So I talked to my sister, Hildi on Tuesday. I video called her. Which is still a new toy to me. I like being able to see her when we talk, and I like being able to see my nieces, and I LOVE that it's free. But it's very limiting. Usually during our chats I do laundry, clean up the kitchen, make the bed, and other household chores. With the video calling I'm trapped at my computer. Time will tell if I deem it worth it. But she happened to mention that our cousin had a FaceBook page and she had friended him. I was excited because our cousin in currently at a NATO base in Norway and I haven't seen him in a year and a half. So I looked him up and friend requested him. And then I looked at his photo albums. Apparently he'd gone on a trip to Lithuania at some point and holy hell the photos were amazing. So at lunch, I mentioned it to the kids~
Me: I'm cousin Alex's friend on FaceBook now.
Lu: Well aren't you special!
Me: I am, thanks. He has the coolest photos! Of Lithuania of all places. I totally want to go there now.
Lu: You're making quite a list of future travel destinations.
Me: I know right?! I would never have thought that Lithuania was so pretty but it really is.
Lu: Well of course it is.
Sean: Lu, do you even know where Lithuania is? You know, on a map?
Lu: Of course I do.
Sean: Where?
Lu: It's over there with all those other "anias".
Sean: What other "anias"?
Lu: um...
Me: Albania or Transylvania.
Lu: Right! And they're probably like the sister country of Pennsylvania.
Sean: Um. You do know that Transylvania is not actually a country. It's a province in Romania. Right?
Me: Um. Sure I knew that. *thinks: how the hell does he know this stuff??*
Lu: See I know.
Sean: And where are the "anias" located?
Lu: *crickets chirping*
Me: *whispering in her ear* Say Eastern Europe.
Lu: Eastern Europe.
Sean: *sighs and shakes his head* You're sad Lu, very sad.
Lu: Whatever. So why is it called Pennsylvania?
At least she's pretty!
As an update on Sean's levitation/hover craft/device, he was explaining it to his Dad later the other night and of course Hubby was asking pertinent questions and it all sounded like blah blah blah to me. Interspersed with "air intake system" and "reverse thrusters". But listening to the two of them, I got the idea that it might be a wholly possible concept. What does one where to the Nobel Prize ceremony??!
Happy Thursday,
♥Spot
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The one where Sean trades invisibility for levitation
So it's Tuesday. I'm pretty sure Tuesday is like the most boring day of the week. Seriously, I mean you made it past Monday but it's not Wednesday so you're not half way through yet. And Thursdays are like a prelude to Friday, which is a great day because it's the start of the weekend. And Saturday is probably one of the best days of the week, followed closely by Sunday. What's left for Tuesday? Yep. Nada. Sorry Tuesday, you kinda suck. And it's grey and rainy again. This weather is really sapping my mojo.
First off, um, wow? I cannot believe all the interest I got in marrying Sean off. Don't you people read my blog? He's no Prince Charming. The lucky girl who gets him has got her work cut out for her. I did like Elly's suggestion of auctioning him off to the highest bidder and then partying with the money. But I'm pretty sure it's illegal in America to sell your minor offspring. Although, Sean tells me in Nepal it's perfectly alright. Something about the guy with the most goats. I don't know. And for all the mother's who asked...he's 16. Turning 17 this summer. He says he can wait for the right girl but he does add that cooking and laundry are two skills he highly prizes. Start training them now! And to J, who left the comment about a previous betrothal to her daughter, there's no contract signed. I have to keep his options open. Oh and one last thing~ mother's, you may want to remember that he plans to take over Slovakia so unless you plan on visiting them, you may not see a lot of your daughters. Please bear this in mind.
Sean and I have had a running joke about how he's trying to perfect the skill of invisibility. If you read the bloggess, you may know that she did a post on how invisibility was a lifelong skill. Therefore, Sean decided to go for it. Most nights, before he heads down to his cave we say goodnight and I always say~
Me: Goodnight sweetie. See you in the morning.
Sean: It's doubtful.
Me: Well, unless you perfect the invisibility thing.
Sean: I'm this close. *holds up thumb and forefinger a mere inch apart*
Me: Love you.
Sean: That's funny, I'm rather fond of me too.
So imagine my surprise when we had this convo the other night while watching T.V.~
Sean: How many volts in an outlet?
Me: You mean just a normal plug in?
Sean: Yes.
Me: 110. Why?
Sean: Well I need 40 more then.
Me: Um why do you need 150 volts?
Sean: I also need several rolls of aluminium foil and some wiring.
Me: *a little worried now* and um, why?
Sean: Well, you put blah blah blah at the four corners, then stretch the aluminium foil out and blah blah blah and then it levitates. (He didn't really say "blah blah blah" I just didn't understand so I kind of tuned out)
Me: How do you know?
Sean: I saw it on the science channel. No one's really sure why it works, but it does. So I have this idea. If I do it on a larger scale with a blah blah blah and a row boat and then I take blah blah blah intake pipes and a large fan blah blah blah car blah blah blah. What do you think?
Me: *glazed over eyes* Yeah, I don't really get what you're saying but um, sure?
Sean: oh fine, ignore me now, but when I'm rolling in my speeder, you'll be sorry.
Me: Speeder?
Sean: Like in Star Wars.
Me: Oh. You mean that land cruiser thing that they drive around in?
Sean: Yes like that. Only it may look more like a rowboat hover craft.
Me: Um. Yeah. Well I definitely want a ride.
Sean: We'll see. I don't know that you're being very supportive.
Me: Do you know if you pull this off, you'd have tons of people wanting to give you scholarships and stuff.
Sean: Yes, like MIT.
Me: And then you could get this awesome job and be famous and totally support me in my old age.
Sean: Why would I do that?
Me: duh. Because I support you. And I never tell you not to try any of your ideas. Like that time you electrocuted the pickle and the house smelled like burnt pickle for days. Or the time you made the static machine and kept shocking the cats and Lu with it? I'm totally supportive. Even when I have no idea how stuff works.
Sean: Maybe.
Me: So invisibility is on hold while you transfer your skills to levitation?
Sean: Yes.
Me: Good to know.
Think of the money we'll save on buying tires. And gas.
♥Spot
First off, um, wow? I cannot believe all the interest I got in marrying Sean off. Don't you people read my blog? He's no Prince Charming. The lucky girl who gets him has got her work cut out for her. I did like Elly's suggestion of auctioning him off to the highest bidder and then partying with the money. But I'm pretty sure it's illegal in America to sell your minor offspring. Although, Sean tells me in Nepal it's perfectly alright. Something about the guy with the most goats. I don't know. And for all the mother's who asked...he's 16. Turning 17 this summer. He says he can wait for the right girl but he does add that cooking and laundry are two skills he highly prizes. Start training them now! And to J, who left the comment about a previous betrothal to her daughter, there's no contract signed. I have to keep his options open. Oh and one last thing~ mother's, you may want to remember that he plans to take over Slovakia so unless you plan on visiting them, you may not see a lot of your daughters. Please bear this in mind.
Sean and I have had a running joke about how he's trying to perfect the skill of invisibility. If you read the bloggess, you may know that she did a post on how invisibility was a lifelong skill. Therefore, Sean decided to go for it. Most nights, before he heads down to his cave we say goodnight and I always say~
Me: Goodnight sweetie. See you in the morning.
Sean: It's doubtful.
Me: Well, unless you perfect the invisibility thing.
Sean: I'm this close. *holds up thumb and forefinger a mere inch apart*
Me: Love you.
Sean: That's funny, I'm rather fond of me too.
So imagine my surprise when we had this convo the other night while watching T.V.~
Sean: How many volts in an outlet?
Me: You mean just a normal plug in?
Sean: Yes.
Me: 110. Why?
Sean: Well I need 40 more then.
Me: Um why do you need 150 volts?
Sean: I also need several rolls of aluminium foil and some wiring.
Me: *a little worried now* and um, why?
Sean: Well, you put blah blah blah at the four corners, then stretch the aluminium foil out and blah blah blah and then it levitates. (He didn't really say "blah blah blah" I just didn't understand so I kind of tuned out)
Me: How do you know?
Sean: I saw it on the science channel. No one's really sure why it works, but it does. So I have this idea. If I do it on a larger scale with a blah blah blah and a row boat and then I take blah blah blah intake pipes and a large fan blah blah blah car blah blah blah. What do you think?
Me: *glazed over eyes* Yeah, I don't really get what you're saying but um, sure?
Sean: oh fine, ignore me now, but when I'm rolling in my speeder, you'll be sorry.
Me: Speeder?
Sean: Like in Star Wars.
Me: Oh. You mean that land cruiser thing that they drive around in?
Sean: Yes like that. Only it may look more like a rowboat hover craft.
Me: Um. Yeah. Well I definitely want a ride.
Sean: We'll see. I don't know that you're being very supportive.
Me: Do you know if you pull this off, you'd have tons of people wanting to give you scholarships and stuff.
Sean: Yes, like MIT.
Me: And then you could get this awesome job and be famous and totally support me in my old age.
Sean: Why would I do that?
Me: duh. Because I support you. And I never tell you not to try any of your ideas. Like that time you electrocuted the pickle and the house smelled like burnt pickle for days. Or the time you made the static machine and kept shocking the cats and Lu with it? I'm totally supportive. Even when I have no idea how stuff works.
Sean: Maybe.
Me: So invisibility is on hold while you transfer your skills to levitation?
Sean: Yes.
Me: Good to know.
Think of the money we'll save on buying tires. And gas.
♥Spot
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The one where I discuss Motherhood and try to marry Sean off...
So it's Saturday morning and all's quiet. Why? Because no one else is home. This happens a lot on Saturdays and I freakin love it. It's like a mini-Mother's Day every week. I know a lot of folks think that Mother's Day should be spent with your mother, showering her with affection and praise, catering to her every whim. Screw that. I just want some time off. Time where nobody is asking me where something is (if it's your property, it's probably your responsibility to keep track of it), no one is asking me to cook (find something frozen, pop it in the microwave, presto- you're a freakin chef!), no one is breaking my concentration to tell me something (strictly at their convenience, mind you) that I probably could have gone that extra half hour without knowing. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE being a mother. Best job ever. Biggest and most fufilling accomplishment of my life! No regrets. Not one. However, it's been a 20 year long career. I've been a mother for technically half of my life, if you count pregnancy. That's a long time. And make no mistake, it's a passion, it consumes you. It was my entire identity for many years. "Hello, I'm (insert name here)'s mom." And the job will never be finished. You don't retire from Motherhood. There's no pension program (please don't tell Sean, I'm trying to convince him that he is ultimately responsible for supporting me in my old age). It is an ongoing body of work that may slow down from time to time, but in most circumstances, doesn't lay off. So on Mother's Day (or whenever I can manage it), I like some alone time. Time to remember that I was indeed a person before I had children. I have a past, a present, and a future that are indeliably linked with theirs and yet are a strand of fate all on their own. And it's nice to remember that buried under that "Mother" exterior lies a strong passionate woman with ideas, opinions and stories about things that have nothing to do with my children. And every so often, I let her loose. And so should you. Happy Mother's Day (early) to all of you moms out there. I have the great distinction of knowing some truly fabulous moms and I wish you all a happy day of rejuvenation, appreciation, and relaxation.
Now, I'm going to leave you with a comment that I got on the other day on one of my blogs- Noel said...
Lol....I want to marry your son, Spot! xD
Noel, I don't know who you are, because clicking on your name doesn't give me a profile, but you are either exceptionally brave or curiously insane. Of course, you might have to be both to take on Sean. I just want you to know, that he has stated that he's looking for "the whole happy meal" in a girl. Smart (very very important), witty, able to understand and retaliate sarcasm, great sense of humor and pleasing to look at. He says (so sweet!) that he has two females in his house that embody these qualities (me & Lu) so he'll settle for nothing less. I would also add that compassion would not go astray as a quality. He has a brother with autism. And Sean devotes a lot of time to working with people with disabilities at camp and a lot of time working with cub scouts. So if you embody these qualities, go for it. And good luck to you, my dear.
Oh, and I have had betrothal offers for him, so I need to know what kind of terms you're offering here...
Happy Saturday,
♥Spot
Now, I'm going to leave you with a comment that I got on the other day on one of my blogs- Noel said...
Lol....I want to marry your son, Spot! xD
Noel, I don't know who you are, because clicking on your name doesn't give me a profile, but you are either exceptionally brave or curiously insane. Of course, you might have to be both to take on Sean. I just want you to know, that he has stated that he's looking for "the whole happy meal" in a girl. Smart (very very important), witty, able to understand and retaliate sarcasm, great sense of humor and pleasing to look at. He says (so sweet!) that he has two females in his house that embody these qualities (me & Lu) so he'll settle for nothing less. I would also add that compassion would not go astray as a quality. He has a brother with autism. And Sean devotes a lot of time to working with people with disabilities at camp and a lot of time working with cub scouts. So if you embody these qualities, go for it. And good luck to you, my dear.
Oh, and I have had betrothal offers for him, so I need to know what kind of terms you're offering here...
Happy Saturday,
♥Spot
Friday, May 7, 2010
The one where Radio Shack rocks my socks...
So, remember when I broke up with Blockbuster? *sighs, gazes wistfully out the window* Well, I still miss them. I've been seeing Redbox occasionally and I'm hooking up with Netflix as soon as I buy a wireless router so we can stream movies to the TV, but I still miss visiting Blockbuster and strolling the aisles. Just like I love the convenience and free shipping that Amazon offers, yet I miss the Borders and Barnes & Nobles days of touching the books and losing myself in the stacks. But I've developed a new affection.
In the old days, when I first got my cell plan and those first phones, I got them from Radio Shack. Signed my contract there, picked out free phones, ect. And Radio Shack was good to me. The Shack took care of me, so a lot of subsequent upgrades were made through them. They changed sales associates often and managers sometimes, but there was always someone there who really knew their stuff and was eager to help. Then Best Buy moved to town. The array of electronics, the stunning display of cell phones, the quantity~ it was heady stuff. How could I not be taken in by it's absolute star quality? Everything about the store yells "look at me! I have everything! Bigger and better!". And for awhile I lost myself in giddy abandon. I purchased 3 upgrades through them. But I was less than satisfied. One phone had to be replaced 3 times before we got a good one. The lines were long and sometimes you spent an hour there when you just ran in for a quick question. But then I found the phone I wanted for my upgrade. At&t's new Backflip. The At&t rep happened to be there the day I was and completely convinced me it was the phone for me. And also said they'd wave my upgrade fee. Score!
This phone does amazing things. It syncs all of my social networking sites (FaceBook, Twitter, ect.) and gives me updates as they happen. I can enter all of my email addresses and get emails in a universal inbox as I go. It's on the android network so web browsing is fast and the browser window is much bigger than most phones. It has a touch screen, but also a pull out qwerty keyboard. And tons of apps. You can see it here. I call him Raoul. And it was only $49.99 with the upgrade. But alas, I had to wait til mid May for my upgrade. So I eagerly rushed to Best Buy the day my upgrade was available. And *gasp* my phone's price had gone up to $99.99. Plus $30 for the screen protector and $8 for them to put it on for me. WTF? So I told the guy I was going to go to Radio Shack and see which phones they had and what prices they were. He told me he could pull it up on the computer and price match. Sweet! Turns out Radio Shack had my phone for free! But after a quick call he realized they didn't have any in stock at the Shack, so he wouldn't price match. I stormed off dramatically. Grrr...
So I dropped into Radio Shack myself a few days later to see if they had gotten some in stock. No luck. However, the manager said they could still do the upgrade and ship the phone direct to me. Awesome!! I told them the rep said to cancel my upgrade fee as well. We went through the upgrade process (takes forever) but when we got to the price screen...&79.99. WTH? The manager (a cute guy by the name of Jesse Simpson) then realized that the "free" offer was only on the Internet. Not in the stores. (Why do companies do that??!). I told them I was sorry for making them go through all that, but I couldn't do it that day at that price. They started to undo everything. Then they called the rep. She told them to call the district manager and ask him to price override and give it to me for free. They told me not to get my hopes up. But they called him and he came through. So I got my fancy new shiny phone for FREE. It came in the mail two days later. I took it in to the Shack, bought a screen protector for $8 and they put it on for FREE. Take that Best Buy!!
Seriously, this is one of the best examples of customer service I've ever seen. They really went above and beyond to make sure I was happy. And I am very happy! I stopped in yesterday because of an issue with the screen protector and Jesse happily put a whole new one on for me. (Again, for free) Best customer service ever! I would like to thank Jesse, Megan, the other employees and Anna (the AT&T rep) for their commitment to customers. Jesse asked me yesterday if I wouldn't mind telling my friends where I got my phone. I told him I would do him one better- I would tell the world. And better yet, I'll be getting all my upgrades there from now on. Thanks guys. You rocked my socks. I'm sorry I left you Radio Shack. Sometimes bigger isn't better. I'm all yours again.
♥Spot
In the old days, when I first got my cell plan and those first phones, I got them from Radio Shack. Signed my contract there, picked out free phones, ect. And Radio Shack was good to me. The Shack took care of me, so a lot of subsequent upgrades were made through them. They changed sales associates often and managers sometimes, but there was always someone there who really knew their stuff and was eager to help. Then Best Buy moved to town. The array of electronics, the stunning display of cell phones, the quantity~ it was heady stuff. How could I not be taken in by it's absolute star quality? Everything about the store yells "look at me! I have everything! Bigger and better!". And for awhile I lost myself in giddy abandon. I purchased 3 upgrades through them. But I was less than satisfied. One phone had to be replaced 3 times before we got a good one. The lines were long and sometimes you spent an hour there when you just ran in for a quick question. But then I found the phone I wanted for my upgrade. At&t's new Backflip. The At&t rep happened to be there the day I was and completely convinced me it was the phone for me. And also said they'd wave my upgrade fee. Score!
This phone does amazing things. It syncs all of my social networking sites (FaceBook, Twitter, ect.) and gives me updates as they happen. I can enter all of my email addresses and get emails in a universal inbox as I go. It's on the android network so web browsing is fast and the browser window is much bigger than most phones. It has a touch screen, but also a pull out qwerty keyboard. And tons of apps. You can see it here. I call him Raoul. And it was only $49.99 with the upgrade. But alas, I had to wait til mid May for my upgrade. So I eagerly rushed to Best Buy the day my upgrade was available. And *gasp* my phone's price had gone up to $99.99. Plus $30 for the screen protector and $8 for them to put it on for me. WTF? So I told the guy I was going to go to Radio Shack and see which phones they had and what prices they were. He told me he could pull it up on the computer and price match. Sweet! Turns out Radio Shack had my phone for free! But after a quick call he realized they didn't have any in stock at the Shack, so he wouldn't price match. I stormed off dramatically. Grrr...
So I dropped into Radio Shack myself a few days later to see if they had gotten some in stock. No luck. However, the manager said they could still do the upgrade and ship the phone direct to me. Awesome!! I told them the rep said to cancel my upgrade fee as well. We went through the upgrade process (takes forever) but when we got to the price screen...&79.99. WTH? The manager (a cute guy by the name of Jesse Simpson) then realized that the "free" offer was only on the Internet. Not in the stores. (Why do companies do that??!). I told them I was sorry for making them go through all that, but I couldn't do it that day at that price. They started to undo everything. Then they called the rep. She told them to call the district manager and ask him to price override and give it to me for free. They told me not to get my hopes up. But they called him and he came through. So I got my fancy new shiny phone for FREE. It came in the mail two days later. I took it in to the Shack, bought a screen protector for $8 and they put it on for FREE. Take that Best Buy!!
Seriously, this is one of the best examples of customer service I've ever seen. They really went above and beyond to make sure I was happy. And I am very happy! I stopped in yesterday because of an issue with the screen protector and Jesse happily put a whole new one on for me. (Again, for free) Best customer service ever! I would like to thank Jesse, Megan, the other employees and Anna (the AT&T rep) for their commitment to customers. Jesse asked me yesterday if I wouldn't mind telling my friends where I got my phone. I told him I would do him one better- I would tell the world. And better yet, I'll be getting all my upgrades there from now on. Thanks guys. You rocked my socks. I'm sorry I left you Radio Shack. Sometimes bigger isn't better. I'm all yours again.
♥Spot
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The one where someone wins pretty things and alcohol speaks...
Yay! It's Wednesday!! I don't know why I'm so happy about that. It's not like anyone in my household has weekends off so it's not really like I'm halfway to two days off. And yet, Wednesday still holds some strange appeal. Maybe it's the fact that Ghost Hunters is on Wednesday nights. Or Happy Town. Although I haven't watched the first one. It's still sitting on my DVR, calling my name. Or maybe I'm excited because my birthday gift to Hildi's oldest is arriving today (she turned ten yesterday...Happy Birthday Madi!) and I sent her some great books. Or maybe it's because it's Cinco de Mayo, which should totally be a holiday in the US. I'm sure someone would come up with a political or socio-cultural (I'm not even sure that's a real word) reason for making it a holiday. But I'm going to go with, what a good excuse to eat Mexican food and drink Tequila!! Who's with me on this??
No, I'm excited because today I get to announce the winner of my giveaway! Woo-hoo! One lucky person gets $60 towards the purchase of some pretties for their house courtesy of CSNstores. And the lucky winner is...Heather! Congratulations girl! Please shoot me an email so I can send you the promo code!! I really wish everyone could have won! Maybe I'll get lucky and someone else will ask me to do a giveaway. *wink wink, nudge nudge advertisers!*
In other news, Lu & Dexter left for Texas last night and I'm already missing her! They should be arriving at their destination right about now. They get to spend a week down there on his Aunt & Uncle's ranch. They went in August and had an awesome time. They even camped on the beach. I wish I was headed to the beach...
We saw the Dr. about Bobby's broken clavicle. They promise in two weeks it will be much improved. The xray looks like someone broke the bone and then tried to build an Indian tee pee with it. They gave him some stronger meds and said he could try school tomorrow. Going back to work depends on how much pain he's in. His manager is being awesome about it though. And obviously no driving for awhile. Looks like Sean and I will be sharing chauffeur duties.
My physical therapist is trying to kill me. I'm pretty sure she lays awake at night trying to think up new tortures. Yesterday's visit ended with me biting my lip and gritting my teeth. The funny thing is it's not the injured knee that hurts...it's the hip. I may have to go get the shot in it after all. Grocery shopping afterward probably didn't help.
I had my first video conference call with one of my clients today. It's a little surreal finally seeing someone you've only chatted with on the phone. Ok, the whole video calling thing is surreal to me. I just got the web cam last week. And I've video called Hildi once too. That was awesome being able to see her and the girls. I guess you get used to it. The funny thing is, I was all nervous, so I got up early; showered, fixed my hair, put on makeup, picked out casual, yet business like clothing and downloaded Skype. Then I waited. And when he called? He was wearing a tshirt. Yes, I overdressed for a conference call. My bad.
Hubby is still majorly busy and so I don't seem him much. Last night, as I was getting ready for bed he was already in bed.
Me: Don't fall asleep yet! I have stuff to tell you.
Hubby: Mrwrmm. Okay. I'll try.
*I go into bathroom, take meds, brush teeth, ect. Finally I emerge*
Me: Are you asleep?
Hubby: No
Me: You looked asleep.
Hubby: No. I'm awake.
Me: Well, okay. Do you want to know how my doctor's visit went?
Hubby: Yeah, of course.
Me: Really, because you didn't even ask?
Hubby: Yeah, I forgot, sorry.
Me: Well Dr. O said he wished all his fibro patients were doing as well as I am. And that almost everyone is getting great results with that medicine. He advised me to avoid surgery at all costs because he's worried about all my allergies to antibiotics. Dr. L is worried about that too. But basically, I don't have to see Dr. O again until next year.
Hubby: Well that's good.
Me: And Dr. L spent like 5 minutes with me. It was one of those times he keeps trying to get up and leave and I keep making him sit back down. Anyway I'm supposed to call them Monday and let them know if I think the kidney infection is cleared up and the swelling is gone. And he's not worried about the BP and Heart rate spikes as long as I feel fine.
Hubby: *who has rolled over, says over his shoulder* So the whiskey didn't tell you anything.
Me: What?
Hubby: So the whiskey didn't tell you anything.
Me: Um. No. The whiskey didn't tell me a damn thing. Was it supposed to?
Hubby: *rolls over and stares as me* What whiskey?
Me: That's what I'd like to know. You said "so the whiskey didn't tell you anything?"
Hubby: No. I said "So basically, he didn't tell you anything."
Me: Well that makes more sense. Especially since I hate whiskey. We really aren't on speaking terms.
Hubby: *shakes head and rolls back over*
Me: Now the tequila, however...
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
♥Spot
PS- I promise to start catching up on all of your blogs. SOON. =]
No, I'm excited because today I get to announce the winner of my giveaway! Woo-hoo! One lucky person gets $60 towards the purchase of some pretties for their house courtesy of CSNstores. And the lucky winner is...Heather! Congratulations girl! Please shoot me an email so I can send you the promo code!! I really wish everyone could have won! Maybe I'll get lucky and someone else will ask me to do a giveaway. *wink wink, nudge nudge advertisers!*
In other news, Lu & Dexter left for Texas last night and I'm already missing her! They should be arriving at their destination right about now. They get to spend a week down there on his Aunt & Uncle's ranch. They went in August and had an awesome time. They even camped on the beach. I wish I was headed to the beach...
We saw the Dr. about Bobby's broken clavicle. They promise in two weeks it will be much improved. The xray looks like someone broke the bone and then tried to build an Indian tee pee with it. They gave him some stronger meds and said he could try school tomorrow. Going back to work depends on how much pain he's in. His manager is being awesome about it though. And obviously no driving for awhile. Looks like Sean and I will be sharing chauffeur duties.
My physical therapist is trying to kill me. I'm pretty sure she lays awake at night trying to think up new tortures. Yesterday's visit ended with me biting my lip and gritting my teeth. The funny thing is it's not the injured knee that hurts...it's the hip. I may have to go get the shot in it after all. Grocery shopping afterward probably didn't help.
I had my first video conference call with one of my clients today. It's a little surreal finally seeing someone you've only chatted with on the phone. Ok, the whole video calling thing is surreal to me. I just got the web cam last week. And I've video called Hildi once too. That was awesome being able to see her and the girls. I guess you get used to it. The funny thing is, I was all nervous, so I got up early; showered, fixed my hair, put on makeup, picked out casual, yet business like clothing and downloaded Skype. Then I waited. And when he called? He was wearing a tshirt. Yes, I overdressed for a conference call. My bad.
Hubby is still majorly busy and so I don't seem him much. Last night, as I was getting ready for bed he was already in bed.
Me: Don't fall asleep yet! I have stuff to tell you.
Hubby: Mrwrmm. Okay. I'll try.
*I go into bathroom, take meds, brush teeth, ect. Finally I emerge*
Me: Are you asleep?
Hubby: No
Me: You looked asleep.
Hubby: No. I'm awake.
Me: Well, okay. Do you want to know how my doctor's visit went?
Hubby: Yeah, of course.
Me: Really, because you didn't even ask?
Hubby: Yeah, I forgot, sorry.
Me: Well Dr. O said he wished all his fibro patients were doing as well as I am. And that almost everyone is getting great results with that medicine. He advised me to avoid surgery at all costs because he's worried about all my allergies to antibiotics. Dr. L is worried about that too. But basically, I don't have to see Dr. O again until next year.
Hubby: Well that's good.
Me: And Dr. L spent like 5 minutes with me. It was one of those times he keeps trying to get up and leave and I keep making him sit back down. Anyway I'm supposed to call them Monday and let them know if I think the kidney infection is cleared up and the swelling is gone. And he's not worried about the BP and Heart rate spikes as long as I feel fine.
Hubby: *who has rolled over, says over his shoulder* So the whiskey didn't tell you anything.
Me: What?
Hubby: So the whiskey didn't tell you anything.
Me: Um. No. The whiskey didn't tell me a damn thing. Was it supposed to?
Hubby: *rolls over and stares as me* What whiskey?
Me: That's what I'd like to know. You said "so the whiskey didn't tell you anything?"
Hubby: No. I said "So basically, he didn't tell you anything."
Me: Well that makes more sense. Especially since I hate whiskey. We really aren't on speaking terms.
Hubby: *shakes head and rolls back over*
Me: Now the tequila, however...
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
♥Spot
PS- I promise to start catching up on all of your blogs. SOON. =]
Monday, May 3, 2010
The one where the Universe gets even with me.
So it never fails...begin to whine about how much is going on in your life...even if you preface it with an "I know I am so blessed" and the Universe will smack you down. Every. Damn. Time. The cat will develop a digestive issue and throw up in an eight foot square on your light colored Berber carpet. Your home office will be invaded by a grumpy invalid in the form of your 18 yr old son.
Yesterday was going well. I managed to blog! I was going to attend two sessions at the online conference. I'd found a story to work on for my submission. Sean and I were in the middle of catching up on *Stargate Universe* when the phone rang. Sean answered it then handed it to me with a funny look on his face~
Me: Who is it?
Sean: I think it's Bobby, but something's wrong.
Me: Hello?
Bobby: (voice strained) I wrecked my bike. Ambulance is here. Get to hospital quick.
Me: On the way!
Sean and I flew out of the house. We called hubby on the way. He said he'd be there as soon as he could. Called Lu because she was at work in town and could get there quickest. I told her he'd had an accident and to meet us at the ER. I neglected to tell her he was alive. Oops.
As we make the 30 minute drive (in 20 minutes), Sean tries to make me laugh~
Sean: Remember the other day when you told him if he wrecked and was paralyzed, you weren't taking care of him because it was his fault??
Me: Yep. But I would, you know?
Sean: If he's in a wheelchair, I'm going to put him on the deck and leave him and then admonish him for not coming in out of the rain.
Me: That's funny. But mean! Hey! Now we can beat all his Wii scores.
We make jokes in this family to deal with stress. And he may not be my son by birth, but my heart was pounding just as bad as it would have if it had been one of the others. The whole ride I imagined the worst. Paralysis, spinal cord injury, broken legs, road rash, nerve damage. At least I knew he was alive and conscious. That ruled out major head trauma. Then Lu called~
Lu: He's alive!
Sean: We knew that. He called us.
Lu: Oh. I didn't know that.
Sean: Well we're almost there.
We got there and rushed back to the room. Lu and his girlfriend were standing outside. Xray was with him. I took in both tear stained faces and hugged them hard.
Lu: They think he broke his clavicle and messed up his left arm.
An EMT we know came up to me.
EMT: Hey, how you doing?
Me: Better now that I know what's going on.
EMT: Yeah. He'll be okay. He's in pain though.
Me: Thanks for bringing him in. Just can't keep them out of trouble.
EMT: He was more worried about his jacket than himself. He wouldn't let us cut it off.
Me: Doesn't surprise me a bit.
We got to go in. He'd been give painkillers but was still in pain. I hugged carefully and kissed the top of his head. His girlfriend's sister and mother came in. Then one of his managers from work came in. In a strange twist of fate, he'd happened by the accident scene, realized it was Bobby's bike and took it to his house so Bobby wouldn't have a towing and storage fee. He said it was in bad shape. (GOOD!) They took him to xray to get more pictures. Lu told me she'd just rushed out of work and to the hospital. She arrived at the same time as the ambulance. She cried the whole way.
After the xrays, he was in a lot of pain again, so I asked the nurse for another shot. About then his real Dad and his girlfriend showed up. His Dad talked to the doctor and me, while his girlfriend went in to check on Bobby. They didn't stay long, but well, things are awkward. I promised to keep them updated. The doctor came in and confirmed the broken left clavicle. Other than assorted bruises and scrapes that was it. They put a sling on it, gave us a prescription for painkillers and released him. We see the orthopedic doctor tomorrow. The first few hours were rough. It's a lot of pain. But luckily, thanks to the meds, he got some sleep. Not as bad today as long as we stay on top of the pain meds. It's going to be a long couple of weeks though. He can't drive and probably can't work.
But it could have been so much worse. All those things that went through my head could have happened. This is just a bump in the road and it too shall pass.
***Don't forget to tune in Wednesday for the giveaway results!!
♥Spot
Yesterday was going well. I managed to blog! I was going to attend two sessions at the online conference. I'd found a story to work on for my submission. Sean and I were in the middle of catching up on *Stargate Universe* when the phone rang. Sean answered it then handed it to me with a funny look on his face~
Me: Who is it?
Sean: I think it's Bobby, but something's wrong.
Me: Hello?
Bobby: (voice strained) I wrecked my bike. Ambulance is here. Get to hospital quick.
Me: On the way!
Sean and I flew out of the house. We called hubby on the way. He said he'd be there as soon as he could. Called Lu because she was at work in town and could get there quickest. I told her he'd had an accident and to meet us at the ER. I neglected to tell her he was alive. Oops.
As we make the 30 minute drive (in 20 minutes), Sean tries to make me laugh~
Sean: Remember the other day when you told him if he wrecked and was paralyzed, you weren't taking care of him because it was his fault??
Me: Yep. But I would, you know?
Sean: If he's in a wheelchair, I'm going to put him on the deck and leave him and then admonish him for not coming in out of the rain.
Me: That's funny. But mean! Hey! Now we can beat all his Wii scores.
We make jokes in this family to deal with stress. And he may not be my son by birth, but my heart was pounding just as bad as it would have if it had been one of the others. The whole ride I imagined the worst. Paralysis, spinal cord injury, broken legs, road rash, nerve damage. At least I knew he was alive and conscious. That ruled out major head trauma. Then Lu called~
Lu: He's alive!
Sean: We knew that. He called us.
Lu: Oh. I didn't know that.
Sean: Well we're almost there.
We got there and rushed back to the room. Lu and his girlfriend were standing outside. Xray was with him. I took in both tear stained faces and hugged them hard.
Lu: They think he broke his clavicle and messed up his left arm.
An EMT we know came up to me.
EMT: Hey, how you doing?
Me: Better now that I know what's going on.
EMT: Yeah. He'll be okay. He's in pain though.
Me: Thanks for bringing him in. Just can't keep them out of trouble.
EMT: He was more worried about his jacket than himself. He wouldn't let us cut it off.
Me: Doesn't surprise me a bit.
We got to go in. He'd been give painkillers but was still in pain. I hugged carefully and kissed the top of his head. His girlfriend's sister and mother came in. Then one of his managers from work came in. In a strange twist of fate, he'd happened by the accident scene, realized it was Bobby's bike and took it to his house so Bobby wouldn't have a towing and storage fee. He said it was in bad shape. (GOOD!) They took him to xray to get more pictures. Lu told me she'd just rushed out of work and to the hospital. She arrived at the same time as the ambulance. She cried the whole way.
After the xrays, he was in a lot of pain again, so I asked the nurse for another shot. About then his real Dad and his girlfriend showed up. His Dad talked to the doctor and me, while his girlfriend went in to check on Bobby. They didn't stay long, but well, things are awkward. I promised to keep them updated. The doctor came in and confirmed the broken left clavicle. Other than assorted bruises and scrapes that was it. They put a sling on it, gave us a prescription for painkillers and released him. We see the orthopedic doctor tomorrow. The first few hours were rough. It's a lot of pain. But luckily, thanks to the meds, he got some sleep. Not as bad today as long as we stay on top of the pain meds. It's going to be a long couple of weeks though. He can't drive and probably can't work.
But it could have been so much worse. All those things that went through my head could have happened. This is just a bump in the road and it too shall pass.
***Don't forget to tune in Wednesday for the giveaway results!!
♥Spot
Sunday, May 2, 2010
The one where I apologize & then make you laugh & remind you about the giveaway...
I'm truly sorry. I have probably been the worst bloggy friend in blogland lately. Remember those sayings your mother/grandmother used to use? You know the ones..."bitten off more than you can chew"..."burning your candle at both ends". Those ones? Right. I'm pretty sure I finally know exactly what they mean. And what they mean to me is that I'm having an incredibly hard time keeping up with everything. Of course, it could just be that I suck hardcore at time management, but I'm not going to just admit that, right? It could also be that I made a promise before I had my kids that they would always be the most important thing in my life and that no matter what I was doing, when they wanted to talk/hang out/chatter incessantly be with me, I would drop it all to spend time with them. And regardless of the fact that they are now mostly mini-adults, I still feel compelled (guilt-driven) to keep that promise. I do now often have to add "just give me a few minutes to finish this up, okay?". And sometimes my few minutes turns into half an hour, but I still hunt them down and keep my promise.
My house is a mess. I desperately need to get my butt to the grocery store. And I've forgotten what my husband looks like. Mostly because this is his super busy time of year as well and we keep missing each other. If I didn't know he was that snoring lump next to me in bed, I might think he'd been abducted by aliens. Luckily, we've managed to pencil each other in for October sometime. And even more luckily, we've been together long enough to know that this too shall pass and we will have plenty of time to get on each other's nerves later.
"What is taking up all your time Spot? What is more important than us?" I hear you asking. Really, nothing is more important than you (except my kids), but the squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know? And I seem to have a lot of squeaky wheels nowadays. First, they put me on physical therapy for the knee. Three freakin times a week. That may not sound bad, until you factor in a half hour drive to and from. Grr. Then I had CJ home for a visit last week. Which was awesome, we had a great time, but he's not real keen on me being on the computer and ignoring him, so I didn't. Then I had a kidney infection and spent 7 hours in the hospital. Which trust me, is another post.
I'm attending an online convention all month called Coyote Con which is absolutely amazing and it's only the second day!! I've already learned so much and met so many awesome people. Tina from The Clean White Page is attending also and we are having a (virtual) blast! We've also both been asked to submit to Drollerie Press, the wonderful people who are putting on the whole thing. Thank you Deena!! But that does mean that I have to find a hopefully finished story that suits their publishing needs and get it ready for submission. And since writing fiction is my ultimate goal, I'm not going to let that opportunity slip by! Also Tina and I have formed a little writing partnership (since we both right horror) so we edit each other's stories before they get sent anywhere.
And (ready for more? I know that plate's looking pretty full, but you're a big eater, right?) I started working as a freelance writer for a large marketing company. I administrate some social media sites, write newsletters and articles for newsletters and do some email contacting of potential clients. Which is fabulous. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time (thank you Kathryn!) and the stars aligned and presto! I have an interesting job doing what I've always wanted with a more or less stable income. Which in the world of freelancing is almost unheard of, so Kathryn tells me. And it's a great gig. I mostly work when I want, from my own home, and often in my jammies or sweats. Woot to the woot. Except on video conference days. Yeah, my client (boss) is so great he even bought me a webcam so I can be part of the video conferences. How cool is that?
And I still have four busy teenagers to deal with. Yes, I said four...Lu's Dexter is moving in for the month of May. You should see the calendar with every one's schedules on it! Thank goodness we all have our own cars, although the insurance bill is the same as my food bill every month. So basically, I know that I am extremely blessed! I have a family who loves and supports me. I have teenagers who actually want to hang out with their mom and tell her every little detail of their lives, I have an understanding husband who's got his dream job. I have my dream job (freelance writer), I have a shot at publication, I have wonderful encouraging friends, I have my shiny new fancy phone (thank you Radio Shack! More on that later...), and while my health could be better I'm certainly not dying. All in all, I have it very good. I'm just super busy and feeling guilty about not blogging (because I love blogging) and not getting a chance to catch up on all of your blogs!! But hang with me and I promise I will find a balance soon. Now for funny...
Sean and I were driving on Wednesday and Sean reads a billboard~
Sean: "Follow the crowd. 68% of Adams County teens don't drink." Well, I would but my Mom taught me not to be a conformist!! I'm not a follower!
Me: Way to go Sean. Thanks for throwing a life lesson back in my face.
Sean: Hey, at least I listened, right?
And a convo between Lu and Sean after hopping in her car. Her name tag from work hangs from her mirror. It says the store name (DEB) and she has a Fashionista badge.
Sean: I need a name tag for my National Scout Jamboree uniform. I think I'll take your pretty pink one. I want to be a Fashionista. O-M-G! I can't believe you're wearing those flip flops with that shirt!
Lu: You don't even know what DEB stands for.
Sean: *thinks hard* You're right. I can't think of anything dirty for the "E".
Lu: Eww. You're so gross. It's an abbreviation of debutante. You know like in the old days when rich girls had their "coming out" parties.
Sean: In the old days rich people through parties for their lesbian daughters??! What?!
Lu: NO! Not that kind of "coming out"! Like coming into society.
Sean: I'm so lost. So they were sex parties?
Lu: OMG! NO! They were just introducing them to society.
Sean: So, they like hid them in the attic before that. "Look I have a daughter!"
Lu: You're so not getting this. Anyway, now it stands for "doing everything better".
Sean: *Sean convulses with laughter* Really? That might be false advertising.
Lu: Shut up Sean.
***Giveaway Reminder***
For those of you who are new...I'm doing a GIVEAWAY! Yay! All you have to do is visit any of CSNstores (there are over 200) and leave me a comment telling me something you liked and that you'd like to win! Simple as that. Leave a comment on every blog until Wednesday May 7th and I'll give you one entry per comment. On the 7th, Sean will draw a name from a hat and I'll announce the winner. The winner gets a promo code for $60 dollars off their purchase, not including shipping. Easy as that! And welcome all newcomers!!
Well, kids, I have to get to the conference. If anyone is interested it's Coyote Con and it's all online and all free. It's not too late to register. So far, the panelists have been amazing and everyone is super friendly! If you have any interest in writing speculative fiction (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, mythic, paranormal romance) you should join up. Like I said, there's much to be learned.
Happy Sunday!
♥Spot
My house is a mess. I desperately need to get my butt to the grocery store. And I've forgotten what my husband looks like. Mostly because this is his super busy time of year as well and we keep missing each other. If I didn't know he was that snoring lump next to me in bed, I might think he'd been abducted by aliens. Luckily, we've managed to pencil each other in for October sometime. And even more luckily, we've been together long enough to know that this too shall pass and we will have plenty of time to get on each other's nerves later.
"What is taking up all your time Spot? What is more important than us?" I hear you asking. Really, nothing is more important than you (except my kids), but the squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know? And I seem to have a lot of squeaky wheels nowadays. First, they put me on physical therapy for the knee. Three freakin times a week. That may not sound bad, until you factor in a half hour drive to and from. Grr. Then I had CJ home for a visit last week. Which was awesome, we had a great time, but he's not real keen on me being on the computer and ignoring him, so I didn't. Then I had a kidney infection and spent 7 hours in the hospital. Which trust me, is another post.
I'm attending an online convention all month called Coyote Con which is absolutely amazing and it's only the second day!! I've already learned so much and met so many awesome people. Tina from The Clean White Page is attending also and we are having a (virtual) blast! We've also both been asked to submit to Drollerie Press, the wonderful people who are putting on the whole thing. Thank you Deena!! But that does mean that I have to find a hopefully finished story that suits their publishing needs and get it ready for submission. And since writing fiction is my ultimate goal, I'm not going to let that opportunity slip by! Also Tina and I have formed a little writing partnership (since we both right horror) so we edit each other's stories before they get sent anywhere.
And (ready for more? I know that plate's looking pretty full, but you're a big eater, right?) I started working as a freelance writer for a large marketing company. I administrate some social media sites, write newsletters and articles for newsletters and do some email contacting of potential clients. Which is fabulous. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time (thank you Kathryn!) and the stars aligned and presto! I have an interesting job doing what I've always wanted with a more or less stable income. Which in the world of freelancing is almost unheard of, so Kathryn tells me. And it's a great gig. I mostly work when I want, from my own home, and often in my jammies or sweats. Woot to the woot. Except on video conference days. Yeah, my client (boss) is so great he even bought me a webcam so I can be part of the video conferences. How cool is that?
And I still have four busy teenagers to deal with. Yes, I said four...Lu's Dexter is moving in for the month of May. You should see the calendar with every one's schedules on it! Thank goodness we all have our own cars, although the insurance bill is the same as my food bill every month. So basically, I know that I am extremely blessed! I have a family who loves and supports me. I have teenagers who actually want to hang out with their mom and tell her every little detail of their lives, I have an understanding husband who's got his dream job. I have my dream job (freelance writer), I have a shot at publication, I have wonderful encouraging friends, I have my shiny new fancy phone (thank you Radio Shack! More on that later...), and while my health could be better I'm certainly not dying. All in all, I have it very good. I'm just super busy and feeling guilty about not blogging (because I love blogging) and not getting a chance to catch up on all of your blogs!! But hang with me and I promise I will find a balance soon. Now for funny...
Sean and I were driving on Wednesday and Sean reads a billboard~
Sean: "Follow the crowd. 68% of Adams County teens don't drink." Well, I would but my Mom taught me not to be a conformist!! I'm not a follower!
Me: Way to go Sean. Thanks for throwing a life lesson back in my face.
Sean: Hey, at least I listened, right?
And a convo between Lu and Sean after hopping in her car. Her name tag from work hangs from her mirror. It says the store name (DEB) and she has a Fashionista badge.
Sean: I need a name tag for my National Scout Jamboree uniform. I think I'll take your pretty pink one. I want to be a Fashionista. O-M-G! I can't believe you're wearing those flip flops with that shirt!
Lu: You don't even know what DEB stands for.
Sean: *thinks hard* You're right. I can't think of anything dirty for the "E".
Lu: Eww. You're so gross. It's an abbreviation of debutante. You know like in the old days when rich girls had their "coming out" parties.
Sean: In the old days rich people through parties for their lesbian daughters??! What?!
Lu: NO! Not that kind of "coming out"! Like coming into society.
Sean: I'm so lost. So they were sex parties?
Lu: OMG! NO! They were just introducing them to society.
Sean: So, they like hid them in the attic before that. "Look I have a daughter!"
Lu: You're so not getting this. Anyway, now it stands for "doing everything better".
Sean: *Sean convulses with laughter* Really? That might be false advertising.
Lu: Shut up Sean.
***Giveaway Reminder***
For those of you who are new...I'm doing a GIVEAWAY! Yay! All you have to do is visit any of CSNstores (there are over 200) and leave me a comment telling me something you liked and that you'd like to win! Simple as that. Leave a comment on every blog until Wednesday May 7th and I'll give you one entry per comment. On the 7th, Sean will draw a name from a hat and I'll announce the winner. The winner gets a promo code for $60 dollars off their purchase, not including shipping. Easy as that! And welcome all newcomers!!
Well, kids, I have to get to the conference. If anyone is interested it's Coyote Con and it's all online and all free. It's not too late to register. So far, the panelists have been amazing and everyone is super friendly! If you have any interest in writing speculative fiction (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, mythic, paranormal romance) you should join up. Like I said, there's much to be learned.
Happy Sunday!
♥Spot
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