Elevators

I know it's Halloween and I should do some cutsie little pumpkin pictures and some of my kids in their costumes but let's face it. It's 4:19pm, the sun is shining, and Daddy is cutting the grass. My how he loves that mower. Anyway, maybe tomorrow I'll have some delightful pictures to show you. For now? My munchkins are vegging out in front of the television--taking breaks just to ask me every 10 minutes when they are going out in search of their loot. So if that is any inkling of what is in store for me this evening I shall be too tired to blog about the 'after'. Until tomorrow.

So, elevators it is. I've been wanting to do this post for a while. I've worked in office buildings for like twenty years and I spend a lot of time thinking about elevators. Kind of funny to me too since I don't really use them much in my side of the building since we don't have them. Just three floors you know. Doesn't relegate a use for them unless you are freight--no comments on whether I might be or not. I AM trying to reduce.

So, I have some elevators thoughts for you...

1) Why can't people learn "first out THEN in" Sheesh people, if you let us OFF then there will be ROOM for you to get in.
2) Do you really need to take the elevator for ONE floor? Really?
3) Sometimes, when you are really hungry and like someone gets on with food. Do you ever hash out in your mind how long you will wait before you start fighting over it should the elevator get "stuck"?
4) Do you ever wonder, if it's just you and someone of the opposite sex on the elevator, how petrified you would be if the elevator doors decided NOT to open?
5) Do you get claustrophobic if the elevator starts to fill to capacity?
6) If you are alone on the elevator do you ever jump up and down, dance, sing, or any other thing that would clearly mortify you should the doors open quicker than you anticipate?

Just a few of my thoughts. (Should you still be reading)

Mmmrou-w

So my little sis and I haven't been communicating a whole lot lately. I'm to blame. I've been the lazy sort and haven't been calling or writing with updates. Oh and I even did the unthinkable and forgot my nephew's birthday! Of course she showed me what she thought by sending my daughter's present early. Oh my. I so can not make up for that. I will be trying though.

Anyway, she sends me a response to a response that I sent to her very first note in a while. At this point things were numbered because I write jumbly confusing stuff and she has to try harder to sort it all out and be proactive in answering everything. (I do this so it takes her longer to write back because if it takes her a long time to write back then it looks like she is remiss in writing and that makes me think it makes up for me being so lame.) Anway, among her items is this.

5. Wow! RC is still alive. I had pretty much convinced myself that he was dead. Is that morbid or what? I figured since he's never on your blog, he was in kitty heaven. I was afraid to ask because I didn't want you to have to tell me. I thought he'd probably been hit, or eaten by a fox, or had pee peed on Tony's uniform again and gotten the wacked. Do you see how my mind just races out of control on me? I'm totally psycho.

RC is her son's cat. When they moved across the pond they couldn't take him with them. Well they could have if they were made of money. Which is not the case. We are simple folk. Her cat has done some stuff that was dangerous to his health. Like peeing on our carpet. Oh and peeing on my husband's uniforms. Once I thought he had pee'd in my Crocs but found out later it was not cat pee but water--compliments of the future pilot. My but that was a disgusting feeling putting my socked foot in a croc full of water thinking it was cat pee at 5am.

Anyway...

She thinks...

I would...

kill her cat...

or get rid of him...

and NOT tell her?

Wow, things have gone strangely wrong.

So without further ado I post these.
Look at him. Can't you just imagine him talking, "I can pee and I know where to put it."

I mean really. I might let my dog do this...
I mean really. YOU'd let your dog bite your sister's cat's neck wouldn't you?
And his ear. Right?
I mean really. He's a big boy and he can take care of himself.
Seriously sis. Dora and RC LOVE each other. Just like any good brother and sister should. I promise. And even if your son's cat DID have the audasity to hang out in my husband's underwear while he was um...indisposed on the toilet...and WHILE he was still WEARING them. (Uh yes we have a picture to prove it but this is a rated 'G' website). We wouldn't let anything happen to him. He's part of the family now.

So like I said to you in my note, just send that boy of your's back anytime. RC's here waiting to be loved on. Oh and maybe he could use a little time away from Dora. :)

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I think the title says it all. I feel like I'm flat-lining. Not in real life mind you. Heck I'm ONLY 40--and you KNOW what they are saying? "60 is the new 40!" Hey I'm running with that. Gives me twenty more years to get my weak tired body in shape to NOT look my age.

Dang it. Where was I going with this again? Oh yea, flat-lining. In the blog world. I have been reading a lot of them this weekend. That always seems to happen when I am supposed to be doing something ELSE on my computer. Have I mentioned lately how much I REALLY hate school? I mean I actually know people who are excited about learning. Ecstatic to be able to say to their friends, "Oh, I just enrolled in the most interesting course!" Pushaw. WHATEVER! Me? I do not like it one bit. Not one bit Sam I am. So I sneak into other people's lives when my family thinks I am concentrating on school work. Hey. Don't judge. I'm 40 and you should be more respectful of your elders.

I was driving down the road yesterday and thought, "Dang it! I should have grabbed my camera! I could have blogged some great pictures!" We were heading down the road to go to a birthday party for one of my daughter's friends. So showering, scrambling to find a big enough gift bag, and convincing the future pilot that he must eject now and get moving to MY cockpit (van), took precedence over the thought of getting the camera. So no camera.

Today I arose early to try and get the dog walked, the kids dressed, the dog crated, and squeeze in a run to Starbucks before we had to be at a nearby grocery store to pedal yet more cookies. So again, I can not share the beautiful picture that God painted before me as we passed the evolving golf course with it's shimmering frosted grass. I wouldn't worry too much though because I would maybe have been tempted to share the sights my children were most enthused about. They kind of have a curiosity of dead things. They don't rejoice in it mind you. They just as a gazillion questions about how it got there.

The day goes by fast. School certainly leaves me with less free time. I don't like to waste my favorite season being trapped by homework but I promised the boss so, well, I gotta follow through. It does leave me searching my soul again though. I won't get much in raises now I'm told. I've maxed out where I am. I just wonder if it's worth it to me to struggle through these classes when my husband tells me he's moving us to a slower pace of life in a few years. A place where I might not be tempted to buy so much. A place where I won't feel like I have to keep up with the Jones's of Smartdom.

After all, my kids would rather know me as a less than spastic mom who has time to play with them. I also think my husband would like to be able wear a shirt that isn't wrinkled because I barely have time to get the laundry done. Sorry honey. Honest, I'm trying.

So, maybe tomorrow. Since the paper is done now. Done and turned in. Until the next assignment. Maybe tomorrow I'll take some really cool earth shattering photographs. Maybe. We'll see.

Recession? What recession?

Move over London Eye. I saw an article in our paper this week and you can read about the subject here and here. It seems New Jersey is getting a humondo ferris wheel of it's own. Along with an indoor ski slope, martini bar, skydiving simulation, etc.

I find myself asking, "Who is going to have the money for all of this?" "Don't we have people worrying about having secure jobs?" "Aren't the food banks dwindling?" Call me crazy but WOW. I'm well, without any further words.

Obsessive Dreams of Botched up Blogging

Okay, so I really thought I was going to post more often. I guess you could say I have bloggers block. I want all of my posts to be quippy or funny or just well, well planned. It's so sad that I even dreamed about stressing over my blog last night.

Yesterday I went to work, went to boot camp and planned on picking up my kids and grocery shopping and maybe getting a bite out to eat with them. Of course son number one needed assistance so it was hurry home, grab the kids, plan a half way point, meet the son, hand him assistance ($$$$) and then figure out how to get eggs and some stuff to pack in my daughter's school lunch with a now sleeping three year old. So...

Mad dash into unfamiliar grocery store to grab essentials while son's girlfriend entertained daughter in her car and son watched over the pilot snoozing in the back seat of my van. Dash out starving because nearby good smelling restaurant doesn't now how to keep their good smells in. Buckle daughter back in van, tell son's girlfriend to keep son one out of trouble, peck son on cheek and plead with him to stop having crises. Grab bad burger meal for daughter at greasy fast food burger joint. Try hard to resist buying bad burger for myself. Get part way down the road (with daughter asking repeatedly if I am lost). Realize I should have gotten the pilot something for when he wakes up. Pass another bad burger joint and turn in to grab bad burger meal with "healthy" apples slices. Succumb to bad burger for myself.

Panic when daughter announces inevitable potty stop and insist we are NOT stopping because the area is bad and the pilot is sleeping. Make it home. Rush to open door, scramble to remove stuff from the car, walk the dog, help daughter get through last of homework, ready kids for bed, read to kids turn out lights. Panic when Hank (bark alarm on four legs who guards the side door) begins to announce possible intruder. Pray to God that it's a deer, or a dog, or one of the several cats that hangs around or yes, maybe even air. Drift to sleep with both daughter and pilot next to me in bed and annoying small dog on top of my aching legs (boot camp was killer).

2:00 am - husband arrives home from work. Moves daughter to her room and climbs in next to the pilot. Now wide awake I try to sleep as he begins to snore. I contemplate getting up and getting ready for work but think that will be absurd and I shake bed, tap him, groan loudly, toss, turn and somehow fall back asleep.

4:35 am I wake feeling somewhat rested and realize the alarm was supposed to go off 20 minutes ago and it's not turned on. Did I already get up? Did I turn it off? Then I remember what I was dreaming when I woke up.

I was in a beautiful island hut peering out on the water. Our neighbor was calling me asking if we we'd looked outside. I told him that yes I am enjoying the day. He invites us to a dinner party with his wife Lubka and children Sven and Lana. We go and I remember beautiful kaleidoscopes of leaves and whirling waves. Cut to me in a car with the top down and (no lie here) I felt like I was in a Flonase commercial. Petals of every color were swirling through the air and I wasn't driving so I was trying hard to catch all the pretty petals. And what was I saying?????

"OH my. OH my GOSH!!!! Why? WHY???? Why didn't I bring my camera? I SOOOOOO need to blog this!!!!!" -- Is there therapy for this? Please I'm in need.

Filled Up Friday

Early morning gifts from across the pond. Thank you Uncle, Auntie and cousins!!!!
Today was one of those days where lots of stuff was just jam packed in. I should have taken my camera with me. Today was cookie pick-up day. My daughter is a Brownie. This is our first year of the cookie thing so I wasn't sure what to expect. Five of our troop moms headed to the pick-up place to help unload the truck and reload our vehicles.

After the truck guys unloaded the pallets this is sort of how it looked...
I wish I could say I requested my daughter draw me this sad picture but I'll confess right up front it was my art work. I'm tired. It's almost midnight. So don't judge.

After the pallets were unloaded we moms, some dads, and some assorted children--some troop members some assorted brothers and sisters, removed the cookie cartons to countable stacks. Once any damaged boxes were replaced the divvy up began. When it came our turn, our leader pulled up a van and we began to load it up. I'm very glad I started that boot camp I must say. I threw myself in the van and suddenly boxes began to appear at all sides. Me and one of the guys began to stack them in.

Imagine our terror when the person in charge of the cookies (someone NOT from our troop) thought some of the girls were taking boxes from stacks that were not intended for our vehicle. In a panic she wanted us to unload the entire van!!! Luckily we were able to convince them we were on top of things. All of those vehicles and we ended up being able to fit all of our boxes in one. After that we took them to one of the troop homes and divvied up the ones that were to go home with us.

After that it was time to race home to get ready for a very special event. My favorite little girl in the world was turning 7.
It's hard to believe. This precious little girl of mine...
This little diva...
This little flexible smile-bringing thought provoker,
is turning 7.

I won't apologize for the road of reflection. It's my blog and I will go off-road when I want to.

Without further a-do some scenes from the day:

Warming fire on a chilly day...
Twelve pretty pumpkins made in a row...
Hayriders waiting for rails and trails.
Pumpkin painting...
For all ages...
The party was a hit. Even though no one managed to make it back to the fire. Maybe next year.

Play room revisited...
Would you believe it was clean when the party started and didn't get like this until all of her friends had gone home? Honest. This is the work of two very precocious toddlers. I blame me. Mostly because I made a mental note, obviously forgotten, that I would remove three fourths of the toys before their arrival. Would you believe the birthday girl helped me clean this up after everyone had left? I truly love her.

I'm so grateful for a fall birthday in the family. It truly is my favorite season. I'm also very grateful that my daughter is learning the art--and importance of friendship. Thanks to everyone who made this party such a success.

If Only I'd Home Schooled...

The day starts early around here. The nights are usually late. Last night was later than usual. At bedtime, when I was relishing in the fact that I would soon be purring in my sleep, nestled down under the covers, with my head resting on a nice soft pillow; my daughter asks me a very serious question. "Mom, AREN'T you going to make cupcakes for my class? My BIRTHDAY cupcakes?"

Shock, horror, and regret came over me. You see my oldest NEVER EVER EVER NEVER EVER wanted me to make cupcakes, or cake, or any kind of announcement to his class. Even when the mother of a girl in his class called me to see if I'd like to split the cupcake number with her because our kids shared the same birthday. He flat out refused to have attention drawn to him in that way.

My girl turns seven tomorrow. She is all about attention and hosting her friends. So at bed time I was baking cupcakes.
Cupcakes that would need to be frosted before I head to work today. So, if the day didn't already start early enough. This day when the outside air was still somewhat crisp. When the outside world was just a reflection of the inside...
When the outside looked like this...I was doing this...
Oh if only I'd home schooled. The class would be smaller. If I'd home schooled a birthday celebration--that has been planned and in the making for days, one for which a gargantuan cake is already sitting in my refrigerator, a party like that would have been sufficient.

I still have to get through a day of work and endure a session of boot camp. Oh but I do hope I will be ready for that.