Defeated

Today I am angry with myself.  And the world.  I’m angry because I want to clean my home today and I can’t because:

1. We vacuumed up a billion baby spiders from the egg sac that opened up in the house.  I told Honey to throw the contents over the fence, including the filter, and I would just get a new one.  I figure, I’ll just go to the store where I got the vacuum, right?  WRONG.  No filters.  They suggested OSH, since it’s a Kenmore vac and OSH has Sears products.  NOPE.  So I head over to the “appliances only” Sears in town.  They have the vacuum, BUT NO FILTERS.  Great.  I have to drive to Tracy if I freaking want to vacuum.  I knew I should’ve sprung for the Dyson!
2. My friend S, who is my Catholic twin, gave me her floormate because she is as dysfunctional as I am and couldn’t be bothered with it.  I wanted it because I want to contribute to cleaning my kitchen floors and no way Jose am I doing it like Honey does (on hands and knees!).  Hey, guess what?  NOBODY HAS FILTERS FOR THOSE DAMN THINGS EITHER.
3. I have a migrane and a displaced rib.  So every time I take a deep breath, I get stabbed in the back.
4. I can’t do laundry as Honey conveniently took the keys he was supposed to leave with me that open the laundry and mail rooms.  Did I also mention that my netflix arrived and it’s trapped in the mailbox???
5. I got a new liner and rings for the shower curtain, but since the laundry room is locked up…. can’t wash the dang curtain!

The good news is, I have not had a meltdown since Honey left on Saturday.   Just 24 hours to go… 24 hours… 

p.s.  I bought Quicken to help me be more organized with the checkbook.  It doesn’t come with instructions.  Or a crystal ball.  Good thing it’s got a 100% money back guarantee.

Now That’s Just Wrong…

I just don’t have it in me to write lately.  I keep thinking of these fabulous posts, and then *POOF*, they disappear!  Which is really irritating, because I know you’re all dying to hear what’s going on in and out of my head.

Mostly I’ve been stressing about getting ready for B’s baptism on Saturday.  My family is going to be here and at first I was just feeling the love like I never had before about it, but now I’m like, “Damn, I’m still fat!  They’re just going to be disappointed in me again!”.  Which isn’t entirely true, but no amount of medication is going to change how I think about that.

I have such a raging headache from not sleeping for the past few days, you’d think I’d be crawling into bed right about now.  Or two hours ago, whatever.  But Honey’s away for a friend’s wedding and there’s no one here to force me to go to bed.  You know how they say “who you are is how you act when no one is looking”?  Yeah.  I guess this non-sleeping business doesn’t speak too well of me.

Ok, now I really am just babbling and avoiding going to bed.  So I really have to.

Toodles.

20ish Questions Which Are More Like Five

Today, I am being interviewed by Erica over at A Drama Queen’s Guide To Life! So…here we go!

1. What is your favorite High School Memory?  So many, so many!!  Skipping 5th period Geology to hang out with Chas during his free period, going to football games and checking out #50’s behind, early morning seminary…

2. Your least favorite?  Getting up before the buttcrack of dawn for early morning seminary!

3. How did you meet your husband?  At high school!

4. What is your best bit of advice dealing with kids?  You are the parent so stop asking them if something is “ok” when you want them to do it!

5. Dealing with husbands?  You can purchase my book “How to Train Your Man In 24 Hours Or Less” at Amazon.  But for a few freebies…. Just communicate.  The man does not have a crystal ball.  Teach him (which sometimes mean you have to tell him) how to show you love in a way that you recognize.  For instance, if he thinks working a lot is a way to show he cares about you (by providing for you) but you’d rather do with less and have him home more, tell him that’s how he can show his love for you.

Ok…now it’s your turn! Would you like me to interview you? Just…

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” 2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions. 3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Uncomfortable In My Skin

Why is it when people compliment us, or at least me, we feel so undeserving of it?  Even when we “know” we do? 

I invited my teacher to B’s baptism next week, seeing as how it’s a religion class.  I thought he might be interested, and he is.  Great!  I emailed him the directions & details, and he took the time to give me the feedback from my presentation in class last week.  He paid me some great compliments, but I have such a hard time accepting them. 

“I am not a smart man, Jen-nay”

I know I’m not a moron.  I know I’m smart.  But I just cannot bring myself to think I could compete with others in that department.  I’ve been told I have a nice singing voice, but I still cringe when I hear it.  My cooking is pretty good, but I’m no Martha Stewart.  There are so many people smarter than I am, so many people with better voices and cooking skills…

I have such a love/hate thing with receiving attention, how does one get rid of that?  How can I be more comfortable in my own skin?

I Like My Birthdays Every One!

Today is my oldest boy’s birthday.  He’s 8!  Part of me thinks that’s sickening.  Because, really… I’m not old enough to have an 8 year old, right?

On May 5th he’s getting baptized.  I’m so proud of him!  I sewed his patches on his Cub Scout shirt yesterday, and he’ll go to his first den meeting next week.  How crazy is that? 

Earth Day Every Day

They say it’s Earth Day on Sunday.  I say, hogwash.  I remember celebrating it on April 20th when I was in 9th grade.  Boy, was I an environment nerd then!  It’s funny to look back and remember the causes that we were so passionate about in our youth.  But I was bright-eyed and bushy tailed then and I was brainwashed into thinking I had to suffer for saving the world.

Now that I’m a grown-up (HA!) I’m smarter about it.  I know what the realities are.  I know that I can’t save everything.  It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try, but I need to pick a few good causes and give it all I’ve got.  Or something like that. 

So my passion now is recycling.  I’m not a full-fledged eco-freak.  I don’t ask for my burger in a wrapper instead of a styrofoam container anymore.  Mostly because they don’t use it now, but also because these days just about everything is recyclable!  I use my own sacks for grocery shopping.  No more “paper or plastic?” for me!  And I’ve finally remembered to keep them in the car with me so I actually can use them instead of just being proud of them.

And even though my apartment complex is completely non-interested in carrying out a recycling program here, I do it anyway.  I bought these neato blue bins to put my paper, plastic & cans in.  And we hunt down a green bin in the industrial area of town and dump it all in.  Except for the CRV stuff, I paid that money and I’m getting it back!

We also take our electronic waste to be recycled at the dump.  It’s free, so why not?  I know it looks unattractive sitting next to my door waiting for me to skip over there, but I like to conserve gas and wait until I have a few things to take over.  

I also bought those horrid compact fluorescents (which do not shine as brightly no matter what they tell you!) and I’m still the light police.  Our PC and extra freezer are energy star appliances, and one day when I win the lottery, my new fridge will be too!

It’s not hard or inconvenient to do any of it.  If you ask me, the real “Inconvenient Truth” is that making these small changes is easier than people want to admit. 

Because It’s All About Me, Right?

I haven’t been tagged in oh-so-long!  But Kristen got me, so here it is…

 Four Things You May Not Know About Me

Four Jobs I’ve Had In My Life:

1. Nanny for the three most diabolical children in the universe.
2. Store opener (which means I cleaned up the crap the night crew didn’t and prepped the salad bar and pizza toppings) for a pizza joint.
3. Telephone solicitor for M.A.D.D.  I couldn’t handle the guilt of knowing I was one of those people calling me up during dinner that I hated.
4. Adult day-care worker.  Still having nightmares about that.

Four Movies I Have Watched Over and Over:

1. Pride & Prejudice (NOT the A&E version!!)
2. Sahara  (It’s my goal one day to “pull a Panama”)
3. Pirates of the Caribbean 1 & 2 with 3 soon to follow
4. The Italian Job

Four Places I Have Lived:

1. Sandy, UT
2. Vista, CA
3. Temecula, CA
4. Lard, CA

Four TV Shows I Love To Watch:

1. CSI Las Vegas
2. Grey’s Anatomy
3. House
4. The Amazing Race

Four of My Favorite Foods:

1. Fish tacos from Rubio’s
2. Pork barbacoa salad from Cafe Rio
3. Steak with Penzy’s Chicago Steak Rub
4. Fresh veg, sauteed or roasted to sweetness!

You may now bask in all your newfound knowledge about me.  XOXO!