testing

What are you doing? I have a new address, didn't you know? Email me for my new blog addy-

Mood:  happy
Another interview today. I can't stand 'selling' myself, but I don't want to just take the first job offered.
Katy and Brandon don't get to see each other very much anymore since she is in school in the day and he goes at night. They sure miss each other.
This weekend we will be barbecue and enjoying the great weather. The cable installer is coming on Saturday, so I have to be available. That's why I planned a barbecue. Also, I'm taking Blake to a soccer camp thingy after the cable is installed. He should enjoy that.
During my job search, in looking through the paper I've found lots of fun things to do with Maggie during the day such as story time at Barnes and Noble, Story time in the park, etc. It makes me realize How precious time is. They're not little forever.
Have I mentioned how much I loathe the Jimmy now? It died on me in the middle of the intersection! I was so embarrassed! Thankfully it started right back up, so I drove it to a convenience store and bought a thing of gas line cleaner and put it in before getting gas. That seemed to do the trick. Poor Jimmy is just plum give out! He's so old; it's time for him to retire.
I wanted to buy a new car but I'll have to settle for a used car for now. When I can save up a couple of thousand dollars I'll have my mechanic neighbor help me find a reliable used car to get around.

I am loved!!!!
Mood:  happy
The following is from a dialouge between myself and Blake this morning-

Blake: Mom, do you have a picture of yourself with a magnetic back that can be hung up on something metal?

Me: No, but I'm sure I can find one and glue a strip of magnet on the back. Why?

Blake: Because I need one for my locker. I want to be able to see your face every time I open my locker.

Mom: (Unable to say anything due to being all choked up) Awwhhh!

Mom and Blake hug

He loves me! I am special!

Why do they make you wait so long in the Dr.'s office? I've never been able to figure it out. We're always way early (like 20 minutes), and we still have to wait WAY past out scheduled time!
The reason for this bitch-post is because last week when we went in to see the Dr for the first time, we had to wait over an hour past out appt. time! I finally went up to the desk and as soon as she saw me, she said, "You're next!" She must be used to saying that to patients. Anyway, we waited 5 more minutes before just walking out the door. I just wanted physicals for us all- just to make sure we're all healthy. I suppose I'll have to search for that 'Perfect' Dr. all over again.
That whole day was a bad day. If it would be possible for me to call a "do over", I would!
Ever since the 'Accident', I am so scared of someone getting their fingers smashed or caught in a door or whatever. I don't like for the kids to close doors anymore, I'd rather do it because if it happens, I would want it to happen to me instead of them. Blake is usually the Gentleman and opens doors for everyone when we go out and that day when we were entering a store, I opened the door and it scraped Maggie's toe! It hurt her very badly -poor baby. She started screaming and then when she saw blood, she screamed even louder! She wouldn't let me take her to the restroom to wash it. I felt so badly. She is over it now.
The landlord should be coming over with the new lease that has my name only. I do hope he replaces the mirrors in the bathroom. Whats-his-name pulled the whole vanity in our bathroom, and the mirrors were loose in the other bathroom so I just took them down instead of having the risk of them falling off.
Since I'm on a bitch-post roll, why don't ANY of the public parks here have restrooms? I don't get it! I'm always having to go to the bathroom because I'm constantly drinking my bottled water that I carry with me everywhere. Also, Maggie has a bladder the size of a pea. I've never been able to figure it out and I'm ready to talk to the parks and rec dept. of Merrillville.
Thank God there are clean restrooms at all of the Blue Springs parks.
It's time to get the crew up for the day-

Blake is about as ready for school as he can be. Now, if he can just go to sleep. I didn't do the traditional get-on-a-proper-sleep-schedule-for-school thing this year and he can't seem to fall asleep. I think everyone is as excited about school as he is.
He got to pick out his own wardrobe this year and I might add- he has good taste! He now has everything he needs until he wears out his jeans. Hopefully, by the time he wears them out, I'll have had a job for a while and can afford to buy more!
Brandon might have got an other job as a web developer at IU (Indiana University). We'll find out Friday. Needless to say, he isn't going back to day school - and I've gotten to the point where I am okay with it; he'll be attending night school and HE'LL be paying for it all. We compromised and I agreed that he can work during the day only if he finishes school. His way might take a bit longer, but it's what he wants. The way I see it, as long as he is going to finish school I'll be okay with it.
About my job search- it's sucking! I got offered a position as a customer service rep in a bank, and the pay is almost HALF of what I made at my last job! I don't think I can live on that! I guess I should take it for now until something better comes along.
A while back, I bought some slip covers for my sofa and love seat. Now I need some covers for my ugly blue chairs. The slip covers are a camel color and I really like them (anything other than cream colored!). Today I tried to put them on, and they are quite difficult to get them to fit just right. I can see it now, I'll be nagging "Don't sit on the furniture, you'll mess it all up!"
I really should realize that my kids aren't going to be home forever as they'll grow up and get married, or whatever. It would be nice if I can let go of my need to have everything perfect and just enjoy my family while I can.
BTW - I think I'm cured from bidding on ebay! I haven't been there in a long time, nor have I had the desire to! I am so proud of myself.
That's it for me-

Mood:  happy
The weather is already getting cooler at night; I LOVE it. Fall is my most favorite season of all because it's perfect! Nice and cool in the daytime, crisp leaves to walk on and hear them crunch, and chili nights. Tomorrow is supposed to be 72/55. Whoo Hoo!
Tomorrow will be spent mostly on my job search. I've also got some yard work to finish. We've got trees growing that are covering the back chain link fence and they need to be trimmed down.
Does anyone watch The Sopranos? I've seen every episode and I'm wondering what to do now. The 6th season is in the works, but I can't wait! Maybe I'll watch it all over from the beginning.
Blake starts school on Wednesday. This year, he's going to Middle school! I don't get it, because in my day middle school was 7th and 8th. He's going into 5th. Whatever.
Tuesday is the day we'll cram everything we need to do before school starts. Hair cut, shopping for items he'll need, etc.
Enough of me being on line - I need to go to bed.
Goodnight all-

I'm Baaack!
It's good to be back online! I've got the dial up for now, but by the end of the month I should be in full swing with DSL.
Currently, my time is being occupied with a job search. Applying everywhere, even if I'm not qualified or over qualified. I just NEED a job NOW!It's hard to believe I haven't worked for over 3 years. I am so ready to get back into the 9 - 5 routine. It seems the time spent with my kids was much more meaningful.
The Jimmy is about to be dis-owned by me. I am so frustrated with it right now, I would love to take a bat to it! It was in the shop for a couple of days getting a tune up, and the fuel line checked, and it's still running crappy.

Happy Fourth Of July!!!!
I hope everyone is/has been enjoying their holiday this weekend. We went to the park to see the firework display they put on, and boy! was it awesome!! Maggie really had a good time. It sure was crowded there, but we were able to get out okay. That is until I thought I left the can of Cutter there where we were sitting. That stuff is expensive for me, and I wasn't about to just leave it there! I turned around and drove back to where we were, and didn't see it. Then I looked in the back of the Jimmy and it was there. Duhh. So, then we fought with the traffic, and finally got out. We actually live so close to the park, we could have just watched from home.

My daughter is coming to see us!!! I am so excited!! She only has a couple of days, so we have to make the best of the time. This visit is going to be short, sweet, and to the point! We can't wait to see her. It's been about 2 years!

Today, we are going to a BBQ. It should be fun. Of course we'll light off lots of fireworks. Blake was "The Man" and got to light off all of the ones we bought last night. He did a good job, and felt very important.

Brandon went to hang out with his old friends last night. I'm just waiting for him to call for a ride. I can't wait for him to get his license!

Well, thats all thats going on here, I'm going to read all of you alls blogs. (wow, I sound southern)

Brandon got a job in computer network engineering. He's an indepent contractor working for a company installing computer software among other things. At 17 3/4, he's making as much $$ as I did at my last job! ....And he's still in love with Katie.
I finally got to meet the parents. Actually, just the mom, and she was very nice.

The Jimmy has a fuel line problem now. I'm driving it until it breaks down and then when that happens, I guess I won't have a car anymore.

I had my last surgery on my finger recently, and I plan to get my nails done on the 14th. It actuall doesn't look all that bad.

Is it wrong to leave your kids in the car when you're just running in the post office or convienence store? And I'm talking kids, like under 10.
I walked out of the post office the other day, and saw my dream car (a Honda Pilot) parked right up at the entry instead of a couple of steps away in the parking lot. Then I heard it was running, and to top it all off - there were little babies in the car! As I went back in to measure the individuals in the post office to figure out which one would be so lazy as to leave their kids in the car alone, a girl came out and asked if she [her car] was in my way. I said, "Is this your car?" She said, "Yes" and I said, "It's wrong to leave your kids in the car! Are you THAT lazy to not want to carry them in with you and risk someone kidnapping them? Or stealing the whole car?" She went on to tell me that she is a stay at home mom who takes good care of her kids, and her husband makes a lot of money- yada yada yada. I interrupted her by saying, "All I'm saying is it is WRONG to leave your kids in the car- they're irreplaceable!" She seemed to think that since she had a lot of money (she even made it a point to show me her wedding ring), it was okay for her to leave her kids alone. Whatever. Then she drove around to where I was parked and saw what I was driving, then said, "Oh, yes. You're poor, looser bitch" I guess she had to have the last word.
When I got home, I called the police station to ask if It was against the law to leave your kids alone in the car and the officer I spoke with said that it depends on the individual circumstance.

It reminds me of when Cristy Robel lost her son due to a carjacking in Kansas City. It's sad, really sad.

I'm going back to my abuser
Mood:  sad
Unless you've been in my shoes, don't give me any advice. I know I'll probably lose some good friends over this but I feel I can't do it alone.
From now on I'll be discussing this with my counselor only.

I think I need to stop and start all over with myself. I feel like such a dingbat because I don't get ANYTHING. This Tripod thing is supposed to be the most simplest thing in the world to manage, yet I can't even do it! I have been trying to load the flickr photo box thingy on my sidebar, but I can't figure it out!

I won't be posting for a while after today because we'll be moving and getting settled.
I am so worried that Brandon will give me grief about leaving his girlfriend. But I'm hoping it'll be like your situation Leigh, where he'll forget about her after a couple of weeks!

The boys are finished with school until next year!! Whoo Hoo! Blake brought his grades home, and did well. Brandon's grades will be sent through the mail. He said the finals went well and he feels confident that he passed, so we'll see. Just one year left, Brandon - One year!

I've got all the stuff out in the garage ready to go. We had a thunderstorm the other day and rain leaked into the garage and I noticed that Maggie's dresser got all wet. Now it's all warped and I don't know if I can repair it. I just hope it doesn't mildew. I've been leaving the garage open to let it all dry out, but I think I should let the a/c blow in there.

It's gonna be a looooong drive!

I woke up this morning, woke up Brandon for the last day of school (whoo hoo!), then went into the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot and realized that I'm out of half and half! 'Thats okay', I thought. I'll just have some milk. Nope. No milk, either. Now, for those of you who don't drink coffee, you're probably saying, "So, what?" But for us coffee lovers we HAVE to have our fixins, right? I woke up faster than any amount of caffeine could wake me! I thought OMG! I have to get to Speedway to get me some cream. I grabbed the clothes I was wearing last night, threw them on, and rushed out the door, bringing a car cup of black coffee with me.
I got to the convenience store, purchased a gallon of milk, and got back in the Jimmy. It was only then that I realized what I looked like. I was a genuine certified Hootchie Momma! My mascara was smeared all over my face, my hair a state of disorder, and I wasn't wearing a bra!
It wouldn't have been so bad - not wearing a bra- if I wasn't wearing the particular top I was wearing. It was a black lacy see thru top. Yesterday, I was wearing a black bra under it, but this morning, I was in all my glory! No wonder the old man at Speedway was staring at me!

My plans have changed as far as help with moving. Doug is coming here and we will be moving only the necessities and putting the rest of my things in storage. I don't really plan to stay in AR long. I really want to move back to Blue Springs. The landlord is unable to refund my money I gave her for the apt- which is understandable, so I plan to move there, clear my head, work, work, work and save all I can so that I'll have money to move/live in Blue Springs. We'll probably be in AR for the school year only. I feel a bit unstable (duh) and guilty for putting my kids in this situation where we'll only be there temporarily, but I think this is the best plan. The rent is cheap, I can work and make a lot (ha) and save a lot. I really want to be near my family and friends in Blue Springs.
Blake took my old cell phone to school- without my knowledge, and now I have to go to school today and talk to the teacher.I know and Blake knows not to bring valuables to school, yada, yada, yada. Whatever, I don't have time to sit and listen to the teacher lecture us. Believe me, I let Blake know how important it is that we don't touch other people's belongings without permission, and I made him write sentences instead of grounding him. Since these last few days are the only time he'll see his friends again, I couldn't ground him.
There is this nasty dust that blows out of the vent from the kitchen floor, and even though I sweep a million times a day, there's still a trace of it remaining on the floor. Last night, Maggie slipped and fell because of it and she hit her head pretty hard on the cabinet. She was crying so hard, she couldn't catch her breath. I wanted to cry with her because I remember how frightening it was to get hurt. Then all of a sudden, she stopped and took the ice pack off and said, "I think I'm going to live!"
I can't get over her! She is such a hoot. We looked at material (for her Fiona dress) yesterday but I don't think I'll start that project until we move and get settled. I did buy her some pantaloons for when she wears dresses. She doesn't like for anyone to see her panties so she can wear these pantaloons under her dress and it will solve everything, huh?

My plans have changed

Believe it or not, I posted some pics! You can view them at flickr or up there on the left in 'Our Life In Pictures' Thank you, Lisa for sending them.
She should be sending more and as she does, I will post them.
If you want an invite to flickr, just let me know-

We're back!!!!!!!!
Mood:  happy
Whew! I'm not as young as I was, but we sure had fun and we did a lot of walking! I was tired by the end of the day.
Blake was quite scared to ride the roller coasters but we went to cartoon town and rode the kiddie coaster. We also went on the log ride. Maggie really liked it! Overall, it was great.
The next time I go, I'm bringing lots of money, and a couple of changes of clothes! It was pretty hot and It would have been nice to change into clean clothes. I did however, wear tennis shoes. It's only obvious to wear comfortable tennis/walking shoes, isn't it? There were a lot of people in platforms, and flat thong-style sandals and I couldn't fathom how they were comfortable. Then again, I go back to my teenage years and remember that I wore what was popular, not comfortable.
The best value soda was a souvenir cup with refills for .99 We got that one for all to share for $7.99 and refilled it a couple of times.
I didn't mention that Brandon didn't go with because he would miss his girlfriend! I could have invited her, but I didn't know when we would be back, and I kind of wanted it to be a family thing. So, he stayed home alone and we ended up being gone the whole weekend. I left him money for food but he spent it on hair color and got it all over the carpet! I was so upset when I saw that because it doesn't come out! The carpet is a beige Berber and I'm sure the landlord will be happy to spend money to replace it when we move - NOT!
The landlord had to come to look at the ac yesterday. There wasn't any cold air coming out of the vents after I turned it on, and the compressor outside wasn't going on. I thought it needed recharging, but after a couple of hours of investigating, the landlord realized that a wire was just loose!
I'm so glad that I don't own my home right now! If this were my home, I wouldn't have been able to have anyone come out and take a look at the ac because I wouldn't have had money! ( I know, If I hadn't have gone to Six Flags, I would have money).
Brandon doesn't want to move and leave Katie. e says they're in love and want to live together. I had a dream last night that they had a baby and forgot about it and left it at the bus station. It shows that I think they're too young and irresponsible, right?
I told him yesterday that he isn't 18 until January 17. Until then, he has to live with me and go to school. Period.
Well, that's it for me.

I know I shouldn't be doing this, but we need it.
A mini vacation
We're going to Six Flags tomorrow. It's not too far from here, so we won't have to stay in a hotel or anything and I've got two free passes, so I won't really be spending much money.
You can bet your sweet bippy's that I'm going to be crying when the 1st of the month comes around and I don't have the rent money! I don't think the landlord will be forgiving.

The operating system Brandon installed on this piece of %&^#$...on this computer is called Linux, and it sucks!
I went to Walgreen's with my memory card from the camera, and had the pics put onto a CD. Then I came home to load the CD but I couldn't figure out what to click on to open the CD ROM drive! Brandon says that it won't work, so what the *#@@ is the point of having this piece of $^&*shit for an operating system when you can't even utilize anything? I can't load them at the library.

Needless to say, I am a bit pissed.

I have pictures of my mom and sisters # 2 and 4, my nephews and niece, her baby, and the hot men my sisters are happily married to. Also, sister #4's kiddo-s. My mom and sis said they would email the pics they shot, but they haven't as of yet.

I might just go ask Holly if I can use her computer to load them. I'm not really the type of person to go borrow other people's things, you know?
They (Holly and Don) offered to let me borrow their lawn mower in the past, but I declined and paid a kid to do it. I worry that something might happen if I borrow things from friends. Suppose I mow over a huge rock and break their mower! Then, I'll have to pay for it and I don't have money to do that!

I'm going to make Nachos Compuesto for din din tonight. Its a dish I converted from a Mexican restaurant in CA when I was 17. I guess the modern version would be similar to a seven layer dip. I layer 1/2 lb ground beef with 1/2 lb chorizo and seasonings in a 9 X 12 dish. Then layer whole black beans or beans cooked with bacon. Next, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, seasoned sour cream, and my own homemade salsa and serve with chips and cheese sauce. This time, I'm going to use pepper jack cheese in my sauce to make it a little more spicy. And while I'm at it, I think I'll put a jalapeno in my salsa.

Brandon probably won't even touch it. I don't think he's eaten since we came back from my sisters! He is in love for one thing, and when you're 17 and in love, you don't have an appetite for a while. He also thinks he's too fat! I'm going to have to post a picture of him (ha ha) to show how he looks.
I bought ice cream today to tempt him to eat. It's my fav - Moose Tracks. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow morning, it'll be gone. He's like that. He won't really want to eat in front of me or others, but when he's alone he will. Is that a sign of a food disorder? I think so. When we get settled in AR, I'm going to take us all to get a much needed physical.