Quick!, Doctor, Bring the Paddles!!!

So, after a long hiatus, I decided to fire up the ol’ Zen and listen to a few tunes while I taped several episodes of Pinky Dinky Doo on to a VHS tape for later viewing or when we travel. (Like that’s happening anytime soon with these gas prices.)

Aren’t I the BEST parent? (just nod your head yes.)

There I was, Zen in hand, trying to turn it on and it giving off the electronic equivalent of a gasp.

Then, nothing.

I tried again, thinking that maybe, probably, I had just hit the little on nub wrong. I have long fingernails, so maybe I just didn’t hold it over to the side long enough…yeah, that had to be it…

Still nothing.

Commence panic mode.

Isn’t it funny that as soon as you think you have lost something, all of a sudden it becomes this issue? In that moment, I panicked, because I was going to have to redo my playlists, and remember just what songs I had on there, and… holy crap! I hadn’t listened to this thing for over a month now, and the first time I can’t get it to work I jump into panic mode?

So I did what every technologically savvy idiot does, I plugged it into the USB on my computer and waited.

and waited.

Turns out the battery had run out of juice and needed a recharge. Now it works just fine, which is good, because I have discovered that in taping Pinky Dinky Doo on what I thought was a tape I haven’t taped shows on before; I have taped over what is probably one of the best BBC series I have ever seen called Glasgow Kiss.

I stopped taping and watched it one last time so I could say goodbye.

I need something to distract me from all this trauma. The new Dixie Chicks album should do it.

Aren’t They the Same Thing?

Scamp: I want toast, brown toast for lunch.

Me: Okay. Don’t you want grilled cheese for lunch? (we discussed earlier about having grilled cheese for lunch.)

Scamp: No. I want toast, brown toast. And cheese.

Me: Isn’t that the same thing?

Scamp: No. Oh, and I want melty cheese.

Me: Would you like fries with that?

Short (on Patience) Order Cook

“I Want Toast, and Chicken Nuggets and French Fries and Pop Tarts…and juice.”

Happy Father’s Day (The Fashionably Late Edition)

We love you daddy!

Love,
Spiff, Scamp, Mom and Shady

All is Right With the (My) World

As I type this, the boys are in Scamp’s room, tearing apart all my hard work cleaning this house in their absence.

Gosh, I missed them.

Do You Think He’d Mind If…

I did this on Father’s Day?

As a side note, do you think they realized when they decided to do this that it was scheduled to take place on Father’s Day?

I’m guessing no. On both counts.

Then again, he might not mind if I, say, won. That would be pretty cool.

So, honey, can I?? Can I??? PLLLLLLLEEEEEEAAAASE?

UPDATE: As of 8:35am EST on 6/16/06, the registration is now closed. DRAT!!!

Good Luck goes out to Karl on Sunday. I’ll be rooting for you!

Things I Love Thursday: Cleaning out the House Edition

Before I start, Spiff wanted me to tell everyone thanks for last week’s comments, he really enjoyed them. For those who asked, Japan Panda is his creation that he has dreamed up. He’s writing a story about it, and when he sits still for longer than a second, he’s gong to make a blog about JP’s adventures. I’ll be sure to link it once he’s got it up and running. Stay tuned!

Now, on to the Thursday Thirteen!

So, to get ready for my garage sale that I need to have, I have been cleaning out the house and dumping everything into the garage for sorting.

My brother will thank me on Friday when he has to help me shovel it out.

I’m proud of myself though, I have cleaned out all but one room in my house, the dreaded office. I have to wait until my hubby goes out on the road to tackle that room so I don’t disturb him while he’s working. (or watching World Cup Soccer, but shhhh!!!! don’t tell his boss, okay?)

I have found many interesting things in my quest for a clean and organized house. Here are thirteen of them for you to enjoy.

1. Lots of photographs of my mom with her arm draped over the shoulder of a guy named Dickie. She had good taste in men, he looks handsome.

2. Lots of Tastefully Simple paperwork stuff that I’ll never use now that I’m no longer a consultant.
3. A recumbent bike that got more use with my sons sitting on it to play video games than its actual intended use. A definite garage sale item.
4. Pads of paper I forgot I had. I’ll add them to the ones I just bought. Whoops.
5. Fisher-Price toys, and lots of them. I should have bought stock before my kids were born, had I known I was going to be drowning in their toys.
6. “So THERE’S the game pieces to that game we threw out months ago!”
7. Hot Wheels cars. 3 carry cases of them and a tub full in Scamp’s room. Nope, I don’t think we have enough cars.
8. For being boys, my sons have quite a collection of stuffed animals. I’m sure the girls who stop by the garage sale will bring them to a nice home, and maybe a tea party or two. They’re looking a little malnourished.
9. Lots and lots of Spiff’s artwork. There is just not enough plastic tubs for this stuff, people. (but he does do great work)
10. The Incredibles action figure family; minus Violet, who has left us due to an unfortunate accident where her body just split in two. It wasn’t pretty.
11. An Imaginext castle I was hoping we’d never see again because it kept falling apart and I was tired of gluing it back together. Hopefully someone else will enjoy doing that.
12. Hangers + clothes = no more clothes on the floor of the closet. Freakin’ genius I tell you!
13. THE FLOOR OF THE CLOSET!!!! Something I don’t see much of in either boys’ bedrooms very often, so it was nice to see that, yes, the carpet did in fact go all the way into the closet.

Now I just have to finish cleaning out the garage and then getting ready for the actual sale itself. Come back next week when I share what I found lurking in my garage. I’m afraid we might have a snake or two taking up residence in there. Have I mentioned how much I hate snakes?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

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What I Did On My Summer Vacation, Chapter One

Today, we made silly putty out of glue, laundry detergent with Borax, and water.

I promptly put it into a baggie and plan to throw it away when the kids aren’t looking.

(It’s disgusting, but it’ll be great for a Halloween gag!)

Also, we did this:

Pretty cool, huh? Not everyone can say that they have a dinosaur skeleton in their house. We rock!

UPDATE: The cat has sucessfully taken it down, seeing as all it needed was a good gust of wind to bring it crashing down. She’s very proud of herself.

Is it wrong when…???

• You wear a black suit to a funeral, but a red camisole top underneath.

• You (accidentally!) wear two similar, yet different, diamond earrings with said outfit.
• You help your mother-in-law enjoy her Sunday with a batch of pomegranate martinis.
• You watch the season (sort-of) ending of The Sopranos a week after it first aired.
• You think that Jeremy Piven in India is a cute Jeremy Piven.
• You think your husband is sexy, even when he’s in pain. (Sorry, sweetie!)
• You don’t take communion at a church service, and smile when your entire pew doesn’t either.
• You go get a manicure (fill) the day before the funeral, because you know you’ll see people you haven’t seen in a very long time, and you want to look your best.
• You spend a rainy Sunday watching World Cup Soccer and piping it through the surround sound on the HDTV so it feels like you are there.
• In between soccer matches, you watch saved episodes of Footballers Wives or previously taped games to pass the time.
• You realize you are addicted to World Cup Soccer, but don’t really care.

feel free to add your own!

On Funerals and Friends …And Family

A family friend passed away this past Tuesday. I’ve known this person since I was 12 years old, she was an advisor in an organization I used to belong to called Rainbow Girls. I was unaware, but she had a long battle with cancer, and she was ready for her fight to end. Many people came out on Saturday morning to celebrate her life, and remember what a warm and wonderful person she was.

I was one of them.

As I sat in the chapel of the church, it struck me that, except for one funeral I have attended since returning to Florida, all of the others have been for people I knew as a Rainbow Girl. It’s an important distinction because my time as a Rainbow Girl I look back on rather fondly, even more so than my school memories. It was there I worked hard, learned a lot about myself, and to this day have friendships that have stood the test of time. (They are like sisters and family to me, many of them.) It only reinforces the sadness that Rainbow isn’t a big part of my life anymore when things like this happen. It also reminds me that my mom is no longer with me, since she was my chaperone for many events. It also doesn’t help when someone you haven’t seen in 16 years asks “how is your mom doing these days?” during polite conversation. It’s unintentional, but it does drive that proverbial knife in just a little bit deeper.

(I was also reminded of just how rude people can still be after 15 or so years, so while things do normally change, I guess they can also stay the same, too.)

She has two daughters, both of which I have known for a very long time; I had met them through Rainbow. They have grown up to be beautiful young women, and both have boys who served as the altar boys for their grandmother’s funeral. They were very handsome and did a great job. She would have been exceptionally proud of them.

Her older daughter I saw as I arrived at the church, and I stopped and gave her a hug and told her how beautiful she looked and how sorry I was. I was struck at how she trembled as I hugged her, and I felt sorry that she had lost her mother. I could relate. We had bonded over so many other things as young women; but now we had another bond, albeit unintentional. We had both lost our mothers. This was not exactly the way I wanted to see her again after so many years. A happier occasion would have been better, but I was glad to see her again, even in this circumstance.

As I left the reception following the service, I stopped again to say goodbye to her. The rest of the family was inside the hall, as were many of the people who had attended the service. I told her if she needed anything at all to call me, and to please keep in touch with me. We hugged again, and I headed toward my car. I turned back to look at her and she stood there on the sidewalk, alone. Looking so very lost, and not sure where to go next.

I remember that feeling. I can relate.

M, if you ever read this, just know my thoughts are with you and if you need anything, just call and I’ll do whatever I can to help. I’ll always be here for you.

Aunt Ruth, Rest In Peace. You will be missed.