Anyone want trade places, just for this week? Thursday looks good for me.

I've been trying to get to the blog for SO long now. I have several reviews that I need to get written, and I feel badly that I am a bit behind on them... but am looking on the bright side that they will be thorough reviews with products that I have really tested on a long term basis (positive spin... see how that works?) I really hate that now I have to go back and read my own blog to remind myself what I have already talked about. But tonight I am NOT going to do that. Sorry. Just not. It's my blog, you know how I operate.

This week is going to be SO busy that I am trying not to panic. I tell myself that God won't give me more than I can handle, but it's not what he gives me that worries me... It's the things that I can't help but volunteer for ;) Basically I love to volunteer, but if you see me coming this week, and you are a friend, do me a big favor and stop me. Just tell me to take a deep breath, reconsider, and really, don't take anything but NO for an answer from me. I just can not do one more thing without doing permanent brain injury this week.

The week has of course already gone off with a big bang, considering that today was Labor Day. And yes, three glorious Labor Days ago, I spent 15.5 hours in labor with Ardyn. *sigh* where does the time go? I would love to write a whole post about just that, and another entire post about just her Birthday dinner (we haven't even GOTTEN to the party yet!) but I haven't even uploaded the pictures from the camera, and I just can't fathom blogging without checking the pics and adding some for you to see. It's how I roll.

Tuesday is the big MOPS kickoff meeting, and most of you know by now that I am head-over-heels in LOVE with MOPS. I adore it. This year I really wanted to be an even bigger part, and help spread the word and the love to other moms because we can ALL use this support network. It has changed so much about my life and the way my children are raised and are able to interact with others. Without MOPS, Ardyn would not be in preschool this year. I would not have known that she COULD be in preschool (stupid public school cutoff dates!) and I really wouldn't have known much at all about the preschool that we chose for her. She wouldn't be starting dance. And I wouldn't have half of the sanity that I still seem to be clinging to.

So as part of the big MOPS kick-off, because I am now a Steering Team Member... I had lots of responsibility. We all did and do, but this year my position is a "new"one to our chapter... Discussion Group Coordinator. We have never had discussion groups in our chapter before, so this is very exciting, and really badly needed... but also will be a welcome challenge as we forge a path that we don't have set for us. So I have been working on centerpieces, names for our discussion groups, themes for each group, some creative/crafty stuff to go along with them... and also several forms and mailings that will go with the new group format. Also updating the website to get everything ready for this new season!

Tomorrow we have to be at the church EARLY in order to get things setup, and I still have copies to make and things to laminate.... all before tomorrow night's meeting. Also, did I mention that we have our contractor arriving TOMORROW to setup his gear and schedule delivery of our roofing supplies? And that is super exciting but in addition to starting the roof, they will also be starting (at the same time) the front porch. Yes. Front Porch. Home of my crap. Nothing says "welcome to my house" like a front porch sewing room and "scrap-crap" all over a temporary table. Be prepared to trip over cords and weave around containers. Seriously. But since I am finishing the MOPS meeting stuff, the table can be put away. Which had to happen tonight in case they need to get inside tomorrow. And it's 11pm and I haven't moved the Wicker furniture outside. Or stuffed the centerpieces yet. And yes, I know I shouldn't be blogging, but I can't HELP it. I should NEVER be blogging but I need this release. It's like a memory-dump for me.

So this week the contractor starts the roofing, and the tearing out of the front porch windows and door, and I have to have one side of the porch cleared before Wednesday and likely cover the sewing crap on the other side so that it can be moved to the "finished" side and they can work on the "other" side. When this is all done, I have this grand master plan to move all of the sewing stuff to the opposite end of the porch and get more light, as well as more room, and also a perfect view of the front yard from the sewing table so that I can watch the kids play outside and work at the same time.

Oh and then there is that pesky little thing about Ardyn going to school twice a week, and Ardyn also starts dance this week! I am super excited about dance, but there is just ONE teeeeeny tiny hitch.... the same day that Ardyn starts dance? I have my first colonoscopy and EGD (upper scope.) Yay me! If you've been reading (have I talked about this on blog or just facebook?) I have had these horrible attacks that at first we thought were gallbladder, but two ER visits, a fabulous one-night and two-day stay in the hospital, and bloodwork, Gallbladder Ultrasound, HIDA (nuclear medicine) scan, and a Abdominal CT with contrast later.... they think I have Crohn's or IBS. The specialist is leaning towards Crohn's wholeheartedly. And I have had a few attacks since being out of the hospital, the latest being about 24 hours long in which I thought I might alternately die, poop myself to death, or belch up an intestine. Yep. Good times. And this attack lasted 24 hours WITH double doses of Pepcid around the clock, a single dose of Prilosec (I was desperate) about 10 thousand TUMS, and a prescription Opiate painkiller. Yep. Still painful. That's the kind of pain we are talking. WTF.

So this Wednesday, I get to start my day by taking Ardyn to school. Then I get to take both kids and all their gear to my mom's, then I get to return home to a house full of contractors, and then I get to commence my first meal of the day, which will consist of.... wait for it.... ONE GALLON of liquid laxative. Yep. That's right. Those of you who have never had a colonoscopy.... don't be shy. Read alllllll about it. ONE Gallon of liquid laxative. No meals. limited liquid diet. You know what the GE's office staff said "You probably shouldn't make any plans that day." Um, ya think? Are there people who think they are going to drink a gallon of laxative and still make plans? Oh my. So they actually also told me that "we have several patients who say it's better to just take the gallon into the bathroom and drink it there." Yep. Can't wait. Did I mention I've decided I can't be responsible for my kids that day? And that I told my husband that he will wait on my hand and foot, even if that means replenishing toilet paper? I am so not going through this alone. Someday he will have to do this. I vow that he will. And then, after drinking half of my gallon of laxative, I get to drift off into a peaceful sleep. And then wake up at 4am to start drinking the other half, which I must have drank before my morning appointment, and when I am FINALLY done with that gallon, I get to take not ONE, but TWO ducolax prescription laxative pills. Yep. Because I am sure there will still be some scary poo hiding in there somewhere. After 24 hours of no food and a gallon of laxative. Surely. I mean, these doctor's are SPECIALISTS. This is what they do for a living. Don't tell me that they don't see some poo here and there? But I have to top it all off with laxative tablets. Not one. Two. (okay, ending my rant)

So. Let's see how my week is shaping up.
1. Setup for MOPS kickoff meeting, finalize papers and decorations, make copies, etc.
2. Clean off half of front porch and stuff crap in an unnoticeable corner.
3. MOPS Kickoff meeting
4. Sleep
5. Take Ardyn to school
6. Come Home and pack kids things for two days with Grandma and Auntie.
6a. House inundated with construction work. Marek screaming and biting my legs whilst cleverly unpacking everything I pack.
7. Pick up Ardyn from school
8. Take kids and their Krap to Grandma's
9. Come home to half-a-front porch and start drinking my laxative
10. Poo a l0t, hope bathroom exhaust fan doesn't transfer smell to roofers and knock them off the house.
11. try to sleep.
12. Poo some more.
13. try to sleep.
14. Angrily wake-up before the sun
15. Drink More Laxative
16. Poooooooo
17. Take two ducolax
18. Poooooooo to the noise of construction starting all over again.
19. Head to hospital and hope I don't poop my pants on the way there.
20. Register.
21. Get put into hospital gown and under anesthesia.
22. Swallow Scope.
23. Hope I don't know what happens when they "turn the bed around" (the nurse's exact words)
24. Recover
25. Dress
26. Get Driven Home
27. Get Waited on Hand and Foot
28. Hope that I want to eat again sometime
29. Somehow get the children home and take Ardyn to her first dance class.
30. Start thinking about when to have poor child's birthday party that I have halfway finished.
30a-30e. Finish Pinata. Finish Invitations. Finish Decorations. Mail Invitations. Bake and Decorate Cupcakes.

So, anyone want to trade weeks with me?

Remember that I said don't let me volunteer for anything. I mean that. Can I make myself clearer?

Goodnight!

Whirlwind Woman

This morning I was like a freakin' whirlwind. Evan had been up until 4:30am, working on reports for work, and I woke up AT 4am when the Beeb decided that it was daytime playtime. I heard her in her room, in the dark, giggling and squealing, laughing, kicking her feet... just having an all over wonderful time. I got her up, fed her, changed her diaper, fed her some more, and she went to sleep with me in the glider in the nursery. I knew that I needed to go back to sleep, but I was feeling pretty awake then, I had about 4.5 hours of sleep already, and her little body was all curled up on me and she was so sweet and so cuddly... I just didn't want to put her down. I really wanted to just take her into bed with me, but I knew that I needed to put her back in the crib and foster her independence. Then Evan and I peeked at the mail, which he had just gotten, he had assembled the breast pump pieces from the sterilizer, and we went to bed. At about 4:45am the Beeb decided that she wanted to still be awake, and putting her pacifier in and patting her butt wouldn't do the trick, so Evan brought her into bed with us, and she lay all curled up between us, facing me and holding my hand. If I hold her hand, she will go to sleep so soundly, and stroke my knuckles with her fingers. So we both fell asleep holding hands, and this morning at 7:30 when the alarm went off, she barely even stirred. Instead of waking her with me as usual, I decided to let her and Evan sleep and I got myself ready. Around 8:30 she woke up on her own, and I fed her, changed her, dressed her, and then went out to start the vehicle and pack everything up.

I finished cocoa cones last night and had about 15 left to deliver, so I packed those all up in the candy cane basket that I wove back in December of 2001 (see photo above!) I got the breast pump, cooler of bottles, my purse, the diaper bag, the cocoa cones, and my grocery and to-do lists all in the vehicle and then Evan helped me load Ardyn up and we were on our merry way. After dropping her at school, I decided to grab groceries before work... we needed toilet paper and toothpaste, bread and milk... and I had to get 5 more Christmas Cards because people who thought we were unworthy of cards as young adults seem to think that now that we have a child, we are worthy. So that increases my Christmas Card list from 52 to 57. That is even without sending cards to all those people who I sent them to in previous years and who ignored me, until about 5 years into it, I decided to stop sending, and now that we have the Beeb, they have suddenly started sending one. Uh. No. Sorry. Not happening. YOU are officially OFF the list!

Of course when I got my entire cart FULL of groceries, and got to the checkout, the debit card wouldn't work. We deposited the paycheck yesterday but apparently it hasn't fully posted yet, to the debit card. So of course here I stand in line, with three people behind me, a cart loaded with groceries, and no way to pay for them. Ugh. So they suspended the transaction and I will have to go back later tonight and get them. Oh Yay! At least we will have toilet paper and bread.

After work tonight the plan is to go to the video store and rent some movies, make a nice hot supper, and then all three of us cuddle up in bed and watch movies as a family. I am so super excited about that, it was Evan's brilliant idea, and I know it sounds insanely boring to some people, especially those without babies, but cuddling with her and making her laugh, squeal, and giggle, is our favorite pastime. Last night she was really talking up a storm with me, squealing and giggling and being so cute and funny. She is practically perfect in every way.

We are both really looking forward to Christmas with her. This Saturday the 22nd is the "anniversary" of our Big Fat Positive Pregnancy Test. It was 12 days past ovulation and I can remember it like it was yesterday. It's a moment that we waited 17 months to have, and It will never leave my mind, the way I felt that day. To imagine that we now have the most perfect and wonderful daughter... it brings tears to your eyes... any mom knows that feeling. Most dads too!

Last night I worked on daycare paperwork, although I know it's quite OCD, I am saving every single paper that they send home with her. Each day I get a report of what she ate and when, when her diapers were changed, etc. etc. And I can't possibly part with one of them. I am sure that will go away someday, but for now I have them organized by date in a accordion file. They even say who picked her up that night (dad or mom) and when I took in new diapers or wipes for the stash. It's crazy. I do also keep a photocopy of each statement and check that I write for daycare, so that I have proof for tax purposes. I need to get myself a sheet feeding scanner so that I can nix all this paper and go electronic with all my receipts. Mwaaahahaha! I also marked all my received Christmas Cards in my book last night. I keep a detailed list of who I sent/received cards from each year. It's in the same book that I store all my birthday/anniversary information, and It's like the bible. Okay, maybe it's more factual than the bible (Oh... Harsh!)

Parents magazine somehow goofed my subscription a bit, I started to receive two issues at a time about three months ago. I had shopped somewhere online where I received a free subscription with a big purchase, and I was already a subscriber, so I thought it would just extend my subscription... but instead I started getting duplicate issues. Being the owner of a mommy brain, I would read the first one, then the second issue (the exact same) would come, and I would sit down to read it and be like "Wow this seems so familiar..." and then I finally figured it out! So I called and they straightened it out, which means that I am all paid up until May of 2012! Whoa! That seems so far from now, but in reality... it's almost 2008 Folks! Holy crap! Do you remember partying like it was 1999? Where is the time going? Sometimes when I think about it I get all upset. This IS the best time of my life so far, and even though I am not quite 30 yet, I often think about being old and dying and leaving my daughter and my husband and my family, and it freaks me out bad. So I really have to steer clear of that mental image and live in the here and now.

On My iPod-
Now Playing: Song For a Winter's Night
Album: Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong

About to get really BUSY!

Well, not much has happened since our last meeting. Evan turned 28. We went out for supper on his birthday and took Ardyn. Ardyn and I made him cupcakes with blue sprinkles- his favorite color.

Right now we are mostly pretty broke, since I don't start back to work for another week or so. And even when I do get back to work, I will have to work three full weeks before I see a paycheck. Yay. My first paycheck will have a TON of money taken out, as far as insurance goes for myself and the baby. Plus it will be smaller because I will be working fewer hours (my choice) and because I have a huge hospital bill that I need to make payment arrangements for, and that will also come out of my check. Tonight I spent about an hour budgeting and arranging when we would pay what and how. That intensified my headache so I chased that chore with some Tylenol, since breastfeeders can't take Alleve, which is my drug of choice.

This upcoming week is super busy, so I take pleasure in holing up at home during the ice storm we are having this weekend. Many times we have thought that we were about to lose power and have to relocate, but so far we are sitting pretty with the heat cranked and afghans and slippers and hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows.

This week Ardyn turns 3 months old, gets her photos taken and pictures with Santa, and has a follow up for the infant massage class we took when she was just days old. I have an appointment to get my hair colored before going back to work, and an appointment to hopefully get a referral for physical therapy for my back, which has been increasingly getting worse since delivery, and now is so bad that some mornings I can't hardly get out of bed. I am getting lots of those seriously intense nerve pinches all over my neck and shoulders, and even after about 3-4 weeks at the chiropractor, It's not getting better. My mid and lower back are super sore and I generally sleep in the heating pad.

We also get to test out daycare this week and I get my teeth cleaned too. I know they will remind me that I need to get my wisdom teeth pulled, but they aren't bothering me, I don't have the money, I don't want to do it, and therefore I will use breastfeeding as an excuse to tell them to leave me alone. I also have a wireless router to install and secure for a friend.

I need to clean the fridge out from Thanksgiving, finish up the last few Thank You cards that I did yesterday and today, Try on Ardyn's photo outfits, and put ornaments on the Christmas Tree. The dogs need baths. And food. And tonight I still have to pump before bed... so take care and I will hopefully squeeze in a post or two this next week... amidst all the hectic!

Told You So

See, I told you I can't make myself sleep before 1am! Damn! Ardyn went to sleep at 9pm. At 10pm I looked at Evan and said "I am so tired!" at 10:45 I swore I was going to bed in 15 minutes. Now it's quarter till 1. I am really going to bed. I did get 4 ounces pumped and added to the freezer stash. I shopped online and did research on a few kids/baby products that I have been looking at. I restored my laptop to a few weeks ago, before my iTunes decided to give me an error and not open. I did loads of laundry. I drank Tastefully Simple's Chai Tea, setting off the smoke detector when boiling water (yep.)

I looked through two catalogs, but still have 5 new magazines that I haven't cracked the covers on. Martha Stewart Living, Midwest Living, Parents, Mothering, and Baby Talk. Oh make that 6. Brain Child Magazine too. I put away 4 pair of baby tights and all of Ardyn's clean laundry. Why is it that baby laundry is so stinkin fun to wash and fold? I love it. I had a onesie that was soft turquoise and it had a poo stain. I washed it 5 times before I got it to come out. I soaked it twice in OxiClean baby. Spot treated it once with Spray and Wash, Once with a stain stick, and once with color safe Clorox Bleach. I checked it after each wash and never dried it, just kept on washing it in various cycles and with various stain treatments or combinations until FINALLY the stain is gone. Whew! And it was like a $5 onesie, and I probably spent like $12 in stain treatments and time trying to get the stain out. Mom conquers poo stain!

I have really begun to wonder where my exchange order from Motherwear is at. I had Evan mail the return like 3 weeks ago and still haven't seen my exchanged merchandise. I have a sickening feeling that maybe it got lost in the mail? I hope not because there was about $86 in merchandise in that return. I bet Evan didn't insure it because I didn't specify that it needed to BE insured because I never even really thought about it. I hope that they have received it and are just slow in the processing. Ugh. It just makes me sick to think it could be lost! I could use more than the three nursing shirts that I tend to wear everywhere. They came in handy last week when we nursed in the middle of the SouthPark Mall in Moline twice, and in the men's section of Von Maur. They keep everything neatly covered.

Okay, enough freakish brain activity. It's 12:50am. WAY past bedtime!

Blue Balls

Sorry I am a bit behind here! Ardyn is getting better with a schedule... all on her own. Now she has an actual "bedtime" and she is sleeping about 10-11 hours each night, 7-8 hours straight and then eating and sleeping for a few more. That is nice. Now I just need to make myself go to bed before 2am, but I am so excited to have a moment to myself and be able to accomplish something, that I haven't forced myself to bed before 1am yet. Baby steps. She is also taking an afternoon nap that amounts to about 2.5 hours each day, which is nice. If we go somewhere, she sleeps on the road, otherwise I might get some time to do laundry and dishes, etc at home. Also nice. Of course, just when a shedule starts to happen, I will be going back to work. December. That's the target back to work month. Mid December. I am working on freezing 4 ounce bottles of breastmilk and giving up Ardyn in little doses, like when Evan took her with him for an hour yesterday. It was the BEST and strangest feeling! It was only the second time I had ever been away from her in two months. Neat. I did laundry. And Dishes. I vowed to paint my toes, but no such accomplishment happened.

New on the homefront? Boyd has a tumor. Worse this time. If you remember back in 2005 he had a colon polyp that we had surgically removed. Now it's a full blown tumor. Cancerous? We are unsure. We need to have it removed before it blocks him up and he can't poo.... the vet has referred us to a animal surgeon in Rockford who can remove the tumor with laser surgery, because it's now wrapped around his colon. Ugh. Evan took Boyd to the vet Saturday morning and had to tell me the news later that day. I got some serious teary eyes, because it's a difficult decision to determine if you want to treat it, if you want to know if it's cancer, and hoe much money you will spend before you determine that it's better not to spend. It's a bunch of decisions that I never wanted to make. But I knew it was coming. He is almost 11 years old. So this week I make myself a dentist appointment, and reservations for dinner out on my Birthday, and call the vet to see when we can get in up at Rockford to have a consultation. Evan thinks that we should take Ardyn with us. I thought that was a bad idea, but then he commented that it's a long trip, and will be a long day, and she will need to eat, and I realized that and also decided that it might be nice to have someone so small and sweet to take my mind off the fact that my very first baby might be dying of cancer and that I have to make the decision as to whether or not we can afford to deal with it. Honestly, I don't want to know if it's cancer because if it is, we won't treat it. I assume that if we can afford the surgery we will have the tumor removed and see if it grows back or not. Hopefully it won't and he can have another good 5 years of life. The vet in Walnut, who I trust and has tons of experience, tells us that he thinks it isn't cancerous based on the way it feels, which is what he told us about the polyp a couple of years back.

So besides that, let's see... Friday night mom and liz came over and we ate from Main Street BBQ in Wyanet. I love it there, but again (it happened once before) they forgot to include BBQ sauce in any of our meals, tartar sauce for my mom's catfish... etc. So we had to go back up in the rain and get the sauces. While our food sat at home getting cold. That was annoying. Mom brought over cupcakes. I carved a pumpkin that turned out TERRIBLY. Evan brought down fall decorations and I decorated for Thanksgiving. We didn't get Halloween Accomplished this year. Too much going on. Saturday, Evan and I went out for dinner at Red Lobster, and took Ardyn. She was very well behaved. We also went to Bergners where Ardyn got a Thanksgiving Bib and Evan got his winter coat at 50% off. I also got a couple of blazers and a dress off the clearance racks, and I was astounded to see that I am down 1-2 sizes smaller than I was before I got pregnant. That was awesome to try on things and have them all fit instantly. Neat-o.

Sunday we hung out around home. Evan took Ardyn to his parents for a while and I stayed home ALONE! Today Ardyn and I went to Princeton, ate lunch at Quizno's, visited my hairdresser Kelly and made an appointment for December, and washed my car. Then we went to Wal-Mart and bought a birthday gift for one of my co-workers, as I had her name in our yearly drawing. I came home, wrapped it up, and put the load of towels in the dryer with the new dryer balls that I bought at the mart. interested to see how those work. Planning on using them on baby clothes since you can't use fabric softener, and hoping that they help them from sticking together as they do.

So that's really it. I have a ton going on in the next few weeks, everything from a Computer User Group Meeting, Trick or Treat, Flu Shots for Evan and I, A Visit with my Endocrinologist in Peoria, a Dentist Appointment for a routine cleaning, a hair appointment, Ardyn's 2 month vaccinations, Dinner out for my birthday, my work Christmas Party, two days of testing out the daycare we have chosen for Ardyn, Taking all my stuff back to my office (including my mini fridge) in preparation for returning to work, Pictures at Sears on Ardyn's 3 month "birthday" that we will use for Christmas Cards, preparing to host thanksgiving at our house, A Card Making Class, and a Vet Appointment for Boyd. So if you don't see much blogging, apologies, but it's about to get hectic!

The Week is Almost Over

Thursday. Ahhhh. Last night I busted my ass. I got too much accomplished. We picked up my car after the Transmission Service, I picked up Subway for supper. We watched a TIVO'd episode of My Name is Earl. I emptied garbages and recyclable containers. I cleaned out my underwear and bra drawers in my dresser. I packed away about 50-60 pair of Victoria's Secret Underwear that I don't expect to see for several months. It was kinda depressing. Then I organized my bras. 3 Categories. Push Up Bras that I may not wear until I am done breastfeeding, Bras that I could potentially wear now, and Nursing Bras. It was quite exciting. Instead of a tangled mess of bras (per usual) I left the drawer a nice organized, neatly folded sight. I counted more than 40 bras. Yikes. I organized 2 kitchen cupboards, moving all of my food in Tupeprware Modular Mates out to the wire shelves in the Breakfast nook that we use like a pantry. Not sure how I feel about that. I loaded the dishwasher. I did laundry.... I folded laundry. I washed the new maternity underwear and folded them carefully into the now vacant underwear drawer. I made my tea, had a Luna Peanut Butter Cookie Bar, and went to sleep at 9:30, exhausted, out of breath, and limping from a sore back and sore legs and feet.

Then this morning I did NOT Want to get up, but I did, after 2 snoozes. I showered and dressed in fairly decent time, and also ate my cereal and switched laundry and folded and hung 1 load of good clothes. Tonight we meet with the potential day care provider, and I am excited and a bit nervous that maybe she won't like me and wont want our baby. What's that all about? Isn't is supposed to be about if I like her? Oy.

I am a strange mix of tired and energized today. I feel like I have so much to accomplish. But I know if I lay down it would be very likely that I could just go right back to sleep.

I just bought alcohol, do I look 17?

Today was so freakin productive that I can barely stand.

Okay. Mild exxageration. But my BRAIN is tired.
Working on a Housewide presentation/launch project at work. That's nice. I personally love it because it incorporates many of my favorites, graphic design, web design, and posters/flyers/presentation boards.

Last night I got so much shit done at home I could hardly stand it. At 10pm I was falling asleep but I kept trucking till about 1am. An early night for me.

This morning I was doing final pick-ups before the cleaning people arrived, and trying to take care of insurance and receipts for all my recent visits to doctors/dentists... and also get things ready to take to work, I kept making a pile on the dining room table as I swept from room to room. I had an application for an increase to my disability insurance, a Girl's Night Out Catalog, 2 Bills to mail for home and 3 medical bills to pay. I also had the pink and green swap to package and mail, but first I still needed to iron the bird embroidered towel, and I had the black boots I sold on eBay to pack up also. A man bought them. Could my hot boots be going to a cross-dresser? Hmm. Interesting.

So I decided to skip packaging the boots and the pink and green swap until tonight, when I have more time, except today at work I was reminded that I have to have 3 dozen cookies baked for the upcoming thingy that I mentioned above. Plus I need to make Vodka Slushies for my sex toy party (husband calls it the cooter plug party) on Saturday, otherwise the great quantities of alcohol won't be frozen in time. And did I mention I need to plan the Thanksgiving Menu and make the invitation? Yeah. I have a few things on my mind. OH and my car goes into the shop on Wednesday (my dad=the shop) and I probably won't have it back until Sunday. New Tie Rods, new front Control Arm Bushings, and a new Blower Motor. Today I bought vodka and orange juice, 3 bottles of wine, stuff to bake 6 dozen cookies (some for tomorrow, some for my party), Chex Mix, a piece of black foam board and adhesive (presentation), and a blower motor for my car. Where oh WHERE does all the money go! I got carded to buy all the booze. Showed me ID. Then I got carded to buy the adhesive. I had to be 17. Now please, tell me this. If I am 21, and you just sold me alcohol, and saw my ID, is it really appropriate to turn around and ask me if I am 17? The lady was super nice, but it's like Hell-O? In the exact same transaction you just scanned in my alcohol, viewed my ID, and all that jazz, but you have to ask if I am 17? Yeah. Here's your sign.

What the Fuck is wrong with Yahoo Mail Beta today? As a paying customer and Beta Tester, I am frustrated BEYOND belief that my messages (which I can see the senders and titles of) won't load completely so that I can read them. I have all these new photos from Adam of our 10 year reunion, and I can't see them, and ditto for bunches of other cool emails. And this has been going on for at least 7.5 hours, so it's like RESOLVE it already!! I can't load an RSS Feed and whenever I try to move or delete a message I get an error message. Some email messages that I was able to read or respond to this morning keep showing up in my inbox as unread, over and over, even if I did read them. And everytime I try to mark them as unread or delete them, I get the damn error messages.

You know what I hate? Classmates.com and Reunion.com and Names Database. What a bunch of crap. Here, sign up! It's FREE! Then everytime someone searches for you, we will show you their sex and age and where they live and then if you want to know who they are, you can pay us and we will tell you. Um. No. Nice try. How about you just do shit for free because you are a decent website who cares about people everywhere. Is there NOTHING for free anymore? Or how about you can see everyone in your class but you can't tell who their husband is or what their kids look like or where they work now... Unless you pay us... Mwaaaahahahaha! I get at least 1 email a day from one of those websites "Your old lover is looking for you!" Yeah well, I only have 1 old lover and chances are that he doesn't even own a computer, and if he did, it wouldn't take the internet to search for me because he knows right where to find me and I know right where to find him. That's the beauty of a small town.

And it's dark outside. And I have shit to do. So have a good night. Don't Miss CSI Miami!

Swap-Riffic

Wearing: Black pants with white pinstripes, teal button down shirt, black loafers, socks with dogs and fall leaves.
Listening: Silence. Ahhhh.
Link of the Day: http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com It's the coolest, tour Babyland General Hospital, see the Cabbage Patch Timeline, and special edition as well as original all-fabric cabbage patch kids.

Me Pirate gear arrived today. A feathery lacey hat with a plume feather fit for a pirate queen, 2 pair of stripey socks, and the book Pirattitude by Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket. Oh and I also got my adorable gifty gift from the "sew my name" swap, which I haven't even STARTED yet... and I need to do this weekend along with wrapping up my "fall swap" and finishing ATC's for 3 swaps that I am behind on. (bad bad swapper!) Also arriving today were the converse that perfectly match my own, only smaller. They are so freaking adorable!

I got to start my day with a pap exam, which is fabulous of course. Then I ate a turkey wrap, an apple Evan picked at his parents' farm, and a bottle of water. All is right in the world.

So this Saturday I have a Stampin Up Workshop to attend, and a surprise party with a live band for a certain someone who will remain un-named. I can't WAIT! Then Sunday I got invited to do some fun things but I really really can't because I have to do laundry and I have to finish the ATC's, the Sew my name swap, and Apparently with the acquired large box of apples I might be making apple crisp. It also occurred to me that I need to clean the office as I have been putting it off for exactly 6 weeks and I can't put it off anymore and expect to have room to start me "All About Him" scrapbook Album that arrived last Friday (QVC Auto-shipment) and finish the ATC's. It also occurred to me that I have all the paint and glue and the kit for my new dollhouse but I haven't even started. So really I would be happy with a weekend at home. The month of September has been extremely busy. I can't wait for October. It will be great to have nothing planned, even if for one full weekend I can just do whatever I want instead of running from place to place.

And you know... my pirate COSTUME itself hasn't arrived yet. I am worried it won't fit and I will have to buy another one. Ugh. HURRY UP COSTUME PEEPS! Send it!