Let it Snow!

Well, I worked till 9pm yesterday. Then I went home. It was bitter cold. It's been in the single digits or below zero here, and just that frigid cold that makes your nose hair freeze and your legs tingle when you get back inside. Well, Evan knew that I wanted to talk with him, so he avoided me and didn't come home until 5am. Isn't that fabulous? I tried writing him a letter, since he won't talk to me, but he ignored it. Fab. So I was awake at 5am and I couldn't get back to sleep I was all upset. I can always tell when I am upset because I don't eat. I haven't eaten in 24 hours now and I am not even the least bit hungry. I will just drink my water. So I decided to just get out of bed, take a shower and get ready. I delivered Evan's mom's Pampered Chef in Buda, then drove through sheffield to kill time. I went to work by 7:30am.

The weather forecast has been steadily increasing our chances of snow, it was supposed to be 2-4 inches. Then it was 3-4. Then this morning it was 3-5. By 7:30 it had increased again to 4-6, and now they are calling for 5-7 inches. The National weather Service says we are directly in the path of the heaviest snow. Looking at 4 inches by nightfall and 2 more before it's all over tonight. The map says it all.... take a look at the radar! Look at all that red, orange, and pink. If you look closely at the map, towards the center, I have written my name in black, in an attempt to label where I am located- work is at about the G in my name, and home is somewhere between the E and the First A in my name. The kicker is that around here, when it snows more than 3 inches in one day, things practically shut down. People burrow in. Rural roads are just closed, they just shutdown the plows. For city folk, that doesn't make much sense. But that's just how things operate. But working at a healthcare facility, if you don't get out while the getting is good, no one will ever come to releive you, and you will be the lone ranger, stuck here for days. At least there are beds and showers, but I am not sure that means you can use them. I would just stay in my office and live off ice and sliced cheese from my fridge.

At least we have lots of toilet paper at home, and good books to read. There isn't much for food but I think I can make it through with the few frozen pizzas and the ice cream cake. There's no bread but there is lunchmeat and cheese. And lots of tuna and ramen noodles.

Everytime we get a measley snow, I think of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I think of Little House on the Prairie times and all the prairie people when the snow was so deep in the midwest and the prairie states that they had to tie a rope between the barn and the house to go feed the cows and horses. I think of how the snow was so high they couldn't open their doors. They would climb out the upstairs window onto the snow and walk to the barn holding onto the rope and carrying a lantern. How extreme is that? I think about the prairie grass for miles, and how there was nothing but the trees to block the wind, no structures for miles. I think about the snow blowing up against the houses and LITERALLY being snowed in. I think about using a hole in the ground outside as your "icebox" and keeping meat and other perishables outside to keep them frozen all winter long.

It goes to show how screwed up our ecosystem is now. global warming. Eeww.

Karma even applies to the earth. When you do good things for the earth, she will give good things back. When you trash her, she will fall apart. Reap what you sow eh?

I am wondering if I can get Karma to apply to husband, to get him out of his funk so that I don't have to move out and become a bachelorette or a divorcee. How do people ever get divorced. It is like moving a mountain. No wonder those people can be scarred for life. I am scarred for life just thinking about going through it.

Here's to snow. The rest of Gregory MacGuire's Wicked, a hot cup of cocoa, and a good stock of toilet paper.

Totalled a State Police Car. Oops.

Not me. My contractor. So THAT's where he was yesterday. You see, he is a friend of the family, but he will remain nameless to protect his privacy. He has some health issues, and was on his way to the doctor, and he was a passenger in his own Durango, and there was black ice and they rear ended a police car going 45 mph. Then he ended up getting TAKEN to the hospital and given morphine for his neck/back pain, and the Durango got towed away. The state police car was totalled, they basically drove up over the back end. The policeman was outside of the car, there were other crashed cars ahead of him, and a semi sitting in the right lane. So they either had to hit the semi head on or drive over the squad car. The Air bags on the Durango never deployed, but luckily they were wearing their seatbelts. So that is why he never showed up or called yesterday. Pretty damn good excuse, eh?

But this morning he was there painting up a storm and all the walls are now painted. I didn't like the orange I picked out (yes orange) for the one wall, so I picked another orange and we will retry tomorrow with a darker orange. I was worried about it being too dark, so we picked this color, but it was WAY too bright. But I did nail the other colors right on the head. Yeah me! So I am excited. This means that before much longer we might be done. Floors then trim. Floors than trim. Yippee!!

I worked 3-10:15 last night, and I will work noon till probably 9pm today. Then tomorrow I will be back to normal, since I have a haircut on Thursday night. This weekend- I don't really have any plans, except to lie low. I should probably consider Christmas Cards, But I think that this year we will be sending New Year's cards instead. It just seems more practical. And I have my house all tore up, and I JUST sent out hundreds of photo cards as wedding thank you's. SO I am good for a while.

My mind is fixed on how I can get furniture. But really it will probably be a waiting game... until I can get things paid off. My car, our wedding loan, and all my debts will be paid off in 1 year. I have just go to make it one more year. And I hope that Karma will not come kick my ass, because I do not need my car to crap out on me or anything like that.

My buddhapad is on it's way, I am very excited about this. I would really like a dark wood or an amber carved buddha for my living room. However, I don't have any side tables yet (icky) to sit him on. I want one of the smiling buddhas, with the round belly. A sitting one. Someone to remind me of sending out good Karma. Maybe kind of a coppery color. I have seen some really cool ones on ebay, mostly from China or Thailand, or some are from Japan. But the shipping on them is anywhere from $25-$45! Yikes! But they are cheap.

Maybe when I actually have a living room. And some side tables.

I have recently become obsessed with my Yahoo avatar.

I can change her mood. Everytime I check my email, she is there looking at me, so I always make her reflect my mood. I change her outfit. I change her background. It's entertaining me. No one else sees her. Just me. But that makes me happy. I got prompted to join yahoo 360, but what annoyed me is that I can start a blog there, but I can't link to my current blog from there. Like I want to start an all new blog?

Most people don't know that my website is hosted at Yahoo Geocities and has been for about 6 years. I also receive ALL of my email through yahoo. I have all of my accounts forwarded or added into my yahoo. I have 6 emails currently - but I login once and they all come to one inbox. So no matter what email you choose, it all comes to me at the same place. Which is awesome.

Yesterday I made my avatar all sad and crying. She's so cute when she pouts. I think I will leave her that way for a while.

It is freaking FREEZING today. Cold I tell you. That's all.

Massage Karma

That Cigar guy on eBay got me thinking. I think that I really need a massage. That would make some of this cranky stress go away. Problem is, I don't get a paycheck for two weeks and I am flat broke. SO. How about donations? Anyone want to donate to my cause? Help me get a massage to prevent me from going postal?

Tumble Dry Low

For Sale: Husband. Slightly Used. Comes with Maytag Clothes Dryer. Gas (husband and dryer)

Just kidding.

Husband is not for sale. He is mine. In all of his glory.

But I do want to talk about clothes dryers. Silly, I know. But it will distract me from my cranky mood.

I noticed during a potty break that the tag in my underwear says "Tumble dry low. Remove Promptly." Now, when it comes to say, good clothing, khaki pants, button down shirts... Curtains perhaps.... I understand the term "remove promptly." It translates (clearly) to

"get your lazy ass to the laundry room and hang up all those clothes or you will
just have to rewash them."

I know. I have, many many times, forgotten or plain PRETENDED to forget clothes in the dryer. I hate hanging up clothes. On an average Sunday I go approximately 8-12 loads of laundry. For two people. Seriously. I am no stranger to laundry. On a BAD weekend, when I have been away of unavailable the weekend before, the count increases to 14-20 loads. Why? Let's just put it politely and say that some people in my household feel the need to wear several outfits each day. We won't name any names.

Now why in the world, is it a concern for my to leave 100% cotten Victoria's Secret underwear in the dryer? So what if I don't remove them promptly? They will get Wrinkled! Oh for shame! I would have to iron my undies! But wait! It doesn't say on the tag what iron setting I should use when ironing my underwear! Oh the drama. I can't imagine being concerned that your undies look wrinkled. It's not like they won't lie flat on your ass or anything. What a waste of tag space. They are able to fit on the tab that my undies are made in Jordan. So Victoria's Secret isn't making sexy briefs in the good 'ol USA. Bummer.

The more I thought about the Tumble dry low thing, I started to think if I have ever seen anything that said "Tumble Dry High." Ummmm.... nope. So then I started to think- WHY do they even make different settings on the dryer? I have no freaking clue what they are for. Maybe I need some dryer education. I know ALL about the settings on my washer, but my drier.... I only use one setting. And if I don't use that setting it's because it's bras and sweaters and I am doing the "hang dry" or "Lie flat to dry" thing. Which makes me want the new dryer with the sweater racks inside. But if the dryer was tall and not waist high, where would I pile all the clean clothes? Where would I sit when folding underwear? WHERE would all the mismatched socks sit while they wait for their mate?

crank ass

Well, we have determined that no men read my blog, and if they did, I have scared the crap out of them and they will never be back.

How can marraige turn me from one of the guys' best friends into a nagging whining bitching woman? Maybe I hate marraige? Maybe I just didn't know it yet.

Anyway. On to another topic. Except that one has my brain so filled up that I can not think of another.

Except that the contractor guy didn't show up today AGAIN and isn't answering his phone. I am going stir crazy and had to leave home to stop from painting the walls and sealing the floors myself. I can't take all this much longer. I am so close to snapping it scares me. For real.

What I really need is a cigarette and a drink. Unfortunately I have a computer user group meeting tonight. I am really not up to it. I think I will stay at work. I just don't have the patience to be around other people. (yeah, so I will be at work, ha ha)

What Kind of Dog Am I?

I took another one of these silly quizzes, send to me by my sister Liz. Apparently I am a Shar-Pei. (hope I spelled that right) Check it out. Click on the words GAME on the left to play the game.

MEN ONLY

Let's say that you were the kind of guy who can get paid without going to work. But after about seven months of living with you, watching you sleeping till noon for 95% of the time, and not going to sleep until 3-6am the same 95% of the time, your wife becomes frustrated to a level that makes her want to just plain kick your ass. Let's say that you have easily held down a job in the past. You went to work by 8am for 5 years without much of an issue. If you went to work on a regular basis, you would have unlimited upward mobility, you would earn commission that would make your family's life easier, and you would learn something new everyday. Your dad, who is the greatest guy, would be your boss.

Instead you stay up late on the internet looking up stuff like pictures and movies and music. You play video games online into the wee hours of the night. Your wife has begged and pleaded and cried to you to please go to sleep. You are keeping her up. When you come to bed at 5am, you wake her up and she can't get back to sleep for those last couple of precious hours that she needs, especially after she stayed up late to try to spend time with you and persuade you to sleep.

When your wife goes to work, you tell her goodbye from your burrow under the covers, and as soon as she leaves you go back to sleep. When she calls you at noon you don't answer the phone because you are still asleep, or on a rare occasion you have just woken up and are in the shower. You are just getting up and around when she is getting ready to end her day. You end up leaving the house for the day when she is getting home, usually you see her for a few minutes or not at all. But you aren't going to work. You are going to help a friend with his car, or to go to Wal-Mart, or to go pick up the newest DVD or game or CD that was released. You get home and it is past your wife's bedtime. She has eaten supper by herself. She should be asleep by now but she stayed awake hoping to see you. You talk to her for a little while and then resume your post on the computer or in front of the video game. The whole cycle starts over.

When she asks you for a favor, like going to the bank to make a deposit, you answer that you will "try to get there" because your schedule is just SO busy.

Your wife has had episodes of being sad, angry, upset, all a reflection of what is going on with you and the strange hours you keep, and the fact that you don't go to work. You aren't doing housework either. You are living the good life, taking advantage of the situation... Because you can. You are blind to the upward mobility and the increased income that would be yours if you would apply yourself and go to work. You are blind to the pain that you are causing your wife and the wonderful relationship that you are destroying. To you, everything seems fine. Why wouldn't it? You are living "every man's dream." You don't have to do anything and you get everything. A paycheck, a house to live in, a wife who loves you and takes care of things. Why should things change?

You don't even see this as being selfish and cocky, as being lazy and unhealthy.

Now- from a man's perspective..... If you were this man's wife. What exactly would you do to get your husband to see what is going on and to motivate him to do the right thing? What would you do to get out of this 7 month slump, to make him go to sleep, get up and go to work, and be a more caring and unselfish man?

The only power that you feel you have left, as a wife, is the network administrator. You could, with the push of a button, turn off the wireless network in your home at exactly midnight, effectively cutting off all internet and online gaming activity. Would you do it?

What else would you do to make your husband see what is right in front of him?

Men only please. That's all I ask. I don't need womanly opinions here. At all.

Big Brother

Jeez! Talk about controversial subjects and they shut down your blog!

I was not able to see my own blog from like 4pm until 10:45pm. I could write and publish, but not view it. WTF? Well it appears to be fixed now, so whatever. Sorry bout that.

Example of Karma

Okay, I ran across this example of Karma today on eBay. Interesting approach. Something tells me by the look in his eyes (or lack of looking) that he has had his fair share of Karma come his way, if you know what I mean.

Oh and look, another one!

And before, I talked about needing something to remind me about good Karma..... so I got myself a buddhapad... to remind me everyday. And also the proceeds go to the Make a Wish Foundation. I feel better already!

Pissed off by Pitt.

I get a terribly ucky feeling when thinking of Brad Pitt these days. Now a petition has been filed in court for Brad Pitt to adopt Angelina Jolie's two adopted children. Their last names are to be changed to a hyphenated Jolie-Pitt.

Okay. Back up the train. What in the hell are these two thinking? Brad and Jennifer have been seperated since JANUARY- so not even a full year, and only divorced in OCTOBER so like just a month or two ago, and he is already adopting Angelina's kids when they wouldn't even admit to anything (no relationship, no affair) until this month, when they decide to appear on the red carpet together? I don't get it. I hope that despite their fame and money, or perhaps BECAUSE of it, the petition is denied. Obviously Angelina's track record shows that her relationships don't last, and his isn't much better now, so why jump into this adoption thing?

They are not even married, or living together, and I think that these kids deserve more respect that to be adopted by Brad Pitt just because he is screwing Angelina Jolie and feels sorry for the kids. They aren't just some "cause" for him to attach his name to. I don't believe that children should be adopted on a whim. He needs to marry Angelina and live with her and make a family before anyone gives him the right to claim those children as their own. Shame on Angelina for allowing this to happen.

Karma is broken.

I can get to wondering about the strangest things. Money for example. I really have to believe that whoever thought of money really screwed us all up. I think about trading and bartering. If We still worked on trading and bartering, I would be totally "rich."

You see, I do lots for other people. I do lots of favors for other people, and I do lots of nice things for other people. I do not expect payment. It's Karma. It's all about Karma. I am not a big religious freak. As noted previously, I believe in Karma. I believe in good thoughts and good deeds more than I believe in prayer. I mean, I can either sit on my butt or kneel by my bed and pray that good things will happen, or I can do good things for others, without expecting payment in return, and then I can believe that my unselfishness and caring for others will come back to me through good Karma. I can send positive thoughts out to people who need them, and do what I can to help. And hope that whoever god is or whatever god looks like.... he or she will see that I like to help others and send someone to help me when I need it. That's what I believe. It is essentially the root of "It's not what you know, it's who you know." I believe I should try to be good, not so that I "stay out of hell" but because people will in turn be good to me. And in some ways, people will see that as naieve. Or living life wearing rose colored glasses. BUT Just because I believe in Karma doesn't mean I can't also believe in covering my own ass.

But Money doesn't do much for Karma. Unless you are earl, and you just won the lottery, that is. Money essentially is the thing that got Karma all fucked up to begin with.

So let's explain by example. Let's say that my friend cari needs her computer fixed. I know how to fix computers. So I help cari out because she is my friend. I fix her computer. Now if this were Karma, and only karma, Cari would be grateful for the help and I wouldn't charge her any money. Because let's pretend that we are operating before money. There IS no money. So Cari sort of "owes me one." Now remember, I didn't fix cari's computer because I wanted her to "owe me," but because I wanted to help Cari with the understanding that if she could ever help me, she would do the same. It's all Karma. What goes around comes around.

So let's say that 2 years from now, my child falls and breaks a bone. Cari, being an EMT, would come and help me to care for the child. She wouldn't charge me.... but she would help me because she can. Because that is her knowledge and she enjoys sharing it with me, because I helped her in a time of need. That's Karma.

Now what happened, in my opinion, is one of two things. We will use Cari and myself as examples. Because Cari will not get angry if I use her name. Even though this never happened with Cari, it's just an example.... hypothetical.

Theory #1. I helped Cari. After helping her, I discover that she has no intention of helping me in the future, and doesn't want to feel in debted to me. She decides to devise a way for us to be "even." Cari has three necklaces that she doesn't need. She needs her computer. So she gives me necklaces in exchange for computer repair. That's a good trade, right? That might even be considered good Karma. But suppose that Cari has nothing that I need or want? Cari needs to think of something that EVERYONE wants and EVERYONE needs, so money evolves. Everyone wants it, and everyone needs it. Now, because there is money.... no one needs to practice Karma anymore. They just charge someone an appropriate amount of money for a good or services. Problem solved, right? Wrong.

Theory #2. I helped Cari. After I fix her computer, my child falls and breaks his leg. I go to Cari for help but she doesn't want to help me. Either she is too busy, too selfish, or too lazy. So Cari sits back, and even though I helped her, she refuses to help me. I decide that Next time Cari wants help, I won't just help her. Is that good Karma? No. But, I know that Cari won't help me, so I get ticked and decide that if Cari wants my help, she needs to pay me up front, because she doesn't operate on Karma. So Cari has nothing that I really want, I already have necklaces, so we come up with something that everyone needs and wants, and eventually money is born. A universal way of charging someone when they refuse to help you back out of kindness. A way to get around the fact that some people don't practice Karma. Problem solved, right? Wrong.

Then what happens? All of these people start coming out of the woodwork wanting my help..... Why?

Well, let's say that I don't want to charge people. I just want to believe in Karma. Good Karma. I want to help people and have them help me in return, free of charge. I want to be friends. So I decide that if Cari doesn't want to believe in Karma, I will just move on to helping other people, and I won't help Cari anymore. Well that's all fine and dandy, until Cari walks over to her friend Lori, and says "hey Lori, I know where you can get your computer fixed and not pay any money!" So Lori comes to me, like a friend, pretending to practice Good Karma, and I fix her computer, because I don't know her and I want to be her friend. Then when I need help, Lori is not there. Eventually Lori and Cari tell all their friends, and instead of being the good friend who fixes computers for people because I feel that they will in return send good Karma my way- I become the sucker fixing everyone's computers for free because word has gotten around that I don't charge anyone.

So even those people who believe in Karma and want to avoid the entrapments of money, are eventually entrapped because they can't in good faith, help anyone without being taken advantage of. Others have ruined Karma. I don't know how to fix it.

Does any of that make sense to you the reader? I have always believed in Karma. Essentially that people are good. That friends can be made in all walks of life. It was only after having 50 computers to fix, not enough time in the day, and not enough money to pay for my food and house, that I realized that NONE of these people (almost none) were helping me back. Maybe it's because I wasn't needy enough? Maybe because I don't ask for help? I don't know. But I realized that I was being taken advantage of. People who don't understand Karma, and even people who do, will take advantage of you.

My good friend Dorene pointed it out, that I needed to charge for my time. And when I first started charging, some of my "customers" shied away. Why? Because they just wanted free help. They never had any intentions of helping me back. They were just on the gravy train. But I got lots of new customers. Customers happy to pay me for my time and help. Now, I still feel guilty when it comes time to accept payment. It's just not how I wanted it. I honestly thought that I had been given a gift, that I should help those who didn't understand computers.... because that was the right thing to do.

But the whole Karma system is broken. It's not my fault, and I don't know how to fix it. So I guess I just have to play along- or get screwed. Because all of those people who went away when I started charging, they are the "bad Karma people"- those who are like "Lori" in the story above. Those who "cari" told to come to me because I would fix it for free.

So the world is full of money now. Karma is broken. I don't know what to do. I volunteer for everything. Dog shelter. Computer Group. Bioterrorism Committee. Bureau Valley School Foundation Board. Bureau Valley FFA Alumni. I volunteer on projects, committees, fundraisers. I volunteer until I don't have time to do laundry and my non-paying gigs take more time than my paying gigs. But then sometimes I get frustrated. I am forced to work with selfish people. They have me pegged. "hey, ask Meagan, she'll say yes" and I am stuck doing more than I can handle, usually all by myself. I volunteer my time, my knowledge, physical labor, etc. And I really really hope that there can at least be some good Karma coming my way. I hoped that the more I helped, the better the chance that Karma will come back and I could inspire others to do good things.

If I don't make it into heaven.... if I got this all wrong, and all those money grubbing morons get there.... I will be so pissed. But then I start to think, if heaven is full of money grubbing morons.... maybe it Isn't really heaven? Maybe it's hell in disguise. Because I don't want to spend eternity with them. Plus I know that I have to go to rainbow bridge first.... before Heaven. That is incredibly important. Maybe one of the most important stops of my entire life. Not just for me, and my own companions, but for those who never had a companion.

I try SOOOO Hard to not get caught up in material things. SOOOO hard. It is not easy, and with all the posessions I have, I am not sure that I have been even the least bit successful. I do want nice things. But I don't need Prada or Versace. Wal-mart, Target, IKEA- all fine by me. But sometimes I have friends who talk about their vehicles, their furniture, their paychecks.... and it makes me sad. Sometimes I get caught up in their chatter and I don't even realize how worthless it all is. It has nothing to do with Karma. Nothing. I swear I need a Karma tatoo right where I can see it everyday. To remind me that posessions are not what is important, and that all those people who want to compete with me are worth nothing if they can't give a moment of their time to someone else who needs help.

So while I have your attention. Please tell me what you think about Karma. How do we fix it? Could it ever really work in this society? I totally need to read more about it. All my Karma is self taught and someone out there knows way more than me.

Nag Nag Nag Nag Nag

Monday's always hit me like a brick. I never want it to be Monday. Not yet. Well, last night I was up late because I had slept in so late, and because I started watching the Notebook at like 11:30 and didn't get done till almost 1:30am. I read the book back when it came out, and it reduced me to a blubbering idiot, but I have to say that the movie did a fabulous job of doing the same. I must have bawled like a baby for an hour, at least. Can I just say that the young Noah and Allie were totally hot? I mean that movie brings back all the memories of young love and how fabulous it is. Makes me realize it sucks to be old and fat. Where is that treadmill?!?! Not until they finish the floors. Do skinny people have better sex? Probably- because they don't have as many inhibitions and they are most likely more playful because they aren't body conscious. Oh- and they are more bendy.

Also worth mentioning is that My grandma alice's birthday is today... and on Saturday night she had emergency surgery in Peoria to put in a pacemaker, her heart has been stopping on and off for the past year, what she thought were dizzy spells bought on by blood sugar (diabetic) were really episodes of her heart stopping and skipping beats. In the last week she started fainting, and Saturday morning her heart stopped for 9 beats. So she had the surgery, she was awake during it, and then she was up in bed afterwards and got to come home yesterday at lunch. I haven't seen her yet, but I need to get her a card made. Hopefully she will feel better now!

This morning I was really hoping for the contractor to be there and painting to be in full swing, but by 9:30am they weren't there yet. I give. Whatever. Not like we have a DEADLINE or like we CARE or anything. It would just be nice to be notified if you are showing up or not. My car doors were frozen shut and I had to dash outside to get the checkbook to write a check for the cleaning people.

Evan and I of course had to argue again on Sunday about how he thinks that I should call them (cleaning people) off during the "remodeling" and so on. But again, as a man, he does not understand that even though there is dust about and two rooms are displaced, there are still germs and bacteria that need to be gone. How would our house look if no one had cleaned it since the remodeling began in July? Hello? Husband's brain, I know you are in there!? It's not like the bathroom needs to be nasty and the kitchen needs to be grimy, just because there is dust. Are you telling me that since there is remodeling we shouldn't have mopped the floors or dusted for 6 months? Duh. But it's easy for him to say "you can just do that yourself" because yourself refers to me, the wife, and not him, the husband.

He was angry at me all weekend apparently because I supervise too much, like I wouldn't let him put up the Christmas Lights alone, which is a good thing or else our driveway would be lined with Rope lights that snowmobilers and snow plows would be all caught up in by now. I visualize a giant tangle, like a ball of christmas lights, snowmobiles, and snowplows, stuck at the end of the driveway. In theory, and without deep thought, his ideas sound good.... but sometimes, he just doesn't think them through. Like when the freezer came and he wanted to move the foosball table over about 2 feet- instead of across the room as originally intended, so that I had to squeeze past it to get to the freezer and it would be blocking the cabinets with all the baking supplies and entertaining supplies- It's DECEMBER! Hello! Can you say CHRISTMAS and COOKIES? Good lord.

But he would never think of that because that is not his problem. Baking Christmas cookies is not on his agenda. Delivering him when wife appoints him, now that is his department. Keeping a stack of plastic wrapped cookie platters upright in his car while sliding around the countryside.... Now THAT is something he does for me. But some things are just never cross his mind. Like how is it, when people come over we have a corkscrew to open the booze, or wine glasses or that cute little board to sit the cheese on. All from the cabinet that he was prepared to block. Those things do not cross his mind.

Therefore I am the evil supervising wife. How dare I think things through and foil his brilliant plans! I try not to let it get to me, I know I can be the nagging type. But I am telling you, what wife is NOT the nagging type? And my husband is the type that NEEDS to be NAGGED! It would be different if he had this hellacious initiative and drive to DO something. (something not involving a remote control)

It is the job of women to keep men thinking. I swear that without us, there would be hundreds of men sitting drunk in their underwear flipping through maxim magazine. Women are the big reason that life goes on. Pro-creation I mean. How many men have a ticking biological clock? How many men say to their wives "I think you need to settle down now and have kids" ?? Granted- there are always exceptions to the rule.

The 40 year old single guy, the gay men, and those guys wearing fashionable clothes (the peacoat and scarf guys) like in GQ. You know, the type that can wear a ring without being married or without being a mobster with hairy knuckles smoking a cigar. But a guy's guy, like my husband, does not have a biological clock. He does not know how to entertain beyond chips and salsa and blue christmas lights strung around the ceiling, and cans of beer in the fridge. He's polite. He can be sensitive. He can be romantic, and he can be very loving. He's not dumb, don't get me wrong, but his extensive interests include things like Movies, Music, Magazines, and Playmates. If your husband can name every playmate by name, like when she shows up in a movie unexpectedly he goes "that's one of the Dahm Triplets" then you know you have a guy's guy.

Evan... well..... He can name the playmate, but he can also hang christmas lights to wifely specifications, and he can do laundry and hang up clothes and fold towels. (when forced) He can also wash dishes and I would trust him entirely with a 2 year old (assuming that he was awake) but it's getting him to focus and do these things that is the supreme wifely challenge. It's getting him out of bed and into motion.... it's making him realize that he doesn't live in a hotel with laundry service.... and that his wife has needs beyond cleaning up after him. It's getting him to wake up and not treat me like I am his mommy, here to take care of him.... That's the things that I struggle with.

So that makes me a nag. Because I have to say more than once at 11:30am, noon, and 12:30 "when are you getting up" and because I have to threaten him with bodily harm to get the garbages emptied. It's him not noticing when I am sad or upset, because he either isn't there or he is glued to the computer or the TV. It's not because he doesn't love me, it's because he's a guy. But all I am saying is that if he would just GET UP in the morning, I wouldn't have to nag. If he would just EMPTY the garbage when it is full, or at least on Sunday because the garbage goes out on Monday-- then there would not be a reason to nag. How is THAT so complicated to see? A nag is made when someone doesn't do his or her part. That's my theory.

Purple Toes and Painter's Woes

Yesterday (saturday december 3rd) was a very busy day. I woke up at 8am so that I could go get my pedicure (that was given to me as a birthday gift from my co-workers) at 9am. Then since there was 2 inches of snow on the ground, I stayed at the salon till my toes dried completely, instead of wearing flip flops through the snow. So I left Rita's Rendezvous at 10:30. Trish did a fabulous job as usual. I love her to death. I picked out a neat OPI color for my toes, called Grape Lakes (A Chicago color) and brought a bottle of it home I liked it so much.

So when I got here, I was home less than 1 hour when the new freezer was delivered, and the old one picked up. There were some dings in the sides, nothing major, just cosmetic, plus it is hard to complain about a free freezer that will just sit in your basement where no one will see it. But the cool thing, was that it has a new location, next to my cabinets of Pampered Chef entertaining stuff, baking supplies, and less used kitchen appliances, like my crock pots, the little rotisserie, and such. They also moved my little cream cabinet w/counter top from the old freezer room into the main room of the basement with the other cabinets and the new freezer. My Pampered Chef Roaster Pan is in there, along with all of my canning supplies, from pickling salt, to canning jars and lids, to my large stockpot.

So everything is all centrally located. And the Foosball table has relocated to a temporary position. Once the upstairs is finished, we will have the entire basement dry locked and painted, one room at a time. That will be nice, except for having to move everything and also for the laundry room being out of commission for a little while.

So after the freezer was delivered (thanks to John for helping Evan get the freezer into it's new home and get the foosball table moved) It was time to paint!

on Friday, both the living room and dining room were primered, and then the ceiling was painted. Then they put on the base coat for my two walls of Tuscan texture. On Saturday afternoon, mom and I painted on the Tuscan looking Texture and blended it. It was SOOOO easy and it looks FABULOUS! I am SO excited and I love it more than I could have possibly imagined. I am showing pictures here. You can see the color variations here, but not really the texture, and it is REALLY sharp in person, the pictures just don't do it justice!

Then Saturday night Evan and I put up Christmas decorations outside, one of our big lighted wreaths, the wreath on the door, the old sled with the little ice skates on the front steps, the garlands with pine cones down the outside banister. We tried to put out the Sylvania Lighted Deer, it is 2 years old and it won't work now. We checked all 6 fuses, and they are all okay, but it just won't work. Bummer. I am upset with that. We have only had him 2 years! So I pulled out of the attic the flat wire deer with lights that we have had for 5 years, and Evan plugged him right in. No problems. All of our garlands had lighting issues this year, so we had to cut all the lights off of them and now we have to re-string the garlands and hang them yet this week.

Today (Sunday) I have SO MUCH to get done. I was so tired from yesterday, I didn't get up till 12:45. I made lunch, and put Christmas Decorations up on the front porch, since I can't decorate anywhere else with the remodeling, and we won't have a tree (Sad sad sad)

I still need to get everything picked up for the cleaning people tomorrow, finally all the sanding is finished, so tomorrow I anticipate that all the walls will be painted, followed by the polyeurethane on both floors. The square in the center is already stained dark.

Today the dogs tried on their santa hat, per tradition, and we got a laugh at their expressions.
Check out those pictures posted here as well.

House Progress, Freezer Progress, and Shoulder Injury.

Somehow, I hurt my shoulder/neck area. I woke up with the "pinch" where if you turn your head you get the pinch and screaming pain in your neck... but mine was sort of in the neck/shoulder area, especially along the back of the shoulder. YeOW! Fortunately I work somewhere that there are Physical Therapists who are all friendly and my friends, and my friend Anya is a CMT, although out on maternity leave at the moment. So I asked them to look at me, and sure enough, they were able to (with a few rubs here, a push there, and a spray of water) make the pinch go away, although it is now replaced by soreness and such. But the worst was that whenever I would get the pinch, and sometimes between the pinch, I would feel suddenly hot all over and then kind of nauseous and lightheaded. It was not pleasant and I hadn't had that before with a pinch. So the PT fixed me right up, and I now have some biofreeze samples and a towel rolled up in my lumbar area between my back and my 1967 brown office chair which is NOT ergonomic. I hate that. How can a place of business not afford to provide employees with ergonomically correct work areas? No wonder we feel busted ass at the end of the day.

As for the house- today the walls and ceiling are being primed, then the ceiling painted and two of the walls painted. Then this weekend my mom and I need to paint the two walls with a Tuscan top coat to get the tuscany finish, and the freezer is FINALLY being delivered tomorrow, thanks to Bill and Mike at Sears in Peru. But that means I had to call home and ask them to please wire up a new outlet in the basement before they leave for the day, because we will be moving the freezer to a different location now that it is an upright. So that means that tonight we need to move the foosball table, and I also need to go to a Lowe's to get the directions for the Tuscan paint since I lost it in all the moving around.... and also to get an extra gallon of one of the colors.

I called home to talk to Evan but apparently men can NOT multi-task (and by multitask I mean sit on the toilet and talk on the phone at the same time) but a co-worker says that her hubbie is the same way, so it must be a man thing.

I can't even pee without an audience of dogs or husband, so I am used to it I guess. Just breaking me in for kids someday.

This is the Good Life! (Our Sears Ordeal)

Okay, so I am a LITTLE behind. But not too much. Just been Busy! I have had something going EVERY night this week and just haven't been home! Last night was "tag class" at Jessie's where we made Christmas Gift Tags. It was fun. Wednesday was husband's birthday, and we did better. We actually went to Sears to pick out a new freezer.

Of course there was a freezer like alot like our old one, with the cheap new plastic baskets instead of the wire coated, but it was not frost free, and our old one was - so the next sized bigger ones were HUGE and we didn't want one, in fact we really wanted an upright. Well, we got this fabulous appliance salesman named Bill. Now Bill was going to bat for us, the customer. We saw an upright, but it was just around 7cu foot and the old freezer was 9cu foot, so that meant going smaller, although into an upright, but we weren't cool with that, and neither was Bill.

So we were headed for the 11 cu foot upright, but the Kenmore in that size was not frost free and had coil shelves, which we didn't want. So then the comparison was an 13.7 cubic foor Frigidaire. But the Frigidaire ended up having only three shelves, plus no bottom basket under the last shelf, while the comparable 13.7 cu foot in Kenmore had FOUR shelves, door shelves, a tilt-out bin, and the bottom wire basket. It was like the cadillac of upright freezers, at $498.00- and We DID have a Kenmore frost free before. - So Bill said we could pay the price difference between the upright Frigidaire and the upright Kenmore.

Well, then he had to go get his boss, who came down and decided to put a squash on our fun. Bill's boss said that he had to call Sears and get the original price that we paid for the old freezer, which Evan and I believed to be $299 or so. That was 4.5 years ago when they made a 8.8 cu foot Kenmore. So Bill has to get on the phone, on hold, transferred and disconnected, all to discover that Sears has no idea what we paid for that freezer, because it isn't in their computers anymore because we bought it in the Princeton Store, which is now gone. They know it's under warranty, and the model and serial number, but NO CLUE about the price. So they gave him another number to call, but the business hours were over. So here we had driven for 30 minutes, spent like 1.5 hours in Sears, and poor Bill was told that he needed to tell us to come back again after he made the call.

Well, Bill decided to make copies of our paperwork, and Evan and I decided on a couple of options for freezers, and when Bill came back, we were going to give him our choices so that he could call us in the morning, and Bill was all smiles, had gone up the ladder, and was going to give us the freezer that we wanted, the $498.00 model, as an even exchange AND deliver it to our door AND pick up the old freezer. So you see about now, Bill is looking like the awesomest Sears employee ever, and Evan is all happy because I have this "I just got a new freezer" grin that only a happy wife understands.... (or a relieved husband) and then as Bill is trying to ring it up, the computer won't take it.

It wants the numbers for our old freezer the "exchange" but because the freezer is no longer in the computer system, It won't let him exchange. Poor Bill. He had to call for a Supervisor overhead THREE TIMES before they actually showed up.... and then even they had a heck of a time. So finally, after about 35 minutes of fighting with the register, and ringing it up about 7 different times and 5 different ways, they got it. So Bill gives me an 800 number to call in the morning to schedule the delivery, and his number to call if I have problems or questions, and we skip happily out of Sears.

On the way out, Evan buys me a giant blue bow and a giant gift tag to wrap my office door at work like a present (SEE PHOTO AT TOP). Then we go to Red Lobster for a celebration dinner because we just got a kick ass new freezer- and it is being delivered! FREE! So we are so happy and we go on and on about Bill, and about Sears. We own ALL Kenmore appliances- Microwave, Dishwasher, Fridge, Freezer, Washer, etc.... the only non-kenmore is an old tappan stove I bought for $25 at an auction, and the Whirlpool dryer that matched the crappy Whirlpool washer that crapped out when 5 years old. Which will be replaced by a Kenmore as soon as necessary. We love Sears, and We love Kenmore.

Then comes Thursday. Meagan tried to call Sears in the morning. "We're sorry maam, we have no record of a purchase" - I give them the sales check # from the receipt, still nothing. So Evan calls that afternoon and they tell him that they can see the salescheck but that it isn't their problem to deliver the freezer, it's the store's job. So Evan goes round on the phone and gets nowhere (like only a husband can) and Wife steps in at 5:30pm to put the smack down on Sears. She calls sears and discovers that the delivery number says that each sears store is to schedule their own deliveries for warranties. This phone number that Bill gave me is only for NEW appliance deliveries. Not warranties.

SO I call poor bill, and he decides that he will hash it out with the deliveries because it isn't my problem (which is incredibly nice of him) and I wait to hear back from him. On Thursday night he calls and he needs an RC number from my receipt, and there isn't one ON my receipt, and I read the entire thing to him. Poor Bill. Just a pawn. So Bill tells me that it was rung up incorrectly (which we knew, but the computer wouldn't take it correctly) so it had to be redone or they wouldn't deliver it. So thankfully Bill hashed it out for us. The last thing that you want is to have to go all "angry wife" and call Sears and climb the ladder until you get to someone with some power. Evan told the lady at Sears that if she didn't help him, he would put the freezer in the back of a truck and show up at the Sears store with it, not leaving until they sent him home with a new freezer. She told him that wouldn't be necessary.

So if you want a Sears Appliance, go see Bill, he's a great guy and he deserves a pat on the back for dealing with our freezer fiasco. Currently, Bill's manager is working on re-ringing the freezer and getting delivery scheduled, and he is supposed to call my by the end of the day today.