Weather

If you don't like the weather, wait a minute. ~ unknown

It's hard to believe that I was able to take a picture of a sky like this on Wednesday evening. The weather had been wicked Tuesday and Wednesday (and then reared its ugly head again Thursday) but we were smiled upon and reassured that everything would be beautiful again soon.

Gangsta

All I really know is she's a gangsta. ~ Thicke

Girlfriend came over on Friday so Hubby and I could escape for a bit. When we got home the kids wanted to cook so we made peanut butter bars. We blasted the XM the whole time and put powdered sugar in inappropriate places to pose for pictures. Lovely photo, huh? The Cult will be so pleased when I weigh in December as I'm sure I will have to pay for eating so much during Thanksgiving break. There's only so much one can do when stuck in the house for days on end. After we made these delights, Girlfriend stayed for dinner....ultimately spending the night. As I have said previously, it's always delightful chaos when she comes over. This time, I found the most ridiculous pj's I own (blue flannel with white duckies on them - they're older than the hills and are so stretched out it's embarassing that I still own them....but I knew Girlfriend would have fun with them) to lend to Girlfriend for the night. However, I didn't know exactly what it would lead to.....Gangsta Girlfriend. I don't know what I like best....the grillz, the razr phone, or the Wild Turkey. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful....the kids watched The Shaggy Dog while Hubby and I watched (err...I slept through most of) The DaVinci Code. The next morning was another feast....chocolate & peanut butter chip pancakes a la Hubby. YUMMY! Then it was back to wallowing....Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Yes, I fell asleep during this one, too. At least I'd seen this one a zillion times. I really couldn't help it....I'd been up since 6:30 am for no particular reason. All in all...another fun time with the kids. :0)

Over?!

Back to life, back to reality ~ Soul II Soul

Yes, I'm whining. I do not want to go back to work tomorrow!! Despite the despicable
weather at the beginning of the break, the weather the last two days has been absolutely gorgeous! Today we took Finley to the beach to romp in the surf while chasing her orange, rubber dummy. The sky was a magnificent shade of blue. The temperature was warm enough for Son & Hubby to wear shorts and for Daughter to roll her pants up. As for me, it was pretty amazing (due to my frigid internal temperature) that I was only in sweats, two shirts, and a sweatshirt. The kids ran up and down the beach looking for shells (scarce) and examining the dunes that resembled rock formations showing layers of rock from ages ago.....merely an effect caused by the high surf Tues.-Fri. last week. We only saw three other people on this stretch of beach and were able to let Finley run free (since the Park Service wasn't in sight)....confirming that we do live in what we perceive to be paradise. Sure, the weather is unpredictable and our lifeline (the road) to the "real world" could be severed at any point, BUT days like today reaffirm our decision to live here. Our friends and family are here and I am quite fond of my hermit-like lifestyle. Sometimes I DO think about living in an area where I could just hop over to Target or cool, trendy stores and restaurants....but what I would be giving up is just too precious. Plus, I think it would desensitize me....the shopping trips that I love would just lose their meaning. Tomorrow I'll be back to the grind. Boo. I didn't even come close to accomplishing all that I wanted to do around the house during the break - as if it was a possibility...my lists are always so unreasonable. I really didn't even completely de-stress (I never even got to watch one minute of The View) - as if I EVER completely de-stress anymore. Christmas Break.....can't wait!!!

Bah Humbug!

Bah humbug! ~ Ebeneezer Scrooge

The color of the sky as far as I can see is coal grey.
Lift my head from the pillow and then fall again.
With a shiver in my bones just thinking about the weather.
A quiver in my lips as if I might cry. ~ Natalie Merchant

OK. So Scrooge isn't typically associated with Thanksgiving....but it sadly encompasses the mood I've been in today. Perhaps it's the weather. The food was delicious. The company was wonderful. The power went off mid-meal, but the community building where we all gather has a generator so we were just fine....and thankful that all our dishes were complete and ready for the taking. Again, screw that Kelly Chandler. She'd probably have eaten outdoors in the cold like the Pilgrims themselves. "Not I," said the pig (quote from The Little Red Hen). Still, I've been in a dismal mood most of the day. It sucks to be in a funk on a holiday. I've tried to shake it, but it insists on staying. It didn't help that I awoke with a migraine and the caffeine in the medicine makes me shaky. Oh, well.

Son's Mom Challenge for today? The yard is really wet from all the rain. Finley has pooped a bit too close to the back entry steps as a result. The weather has prevented me from poop scooping...ok, I probably could have done it, but I did NOT want to be out in the ugliness. My last words as Son and Daughter headed for the truck: "Please watch your step. Don't step in dog poop." That was it. My fate was sealed. Moments later my son comes back up the steps elated that he has stepped in dog poop. Me? Not so happy. Hubby set down the asparagus casserole and commenced to washing the shoe that we had to force him to wear anyway. HE wanted to wear flip flops. Yeesh! I took the mashed potatoes to the truck and then came back in to help Son change his pants since he had tried to remove the poo by rubbing the filthy right foot on the inside left leg of his pants. Did he want to change? NOOOO! The battle ensued. I finally won when I said, "Fine. You can be the one at Thanksgiving that smells like poo.".....definitely reminiscent of Adam Sandler in Big Daddy when he says something to the effect of "I have the smelly kid in the class?"....not to mention the extra incentive I used to change his mind. That's the basic jist of it. Maybe I should write a book....Fun With Son: Tales of Desperation.

We've Got the Juice

I said I wanted to go back to a time when there (weren't) cars or computers or electricity because you had to work for what you wanted. Everything wasn't handed to you. ~ Kelly Chandler

I do not know Kelly Chandler and after reading her quote I know I totally disagree with her. I have worked hard in order to buy a car, computer, and a generator so I do not have to sit in a dark, cold house when the power is off for over 12 hours in a day due to inclement weather. Living in what many perceive to be "paradise" has its negative side, too. The Nor'easter has left us unable to get off our island and without electricity since 5 something this morning. Poo on Kelly Chandler. Yay for the generator so I can use my computer during a major power-outage!

Additional comment (11-23-06): This is a photo taken yesterday of Highway 12 heading south toward Rodanthe. This is our lifeline as we only have one road connecting us with the rest of the world. See what I mean about the negative side to paradise? At the present moment, bulldozers are trying as hard as they can to get the road open. Check out the live cam to see the progress.

Sentimental Song of the Moment

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings. ~ Hodding Carter

Regular readers know that on occasion I blog about song lyrics. Sometimes I rant about their foulness...other times I rave about those that I find meaningful. Well, here's the new one on my RAVE list. Again, it's probably been around for a bit, but the lyrics have finally penetrated through the other noise constantly buzzing in my head (Today I need to.... Did I ..... Remember to ..... - you know) and I get teary every time I hear them. I just finished downloading My Wish by Rascal Flatts from LimeWire so I can get teary any time I want!!! It's amazing how all the basic wishes I have for my children can be compactly set to music in under 5 minutes.

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big ~ RASCAL FLATTS

'Tis the Season?

Did you ever notice that life seems to follow certain patterns? Like I noticed that every year around this time, I hear Christmas music. ~ Tom Sims

I recently read an entry on Hippie Chick's blog in which she voiced her feelings about Christmas "starting" already when Thanksgiving hasn't even come. Like her, I typically enjoy not seeing Christmas up-close-and-personal until AFTER Thanksgiving. Some radio/XM stations have already started playing Christmas music....not just a few songs here and there....all Christmas all the time. Not something I am truly ready for! However, I have to admit, in a desperate move to get the kids MOVING the other morning, I found one of these stations and blasted it throughout the house. I thought it might be so odd that it would make them cheerful and quick - bah, hah. I must also admit that as much as I DON'T want to hear Christmas music yet, I got to hear my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE Christmas song and it filled me with absolute joy. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than a well-sung version of O Holy Night. It made me just a little excited for the Christmas season to begin. For now, though, I am looking forward to stuffing myself with all the delicacies of Thanksgiving!!!

Snips and Snails

The force is strong with this one. ~ Darth Vader

As I enjoyed a few non-stress moments visiting in the living room with Brother the other night watching two mindless shows on tv (Dancing With the Stars and Dukes of Hazard), I suddenly noticed an odd look on his face. He was gazing at the picture hanging on the wall above the couch (where I was sitting). It didn't take him long to comment on the substance oozing forth from the bottom corner of the frame. On closer inspection, we noticed that both corners of the frame were glued to the wall. Daughter didn't do it. Hubby didn't do it. Son absolutely claimed no knowledge of it (and I certainly believe him -wink wink). I guess that leaves Finley or that Boogie Dog. Perhaps I have finally lost it and did it myself and just don't remember. If that's the case, I'm sure I was just trying to preserve something in the house before my miniature homewrecker gets a hold of it. How long before I finally surrender to the Dark Side?

Fin-Doggy-Dog

If you don't own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life. ~ Roger Caras

Last Saturday was Finley's first birthday. It's hard to believe she has been a part of our family for almost a year. She is a great girl! She still get's on her Wild Rampages (as we refer to her run-around-the-house-chasing-down-the-children-and-creating-complete-and-total-chaos), but she makes us all smile. She LOVES to be scratched on her chest and makes sure to get her nightly "lovin's" before falling to sleep. We are all completely in love with our baby. She has numerous nicknames: Fin Dog, Finni-Fin-Fin, Finni-Baby AND Fin-Doggy-Dog. I'm sure there are others. As with our other children, we reserve her full name, (Finley Makaira) for when she is in BIG TROUBLE....like when she destroyed the bathroom, chewed up Barbie, amputated Batman's foot, chewed a vast number of flip flops, gnawed her way through the vacuum and carpet shampooer cords...and the cord for the candle warmer, chewed the handle on the recliner, yadda, yadda, yadda. Hey....it's no worse than the destruction created by Son. BUT that's a blog entry unto itself. Smiles for my dog! :0)

Heh Heh

Bottles and booties, diapers and pins
this is where the love begins! ~ unknown

Monday, November 13...could I possibly have more crap to do today? I went to work...to school...to do a major second grade project which created even more than the regular amount of chaos. Then, since I have to check in this week with the CULT, I had to go to step class. I enjoy the class but hate having to get there dressed and on time. Then, I had the Girl Scout leader meeting. Then it was off to PTA b/c my class was performing. And then to a baby shower. I was SO GLAD NOT TO BE PREGNANT! THey actually served a variety of martinis. And since I am not pregnant....I could indulge!!! Maybe a little too much since I find my fingers having to hit "backspace" far too often. i also find myself rambling. The food was not as impressive as I had hoped, but I DID get to spend time with my friend Joy. I LOVE spending time with Joy....she is fun, witty, and shares similar anal tendencies with me. She is expecting a new bundle herself in Feb. SHe is having her second daughter. She was ever so hopeful that she was having a boy. I LOVE my son dearly, but I warned her to stop after the girl. In the span of the past few weeks the urination issues we have experience are so male that I am beginning to lose my patience. You more than likely read the peeing on the floor blog. I don't believe I shared the pooping at the marina OUTDOORS story in writing. Today has brought us to the "peeing in the Spiderman trash can" episode. WHat is it with his fascination with peeing in his room?! At least it wasn't on the carpet this time! YUCK! I thought it was horrible when I caught him peeing off the porch when the school bus came by...I WISH he was peeing outside rather than in his room! Well, I'm going to put my half-drunken self to bed since it is after 11 and WAY past my bedtime...usually well before 10. I leave thankful that I am not bearing another child and wondering why Son feels the need to pee in his room.

Oh, Well....

There is always time for failure. ~ John Mortimer

Did I set myself up for failure or what? A blog a day....how long did it take me to stop? I have really excellent excuses. Shall I enumerate them?

1. Cheerleading on Saturday. Over an hour drive to get there....only to find out (after busting butt to get there on time) that the time had been changed from 1 to 3. At least that gave me time to take Daughter and Girlfriend to Wendy's. We had only missed one "cheer event" all season and that was THE ONE where the newly revised schedule had been handed out. One of the sassy teenage coaches swore up and down that ALL the girls had been given the new schedule. With an air of sarcasm in my voice I asked, "At the last practice?"
"No, the one before that."
"Oh, so the ONLY time we missed."
A bit more humbly: "Sorry."
We did a bit of shopping. Loads of fun being silly with Daughter and Girlfriend. We even caught some not-so-nice looks from other people in the public bathroom at the outlet mall. We weren't THAT bad. I thought we were getting arrested after pulling out of 7-11. Good grief...my sister-in-law is going to have second thoughts about letting Girlfriend go anywhere with me again unless I explain! We had been in 7-11 getting some drinks/snacks for the drive home. It was now dark. As we pulled out of the parking lot, Daughter began to wonder if we had been charged for the Laffy Taffy. Maybe I was wrong, but I did not turn around to go back in to ask (since reason #2 for Blog Failure was keeping our schedule a bit tight). Daughter has this new light thingy that she can wear on her ear so she can read in the car. She loves to read in the car....not a trait from me - I puke. The light is kind of blue...she had it on her ear and was bobbing about as 10-year-olds do...yes, it made me think we were getting stopped by the cops for stealing Laffy Taffy. Just the light.

2. God's Bounty Sat. evening. On the way home we saw many possibilities for food we could take to our church fundraiser. My brother and his wife headed up this event that served wild game and seafood entrees for a donation. As we encountered deer and road kill on the way home, Daughter, Girlfriend, and I devised ways we could get the food possibilities to the event. We yelled "God's Bounty" at each sighting. We thought about dragging the deer behind the car using rope (Family Vacation style) or getting a large hook to stick out the window. Yes, we are an odd bunch....but boy do we have fun. We worked at the event and cleaned up. I got home 9-ish. Chatted with Brother & His Wife and Hubby. Went to bed...too exhausted to blog - but hey, I did good deeds on Saturday.

3. Ear issues. My ear that was infected in the spring still likes to remind me that it is part of my body. Rather than being ignored, it wants to throb or gurgle or cause a headache. On Saturday, it wanted to ruin me with a headache (no it was NOT the hip hop music played far too loud). It gurgled. It just annoyed me. On Sunday it made me a bit dizzy....nothing some motion sickness medication couldn't handle. I took some decongestants and some other stuff. I napped a bit on Sunday and (unfortunately) was better by Monday-which did not warrant a day off.

4. Report Cards. I despise report cards. This year we have to do them on the computer. I stayed at school until 7-ish on Mon. to get them done. There was a glitch with the spacing. Blah. Blah. Blah. Needless to say, I will have to redo them for the next 9 weeks because the glitch will ultimately cause them to be sesveral pages long. Did I mention I hate report cards?

5. State Report. Fifth grade report/project on New Jersey. Daughter and I have been steadily working...leaving nowhere to blog.

6. School. Each new month at school means taking down all the "stuff" from the previous month and putting out the new "stuff". It's very similar to putting up Christmas decorations and taking them down except it is EVERY FREAKIN' MONTH!! This year the process is a bit different since I am working with someone else. Hmmm. Is that positive? Let me move on because I am presently unhappy with that person. I have never given her a name on my blog and have several inappropriate ones I could use. Why am I unhappy? Presently I am unhappy because she felt the need to give her opinion of my child rearing skills (concerning academics) to one of Daughter's teachers which basically made me sound like some kind of freak. She obviously does not approve of the high expectations Hubby and I have for Daughter. She is entitled to her opinion. However, she does not spend more than 30 minutes per day with Daughter and me. So, let's wrap this section up by saying that this week has consisted of me staying late to get stuff done and being angry at my co-worker. Work is great.

So, I may not have reached my blogging goal, but I have been very busy. I didn't even touch on worrying about beginning Girl Scouts as a co-leader this week! I have focused on how I can abuse my children by my obsessive work habits and my freakishly high academic expectations. What evil shall I devise next? Anyway, gotta run....can't miss snuggling in bed with my kids to watch the newest episode of Lost....what hell they must endure. Is that Social Services I hear knocking on my door?

More Halloween

AWWWW....sexy girlfriend! ~ Long Duc Dong

Here is Girlfriend on Halloween. She has been hangin' out again and we love it. Last night we did my pathetic version of "the Hustle" to Donna Summer on the XM. Tonight she came to Fall Festival at the elementary school and is here again. She's been showing me some stuff on myspace.com. I apologize for the short, babbling blog....but it's late and I'm outta here.

Mystery Guest

She looks like a skeleton....I was horrified at how skinny she is. ~ Nicole Richie

For most of the month of October we have been fortunate to have this famous runway model visiting our humble abode. It was ridiculous the amount of money we had to pay her to do this considering she was unable to find work overseas since her body mass index was too low to be considered for employment. The major plus, however, was that she didn't need to be fed.

Smart-ass aside, Hubby was truly inspired to make a pair of these (another is in the rocking chair on my porch) after seeing one in Family Fun magazine. She is fashioned out of PVC pipe, can be disassembled for storing, won't rust in the salty air, and is incredibly sturdy (except for the flimsy hand that was not made out of PVC)....able to withstand the strong winds we have had this month - unlike the pathetic mums that have been through the wringer. I think I can count on one hand the number of mornings I haven't had to hunt down the pots and stand them upright (only to come home to find them toppled again).

Irritation

The best answer to anger is silence. ~ unknown

I have been trying to upload a picture that HAS to be posted with the entry I wrote. Blogger WILL NOT upload the picture. It is now time for Lost so this is it for tonight. Way to start off a month of blogging each day, huh! In my case, the best answer to anger is UNWRITTEN.

Meet Clem

High on a hill was a lonely goatherd
Lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo ~ Maria von Trapp

Clem is our friend. He happens to be (as stated on his official business card) the City Executive at the local branch of First South Bank. He made a deal that he would wear this lovely ensemble if the bank reached a goal. Sometimes successfully reaching a goal can suck, huh?