brookee's Xanga

Friday, April 04, 2008

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:37:02 GMT

I'm bringing Xanga back - drop a comment if you're with me!

Friday, April 04, 2008

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:41:15 GMT

I'm bringing Xanga back - drop a comment if you're with me!

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Sat, 18 Dec 2004 20:07:46 GMT

Crap! I can't even get this right. I tried to write an entry awhile ago and was interrupted and in the meantime the computer shut itself down - again - and I lost it. I don't know what is up with the computer. I've updated the virus definitions and scanned it and nothing shows up so I guess it isn't a virus. So maybe a compatibility problem. I don't know how to fix that so the hell with it.

I remembered today that the gift I had ordered on Dec. 2 for Boy's teacher hadn't arrived yet so I called the company. Found out they hadn't gotten the order. I got a confirmation email but I guess that doesn't mean anything. So I have until Tuesday afternoon to figure out a Plan B.

We got our tree last weekend and it was finally thawed out on Tuesday - we bought it in a snowstorm so it was covered with snow and we had to put it in the basement to dry out. I got the lights on it Wednesday and finally put the ornaments on it today. I'm very disappointed in this tree. I wanted a Frasier but they didn't have one under 12' tall so we settled on a Douglas. Not a good choice because I have heavy ornaments and they won't stay on the weak branches.

I spent one day this week baking cookies and although they taste good they are really flat. I asked my mom about it this morning and she said it could be old baking powder or baking soda (can't remember which) so I ran to the store and got fresh of both and am trying again.

OM borrowed my digital camera and brought it back broken. The door to the battery compartment won't stay closed. He has some electrical tape holding it shut and I guess it will work like that.

After saying how well subbing was going in my last entry I had a bad day Friday with a kindergarten class. It wasn't horrible but I just felt frustrated and out of sync all day. It took them forever to transition from one task to the next (like putting things away before moving on to the next assignment) so we were behind schedule all day. And then at the end of the day they went to another classroom for a movie and the teacher in that classroom didn't get started right away so they were late getting their things at the end of the day. I had a hell of a time getting 20 five year olds dressed in coats, boots, hats, mittens, etc. with backpacks packed and out the door. They were the last ones to the bus line-up which makes me look disorganized and stupid.

OM was supposed to deposit his check on Thursday but decided to hurry home to go hunting instead and I had forgotten to write a couple of withdrawals in the checkbook so we ended up overdrawing the account. That racked up $50 in overdraft charges. I never let the account run down that far that it is even a concern but this month has been a major exception. OM doesn't know about it and I don't know if I'll even tell him.

So other than that I'm doing just peachy. Really trying hard for that holiday spirit at the moment though. I'll just have to focus on the positive. Umm... yeah, focus...

I took Boy to see the Lemony Snicket movie last night. We've read the entire series and were really looking forward to the movie coming out. The characters are true to the book for the most part but the movie is quite different from the books. If you like the movie you really need to read the books because they are better. We liked the movie, Boy was on the edge of his seat and I don't think he blinked through the entire movie. That says something for a 9 year old.

We are all healthy. Colds, coughs and flu going around but so far (knock wood) missing our house. I just don't need that right now.

They are predicting 8-16 inches of snow by Sunday night. A snowday Monday would be great.

I've only got one more load of laundry to fold and put away and I'll be done with the 6 loads I woke up to this morning.

Muzzleloading season ends tomorrow and OM will be about out of excuses to not be home.

Before the computer decides to test my last nerve I'm posting this.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Wed, 15 Dec 2004 14:49:05 GMT

This is it - I'm going to write. I've been trying since whenever to get here but something else always comes up. Today baking cookies, getting the tree decorated and finally writing out Christmas cards are calling out to me but I'm ignoring them. When I think about what I have to do yet before the holidays I wonder what the hell I've been doing all month. I've been doing something because I haven't had a day of rest since I can remember.

With OM's trip to Idaho and the anniversary party I didn't get a very early start on Christmas shopping this year. I usually try to have it done by the 1st of December but this year I had barely gotten started. I finished this week (I think) and have everything wrapped. There may be a couple more things I pick up but it will have to be after next payday.

I bought myself a laptop a couple of weeks ago. It is a low end one but I'm very happy with it. I wanted to be able link to the desktop and use the internet from anywhere in the house so I got a wireless router too. I'm not very technically able - I was doing fine but advances in technology have surpassed me. But still I am the most able in the house so I set it up. Mostly it works and once I got the router working and could get on the internet at the desktop setting up the laptop was easy. Now I've been struggling with getting them to share other files. One day I'll be able to get files on the laptop from the desktop and then the next day that will go to hell but I'll figure out how to transfer the other way and then the next day nothing will work. Or I'll mess something up really bad and the desktop will shut itself down every 15 minutes (that was a very bad day).

It looks like I'm going to be working for H&R Blk again this year. The office was sold this fall so I'll have new bosses and I was thinking about making a break for it but OM's work situation is not so sure right now so I thought it best to stick with it. I don't know if I'm happy about the situation but I'll make the most of it. I really enjoy my clients (most of the time) and like doing taxes it is just all the other stuff that stinks.

I've been subbing two or three days a week since Thanksgiving. I think I've finally gotten in the groove as far as that job goes. I don't get nervous before I go in anymore and I have control of the classroom which wasn't always the case when I first started. This week I'm only scheduled to work Friday but that could change with a phone call.

I need to get back to work but I thought this might be a good time to do a quick update on who I am for those who are new or have forgotten since I write so infrequently.

Brookee - Not my real name. Actually Brookee was my dog's name. I had to have her put to sleep a couple of years ago and I miss her still but using her name as my online name keeps her close to me. I'm 41, have a Bachelor's degree in Business but haven't had a 'real' job since Boy was born. I work full-time during tax season (Jan.-April) doing taxes and I substitute teach for Preschool thru 3rd grade during the school year.

OM - Old Man. We've been together for 24 years, married for 18. He is one of a kind. People who get to know him know he's a nice guy but you've got to get past the beard and long hair. He lives to hunt. He quit drinking and smoking cigars this summer but he is still the same guy he always was. Never home. He works for one of the big three (okay GM) in the foundry. It is knuckle busting, smelly work but he's glad to have it. From the sounds of things that may be changing but it always is with GM.

Boy - The light of my life (how cliche but true). He is 9. I could gush about how cute, smart and wonderful he is forever but I won't. He's in 3rd grade and having a very good year. He has only missed a half day of school to go to the dentist so far this year. So he's healthy too. He was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome about 2 years ago. He is very mild and it doesn't affect his daily life too much - or else we are all just so used to it that we accomodate without thinking about it.

Pets - Jack (14) and Cider (9) our Springer Spaniels. They are both getting old, Jack is deaf and lame. We may get a new pup in the spring but time will tell. These guys are so important to us we don't want them to feel replaced.

Raskal - Psycho kitty. Loves Boy and Boy loves him.

Nacho - Boy's mini-rex rabbit. She is still a baby and the sweetest little thing ever.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 14:13:12 GMT

I'm so relieved that last week is over. Even my relief at having the election over doesn't surpass my happiness of getting through last week. It sucked to no end. Just one of those weeks that nothing went right and just getting out of bed assured me that I'd screw something up.

I got a call for an interview for that job that I mentioned applying for on Monday. So that was good and I got all ready and showed up on Tuesday at the appointed time. Too bad I was a whole frickin day early. What a dumbass. So I went back on Wednesday and the interview went well. But I didn't get the job. It went to a person who works at the county level and has trained people to do this job at the city level, which is what this job is. Kind of hard to beat someone with that kind of experience. With the budget cuts in the county she was probably going to be laid off or have her hours cut so she was looking for something and found it.

While I was getting ready on Wednesday for the interview (the second time) I went in to OM's gun room to get the ironing board and accidently knocked one of his guns over. It should have been in the safe but he had left it out the night before because it was damp. It wasn't loaded or anything but when it fell over it broke a chunk out of the stock and screwed up the scope. Big oops. He wasn't happy.

Then on Thursday night I took Boy to his Cub Scout Halloween party. We got home late and I had to carry in some groceries and other stuff and somehow or other I came in the house and left the car door open. Boy saw that I had left my door open and decided to leave his open too. We had OM's work car because he takes my truck hunting in the evening. So he went out to leave for work Friday morning and saw that there was a pool of water on the front and back seats from the big rain overnight and decided to take my truck to work. So I had to clean that up before taking Boy to school Friday morning and had wet ass all day.

It sucked all around. I usually have my shit together but if it wasn't one thing last week it was everything.

The not so bad part was that Boy loved his Halloween costumes that I made for him. For Cub Scouts his den decided to go as the McDonald's characters. He was Grimace. It turned out surprisingly well considering I made it. He didn't want to be Grimace for school and trick or treating though. He wanted to be Sherlock Holmes. He always comes up with something obscure that is impossible to buy. So after a couple trips to Goodwill for a tweed sportcoat and a couple of hats and an afternoon with a glue gun I put it together. I made the deerstalker hat by glueing two caps together and then covering it with a houndstooth check material. Then he had the magnifying glass - it worked.

My parent's party is in 3 days. I've got to take care of a couple of little things before then but overall I think we're ready. Time will tell.

Friday, October 22, 2004

Fri, 22 Oct 2004 15:27:25 GMT

This 50th party planning thing is getting to me. I kind of knew it would.

On Monday I emailed my siblings ( 1 brother, 2 sisters) to take care of a few details. I need to get with the caterers this week and give them a count. We didn't do RSVP's on the invites so we can only guess based on the number sent out. We sent out 65 invitations and there are about 20 people who are immediate family who didn't get an invitation. So I figure if we average 2 people per invite plus 20 that is 150 people and an 80% turn-out that would be 120 people. Or something like that. The caterers charge $8/plate for under 125 people and $6/plate for over 125. By my figures that would be $920 for 115 people or $780 for 130, so $140 less for 15 more meals.

I want to tell the caterers 130 people but I don't want my sibs to think we wasted money if there is a lot of food left over.

I also wanted to know if they were interested in going together on a gift and had a couple of suggestions for that.

My brother wrote back right away and my sister-in-law wrote too from work that same day with okay's on everything and even offering to get the flowers.

My sisters still haven't responded. I know they are busy but I also know they are on the internet everyday.

I don't think that is even what gets to me though in all truth. I think it is the fact that I'm here in hometown USA with my parents and my sisters are miles away without a care in the world. I'm the one who had to take my mom shopping yesterday for the dress she is going to wear to the party.

My mom is 69 years old, 5'1" tall and wears a size 16. It is impossible to find clothes for her. More impossible by the fact that she is a crappy shopper. She can't make a decision to save her life and she moves so damn slow that you can't get much shopping done anyway.

She said she'd pick me up at 9:30 am to go shopping. We live in the sticks so it is an hour to the mall. She didn't get here until 10:25 and then had to go into town to the bank and to get gas. So by the time we got to the mall she was ready for lunch. To make matters worse, Boy didn't have school yesterday so we had him with us. It was about 1pm before we even got to our first store.

I don't like to shop, probably from lifelong experience of shopping with her, but I can grab and try on and make a decision in a short amount of time. She seems to think she will walk into a store and there will be a mannequin with her figure in a dress that is just the color she is looking for and she'll know that is the one without trying it on. We didn't find that store.

She didn't buy anything. Nothing. Which means one thing - I'm going to have to take her shopping again next week. WAAAAAAAAAAH! I went through 9 hours of hell and she only tried on one dress. I was almost in tears as we left the mall.

I did however find something to wear to the party and I got Boy's outfit. He is going to look so darn cute!

I am still going to have to get some shoes for both Boy and I and a new dress shirt for OM. I could have gotten those yesterday but I was too exasperated to do anymore shopping for myself after a couple of hours with her.

I honestly try to be patient but I was tested beyond my capacity. Eventually I told her I wanted to go to the Gap (where I got my outfit) and that I'd meet her in front of a certain store in an hour and a half. I did my thing and then went back and waited for her. And waited. And waited. Thirty minutes past the time I told her I'd meet her there, Boy and I decided to take a walk through the store to see if she was there. She was. Not even looking for us, just wondering around in the area with jogging suits. I don't think she was planning to wear a jogging suit to the party. She said she had looked out front and didn't see us there waiting. I don't know when she looked or if she thought we'd be standing right in front of the door instead of sitting on the benches 20 feet away or what. And if it was time to meet up with us why didn't she wait? Wasn't that the whole idea? So my shoe shopping time was wasted waiting for her - again. She has always been like that. Time has no meaning for her.

Apparently my sisters get that from her. What does it matter to them if they respond within a day or a week? If I need the information now I will call them for it is what they figure. My time means nothing. But it would only be fair that they take her shopping.

So enough of the bitching about my family. The happy news is that OM is on his way home. I don't know for sure when he'll get here but it should be tonight.

I am looking forward to him getting home. I have missed him a lot and so has Boy but I've noticed that my workload is actually lighter without him here. It is quite obvious that he doesn't do much around here. And without him here there are fewer clothes to wash, the bed doesn't get as messed up so it is easier to make, the bathroom doesn't get as dirty as fast and meals are easier and I don't have to pack his lunch or make his coffee. And I can watch whatever I want on tv and get on the computer in the evening if I want.

Maybe that is why I miss him so much. My life has no purpose, I have no reason to live without him to take care of. (slightly sarcastic here!)

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Wed, 13 Oct 2004 23:58:50 GMT

Wife Swap

I've watched both episodes of Wife Swap that have aired and I hope to be able to stay awake to see it again tonight, if it isn't preempted by the debate, gotta check on that. I like the premise of the show. If you haven't seen it, two wives switch lives for two weeks. For the first week the new wife has to follow the family rules and fill the shoes of the first wife. The next week she makes her own rules and can change anything she wants. The show last week had the rich, city wife with three nannies, driver and maid swap with the country woodcutter/bus driver. Another show, Trading Spouses (Fox?) has a similar format except that at the end each wife gets to decide how the family will spend $50k. That doesn't do it for me. I like that the reward on Wife Swap is that they all (husbands and children included) get to see another side of life and learn to appreciate what they have more.

Since they swap wives from entirely different lifestyles and/or values it makes me wonder who they would pick to switch with me. Probably someone who was very career oriented and living in a metropolitan area. Someone who went back to work immediately after giving birth and was more familiar with flight schedules than their children's schedules.

The husbands are generally quite different too so I'm sure my 'swapper' would be married to a clean cut type who was an equal partner in child rearing and housekeeping.

It wouldn't matter who I swapped with, I'm sure they'd be appalled by the three deer mounts in the living room. I could just see the tape of a woman walking in here and looking at the deer looking back at her. She wouldn't even have to get in the house before she had a good idea of what she was in for, the 20 sets of horns in the garage would be a clue.

Hopefully she'd be over the shock of that before she met OM. Boy is easy to take. He's cute and well behaved for a nine year old but OM is a different story. He definitely has a look. He's clean, no smelly feet or anything but he's hairy. Really hairy.

He doesn't ask for much but he expects a lot. I've spoiled him. Technically he was spoiled when I got him and I just didn't unspoil him. He just expects that there will be a meal ready when he eventually makes his way home. He expects that his clothes will be washed and put away. His lunch will be packed and coffee made. Maybe he needs to see what it could be like.

I think he'd prefer experiencing Wife Swap over being on the show, 'He's a Lady'. There is just no way he'd ever pass for a woman. Even with a shave and full body wax. Nor would he want to.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Tue, 12 Oct 2004 20:03:37 GMT

OM left this morning for Idaho to hunt for elk and mule deer. Apparently the deer around here aren't enough of a challenge anymore. He'll be gone at least 10 days but more likely 12, unless he gets real lucky.

I'm not going to miss the coffee stains he leaves on the kitchen counter every morning, or the big gobs of hair he leaves in the shower, or having to watch hours and hours of hunting shows on OLN, or being asked questions that there is no way I'd have an answer to (one of his most annoying habits, like I'm psychic or something). But, I am going to miss him. I'm missing him already.

I did something yesterday that is very out of the norm for me. I applied for a job. It is a part-time job in a local government office. I seem to think I'll jinx myself if I say to much about it so I haven't told anyone that I put my application in and I don't want to say too much about it here. Which is strange because I'm not even sure I want the job. I'll just wait and see what happens.

I'm boycotting all salon treatments from now until forever. In August I had a manicure and pedicure because I wanted nice looking nails for the end of the summer. Instead she ruined my nails and within a week every nail broke and I can't even describe what she did to my toenails. It has been two months and they are finally grown out again and almost back to normal.

Not having learned my lesson after blowing $40 there I made an appointment to have my hair cut and colored (at a different place). I hadn't had my hair cut in six months and it had gotten really bleached out from the sun so I wanted to get it fixed up before the big anniversary bash. That was a week and a half ago. She barely cut any hair off. Not one person, even OM, even noticed. My hair was a little darker at first but now it has faded to the same light brown it was before. The only benefit is that I don't have 2" of dark roots because she put highlights in that blended them in. That cost me $100. So I give up. I'll save my money.

Up until about 2 years ago I never did anything to my hair. It was very long and I'd usually put it in a braid when I got out of the shower and be good to go for the day. I wanted more 'style' so I had it cut so now I blow dry and curl it nearly every day and it looks like crap.

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

Wed, 06 Oct 2004 16:12:19 GMT

OM and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on Monday. I use the term 'celebrated' quite loosely. We didn't technically do anything to celebrate but he didn't shoot a deer that night which he did for our 17th anniversary. I didn't get him anything but he's treated himself to a lot of hunting stuff this year preparing for his trip out west so it was understood that he wouldn't be getting anything. I did get him a card though and fixed him a meat (sirloin tip roast) and potatoes dinner. He didn't get me a card but he did get me a nice fall sweater that I would have picked out for myself - I love it and it's warm. He also got me a 'thing'. I don't know what to call it but it makes my chai so that I don't have to heat water in the microwave and stir in the mix. I love it too and it works great.

In my quest to get the house cleaned and organized I went through the 8mm video cassettes that were in a drawer. None of them were labeled so I had no idea what was what. Boy and I spent a couple of evenings watching them and labeling them. It was so fun watching him watching himself as a toddler. He had never seen them and couldn't remember ever being that age.

If you have a video recorder I highly recommend getting it out right now and taping your kids, pets and home. We got ours when Boy was around 2 and we used it a lot that first year, then a little less the next year, very little the next few years and not at all since November of last year. How sad. I'm vowing now to get it out at least for a few minutes of taping every month from now on. And of course labeling those tapes - ha!

There was a tape of Boy sitting on my mom's lap reading a book to her and his great grandma. He was about 3 at the time and had memorized the book along with adding in his own sound effects. My grandma died just over a year ago and this tape of her with Boy is precious to me.

I had also taped Boy reciting his ABC's every year from when he was 3 until he was probably 6 just by chance - I guess I'm not very original, when I'd get the camera out that was just something to have him do to 'perform'. But it is interesting now to watch the progression of how his recitation changed over the years.

I think I'll try to edit together a 'highlights' film. My parents would love to see Boy but I wouldn't want to submit anyone to the 8 hours of tapes.

I subbed yesterday for the first time this school year. It went really well. It was for a 3rd grade class, not Boy's class though. I've known these kids since they started kindergarten and they see me as an authority figure so it makes it much easier. I'm scheduled to sub for a kindergarten class on Friday. I'll earn my money that day I'm sure.

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Wed, 29 Sep 2004 13:48:29 GMT

My boy is 9! Where have the years gone? It seemed like such a short time ago that I was waiting for him to be born. Wow. Before I know it he'll be a teen.

He had two friends over Saturday for a sleepover. His friends are such nice boys that it was a pleasure to have them here.

Raskal got out of the house on Sunday and I don't know what he did but he came back to the house and his pin was sticking way out. I gave the end of it a little tug and could tell it wasn't hooked to anything and was ready to fall out so I called OM. I was too squeamish to pull it all the way out but OM had no problem. So Raskal doesn't have his leg pinned anymore even though it was supposed to stay in another two weeks. Hopefully he won't do anything to rebreak the leg. The hole is healing over already so I'm optimistic that he is going to be okay. He still limps a bit and may always favor that leg but it doesn't slow him down any.

On the subject of cats, my parents were away for the weekend so Boy and I were feeding their pets for them. They have a dog and too many cats. The original cat that was dropped off pregnant last summer, Raskal's momma, and her other three kittens from the same litter plus another stray that showed up. Then this summer one of the kittens had a litter of five kittens. So that makes 10 cats, I think. They are never all together at one time. While we were there feeding the cats I thought I heard meowing so I walked up the barn hill and found at least three more kittens that are probably a month younger than the other litter. I say at least three because they scampered off so fast I couldn't tell for sure. My parents need to do something. It is good that they are feeding them all but one turned into 13 in a year, 13 could turn into 100 in another year.

There is one little fuzzy kitten over there who is so sweet. I really want to bring her home but OM is against having more than one cat. He was against having one but now he likes Raskal. I'm way over budget on pet expenses so getting another kitten and having it fixed and all that would be another thing. I've thought about bringing her home on a trial basis and having her fixed and then if OM was still against keeping her I don't think it would be too hard to find a home for her. Like I could ever give her away after I got her here.