Miss Priss

Four things a woman should know: How to look like a girl, How to act like a lady, How to think like a man, And how to work like a dog. - unknown

Well, I think all would admit that Daughter has no problems with the "looking like a girl" or "acting like a lady". Here is my darling on the bench during the 10-12 yr. old basketball game today. She loves to play, but doesn't quite have the "like a man" action. It will come, I suppose. As long as she has fun, that's all that matters. I was so proud of her today. Aggressiveness during the game is not her forte, but I mentioned the other day that I would really love it if she would try to shoot at least once before the end of the season. She took my request to heart and actually attempted a shot. It didn't make it into the goal, but it leapt into my heart scoring the most amazing three pointer ever. At halftime she came over to me and asked if I liked her shot. She had done it just for me. How could I NOT love it? Just when I think I couldn't possibly love her more, that there is nothing greater than the love I have for her at a specific moment, she touches my heart and deepens that love even more. The infinite endlessness of love is awesome.

Fun and Games

What is a home without children? Quiet. ~Henny Youngman

I know that there is a phrase that says that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I, however, beg to differ. Although there are many that would argue that 35 does not constitute "old dog", I am feeling the effects of aging. The energy and stamina I once possessed are being sucked out of me. Whether that is due to aging or the wild energy Son perpetually runs on, challenging me to keep up every moment that I am around him, remains debatable. Nonetheless, I must admit that last night this old dog learned a new trick. It is so idiotic that it is inevitable fun. Girlfriend came over for a bit last evening. Life is always more interesting with her around. As I was cleaning up after dinner, causing everyone else to vanish from the kitchen, Girlfriend taught me a new game: Butt Charades. Of course I was a bit skeptical, wondering if it was similar to Jim Carey's, "Let me ass you a question." Fortunately it is not. Basically, what you do is use your butt to "write" letters that the other players have to guess to spell a word or phrase. It is very similar to the game where you "write" letters on someone's back, but (excuse the pun) for Butt Charades you use your butt. Let me add that my butt was a bit sore after playing....maybe this should be marketed as a new workout!

Winter Wonderland? I THINK NOT!

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they pissed me off. - anonymous

Ok. Here's the scenario. 5:35 this morning I receive a call from the principal that there is no school. Having been awakened unexpectedly from a Benadryl-induced sleep (I was having some allergy issues last night), I just took this news at face value and rolled sluggishly from my
bed to retrieve the phone tree so I could rouse
the next unsuspecting victim. I peer out the window only to see wet (NOT ICY) streets and some traces of snow on Hubby's windshield. It was not until I was on the phone with the person who I had to call that I actually saw a few flurries illuminated by the porch light. I was completely baffled. We go to school AT REGULAR TIME in torrential rain and 50 mph winds, but flurries....bloody hell, NO! (like that Clem & Clementine?). This rant may be unwarranted because I did not have enough wherewithal to question the decision at 5:35 (my brain does not function well under such circumstances). However, this is my blog so I am totally within my boundaries to bitch and moan where I see fit. How many days are we going to do this? Hurricane Ophelia resulted in several make-up days for us (not the schools "up the beach"), severely hindering our Christmas (yes, I said CHRISTMAS - not holiday or winter !!!) break. The schools "up the beach" held school while we were closed for days after the evacuation order was lifted. Why couldn't we have had school while they missed today?! THEY were the ones that had to deal with life-threatening, treacherous driving conditions created by the 1 inch of snow (if that much!)....(drip drip goes the sarcasm). Some would say that I should enjoy my extra day off. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE daytime TV and have already switched the channel more times than should be legally allowed while I gazed blankly at Kathy Griffin...not Nicole Kidman (her comedy slays me), The View, Olympic curling, Regis & Kelly, Son-in-Law, and Project Runway. Not to mention that I have already set the TV for Oprah and Wife Swap. The thing is, this is not a day off exactly. It will be made up at the most inconvenient of times: either this Saturday (resulting in a 1 day weekend) or by eliminating another day that was scheduled to be a day off - probably during Easter Break (yes, again I referred to a religious holiday!)when we will all be ready to kill each other unless we get some time off. When I rule the world, I will not completely cancel school immediately. I will call a delay until I deem it necessary to miss school AND if some of the county schools can open safely, I will allow it without exception! Vote for me for Queen of the World!!!!!

Mary, Mary by James Patterson

The big advantage of a book is that it's very easy to rewind. Close it and you're right back at the beginning. - Jerry Seinfeld

I love Alex Cross. I have for years. For those unfamiliar, he is the detective created by author James Patterson in a series of books that bear names that relate to nursery rhymes. Two of these books were adapted for the big screen: Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls. Even though the movies star Morgan Freeman, he is not the Alex Cross I envision. Read one of Patterson's books with Dr. Cross and you'll see what I mean. Only if the movie companies had asked for my opinion! Grad school (I know....enough already) seriously infringed upon my leisure reading and it is only now that I have finally been able to delve into books in the manner in which I love: marathon reading. I can spend an entire day devoted to a book, barely parting with it until it is complete. The word can is key. My previous life....one without kids, unending piles of laundry, and a variety of other household tasks...lent itself to such read-a-thons. I rarely get to indulge myself like I once did. However, there is nothing like a good book and a rainy day to excuse a few hours devoted to nothing but reading. Today was such a day. I finished the newest Alex Cross series (thoughtfully obtained for me by my friend "Yo, L"), Mary, Mary. I was not disappointed. Patterson created another riveting murder mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Now, to find the box of books sent to me by my friend Carolina. She mailed me a treasure trove of books while I was in the midst of grad school (sorry) and I knew that if I opened it I would preoccupy myself with the contents. The box has remained sealed. Now, with Dr. Cross and The Mermaid Chair (which I thoroughly enjoyed as well...thanks, Hippie's Chick) out of the picture, it is time to unseal the box and begin to devour the contents within.

Girlfriend

I'm cute - and God I hate that. Because that's not cool. - Kelly Clarkson

Girlfriend, my niece with the broken bones from snowboarding, came for a visit today. We love for her to visit. Due to her injuries she was unable to come over for a few weeks and we missed her a lot. YAY for her healing! Here's a photo of her (the one in the white suit) and Daughter taken at our house on Christmas Eve. Girlfriend thinks she's cuter than I....I don't think so, esp. when she wears that NASTY dook clothing she loves! Love ya, Girlfriend!

A Family Affair

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers

Saturday was certainly a day for family. After Jazzercise, I spent time at home with Hubby and the kids. Weekend breakfasts are one of the things I miss about being in The Cult. Yes, I still sit with the family, but I do not partake of the same edible pleasures that I did in my pre-cult life. If I eat the french toast, it is only one piece and without the syrup. I wonder why I even bother. Since I ate and drank away a plethora of points on Friday night at a staff party and saved the rest so I would have room to enjoy myself at least one more time over the weekend, I was left to eat meagerly the rest of the weekend. ANYWAY, this was not intended to be a whining session about The Cult, so I will abruptly get back on track. We had a bit of time to do some chores before Daughter's recreation basketball game. Since there are only two teams in her age division, the rec center has arranged for us to play teams from Manteo (a town an hour away). At 11, I walked into the gym at the rec center to see the mammoth girls my daughter would be playing against. Daughter is young for this league...the only girl in 4th grade, but her birthday demands that she play in this league. Her love of the game outweighs her skill, but as long as she is active and having fun, I am satisfied. Her team lost, but she played the best game I have ever seen her play. Nothing that would impress the mere spectator, but as her mom, I know how well she did and couldn't be prouder. Uncle B & Aunt K came to support her and help keep eyes on Son. Yikes! How many adults DOES it take to watch an active 4 year old?! We spent the rest of the day making valentines and working on Daughter's valentine box. It's not done, but should be cute when complete....I'll post a picture of our handiwork later.

Saturday night we were treated to dinner at Dad and More-Than-A-Step-Mom's house. I knew that I was wise to conserve my daily points and the extra points. I ate gleefully without any worries. First we had fruit and cheese and crackers. Then came the main meal: fried (yes fried fish)....one word - fabulous! With the fish we had delicious beans and a red beans, rice, & sausage dish. Equally delightful!!!! I had never had the rice dish before, and do not plan on it being the last time either! The cornbread was wonderful, as well. I was so carefree that I even allowed myself to have dessert: Breyer's ice cream with mini peanut butter cups and a peanut butter swirl! It was a night of feasting and visiting and thoroughly enjoyable!!!

Unexpected Smile

Life is measured by moments that take our breath away. - author unknown

It's amazing to me how memory works. A mere word, visual clue, song, or smell can trigger a memory so strong that it can automatically take one to another place and time as if she were a time traveler. Moments later the memory itself and the thing that triggered it can be gone...hidden until jogged from the recesses of the mind yet again. This experience happened for me this morning. I was driving Daughter and I to work and something (I cannot even remember at this moment...only a little over an hour ago) brought a delightful memory of my mom to me. A smile immediately emerged and a sense of sheer happiness filled me. What was the memory? I can't remember. It has slipped away into some crawlspace in my mind. I am thankful for the moment and hope the memory will again resurface to bring unexpected joy into my life.

WHAT?!

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not sure of the former.
- Albert Einstein

I took a few moments today to sit back and see what sort of drivel I could find on TV to occupy myself for a few moments. What did I happen upon? Puppy Bowl II on Animal Planet. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. For three hours one can watch puppies in an enclosed area fabricated to resemble a football arena. Actually, that is not completely accurate....during halftime a "stage" is placed in the arena. The stage is a cat's dream with all sorts of feathery, dangly things attached. Yes, halftime entertainment is provided by kittens. What is the saddest part of all this? The cruelty to the animals being used as spectacles? The fact that this three-hour ordeal is being run over and over until 3am Monday morning? The fact that I watched it long enough to share it and find the web link so you could view it, too? The fact that I got my brother off his exercise bike to turn the junk on? The fact that my husban knew of it? The fact that this is available for purchase on DVD? So sad....all of it.

Pointless Dissatisfaction

Hello, you've reached the winter of our discontent. - Troy: Reality Bites

Have you ever just felt dissatisfied for no real reason? This sense of dissatisfaction has dominated my weekend. Since I am a woman, I am going to blame it all on PMS since there is no real reason for me to be so BLAH. Is there any better reason? Anyway, who is going to dare to argue with me?

Week in Review:

Even after a weekend of decadent and gluttonous food and beverage consumption, I was able to lose 3 pounds this week, bringing my total loss to "SIX, YES, SIX" pounds. I am wearing my skinny jeans, but still want to lose some more. I am sure the wonders of the menstrual cycle will cause me to show a significant GAIN this week, just when my hormonal moods are at their best. Until then, I will relish in the weight loss of last week. Jazzercise was cancelled due to personal issues with the instructor so I didn't have to see the Inquiring Mind who, by the way, did not attend the meeting this week either.

I am so proud of Daughter!!! Report cards came out this week and she made Principal's List! I normally would not have included this, but I have come to the realization that I do not praise her enough for her accomplishments. I have never wanted to be one of those obnoxious moms that brag ad nauseum about their children. Therefore, I have swung the pendulum in the opposite direction and not praised her as I should. I have extremely high expectations for her and I need to make her see just how proud I am of her when she achieves or exceeds those expectations (which is more often the case) rather than pointing out the expectations that she does not achieve. Yes, I will make another deposit solely for this purpose in the Future Psychiatric Treatment fund that I have set up for the children. Initial deposits were placed during my tour of duty in the Master's program.

Friday was much fun! Well, it didn't begin as fun. After finding out that my bike and Daughter's bike were stolen right out of our driveway, I came home from work and set about the weekend ritual of housecleaning (does this ever end? Oh, how I loathe cleaning my house!). I usually don't start until Saturday, but something inspired me. I blame insanity or anger over the bikes. Our home is in right in the epicenter of our village...falsely assuring me that our home is safe from thievery. Back to the real story. Of course I was in cleaning clothes that can be abused by various cleaning solutions and was planning for a quiet (I use that term loosely considering the children and the pup) evening of sloth-like behavior at home. That's when Hubby called from the video store. He ran into Clem and Clementine who were heading out to dinner and wanted us to come. Oh the dilemma!! I had to change out of the Orphan-Annie-esque cleaning attire and morph into going-out-to-eat mode. Not only that, I had not skimped on the points throughout the day as I usually do when I know I have an evening of eating/drinking ahead of me. I threw all caution to the wind and delighted in the impromptu opportunity for some adult interaction. It was well worth the effort. I was modest in my entree selection...but after some wine, I became more uninhibited and even agreed to ice cream pie for dessert. The plan was for Hubby and me to split it UNTIL IT CAME OUT WITH STRAWBERRIES ON IT!!! Hubby is allergic. I ate the whole delicious dessert myself!!! It was the best thing I had eaten in a month (and has been equally ranked with the carrot cake I ate last night)!!!! I will remind myself to read this blog on Thursday when the scale breaks under my weight. PMS + ice cream pie= weight gain inevitably.

On the agenda tonight is Super Bowl. We are going to Melissa and Karaoke King's house to hang out with some friends and inevitably eat far too much. I have planned on two low-point snacks to try to help with the point calculations. I am going to stuff mushrooms with spinach and tomatoes because they are all 0 point foods. I will most assuredly sprinkle them with some Parmesan, but only a trace. Then I am going to make a roasted veggie dip which is 0 points until you add the crackers for dipping. I could go with dipping veggies into the veggie dip which would be more 0 points, but the Wheat Thins will probably taste better and, if I remember correctly, one serving of 14 crackers is only 1 point. The saddest thing about these Super Bowl festivities is that I only know of 1 team that is playing. I could really care less about the game. For me it is about the companionship, food, and commercials.

So, there you have it. An entire week in review in a miniscule space. OK, so I left out the new step aerobics class I went to, talking to Carolina on the phone (YAY!!), Daughter's basketball game, watching Flight Plan from my snuggly bed, going to a few idiotic work-related meetings, and the stress level I experienced trying to accommodate everything. I could be here for days trying to rehash all that. Oh, the fun that awaits this week! Hopefully good sporting events (I dare not jinx the exact one I am referring to by even writing it) will be one of the results I can bask in during the week!

And Then There Were Two

Habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of. - Anonymous

As if one isn't enough....I have set up a blog for my class. Stop me, please. =:-O