So, how did it go yesterday?
Daughter was up at roughly 6:00 A.M. and Son woke up soon after. Husband was a different story, but he eventually got up.
The morning went fast; the kids had all their presents opened by 6:30!
What did I get?
Well, I had told Husband some months ago that all I wanted was a home security system, so that’s what I got. He surprised me, though, by getting me a book and box of toffee from a local candy maker. YUM! A big box was saved for last, which Husband told me to open, and it was an HD antenna! I know, so not romantic, but we only get one network out here in the boonies, and with this new antenna we get all three.
You say “Vic, why do you care about the networks now?”
I don’t, but at one point I griped about watching General Hospital….
Anyway, now, on the day after Christmas, I’m pooped. I had a busy two days! I baked cookies, two pies, made a big batch of soup for Christmas Eve, and then of course fixed a big ham feast for Christmas Day. I’m ready for a rest.
Well, I did relax a bit yesterday. Son got a new book, Star Wars Death Troopers, that he started reading, and I chilled out with a book I’ve had but never got around to reading, Victoria’s Daughters.
And then we watched the latest Harry Potter movie to come out on DVD.
A nice day, I must say.
So what did you get for Christmas?
I love this song, especially this version. This year it has special significance:
A very Merry Christmas to you!
Yesterday blew and it got off to an odd start when I called my mother. I do that from time to time, call Mum and chit chat about this and that.
Towards the end of our conversation Mum remarked about something on the news, and did I know who such and so was on CNN?
“No, Mum, I don’t watch CNN. You know that”
“Well what do you watch?”
“FOX.”
“Oh god, Vic.”
Now, even I know it’s not proper to tell one’s mother to shut the hell up, but dammit! I’m on the doorstep of forty and my mother is practically yelling at me because of my choice for news.
One time she even had the audacity to say “I feel sorry for your kids, having to watch FOX news.”
Go piss up a rope! As soon as the news comes on my kids are out of the room. They could care less and would rather go play in their rooms.
Oh, Son will sometimes sit down and watch with us. It’s funny because he’ll then go to school and hold lunchtime conversations about this and that.
Well, anyway, I was pissed that my mother had a fart crosswise about FOX. She says it’s so biased, which made me laugh and say “Oh yeah? And CNN and MSNBC aren’t? Wake up!”
Yesterday sucked.
Remember the pictures I posted of my rural driveway? Well, imagine that driveway covered in snow and sliding down said driveway. In an automobile.
Yeah, I had the four wheel drive on, but even that won’t prevent sliding, especially if one is on a downward slope. All I could picture was La Tahoe sliding down, down, down…into the road. If it had been just me I wouldn’t have been so scared, but Daughter was in the back seat…and you can see where I’m going with that.
Anyhoodle, got La Tahoe stopped, caught my breath, and kept going. The roads were fine – bare, but wet – so traveling was no problem. Until a small animal darted out from the side of the road and…well, let’s just say I didn’t have time to avoid it.
Thankfully it wasn’t a big ol’ deer, but I felt like shit just the same.
We managed to get to the hospital early, and they called Daughter back for her CT scan. I was ushered out of the room. All went well, apparently, since Daughter had her bear there to watch over her and the radiologists were very nice. They even remembered Daughter from her last scan, and I said “It looks like we’re going to be here a lot.”
Got to call the orthopedist today…remind me, will you?
After the hospital Daughter and I did the stupidest thing ever: we went to WalMart. Gawd, what a fucking zoo that was! It was so dumb, too, as we really didn’t even need to be there.
Remind me never to do that again, will you?
As it turns out, Husband and “Big Baby” had trouble getting up the driveway, so Hubby had to go out and plow. As you can guess this entails a lot of grumbling and bundling on his part. He looks cute in his coveralls, though. Husband is falling apart physically – back, eyes, bum all hurt – so he was none too pleased to jockey the tractor up and down the driveway.
In sum, rather a shit day all around. But I had a great hair day! (Psst! Found an awesome hair product through Avon!)
I must confess that I’m freaking out.
You do realize, do you not, that if Son does really well with this bee stuff he could go to DC?
I know, I know, you’re saying “Stop thinking so far ahead, Vic.”
And you would be right.
I just couldn’t help myself, so I did a bit o’ research on the National Bee, and ohmygawd. I didn’t tell Son what I was doing – why freak him out too? – and checked out where, when, all that stuff.
It isn’t that I don’t think Son can do it, I just never realized what “the big show” entailed. Even though Son tells everyone “I just guessed” when they ask about his winning word (analgesia…look it up), I know he’s capable of doing very well.
I keep telling him “Take it one step at a time and do your best.”
The next step is the district bee in January, and if he places in the top ten he’ll go on to the county bee. He’ll also get to go to lunch at Applebee’s, courtesy of the PTOs at both junior highs. (Unfortunately Mr. Principal Man plans on coming along. I forgot to tell you that he congratulated me and seemed mightily impressed at Son’s remarkable brain. ”He spelled ‘rotisserie!’ I can’t even spell that!” ”Really,” I sneered, “and you a principal?”)
I’ve heard from Another Mother that when one gets to the county bee, the homeschool kids are the ones to beat.
*sigh*
Anyone want to come along and hold their hand over my mouth hold my hand through all this?
My ear was bothering me last week, so I called the doc. She called in a prescription for Allegra-D because she’s convinced I have allergies.
Why? Because when she saw me over the summer I had dark circles under my eyes.
Hello? I’m 39, of course I’m going to have dark circles under my eyes!
Well, now I look like I have a couple of shiners, because that damn Allegra is making me all nervy and hyper. I can’t sleep!
Granted, I’ve been having sleep issues for a while, but this ’scrip doesn’t make it any better.
Oh sure, my ear feels better, but I doubt I have allergies, unless it’s an allergy to sleep. No, I know it’s my sinuses; they always go haywire this time of year. Half the time I’m nauseated and dizzy and the other half of the time my head hurts so bad I just want to cut my head off.
That’s age, I guess. Sucks!
Damn you, iPod.
Upon Husband’s arrival home last night, he asked me how my day was, to which I replied “Oh fine. I got to play teacher.”
He gave me an odd look and then remembered that yesterday was the teachers’ Christmas luncheon and PTO had rounded up some parents to sit classes.
First, let me say that The President and I were very happy that we were able to round up parents in the first place, and then thrilled that they showed up! Yes, we had one parent who said they’d be there and then apparently just blew it all off.
Anyway, our time was split in to two parts, but that’s a long story, so I’ll just say that for the first part I walked the halls with The President to make sure everything was under control. For the second half, The President went to the office to fill in for the secretary and I headed upstairs to a classroom.
Ooooooooh…I was a little nervous.
But I read the note that the teacher had left and thought “This won’t be so bad.” And in fact it wasn’t, as there was a movie playing. The kids opted to watch that while they worked on some projects. The kids were good! And in truth, all I did was introduce myself and then I just sat and literally watched the kids. So I didn’t really play teacher, I just acted like one. Ha ha ha….
For the million billionth time I wondered if I shouldn’t just suck it up and get my OH certification. Then I saw the principal peering in the door and thought “No. Just hell no!”
Kidding….
…it looks like Greg Brady, er, Barry Williams, hasn’t been hanging out with a groovy chick lately.
According to reports, this chick went a bit crazy on Williams, even going so far as threatening him with a knife! Stealing money from him!
Williams has filed a restraining order.
Yesterday I was at the school for the pizza party for the spelling bee kids and chatted for a few minutes with some eighth grade girls. One mentioned that they’d been watching Pearl Harbor.
“Oh,” I said, “that movie with Ben Affleck?”
“I don’t know his name, but those guys are so cute!” she squealed.
“That movie is a squishy piece of crap. It’s all love and mush and then the last five minutes are the actual attack on Pearl Harbor!” I proclaimed.
I want to have a word with the teacher who thinks this crap is educational. I mean, if the kids want romance they could watch From Here to Eternity. Lancaster! Clift! Sinatra! Or for action, how about Tora! Tora! Tora! Even that Brady Bunch episode in Hawaii is better than Ben Affleck!
Good grief.
SON TOOK FIRST PLACE IN THE SPELLING BEE TODAY!!!
Why is it December and I still have those faux ladybug beetle bugs in my house? I kid you not, the other night one of those smelly fuckers dive bombed my head!
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Errands today and it pisses me off because I have to actually run into town to return two books that are overdue. I noticed said books on Sunday while putting away Daughter’s clean clothes. Needless to say, Daughter is no longer allowed to keep library books in her room where they get covered with Barbie and the other detritus of childhood.
I gripe about going into town because, well, at this time of year any town would piss me off.
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Today is the “building bee” at Son’s school. The top ten and two alternates from each grade now go against each other to narrow the field down to just ten kids and two alternates. I’m trying not to say much to Son, as I don’t want to be perceived as pushing him, and he may be nervous, so….
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Speaking of the spelling kids, tomorrow is the pizza party for all the kids that placed in the classroom bees. That’s 48 kids if you’re keeping track, plus their parents! Yours truly has to go buy the chips today and then load everything in La Tahoe so I’m ready to go tomorrow. At any rate, all that pop will be nicely chilled.
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Husband had a very nice birthday, thank you. We were home the entire day and watched not one but two John Wayne movies! I baked him his favorite cake - German chocolate – and then fixed a hearty steak dinner. It was a good day for all of us.
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Despite what WordPress thinks, it’s actually 6:05 in the morning and I have to take Son down to catch the bus. Really.
Have you seen those St. Jude commercials?
I hate them.
Well, not hate hate, they just make me cry.
Which is probably the point, but I digress.
I mean, unless you lack a heart how could you not get emotional while watching those commercials?
It’s just that, since Daughter’s diagnosis, seeing those kids just hits me in the heart. Oh, I know, I shouldn’t get so emotional, after all Daughter doesn’t have cancer. But if you’ve ever had to really deal with any kind of medical issues with your kids, I don’t need to say anymore, do I?
But then again, there’s that anger that nags at me from time to time. I admit to having a bit of a breakdown Sunday morning while Husband and I were having a financial discussion. Well, financial that led to political, and these days those two subjects are pretty much intertwined. Nonetheless, the anger is still there, along with a nagging sense of frustration.
As for Daughter, she seems to be fine. She goes through these, I don’t know, phases where it seems like she needs the ibuprofen more and more and then suddenly…backs right off. She will be going in for another CT scan on the 21st and hopefully we’ll hear back from the doc before Christmas.
In the meantime, I’m avoiding those St. Jude commercials.
Dear Fucktard,
I just wanted to express my appreciation for the “gift” you left next to the garbage can at the end of my driveway. How thrilled was I to find broken glass all over the shoulder of the road? Oh, you have no idea!
While my daughter sat in our warm vehicle waiting for the bus, I was busily picking up pieces of broken glass with my bare hands.
It wasn’t until I started picking up the glass behind the guard rail that I saw what exactly had been tossed in the vicinity of the garbage can:
This tells me that not only are you a stupid piece of trash, but a pretty cheap one as well.
I don’t appreciate having to pick up your mess, but I did so because I didn’t want anyone (myself, Husband, the mail man) to get glass in their tire because you are a clueless asshole.
You fucking retard. Why don’t you use your money to buy a goddamn clue.
So…yesterday (Sunday) we got ourselves dressed and ready and attempted to make our way over to the ‘burgh to check out CostCo.
I say attempted because there was freezing rain early this morning, and the roads were literally parking lots. Scratch that, make it a war zone.
Now, mind you, just because we had the four-wheel drive didn’t ease my fears at all, because one can still slide all over the place. I was doubly worried because we had the kids with us.
Daughter kept saying “I’m praying! I’m praying!”
Which I think got us home safely.
No, we didn’t make it to CostCo, but we did manage to get ourselves turned around and back to Weirton where we had brunch
But, like I said, we made it home safely, which is all that really matters.
