Friday, May 8, 2009

Oh, Come On!

What is wrong with me? I have a work file I need to finish and I've decided that I need to finish it tonight so that my weekend is free of at least one job. But as I sit here at my computer, I don't have the energy. So, I print off my banking transactions in an effort to send out payments for bills (which, by the way, I didn't do the entire month of April, so, yeah, it needs to be done pretty badly). As I look at the three pages of transactions I need to update my checkbook with, I put that to the side too. Then, I'm thinking about how I should go hang out with the baby because he's going to bed soon, but I convince myself that I need to stay in the office and get EITHER work file completed OR bills paid. What resolution have I come to? In the last 40 minutes, I've tweeted, checked MySpace and my Gmail accounts numerous times. Really. Like, logged all the way in and all the way out MULTIPLE times.

Might as well post it. That took two minutes.

Sigh. Off to the living room. Wee One is having a meltdown and Husband keeps yelling NO. Probably involves the lamp cord or the kitchen chair blocking his path to the cat food bowls he wants to eat out of. Adventurous one he is. Sigh.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Saturday Morning Peeves

a) Having flat hair.
b) Saying stupid things on the air. For example - "It's going to be partly cloudy today, so we may see a few clouds." Duh.
c) Friends who are having a difficult time, so they alienate the people that care about them.
d) No longer having a mailbox at work, so I miss VITAL information.
e) People who make long term commitments and then scramble to cover their existing obligations.
f) Weak coffee.
g) Making a new pot of coffee and it's too strong.

(I'm like fucking Goldilocks over here.)

h) CONSTANTLY worrying about my milk supply.
i) Being afraid of sounding like an Earth Mother when I tell people I'm making my own baby food and that I prefer to buy Organic produce.

(Don't worry - my mother gives him fried chicken and my dad gives him chocolate and my sister in law gives him ice cream... so he's good)

k) Swine flu.
l) Moving laterally through my career(s).
m) The term "stimulus package" being overused by Advertisers and "economical climate" being overused by the media.
n) Over modulation.
o) Not watching The Hills or American Idol, yet still knowing who Speidi and Lil Rounds are.
p) Kate Gosselin.
q) Feeling like I'm not as smart as I used to be.
r) Husbands apparent refusal to properly pronounce "spondylolisthesis".
s) Being terrified of Husbands back surgery.
t) Worrying about the number of times Wee One has bonked his head. Hard.
u) Huey Lewis, Rod Stewart and Eddie Money (or, as I like to affectionately refer to them: Huey, Stewie and Money)
v) People who criticize my parenting when they weren't involved with their own children OR have admittedly made some errors in the way THEIR children turned out (or should admit anyway)
w) Getting halfway through my Peeves list and discovering that I have to go to 'Z' because the OCD voices in my head told me they would taunt me all day if I didn't.
x) Justin Ryan from Fox 2 Detroit.
y) Falling asleep sitting up. For hours.
z) Finally posting on my blog and it turns out to be a bitch session, even though I'm actually in a relatively good mood.

So, I've got about an hour left here at Wimmie and then I'm going to go home, feed the Wee One and then we'll take a family trip to my sisters soccer game. Maybe later we'll hit my mom's and see if we can get my brother to cut my grass. Oh yeah, he moved to Flint with the mother of his children last week, but he's back now. I guess it didn't work out.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Where's The Monkey?!?! (Or - How I Spent My Friday Night)

As if I don't feel lame enough that all day Friday I was looking forward to purchasing some lamps. It had been a week long journey from Ikea to Target to Lowe's to Meijer trying to find some fucking lamps I liked enough to display in my living room. So, there it was, Friday night, I was showered, I was dressed in clean clothes and it only took until 8:30 at night to get to that point. I wondered to myself if we should be taking the baby out that close to his bedtime. I replied to myself that it was fine. So, we made our way to Wal-Mart. On the way, Husband and I were reminiscing about the days when being showered and dressed and in the car at 8:30 on a Friday night led to more than just lamps. Anyway... we went to Wal-Mart, we found no lamps. We went to the Subway in Wal-Mart for a Fountain Coke (which took a half hour because the Coke Syrup needed to be replaced... but I'm that cool these days that it was important enough to me to wait because, seriously, what else did I have going on??) We made our way to Meijer and, no lamps. At this point, it's 10:30... we're going to hang up our search for the night... but WAIT... Husband asks "Where's the Monkey?" Ah fuck. Our first lost toy. Retrace the steps through Meijer. Nothing. This monkey is more important to me than it is to Nicolas, so we'd better find it. I call Wal-Mart and, because they have STUPENDOUS Customer Service, there's no answer in ANY department. I check out at Meijer and Husband goes to Service Desk with the baby asking if anyone turned in a monkey. As I walk up to the Service Desk, Husband has three women's attention, two of them walk away when I approach... yeah, a Daddy with a baby looking for a stuffed monkey is a turn on, I know... nobody turned one in, but they'll be happy to take his number and call if they find it. So, it's now 10:50pm and we go BACK to Wal-Mart to see if it's there. Husband goes in alone and I try to park. The closest spot had a person standing in it to save it for a car that was making it's way around the aisle. As I pass it, the lazy bitch says "Nuh-uh, you can't park here" I would have run her over, but didn't have time to go to jail, I HAD A MONKEY TO FIND! Husband comes out of Wal-Mart with the Monkey. Apparently, while I was obsessed with my Fountain Coke, he had set the Monkey on the trash can at Subway. Thank God it was still there. Whew! Crisis averted. Then we got home and we were locked out of the house. Husband had to crawl in the kitchen window. When all was said and done, it was about 11:30.

SO, what did we learn?
1) The Monkey stays in the car from now on.
2) When one sets a toy down, one should make sure it's set on something we're taking with us.
3) When one returns a house key to Husbands key chain, one should make sure she hasn't put it on hers instead. Oops.
4) Our Friday nights have forever changed.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Why We'd Starve If It Weren't For Drive Thru's

For Christmas, Husband and I got a SWEET Kitchen-Aid mixer. You know, the kind all of the Food Network personalities have and the kind that makes you jealous when you see it sitting on top of my refrigerator. Anyway, you can't just make any old thing with this mixer... NO, it has to be special. No instant puddings or sub-par cakes here, no sir. So, it has taken us this long (count it - Two Months) to make something with this mixer and it goes something like this:

THURSDAY 10:00AM
Husband: I think I'm going to make some bread today.
Me: What kind?
Husband: Italian. Maybe put some pepperoni in it.
Me: Well, we have flour, yeast and sugar. You'll have to buy the pepperoni. And some cheese.
Husband: Why cheese?
Me: Don't you want cheese?
Husband: No.
Me: Then you're eating alone.

THURSDAY 11:00AM
Husband: Okay, I can't find a recipe for Italian bread. So, I'll make French bread. What is cornmeal and why do I need it?
Me: Um, I think they only use cornmeal to keep dough from sticking. Omit it.
Husband: Do we have a rolling pin?
Me: No. Use a beer bottle. Wait - why are you rolling anything out? Don't you just punch it?
Husband: I don't know. Look online for me.
Me: I'm working. But here, here's a recipe for Italian bread. Wait, we don't have a breadmaker. Just use the French Bread recipe and omit the cornmeal and use a beer bottle for the rolling pin.
Husband: Can we buy a rolling pin this weekend?
Me: I'll add it to the list.

THURSDAY 12:00PM
Husband: Okay, I have to go to the grocery store. I need pepperoni. What else do you need?
Me: Bread and Milk.
Husband: I'm making bread.
Me: Humor me. Also - pick up some cheese. And here's a coupon for the pepperoni.

THURSDAY 12:30PM
Husband calls: Hey, they have Pepsi on sale, buy one get one free.
Me: What's the limit?
Husband: I'll call you back.
5 MINUTES LATER
Husband: Limit three offers.
Me: Okay, get six.
Husband: What kind? Three of yours and three of mine?
Me: No, two of yours, two of mine, one Regular Pepsi and one Mountain Dew to keep for other people.
Husband: I prefer coke.
Me: I prefer free.

THURSDAY 1:30PM
Husband arrives back from grocery store.
Me: Did you use your pepperoni coupon?
Husband: No, I forgot.
Me: Did you get cheese.
Husband: SHIT! Do you want me to go back?
Me: No... didn't you have a list?
Husband: Yes.
Me: Weren't there, like, four items on it?
Husband: Yes, but I was so excited about the BOGO soda pop, I forgot about the cheese.

THURSDAY 2:00PM
Husband is waiting for dough to rise
Kitchen smells like a brewery


THURSDAY 4:00PM
Me: I really need you to run to the bank.
Husband: Okay - Want to try my bread?
Me: Okay. Wow, tastes way better than it looks.
Husband: I know, right?
Husband: I have two pepperoni rolls in the oven. Check them and tell me what you think.
Me: They look pretty good. Probably should cut a slit in them so they don't burst.
Husband: Could ya? And could you brush an egg wash on them too?
Me: Sure... anything else?

THURSDAY 4:30PM
Me: I really need you to run to the bank before it closes.
Husband: Try my pepperoni roll.
Me: Mmmm, tasty. Especially since you found some cheese to add to it.
Husband: Yeah, you were right.

THURSDAY 5:15PM
Husband returns from bank
Me: I ate some more pepperoni roll. It really is very good.
Husband: So, is this dinner?
Me: I guess.

THURSDAY 10:00PM
Husband: I'm hungry.
Me: We're out of pepperoni roll.
Husband: Want Taco Bell?
Me: Only if you go get it.
Husband: I made breakfast, lunch and dinner today! Why do I have to go get it?
Me: Just because it TOOK you through three mealtimes to make a loaf of bread does NOT mean you MADE three meals. By the way - how much flour did you use?
Husband: Most of the bag. We'll need a new bag in a few days when I make more bread.
Me: You know the irony? The bag of flour is the same price as a loaf of bread.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Under Achieving

I know a lot of women who've had babies recently (as in, less than a year ago), a lot of them first time moms, like me. So, what are they doing that I'm not? Why can't I keep my shit together? If it's not trying to stay on top of bills, it's grocery shopping, it's house cleaning, it's car maintenance, it's taking a pay cut, it's Husband being on unpaid medical leave, it's working multiple jobs... you know what it's not? It's not updating my Blog, Twitter, MySpace or Facebook accounts. It's not shaving my legs or actually getting to dry my hair all the way BEFORE I throw it back. It's not keeping up with emptying my camera regularly and forwarding the latest and greatest pics. It's not writing to my son as I want to. It's not going on Playdates. It's not having that Date Night with Husband. It's not going back to school now that I have FINALLY figured out what I want to be when I grow up (a Lactation Consultant in case you were wondering).

But you know what else it IS? It's being a rocking chair, it's being the best singer on the planet, it's being a photographer, it's being a comedian, it's being goofy, it's being a refrigerator, it's being a teacher, it's knowing which songs instantly stop the crying (ABC's and Itsy-Bitsy), it's being the keeper of info for every detail everyday about the consistency and frequency of the poo's in my house, it's making sure that ALL of the grandparents have the opportunity to form a relationship. It's being full of mixed emotions. I know who I am, I choose to be what I am, I enjoy it and resent it all at the same time. Compromising what I want to do with what needs to be done 20 hours a day is exhausting and unfulfilling... but there is nothing, NOTHING that can wipe those feelings away like looking at this face:



and knowing, without a doubt, without even the briefest of hesitations, that this little person brings me more fulfillment and more satisfaction in one little smile, than any amount of time to myself could EVER provide. I look at this face and I can't understand why I ever wanted to leave the house. I see him and I realize that EVERY DAY of his life, I have smiled and I have laughed and I can't guarantee that that has happened at any other time in my life. I see his face light up when I walk into a room and I realize that I am just as important to him as he is to me. That he is my breath, my blood, my life, my heart and my soul and that hairy legs and damp hair might just be my price to pay for being blessed enough to experience such love and warmth and joy every single day.

And I believe people when they say it gets easier, I do. But I still wonder how these other first-time-mommy-bitches are managing to update their Internetz shit. Pfft. Overachievers...

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

30 Days At 30

I've been 30 for 30 days. I do feel different, but I am not entirely convinced it's because of I've entered a new decade of my life.

Do you know what I did last night? I was outside late at night, the snow was coming down and I was appreciating the way the whole neighborhood looks brighter with all the white roofs. And it's so quiet. I enjoyed it.

Of course, I was freezing my non-existent balls off praying for the fucking weather to turn into sunshine and summer when I had to scrape the ice and snow off of all of my windows this morning. But it was nice last night.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Here I Am, Once Again... (not torn into pieces just yet)

Somewhere in my foggy brain is the self-induced expectation that I can't create a new Post without spending HOURS compiling all of things I've wanted to say in the last 10 weeks 5 days.

I am now realizing that nothing is as I expect and so FUCK IT! Here I am. I would love to catch up on the wonderfulness of being a new Mommy and tell you how fucking perfect my son is... but I've decided, rather, to skip over some of that (only for now) in an effort to get back in to the habit of typing my happy ass off for reasons unrelated to my job.

I have returned to work. I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home four days a week. Although I have been in the office 3 days this week. Hmmm... new math sucks.

More on the pity-party that is my financial situation another day. For now, it's Friday and I'm trying to keep things in perspective. I can do this one of two ways: Find the good and positive in things OR dwell on others misfortune so that my shit doesn't seem so bad.

I'm a cynic and, therefore, I choose to dwell.....tick....tock....hrumph. As I sit here trying to think of others misfortune with which to dwell upon, all that comes to mind is some of my own shit. UGH! Okay, let me try the good and positive point of view...I have my health. My family is safe and warm. My bedtime always comes. That's about it.

I watched last nights Barbara Walters special. I can't stand to listen to Michael Phelps speak, so I fast forwarded past that. Rush Limbaugh enjoys getting people all fired up, so I won't even entertain the idea of describing how much I loathe him. I wouldn't want to make him happy. Tom Cruise is trying to calm his crazy down... that's nice to see. I like to look at Miley Cyrus... I do. She's gorgeous. And funny to boot. Will Smith rocks. Tina Fey is spectacular. Sarah Palin was the best decision John McCain made in an effort to help Obama win. The actor in the new Nixon movie looked old as I fast forwarded past him. Thomas the pregnant man is pregnant again. Jesus! Let your body heal dude. (PS - As long as the baby is loved and cared for, I don't give a shit how she got here or what the internal workings of her father/birth mother are) And then... the man who makes me cry when he speaks. GOBAMA BABY! I forgot to record last weeks interview with him, but Babwa Wa-Wa's asked him if he thought people were expecting too much out of him. I am. And so are my friends.

I have discovered television on YouTube. I mean, I always knew I could find clips of programming and stand up comics and funny videos, but I just found out I can watch full episodes of stuff (in ten minute increments, of course). My most recent viewings: Intervention: Allison, Intervention: Emily and the E! True Hollywood Story of Home Improvement. Yeah, I'm random like that. So, if you have any programs to recommend, I'm all eyes.