As Dave and i were finishing up dinner on evening recently, I was casually flipping through a Yankee Candle catalog when I came across a candle named "Wedding Day." Not really expecting any answer from Dave, I asked out loud, "I wonder what Wedding Day smells like?" to which he replied, without missing a beat or even looking up, "Fear." God, I love that man.
Things have been going really well, lately. I have been one three interviews, none of which turned into job offers, but I have really enjoyed the time away from the stress and routine of working a full-time corporate job. No longer am I feeling embarrassed about being let go from a job that I wasn't even very happy with, but didn't realize it until I was forced to give it up. I miss a few of the people I used to work with, but that's it. Time to move on.
Things that I've been doing to occupy my time since involuntarily becoming a house-wife.
1) Remodeling. I am really good at painting! I tore all of the wallpaper off the guest bathroom one day in a very impulsive (and very Chelle-like) move. Afterwards, the dry wall was in rough shape, so Dave put a skim-coat of joint compound on it, but after applying two coats of paint, I decided it still looked rough. So I decided to add sand to the paint! For texture! To cover up all of the dings and uneven spots on the walls (there were a lot) and what do you know? Corporate America had not sucked all of the creativity out of my soul as I had feared! The sand makes a nice subtle texture and adds a little something to a bathroom that has been decorated in a mosh-posh of beach and garden themes.
2) Exercise. Forcing yourself to workout isn't nearly as difficult when you aren't exhausted from working full-time. Who knew? I've been running, walking the dogs, lifting light weights and plan to start the 30 Day Shred program soon. I decided to put it off until after my sister-in-law's visit next week. That way I do not embarrass myself by having to exercise in front of her.
3) Travel. I have been to Florida three (3!) times since May. Once to pet sit for the grandparents for about a week, and twice to help my mom set-up, then immediately dismantle a third grade classroom (long story).
4) Reading. I had forgotten how nice it was to sit and read for a spell. In the past 3 months, I have re-read the entire Harry Potter series. I got confused after seeing the latest movie, so I decided I needed a refresher. I've also been reading a bunch of romance novels that mom keeps sending/giving to me, but I doubt anybody really wants details on those.
I am currently being stared at by three very hungry cats, so I better go start feeding the menagerie. Wishing you and yours a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!
It smells like fear, but it's not really
I do solemnly swear that I am up to no good
I have been drowning in work lately and it is beginning to wear on me quite a bit. L left the middle of December and I keep asking when she will be replaced, only to be put off again and again. I finally had it this week and went over my direct supervisor's head to the President of the company. I don't know why, but my supervisor is intimidated by our president. Some of his excuses for putting off requesting a new assistant for me:
1. We are going to wait until after the holidays. (10 weeks ago)
2. I'll talk to Mr. B about it after the convention. (3 weeks ago)
3. I'll talk to Mr. B about it when he is in a better mood. (Used several times)
4. I know! I'll talk to Mr. B's son about it and he can present the idea to his dad. (WTF? 1 week ago)
5. Haven't had a chance to bring it up. (Monday)
It was excuse number five that finally pushed me past my patience threshold. As soon as those words left my supervisor's mouth, I looked at him and said not to worry about it, that I'd request a meeting with Mr. B that afternoon. And I did. The meeting lasted 10 minutes and I am getting an assistant, finally! But now my supervisor is MAD at me. As in avoiding me and barely speaking to me at all. So professional, don't you think?
In other news, I am having surgery next week to correct an issue that may be preventing me from being able to get pregnant. It isn't that big of a deal, being outpatient and all, but I do not like to be cut on so I am a little bit nervous. I hope they give me some really good drugs that knock me right out. I do not want to know what is going on in that operating room.
Dave came home on Wednesday, only to turn right back around and leave again on Thursday. He has a Scottish Games in Jacksonville and rode down with someone who has family there and wanted to take a long weekend to visit with them. I hope he has fun, but I wish he'd come home to stay already (he'll be back on Sunday, so my whining is just me being whiny).
I am going to an Ellis Paul concert this weekend with L. I can't wait to see her smiling face; I've missed her.
Now, it's back to work for me. I admit I am excited to see how this political storm I've initiated plays out. It's just wait and see time - will my supervisor get over it and get me some help now that the position has been approved? All I can say is, my part here is done. Mischief Managed!
Home is where the fur is
I'm back at work after a week away at the large exhibition and convention that my company participates in every year. I have so much to do and I am trying to tackle one thing at a time, but I keep allowing myself to become distracted. I have a new neighbor that moved into L's old office when she left to start a teaching gig. This new neighbor is not to replace her, oh no. It is, instead, another sales rep...another person who constantly relies on me as the sole sales and marketing support person for three separate companies. He has an annoying habit of kicking or tapping the wall between our two offices and it is starting to drive me insane. As if this job isn't enough to cause my dive into the deep end. I am trying to listen to Coldplay to drown out the tapping and help keep me on the task of entering the information for business contacts from the large pile of business cards collected at the trade show. I have discovered one thing I am terrible at: data entry. I think I'd rather smash my fingers in a car door than type out all of the information contained on these little rectangular pieces of paper. Data entry + intermittent tapping = one shitty Monday.
The trade show was held in Las Vegas and as much as I love seeing new places, I was really ready to come home after such a long time away. I was able to spend one of my days away visiting with a very dear friend and her new puppy, so that was my silver lining. On the last night in Vegas, I rode the rides on top of the Stratosphere and did not die, so that is also a bonus. I'm the one who suggested that craziness, thinking no one would be game. Boy was I wrong, and even trying to play the "I-can't-afford-it" ticket did me no good, since my coworker who was so gung-ho just bought my ticket for me. I need to learn to keep my fool mouth shut; it's forever getting me into trouble.
I spent all day yesterday watching movies and resting. I need about three more days of that; alas it is Monday and I am back at work and day-dreaming about my plans for the evening. I am going to try to force myself to take the dogs for a walk when I get home. I need to start exercising again and the dogs sure do need to let loose some of their pent up energy. They were plastered to me like a bad rash yesterday and I'll admit, I let them snuggle with me on the couch while we vegged out. I miss those numbskulls when I am away from them for too long.
It's funny how each of my pets reacts differently to my return. The two most affected by my absence seemed to be the eldest: Leo and Kaylee. Leo was meowing his fool head off, probably trying to tell me the bad things his siblings did while I was gone. And Kaylee is just so emotional; she takes everything personally and I think she was afraid that if she let me out of her sight, I'd vanish again for a week. Poor kids.
In other news, Dave is out of town until the end of the month. I love the quiet and solitude at first, but the loneliness starts to set in by week two. Luckily I have a lot of books to catch up on and I may just take a trip down to Florida one of these weekends he is away.
A month's hiatus
Has it really been a month since I last posted? It's hard to believe that time goes by so quickly. I blame it on the recession. Or maybe I was subconsciously boycotting NaBloPoMo for the month of November. Who knows? Here's a list of what I've been up too during the past 30 days:
1. I made a bunch of ornaments from miniature flower pots, paint, wooden hearts, florists wire, elastic cord, and buttons. Then I mailed them to friends. On time, even!
2. I stopped riding the motorcycle. It is so damn cold and I have heated seats in my car, so really it was an easy decision.
3. I taught a few of the topics in our contractor training at work! If you need to know how to repair a pipe penetration using oakum, I'm your gal.
4. I saw Coldplay in concert for Free. I am not kidding. One of my coworkers received free tickets from a friend who is a TBS bigwig and he didn't have anyone to go with. So I volunteered! And Coldplay was so good I wanted to take the whole band home with me.
5. I joined a group about giving thanks on Flickr and it has been so much fun seeing what everyone is thankful for in their lives. Check it out!
6. I finished my Christmas shopping for the in-laws and the package made it to their house before Thanksgiving. If you know me, you know this is unprecedented. I am usually a master procrastinator, so I'm not sure what got into me this year.
7. Thanksgiving came and went! Dave had to work, so we just laid low for the holiday. We ate at a buffet-style restaurant that I like to call the Golden Trough (real name: The Golden Corral). I didn't have to cook and I was really very thankful for that.
8. I bought new boots and so far, I love them.
9. I saw Kristian Bush (from the country duo Sugarland) in concert with Lisa Carver and Ellis Paul at Eddie's Attic in Decatur. Such a great venue...small, intimate with good food and drinks. I got to shake KB's hand and tell him how much I enjoyed the show. That is probably the closest I will ever come to a celebrity and I will tell you this, I would not have recognized him had I walked past him on the street. I am so oblivious to that kind of thing.
10. I am planning a trip to Michigan to see my friend Traci. In December. When it will most likely be snowing. I will be wearing my ski suit the entire time I am there, even for sleeping because I DO NOT like to be cold. I can't help it, I'm from Florida.
The End. (See, you really didn't miss much at all!)
And now we return to our regularly scheduled programming
This weekend was so so busy and fun. There was Halloween night, where we dressed up to hand out candy to the 15 trick or treaters that came to our door before we had to leave to head downtown to meet friends at a local restaurant that was hosting a Monster Bash for Halloween. Dave dressed as an undertaker and I was his fairy assistant, complete with pointy ears and wings. We met up with Oscar the Grouch, Dr. Feelgood, Catwoman, The Queen of the Nile, A Mime, and others. There was drinking, eating, and dancing. We got home around 4 am and slept in late.
On Saturday morning, we spent the day piddling around, finally deciding to go watch the Gators kick some Bulldog butt when our neighbor came over and invited us to be a part of his Halloween party that night. So we dressed up again...this time I was a witch...and we headed down the street. The neighbor had made a haunted trail behind his house and Dave and I got to participate in the scaring. Dave hid in a tree and jumped out at people and I got to be one of the trail guides. It was a lot of fun and we are planning to do it again next year. Saturday night we moved all the clocks back an hour and enjoyed an extra hour of sleep. The neighbor had invited us to join him and some of his friends on bike ride to the local swap meet, so off we went.
I got to experience my first ride in a pack of other bikes and it was so much fun. I also scored some lined leather chaps and winter gloves for $45 ($65 if you add in the $20 it cost us to get in to the swap meet.) On the way back from the swap meet, we left the pack and went to meet Dad for a ride to Lake Jackson. We had lunch with Dad and then came right back to the house. Total miles covered: 100. My longest ride yet. I am quickly improving, now that I am riding the bike to work everyday, and it is beginning to be a lot of fun. Now I just need a bigger bike so it's a little easier to keep up! I also need a day of relaxation to recover from my busy weekend...so jealous of Dave for having today off.
Have fuel, will travel
So I'm not sure if you've heard, but Atlanta is running out of gas. Literally. Dave and I didn't do much over the weekend because of the gas crisis. But we were able to completely finish the bedroom renovations and we've moved out of the guest room. I went through all of my clothes and Dave went through a lot of his and we now have four huge trash bags full of donations for the local Goodwill. I am through with keeping clothes that I may someday be able to fit back into or that may come back into style. I am fighting the pack rat gene and so far, I'm winning.
Besides all of the cleaning and organizing I was able to accomplish, this weekend's gas shortage had another positive influence. Twitter's real-time messaging service was elevated to a whole new level when Atlantans started using it to let each other know where to find gas, and even what grades were available, how much the station was charging, and how long one could expect to wait in line at that station. The search tag #atlgas was added to these tweets to make it easier for others in the Metro Atlanta area to find fuel. I think at one time, the #atlgas tag was ranked fourth in the trending topics on Twitter, which at that time, placed it in a position above tweets about the bailout.
Speaking of the bailout, I am ready to hole up in my house and wait for teh storm to be over. The economy is not looking so good and all I can do is hope that our politicians know what they are doing when it comes to this plan to bail out the financial institutions that are failing fast. I also hope that the bailout doesn't allow those responsible for this fiscal mess to walk away scot-free and with millions of dollars of profits in their pockets, especially if the middle class is going to be taxed with providing the 700 billion needed for this bailout. Life can be so unfair sometimes; I hope this isn't one of those times.
But I am going to try and put all of the nation's crises out of my head for the time being, even if I have to play this song over and over in order to accomplish some semblance of inner tranquility. I have a full tank of gas and I'm ready to leave all my troubles behind. Beach vacation with friends, here I come!
On Fall, bathing suits and home improvement
Today is the first day of fall and this morning's chilliness definitely announced the end of summer, like a punch in the gut. It's also officially the second half of my work day and I am so tired and hungry. Maybe I should eat something?
I am hoping that a cold front is not scheduled for the first weekend of October. I have my last hurrah of summer beach trip planned and I want to be able to wear my new swimsuit. I made the mistake of trying on swimsuits late last night, since I couldn't sleep anyway, and discovered that most of mine are either too small or make me look like I am trying to be 21 years old all over again. So I got online when I first got to work this morning and bought this one. If it fits. (Please fit.) My size is fluctuating so much lately, that I am having a hard time figuring out what size to buy. I spent all day Saturday going through my clothes and now have 3 big black trash bags full to give to Goodwill. I don't know why I have been hanging on to stuff I used to wear in high school (hello, 10 year reunion that is coming up next year!). I do not think I will ever be that size again, so I was cut throat this weekend and got rid of a lot of things that I used to love. When they still fit.
This weekend was also spent cleaning out our hallway closet and finishing up our master bedroom. Dave installed the baseboards and I applied two coats of polyurethane to them. I painted the closet in that room, too. Now all we need to do is apply one light coat of paint to the entire room and closet and we'll be able to move back in. I can hardly wait until I get to sleep in my king sized bed again. If I get up in the middle of the night for any reason at all, Dave immediately rolls over and claims the entire full-sized guest bed for himself and I have to fight my way back in.
Two Important Updates:
1. My grandma is doing so much better. She's been staying with my mom since she got out of the hospital last week and I know that must be frustrating for both of them. I think she will be moving back into her little cottage very soon and she'll be back to her old tricks, as long as she takes her medication like a good girl.
2. I have kept to my exercising-during-my-lunch-break plan and it is going well. When it is too hot to walk, we have been doing yoga in an empty office using this site. I highly recommend it for people who do not have the time or inclination to go to a yoga studio (like me!) and would prefer to practice on their own time and at their own pace. At $10 a month, it's a very reasonable way to exercise.
Life is a highway
It's turning cooler in the mornings and I am beginning to dress more warmly before I leave the house. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to ride the bike, but I plan to continue as long as I can. I am going to have to invest in some thermal underwear and some warmer gloves.
I almost ran out of gas on my way to work. I forgot that Dave and I had gone to dinner on the bikes this week, so the tank that usually lasts all week didn't. I stopped at a station near the house that is completely out of gas, except for premium. That's been a problem around here since hurricane Ike shut down the oil refineries in Houston. I think Atlanta gets its entire fuel supply from Houston. I missed the panic where everyone was fighting to fill up over the weekend, since I was in Florida. I'm sure things will be back to normal before too long, but it's interesting to see how people behave when there is a shortage of something as crucial as fuel. It makes me appreciate the bike that much more...2 gallons and I've got a full tank!
As I was riding to work this morning, I was thinking of all of the things I've learned in the last few months of riding. So as soon as I got to my desk, I decided to write them out:
—Learn to be flexible and ready to shift into another gear or swerve around a problem at a moments notice.
—Forget about the road you've already traveled. If you mess up a little, mentally shake it off and just keep on going.
—Be aware of the road directly in front of you, but don't keep your eyes there. Keep your chin up and your eyes pointed forward. You will be a better rider if you are always looking toward where you want to be.
—Loosen up. Tension will just cause your ride to be shaky and your mind to become preoccupied with what could go wrong. The bike wants to move, so let it.
—Don't think too hard about how the bike is able to work the way it does, just appreciate that it works.
—Don't think too much about how fast the ground is moving underneath you. And whatever you do, don't look down.
—Don't panic. If you do, don't grab the brake for a full-stop or you'll end up hurting yourself and the bike. Pull in the clutch and just glide until you get your bearings.
—Wear protection. Even if it's uncomfortable, it'll save your skin.
—Baby the bike. Feed it the best fuel possible, check the tires and brakes often. If you take care of your ride, it will handle so much better, making the ride that much more enjoyable.
—The biggest hazard that you have to worry about is other people. Be confident in your own abilities, but be cautious of the intentions of other drivers. Learn to read them and be ready to anticipate what they are going to do before they do it.
Is it just me, or can almost all of these tips also be applied to living life?
A man and his dog
Dave and Prue are busy working on the floor today. The sanding is almost done and that will leave staining and sealing and then it will be finished. And none too soon, since there is a major hurricane heading toward the Gulf of Mexico and, quite possibly, the panhandle of Florida where a lot of my family lives. We may need to move out of the spare bedroom sooner than we thought. I am hoping to be able to talk my mom and grandmother into coming up here if Hurricane Ike looks like it will be targeting the panhandle and we'll need all the spare room we can get.
So far, today has been busy. We went to Lowe's to rent a sander early this morning only to get it home and have it not work. Figures. So we took it back, along with about $60 worth of sandpaper. Dave actually had to explain that the sander did not work and ask for his money back to the same clerk that had rented it to him. I guess she just assumed that he had sanded his floor really really fast and that he was turning it back in. After an hour. It made me miss those little mom and pop hardware stores where you actually got to talk to someone who knew what they were talking about and also where you could count on good customer service. At Lowe's, you pretty much have to fight for your rights as a customer and service is usually mediocre at best.
So, after returning the broken sander to Lowe's, we went to a privately owned tool rental place where we got really great customer service. And the rental was not only cheaper, but we get to keep it thru Monday even though we are technically renting it for one day because this location is closed on Sundays. We will definitely be renting from there again in the future and I will make it my mission to get Dave to shop at smaller, privately owned hardware stores and not at corporate chains. If we can find any near our house, that is. They seem to be a dying breed and that makes me really sad for the future of this country.
Isn't it ironic.
We had a busy holiday weekend and alls I can say is, I'm glad we had Monday off or I may not have made it.
Friday I had to work, but Dave had the day off. Since my friend Jill and her family were driving up from Jacksonville, I asked Dave if he wouldn't mind cleaning up the house a bit before their arrival around the time I was to get home from work. He mentioned plans to work on a throwing implement for his Scottish Games Competition on Saturday, but said he'd straighten later. Guess what that translated to? When I walked in at 5, the only room that had been straightened was the garage...which, I guess according to any man, is the most important room in the house. I could have throttled Dave, but I didn't have time, since I got to speed clean after calling Jill and finding out they were 15 minutes from our house. I have never cleaned that fast in my life and I hope I never have to again. And you better believe Dave helped.
We went to dinner with Jill and her husband and 2 year-old daughter and they left to continue their trip to the north end of Atlanta to visit family. I couldn't offer them the spare room unfortunately since Dave and I were using it while finishing the floor in the master bedroom. But I did offer to keep their dog for them and Hershey is so well behaved, we barely knew she was there. Except for the times when my dog Prue kept trying to instigate a fight with Hershey.
On Saturday, Dave and I headed up to the north Georgia mountains for the Appalachian Celtic Festival and Highland Games. He competed with the more advanced group this time while I kept score for the group he used to compete with. I didn't really get to watch him, but I know he got 5th place out of 7. Not bad, considering he was competing against two of the top ranked guys in the nation. I had fun keeping score for a judge who was from Scotland. Man, those accents are sexy!
We didn't get home until late on Saturday and luckily, I did not have to call Jill and tell her my dog had killed her dog. Prue and Hershey seemed to have worked out their differences and become best friends in our absence. Weirdos. We made plans to get together with Jill and her family the next day, along with a friend of mine who is a single mother to a 2 year-old daughter. We ended up going to an art festival at Grant Park in downtown Atlanta and had a great time watching the kids wear themselves out.
On Monday I did nothing in my attempt to recover from all of the activity of the previous couple of days. I love days like that where you have no where to go and can just relax. Dave was bored and kept complaining about it, so I finally hinted to him that the lawn needed mowed so that kept him occupied for a while.
I really do not understand people who complain about being bored. I can always find something to keep me occupied, whether I am reading a book, watching tv, playing on the computer or even daydreaming. Dave drives me crazy with his constant need to be entertained and his inability to sit still for longer than a few minutes at a time.
Late Monday afternoon, Jill and her family came to pick up Hershey and they headed back to Jacksonville. I still think it's ironic that she has kept planning to visit and them putting it off for the three years we've been here, but the few weeks we decide to do major renovations to our bedroom, she finalizes her plans. Guess that's just the way things work sometimes.
Oh, and another funny irony...a car cut us off on the interstate as we were heading to dinner the other night. The vanity plate read: Godlike. The Universe sure has a warped sense of humor!
I did have to call my mom on Monday morning as hurricane Gustav was hitting the gulf coast of Louisianna. A tornado touched down 6 miles from where she lives, but she was still asleep and didn't even know about it! I woke her up and insisted she stay informed about what was going on. Geez, you'd think that a hurricane hitting near you would cause a little bit of concern, but I guess she is used to them. It's so much harder for me to watch all the action on tv now instead of riding it out with those that I love. I hate living so far away from my hometown, especially during hurricane season.
Careful, she tends to wander
I have finally gotten a chance to breathe at work, so I have time to update. L has not been feeling well lately - her wisdom teeth are really bothering her - so I've been carrying the department for the past couple of weeks. She gets them out on Saturday, so hopefully things will be back to normal next week.
My little bro had a birthday yesterday, and I forgot to call him. I don't think he'll be upset, but I'm going to call him as soon as I get home tonight. I have written this on my hand in red Sharpie marker so I will not forget again.
And now, a funny story:
When I was very young, I had the bad habit of wandering away from my mom in stores. I was so short, that in order to locate her, I would look for strollers, because she would usually be pushing my brother around while browsing. On more than on occasion, I would latch on to the nearest stroller, eventually looking up to realize that the woman pushing the stroller was not my mom. So off I'd go to find her.
Well, I have not outgrown this bad habit, as I proved while grocery shopping with Dave the other day. He was pushing the cart and picking out green peppers right next to me, while I was browsing the bagged salad choices. My decision being made, I placed the lettuce mixture into the cart. And heard a "Hi," causing me to look up at Dave. Only it wasn't Dave. Or the cart he had been pushing. I made my apologies, grabbed my salad and scurried off to find Dave. Mortifying! I finally located Dave and told him what had happened and he laughed and asked if he needed to hold my hand so I wouldn't get lost or go home with the wrong guy. hahaha. My new tag-line: Keep an eye on that one, she wanders.
*****
We took all five animals to my Mom's house over the 4th of July holiday. I am impressed with how well-behaved everyone was while in the car for over 5 hours. Gavin and Leo were a little impatient with one another a couple of times, and Colin got carsick on the way down to mom's, but that was it for problems. I think it helped that they were all in carriers: three cats in a medium-sized crate and two dogs in their big crate.
I was able to visit with family I have not seen in a while. It's always a little strange because I do not have much in common with the majority of my family. I do not think we would associate with one another if we weren't related. Plus, living so far away and not seeing them often always makes it awkward when we do get together. I am glad I got to see them, though.
We stayed home last weekend and tried to clean house a little bit. We hadn't done much of anything since Dave's parents left, so it was high-time to get our butts in gear. I will be doing the same tonight, since Mom will be here from Florida this weekend. She is flying out to California to visit Chris for a (slightly late) birthday celebration. This will be the first time that Mom has ever visited Chris and I think it will be good for both of them. Although, I really hope he cleans at least a little bit before she gets there.
Well, that's it for an update. Soon I will be sharing info about our garden and whether or not I passed the motorcycle driving test. Wish me luck!
A few random things...
I have been busy, internet, and I've been neglectful in my blog updating. But yesterday Kaylee had another seizure. She is fine; she snapped right out of it after a few minutes, just like the last time. I remembered that I recorded the first two instances on this here little blog, so I figured I'll just use my blog to keep track of her seizures from here on out.
Okay, now that the bad news is over with...here are five fun things I have been up to:
1. I finally saw Sex in the City and I'll admit, it was pretty good. A lot better than I expected it to be, since the reviews have been so mixed. I actually enjoyed the story and felt that the writer(s) did a good job of keeping it real. My only complaint is how much of a bad guy they made Miranda, but whatever. It really doesn't bother me that much. Dave went to it with me, but only because he did something that I could have held over his head for a very long time and he used this movie as a way to make me promise never to mention the incident again. So, I will make good on my promise and not even mention what he did here. But I wish I could because it was golden blogging material!
2. I have now seen all of the Bourne movies and I like them. The Bourne Ultimatum is my favorite. Are they coming out with a fourth one? I really hope they are. I love me some Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. Or David Webb. Or whoever he wants to be, really.
3. I have read three books in the past week or so and I am currently working on Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. So far so good! The one I just finished was the fourth book in Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas series. I thin kit is called Odd Hours. Originally, I tried to check it out at my local library, but they take forever to get new books. The library man said a lot of people had been asking about that one, so I decided to donate it when I was done reading it. I'm so glad I did, but I wish they had counted it toward my late fees.
4. I have become something of a bad ass at Assassins Creed. I am not much of a gamer, but Chris bought me this game a while back and I just never made the time to play it. So now that gas costs a fortune and I can't afford to go anywhere or do anything fun that requires spending money, I am searching for entertainment closer to home. And I have discovered that playing video games is a cheap thrill. And so is assassinating people, apparently.
5. I am now riding the motorcycle to and from work every day. And I rode it to the library. I am getting to the point where I am actually enjoying riding and am no longer fearing for my life every time I gear up. Of course, it has been in the 90's around here lately, so that kind of takes some of the fun out of it. Motorcycle gear is hot. (Haha, I typed hott, at first. I guess it's that, too.) I just keep telling myself, 70 mpg!
he's always a winner to me
We went to another Scottish Games, this time in Blairesville, GA. The weather was rainy, then it wasn't. But it wasn't hot, and this was a good thing. Dave placed in every event, and finally claimed first place overall in his division. The best part: I got to take the winner home with me.
He's not heavy, he's my brother
Chris is safely back in California and my in-laws are in the air as I type this. I had so much fun with my brother and I wish he didn't live so far away.
He got here after midnight on a Tuesday and left on the earliest flight the following Wednesday. On his weekend, he decided to drive down to Florida to visit mom. I took a sick day and rode along with him. We only stayed a weekend and weekends go by so fast. We helped mom with a few chores around the house that she just can't do anymore. Like cutting down tree branches that were damaging her roof. Chris climbed up onto the roof in flip flops and shorts. I told him it was unsafe, but he never listens.
My older brother is becoming more of a recluse than ever. He only drove down from the city twice to see Chris. Only the first visit was any fun. The second, he wasn't feeling well and left soon after he arrived. On Chris's last night here, he didn't even make an effort at all. I feel uncharitable when I get so annoyed with him, but I don't understand how someone can not even try, always expecting everyone else to bend bend bend. I don't feel close to breaking, but I am tired of being so flexible.
I got to go on a bike ride with Chris while he was here. He gave me a few pointers and said I was doing really well for a beginner. I am glad Dave trusted Chris to ride his new bike. I think that was one of the highlights of Chris's trip. I know it was one of my favorite things.
I also put Chris to work during his visit. He came to eat lunch with me at work everyday, and on his last day, we did this:
Chris is a really good sport. I needed a photo for an ad for our manhole security product. The premise of the ad is keeping unauthorized personnel out of manholes. Chris offered to be the model (and the muscle) and we got a good photo for the ad. And we had a great time while doing it. Oh, the jokes that were flying around during this photo shoot!
I miss Chris and hope he moves close to me and Dave when he gets out of the Navy. He is mellow and fun and easy to be around. It's always hard to watch him leave, especially when he is so unhappy in the Navy and disappointed with where he lives. Only one more year. I hope he can hang on that long.
I'm looking forward to the next group of visitors. The house has been cleaned, the dogs bathed, the garage straightened, so I think we are ready. Now, if only I had about a day or two to catch up on my sleep!
The Right Regrets
Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets.
— Arthur Miller
Gavin is back at the vet this morning. But it is a NEW vet, who is already proving to be way more competent than the one I've been taking my animals to for almost three years.
The entire time I've been going to the old vet, I have had this nagging feeling that something didn't feel quite right. I attributed this feeling to moving to Atlanta and finding a vet to replace the awesome one I had back in Florida. I figured I was experiencing growing pains and that I'd get used to the new place and the nagging feelings would disappear. Well, I was wrong and Gavin's case has proved that I should always listen to that little voice that is telling me "something's not right."
Yesterday, Gavin's symptoms had returned with a vengeance, so I decided to take him back to the vet...the old vet...because I figured they had already done a bunch of tests and they were close to the house and on the way to work, etc. I dropped him off and went to work and waited for the vet to call with a new prognosis. When the call came, the first words out of the vet's mouth were, "Gavin's not very happy today. He won't let us touch him so we'll have to sedate him in order to re-examine him." This immediately put me on the defensive because Gavin is usually a very sweet and mellow cat. So if his dander is up, it's for a good reason. I told the vet not to do anything until I consulted with Dave. Then I called another clinic and made Gavin an appointment for later that day.
I took the rest of the day off of work so I could ferry Gavin from the old vet to the new vet. I called the old vet and told them I was picking him up and requested them to fax his records over to the new vet. I was surprised that they did without any argument. Then I picked him up and we spent a lovely two hours at home, calming down from the traumatic experience, before heading to our new appointment.
The new clinic was so much better. It was cleaner. The staff was more professional. The vet and the tech actually took time to let Gavin get to know them, petting him and talking to him before starting the exam. And he was fine; though he was a little bit "argumentative," he didn't try to bite or claw anyone - no sedation required.
The verdict as of right now is that he is constipated. He spent the night so that they could give him an enima and then x-ray him again this morning. I am relieved that it turned out to be something so simple and easily treated. And I am also so angry at the old vet that I could just punch him in the face and I am not an aggressive person at all. I spent two-hundred and sixty dollars last week for them to run all sorts of unnecessary tests that served no purpose in getting him well. I had gotten so worked up over their incompetence, that I felt ill yesterday. They will want to sedate me if I ever step into that office again.
I plan on writing a letter, asking for a refund, especially since I asked the old vet, point blank, if his symptoms could be a result of constipation and he assured me that that couldn't possibly be what was making him throw up. If nothing else, I have at least learned my lesson when it comes to listening to my intuition and trusting my instincts. I was beginning to believe I wouldn't be a good mother someday and that if I couldn't even take care of a cat, how was I ever going to handle kids, blah blah, woe is me. But now I know better.
In which I anger the locals
by displaying this on my vehicle:
The rivalry between Florida and Georgia is so intense, that now lawmakers are trying to take away my shiny, new UF tag:
House votes to stop out-of-state college plates
By BEN SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Published on: 02/21/08
Georgia House members dumped two things off their plates Thursday: Gators and Tigers.
In a 142 to 10 vote, the chamber voted to stop making out-of-state university mascot tags if neighboring states don't return the favor.
"Whatever is good for the goose is good for the gander," said state Rep. Barry Fleming (R-Harlem), speaking with great earnestness on the matter.
Fleming was really talking about Bulldogs. He and the vast majority of his House colleagues think the citizens of the Bulldog nation living in South Carolina, Alabama and Florida, should get mascot tags of their own in those states.
After all, the state of Georgia offers Clemson and Auburn Tiger tags along with those for Florida alumni living in the Peach State.
The Gators fans' response to the House vote was essentially: Grow up.
"Now this is really a joke, isn't it?" said Martha Smith of Norcross. "I've never heard of anything so infantile in my entire life."
Smith, a Georgia Gator tag purchaser said she worked in the University of Florida's athletics department in the 1970s and has a son who attended the institution.
Under the bill, Smith won't have to give up her tag until it needs to be replaced. For Gator alumnus Greg Grillo of Alpharetta, that could be as early as August.
Grillo said he wouldn't be surprised if the Florida Legislature asked for some reciprocity from Georgia on another issue.
Said Grillo, "I heard the Florida Legislature told Georgia to pound salt unless they would allow for Sunday alcohol sales in Georgia."
As of right now, I can only keep my Gator plate until I need to renew in December. Georgia is just determined to continuously irritate me and this is only one more reason why I need to move somewhere else. That, and the law that bans alcohol sales on Sundays. Oh, Florida, how I miss you!
broken
I am still a little sore today from tiling this past weekend. The areas completed this time were the kitchen, hallway, laundry room and foyer. Oh, tiling, I am so over you!
We got a very late start back home Sunday, so I only got three hours of sleep before I had to be up for work on Monday morning. We are having a training class the first two days this week, so I could not take the day off. Plus, I do not have enough vacation days and want to save them for fun stuff, not sleeping. Dave did not have to work, so he was able to sleep in. Lucky bastard.
Last night after work, four of us gals from the office went to a local bar for drinks after work. Since it was St. Patrick's Day, the bar was packed. I drank two green beers in honor of the holiday and got to gossip about office politics. Yay! Our receptionist, B, had a few margaritas and got a teensy bit tipsy. So our drinks after work turned into dinner, which turned into dancing. L and I finally ordered coffee to help everyone sober up and we finally called it a night around 9. Which doesn't seem that late, but we needed to be back at the office at 8am. This morning, I got a call from B saying she wasn't going to be in to work because she thinks she may have broken her wrist. ACK! You see, B is 64 but last night she was partying like a rock star. L and I are both in our twenties and we felt like we were barely keeping up! At one point, B fell on the dance floor and that's when she must have hurt her wrist, but she doesn't remember. She is getting it checked out today and I hope she is okay. But man, what a party!
In Which I Explain How to Avoid Being Arrested on Your Lunch Break
I've got this new plan where I exercise everyday during my lunch break and my marketing assistant and new lunch buddy at work has decided to join me. It's been about a week now and we have faithfully walked or gone to the little gym here at work every day. I didn't dare go into detail about this plan until I was sure it would not crash and burn like so many of my other attempts at exercising regularly.
Yesterday, we decided to walk down to a new subdivision that they are building near the office and L had the great idea that we should try and peek inside the half-a-million-dollar houses that were for sale. We were successfully able to enter three out of the four we tried since the back doors (and one window) had been conveniently left unlocked. We were on our third Unofficial Parade of Homes tour when I asked L, who is not a novice at this kind of thing, if she had ever been caught inside one of the houses she was exploring. Of course she had not, so we continued our perusal of the over-priced home. No more than 10 minutes later, I happened to glance out of one of the upper story windows to see a car parked on the driveway. I turned to L and said something like, "Shit There's Someone Here" as I pushed her out of my way in my desperate haste to Get The Hell Out Of There. And of course this was the house in which we had entered through a window.
We got out of the house without getting caught and were in the backyard trying to decide the best place to enter the woods so we could make our Great Escape, when a woman came out onto the second-story deck and asked, in a somewhat huffy voice, "Can I help you?" And I cheerfully answered, "Well, we were trying to decide where we would put a pool back here." Right...like she totally bought that. She just stood there, looking at us like we were a couple of derelicts, so we casually walked through the backyard to the driveway and down to the street. And would you believe the woman got into her car and followed us?! We just continued our walk, but I was a little disappointed to have to cut our tour short. Climbing all of those stairs is great exercise. As is climbing through windows.
I'm not sure what she would have done had she caught us in the house. And I don't think I want to know, since I have never been arrested and definitely don't want to be handcuffed and thrown into the back of a squad car on my lunch break. Though what a story THAT would make.
The perfect day for lazy
It is raining today and it would be the perfect day to be lazy. Except that it is Friday. And I am at work. I have caught up on everything I had to do and I may just take a break and play on the internetz for the rest of the day. I wish I could read my book at my desk, but I think that would be a little too obvious.
If it keeps raining, I will not be able to practice riding the bike today. But I think I need a little break from Stella. She is probably mad at me, since I panicked on her yesterday and we ended up on the grass in a neighbor's yard. The grass was covered in just enough pine needles to make it slippery and we fell over. Oops! Stella is fine, but my leg is a little bit hurty today. I have the mother of all bruises and am quite proud of it. I have now gotten the falling out of my system, so things will only get progressively better from here. I think I hurt my pride more than anything, since two cars stopped and people got out and asked if I was okay, which is nice, but also slightly embarrassing. I got mad at Dave when he offered to ride my bike back across the street for me. I am all, "I can do it, DAMMIT!"
We were on our way to Publix for dinner groceries. It was my first real outing. I got scared by all of the traffic and after falling, told Dave to go on without me. I zipped back home, like a poor scolded little puppy with its tail between its legs. I told Dave later that I should have been doing the "Eiw, Eiw, Eiw" dog cry on my way home. I DID manage the driveway bump all by myself and parked Stella in the garage. So progress is being made. I just have to remind myself to take smaller steps, and that sometimes, it is okay to feel like a girl.
Plans for this weekend include:
- Going out with the girls in the office (there are only 5 of us) for drinks after work.
- Cleaning house tomorrow. I really need to work on putting away the laundry after I fold it. My job is to fold and put away the clean laundry after Dave throws it all on the bed in our guest room, and lately I have been folding it and just leaving it there as our closet / dresser combo. So lazy! But I have a friend that may need the room tomorrow and she would not appreciate us coming in to pick out our clothes while she is still sleeping.
- Going out with a friend who will be celebrating her 26th birthday tomorrow. She wants to go downtown and check out some clubs. Totally not my scene, but I will go to support her and to act as DD / shuttle bus driver.
- Not sure what we are doing Sunday. It is Dave's birthday, so it will be up to him. I am going to make him a cake! Who am I kidding? I am not a baker so I may end up buying one from our wonderful Publix bakery. But I will be driving there in a car, most definitely.
Oh, on a side note: Dave would make a great blogger. After I fell, he came up and said, "I wish I had a camera. I could document this moment and call it Chelle's first fall...like a little kid." Um, thanks, honey. I love you too.
Weeeee-hooooo
I have had three days of riding Stella and so far so good. I totally missed that kamikaze mailbox that decided to jump out in front of me. And the wobbly starts? That's just how I roll.
I took the written portion of the motorcycle exam yesterday and passed with flying colors. In Georgia, you must take a two-part written exam in order to get a learner's permit to ride. Since I passed, I can now (legally) ride Stella during daylight hours, as long as I don't take her on the interstate or ride with a passenger. I guess that means no more picking up hitchhikers for me. (Kidding, Mom!)
So I gave Dave a month before he caved and bought a bike for himself, right? Well I was wrong, wrong, wrong. He bought this bike yesterday and now I will be forever saying, "WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEEE!" We brought it home last night, borrowing a trailer from my work. Dave towed it with the Yukon and I followed in his truck. About a mile from the house, one of the two straps holding the bike secure on the trailer came undone and the whole bike shifted. I was talking on the cell phone with mom and had to hang up really fast, scaring her to death by saying something like. "IT JUST BROKE I HAVE TO GO." I called Dave and told him to slowly come to a stop or else his new baby was going to fall over. We pulled into someone's driveway (Thanks, strangers, for letting us use your conveniently located circular driveway!) and Dave reconnected the strap that had slipped.
The moral of the story: Check your tie-downs after driving a few miles. Oh and watch those mailboxes. They can be a tad unpredictable.
