Would Love to Sit Still

Hey there.

I have literally five minutes to write - I have been going since 8:30 this morning and it's not over yet. I volunteered at school all day doing different events (Spirit Week, the dance) then jetted home for a quick outfit change and a bite to eat - we're out the door to football now. Friday night game - in the pouring down rain. Oh, joy.

Tomorrow T&S are having a huge Halloween party (it's also T's birthday week) so J will hand out the candy and C and I will go drink and have fun walking around. Everyone's supposed to meet up at T's for the rest of the night. Should be a good time.

Nothing else going on...feeling a lot better, but not quite right yet. Sounds like you have paperwork kind of weekend planned. Snuggle up and have a mimosa for me!

Talk to you soon,
Love,
A

Happy Halloween!

Hey, A.

I still haven't gotten around to that correcting back log, but will get around to it eventually. Right now I just want the week to be over. I really could have slept in this morning; I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and sleep some more. I hope I can tomorrow, but chances are I'll be up at 6. Seems to work that way that I am up and at it on weekends when I don't have to be.

This afternoon I plan to go to the gym and clean my car. I have sh*t in the trunk that has been there for a year, I swear. It's time to unearth my ice scraper and get some crap (like empty water bottle cases) into the garbage. And when I'm done tackling the trunk, I need to vacuum the interior and wash the windows. I think I'll grab my Windex and a roll of paper towels and head straight to the car wash after the gym. Then I can go home, put my feet up and have a cocktail.

Hope you have had a good week. Happy weekend and Happy Halloween!

Love,
Barb

The Calm before the Storm?

Yay! A note from you!...;-)

Glad you are feeling better. I am too, although we have students who are home sick with Swine Flu and schools in the state and area that are closed. Our absenteeism was at 8 percent yesterday, but could increase very fast. 8-16-32, that sort of thing. Keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t get it. It certainly would suck if they closed the school and I was home suffering. It would be much more fun if I was feeling great. ;-)

We had two crappy days of rain but now the sun is out again and my mood is a little brighter. It just never feels worth it to dry my hair and wear it down when it’s going to get rained on and a bad hair day is only moments away. Today I’m having a good hair, and my nails look great (had them done yesterday) and I’m feeling good all around.

I have a back log of correcting to do, of course (when don’t I?) and grades close for the first quarter tomorrow. Looks like this weekend I may be playing catch-up. If I have mimosas it won’t be so bad…

Thanks for writing. Talk to you soon.

XO, Barb

I Was Abducted by Aliens ?

OMG. Seriously??? I am soooo sorry I've been gone so long. I really haven't been in a funk, I just got busy doing other stuff and writing elsewhere and .... well, whatever. What a looooooser! Thanks for writing every day anyway.

I, too, have been fighting off a stupid cold for so long now I can't remember what if feels like to inhale without wheezing myself into a coughing fit. Turns out I had a sinus/ear infection, but the antibiotics aren't doing much for the chest crap. I feel like I'm taking two steps forward and one step back to healthy every day. It SUCKS!!!

Nothing much going on here. I've been volunteering at the school a lot lately and getting JJ from one sport to another. Trying to get out of the house during the day and not get bogged down in my I-Hate-October crap with Matt. I'm quite looking forward to Halloween this weekend, as always, though. I headed up a Food Drive in our neighborhood for trick-or-treaters this year, since we get a billion kids up here. We went over to T&S's tonight and the kids made a big sign for the park to advertise our Drive. JJ and J are upstairs now racing with their new slot cars; I've had all evening to sit and write. Unfortunately, I haven't written a word until now. I've been sitting here reading other blogs, trying to glean inspiration, hoping to get a spark somewhere that would set me off on a creative jag. Nope, not happening. Mostly I ended up reading stuff that made me feel not funny, or not smart, or not creative. Argh.

Dear Diary, I can do. Writing something meaningful? Really struggling with that as of late. I sit down with time on hand, and nothing comes out. Not even bad nothing, just nothing at all.

Maybe it has to do with feeling rotten, physically. I have so little energy. By the time I'm up and out for the day and home again, I can't even think to try to entertain anyone.

Anyway, I know you've been sick too and I hope you're on the upswing. At least neither of us has the Oink Flu, or, worse yet, Hep A, which Kim's son has just contracted. Let's count our blessings and thank God for the common winter cold, I guess.

I promise not to disappear again!
Love you!
A

Chili

It's getting a little lonely here, Amanda...but I get that you're in a bit of a funk.

Still, honestly, I sometimes wonder if we should leave this blog alone. Then I quickly think no way!, because I can't imagine how little we'd "talk" if not for this place. So, I'll plug along and hope to hear from you soon, and I'll keep using it as a depository for my daily brain back-up, my dear diary, this is what I did today or what I plan to do this weekend.

What I did today is pursue my customer service complaint with the company who ruined my day on Saturday. The person I spoke with was apologetic and offered to reimburse me for all of the labor I was charged. He said they'll cut a check and send it out on Friday. That works for me! It would be even better if my tires were free, but I guess I'll take the $67.

This afternoon I'm up in the air about going to the gym...it's raining and I'm planning on making chili, so it may be nice to get home and get in flannel, rather than my workout clothes. I have a couple of nice bottles of red, and cooking always requires a good glass of wine, even if it's not in the recipe. Tomorrow night I plan to stop by my steak place and share some of the chili with my favorite servers, whom I now consider friends. E is going to make and bring some of her vegetable barley soup to share, and J is young and just starting out and looking for recipes for herself and her live-in boyfriend so she'll get the chili and the recipe without sharing a specialty. I'm not sure if I'll stay for dinner, but I'll definitely have a drink while I'm there. It'll be a day of the week that ends in y, won't it?

Hope all is well....

Miss and love you,
Barb

Mixed Reviews

Hey, A.

Hope you had a good weekend. Mine was mixed. Saturday sucked. The tire place screwed up my day…after they made two appointments with me, they still kept my car for 4 hours on Saturday. Meaning they didn't keep--or should I say honor--either appointment. As I explained to my dad, a little decency or honesty would have been nice. All they needed to do was tell me to plan on being without my car for a few hours and I would have. I would have made arrangements to have someone pick me up, and I would have planned on being without me car. But I didn’t. All I counted on was the ½ hour. I planned on going to the gym, and then grocery shopping, but next thing I knew, it was after 1, and I was still sitting by the phone, although finally dry. As I also told my dad, I work for a living and I can’t lose a half of a day on the weekend. Needless to say, I’m still not over it and pursuing the whole debacle with corporate offices, but I didn’t let it ruin my Sunday.

Yesterday I got up early, did laundry, went to the gym, and then shopping, and got home at 1, just in time for kick off. (Go Pats!) I spent the rest of the day inside (despite the nice weather)—having breakfast (at 1) and mimosas, and generally relaxing, getting two weekend days out of one, really. I caught up with D and J and felt good in the end.

More car stuff this afternoon, this time for an oil change that I hope goes well and without incident. Wish me luck.

Hope you’re doing okay.

Xo,
Barb

Weekend Away

...from the keyboard anyway.

I'm off to get an alignment and a couple of new tires. I get an oil change tomorrow. Lucky me.

Other than that, just feathering the nest this weekend as I mentioned in my last post. Hope to hear from you soon.

Love,
Barb

A Good Zero

Hey there.

Just me again...

We had our union meeting yesterday and, as expected, we have a hard zero increase--meaning no step changes or general wage increases--next year, but the second and third years of the contract look better. I suppose in these economic times, when I am fortunate to have a job, should be happy that over the next three years I will remain employed and make more money eventually. As tough as teaching can be some times, I'm never chasing a sale or keep an eye on a bottom line. I am grateful for that.

This afternoon I am off with C to do some shopping and eating (and drinking, of course!). We're going to a new burger place, and are going to hit TJs and C&B while we are out that way. I'm looking forward to it--to all three legs of our excursion-- already counting the hours until the bell rings. It's another day away from the gym, but I'm keeping with my weekly goals, and have lost another 2 pounds (12 total), so I'm feeling okay about things. Meantime, I have never felt guilty about biting in to a big, juicy burger before, so why start now--when I actually am exercising regularly? That would be silly.

This may be the last weekend for good leaf-peeping around here (wind and rain sometimes take the leaves down before they're at peak) so I may do some driving around this weekend, taking in the scenery and taking pictures when inspired. W won't be around, so I have another weekend to myself with nothing going on. Except maybe another batch of chili....

Hope you're doing well, and that you've just been too busy to write. Thinking of you...

xo,
Barb

A-Choo!

Hey, A.

Yesterday I was feeling better; today: not so much. I've been sneezing and hacking all morning and could fall asleep sitting up. I wonder if what's going on with me is that I have developed an allergy to mold in addition to dust, which has been my biggie. I think we have a mold problem here for sure--given the leaks and stained ceilings. In general, I think we have a sick building. And it's hard to feel good mentally--about my efforts at the gym (and feeling the results in my clothes) and being overall more productive--when all I want to do is nap and trade in my sinuses for someone else's.

But life is good. Just wish I could enjoy it a little more--without so much Kleenex.

Hope all is well with you.

Love, Barb

Rested and Ready to Go

Hey, A.

Thanks for texting back last night…I hope you enjoyed the rest of the party and that things with J mellowed out.

I had a really good weekend, and I’m not sure why. I started with some Friday afternoon shopping and then dinner, then I feel like I had a really, really good night’s sleep on Friday night. I didn’t wake up until after 8 on Saturday—and I hadn’t woken up first at 3:30, then 5:30. That never happens anymore. I slept right through. Then, other than going to the gym, I did a whole lot of nothing.

Maybe that’s why it was so good, just not being committed to anything, no preparing for a weekend or visit with W, no going to L’s for an overnight—or two—where I definitely do not sleep well. And I suppose the weather has gotten cold enough that it feels really good to sit under a blanket and flip through magazines. I didn’t feel like I should be out doing other things so as not to waste a great day. I felt like being a couch potato was exactly what I should be doing. Maybe I just simply needed the rest. And I got it.

Now it’s back to work—a 5 day week this week, which I’m sure will just kill me. Arg. I just want to get through a whole week feeling well. I can’t remember the last time that happened. Oh yeah, this summer. That's right...Anyway.

I have a union meeting Wednesday, and C and I are going out to a new burger place on Thursday, but otherwise not much going on but my continued efforts at the gym. Hope all is well in your world with your job search and subbing.

Love you,
Barb

Hi!

Thought I'd drop a quick line to say hey, hope you are having as good and relaxing weekend as I am...

xo, Barb

Living

Hey, A.

I’m living. And I’m sorry to have been so out of touch….

My long weekend was wonderful. I went out to lunch with friends on our Furlough Day, and we enjoyed feeling like grown-ups—eating at a restaurant at one in the afternoon. I had started the morning with a work out and generally relaxed all day. Saturday night I went down to L’s and stayed until Monday morning. Sunday morning was our breakfast out and the big pumpkin adventure with the kids (a blast!) and Sunday afternoon we had a nice dinner together. All in all in was a really nice visit, but it killed me when I had to leave on Monday morning… C was crying because I was leaving. And there was S, consoling him. “You used to be the one crying, honey. And now you’re all grown up, comforting your brother,” I said. But she cried too, only she went upstairs and did it in private.

I came back not feeling well, at all. I struggled through professional development on Tuesday and took the next two days off. W came down as planned, and it was nice to have him there to massage my aches away, but it was a different visit since I wasn’t on my game.

And today I’m back in the grind, but the weekend starts at 2. Nice the way that worked out to only be back for a day before I get more time off….

I have nothing planned for the weekend, just some R&R to finally get rid of this cold.

Hope all is well with you.

Love, Barb

Checking In

Hey, you.

Thought I'd check in, in the event that you get to the computer today. Did you have a good time at L's with the kids? I think we're going to do the pumpkin patch thing this weekend when C is here; we are also planning to go see Where the Wild Things Are, as a family. And celebrate T's birthday, and have Wine Club. Should be fun, if busy.

This past weekend was good. JJ's team tied the game with the Matchy-Matchy Team - they gave those little snots a good run for their money. :) Other than the fact that it was freezing, it was a fun game. Saturday night J came in from NY and we went out to dinner. Ended the evening with a drink over at S&T's. Sunday, the three of us went to Olympia for the WA State Fallen FF Memorial Service, which we attend every year. It was nice, as usual, and short, so we were home before noon. Spent the rest of the day in the yard cleaning up.

The weather has taken a drastic turn from sort-of-chilly-autumn to totally-freezing-and-windy-like-the-power-will-go-out. It makes me want to stay inside and iron while watching something good on On Demand. Oh, wait! That's my job! I think that's the plan for today, then. I made an amazing pot roast for dinner last night (thanks for the suggestion!) and there are plenty of leftovers for sandwiches, so I'm all set for dinner tonight. Nothing much else going on.

KB and I are having lunch tomorrow, coupled with a jaunt to TJ's. Track and football practice all week (thank God that's J's duty - I can't handle standing around in the cold watching practice. A game is different.)

Hope all is well with you...enjoying your chocolate cake.... :)

Love,
A

Shopping

Hey, A.

Does sound like a busy day for you yesterday! (I’m so proud of you for saying no to your brother. You go, girl. Honor yourself!) I wonder how J is doing keeping up with middle school homework and two sports? Does he sleep until noon on Saturday and Sunday?

Speaking of weekends, my extra-long one begins in just another hour or so! I’m thrilled, especially since they gave us our paychecks a day early because of tomorrow's furlough day. C and I are going to a Japanese place after school but we are not meeting until 4:30, so that gives me a little time to shop beforehand with said paycheck. To be honest, I’ve already gone shopping today. (You inspired me.) I popped over to Marshall’s during my free period. I can’t be in my room and I was done with what I needed to do, so…

That’s all I have to report. I’ll be down at L’s over the weekend, taking C and S on our annual pumpkin adventure so I’ll be out of touch until Tuesday. Hope you have a great weekend.

Love,
B

Is it over yet?

Hey,

Sorry about the lab frustration. Today was good, even though it felt like it lasted for about a week. Yeah, I know most people work during the time I am out shopping...but it was still a busy day. I just didn't leave myself enough time between things to not have to rush everywhere. Not to mention the track meet went on forever again, (3:30 - 7:00, and it wasn't even over when we left) and we were scrambling to change clothes, get a bite to eat and get to football...20 minutes late.

I met up with Bro J after dropping JJ off, and we took a look at that venue for my parents' party. It was gorgeous; perfect for what we want. Then I was chatting with a mom at football and it turns out she had her wedding reception there. She highly recommended it and even said the catering was awesome. It's always good to have a personal recommendation!

I would love to sit here and blog...not only write but get caught up on my reading too. However, since I didn't get much sleep last night and have to be at JJ's school early tomorrow morning, I should get to bed (it's already 11:00). I'm volunteering in the morning, then working on my deck in the afternoon. Do you have Friday or Monday off? We have Friday. Hallelujah!!! S and I are going to start the deck staining process tomorrow (buy supplies, wash the deck, etc. ) and Friday I will stain it. That's me, the DIY Girl. Hahahaha!

Saturday: football game, then J comes home from NY late that afternoon. I was proud of myself for saying NO to my bro when he asked if I could babysit Saturday night. I'm way too nice, considering babysitting is no longer reciprocal (since I don't need it) and they have an annoying tendency to call right about the time they said they'd be home and ask if I'd mind if they stayed out later. Well, I guess you already are, aren't you? I want to say. I hate being such a wuss. Of course I felt terrible saying no, but I have to get over that. At least I did it :)

Ok...seriously nodding off here. Hopefully I'll get a chance to write a little tomorrow, maybe between school and stain shopping (which isn't really shopping, because there aren't any shoes at Home Depot. Crocs don't count.)

Happy Thursday,
Love you, A

Labs Suck

Hey, A.

My glimmer of hope, as I finish a two hour lab and need to tackle clogged sink drains and dirty test tubes, is that we are going to change our schedule (again!) and although that is a pain in the a*s, it will eliminate double lab periods. The burden and expectation of weekly experiments goes with the double lab periods. Seriously, I hate labs. It’s babysitting 20 teenagers who are armed with glassware and chemicals who can’t really think for themselves anyway, so they follow directions and have no idea what it all means. I know I’m being negative, but it sucks. It’s a weekly exercise in frustration.

Gyms, nails, quick visit with my parents this evening, then only two more days until the long weekend! Two more double lab periods between now and then, but I’m confident I can do it.

Hope all is well with you.

Love,
B

Short Week

Good morning. Here it just turned afternoon...

I had a good, mellow weekend. It rained all day Saturday, so other than go out to the gym and run a couple errands, I stayed in. I made some vegetable soup and watched Hitch (I know, I'm behind with my movies) and flipped through magazines. On Sunday I started again by going to the gym (go, me!) then treated myself to a big breakfast and mimosas, which brought me right into the Pats game. (Go, Pats!)

I have a short week this week and next, as we furloughed two days to keep a couple of jobs this year and one of those days is Friday. (The other is Memorial Day weekend.) C and I have plans to go out Thursday and I need to get my nails done (desperately) (I'm a week overdue) but otherwise have nothing much going on during the week. This weekend will be my pumpkin adventure with the kids; next week I get to see W. All in all, life is good.

Sounds like you had a good visit with A. I'm glad you had a good weekend. Have a good week!

Love, Barb

Winding Down...

Hey,

Quick note before I go to bed. I had a good weekend with A, although he's pretty exhausting (mentally). The ball game on Friday night was really, really fun, even though we lost. The kids had a blast. Yesterday was good too. A and I went to lunch and the movies (Whip It) then later I went to the wedding with T & S. It was fun, but it was outside and since most of us didn't know that, we were totally ill-dressed and froze our butts off. We got home by 7:30 so A, JJ and I watched James and the Giant Peach before hitting the hay.

Today was gorgeous; JJ and I had planned to stay in our jams all day and watch movies, but he ditched me early on when his peeps came to get him. I was ok with that and went outside to do some fall gardening. Just what I needed after a high-energy go-go-go weekend.

I got my first sub call on Friday and, of course, couldn't take it. But I am ready to go for tomorrow, in case I've somehow been moved up the list and get another call. If not, we're supposed to have nice weather through the week, so I'll continue with "autumnizing" my yard.

Hope you had a great weekend - did W come down? Why do I think you were going to see him this weekend? Happy Monday,

Love,
A

Good for You!

Hey, Amanda.

What a great opportunity! That sounds like something you'd love to do, and be good at, so even if it doesn't have great monetary value, it will go far for self-esteem, and for opening yourself up to other such projects. Meantime, don't undersell yourself. Rather than accept a low hourly wage, charge by project. I can help you out a little setting fees if you want. Let's talk!

Sorry I didn't write yesterday, but I got a migraine during my free period at school and was crabby all day. And since I gave my first detention the day before and had a student who needed to make up a lab, I had to stay later than I would have liked. Eventually I got around to getting home and taking it easy. I flipped through my latest Cooking Light, made myself some halibut for dinner, and started a new Anita Shreve book (instantly gripping). I went to bed at nine.

The fair the day before (Wednesday) was a great time. C was soooo cute and they all had fun. L and I enjoyed some treats and agreed it was the perfect amount of time to arrive around 5 and head out by 8. Since it was a chilly night as well as a week night, the crowds weren't too bad. I'm so glad I started the tradition with them, and that L has become a part of it. I'll email you some pictures.

Nothing going on this weekend and I'm glad. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow so I may gear up to make a pot of chili. It was a hit at girls' weekend, but I didn't make enough for my freezer, and that's a fall must.

Hope you have a good weekend. Can't wait to take more about your PR/Communications specialist opportunity.

xo,
Barb

Beauty Day

Hey there,

Thanks for the note this morning. I'm sitting here trying to prioritize my day: I was thinking I'd try to get my nails & toes done, since I have the big ballgame tomorrow night and I *might* have to wear sandals. (long shot). Plus the wedding on Saturday, hence the nails. I was hoping to squeeze in a haircut too, since my killer cut, which I still love, has grown out past the original style. I don't have an appointment for any of these things, so I'll be taking my chances at walk-in availability.

You so didn't need to know all that, but clearly, it's weighing on me. A comes in tonight so I spent all day yesterday cleaning my house. By the time I was finished, I was certain that if Michelle Obama should stop by too, I'd be proud to show here around. I went a little overboard - you know how that goes. Baseboards and all. I hate motivation.

So I'm free today to get this other stuff done and maybe hit the Rack to return those stupid Privos that don't match anything I own and that I haven't worn once. They're only cute in a picture and I think I should have got a more neutral color than black, anyway. So that's where I'm headed after I drop A off at the bus stop.

No job hunting today, but I meant to tell you this on the phone the other day and I forgot. My friend JQ, (football/baseball team mom) owns a local cupcake shop and recently moved to a new location. I saw her at football practice the other night and was asking her about the move and, jokingly, said,

"So, are you hiring? Because I do have some customer service experience and I'm looking for a little part time work." Ha, ha, like I could bake a cupcake if my life depended on it.

"Hmm..." she says, "...what can you do? Like, what do you like to do?" Not bake, I thought. I was sort of kidding, JQ. I said,

"I can work the cash register?" She starts laughing, shaking her head.

"No, silly. Like, do you do any marketing stuff? I know your background. Would you be interested in doing some brochures, price lists, that kind of stuff? You're totally creative. Can you update a website? Post on Facebook? That's what I really need. I just don't have time to do that during the day."

After I stopped falling all over myself with excitement saying yes, yes, of course I can, she said she'd call me and we'd talk about the stuff she needs done. Yay Me!! I couldn't believe my luck, having run into her and thinking to make that stupid cash register comment.

It wouldn't be full time, it probably wouldn't be many hours at all. And I don't expect she's going to pay more than minimum wage, but what an awesome way for me to get started!! And, I'm pretty sure, that's all stuff I can do at home. I'm so psyched!! I'll let you know when we talk again and keep you posted on what happens. Other than the fact that she's a completely high maintenance, hyperactive, bossy boss, I love her. She's one of the nicest, most genuine people I've ever met. And anyone that can keep a cupcake shop going in this economy has got to be doing something right.

That's my good news for the day. Think I'll go grab my shower and get out of here when A leaves. That will eliminate the possibility of coming back here and parking my butt in front of the computer again, and wasting the entire day.

I hope you and the kids had a super fair day and the donuts were well worth it. We have scones, that's our fair tradition, so I totally get the anticipation factor!

Love,
A