Kindred Spirits

My Gosh - We Are SLACKERS!

2009-06-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

Katie and I have kind of ignored this blog for the past year. I don't want to let it go, but now that she is home for the summer, we have ample opportunity to talk face to face. Stay tuned - things should pick up once she heads back to the U of M!

Heat is Overrated!

2008-11-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well, winter is almost here. Do you want to know how I know this? The furnace broke again. It breaks at least once or twice a year - and it is always the same... I can hear the burner trying to turn on (three times in a row), and then it gives up and sends out cold air. I woke up yesterday and it was 59 degrees in the house. I managed to get it to work temporarily and got the temp back up to 64 at lunch time. Sadly - when I got back after work, it was again 59 degrees inside. The Minnegasco guy was supposed to come and fix it - somewhere between 8 AM and 8 PM. He had not shown up when I left for Mankato at 4:00. I wish I would have been home when he came - I was hoping that perhaps he would show me how to fix it, since it is the same problem all the time. (Probably not, huh?). Anyway, I got home at 6:00 and the house was toasty warm. I ran around putting away groceries, etc. and boy - the house was toasty warm. In fact, I was working up a sweat. Hey - wait a minute! I checked the thermostat and clearly there is a conspiracy in the works. My programmable thermostat had been tampered with. The heat was set all the way up 68 degrees! Apparently Minnegasco wants me to increase my usage of natural gas...

Things that go Blech! in the Night

2008-10-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more disconcerting that waking up to hear a cat heaving somehwere nearby. And then hearing it again, further away. Except for getting up in the morning and finding NO physical evidence on the floor. Do I dream of cat barf?

WTF??

2008-10-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have company every time I come home for lunch. All God's creatures might be sacked out on my bed sleeping, but just let me open a bread bag and Jester comes running. He jumps onto the counter, purring loudly, and tries to horn in during my sandwich making. He has no concept of personal space. I have been known, on occasion, to crack him in the head with my knuckles if he gets too close. This seems to work marginally well. The other day, I had a beef roast in the crock pot. When I came home for lunch, I took the lid off so that I could shred up the meat. Of course, my old friend was sitting on the counter watching every move I made. I turned my back for a second to put a fork into the sink, and turned back just in time to see him dipping into the crock pot with his paw. Thankfully, I yelled before he actually touched anything - he would have burned himself for sure. Then I got to thinking - as distasteful as it is to imagine his dirty little toes in my supper, perhaps burning said toes would have solved this little problem. I don't know...

Give me a D, give me an R....

2008-09-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Keep spelling and you get DRAMA!!!!

Yes, my friends, that is what college is....you may think that it stops in high school...but noooo.

By college, I mean one of my roommates who creates her own drama and stress...I know that sounds familiar (ahem), but she is worse. She came back from a weekend at home only to be yelling at her mom. Apparently her mom glued her shelf thing wrong and it wouldn't hang on the wall. She yelled about it being wrong after she screamed at her mom to hang it up. This is the same girl that called her mom to yell at her because her mom forgot to pack the cleaning supplies. Since when does your mom pack up your stuff for college??? Not in my lifetime.

I always thought that relationships were supposed to be mutual and depend on efforts by both people...but not in her mom/daughter relationship. I don't think that the daughter brings anything good to the relationship. I guess that's what they mean when they say that you can't get rid of your family....because believe me, she would be cut out is she could.

SO Tired!

2008-09-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

I am beat. I went to bed around 11:30 last night, but couldn't get to sleep. My legs were all restless and my back hurt, so I kept moving around. I also couldn't get my mind to stop thinking. I hate that. I did manage to get up at the normal time this morning (points for me!). I fed cats, turned on the coffee, showered, fed Mollie and got her outside. Then I went for that all important first cup of coffee for the day... and found a moth floating in the pot. I asked myself - do I really want to wait for another pot to brew? Nope - I fished the damn moth out and drank the coffee anyway. Aren't you proud?

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2008-09-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

Last night was very relaxing (meaning I chose not to do anything on my never-ending list of chores). I was able to let two of the cats outside for a jaunt - they spent about an hour exploring the backyard. Of course, then we had to play the game where Gabby comes to the screen door and meows to be let in. I open the door, and then she takes two steps back and lays down on the deck. We played three rounds of this game before she finally came in. I was watching TV, but in the background I kept hearing a noise I hadn't heard before. It almost sounding like running water, but it was very brief. This happened for a short time before I began exploring. I walked into the living room and found Gabby laying on top of the finch cage. The sound I heard was the birds flying in a panic. Gabs looked very relaxed up there, although the cage top was bowing in the middle due to her weight. I managed to get her off without the cage tipping over, but now I am paranoid that she is going to do it again. I think she has an evil mind...

I Couldn't Make This Stuff Up!!

2008-09-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well, the longer our newest teller works here, the more we have come to realize that she is a complete whack job. She is always running across the lobby, taking itty bitty steps. At least once a day, she trips over her shoes and nearly falls down. I have sworn to anyone who will listen that sooner or later she is going to do a face plant in the middle of the lobby, and I will be the one laughing my ass off. Yes, I will indeed. Anyway... She spends her lunch hour sitting in her car, smoking, talking on her cell phone and eating her lunch. Wouldn't you think that perhaps you could at least eat your lunch in the LUNCH room downstairs? That would kill 20 minutes or so... She lives 20 miles out of town (just like all the tellers we hire), which always makes it interesting on a snowy day. How on earth did she get this job, you ask? Do you really want to know? Being a native St. Peterite, of course you know that the Erbert and Gerberts is housed in the former Nicollet County Bank building. Well, one day this Einstein was driving down the avenue and saw a sign in the front window that said "NOW HIRING". Yep - you got it. She came into Nicollet County Bank and applied because she saw the sign at Erbert and Gerberts. Now, that's down right scary! What's scarier is that we hired her! Serves us right...

And two steps back...

2008-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hey! Remember how Mollie was forever banned from sleeping on my bed once I got my new comforter set? It didn't take long at all to change her bad habits and I was feeling rather smug about it. This morning marked the 5th day in a row that I had to yell at her to get off the bed. What the heck is going on in that pointy little head of hers? I blame Katie - I think Mollie is acting out because of Katie being gone. After I got her off the bed this morning, she went back into my bedroom and all was quiet. I thought to myself "You little *&$^, how dare you?" as I sneaked into the bedroom to see what she was doing. It was too dark, so I had to turn on the light. There were three cats laying on the bed - but no dog. There was no dog standing in front of the window looking outside, either. I found her curled up on the floor by my bathroom door, laying on top of my "show" pillows that I throw on the floor each night. The look on her face was kind of like "I AM NOT on the bed, so just shut up". I am not sure who the winner is...

WORKING IS FUN - NOT!

2008-08-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

So, this has been an interesting week at the bank... We have a very large farm operation that raises hogs. Right now, most hog farmers are losing money big time because the cost of corn has gone up so much. That means it is costing more than it is worth to feed each hog - to the point that they lose around $40 for every hog they sell. Seems kinda dumb to keep raising them, doesn't it? Anyhooo - this big operation is applying for another loan, with a government guarantee. That means that I have to type up all their financial information all over again, even though we just did it at year end. Monday I did all the forms that could be done on my typewriter and gave them back to Ken. Tuesday, he gave me the file back and I did all the forms that I could do that were set up on my computer. He took the file back mid-morning because he needed to work on it again. When I got the file back around lunchtime, the typed financial documents were missing. I was pretty sure that I didn't lose them, but I searched my desk and every other file that I had used. I even emptied the shredding box and went through each piece of paper one by one to make sure I didn't get them mixed up with the shredding. Grrr... I told Ken they were missing and that I believed he had them last. Of course, he couldn't find them. I imagined that I would have to retype everything I had already completed. Thankfully, he left a message on the machine last night that he found them - and basically, it was all his fault. I wasn't even mad - I was just relieved to know I didn't have to do them again. At least it shows he is not as perfect as he seems...

Oh TV God

2008-08-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Oh TV god, what did I do to make you mad?
You were clear and crisp one minute and then you faded bad.

Is it me, or are you getting fainter by the show segment?
Please don't fizzle out until I get a replacement.

Oh TV god, you disgrace me.
You don't even have DVD hook up...nor Wii.

I promise to send you to a good home...
As long as you can make it through my next show.

Things to do...

2008-05-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the first of June is just two days away and I still have some planting to do. I did manage to clean out the pond, plant some things and put the screens on the kitchen windows. My goal for this weekend is to put the sliding screen door back on the French doors so that we can get some good air movement. It is not that difficult to put the screen door on - what seems to be difficult is to KEEP the screen door on. Invariably, the dog is in too much of a hurry to get outside and she knocks it off the track. And this is not the first sliding screen door we have had - oh no siree! The original one (which I also had rescreened once) was wrecked beyond repair - I can't even remember what happened to it. So, I trotted off to Home Depot and bought a replacement. Then I installed it and felt oh so much like a handyman. How thrilling! The very next morning went something like this: I wake up, and turn on the coffeepot. I see that the cats have gotten the lid off the dog treat jar, have gotten some treats out, and left partially chewed dog biscuits all over the counter and kitchen floor. Great! I can hear the dog dancing in her kennel, needing to go out. Of course, as she tears thru the kitchen on her way to the French doors, she makes note of the treats on the floor, but cannot stop because she has to pee. So - pee she does, and then makes a mad dash back to the French doors, because, by golly, there are treats to be had! Sadly, she was so excited, she literally ran through the screen door. It has never been the same since. To top it all off, when I put together the coffee the night before so that all I had to do was turn it on, I apparently forgot to put the coffee grounds in, so I just ended up with hot water. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Apparently Nobody Works Here...

2008-05-20T12:40:00.001-07:00

Well, this is panning out to be an interesting day. I am pretty sure the crap will hit the proverbial fan this week (I actually hope so!). We are terribly short of loan officers today. One is out on medical leave. One left at 10:00 this morning to watch his daughter play golf in a section meet. One left at 2:00 for a doctors appointment. Another left at 2:30 for the day (he actually does this twice a week or so - saying his kid has a doctor appointment). Sam is fishing in Canada, but is due back tomorrow. Our newest officer is mad as hell - he wants to know who is keeping track of these people and if they are burning up vacation days or sick days when they pull this kind of crap. I have pondered about this for a few years, and am so glad to have another person come around to my way of thinking. Of course, all of those folks get paid salary, so they get paid for 40 hours a week, whether or not they actually work them. Now, for us hourly folk, we wouldn't dare make appointments during the day because it would directly effect our paychecks. What's wrong with this picture?

I want that little doggy in the window

2008-05-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Nothing like driving to class on my first day only to see something that I wish I hadn't...no it's not ass cracks or see-through pants this time. It was a dog laying on the dashboard of a van...not that back either. It was in front close to the driver's side. If that van would've gotten into a crash, it would have been projectile puppy up the driver's nose. Not cool.

Summer Time??

2008-05-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a week since our last entry. Jeff has completed his college career, and Katie is now a sophomore and a half. Everyone seems to have done well and now we are gearing up for summer. Too bad no one told the weather man - it has been cold and rainy, and actually snowed again this past weekend up north. Of course, today happens to be a beautiful day, because it is my day to stay late at the bank (thank you very much). I was thinking back on last year, and all the things that I had to get done before graduation out in the yard and gardens. I would be absolutely dying if I had to get ready for a graduation this year - it seems like every weekend has been rainy. Of course, the only decent weekends we have had this spring were the three that I spent up in the cities visiting Katie. I didn't get anything done at home, but there is something to be said for sitting on the rooftop patio of Stella's, eating fish and soaking up the sun!!

I am a wreck...

2008-05-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't heard from Katie for over an hour this morning. I know she is probably taking her online test, and the waiting is killing me! I so want her to do well and be happy with the way it all turns out. If it does not go well, I know that will cloud the rest of her day and probably tomorrow, too. I DON"T want that to happen! Boo.

So - what to do to pass the time? I am going to think happy thoughts and look for recipes online of stuff I might want to make. I also have to make up a grocery list (the milk expired on the 6th - need I say more?).

And in the spirit of lightheartedness, I have added a graphic that has absolutely nothing to do with any of what I have just written.

What Not to Wear

2008-05-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... It is not even 10:00 AM and I have run out of things to do at work. At least I have run out of things that I want to do. I hate when that happens... I heard the head teller this morning ask one of our newer tellers if she was wearing pajama pants. Of course, the teller insisted she was not, but the head teller did not sound convinced. And then I heard the head teller say "It looks like you are wearing slippers!" to the same person. I really couldn't see what she had on since she was behind the teller line, but of course I had to take a good look when she went across the lobby. Sure enough - what she has on is even a stretch for "casual" day, which isn't until tomorrow! Thin white cotton pants (they look like yoga pants) and some kind of blue shoes that (indeed!) look like bedroom slippers. Too funny! I am sure that no one will say anything official to her, though. The pants are so thin that they are very much see through - ick! She should be wearing nude colored undies, not white ones.

Attention: Quota has been reached

2008-05-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

I read something the other day, which sums up the spring (ahem...more like winter weather)..."Minnesota is like a box of chocolates" Forrest Gump can fill the rest in for you. I read this on the menu of the rooftop restaurant that I was eating at. Who would have that that a week ago it was snowing. I have been taking advantage of the nice weather when I can by sitting outside and soaking up the sunshine. Got to get my vitamin D in...hmmm...that shows I learned something in nutrition. Being of European descent (a nice way to say uber white) I burn like toast in a 500 degree oven. As much as I want to sit outside, I hit my sun quota too soon. My doctor would yell at me for not wearing sunscreen, but I didn't bring that to college...I just got rid of my winter gloves. I know that I got too much color today because I felt the chill one gets after getting sunburn. I though ahead and pulled my hair back so I wouldn't burn my part...too bad I still had a small part. Yep...half of my part is beat red and peeling and the other half is butt white. To top it all off, my bangs are parted on the side and were covering part of my forehead. The only reason I know this is because half of my forehead is pink. If you are one of those "I tan easily and never burn" people...now you can relate to what us fair skinned people complain about.

Grinding to a halt...

2008-05-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

Well - here we are at the butt end of the school year. We filled up the pickup truck with most of Katie's belongings yesterday and moved them back to Saint Peter. It seems as though the year both dragged by, and flew by. I should have kept a log of meltdowns throughout the year - it would interesting to compare with next year. Actually, I only know of two or three major meltdowns, although there were many smaller ones along the way. Now that we stand here at the end of the school year, it seems to have gone by pretty quickly.

My baby is no longer a first year student - she is closer to being a sophomore and a half. Wow! Time really flies. I only hope that the summer seems to go by slowly and that she gets a chance to enjoy herself a bit before we start all over again!

We are slowing down...

2008-04-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Wow - Seems like we really aren't blogging as often as we should. I suppose that is because we are the phone with each other instead. So... I really know nothing. People think I am strange that I washed the basement floor before the Culligan man came yesterday. And speaking of the Culligan man, Jeff reports that he was here for over 1/2 hour with tool box in hand. I am pretty sure the main problem was the fact that we didn't have any salt... Anyhow, I heard it generate last night, but the water was still pretty gross this morning. I am sure that is because we need to use up what is in the water heater/pipes first. I have high hopes for tomorrow. I don't know how Katie can handle having hard water at school - a person can't even work up a lather in the shower! Yucko!

Other than that, I know very little. Sick of snow and cold and rain. Am hoping against hope that the weather is decent for Sunday, so we don't have to worry about water proofing Katie's belongings. Boo!

College 101

2008-04-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

With less than a month left of school, you would think that people would be smarter...but no! Apparently playing football in the dorm is a good idea? But when it hits the sprinkler and sets off the fire alarm and sends gallons of water everywhere, it may not be such a good idea. The "Flood Refugees" are now on the lounge. Sad, but funny...since it's not me.

One thing that I learned this year...it took awhile to realize...is that the toilet paper problem is solved. Since we were always the ones refilling it, we have decided to go in their room when they are gone and take their t.p. to refill. Voila!

Creepy Crawlie

2008-04-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

I worked last night at the Community Center. All in all, it was a fairly boring night. One odd thing - a guy that had been in the library ended up moving to the lobby of the Community Center after the library closed. He had three different computers in various states of assembly that he set up on a table and said he was going to be working there for awhile. I have seen this guy once before, and my radar went crazy. I have no idea who he is, but I have that kind of gut feeling that he is dangerous. The last time I saw him, he wanted me to unlock the library because he had left his gloves in there and it was closed. I immediately told him I didn't have a key for the library and could not help him. The real reason I didn't help him out is that I did not feel safe going into the dark library with this person I didn't know. So - last night I was already leery of him, but the Hispanic soccer players were in the gym and I was not alone. That is, until they all left at 9:00 and then this spooky guy was the only person in the building with me. I was creeped out! I made sure I sat at a table with my back to the wall, because for some reason, I could see him coming up behind me with a mouse cord and choking me to death. I had even pre-dialed Jeff's phone number so that all I had to do was hit the Talk button if I felt threatened. (yeah - I know, but at least he could call 911 and tell them where I was; if you dial 911 on a cell phone, you get the nearest State Patrol office, which is in Owatonna). Anyway, he finally packed up his stuff and left, and I made sure to lock the doors right behind him. I don't want to go through that again! I could have called the police to do a walk through, but I figured since he was the only person in the building, it would look pretty obvious. But then again, I have always heard you should trust your gut instinct. Weird...

Is She Gorgeous or What?

2008-04-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

I love this photo of Katie. What I think is so funny is that she is trying on her roommates glasses to see if they look good on her. I asked her later if the thickness of the bows impeded her peripheral vision, and she replied that she didn't know because she really couldn't see due to her roommate's prescription. I am assuming that she took the photo, and then put on her own glasses to see what the photo looked like! Funny! Now we have to go shopping for new eyeglasses. I suppose that is OK, because it has become very apparent to me that I need bifocals. Can you spell O-L-D A-G-E?

It's The Thought That Counts...Yeah Right!

2008-04-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

We have had problems all year with our suitemates, who we share our bathroom with. They never clean the bathroom and they are the ones that leave it a mess. Their hair is everywhere and I know that it's not mine because it's not red. Last semester we made a schedule for bathroom cleaning, which did absolutely nothing. I made a sign yesterday telling them to clean the bathroom. Well, I had to use the bathroom and I was mad because they locked the door and never unlocked it. I had to get my key and when I opened the door, I noticed a clean bathroom. Actually, it wasn't and still isn't clean, but I knew they "cleaned" it because the bleach smell is overpowering. It still smells this morning, but to me it smells like urine. Some say it's the thought that counts, but in this case, I don't think so. Problem not solved.

TAKE THAT!

2008-03-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems like insect problems are running in the family this week. Katie is battling the ants (again!). I got up this morning, flipped on the bathroom light and then went to turn the shower on. Something caught my eye (it was right at eye level, after all) and I thought it was fuzz flying through the air. Nope - it was a spider, dangling from the bathroom ceiling and poised to get me. I folded him into a Kleenex, gave it a squish and tossed it into the toilet. Then I jumped into the shower as usual. Halfway through my shower, I noticed the spider's brother creeping along the bathroom ceiling right above me. I kept a wary eye on him, since I didn't want a repeat performance. Once I was out of the shower, I noticed that the spider I had tossed into the toilet was miraculous un-squished and swimming around trying to get out. I don't think he survived the flush... Just don't mess with me before I've had my coffee in the morning!

Hmmm...

2008-03-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I worked last night at the Community Center. It was the very last night of women's volleyball, which will certainly free up some time and gym space. I noted right away that the soccer league was not scheduled for the night, although I knew that that basically meant nothing, as the players show up anyway. Sure enough, I had the gym all swept before volleyball began. The soccer players filtered in, and I told them that they were not scheduled. Javier (the group's coordinator) was not there, which meant (to me anyway) that they were not planning on playing last night.
Of course, they wanted to play. I told them that I would allow them to play on the open half of the gym, but also I told them that I felt that they were being disrespectful to me, the Center and the process by which we operate, being that they keep showing up and expecting us to accommodate them. They agreed and it appeared as though they would try harder next time.

Well - they were happily playing soccer with their skeleton crew. Volleyball finished up on their side of the gym, so I swept that up. Five minutes after I sat down, one of the soccer players came to ask me to raise the dividing curtain so they could play full court. I told him he should be happy with half the gym, since they were not on the schedule at all. I also pointed out that I had already cleaned that side of the gym. He left, and ten minutes later, another player came to ask me to raise the curtain. I told him I thought they could get along fine with their half, since they had a smaller crew than normal. He assured me that the group was much bigger than when I was in the gym, so I agreed. When I went into the gym, it was obvious that they didn't have many players, and I turned and told him that. He assured me that they would stop playing at 9:45, put away all their gear and sweep the gym themselves, since it had already been done and they were the source of the undoing. I thought was a good deal, so I agreed.

Fast forward to about 9:30. I am making a sweep of the building, starting my closing the building routine. I notice it is quiet in the gym. I walk in there, and they have all gone home. The soccer goals and ball are sitting by the storage room doors, and nobody has swept the floor. It was like they vaporized. I realize that somehow the storage room door got shut (and thus locked), but they could have easily found me to ask me to open it up for them. You know darn well they would have found me if they needed something from me. My faith in mankind has been shaken!

Spring has arrived...boo!

2008-03-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived in N071. No, not in the form of robins, bunnies, baby chicks, but....ANTS!!!! Yes, America, ants are coming out of the cracks, literally. Last night we put out bait to keep them in one area, hence the nutri-grain bar on the bathroom floor. I threw that away today and vacuumed them up. But, low and behold, when I got back from returning the vacuum cleaner, about 15 already were brave enough to resurface. The worst part is that they come into our room. We put in a work order, but if you remember the heat situation, nothing will be done to quickly. When I thought about living in the dorm, I thought about the crappy situations it would bring. I never had no heat, cold showers, noisy laundry room, and ants cross my mind. I guess you can never say never.

P.S. I guess are bathroom was so dirty (because our suite mates don't clean it) that one ant committed suicide in the toilet water.

Don't count your chickens

2008-03-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure with my luck that the dog will be there when I get back. They probably let him shit in the house and have not let him out. When I get home you will here him barking, which will get Skippy barking, which will get Straka's dogs howling, which will get Tucker barking...but he has a silent bark, which will hopefully end the circle of barking.

Missing?

2008-03-07T13:58:00.001-08:00

This is the bane of Katie's existence. The dog pictured here lives (lived?) across the street from us. I am sure he/she is a good dog. However, the poor dog was blessed with craptastic owners. These owners lived in a small apartment. I think I saw the dog walked twice in the past year. Otherwise, it was chained in the front yard with little stimulation and even less to do. The dog barked all the time - at all hours of the day and night. Apparently the young people who lived in the apartment had a hearing problem, because no one came to let the dog into the apartment in a timely manner. So - this dog was waking Katie up very early in the morning, which did not make her happy at all. Well, I noticed today (since I opted to walk to work) that the new snow from Wednesday has not been disturbed at all in front of their apartment. Could it be? Could the dog be gone? Hey - I haven't heard it bark lately, I don't think. Of course, there are so many dogs in the neighborhood, I could be wrong about that. I will keep my eyes open this weekend to see what's up!

HA!

2008-03-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

Many people don't remember the show ALF, but maybe you can relate. I brought a stuffed ALF doll to school and he sleeps on my bed with me. He sits perfectly in the corner. This morning when I woke up I became kind of freaked out. ALF was about 2 inches from my face glaring at me. He must have thought I was a cat. HA!

Spring has been cancelled...

2008-03-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

Apparently I never got the memo. The sun is shining so nicely, but man, is it cold. And I hear it will be sub-zero tomorrow. Yay!

On another note - I certainly look bright eyed and bushy tailed in my new photo, don't I? Hmmm... no need for plastic surgery - I will just keep my eyes wide open and see how many small children and dogs I can scare...

What Price Fashion?

2008-03-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

I am wearing some of my new clothes today. I have had good compliments on my sweater set, but none on my new black pants. Of course, I realize that black pants are black pants and who can tell the difference, anyway? I am also wearing my new black ankle boots with the very pointy toes. According to Clinton and Stacey, they are elongating the look of my legs and making me look taller and slimmer. According to me, they are cutting the circulation off of my feet and I am absolutely dying! How do people wear these damn things every day? I took them off to put on sensible walking shoes (Good lord, do I sound like a 73 year old woman now?) to go home for lunch, but I dutifully put the pointy torture boots on when I got back to the bank. Because I am nothing if not fashionable. Of course, by the end of this day, I will be walking funny and then I will noticed for something totally other than fashion

Today is Weepy Tuesday Eve

2008-03-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

Katie was home this weekend. Her dad and I drove up to the Twin Cities on Thursday afternoon, risking life and limb on a horrible commute through a snow storm to get her. That's how much we love her, I guess, because for anything else, I would have holed up at home and said the hell with it. Things went OK - I only panicked a Little bit when we came across a fatal accident about 50 miles into the trip, and then a few miles later, came across another multi car crash that was so recent, there was no rescue personnel on scene yet. I would not want to do that again. Thankfully, by the time we were headed home, things were considerably better and we had a pretty good, although quiet weekend. Big bro is taking her back this afternoon and I am gearing up for Weepy Tuesday. We all expect Weepy Tuesday to come after a weekend at home, so I don't know why we are all so surprised when it happens. I only hope that Katie realizes that Weepy Tuesday is inevitable, and once a person actually expects it to happen, it takes the bite right out of it! I am counting down the weeks to the end of the semester!

Hmmmm....????

2008-02-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

As I was washing my hands in the bathroom today, I noticed a sign that was placed between the two mirrors. It said "Feminine Hygiene Dispenser on 1st Floor." WTF???? How dumb is that. Excuse me, while I carry my tampon or pad to the first floor to dispose of it. Dumb.

Oh, the Free Press...

2008-02-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

I have been battling with the newspaper this past week. In the past seven days, I have only received my paper in a timely fashion twice. I know the number of the customer service department by heart, and talk to Pete almost on a daily basis. I called him again this morning when my paper had not yet arrived by 7:30. He was pretty good about it, but said they were having a hell of a time because of temporary carriers,etc. I understand that, but did Pete realize that I was paying for a morning paper, and that really didn't mean a lunchtime paper or an afternoon paper? Of course he did, and he has encouraged me to call every time things go wrong, because he wants management to realize there is a problem. No problem, Pete, I will put you on speed dial. To make things worse, yesterday was Sunday, which means a bigger edition and what I look forward to most - the crossword puzzle. I waited and waited but no paper came. Finally, around 9:00 AM, the paper showed up. Guess where? Way out on the main sidewalk! I walked down to get it and noticed a newspaper in front of each house, but out on the sidewalk. How stupid is that? Obviously, it was too far for the carrier to actually walk up to each house and toss the paper on the porch.

Can you spell DRAMA????

2008-02-22T11:44:00.001-08:00

I have accomplished an enormous feat that many college students and their parents might want to look into. I have been able to minor in something at no extra cost. Yes...please hold your applause. What is the minor, you may ask? Well, it is a minor in drama. This is perfect for me because it is what I do best, with no guidance needed. I am a natural...just ask my parents any day since the day I was born. Declaring this as my minor happened when I freaked out about how much homework I had to do, including major studying for a test. This test, which will prove to be a bitch, is almost impossible to study for. I was so caught up in the drama about how I would never get things done. My parents tried to reassure me that I would be fine and all I had to do was my best...but that is easier said than heard, especially at that moment. I am now looking back on my little act and now I can joke about how I should minor in drama.

P.S. I am sitting here with a whole weekend that looks pretty empty...yep...I got my stuff done. Whoops...bad judgment! Oh well...

It Makes Me Smile

2008-02-22T11:03:00.001-08:00

The weather is beautiful today, and this is just the start of at least three days in a row! Sun, warm breezes from the south - who could ask for more? The sidewalks are all melted again - always a good thing, since I didn't shovel them after that last bit of snow on Monday (or was it Tuesday? I forget!). Anyway, the one bright spot in the snow happened Tuesday night, and kept me smiling right up until the snow melted away. We had gotten about an inch of really light, fluffy, big-flaked snow in the late afternoon. Jeffrey came home from work around 6:00 PM, and I was puzzled as I watched him walk from the garage to the house, because he was taking great big steps, stomping with each one. I laughed the next morning when I realized what he had done - each heavy step caused the snow to "poof" away from his footfall, and what was left looked like great big giant steps. Each footprint was about two feel long and at least a foot wide. I smiled every time I came from the garage. What a goofball! That's why I love him!

I am NOT Immune!

2008-02-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well, that didn't work out very well. Katie came home Thursday night and truly didn't feel well. She spent the weekend recovering, and didn't do anything other than the Saturday morning grocery shopping with me. I heard Jeff get up Saturday morning to go to work, but then heard no more activity from his vicinity. I called him, and he announced he was sick. He came downstairs and announced with all gravity that there was NO HOT WATER in his shower. I tried explaining to him that with a fever, one doesn't feel the warm qualities of the shower, but he was having none of it. His head hurt, I know he had a fever (although a 22 year old will not let his mother check - I'm just saying'). He was dizzy and had a cough. He also complained of stomach pain. He went to work anyway, leaving at 7:00 that morning. I know he would have called in sick, but when you are 22 years old and call in sick on a Saturday morning, the boss would probably (with good reason) believe that you are calling in with bottle flu. So, off to work he went, to prove that he was truly near death's door. Thank God they sent him home, where he spent the rest of the day and night in bed. He was not 100%, but he did manage to go to work on Sunday. Then, I woke up numerous times on Sunday night, so hot I couldn't stand it. I must have been awake every thirty minutes or so, knowing something was not right. I got up, fed the masses of four legged creatures, took my temperature and saw that I had a fever (thank you, God - it's not just a hot flash!). I crawled back in bed with the dog (I know - I was so sick I didn't even care!) and stayed home from work for the next two days. I woke up once yesterday with my head on one pillow, the dog sleeping with her head on the other, and we were spooning! WTF? The dog is allowed on my bed, but she usually stays at the foot and always on top of the spread. Not yesterday - she was right between the sheets. Needless to say, all the bedding was washed in order to eliminate the majority of the dog hair. I am back to work today, and we are all on the mend.

The Queen of Snot

2008-02-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

Katie got home yesterday, bringing along with her either a horrible cold, some virus or influenza. I guess it really doesn't matter what it is - she is not feeling good. What better place to be than home, right? I am making another trip to the store today - this is the third day in a row. Day 1 was for the list of foods she required for her homecoming. Day 2 was for the deli turkey I forgot to buy on Day 1. Today I am going for chicken soup, a thermometer, dimetapp and bendy straws. I forewarned Katie that if she still has a fever this weekend, she will be making a trip to Urgent Care. If she needs a prescription, I'd just as soon have her start it so that she is feeling better once school starts on Tuesday. I already had a bad cold right after Christmas, so I am hoping that makes me immune to whatever she has. Such fun!

What a pal!

2008-02-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

So, Katie noticed the mold on the bagels, but didn't want to tell her roommate, since the roommate had just eaten one. I guess that makes sense. I think it would have been funny to just observe the bagels over the course of the week and say nothing. But that's just me. I think that somewhere deep down, there is a little part of Katie that would do that, too. She's calls her "Evil Katie". I don't know where she gets it...

MMMM.....mold!

2008-02-14T05:54:00.001-08:00

I noticed yesterday that the bagels that my roommate had sitting on the microwave had some lovely spots of mold. I saw the green culprit after she ate one. I wasn't the best roomie because I didn't tell her until this morning that they were moldy. I was looking out for her because I figured shed might get queasy if she knew that she just ate a moldy bagel. The funny thing is that she just mentioned yesterday how she hates putting strawberries in a bag because they get moldy!!!! Ha!

Hey Culligan Man!!

2008-02-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

Today is Culligan day. I hate Culligan day - even though it comes just four times a year. I hate making sure the cats' litter box is presentable and that any cat barf spots are scrubbed off the basement steps (Yeah, I KNOW I should care about that every day, but it just isn't going to happen, OK?). What I hate the most is the not knowing exactly when he is coming. Oh yes, things are much better than they used to be when he would show up at 6:01 AM. Yes - you heard me right - AM! I put a call into their office and begged them to please put on my account that I didn't want to see his face before 7:00 AM in the future. It's nice to have the chance to actually wake up, shower and be dressed before one opens the door to someone they only see four times a year. It's just one of those things, I guess. Now he doesn't come until 7:01 AM, but at least I am prepared. He tried once to come early - showing up about 6:20 and telling me "I saw the light was on, so I thought I'd take a chance". Nice try, bucko. I told him my light had been on since about 5:30 that morning, but that didn't mean I wanted to see him then, either. He hasn't tried that since. This morning, however, I was up, dressed and ready for the day. Take that, Culligan man, I AM READY! Sucker didn't show up until I was about to walk out the door to go to work. Wish I had known that ahead of time - I could have had a more leisurely morning.

Technology...what?

2008-02-12T14:39:00.001-08:00

I know that you will still miss me!!!! Right....

Has anyone ever had the opportunity to tell someone something that they never knew before? I guess it's a common occurrence, but I think I caused a new revelation...time will tell. I was talking to someone who is very computer-internet illiterate (God bless those people that don't live on technology). This person had no clue that their AOL e-mail can be accessed from - get this- any computer!!! YES- it can be done. And YES the web page looks exactly the same as on your own computer. Oh jeez....remember when life was simple?

Clean up!

2008-02-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it's about time for an update, don'tcha think? Sometimes I think I lead such a boring life - what on earth of interest do I have to add? And then other days, I am simply scintillating. In my own mind...

I spend some of the weekend cleaning (Katie can attest to this). I went through all of the magazines in my bedroom (what a pile in the corner!) and got them ready to donate to the library's magazine exchange. Of course, when Katie and I went to drop them off, it was snowing to beat the band (wonder where that expression came from?) plus the fans from the baketball tournament at the Community Center had taken EVERY singe parking spot. Needless to say, I am still driving around with the magazines in my car. I am hoping that perhaps tonight I can haul them in while I am working - time will tell. So, back to cleaning. Got everything vacuumed and the kitchen floor swiffered (is that a word?). Sadly, due to the wind blowing so hard this weekend, there is a thin layer of black dirt on top of the snow. And even though it has been sub-zero temps for the most part, the dog has managed to create muddy paw prints throughout the kitchen every time she comes in from outside. I am starting to wipe her feet off. Now if only I could teach Jeff to wipe his off feet (or take off his shoes), I would have it made!

It seems weird - Katie came home for the weekend because she managed to finagle rides from people other than us. She left Sunday night and will be back already on Thursday. I won't even have time to miss her!

More Bathroom 101

2008-02-06T10:20:00.001-08:00

Why do I always have to go to the bathroom when it's occupied? I guess it may be due to bad luck or the fact that I always have to pee. Hmmm...??? This morning my lovely bladder wanted to be emptied and of course the someone was in the bathroom. I saw the light on and I hoped that no one was in there, but that was not the case. I didn't hear the shower running, so I have no idea would took them so long. I really had to go, so as mad as I was, I left and went to the first floor and down the hall to use the bathroom. When I got back she was STILL in there. To put the icing on the cake, when I woke up for good, I went to the bathroom. and there was NO toilet paper left. WTF!!!!!! How hard is it to replace toilet paper?????!!!! The crappy thing is that when they do replace the toilet paper, it sucks! It's like tissue paper and only lasts about a day. GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

P.S. The other people never clean it and shed WAY too much!!!

Bathroom Rules

2008-02-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

It seems that there should be universal bathroom rules. I am sure Katie would agree. I will let her write her own version, but I am thinking that if a boy uses his mother's bathroom while she is slaving away at her second job, he should make sure he puts the seat back down. She doesn't usually need to use the bathroom until about 2:30 A.M. and it's quite a rude awakening to find out then that the seat is up. I'm just sayin'...

I am surrounded!

2008-02-05T06:18:00.000-08:00

So - usually I end up sleeping with one or more cats; sometimes they even switch it up so that I start out with one and end up with another in its place. The littlest cat, Gadget, always sleeps with me. No matter what position I am in, she ends up lying on top of me. I could be on my back and she would be on my chest. If I am on my side, she is lying on top of my hip. It never fails. So imagine my surprise this morning (4:30 or so), when I wake up due to an uncomfortable pressure on my chest. I open my eyes to find Gizmo (the biggest cat, at least weight-wise) lying on top of me. Groan! I push her off and drift off again, only to find her back in that spot minutes later. When my alarm went off, all four cats were sitting on the floor next to my bed, just waiting for me to get up and feed them. I wonder how long they were there...

GRRRRR!!!!

2008-01-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

I HATE the people that only do things for a resume and not what they want. I think it's great that people volunteer, but if they do it because it looks good on their resume, well than that defeats the purpose of volunteering. I am in very close proximity to a resume stacker. Everything she does is becasuse it looks good on a resume. Do people like this have a heart or mind of their own??? Or are they mindless beings that float through life that has no real meaning because they have no soul?? WTF!!!! STOP and smell the roses...it may look good on the resume!!! Ha!!!

Crunchberries...

2008-01-31T07:09:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.... Interesting observation, Katie. It was usually my experience running ambulance that there was ALWAYS corn when someone vomited - no matter what time of day. Yes, that patch of puke will be there for quite some time. On the up side, at least it's frozen so you can't smell it! It's just a form of urban art...

Eat Up!

2008-01-31T05:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but when it's cold out, I walk with my head down to help block the cold (I don't know if it works?). The other day, as I was doing this, I began to notice the lovely sidewalk and then I came upon something different. A lovely splash of vomit...yes, lovely is a nice word. It was right in the middle of the sidewalk making it hard to avoid. I fear that it will be there for awhile because it is frozen. Let's just say that I will be avoiding that side of the road. To top things off, my roommate said that you can see Cap'n Cruncberries in it. MMMM....eat up!

INTO THE TUNDRA

2008-01-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

Only in Minnesota is it common to warm the car up for 20 minutes in order to make a 5 minute commute! I decided to bring the car to work this afternoon in order to hit the grocery store right after I leave the bank. When it gets this cold, even if the temperature gage starts climbing into the normal range, it never seems to make a difference on the inside of the car. When I went out this morning, all I could hear was the screaming belts of cars that were not sufficiently warm. I wonder... do any other states cancel school because of the cold, or is it just Minnesota? And if so, do they wait until it is 50 degrees below zero or much less? We are a tough bunch!

SLEEP!!!

2008-01-30T06:09:00.001-08:00

I was so tired last night that I attempted to go to bed at 10. I am lame. I don't know what time I actually fell asleep (Yay! I didn't look at the clock) but I think it took me awhile. I tried to visualize things, but I fail at that. I think I am a little ADD because I would visualize something and then think of somthing else to visualize. Anyways...I must have fallen asleep because I woke up at midnight to go to the bathroom. It took me awhile to fall back asleep because Jess was still up, but I slept until 6! What an accomplishment on my part!

I SO TOTALLY ROCK!

2008-01-28T06:01:00.000-08:00

I got it all done! All the carpets that I had planned on doing, cleaning out the closet, laundry, etc.! Sadly, I also managed to fill the entire dumpster with odds and ends from my bedroom closet, so now things are on hold until after tomorrow when the garbage man comes... Strangely, for all the work I had planned, the weekend seemed to be incredibly long, but in a good way! Guess I'll have to plan on working that hard every weekend (NOT!)

Other than that, it's a typical Monday. The bank's email system somehow blew up over the weekend and we are at the mercy of the IT guy's schedule, just waiting around for him to show up. I feel like I have been cut off from Katie and I don't like it! Hopefully he will show up soon...

List Makers, Unite!

2008-01-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

I have plenty to do at work (as usual), but all I can think about is everything that I want to get done this weekend. Closets, carpets, laundry, etc. Sadly, I am also thinking about how tired I seem to feel today. Which one is going to win out? As of right now, I am planning on jumping into carpet cleaning the minute I get home, and not eating supper until I am done. I fear that if I don't, I will not do it at all. I'll lay money that some cat is going to puke tonight, just because the carpets will be done. Story of my life....

Sigh

2008-01-25T06:33:00.001-08:00

Oh, the Free Press.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again!

2008-01-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

Oh, Polar Bear Katie, I feel so bad for you! No, really! I am freezing here at work and we have heat. I can't imagine what it would be like to be without it today! I decided to forego warming up the car and driving around to get the fluids thawed and flowing this morning - it's just not worth the time. Instead, I walked to work. I was relatively warm, although my eyes wouldn't stop tearing up. Also, the tops of my feet (I wasn't wearing boots - they are in the back seat of the car) were freezing by the time I got to the bank.

Oh - and this is so not the way to start the morning: I sat down to read the paper, and got to the second page (News of the Weird, article about Brittany Spears and her family being mad at Dr. Phil, etc.). "Wow", I said to myself. "Katie is really right about the Free Press having the same articles over and over". Then I realized that what I was reading really was old news - they delivered to my front porch a Free Press from Thursday, January 10th. Can you f*&^cking believe that?

Polar Bear Katie

2008-01-24T04:34:00.000-08:00

This is Katie, coming to you live from the frozen depths of Frontier. It is officially 61 degrees in our room and that is not even by the drafty window. There is no heat in the lovely basement, which is a freezer anyways. The boat motor sounding heater only blew cold air, but now blows nothing. I just love the direction this is all going. Last night I thought I was going to freeze and get hypothermia. I seriously thought that I had the chance of my roommate finding in my bed unresponsive, due to the lack of heat. The worrier in me then put on double of everything. Yes, I now resemble a polar bear, abominable snowman, or a woman in PMS that is bloating too much. I have on 2 sweatshirts, two pairs of sweatpants, and two pairs of thick socks. WTF! I think that we should all get compensation for this because we are paying A LOT to freeze down here. What a craptastic situation.

P.S. The blue font is intentional to match the color of my fingers.

Ha!

2008-01-23T11:51:00.000-08:00

Two words that made my day and my vocabulary:

Peeped and craptastic

I think I may use the latter one from now on.

2008-01-23T05:47:00.000-08:00

Hmmm yourself. I have a feeling that the toilet paper comment was directed at me!!

So - here's one funny thing that happened during my otherwise craptastic night at the Community Center. While the Hispanic soccer players were in the gym, a bunch of their little girls were watching TV in the lobby. There were five of them, ranging in age from two to probably five. One little girl came up to me, pointed to her shirt and was trying to tell me something in Spanish. Of course, I had no clue. The oldest one came to her rescue and told me that she had left some clothes in the library. I figured it was probably her coat. Well, naturally it was after the library had closed, so I had to find the right key to get in there. Three little girls came with me and the one who spoke English said the clothes were in the bathroom. (She was really quite pleased that she could interpret, and actually, so was I, since last year she didn't speak English at all). They made a beeline to the bathroom, went behind the door, and the little girl who left her clothes picked up a pair of pants, some underwear and some socks. Of course I wondered, but I didn't say anything. I didn't have to - the "interpreter" filled me in as we were walking out. All she said was "She peeped". Aw - so close!

Hmmm???

2008-01-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure that Mollie is depressed, even though I tell her to go away all the time...it's attention. I am having heater problems, too. The boat motor sounding vent only blows cold air. Are thermometer that Jess has on a picture frame (weird location, I know) says it's 73 degrees, but that is because a light is two inches away from it.

A general wonderment:
Why do dryer sheets magically appear? I swear they multiply in the dryer because I end up with a crap load in the dryer even though I swear I didn't put that many in! I think that I should be a magician because I can pull dryer sheets out of my clothes. Yes, I know you are jealous. I just pulled one out of my pajama sleeve, which must have been in there last night, too, without me knowing...hmmm?? The worst was the time I pulled on out of my pant leg AT SCHOOL!! Yes, Mr. Person sitting next to me in class, that is a dryer sheet coming out of my pants. At least it's better than toilet paper tucked in my pants.

~Katie

Gray Skies Are Gonna Clear Up!

2008-01-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

See this girl over here? I think she is depressed. She would like nothing better than to curl up on my bed for the day. Doesn't ask to go out much at all (maybe the cold has something to do with that?). I don't know... I was feeling the same way. The house feels empty now that Katie is back at school and I think about her all the time. The adjustment period is hard on everybody, but I know we will all be fine. Only eight days and she will be back at home for a long weekend. Can't believe Big Bro agreed to go get her - although it was not posed to him as a question, but rather, a statement. Sometimes you have to give no options, that's all I'm sayin'.... Anyway, little things keep happening that make me think of Katie. Especially at lunch time today. The little cat was sitting on the couch, chewing away at her toenails with such force that it could be heard in any room of the first floor. I smile when I think of how Katie would have freaked! The Minnesgasco repairman came today and cleaned the burner on the furnace - how can it get dirty in two months? Something is amiss, I fear. Anyway, I got home for lunch and the thermostat was set at 68 degrees. How toasty! Katie would have loved it. I freaked out and the frugal being in me turned it right back down to 64. I hate to admit it, but I really like it. Hey look over there - something shiny!

2008-01-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it MUST be Monday! I woke up for some reason about 4:00 AM, and do you think I could go back to sleep? Of course not - there were too many house noises going on (and also a cat skirmish, but that's a whole 'nother story). The furnace was kicking on and the water softener was doing its thing. Well, the furnace kept kicking on and kicking on, which is not a good sign. Nothing but cold air was coming out of the vents. I got up and turned the furnace off - that seems to do the trick. Crawled back in bed and tried to sleep, but it wasn't happening. Do you know what it's like to almost be drifting off and having a cat right in your face, sniffing your nose? So - I get up, turn the furnace back on - it is now 60 degrees in the house. Run the shower while I feed cats, and jump in. Why does it feel so cold? Man - that was the fastest shower ever! At least the car started this morning. I will need to clean the litterbox before I call for service on the furnace, so I guess that it part of my lunch plans. Hope the day improves. I am sure I will come home to a very cold house on my coffee break. If I knew how to insert a happy face here, I would so totally do so.

What a steal!

2008-01-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

Hello web people...I am making my blog debut. I am unfortunately back at the U of M to get an education. I already learned something new when I got to school and classes haven't even started yet. I learned that college students waste no time in being douchebags. Yeap...no time at all. Let me set the scene a to what I mean, even though I bet there are a lot of reasons why college students are douchebags.

Driving to my dorm room we all began to realize that unloading a month's worth of crap (luggage) will not go as smoothly as we thought. There are no parking places because there aren't many on a good day. We pull in and wait for a spot when one opens. There was a line for the spot, but apparently college students don't have to wait in line. Hmm...who would have thought...not me. Anyways...just as the rightful owner of the spot was backing into it, a student makes a speedy and bitchy move by pulling into the spot. HELLO!!!!??? Can't you see that people are waiting!!! DUH!!!! The guy made it even worse because he pulled in really shitty and had to back out to pull in straight. HELLO...if you are going to steal a spot, do it in style and correctly the first time. Yep, what a learning experience...and no tuition required.

~Katie

2008-01-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Well, she who shall be called "queen" has decided that actually having a blog to share thoughts and stories could actually be a cool thing, so we have retired the journal that we had been sharing back and forth and will start blogging. Are we cool or what?

So - just to catch everyone up, the first half of the first year of college is now over and done with and Katie did very well. I dread taking her back this Sunday - after such a long, extended holiday break, it may be hard for her to get back in the swing of things. However, as she pointed out, the first semester was the longest one (without breaks) so this one should be better. Plus, I think Katie plans on being home every other weekend or so. I don't know - I just wait until someone tells me what's going on.

And... the big story in Minnesota is the arctic cold that blew in today. The weather powers-that-be expect us to be sub-zero for the next 45 hours. Good Morning America flew their weather crew up here to cover it. I think - what's the big damn deal? It's MINNESOTA, for God's sake! This is really not news to us...

Oops

2007-05-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

OK - my bad... Nothing got accomplished last night. Nothing. Well, let's revisit that. I DID manage to get rid of some renegade plants in my flowerbeds (and felt good that I didn't just throw them away - thanks for taking them, Julie!). I DID manage to visit with my friends on the patio (I steered them off the deck that had the wobbly furniture and to the wrought iron patio set - very sturdy!). I DID manage to get the grill started at what I thought was a reasonable time, although I realize now that having a clock somewhere out there would probably be a good thing. I also DID manage to have two beers and still have dinner ready for the kids by 6:30. However, I also DID lose all my ambition after dinner. Well, then - tonight is another night, and by gum, I will get that lawn mowed or else. It may be dark by the time I get done, but who cares!

Panic is Setting In

2007-05-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

OK - I know that I work best under pressure - there is nothing like a deadline to make me put it into gear. The best house cleaning gets done when I know someone is coming over who may critique my success. That being said, I am starting to panic. There is so much to do, and now the weather forecast is calling for rain next Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (it could even be worse - the forecast doesn't go any further!). Gulp! How am I going to get my outside work done? How will the deck get painted? I guess time will tell - I have no clue! If I clean out the garage on Sunday, no one will be allowed to park their cars in it until after the graduation party. In theory, this should not be a big deal. In real life, it could be - Katie's car seems to leak whenever it rains, so she may be walking around with a wet butt at school if it really does rain for five days straight. Not exactly the lasting memory you want to leave your classmates when you are graduating! What to do? I don't know... I had good intentions of going home from work tonight and mowing the yard so things don't get over grown, but now have two co-workers coming over the raid my flowerbeds of stray plants. This is a good thing. I heard something about a bottle of wine coming along for the occasion - this could be a bad thing. I may lose my ambition to get anything done. And I am stressing because I had been meaning to tighten all the bolts and lug nuts holding the cedar patio furniture together. Obviously, that hasn't been done yet. If anyone falls on their ass tonight when their Adirondack chair collapses, I swear I know nothing!

And so we commence...

2007-05-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am in the middle of getting ready for Katie's graduation reception. I know that three years ago, I went overboard with Jeff's reception and totally overdid it (to the point of repainting all the walls on the main floor of the house). There was a method to my madness, you know - it seemed easier than washing the walls. All that work, and only four people out of the 250 invited actually came into the house. Everyone else was out in the yard, enjoying the tent and the company. Sooo, this year I won't stress nearly so much. Almost all of the outside work is done, except cleaning the black hole of a garage and two small flower beds in the front yard. I spent this weekend doing yardwork and cleaning the carpets. What a wonderful sense of accomplishment I get from getting everything on my list done and crossed off. Katie came home to walk the dog in the middle of the afternoon just as I finished everything. Of course, the carpet didn't look that great to her, but I can attest to the fact that it looked just like the carpet cleaner commercial - I could actually see the path I cleaned (if you ever repeat that I will have to hunt you down and hurt you!). So, she brings the dog back and the dog drinks eight gallons of water because it was really hot outside. I jump in the shower to clean up and cool off after all of my hard work. When I came out, I discovered the dog had upchucked on the carpet. Apparently she had too much to drink. Why? Why? Why? Why is it that my animals cannot throw up on lineoleum? They make a point to run to the nearest patch of cream colored carpet and let it spew. *Sigh*

Off To The Races!

2007-05-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we've talked about it and talked about it, so I thought I would just take a leap. I am a fan of many blogs, and only hope I can rise to the level of those I like the most. So - the purpose of having this blog is to keep communications open with my daughter when she goes away to college. I want to be able to fill her in on everything (maybe not everything) that happens while she is away, and I want her to be able to add posts as well. I am not sure who the upcoming separation will be hardest on - Katie or myself. I think that position will switch back and forth.