Day by day

I was all hyped about this blogging thing. And then I got sick and tired (yes, mom, feel free to insert your own mom-joke here). And it all sort of fell apart. So...let's give this another try...shall we?

I'm forgetting things...missing deadlines...committing to tasks that I know darn well I can't complete. My house is disgusting (we just took our Christmas tree down yesterday, if that tells you anything). And speaking of Christmas, I STILL haven't sent my sister and her husband their gifts. Basically, things are going great around here and I'm coping SO WELL.

Meh...I can't really complain (except for...maybe...my overuse of "..." in my boring blog posts).

Warning: Random boring crap to follow...

Sam got an identical postcard to the one he's received for the previous two grading periods. He still needs to work on handwriting and staying on task. Since Steve and I still have to work on handwriting, I'm not stressing too much about that. And the staying on task...well...we're at the point where there isn't much else we can do. This morning he wanted to wear shorts to school because he couldn't find clean pants. Did I mention it's about 26 degrees and snowing outside?

Myles is going through that two-year-old explosion of vocabulary that is exciting and frustrating all at the same time. There are words he says quite clearly and words he seems to have made up for his own use. He REFUSES to say "Sam" and instead calls his brother, "Mosh." I personally have tried to work on it and I have no idea how these things are supposed to progress...so I'm just waiting to see what happens. The long and short of it is that we can't always understand him and he melts down. Two years old is hard on all of us.

Steve's 42-inch television broke about three weeks ago. It took a week to get a repair guy out to verify it was, in fact, broken (AND we had to take time off work in order to meet the guy at our house). The repair guy couldn't repair it right then...even though he knew what was wrong with it...because he had to order the parts in order to get paid under the warranty. The parts never arrived (in fact, there is some question as to whether they ever even shipped). We paid $250 for a warranty, but it wasn't the "Black Tie" warranty...so we just had to wait. Yesterday, I think the company just got tired of Steve pestering them with phone calls and gave him a code for a new television. But since we didn't pay for delivery the first time, we have to drag the broken television to the store and pick up the new television ourselves. Who provides such stellar service? Best Buy. All I have to say is...never again.

Today is Mexican Fiesta Lunch at the office (in honor of the boss being gone to Mexico for three weeks). I'm REALLY hungry thinking about it. Other than that, there ain't much to tell about me. My job is still here for now...though I am actively looking elsewhere now that the situation has gotten so much worse here. It's looking like we will be the second county in Ohio to enter fiscal emergency (which will result in what is essentially state control). There are 88 counties...so it's not really a positive distinction. I was feeling like it was time for a change anyway...so I'm choosing to look at this as a positive step FOR ME.

Dear Dr. A.

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Dr. A:
Your office tells me they can’t get me in to see you until February 3rd at 1pm. Is it ok to wait that long?
(This is karma, right. Basket-cases should never be allowed to get the flu and cancel appointments.)
Thanks.
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Hi, Cathy,
Let me see what I can do to get you in next week...
Ben
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Appointment January 27th at 11am.
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Zen and the art of...whatever

Between worrying and...well...worrying, I just don't have time for anything productive (like blogging). I'm TRYING not to dwell. I didn't even freak out on the receptionist who re-scheduled my flu-cancelled OB appointment for February 3rd. Nor did I freak out when the pharmacy told me they are out of stock of my Lovenox and I will have to pick up my refill tomorrow (and have a delayed injection as a result). I've really been holding it together pretty well.

But ever since a friend went in for her first ultrasound last week (at about 8 weeks) and found a 5-week gestational sac with no baby...it's not been easy.

I keep telling myself that whatever will be...will be. But honestly, that isn't making the knot between my shoulders go away.
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The Christmas stuff is still up at my house and I haven't sent my sister and her husband their Christmas presents.

God, I suck.

Please excuse Catherine from blogging...

...Wednesday and Thursday, January 13th and 14th. She was home sick with the flu.

Who plans this stuff???

My son's school is scheduled to be demolished immediately after a new one is built directly behind it. For a lot of reasons (not the least of which is the atrocious parking lot that holds only 30 cars), this is a really good idea.

But this...this was not a good idea...
That would be the heavy construction equipment they decided to deliver today right at 8:30am...school drop-off time...when parents are trying to get their children safely into school and get themselves to wherever they need to be. See how that thing is blocking any possibility of a right turn...the right turn necessary to get me to my work? Yeah...I was just THRILLED. It's not like we live in the city and I can just turn left and go around the block!

Oh...and see that spot where they're trying to back that thing into? That's one-third of the parking lot...completely blocked off now for construction purposes (and thus leaving room for only 20 cars).

This is going to be VERY interesting.

And after dealing with all of this headache for the next three years...Sam's probably never even going to see the inside of that new school.

Bad day

Today I had BAD chocolate cake. As in, horrible, nasty, yucky, wouldn't even eat a second piece.

Pretty much sums up my day.

Doctor appointment Wednesday...not sleeping well...

Weekends Off

Taking time on the weekends to rest is a good idea. So I'm going to do it and not force myself to blog. I guess we'll call it a modification to my New Years blogging resolution, instead of a failure. :o)

Postponed due to lack of interest

This week I spent trying to plan an open house for the APL...for the second week in a row. It was supposed to happen last week but I was sick and nobody did anything for it. As soon as I emailed, "Let's postpone to next weekend," I could almost hear a collective sigh of relief.

So this weekend was supposed to be the date...until it started snowing (and kept snowing) and we decided to postpone for yet another week (of course, now that we've postponed again, it has stopped snowing and tomorrow will probably be perfect).

Anyway...the thought was to keep it simple, but maintain the momentum we gained over the holidays by keeping our name "out in the public." Tours of the adoption center, educational handouts, light refreshments, maybe a giveaway or two...simple. Everyone seemed in favor of it when we floated the idea. But now it seems like nobody has the time or energy or interest...and I don't mind saying I'm getting a bit discouraged.

So...any thoughts on how to motivate people? More specifically, how do you motivate people who are good with ideas but short on action?

Testing

Testing Blackberry text blogging. Not preferred due to character limits...but good for short and sweet messages...should I decide to post those. :o)

2nd grade homework

My son had to write a little 2nd grade research paper about one of Ohio's "official" symbols (five sentences). He chose the rock song, Hang on Sloopy. We did a little research online (thank you Wikipedia) and discovered that Hang on Sloopy was made Ohio's official rock song in 1985 by this bit of rather unusual legislation.

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 16
WHEREAS, The members of the 116th General Assembly of Ohio wish to recognize the rock song "Hang On Sloopy" as the official rock song of the great State of Ohio; and

WHEREAS, In 1965, an Ohio-based rock group known as the McCoys reached the top of the national record charts with "Hang On Sloopy," composed by Bert Russell and Wes Farrell, and that same year, John Tagenhorst, then an arranger for the Ohio State University Marching Band, created the band's now-famous arrangement of "Sloopy," first performed at the Ohio State-Illinois football game on October 9, 1965; and

WHEREAS, Rock music has become an integral part of American culture, having attained a degree of acceptance no one would have thought possible twenty years ago; and

WHEREAS, Adoption of "Hang On Sloopy" as the official rock song of Ohio is in no way intended to supplant "Beautiful Ohio" as the official state song, but would serve as a companion piece to that old chestnut; and

WHEREAS, If fans of jazz, country-and-western, classical, Hawaiian and polka music think those styles also should be recognized by the state, then by golly, they can push their own resolution just like we're doing; and

WHEREAS, "Hang On Sloopy" is of particular relevance to members of the Baby Boom Generation, who were once dismissed as a bunch of long-haired, crazy kids, but who now are old enough and vote in sufficient numbers to be taken quite seriously; and

WHEREAS, Adoption of this resolution will not take too long, cost the state anything, or affect the quality of life in this state to any appreciable degree, and if we in the legislature just go ahead and pass the darn thing, we can get on with more important stuff; and

WHEREAS, Sloopy lives in a very bad part of town, and everybody, yeah, tries to put my Sloopy down; and

WHEREAS, Sloopy, I don't care what your daddy do, 'cause you know, Sloopy girl, I'm in love with you; therefore be it Resolved, That we, the members of the 116th General Assembly of Ohio, in adopting this Resolution, name "Hang On Sloopy" as the official rock song of the State of Ohio; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislative Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit duly authenticated copies of this Resolution to the news media of Ohio.

Who says politicians don't have a sense of humor?

The whiskey wouldn't have stained

Note how Captain Rex refuses to walk in the center of the frame?
Perhaps it's his guilt over knocking over and breaking a perfectly good bottle of Chianti and staining my kitchen floor a lovely shade of purple!

Welcome to the world baby Julie Mae!

mb went and had another baby girl!

Julie Mae arrived safely at 2:30pm weighing in at 6lbs 3.5ozs

Congratulations to the entire family!

SOOO lucky

I find it amusing that, "Dr. A. doesn't have any open appointments next week,"...

until I tell them I've emailed with him and he ASKED me to schedule next week...

and they ask WHY he would instruct me to do that...

and I tell them I've had two stillbirths...

and there is that slight gasp and mumbled, "I'm sorry,"...

and then there is magically an appointment available Wednesday morning at 11am...

and the scheduler says, "That was very lucky."

I mean, really, could I make this stuff up???

Doppler?

I know it's premature but I thought I'd ask anyway...

Anyone have a doppler that I can borrow?

Thanks!

Perfect Moment Monday

No Christmas cards from us

We didn't send out Christmas cards this year and I didn't feel particularly sad about it. Oh, maybe a couple gave a little twinge of sadness...but generally I wasn't all that affected. And then today I read this!

Yep...I think this is my problem. Instead of a few heartfelt messages, I've started to feel like I "have to" send out some sort of mass mailing (according to a list of who "should" receive a Christmas card from us).

So this year, I'm going to do something about this. I'm going to try to send out honest-to-goodness handwritten notes to friends this year...whenever the mood strikes...before the feeling of Christmas obligation hits. This is going to be fun!

(Guess I should start by sending my sister and her husband their Christmas gifts.)

2009 in review

The post where I take the first line from the first post of each month and bore you with them AGAIN. Don't you just hate re-runs?

It was fun to look back a little bit and see what I was up to. Maybe I didn't accomplish all that I wanted to accomplish in 2009...but I did do some good stuff. And it feels now like it was a good year. I guess that's really all a girl can ask for.

2009 in review

January: There are four pictures of me at Christmas. (I don't think I did any better during Christmas of 09...guess I'll just have to live with the curse of being the one to always take the pictures and not be in them).

February: Both of our mares are premarin rescues, so this organization holds a very special place in my heart. (Not actually the first line...but the first line was just a quote from somewhere else.)

March: The lovely Meg revealed herself as my Secret Pal for the SP13 swap with this fabulous package! (I haven't seen an SP since...I wonder if they're coming back.)

April: (Rachel) I love the books you sent! (I still haven't read them though.)

May: The Fisher Price Stride to Ride Walker I bought Sam in 2002 was discontinued in 2006 and is now considered collectible. (This is happening to me a lot more often and it is a bit disconcerting.)

June: I have this ongoing environmental case involving a schizophrenic man in his late 50s/early 60s. (Thanks to the kindness of his friends, this case was wrapped up in 2009 and no longer poses a health risk to this gentleman or anyone else.)

July: It all started with my saying, "I need a serger," and Shinny offering to give me one. (The great Cedar Point adventure! We absolutely MUST get together again! Any ideas when or where?)

August: Pets Alive is an amazing rescue that has helped my APL tremendously this past month. (Still a good rescue, though I have some questions about their decision-making...but that's a story for another day.)

September: Arthur is the nice customer service rep at my insurance company who informed me, while Sam was wheezing in my other ear, that my retail limit has been reached and I am supposed to refill "maintenance medications" through the mail and not at retail stores...in order to "maximize benefits." (This was actually my second post for September...my first was a perfect moment photo without text...and was, quite honestly, a much better post.)

October: Me: Just how old do you think I am? (Not actually the first post of the month...but the first post was just a link and a little quote from somewhere else.)

November: I forgot to pay a couple bills. (Story of my life.)

December: So yeah...we went to Niagra Falls. (Seriously...we did it! And we MUST do it again!)

See ya 2009! Bring on 2010!

well-meaning (new) friends

There is a whole group of people in my life right now who don't know about Alex or Travis or "before." And, more importantly, I'm trying really hard NOT to tell them because it's nice not having to see "the look" from any of them. But then I get a well-meaning email and I find it very hard to just "let it go."

I heard today that you are expecting a third angel. Your kids are dear. I also have 3, as did my mom and her mom too...so 3 is magic. God has smiled on you. love kd

I'm not going to ask what I should do. But I will ask...what would you do? Let it slide? Say something?

Build A Bear

The machine was a bit loud, but it didn't deter Sam too much...

Myles, however, was terrified...

Ultimately, though, I think both customers left happy...

My own personal 365 project

I will endeavor to post something here every single day this year. Insightful, thoughtful, photographs, silly, stupid, mundane...nothing is off limits. Don't you just want to keep reading now?!?!?!

I'm hoping this goes better than other pledged posting ideas.

I only made it to 30 good causes last year. Out of 52! Blah! I stink.

I tried several times to follow Perfect Moment Monday, Whiskers on Wednesday, Dogs on Thursday, Photo Friday...and I just didn't follow through.

But this concept...I can post whatever as long as I post...I think I can do this. Less pressure. Of course, I AM going to have trouble thinking in complete sentences again. I've become accustomed to 140 characters or less (thank you, Twitter). And maybe I'll even drag out my camera and actually take photos like I WANT to do.

Ah, who am I kidding, it probably won't work either.

Here's to broken New Year's resolutions!