B. came into the picture. She flirted with Bret every time she saw him and I just wanted to punch her lights out. She knew that I was in love with him but she just kept butting in. She wouldn’t admit it but I think that she really liked him. If he would have liked her, I would hate him for life. (Don't you love the exaggeration?) I couldn’t believe it but I asked Bret if he would go to the “Showcase” with me and he went. (I have either gone to Showcase or participated in it since this time other than about 3 years. Last year was the first year that I could not attend.) I considered it a date but I don’t know what he thought. Everybody told me that he was going to ask me and I thought he would but I was wrong! I got my hopes up but I shouldn’t have. One night when I went to bed, I was thinking about Bret as usual. I was wondering what I would do if Bret moved. It really freaked me out the next day when Shelby told me that he was moving. I was really upset. I wouldn’t smile for two weeks but then I figured that I can’t have what I want. When school was out I tried to forget about Bret but I couldn’t. I thought that I’d never find somebody to chase after.

Crude Beginnings

I have been writing to some degree since about the eighth grade. It mostly started with getting my feelings out in dealing with crushes. I also wrote a lot of poetry in junior high and high school. (Cheesy stuff... but you can't expect much from an 8th grader!) I have this green notebook that I have kept many of my writings in. I guess you could say that I'm a pack rat as I have had some of these things since 1984. Since I'm having a hard time finding things to write about, I thought I'd share with you some of my early writings just for a change of pace. This was written when I was in the ninth grade I believe. I've added some comments that are italicized for clarification or for additional information.

• It all started at band camp when I was in the 8th grade. I met Bret C. and I fell in love with him. (Bret is my Baptist preacher friend that I've mentioned before.) He was cute, funny and a likable person. I decided right then and there that he's the one I'd chase after when school started. One night I asked Kirsten, my roommate, why she didn't introduce me to him sooner. Nobody but Kirsten knew that I liked him because I was too embarrassed to tell anybody. As soon as school started, word got around and I was so embarrassed! After he found out I didn't want to get near him or even talk to him but I still stared at him in band. I would look at him but I would turn away as soon as he looked in my direction. As time passed I got braver and I started to talk to him. Once I decided to give up and go after somebody else and I actually did - sort of. I liked another guy for about 2 weeks but I had to go back to chasing Bret. I just couldn't resist. I kept liking him on and off. One day another guy asked me to go with him but I was still in love with Bret. I didn't know what to do. I said that I'd tell him my answer Monday. I finally decided to say yes. I thought I'd chase Bret the next year and go with Michael until school was out. (Michael was my first kiss which happened in front of the house I'm in now. He is also Josh's band director now.)

To be continued....

Needing a nap in the worst way

I really should call Andrew when my insomnia kicks in. It seems we often have it the same nights. I tried going to bed a little after 11:00 last night and finally got up around 12:30 because I couldn't stand it any longer. I got online for about an hour and tried going back to sleep but I remember seeing the clock around 2:30. I guess at some point I slept, but it seems as though it wasn't enough. I had to get up early to meet my students again and all of them were late from 10 minutes to an hour. I did get some things accomplished while at school though. I created a time schedule that will let me see at a glance what is going on. That way once I get my judging schedule I can fill in those times I'm committed to being at the tournament and figure out when I can meet Abbagirl. I made reservations for the dinner theatre for Sunday evening which should be fun. We'll be going to the zoo on Tuesday evening for the Schwan's party where we'll get free pizza and ice cream.

I still have a lot to get done (like packing) but I think I'm going to nap for a bit. We're leaving at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning and we'll be gone until next Saturday. I am taking my laptop with me, however, so I should be able to blog at somepoint. Pray for good internet access at the hotel.

On the move today

I had to get up early to be in Hereford by 9:00. I met with my students and made sure they got some work done. Tomorrow I'm going to listen to them perform. I did get several things done today. I made copies of schedules for them. I printed out maps for the trip. I found some possible churches to attend on Sunday. They decided they wanted to go to a dinner theatre show on Sunday evening so I'm going to try to get reservations for it tomorrow. I picked up the checks for the meal money and hotel along with a gas card and credit card. I got the check cashed and now have to sort the money for everyone. I took Josh to the grocery store to get him food to eat while I'm gone. He didn't get much, but he does have his own money now so I suspect he'll eat out some while I'm gone.

I got the extra bedroom cleaned for the most part. There's still stuff in the hallway and garage that I'll need to go through at some point, but it's not in the room itself. I also don't know what to do with my stuffed animals that I've kept. I've given tons of them away, but have a few that have sentimental value. I tried putting the bed in a couple of different places, but finally decided on having it centered under the window looks the best. That will allow space on either side which makes making it up easier. I still have the nightstand to paint, but am not going to mess with it for a while. I realize that once again I forgot to look for paint to spray the hardware! Oh well, I'll deal with that later as well. I need to sort through my beads and get them organized as well. I do like the space better now. I have a specific craft area which is nice.

Now I just have to deal with all the other stuff around the house. The garage is getting quite full again but I'll tackle it later this summer. I'll probably do that while Josh is gone to band camp. I'm hoping to take my trip to Alabama/Georgia right after camp is over. It might be better to do it while Josh is at camp, however. He won't want to do without a car for a week or however long I'm gone. Then again, he might want to come with me on the trip. I guess it will be a wait and see thing for now. I'll see what he wants to do.

Well, it's time for supper so I better go see what's left in the kitchen to eat.

More slow progress..

..but progress none-the-less. I have made a huge dent in the extra bedroom. I have the desk cleared and am getting ready to sort my crafting supplies on it. I set up my old computer in there and have a small t.v. as well. For a while it just seemed like I would move things from one pile to the other in the room without really clearing things out. I have several things in my once clean kitchen that will be relegated to the garage fairly soon. There's still quite a mess in the room, but the piles are getting much smaller. I hope to be finished with it no later than Friday afternoon. I have the matching end table that will still need to be painted, but I'm going to hold off on that until the other stuff is done.

I'm forcing myself to go to bed early since I have to be in Hereford by 9:00 tomorrow morning. I took a tylenol p.m. about an hour ago and it's starting to kick in. I'll post pictures once I'm done with everything. I really should have taken before pics, but oh well. Just use your imagination.

Re-overwhelmed

But not by the kitchen. The kitchen is done. I should have cleaned out the refrigerator/freezer, but I decided to give it a rest for now. The kitchen is clean except for the floor and a few items that have found their way to the table just to get them out of the way. I've been working on the spare bedroom and it's a mess! I finished the painting on the bureau, but now I need some spray paint for the hardware. I decided I'd rather have the hardware silver rather than it's current brassy color. I really like the way the detailed flowers and leaves came out. I painted the flowers and extra stuff yellow and the leaves/stems green. It looks really nice on the white background. I left it kind of sloppy because the paint didn't cover well but I kind of like the rushed look of it. I started on the closet today. I finally got the doors off and will leave them off. I will eventually make a curtain to cover the doorway (when I can access my sewing machine again). I still have way too much junk. I found a box of cassette tapes and some 3 1/2 in. computer floppy disks. I sorted through a bunch of clothes and am working on yet another bag to give to charity. I have a million hangers covering the floor right now. (no, it's not an exaggeration) I even found one of the cords I've needed for my digital camera. (But the charger no longer works and the battery is dead so no pics right now.)
I really want to get this room done by the time I leave for Wichita on Saturday. That way, when I come back, I'll just have the living room to do. I'll also need to get stuff moved out of the living room so I can pull up the rest of the carpet and then I'll have to start pulling those darn (not the word I wanted to use) nail boards up. I do have to tackle the garage (still) at some point this summer. Hopefully my brother is going to come tomorrow evening to install the pet door. That way I can get it clean and hopefully keep it clean!
I'm sorry my posts aren't more interesting. I really have nothing else to write about. I am actually thinking about leaving the house, however, and going to the store. Woo hoo!

Blogging Boredom

I decided to not post today since I didn't have anything to write about other than my cleaning binge. I did, however, post on my other blog today. I think I need to get out of the house soon. I didn't go to Hereford today. I'm just going to wait and go on Thursday like I'd planned. Josh took my car to band and church rehearsal. I made Enchiladas for dinner.
I've been trying to make an effort to comment on other people's blogs more. I know I've been very bad about that. It seems that few people are blogging regularly these days. I guess I need to find more blogs to read.
Well, I'm not going to bore you with tales of my kitchen so I guess I'll close for now.

Are you sick reading about cleaning yet?

I would write about something else if I had anything else going on. Frankly the only thing happening in my life is making huge messes in order to clean up the mess. You see, I don't just straighten and dust and put things away. I've cleared cabinets, rearranged things, thrown things away (believe it or not) and it's still not finished. Granted I took a lot of breaks today. (Notice the three posts) There were times that it was just too overwhelming and I had to walk away from it and go watch a t.v. show about million dollar homes and then I felt bad and had to get my under $100,000 home in some semblance of order. Right now my kitchen looks like a tornado went through it. I am making progress. The counter is filled with hand washed dishes and such that are drying. The bar is filled with what used to be in two junk drawers that needs to be sorted. The table is filled with items that have been labled "I can't decide if I want to keep this, throw it out or give it away and if I keep it where in the heck I'm going to put it."

I haven't decided if I'm going to Hereford tomorrow or not. I may just try to get the kitchen finished and then just go at the end of the week like I already have planned. I hate leaving for trips when my house is a mess. I wish I could tell you some entertaining stories about my life, but frankly it's quite boring. I don't have any friends that I do things with. I didn't even leave the house today. I balanced my checkbook though. I am in love with online banking. I think it's the best invention since air conditioning. Well, I guess I'm going to try to go to bed. I'm still having a litle bit of insomnia problems here and there. I hope they subside soon.

Still at a loss

Progress is being made, but very slowly. I could make you a 9 tiered wedding cake as I have enough pans for it. I could also put turkey trimmings on a large platter with all the sides you could think of served on glass trays and bowls. Not only was my mother a good cook, she loved entertaining as well. Most people find cooking a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner a pain, but my mother loved it. I enjoy entertaining as well, but I just don't get the time or really have the friends for it these days. I remember one time when I was married, I went all out for a party making all sorts of appetizers and food etc. and then most of the people didn't even show up. It was because we lived all they way in Canyon which is 15 whole miles from Amarillo. I was very disappointed. Then another time I made a special dinner for my friend Bret and his wife when they were in town visiting and it was cancelled at the last minute when I had just made a huge pot of fettucini alfredo and two rolls of stromboli. I think I finally called my cousin to come over to help eat it, but I ended up throwing quite a bit out because the fettucini isn't very good reheated.
I'm still at a loss what to do with a lot of the stuff I have. I don't need all of it, but there might be a time when I do need 4 loaf pans for something and if I throw the other three out then I'm SOL. I don't use the serving platters much except maybe every five years or so, but they're good to have when you need them. I guess I'll just try to put the things I use seldom use (like the punch bowl and glasses) in the back corners where all the spiders are and just pull them out when I need them. Does anyone need a large cutting board with a silver long-horned cow's head on both ends?

Overwhelmed by the Kitchen

I didn't get up quite as early as I planned, but I did get going on the cleaning by 9:00 a.m. I started clearing out everything in the bottom cabinets. I have way too much stuff. I moved here with some kitchen items and my mom had a full set of kitchen stuff as well. I sorted through a lot of it when I moved in and got rid of several things but kept quite a bit because you never know when you might need a big roasting pan. I'm thinking I really don't need half a dozen pie plates. Although I don't make pies, I use them for some things I cook in the oven, but that means I probably really just need one. I have all sorts of baking pans, glass cookwear, etc. that I just don't use and need to get rid of. I just don't know what to do with it. I can give it to charity, but that means I have to pack it all away and have them pick it up or take it and drop it off.
My mom was a cook. She was a very good cook and could bake anything. I do enjoy cooking but find I don't have the time very often. I just need to cut back on everything and keep it to a manageable size. I really just want to gut my kitchen and start over. I hate the cabinets, the tile... just about everything about it. I did paint it a very bright green a few years ago when my mom was still here to brighten it up, but the paint is wearing off in places and it just looks like crap at the moment. The inside of the cabinets are still a dark brown and I hate it. My dad in his infinite wisdom retiled the kitchen floor with white wall tiles. So any time the floor gets wet it's as dangerous as an ice rink. The floor has cracks and chips in it and it's horrible as well. Anyone got a bulldozer I could borrow?

Time to really get busy

I have many things I want to accomplish tomorrow. First, I want to finish the bureau and get it in place. I think I'll wait before really getting into setting up/cleaning the craft room until after I get back from Nationals in order to give the paint time to cure so things won't stick to it when I put stuff in or on it. I think what I'm going to do next is focus on the kitchen. Although I'd really like to rip out the tile in there, I know I can't yet. I am, however, going to clean out cabinets and move things around. I'm now more aware of the pots and pans etc. that I use most often and so I'm going to move those things to be more accessible. That will be my focus tomorrow after I finish the bureau. It is basically done other than the detail painting and a second coat on the back of the two small doors. I'm going to try to make myself get up somewhat early and get an early start on everything rather than sleeping the morning away.

Tonight I went to a dinner at one of the church member's house. It was very nice. I found out that one of the ladies in the class is actually a very close neighbor. I was almost ashamed that she now knows where I live because our yard is so disgusting right now. Oh well... it's the life of a single mom with a son that is (usually) as busy as I am and a lawn mower that works when it wants to. I made a pineapple upside down cake for dessert and it seemed to be a pretty good hit. I only brought a small portion home which is good because then I don't have to eat so much of it! I'm going to try to start watching what I eat and start getting more exercise this summer. My new neighbor friend said she'd be interested in going walking with me some time.

My dad called about Josh's car. It's not good news, but not completing devastating either. It was the timing belt that broke and with that, some of the valves were bent which is not good. He either wants to get a used engine to put in it or possibly rebuild the one that is in it now. He hasn't decided, but I told him to start figuring it out now because Josh will need a car at least when school starts in August. He said it would probably cost $500-600 to fix and that's because he, my brother and their mechanic friend can do all the work. Well... there goes the money I was planning to use for some furniture. I'm still going to try to take my vacation this summer... but I may have to simplify it some. Luckily I'm still expecting the bonus money from school and my principal is trying to get it to us in June. I hope it comes in either June or July and not have to wait until August or September.

I think I'm going to go up to Hereford on Tuesday for a bit and try to get some books to one of my students. I also need to pick up the checks for the meal money and hotel. I am going back to the school on Thursday and Friday to work with my students and then we leave Saturday. Josh will take me on Saturday and drop me off so that he can have the car while I'm gone.

Well, I'm going to try to get some sleep and we'll see how my work day goes tomorrow.

Last week of freedom

Sorry about not posting yesterday. I got very involved in a new blog that I am going to share with you. I went back to the beginning of it and started reading the past posts. It is the diary of a woman from 1925-1927. The grand-daughter is posting the entries daily from the original diary. The posts are short, but there is quite a bit of commentary from the grand-daughter and other members of the family which makes it more interesting. It is really strange to have a personal glimpse into the life of a housewife in that time period. I don't feel so bad about writing about how my life revolves around cleaning. Every day she has ironing, washing, sewing, cooking etc. to do! It's exhausting to read at times. If you find it interesting, do go back and read from the beginning. That way you get the whole story with lots of background information. I still haven't caught up, but am just a few months away from the current posts. You can find the blog/diary here.

Yesterday I put a coat of paint on the bureau and let it set. (needed 4 hours to dry) Then I got ready for the party. Josh and I left around 5:30 and then went and picked up my friend Pam. I got to catch up with some theatre friends so it was nice. They kept asking me to come audition for their summer Shakespeare production. It might be fun, but I've discovered usually it's poorly put together so it's not really that great. I guess I should consider it because it would give me something to do. But then again, I don't want to spend the gas to go up there for rehearsals all the time. I'm also planning to be gone some this summer. I just don't know.

I went to church this morning at 8:30. I also went to the Sunday school class which was nice. I picked up Donuts after church at Josh's request. The class is having a potluck dinner tonight that I'm going to go to at 6:00. I need to go to the store to get something to make. I think I'll make a pineapple upside down cake.

Still no news on the car. Hopefully no news is good news.

My Friday

I slept in this morning despite waking up at 6:30 a.m. for whatever reason. After waking up, I stayed in bed while I read blogs, did a meme, checked email and balanced my checkbook. I fixed some lunch around 11:30 and then finally started painting the bureau. It has taken several coats of primer but tomorrow I should be able to use the actual paint and probably will only need one coat of it. I'm still thinking about the layout of the room, but it will be a while before it's put together. I haven't heard about Josh's car yet, but the mechanic probably hasn't gotten to it yet.

This afternoon I took Josh to the bank so he could learn how to fill out a deposit slip and put money in his account. Shortly after that, I went to walmart to get another paint brush along with a few other necessary items. I also bought myself some cheap flowers that were on sale. They're just some colorful carnations, but they look nice in my room. A girl's gotta have flowers every now and then. I came home and put another coat of primer on the bureau and then made supper around 6:30. I decided to make pizza and it was quite delicious. Now I'm just waiting for paint to dry. I won't do any more painting tonight. I'm going to try to finish the basic white paint tomorrow and perhaps get started on the detail work. I hope to have it finished by this weekend. Then I can get the room finished hopefully before I leave next Saturday for Wichita. I'm still excited about getting to meet my blogging friend Abbagirl.

Oh, I almost forgot - I'm going out tomorrow night. Can you believe it? No, it's not a date, but I am going to a party. I'm taking my friend Pam with me. The party is for my friend Cristal that just finished law school. I'll get to see some old theatre friends so that should be cool.

Another fact/habit meme

Borrowed this meme from Martha, Martha. Some of these I’ve items I have posted before, but I have some new readers that may not know some of my quirks.

“For this meme, each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.”

Fact: I have ridden 125 different rollercoasters. About 6 years ago, the number I had ridden at that point was 10. Since I joined ACE in 2001, I’ve managed to go to several parks during some summer trips. I still intend to get to Atlanta this summer, but now that’s dependent on what it’s going to cost to fix Josh’s car at this point.

Habit: I rarely wear shoes when I’m home and they usually come off within moments of coming in the door. Generally you can find numerous pairs of shoes scattered throughout the house – under my desk, in front of the couch, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, on the floor of my room, floor of my closet… you get the picture. One time my ex-husband thought he would try to teach Josh and myself a lesson on this matter by hiding our shoes that we’d left out. This really irritated me and it made me late for work and Josh late for school. I told him that if he didn’t like the shoes out to either get over it or put them up where they belong but it’s one of those habits that I wasn’t going to break.

Fact: I have this thing about memorizing numbers. I can remember birthdays of people I knew in junior high. I know all my phone numbers since 2^nd grade. I still know my mom’s driver’s license number, my ex’s social security number, Josh’s SS # and driver’s license, my own SS, license, bank account, and visa card numbers. I even know one of my student’s driver’s license number because I gave him a pattern to remember it and now I won’t forget it. I can’t just read it and memorize it though… I have to make an effort, but once it’s down, I never forget it.

Habit: I can’t watch scary movies unless I know how it ends. I’ve also been known to peek at the end of books I’m reading. I guess I don’t like surprises much.

Fact: I have made more than 30 rosaries and haven’t sold a single one. I generally give them away. I’ve made them for my RCIA class, my sponsor, and my graduating seniors. I gave one away to every member of my brother’s family and one to my aunt in Albuquerque. I keep thinking that I’m going to put them online one of these days to sell, but I haven’t gotten around to it. I still have about 10 more that I haven’t given away yet. Oh and Summer – I’ve made you a pink one that I wanted to send to you. Email me your address so I can get it to you!

Habit: I bite or tear my nails. They’re flimsy nails and it’s pointless to grow them out. I rarely paint them because it never lasts. I work with my hands so much that half the polish is gone in less than a day.

Fact: I broke my neck when I was four years old after getting hit by a car. I actually had a broken neck for over a week before it was discovered that it was actually broken. I was flown to Oklahoma City where they did surgery on my neck and fused the cracked vertebra. Because of that, I got the nickname “Steel Neck” from a friend of the family. I was actually fairly accident prone as a kid. When I was two I got my head stuck in a cabinet and tore my earlobe in getting it out (3 stitches), When I was three, I fell off of a slide at the park and busted my head (20 stitches), and I once ate a whole bottle of baby aspirin by myself when I was four. After the broken neck, I settled down and didn’t have to go to the hospital again until I gave birth to Josh.

Habit: When I travel, I always take a religious item with me. Even before I started going back to church, I would always take the small New Testament Bible that was given to me when Josh was born. Now I wear my crucifix and usually take a rosary with me.

I'm going to break the rules by not tagging anyone and will allow you to choose to do the meme if you are so inclined. Just let me know if you do it so I can read it!

God's sense of humor

You know when you complain that life is boring and there's just no excitment is right about when you get what you ask for but not quite in the way you'd expect or want it. I often talk about how I have no life, can't get a date and my world consists only of cleaning my house and doing endless amounts of laundry. Sometimes we don't appreciate the mundane life in itself. Take today for example.

It started out as any normal summer day - sleeping late, then going to get my haircut. I came home and blogged a bit, then went to Josh's band concert. We then went to put air in his tires and decided to head up to Amarillo in search of a new bed for him. We actually made it to the first store... sort of. Shortly before we got there the battery light in his car came on and he lost power. Luckily we were still moving so he was able to pull into the store's parking lot. We didn't quite get it into a parking space. This of course is a most inopportune time as both my dad and my brother (the ones that always come to my rescue) are out of town in Mississippi. I call my dad to get the number of his friend who is also a mechanic. I then try to call him for an hour but the number is busy. I did get someone in the store come and help push the car out of the way since it was blocking the lot. Josh and I then walked over to the Chili's restaurant that was close by so he could have lunch. (I already ate earlier) I kept trying to call the guy and kept getting a busy signal. My dad calls me back and I tell him that I'm trying. Now let me add here that I am using Josh's phone. My phone was inconviently left at home. Had I had that phone, I could have called one of my friends that lives in Amarillo to give us a ride back to Canyon and then we could have brought my car back to Amarillo. But no. I didn't have my phone. I really have no other friends that live in Amarillo that I could call. I finally remember my friend Carol who works in Amarillo. I get a phone book while we're sitting at Chili's and give her a call. Although she carpooled with someone else, she assured me that they would be able to give us a ride home when they left work at 5:00. At this point it's about 2:30. I call my dad back and tell him I still can't get a hold of Doug (the mechanic friend of my dad) and he said that he was able to get a hold of him and he'd tried calling me back... on the phone that was at home. I then realize that I am a complete idiot at this point because as I scroll down the numbers called, I realize that the entire time I've been calling him, it's been the wrong number. I dialed 655 as the prefix instead of 622. So I get in touch with Doug and he then says that the car will need to be towed to the shop. Luckily he has a brother that does towing so he gives him a call and calls me back. He said he could get the car but it would be about an hour. At this point Josh is finished with his lunch so we head back to the furniture store to wait for the tow so I can give him the key to the car. The hour actually turns into about two hours. Which I guess isn't a big deal since my friend wouldn't be picking us up until after 5:00. The tow guy arrives a little after 5:00 and gets the car and my friend Carol and her carpool buddy, Gladys arrive around 5:30 and finally we make it home. How's that for excitement?

I don't know what's wrong with the car or what it will take to fix it. I realize I really should quit complaining about my boring life. I have been on the receiving end of God's sense of humor many times and I still haven't learned. At least it came out alright in the end. I just hope and pray that the problem with the car is an easy fix and that Josh will have his transportation back soon.

As soon as I got home, I changed into comfortable clothes and poured myself a glass of wine. I think I've earned it today. And no, we didn't find any beds we liked at the furniture store.

Where has the week gone?

I don't know if it's me, but time seems to travel much faster the older you get. I know that as a kid, the days seemed to drag on sometimes and I couldn't wait to grow up. Now I want things to slow down and I'd give almost anything to go back to those carefree days when I had lots of friends and activities and no bills to pay. Now some of the other times when I was struggling as a single parent in college and on welfare...I don't want to return there although in some ways that was easier too. Maybe I miss college. I have always loved learning new things. I really do want to go back some day.

I still love my clean bedroom. I am finding that I am spending most of my time in here. Thanks to a laptop and my wireless setup, I can blog from anywhere in the house. I feel better and happier in a clean space. (Go figure) Being out in the living room just depresses me right now. I'm going to get started on painting the bureau and nightstand later this afternoon. Josh is playing in the summer band concert this afternoon so I'm going to go listen. Usually I play in summer band, but there's too much I need to get done and my clarinet is having some issues lately. I need to have it re-worked (pads & corks replaced, keys fixed, etc.) but I don't want to spend money on that right now. I have too many other grandiose plans instead. I still have about $700 in savings that will either go to a trip later this summer or to new furniture. Josh has needed a new bed for a long time and I really want to get him one. I hate my couches in the living room. I really, really, really want new furniture in there including a coffee table that I haven't had since moving in here three years ago.

I got my hair cut this morning. It feels and looks so much better. I even put make-up on today.

And to respond to Mago's comment regarding laundry... I ALWAYS have laundry to do. Actually I'm caught up for the most part. I have some things that need to be dry cleaned and some other things like blankets that aren't being used, but I've got plenty of clean underwear so that's all that matters right now.

I took my dog Max for a R.I.D.E. this morning. He was so excited. I really need to take them out more. We went to Sonic and I got a lime coke and he got a junior burger. (Actually I got two burgers and brought them home to share with the other dogs.) I am thinking of going to Amarillo and look at beds this afternoon, however. The painting may have to wait until later. Maybe it will inspire me to move faster. I am also planning on getting Josh's room cleaned up as well. (It's a typical teenage pigsty) He has promised to clean it up if he gets a new bed. Hmmm... might be worth it.

Magazine Meme

I still can't sleep. I took a benadryl and nothing is happening. This is frustrating. But that means you get to read more meaningless posts!

1. Do you currently subscribe to any magazines? If so, which ones?
Not at this time.

2. What magazines have you subscribed to in the past?
Reader's Digest, Rollercoaster (received it as a member of ACE), Woman's Day, McCall's, and Games Magazine are the ones I can remember at the moment. I used to get a kid's Disney magazine for Josh at one point.

3. What do you do with the little cards that always fall out of the magazine? Do you toss them, or have you found a use for them?
Rip them out and throw them away. They are very annoying.

4. If you could start a magazine, what would it be about? Who or what would be on the cover of the first issue?
Home repair and decorating for the single girl on a budget. Ty Pennington would be on the cover half naked. Or maybe Amy Wynn Pastor. (or any of the trading spaces carpenters)

Bored Insomnia Meme

My Ten Names!

1. WHAT'S YOUR REAL NAME? Jennifer

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle): Jenizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (fav color and fav animal): Purple Dolphin

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name, and childhood street): Ann Grinelle

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 3 letters of mom's maiden name): Zinjedav

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Green Coke

7. YOUR IRAQI NAME (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your
last name, any letter of your middle name, 2nd letter of your moms
maiden name, 3rd letter of your dads middle name, 1st letter of a
siblings first name, last letter of your moms middle name): Ennaitn

8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (mothers middle name and a friend's last
name): Ann Nelson

9. YOUR GOTH NAME (black, and the name of one your pets): Black Roo

10. YOUR STAR NAME (One of your friends pet, and a street you lived on): Tango Grinnelle (all my other streets have been numbers)

Decorating Dilemmas

I did get started on the extra bedroom today. Josh and I got the very large desk moved from one corner to the other. That was a pain. But I like the way it's positioned better and it is a great crafting space. It is my old computer desk and there's room for my sewing machine, my old computer, and a small t.v. with work space left over. I only have two potential positions for the guest bed and both would mean I have to get rid of a large book case that is currently storing a lot of my crafting materials. That's o.k. because I can clean out the closet and move those things in there. The closet stuff can go to the garage (at least temporarily) for now. Now my dilemma is the mismatched furniture. I have the desk which has a lighter maple top and dark gray sides. With that is a matching 2 drawer filing cabinet that really needs to stay in there because there's no other place for it. I also have a long bureau that is a dark brown that was part of the bedroom furniture accumulated when I got married. It has a matching night stand with it. Both are used to store my crafting and sewing items. The problem is that they don't really go with the lighter desk. I was looking at it today and realized that I just don't like the dark brown in there. The walls of the room are a bright yellow which I love and all the trim is white. I grudgingly decided today that the bureau and nightstand need to be painted. It will take more time; but I think in the end, I'll be happier with that decision. I'm going to paint them white with some of the detailing on the front in green and yellow. I could get by with just moving the furniture around for now, but I might as well get the painting done while I have the time. I can't work on the flooring stuff at this point so I might as well get the room the way I really want it.

Now the next dilemma is the bed. All I have is the mattress at this point. I think I'd like to have a simple platform bed frame in there. I looked online and I found one for around $93 which isn't bad. Then I though that it couldn't be that hard to make one. It would just be a rectangular frame with some middle supports and a sheet of plywood on top. Then when I started looking around the room, I realized that I'm going to get rid of the current closet doors because the track is broken and they just don't work. I think they're solid and I'm thinking I can use them to make the frame. My cost would then be the plywood and the paint (which I already have). The problem is that I will have to wait until my brother gets back to have it cut because I don't own a saw. There's a guy that I sort of know from online that has offered to help, but I don't think I want to go there. He keeps asking me out. I know I keep saying I want a date, but this guy had three chances to meet me and stood me up three times so I really don't think he deserves any more chances. He's also just not my type. Our morals are quite different and I know how that doesn't mesh in relationships. Speaking of which... I was looking at my ex-husband's new girlfriend's website. Don't get me wrong... it's not spiteful spying or anything. I am happy for both of them and they seem to be doing well together. But the point I was making is that I was looking at the pictures of the poker run they went on and all I could think is "thank God I'm not part of all that!" They both seem to love it and that's great for them, but I still can't see the appeal in the biker lifestyle. I really don't know what I was thinking when I married him. Richard is a good guy in many ways which was appealing at first, but there were other sides to him that I didn't discover fully until afterwe were married for a while. He also changed quite a bit once he got his bike. (Which will be paid off in a little over a year, thank goodness - it's the last thing that is jointly in our name and tying me to him - but he is making regular payments)

Well, I should get back to work in the extra room. I guess I'm going to have to change that lightbulb after all.

Wednesday already?

I can't believe it's already the middle of the week. Last night I didn't get to sleep until sometime after 1:00 a.m. Probably more likely 2 a.m. or so. Obviously, I slept in this morning. I'm not quite ready to get going yet, however. I am still blogging from bed. I did call and make an appointment to cut my hair cut. I'm going tomorrow at 10:00. It's grown out way too much since I last got it cut in march. I have been growing my bangs out thanks to Cheryl's suggestion.

I spent some time updating my blog links. There have been more blogs that I've been reading and haven't acknowledged them. I wanted to let Terri know that I do appreciate all of her comments and I do read her blog regularly even though I don't comment like I should. If you read my blog but haven't commented or if I've just overlooked you, please let me know so I can add you as well.

Well, I'm going to finish watching House Hunters on HGTV and then I'm going to fix some lunch. After that, I'll try to get motivated to start working on the extra bedroom. I really need to get that done. It will probably be at least a two day project depending on how many breaks I take.

Summer Insomnia

I can't sleep... as you've probably gathered. Three posts in one day... can you imagine? It's been a slow blogging day in the blogs I read. Nobody is posting much or commenting. I guess it's just one of those days. It's days like this that I realize that most of the world isn't on summer break. I did get my closet sorted and the bathroom clean. Just 5 more rooms to go! I was going to start on the extra bedroom, but the lightbulb is out and I just didn't feel like changing it. I'll get busy in there tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it, but I think I'll be much happier when it's done. I've actually preferred spending time in my room today since it's so nice. It's amazing what a clean space does for one's mood. I wish I could be a neat person who always has a house that is exemplary... but it's not going to happen in my lifetime unless I get a live-in maid like Alice on the Brady Bunch. I don't know how two people can make such a mess! I guess when things get busy, I fall behind and before I know it, it's too much to tackle and I give up until I get a break.

I'm still not sleepy and I don't know what to do. I'm watching Dog the Bounty Hunter on t.v. since there's nothing else on. I feel like I've exhausted the internet. I would try to find new blogs to read, but it seem that if you click the "next" button on blogger all you get is commercialized pages. I've looked up almost every movie I've ever seen on IMDB. I can't think of anything I want or need to buy (that I could afford) so I have no online shopping to do. Now what?

Memorabilia

I am just about finished with my closet. If you remember, I purged a bunch of shoes a few months ago so it wasn't too terribly bad. I have a small shelf in the closet to keep some personal books like my journals. I have several books that I don't want or need any more so I think I'll put them on half.com or something. I also have some wedding stuff that I'm not sure what to do with. I have a wedding book, copies of the newspaper announcements and a planning book. Although the marriage lasted only five years, it was still a big deal at one point and I don't necessarily want to just through all that stuff out. But then again, it is just taking up space. I have some manilla folders with all sorts of writings. I've been writing down my thoughts for as long as I can remember. Well, since junior high at least. I have unfinished poems and pages of random writings. One of these days I'll go through it and organize it. For now, I'll just file it away. I have several journal books that I've started in the last several years. I need to start writing in them again. Yes, I blog, but I don't put everything out here. I still have a lot of private thoughts that I should be recording. Well, I should quit taking these breaks and get back to work.

My Sanctuary

My bedroom isn't very big. Although it is technically a master bedroom since it has an attached bath, it is actually smaller than my son's room. My bed is a water bed so it is pretty much stuck where it is. Any rearranging has to be done around the bed. But I gave it some thought and moved some furniture and now I really love the way it is. I have two matching dressers that I moved together. Before they were in two different places in the room and it was often inconvenient. I also added my rocking chair that has not found a place in the house until now. I had it in the living room but it didn't quite fit. I then moved it to the extra bedroom and it didn't really fit there either. When I moved the dressers, I now had a nice corner of the room for it. I added a lamp table next to it and now I have a nice reading area. I moved my trunk out from the corner where it is usually hidden by the open closet door and fold down ironing board. I am also planning to get rid of the giant t.v. that is on one wall. It is suspended from the ceiling mostly and I don't watch it much. I am going to give it to Josh once I can get it down. As soon as I can get my curtains made, it will be quite perfect. I'll take pictures once I have the curtains made.

Todays agenda includes more laundry (go figure), cleaning out my closet, and cleaning my bathroom. That shouldn't take to long. Then I'm going to start on the extra bedroom. I plan to rearrange stuff in there as well. Now that I have a bed (well, a mattress) I need to put it in a different place where it's easier to actually make the bed when I have guests. I would like to have my craft room back because I actually have crafts that I'd like to work on this summer. I bought lots of beads a while back so I have several rosaries to make.

Well, that should keep me busy today. At least I'm somewhat motived to get things done.

Slow going

But going. I'm just not used to hard labor I guess. So far I've sorted the laundry from my bedroom (Six baskets), moved the dressers and other furniture (aside from the bed), vaccumed, and cleared trash. I've also done several loads of laundry. I admit that I've taken breaks here and there, but I am getting stuff done.

I took some time out to make dinner (penne pasta and meatballs) and now I'm watching more HGTV to get re-inspired. I'm also enjoying a glass of wine. I'll get going again shortly. After all.. I have time now that summer is here. See... I've posted twice in one day. Of course it still isn't something interesting, but it's posting. I wish I had more exciting things to share with you other than cleaning my house, but I have no life. My life is work, house cleaning, and laundry. I really need to get out more. Maybe that will be a goal for this summer... get out of the house!

Inspiration

It is amazing how watching HGTV can inspire one to get off their duff and get busy. I have decided to get the rest of the house in order before I continue with the floors. I'm starting with my bedroom first. I have tons of clothes all over the place. I've decided to a. do laundry b. move my dressers together and c. reorganize. When I moved into the house I brought a dresser from my old house and discovered that there was one just like it here. So luckily they match except one of the tops is a bit crinkled and warped. I think I'll find some fabric and just make a cover for the tops. Once I get the guest/craft room done, I'm going to finally make the curtains that I've been planning for about a year. I have the material cut, I just need to get it sewn together. I cleared the garage somewhat so I could get some laundry done. I realize that I need the other rooms in the house clean before I can start really tearing things apart. I still haven't gotten the dog door, but my brother will be gone all week so it won't matter.

I also cut the weeds growing in front of the garage. Since I don't have a weedeater I figure I needed to do it while it was somewhat manageable. That exhausted me a bit. I started another load of a laundry and now I'm taking a small break. I'm going to fix some lunch shortly and then get going again.

Retail Therapy

Well, I spent more than I probably should have, but of course I got some good deals. First I went to Ross for Less. I didn't find much but I did come home with a pair of Capri pants, a dress, and a pair of pajamas for $40. After that, I went to Sears. That's where I got the best deals. Everything I bought was on sale and some items were even less than marked. I got five outfits for $122 including tax. I thought it was a pretty good day. Now I have clothes to wear in Wichita.

Why is it that wedding scenes in movies always make me cry? I just can't help it... even when I've seen the movie a dozen times.

For dinner tonight I made one of Josh's favorites - San Francisco chops. I had to pick up some wine for it (oh darn). Now I just need to go finish the dishes... maybe in a bit. Maybe I'll have a glass of wine first. Cleaning is always easier with a little bit of wine.

Sunday Afternoon

I don't know what to do with myself today. I woke up around 7:00 and decided I'd sleep in and go to church at 11:15, but my conscience and body said otherwise. I went ahead and got up by 7:30 and went to the 8:30 service. I came home and then went back and laid down for an hour or so. I got up and fixed my dinner leftovers for lunch. Now I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do the rest of the afternoon. Oh, I know I should be working on the floors and such, but I'm probably not going to. I was thinking about running up to Amarillo and doing a little bit of shopping. I could use some clothes for the trip to Wichita.

We had some interesting weather come through last night. We had a nice hail storm that first dropped pea to marble sized hail and then up to golf ball size hail. They even noted some slight rotation but nothing ever came of it. We're getting a lot more rain this year than we did last year. More is expected this afternoon. Well, I guess I better make a decision and get going if I'm going to do any shopping.

Couch Potato

That's what you could call me today. I got up a little after 9:00 a.m. and have been on the couch most of the day. I've been on the computer and watching t.v. Oh, I did get up to fix some lunch at one point. I guess I'm going to enjoy a day of doing nothing before I get back to work on the floors. My dad is taking Josh and me to dinner tonight. I guess I'll take a shower sometime before then. I was happy to finally get a smaller gas bill this month. Now my electricity is going to shoot up with running the air conditioners. I've been actually tolerating the heat most of the time and only turning it on when it becomes necessary. At that's it for my exciting life at the moment.

And now my summer begins

Well sort of... aside from the trip to Nationals in two weeks. But for now my summer is mine and I hope that by sometime in July I can plan on tiling the living room. I talked to my dad today and he "said" that he'd help. Of course I'll believe it when I see it, but there might be hope.

Today's inservice was the same for the most part. I did put together a pretty good idea with one of the other speech teachers so at least there was something productive accomplished. I'm also collaborating with an elementary music teacher about a possible presentation for the TMEA convention.

Well, that's it. I don't have anything else to share and I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap and then figure out what to do about dinner.