Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Learning to Enjoy Life
I feel like i need to learn to enjoy life. It's not like I work all the time and never have time to relax and enjoy myself. Quite the opposite as a matter of fact. I'm home all day and haven't had a "real job" in 15 years. It's more that I don't tend to just enjoy what is happening at present. I'm always looking to the future or waiting for the next thing to happen. I'm a very project oriented person....whether it's planning a vacation, researching a purchase (I can't buy anything without checking reviews and comparing prices), or looking into a new diet plan, exercise program, or housecleaning routine. And as soon as the vacation is over, the purchase is made, or I tire of the diet, exercise, or cleaning, I'm back in a slump. Most of the time enjoying life translates into lazyness for me. Lately I've been addicted to the Casey Anthony trial so yesterday I just enjoyed watching it and playing games on my computer and catching up on blogs. Unfortunately that meant I didn't really get anything else done and then I felt guilty and went into furious planning mode.....because I can't just do something without fully preparing for it first ya know. Gotta make a list of all the things that need to be done and then prioritize them and then...well then it's time to cook dinner and then clean up the dishes and fix dessert and get the kids settled down. And then I'm exhausted and some sort of reality TV show is on and I just want to sit down and relax and enjoy it but the bills didn't get paid and laundry didn't get done and the cat pooped in the bathtub and I never went back over the spot where the dog peed on the carpet so even while I'm sitting there watching mindless television, I'm not really enjoying it. I'm thinking about what I need to do next. So I'm going to do my best to try to enjoy whatever it is that I'm doing and not worry so much about what I'm not doing or what I need to do next. However, if i don't get the bills paid, I won't be enjoying TV, or hot water, or electricity, or phone service.....
Monday, June 27, 2011
French fries in your ears?
A friend of mine recently got her associates degree from a local community college and I attended her graduation. The graduation was held in an arena that also hosts sporting events and concerts. I was surprised when we arrived that some of the concession stands were open. I was even more surprised after we sat down when a couple came and sat down on our row with hot dogs and french fries. I just don't think about eating hot dogs and french fries at a graduation ceremony - or any other food for that matter. They did not however appear to have any of the beer stands open. I was intrigued by the people sitting next to me munching on hot dogs and french fries while graduates were marching into the arena. At one point I noticed the man appeared to have a french fry stuck through his ear and I had to wonder if it was just a weird piercing or if he had actually stuck one of his french fries through there in case he got hungry later. I really wanted to take a picture of it but I thought that might be a little rude.
Before they got started with the ceremony they asked everyone to please remain seated so that people behind them could see and to silence their cell phones so as not to disturb others. They forgot to announce that crying babies should be taken to the lobby and that you should not let your child sit in your lap and kick the person in front of you in the neck. Not that it would have mattered since I could hear cell phones ringing and the people in front of us were standing up blocking our view as the graduates marched in. Maybe if I had had a hot dog and french fries I wouldn't have cared.
The ceremony was very long and didn't end until 9:15. They asked everyone to please remain seated while the graduates marched out. At 9:30 when the last graduate had left the floor, I think my date and I were the only ones remaining in our seats. We went in search of my friend, congratulated her, took pictures and then headed out to find something to eat. Now I know why they were selling hot dogs and french fries at the ceremony. Because it was a Thursday night, most of the local restaurants closed at 10pm. By the time we got to our car and out of the parking lot and to a restaurant it was after 10. I was starving and beginning to think the dude with the french fry in his ear may have had the right idea. Eating at the graduation that is...I'm still not sure storing french fries in your ears is sanitary. In the end we did find a restaurant that was open and we didn't starve.
And my friend is moving on to a 4 year University to pursue her bachelor's degree so that she can go on to help kids with behavioral issues like mine.
Before they got started with the ceremony they asked everyone to please remain seated so that people behind them could see and to silence their cell phones so as not to disturb others. They forgot to announce that crying babies should be taken to the lobby and that you should not let your child sit in your lap and kick the person in front of you in the neck. Not that it would have mattered since I could hear cell phones ringing and the people in front of us were standing up blocking our view as the graduates marched in. Maybe if I had had a hot dog and french fries I wouldn't have cared.
The ceremony was very long and didn't end until 9:15. They asked everyone to please remain seated while the graduates marched out. At 9:30 when the last graduate had left the floor, I think my date and I were the only ones remaining in our seats. We went in search of my friend, congratulated her, took pictures and then headed out to find something to eat. Now I know why they were selling hot dogs and french fries at the ceremony. Because it was a Thursday night, most of the local restaurants closed at 10pm. By the time we got to our car and out of the parking lot and to a restaurant it was after 10. I was starving and beginning to think the dude with the french fry in his ear may have had the right idea. Eating at the graduation that is...I'm still not sure storing french fries in your ears is sanitary. In the end we did find a restaurant that was open and we didn't starve.
And my friend is moving on to a 4 year University to pursue her bachelor's degree so that she can go on to help kids with behavioral issues like mine.
Monday, June 20, 2011
I'm back
I've been thinking since I got back from Vegas that I needed to update my blog. But then again there really isn't anyone who reads this, right? Wrong, apparently! So for you 3 who read this and for myself in case I ever want to write that book, here is my latest update.
I have post-vacation depression. I'm working my way out of it though. Trying to focus on the positive. And there really is alot of positive stuff.
My oldest son hasn't spoken with his dad since before October of last year - I don't remember when it was exactly but i know his dad didn't wish him happy birthday (by phone or mail) which was Oct. 31. In case you were wondering, I'm not quite to the positive stuff.
As I said in my last post - I think, it's been so long I can't remember- he got invited to go on vacation with his dad, stepmom, and brothers at the last minute. What I don't think I mentioned (but I'm too lazy to go back and look) is that his dad also offered him a job. We thought at first that he wanted him to travel to Bahrain to assemble a machine. Turns out that his passport has expired and even if he renews it he needs to have had it for 6 months before he can travel there so that is not happening. But while on vacation, they talked and his dad offered him a full time job at his facility 5 miles down the road from us (Dad owns his own business). In addition, he gave him a cell phone and added him to his plan. Ds will have to pay the $35/month bill but now he has money coming in to do that. His dad loaned him one of their 5 cars and is going to help him buy a used one in the next few weeks. I'm not sure what got into his dad that made him decide to step up and help out but at this point I don't care. Ds has needed this for a long time and whatever the reason, it's finally happening. Of course the pessimist in me knows that now I'm the bad parent who makes him cut grass and pick up dog poop and now that he has a job - pay rent. But I'm okay with that and hopefull he will remember that I'm also the parent who took him in after he'd been arrested twice and was living in his car and his dad refused to have anything to do with him. Regardless of all that, DS has been in the best mood I have seen him in in a long time. Even with having to get up and go to work every morning.
Next positive...I got a new computer! I keep lots of photos and stuff on my computer and my hard drive had gotten full so I was looking into an external hard drive or a faster computer with a bigger hard drive - and heavily leaning toward the second option. While on vacation, my son's netbook died. Now that he has a job he has money, but isn't dying to spend 300-400 on a new computer. However, he has $150 to pay me for mine so I can put that toward a new one for me! It's a win-win. My old computer is a pentium dual core 2Ghz with a 160GB hard drive which is plenty for him - especially since he doesn't need a lot of storage space and that is the biggest thing slowing mine down. My new computer has twice the hard drive space and a better, faster processor. So using his $150, I got a jam-up computer for $300 out of pocket!
To be continued, I'm being summoned......
I have post-vacation depression. I'm working my way out of it though. Trying to focus on the positive. And there really is alot of positive stuff.
My oldest son hasn't spoken with his dad since before October of last year - I don't remember when it was exactly but i know his dad didn't wish him happy birthday (by phone or mail) which was Oct. 31. In case you were wondering, I'm not quite to the positive stuff.
As I said in my last post - I think, it's been so long I can't remember- he got invited to go on vacation with his dad, stepmom, and brothers at the last minute. What I don't think I mentioned (but I'm too lazy to go back and look) is that his dad also offered him a job. We thought at first that he wanted him to travel to Bahrain to assemble a machine. Turns out that his passport has expired and even if he renews it he needs to have had it for 6 months before he can travel there so that is not happening. But while on vacation, they talked and his dad offered him a full time job at his facility 5 miles down the road from us (Dad owns his own business). In addition, he gave him a cell phone and added him to his plan. Ds will have to pay the $35/month bill but now he has money coming in to do that. His dad loaned him one of their 5 cars and is going to help him buy a used one in the next few weeks. I'm not sure what got into his dad that made him decide to step up and help out but at this point I don't care. Ds has needed this for a long time and whatever the reason, it's finally happening. Of course the pessimist in me knows that now I'm the bad parent who makes him cut grass and pick up dog poop and now that he has a job - pay rent. But I'm okay with that and hopefull he will remember that I'm also the parent who took him in after he'd been arrested twice and was living in his car and his dad refused to have anything to do with him. Regardless of all that, DS has been in the best mood I have seen him in in a long time. Even with having to get up and go to work every morning.
Next positive...I got a new computer! I keep lots of photos and stuff on my computer and my hard drive had gotten full so I was looking into an external hard drive or a faster computer with a bigger hard drive - and heavily leaning toward the second option. While on vacation, my son's netbook died. Now that he has a job he has money, but isn't dying to spend 300-400 on a new computer. However, he has $150 to pay me for mine so I can put that toward a new one for me! It's a win-win. My old computer is a pentium dual core 2Ghz with a 160GB hard drive which is plenty for him - especially since he doesn't need a lot of storage space and that is the biggest thing slowing mine down. My new computer has twice the hard drive space and a better, faster processor. So using his $150, I got a jam-up computer for $300 out of pocket!
To be continued, I'm being summoned......
Saturday, June 4, 2011
3-1-1
It's been a really busy week:
- I've been to my parents lakehouse twice- once for Memorial Day and back again for my boys' birthday.
- My Twins turned 15 on Thursday.
- My nephew had emergency surgery on Thursday night.
- I returned home Friday to an injured cat which prompted an emergency Sat morning vet visit.
- My oldest son was invited last minute to go on vacation with his dad and brothers which means he can't take care of the animals
- So I just got back from a trip halfway to my parents' to meet my dad so they can take care of my dog.
- And on the way home I had to buy an automatic cat feeder because...
- I'm going to Vegas first thing tomorrow morning!!
Which brings me to 3-1-1. Whoever came up with this had to be a man. For those who don't know, 3-1-1 is the TSA guideline for bringing liquids in your carry-on baggage. Since bags cost $25 to check, I'm carrying everything on. So 3-1-1 means All liquids must be in a 3oz or less container. All those containers must be in a 1qt zipper bag. Each passenger can have only 1 zipper bag. These are some of the things affected by this rule:
toothpaste
hair gel
hair spray
conditioner
liquid foundation
mascara
lip gloss
Carmex (I'm addicted)
facial cleanser
face lotion
perfume
Have you ever tried to fill all that in a 1 quart bag? It took me an hour...
My quart sized bag
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