So, I have moved in with my Darlin' Man.
New situations call for new adaptations.
Sometimes you have to compromise.
Some things only require a bit of *tweaking*, minor adjustments to smooth out a slight bump in the road.
Laundry for example. My fella is in the military, so his laundry must be done a certain way.
I also found out that he *has* to have his socks, t-shirts and boxers folded a certain way.
Okay---minor adjustment.
My Darlin' Man has two kids in his custody. Teen agers.
Compromises and adapting are the watchwords there!
From diet and my cooking, bedtimes, entertainment, house cleaning, etc.
I could let some things become battle grounds--if I wanted to go that route.
But I prefer a calmer journey...
So, I give the kids choices.
Get up and get out the door to school by a certain time OR get up EARLIER the next day.
Eat what is put on the table at dinner time OR make yourself a sandwich.
Clean your room OR I will box up all the stuff on your floor and tuck the box away in a closet.
They have adapted, as have I.
I had to compromise on closet space (ACK!) as the fella has a huge amount of uniforms that HAVE to be on hangers. It is a walk-in closet with oodles of hanging and shelf space...of which I have about 2 feet of closet space out of about 8 feet of hanging space...Yup...BIG compromise. But since I don't excatly have a huge wardrobe, that's okay.
My fella has had to adapt to my sewing fetish...I sew, I quilt and I have a massive amount of fabrics, notions, patterns, etc. Plus, my sewing machine, of course.
So, one corner of the bedroom is now my sewing nook.
He's adapting...
We finally hammered out an agreement on our books. I am a confirmed and certified book whore. I moved in with several boxes of books. Today, I will finally have a place to put them! It took a few weeks to figure out where they would go--as the fella has a few hundred books of his own and his small bookshelf is bulging at the seams!
After much discussion, we finally figured out a compromise and both of us are happy with it.
My beloved books will be unpacked and placed on the *breakfast bar* ---that is never used as such---and his books will be joining them there.
It works!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Lovely October has arrived!
In 4th grade my teacher, Mrs. Miller, made each of us memorize a poem about our birth month. I was an October baby, so the poem that follows is the one I chose to memorize.
On Oct. 28th, I will be a glorious 54 years old!
Oh suns and skies and clouds of June, and flowers of June together, you cannot rival for one hour October's bright blue weather!
When loud the bumblebee makes haste, belated, thriftless vagrant, and golden Rod is dying fast, and lanes with grapes are fragrant;
When Gentians roll their fringes bright, to save them from the morning light, and chestnuts fall from satin burrs without a sound of warning;
When on the ground red apples lie in piles like jewels shining, and redder still on old stone walls are leaves of woodbine twining;
When all the lovely wayside things their white-winged seeds are sowing, and in the fields, still green and fair, late aftermaths are growing;
When springs run low, and on the brooks, in idle golding freighting, bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush of woods, for winter waiting;
When comrades seek sweet country haunts, by twos and twos together, and count like misers, hour by hour, October's bright blue weather.
Oh suns and skies and flowers of June, count all your boasts together, love loveth best of all the year October's bright blue weather!
by Helen Hunt Jackson
On Oct. 28th, I will be a glorious 54 years old!
Oh suns and skies and clouds of June, and flowers of June together, you cannot rival for one hour October's bright blue weather!
When loud the bumblebee makes haste, belated, thriftless vagrant, and golden Rod is dying fast, and lanes with grapes are fragrant;
When Gentians roll their fringes bright, to save them from the morning light, and chestnuts fall from satin burrs without a sound of warning;
When on the ground red apples lie in piles like jewels shining, and redder still on old stone walls are leaves of woodbine twining;
When all the lovely wayside things their white-winged seeds are sowing, and in the fields, still green and fair, late aftermaths are growing;
When springs run low, and on the brooks, in idle golding freighting, bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush of woods, for winter waiting;
When comrades seek sweet country haunts, by twos and twos together, and count like misers, hour by hour, October's bright blue weather.
Oh suns and skies and flowers of June, count all your boasts together, love loveth best of all the year October's bright blue weather!
by Helen Hunt Jackson
Monday, August 30, 2010
People Just Piss Me Off Some Days
Grouchy me.
People have really irritated me in the past few weeks.
To wit:
Slow people at ATMs. Look, swipe your card, get your damn money and GO already! Don't stand there and check your checking balance. Check your savings balance. Check you checking balance again. Look at receipts carefully for at least 3 minutes. FINALLY decide to take out money.Swipe card again. Forget pin (apparently).Swipe card again, get pin right, take out money. Examine receipt like a diamond evaluator in Amsterdam. Swipe card again and check balances again. Finally leave. I want to stab you in the head with a spoon.
Late people. You told me to meet you at such and such place at such and such time. You are not there. I wait. And wait. And wait.You finally show up and breezily offer some sort of (non) excuse. This is NOT the first time you did this.Trust me, it will be the last. Look, being late is RUDE. It is telling the other person that YOUR time is more important and valuable than THEIR time.
Cashiers that have *important* things to do (other than waiting on customers). Talking to other salespeople. Rearranging merchandise. Talking on phone. Doing nails. You get the idea. Look, you got a job in the *service industry*, lets provide some damn service, already!!!
People using cell phones in public.Okay, I can understand calling your spouse while in the grocery store to make sure you are getting the right brand of beer or whatever. I do NOT appreciate standing behind you in line while you go into the details of your last trip to the gynecologist! C'mon...I am planning dinner in my head...I do NOT need to hear about your "cervical discharge". And using a cell phone at ANY sort of performance should be punishable by public flogging! Turn those bastards off in the cinema, the theatre, the concert venue!
Just trying to vent a bit...
People have really irritated me in the past few weeks.
To wit:
Slow people at ATMs. Look, swipe your card, get your damn money and GO already! Don't stand there and check your checking balance. Check your savings balance. Check you checking balance again. Look at receipts carefully for at least 3 minutes. FINALLY decide to take out money.Swipe card again. Forget pin (apparently).Swipe card again, get pin right, take out money. Examine receipt like a diamond evaluator in Amsterdam. Swipe card again and check balances again. Finally leave. I want to stab you in the head with a spoon.
Late people. You told me to meet you at such and such place at such and such time. You are not there. I wait. And wait. And wait.You finally show up and breezily offer some sort of (non) excuse. This is NOT the first time you did this.Trust me, it will be the last. Look, being late is RUDE. It is telling the other person that YOUR time is more important and valuable than THEIR time.
Cashiers that have *important* things to do (other than waiting on customers). Talking to other salespeople. Rearranging merchandise. Talking on phone. Doing nails. You get the idea. Look, you got a job in the *service industry*, lets provide some damn service, already!!!
People using cell phones in public.Okay, I can understand calling your spouse while in the grocery store to make sure you are getting the right brand of beer or whatever. I do NOT appreciate standing behind you in line while you go into the details of your last trip to the gynecologist! C'mon...I am planning dinner in my head...I do NOT need to hear about your "cervical discharge". And using a cell phone at ANY sort of performance should be punishable by public flogging! Turn those bastards off in the cinema, the theatre, the concert venue!
Just trying to vent a bit...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Yeah...But I'm a GROWN UP Now, So I CAN!!!
Remember all that crap you got yelled at for doing (or not doing) when you were a kid?
I yelled at my kids for some of the same stuff....my bad.
Now, my kids are grown, I am more or less on my own...and I realized a couple of weeks ago that there were a few things I had never done since becoming an adult. (Okay...in my case, maybe quasi-adult would be better terminology).
I made a list and tried out a few things, so here is my report:
Playing ball in the house. Pretty fun. Probably because my dog ended up being an enthusiastic partner in crime.
Drinking milk out of the carton. Rather enjoyable.I am the only one here that drinks milk, so now I have one less glass to wash.
Running with scissors. Doesn't have the charm I thought it would.
Drawing on the wall. AWESOME! I have a field of poppies on my bedroom door now.
Leaving my shoes in the middle of the floor. Bad idea when you trip over them in the middle of the night.
Leaving the t.v. on all night. In my case, it was my computer -- which I watch movies and t.v. shows on. This one gets a mixed review. I lined up several *conspiracy* documentaries on youtube...6 hours worth or so.Went to sleep during "From Freedom to Fascism". Not bad...but sometime during the night, a David Ickes documentary came into the mix. I was jolted awake by "Alien lizards---the Queen of England among them!!!" Now granted, the woman is no beauty queen, but I am not quite sure she qualifies as an alien lizard. My advice on this one...choose the programs carefully. I had a difficult time getting back to sleep.
Going outside barefoot and no jacket in the rain.I HIGHLY recommend this one! Yes, mud squished delightfully between my toes and my hair was plastered to my head and my clothes were soaked through, but it was an utterly delightful experience!
Eating dessert FIRST. Yes, yes and YES! Do it.
Not sharing your crayons. Got myself the Crayola BIG box. Mine...ALL MINE!!! Used them to color on the wall. Very. Cool.
Jumping on the bed (or other furniture). Kind of a let down. This probably because I only have a mattress on the floor. Will re-do this experiment after I get a proper bed. Did get the dog pretty excited, though.
All in all, I had a good time.
I suggest everyone out there try breaking a childhood rule or two your parents had for you and see how it feels!
I yelled at my kids for some of the same stuff....my bad.
Now, my kids are grown, I am more or less on my own...and I realized a couple of weeks ago that there were a few things I had never done since becoming an adult. (Okay...in my case, maybe quasi-adult would be better terminology).
I made a list and tried out a few things, so here is my report:
Playing ball in the house. Pretty fun. Probably because my dog ended up being an enthusiastic partner in crime.
Drinking milk out of the carton. Rather enjoyable.I am the only one here that drinks milk, so now I have one less glass to wash.
Running with scissors. Doesn't have the charm I thought it would.
Drawing on the wall. AWESOME! I have a field of poppies on my bedroom door now.
Leaving my shoes in the middle of the floor. Bad idea when you trip over them in the middle of the night.
Leaving the t.v. on all night. In my case, it was my computer -- which I watch movies and t.v. shows on. This one gets a mixed review. I lined up several *conspiracy* documentaries on youtube...6 hours worth or so.Went to sleep during "From Freedom to Fascism". Not bad...but sometime during the night, a David Ickes documentary came into the mix. I was jolted awake by "Alien lizards---the Queen of England among them!!!" Now granted, the woman is no beauty queen, but I am not quite sure she qualifies as an alien lizard. My advice on this one...choose the programs carefully. I had a difficult time getting back to sleep.
Going outside barefoot and no jacket in the rain.I HIGHLY recommend this one! Yes, mud squished delightfully between my toes and my hair was plastered to my head and my clothes were soaked through, but it was an utterly delightful experience!
Eating dessert FIRST. Yes, yes and YES! Do it.
Not sharing your crayons. Got myself the Crayola BIG box. Mine...ALL MINE!!! Used them to color on the wall. Very. Cool.
Jumping on the bed (or other furniture). Kind of a let down. This probably because I only have a mattress on the floor. Will re-do this experiment after I get a proper bed. Did get the dog pretty excited, though.
All in all, I had a good time.
I suggest everyone out there try breaking a childhood rule or two your parents had for you and see how it feels!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Heat Wave...
Currently, we are having a heat wave down here in the land of the swamp.
Which means it is hot.
DAMN hot!
Mosquitos are ignoring my tasty Irish blood and sucking on the ice cubes in my drink instead.
I take cold showers and then sit naked and wet in front of my air conditioner to dry off.
I watch web cams for cities in cooler climes...like in Alaska. Found one that was in the Arctic...that was refreshing to watch!
My t.v. viewing is following the same theme...Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch, YES!
Hells Kitchen and anything that involves beaches, sunshine and heat, NO!
I have become a partial vampire of sorts...awake during the cooler evening and morning hours, asleep during the day.
The dogs (mine and my room mates) have followed suit. They plop down in the coolest part of my room (usually under my chair) and snooze away, knowing they'll get walked around 1 a.m.and then again at 6 a.m.
My cooking (usually a labor of love for me) has dwindled down to salads, with the occasional sandwich.
I really, REALLY wanted some cornbread today, but with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees and no ac in the kitchen...uhhhh...I can wait!
The heat makes everyone cranky.
The news here has been full of reports of assaults, robberies, shootings and the like.
You don't see that in the winter as much.
I think even the cops here are hoping for rain---maybe the crooks will stay in their houses if it rains. Maybe it will cool off and calm everyone down.
Someone once told me that the highest crime areas of the world are also the hottest areas.
I can believe that...this heat makes me cranky, too!
I need another cool shower...
Which means it is hot.
DAMN hot!
Mosquitos are ignoring my tasty Irish blood and sucking on the ice cubes in my drink instead.
I take cold showers and then sit naked and wet in front of my air conditioner to dry off.
I watch web cams for cities in cooler climes...like in Alaska. Found one that was in the Arctic...that was refreshing to watch!
My t.v. viewing is following the same theme...Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch, YES!
Hells Kitchen and anything that involves beaches, sunshine and heat, NO!
I have become a partial vampire of sorts...awake during the cooler evening and morning hours, asleep during the day.
The dogs (mine and my room mates) have followed suit. They plop down in the coolest part of my room (usually under my chair) and snooze away, knowing they'll get walked around 1 a.m.and then again at 6 a.m.
My cooking (usually a labor of love for me) has dwindled down to salads, with the occasional sandwich.
I really, REALLY wanted some cornbread today, but with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees and no ac in the kitchen...uhhhh...I can wait!
The heat makes everyone cranky.
The news here has been full of reports of assaults, robberies, shootings and the like.
You don't see that in the winter as much.
I think even the cops here are hoping for rain---maybe the crooks will stay in their houses if it rains. Maybe it will cool off and calm everyone down.
Someone once told me that the highest crime areas of the world are also the hottest areas.
I can believe that...this heat makes me cranky, too!
I need another cool shower...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
True Confessions
Ever go along with the crowd just so you didn't feel left out?
Yeah...we all have.
So, in the spirit of finally not going along with the crowd...here are my true confessions of the day:
First, movies, actors and actresses:
Lord of the Rings trilogy? Never made it through the second and third one. Fell asleep.Snooze-fest. First one was okay.
I liked "Willow" better.More entertaining. If I want Tolkien, I read Tolkien. See it much better in my head, anyway.
Meryl Streep. Can't stand her. I KNOW she has a million Oscars, Golden Globes, etc. It is just people look up at the screen and say "WOW! Look at her ACT!" You shouldn't be doing that. You should be SO immersed in the story the cast of a film is telling on that screen that you forget they are acting. Besides, I think I have only seen her act like she was having fun or enjoying her self in one movie; "Death Becomes Her".
The Godfather. And all the sequels, prequels, etc. Not a fan. The first was...ehhhh...okay. After that---suck fest.
Eddie Murphy and almost every other actor that has gone to work for Disney. Sell outs. Lost their edge in return for a paycheck. I know, they gotta eat, too, but still...puhleeeeze..there are some levels you just can't stoop to!
Movies being made of bad t.v. shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. Stop. By all that is sacred and holy, Just. Stop. It.
Movie remakes of other movies. Stop that, too. Don't the idiots in Hollywood have a single creative bone in their collective bodies? Some of the movies were done well the first time, so a second film is not necessary. Other films were just so dreadful in all facets that it is like that old cliche: Garbage in, garbage out.
On to Fashion:
Shoes...dear heavens, SHOES. Have you seen the prices socialites and Hollywood types and the wealthy pay for their shoes...600 bucks, 800 bucks, 2000 bucks...WTF!?!?!
C'mon people, they are *just* frikkin' S-H-O-E-S!
And the more expensive ones seem to be the ugliest.
Put me in a cheap pair of sneakers from K-Mart and I am happy. I'll pay a bit more for hiking boots, but those are footwear with a purpose.
Same for purses. Saw a picture of a young actress with a purse that she paid 14,500 for.
What. The. Hell.
And the darn thing was almost as big as she was and ugly as home-made sin!
Wear clothes that are neat, clean and comfortable and you are good to go.
Back to my true confessions:
Cars do NOT impress me. A guy driving a Ferrari or a girl behind the wheel of a Mercedes strike me as endowed with more money than sense.
If it is a Mercedes diesel...NOW ya got my attention. Rig it so it can burn vegetable oil (recycled) and you'll get a big thumbs up from me!
Another true confession...I am a lousy driver. I will not drive in inclement weather or after dark unless it is a dire emergency. I KNOW I am a bad driver. I KNOW my eyesight is not the best. So, when I do have a vehicle, I limit my driving to the absolute minimum.
Other true confessions:
I love dark chocolate. Best edible thing on the planet.
I am a Science Fiction addict. Love Steampunk. (Look it up) Frank Herbert. Robert Heinlein. Issac Asminov.
Yeah...a bit of a geek.
Well, I feel I have unburdened my soul enough for one day...
Yeah...we all have.
So, in the spirit of finally not going along with the crowd...here are my true confessions of the day:
First, movies, actors and actresses:
Lord of the Rings trilogy? Never made it through the second and third one. Fell asleep.Snooze-fest. First one was okay.
I liked "Willow" better.More entertaining. If I want Tolkien, I read Tolkien. See it much better in my head, anyway.
Meryl Streep. Can't stand her. I KNOW she has a million Oscars, Golden Globes, etc. It is just people look up at the screen and say "WOW! Look at her ACT!" You shouldn't be doing that. You should be SO immersed in the story the cast of a film is telling on that screen that you forget they are acting. Besides, I think I have only seen her act like she was having fun or enjoying her self in one movie; "Death Becomes Her".
The Godfather. And all the sequels, prequels, etc. Not a fan. The first was...ehhhh...okay. After that---suck fest.
Eddie Murphy and almost every other actor that has gone to work for Disney. Sell outs. Lost their edge in return for a paycheck. I know, they gotta eat, too, but still...puhleeeeze..there are some levels you just can't stoop to!
Movies being made of bad t.v. shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. Stop. By all that is sacred and holy, Just. Stop. It.
Movie remakes of other movies. Stop that, too. Don't the idiots in Hollywood have a single creative bone in their collective bodies? Some of the movies were done well the first time, so a second film is not necessary. Other films were just so dreadful in all facets that it is like that old cliche: Garbage in, garbage out.
On to Fashion:
Shoes...dear heavens, SHOES. Have you seen the prices socialites and Hollywood types and the wealthy pay for their shoes...600 bucks, 800 bucks, 2000 bucks...WTF!?!?!
C'mon people, they are *just* frikkin' S-H-O-E-S!
And the more expensive ones seem to be the ugliest.
Put me in a cheap pair of sneakers from K-Mart and I am happy. I'll pay a bit more for hiking boots, but those are footwear with a purpose.
Same for purses. Saw a picture of a young actress with a purse that she paid 14,500 for.
What. The. Hell.
And the darn thing was almost as big as she was and ugly as home-made sin!
Wear clothes that are neat, clean and comfortable and you are good to go.
Back to my true confessions:
Cars do NOT impress me. A guy driving a Ferrari or a girl behind the wheel of a Mercedes strike me as endowed with more money than sense.
If it is a Mercedes diesel...NOW ya got my attention. Rig it so it can burn vegetable oil (recycled) and you'll get a big thumbs up from me!
Another true confession...I am a lousy driver. I will not drive in inclement weather or after dark unless it is a dire emergency. I KNOW I am a bad driver. I KNOW my eyesight is not the best. So, when I do have a vehicle, I limit my driving to the absolute minimum.
Other true confessions:
I love dark chocolate. Best edible thing on the planet.
I am a Science Fiction addict. Love Steampunk. (Look it up) Frank Herbert. Robert Heinlein. Issac Asminov.
Yeah...a bit of a geek.
Well, I feel I have unburdened my soul enough for one day...
Friday, July 9, 2010
Mad Dogs and Englishmen....
So, I went walking to the store this morning. The store I was heading to is about 2 miles away, so I made sure I was quite prepared.
Water bottle: Check
Hiking Boots: Check
My Big Bag Purse: Check
So, I set off, enjoying a bit of a morning breeze before the sun got too hot.
Halfway there, I stopped to get a bag of walnuts at Family Dollar (they are HALF the price there that they are in the grocery store!). I dig into my bag for my wallet...and it's not there.
I FORGOT MY WALLET!!!
I had enough money tucked into the bottom of my bag to pay for the walnuts, but still...
So, back to the house.
A mile walk.
The breeze had stopped and the sun was gleefully beating down on me. I had also forgot a sun hat.
...sigh...
Everyone was rushing past in their air conditioned cars while I trudged homeward.
I made it home....sweating...a bit ticked off at myself...
Got up the three flights of stairs and there, THERE was my wallet, right where I left it on the kitchen counter.
Called a friend to get a ride later to the store.
Made a better checklist for my next trip up the road...
Water bottle: Check
Hiking Boots: Check
My Big Bag Purse: Check
So, I set off, enjoying a bit of a morning breeze before the sun got too hot.
Halfway there, I stopped to get a bag of walnuts at Family Dollar (they are HALF the price there that they are in the grocery store!). I dig into my bag for my wallet...and it's not there.
I FORGOT MY WALLET!!!
I had enough money tucked into the bottom of my bag to pay for the walnuts, but still...
So, back to the house.
A mile walk.
The breeze had stopped and the sun was gleefully beating down on me. I had also forgot a sun hat.
...sigh...
Everyone was rushing past in their air conditioned cars while I trudged homeward.
I made it home....sweating...a bit ticked off at myself...
Got up the three flights of stairs and there, THERE was my wallet, right where I left it on the kitchen counter.
Called a friend to get a ride later to the store.
Made a better checklist for my next trip up the road...
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