Friday, January 29, 2010

I have returned to the land of the living . . .

and I'm up to my eyeballs in dirty laundry! I can't believe it. I was was only sick for a couple of days, and I'm totally behind on everything! The worst part about being sick isn't actually being sick, it's playing catch up on all the things you allowed to slide while you felt like poo. Sort of makes me wonder why I bothered to get well in the first place.

I must have looked as crappy as I felt when I went to see the doctor yesterday, because he gave me some kick ass antibiotics. Yesterday was rough, but I woke up this morning feeling so much better. Still a little tired and wrung out, but no more pain.

At least not until I turned on the bathroom light. Not only was the laundry hamper spewing it's stinky contents every where, but I've seen port-a-potties cleaner than mine. Since it was only 7AM, I seriously considered going back to bed and faking sick before anyone saw me up and about; But then I remembered that I had a job interview at 12:30PM. Damn !

I spite of my best efforts, I didn't get around to cleaning the bathroom today. (the carpet, the kitchen sink, and the rest of the house was equally as in need) But the interview went well. I could really see myself working there - I think I'd like it a lot. Of course, there have been a lot of changes in the optical field since I last worked, but the people in this office seem very nice and relaxed, and I really felt comfortable talking with them. They aren't so busy that learning would be difficult. I still have two more interviews scheduled for next week, but so far, I like this office the best. And it's only 9 miles from home ! I'm just praying that I will hear back from them.

Well, it's late. I just wanted to let y'all know that I'm still alive. The kids have plans for the weekend, so I'm hoping to get my house back in order, and maybe get some more prop work done for the haunt before the weekend is over. It's been snowing all day here, that usually helps me to get into the nesting mood. We'll see how that works out . . . .

Good night all

Thursday, January 28, 2010

I think that it's quite possible . . .

that I may be in the final throes of death. Well . . . .Okay, probably not - It just feels like that. I know, I said I was getting better, that turned out to be wishful thinking. This whole thing hit me hard last night and it's not letting up. So tomorrow, I'm off to the Dr's office to demand that he either cure me or kill me. At this point, I don't much care either way.

I'll be back when I'm not so cranky and full of complaints.

You're welcome.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

What an adventure!

Maybe, more like a three ring circus. Yup, I spent most of Monday at the court house like a nice, upstanding citizen. It wasn't at all like it was the last time that I was summoned for jury duty. I can't say that they have improved their system; in fact, it's worse. The county has started scheduling all of their trial by jury cases at the same time, so they needed jurors for eight cases. Which means that they summoned over four hundred citizens to appear for selection ! It was completely insane ! No where to park, nowhere to sit, and everything was running behind schedule. My group was assigned to a homicide case. They called 60 people, randomly drew the names of 36 of them; Then, spent most of the day asking stupid questions. Every time some was excused for good cause, (illness in the family, funerals, similar situations) they drew another name to replace them so that each lawyer could eliminate jurors each. Then, they drew six more names so that we could go through the same process again, in order to get two alternates. Thankfully, my name was never called. Unfortunately, I had to sit there waiting for 5 hours while they went through the whole process.
The last time that I was summoned, it only took a couple of hours to make the jury selection. Of course, that case wasn't a homicide. (some guy had threatened his ex-girlfriend with a knife at a bar.)
Well, at least now, I'm excused from having to go through that for the next two years.

I think that I'm finally starting to feel better. The weather has finally gotten back to the way it should be for January and my headaches seem to be gone. I go through this every spring and every fall when the weather switches from cool to warm, or vice-versa. I shouldn't have to go through it in the middle of winter too. It would be nice if I could actually enjoy a little unexpected warm weather, but my body doesn't cope with surprises very well any more.

Today has been a fairly productive day. I was so exhausted last night that I went to bed early and was up at 5:AM! (not at all normal for me!) I got a bunch of house work done before noon, accomplished some goals on a couple of projects, (see my Basement blog) Cooked dinner, and got some baking done that I've been putting off for a couple of days! Yay, me!
Also, I had sent out several resumes about 10 days ago and I was starting to think that I wasn't going to hear back from anyone. Today, I got a call for an interview on Friday afternoon. It sounds like a pretty good position, so I am really excited about it. I need to get a few things together for them tonight, so I need to get moving. Wish me luck everyone!!!

Good Night All !

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Okay. I SO should NOT have done that . . .

But I did. What can I say, I have zero self control. I came downstairs this evening to discover that while I was in the bed room with my hubby, watching a movie . . . (Yes. Watching a movie - we're old farts for God's sake!) Anyway, while I was upstairs, the kids had started gobbling up the brownies that Jenn made this afternoon. Well, what was I supposed to do? Of course I helped myself to one. Okay, maybe two or three, but they were little - tiny actually. *sigh* Anyway, now I feel so sick. No, there's nothing wrong with Jenn's brownies, nor her baking skills. In fact, they were quite tasty. It's just that: a.) being diabetic, I'm not supposed to eat yummy and delicious things like that. And, b.) For the past week, I've been struggling with some kind of sinus plague that has my nose sneezing and running, and draining snot into every southern body part I have. My ears are painful, my throat is sore, my chest is congested, and every joint in this old body of mine is achy and stiff. Worst of all, my stomach is queasy. And when your sinuses are producing so much goo that your stomach is in revolt, it's just not a good idea to eat rich, chocolaty goodies. Now, I'm paying the price. * double sigh*

UGH! I'm so sick of feeling sick. At least I'm not alone. Seems like everyone has had a touch of this misery this winter. I know that just about everyone in this house has it to some degree. People have been walking around here like a bunch of mindless zombies, moaning and groaning, and sleeping at odd hours. Personally, I could live, or at least ignore, all the other physical discomforts if my head wasn't throbbing all the time. I don't do well with headaches - they make me cranky and argumentative. My head is in such a fog that I can't seem to stop the ugly remarks from popping out of my mouth. So it's best if I just keep to myself - which in this house, is easier said than done.

So now you know why I haven't been blogging much lately. Actually, when I have been semi conscious, I've been working on organizing and re-designing my blogs. (as you probably noticed) I just got so flustered with having everything strung out all over the web, I decided to put them all together in one place. My hubby has been pretty impressed with my work so far. I'm still not done tweaking things but, I've got the biggest part of it done. If you have some time, check out some of my other sites and let me know what you think.

Let's see what else is going on . . . I suppose I should do something else besides complain . . . Hmmmm.
Well, it seems that Nick will continue to be with us for a while. The courts have granted him a 45- 60 day reprieve to straighten out his medications. I guess that's a good thing, although it would be really great to get all this behind him.
I got a notice for jury duty in the mail a couple of weeks ago. This is the fourth time that I've been called ! I wonder why some people are always being called, and others never seem to get a notice? Anyway, I have to show up Monday morning at 9AM. I'm really hoping that I get rejected. I had to serve as a juror once before, and it really wasn't much fun. The whole jury selection thing is so screwed up. You never know what kind of person they are looking for. Seems like the more you act like you're disinterested, the more likely you are to be chosen. I have so many mixed feelings about our whole justice system - it's hard for me to participate in the stupidity of it all.
Other than that, there isn't much new, or at least I can't think of anything with this headache. I think I'm going to try and get some sleep tonight so I don't feel so yucky for church tomorrow.
Good night all.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

It finally happened . . .

God has shown mercy upon me, and my children have returned to school. No more winter break and no more snow days. I've been granted an entire work week of teen-free days - at least, until 3PM anyway. It may not seem like much to get excited about, but I'm the kind of mom who has learned to be thankful for the little things. Next week, I won't be so lucky, I'll only get 4 days of sanity. Because of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, the kids get an extra day off tacked onto their upcoming weekend.

Anyway, I've done my best to make the most of the last three days. Not only have I managed to conquer the mountain of laundry that mysteriously appeared in my laundry room last week; but I've been busy re-ordering my home.

Last year, Roy and I decided that it was time to get new living room furniture, so we picked out a set from a local rent to own dealer. I admit, it was lovely having new furniture; but before the newness had worn off, our lives proceeded to fall apart financially. Roy lost his job and we've been struggling ever since. For several months now, I've been telling him that we really don't need the extra payment, and I'm resourceful enough to figure out another living room seating arrangement. For years, I've had a habit of latching on to various, odd, pieces of furniture - whatever catches my eye - and reworking them. I usually find places for them, but a lot of them are stashed in my basement and garage, gathering dust. Well, over the weekend, Roy finally agreed and the furniture went back.

I know that my husband's male ego probably sees it as a failure, but I choose to see it as a decorating challenge - a zero budget make over. To be honest, I wasn't all that happy with the room the way it was. The furniture was just too big, and there wasn't space to move with so many people. (and animals.)

So. . . instead of starting a home haunt project like I planned, I've been busy shuffling things around my house. I've got several of the basic pieces moved, but it still needs some work to pull it all together, (pillows recovered, odds and ends, etc.)but so far, I think I like it. Even though the pieces are bigger, I have tons more space, and just as much seating. When I get it finished, I may post before and after photos. You know . . . it would be awesome if I could get my husband to repaint . . . I don't know, I guess it just depends on how merciful God is feeling this month.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

YAY ME !!

Howling Hollow Asylum 2009



I can't believe it, but I FINALLY finished posting the photos from our 2009 Yard Haunt, Howling Hollow Asylum!! Between having a crappy broadband in and out of service, and being just plain busy, busy, busy, I didn't think I'd ever get that job done. Whew! That's one more job I can cross off my "To Do" list. Now that I've gotten October 2009 put to bed, I can concentrate on October 2010.


As usual, I've got all sorts of exciting and creepy plans and I'm really committed to accomplishing some projects this year. Right now, my biggest stumbling block is the freezing cold of my basement work room. Not only is it too cold to be down there working for any length of time, but it's also too cold to allow my projects to dry. I've got a lot of paper mache and painting planned and I really need warm, circulating air for that. (I have to put on an extra layer of clothes just to go down there to do laundry!) I could hook up a space heater while I'm working, but I just don't trust them running while I'm not there. (there's too much junk stored down there)
The thing is, with all this snow and cold, I've been stuck inside for too long and I'm feeling restless. I'm tired of cooking and cleaning and I really want to create something. I'm thinking that if I can find a warm, safe place to put my stuff - upstairs - I could, maybe, get something started this weekend. Of course, with so many people in the house, I may have to wait until the kids get back to school.
Right now, It's late, I'm exhausted, and I need to sleep. Tomorrow is another day . . .
Good night - stay warm everyone.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

And the Snow Just Keeps on Coming . . .

Okay, the kids were supposed to go back to school today, ending their very long Christmas, excuse me, I mean, winter break. (must be politically correct and all) However, that didn't work out quite as planned. You see, Wednesday morning we got clobbered with yet another snow storm that lasted until late Thursday morning, so school was cancelled. In fact, classes are cancelled tomorrow as well, because right on the heels of (another) 6 inches of snow, is a frigid Arctic cold front that will have us shivering through high temps of -7F tomorrow. (not including wind chills)

I suppose I should be complaining, but after last winter's lack of snow, I'm kind of liking this. I'm even enjoying having my whole family, more or less, snowbound. We can still get out and about - if we want to - but since we stocked our pantries and deep freezer on Sunday, we don't really have to go anywhere. So far, we've only had to venture out for cigarettes and Red Box movies. In fact, we're all feeling quite cozy around here.

Jenn, Heather, and I have been keeping ourselves busy in the kitchen, baking all sorts of treats and yummy meals for everyone, which helps to keep the house warm and smelling homey. Since all the men have been home as well, I managed to put Roy, Jake, and Nick to work doing some long over due repairs around the house. In spite of all our productivity, I think we've all managed to either sleep in, or catch an afternoon nap. I'm thinking maybe tomorrow evening would be a good time for family game night.

Hopefully, this weekend, I can get everyone back on a regular schedule and get them back to work/school on Monday.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Bragging on my baby.




This is Heather, my beautiful, talented daughter. Actually, both my daughters are beautiful, talented, and oozing with creativity; but this post is about my youngest, Heather. Heather is my baby, my last born. Each and every day that I spend with her, my amazement grows. As a baby, she was a quiet and shy girl, but always restless. She's now 13 years old and blossoming like a wild flower; filled with style, creativity, and grace.

Heather is an anime artist. For almost 4 years now I've been watching as she hones her talent and if that's what she desires to do in life, I think she'll do well. However, she's also a very talented photographer. (she took the photo above) She especially enjoys photographing our dogs. (another one of her passions) Additionally, over the past couple of years she has developed an interest in writing, which is what prompted me to blog about her. I wanted to share one of her recent school assignments that I will be showcased by her school district soon.


Calming Creek
By Heather Nicole Foley


Splish-splash, bubble, bubble. I let out a sigh of relief as the calming sounds of the creek surround me. The tall, dark - emerald trees draped over me - making me feel safe. I was as calm as the morning mist rising over the horizon. I crouched down, letting the little sprinklettes of water jump into my hand. The mossy - clear waters sparkled even in the late-day sun. My hand slipped into the water making little ripples in the icy-cold water. I could almost taste the cool bubbling brook. I inhaled taking in the murky stream that smelled of mid-spring. Although knowing that my home is miles away, looking at the reflection in the water - I know that this is my true home. This is the place where I belong.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

01/01/10

Well, Somehow, we all managed to survive 2009. Although, I have to admit, there were more than a few days when I had my doubts. I suspect that for a LOT of people, 2009 will be remembered as a tough year. I can't say I'm sorry to see it go.

It's funny, but for me, New Year's always feels like the complete opposite of Christmas. Christmas always seems like the culmination of all the stress from the PAST twelve months; while New Year's is more about the newness and hope of the COMING twelve months. In my mind, the future is always better than the past. The past is unchangeable reality - the future is filled with hope and possibilities. That's why I don't make New Year's resolutions. Standing on the brink of a new begining, I don't want to think about the past and what I would have done differently. The past is gone, it can't be changed. The future is full of fresh possibilities that have yet to unfold. I don't want to walk into a new year holding on to all the regrets and fears of the past year.

So far, it's been a pretty good year. I started the day spending time with my mom, and two of my brothers and their families. My oldest brother has kids about the same age as Nick and Jenn. This year, my mom's house was filled with three little people all under two years old - her great grand children. Of course, I've been a Nana for 16 years now. I suppose that should make me feel old, but it's hard to feel old when you're in the midst of new life just beginning. My oldest child and her clan didn't make it to my mom's this year, but I got to spend some time with her yesterday.
Also, my younger brother and his wife were trapped in St. Louis by the snow, but they were in town for Thanksgiving, so I can't complain about that either.

When we got our crew home, my husband and I were able to spend some time together - alone. That's kind of a new thing. Seems like for the past week, my husband has developed a renewed interest in spending time with me - that's nice. Maybe my husband is moving out of his "zombie" phase? Since it's a new year, I feel hopeful anyway.

Well, I've spent far too much time puttering around the house and playing on the computer, so It's time I got myself off to bed, to dreamland.

Hoping 2010 brings lots of new and happy possibilities for everyone,
Goodnight,
Susan

Friday, January 1, 2010

My gutters are falling !

   No, not my garters, my gutters. 
See . . .


It's always something, isn't it?  All that lovely snow got kind of slushy on Tuesday, and there was about 50 pounds of frozen icecicles hanging off the edge.  It looked kind of pretty - for a while.   Now, I'm just waiting for the whole dang thing to fall off and land on somebody's head.  (hopefully, not mine)  Some days, I feel like the whole stupid house is falling down around me.  It's sad, really.

Oh well.   I know that this kind of sucks in terms of  New Year's Blog Posts, but that's the way it goes.
 S.S.D.Y.  (Same Shit - Different Year.)