Absolut Margie

Math is lame

2009-12-01T17:43:00.001-08:00

I am currently sitting in my math class not paying attention as you can clearly see. My teacher is completely useless, so I pretty much ignore him and then get Josh to explain it all to me. I am glad I came to class today, though, cause I didn't realize there's a test on Thursday, so I woulda gotten a nasty surprise if I hadn't been here! The other bonus of being here is that I've gotten a lot of my technical writing homework done, so that's nice.

Mom's finally come home. We busted her out last Saturday. She threw a kickin' old folks home party before she left, cause she's like that. I got the cake for her. It was delicious. Mmmmm. Cake. She's really whipping Ethan and Dad into shape now that she's home! She made Ethan clean his room and bought groceries and everything! What a good mommy! It's actually really nice that I know some one is home with Ethan that won't let him eat everything in the house.

Speaking of Ethan, it turns out his puberty and testosterone are lagging behind, but it's not terribly bad. The doctor said that it could be because Ethan's fat and fat prohibits testosterone. So he wants Ethan to change some of his eating habits and come back in March. Ethan told him straight to his face that he wasn't going to change his eating habits, and I don't know how to force him since dad takes him out to eat all the time. *sigh* I've put on a lot of weight too, but I'm gonna start going to the gym again. The doctor straight out said that exercise wouldn't make that much difference for Ethan, that his eating is the problem, so I'm trying to have healthier foods at home, too.

The job at the library is good, but a little boring. I started out scanning in old yearbooks, then I scanned in a book called "The History of Lubbock." Now I'm scanning in the Henderson County court records from the 1800's. Man, I woulda hated to live back then when they had to write all that crap by hand! I'm glad I don't have to transcribe the things cause I have a hard time reading all that loopy cursive handwriting. I've watched several t.v. shows and quite a few movies while I was working. I hope I don't finish the internets!

Rene has gotten a little busier, so he asked me to come back in and work for him here and there. I worked Friday and Saturday of the Thanksgiving holiday, which sucks, but I seriously need the money. I was afraid I would have forgotten how to do everything, but I guess doing something for 5 years straight really imprints it in your memory!

Uhhh...I can't think of anything else, but I still have 20 minutes of class left. Hmm. Maybe I'll just leave early. Normally there's only 2 people left in class by the end and today there's 13 people here still! Maybe they're worried about their grade. One day I left and there was actually only one guy left behind. Poor guy and poor teacher. But it's his own fault, if he wouldn't suck so much we would stay! There's over 25 people in the class, so I'm not the only one that thinks he sucks!

OH! I know! I'll talk about the dream I had the other night. I had a dream that I was pregnant, and Joe walked up to me and asked what I was going to name her. I said, "Josephine Evangeline," and he just smiled. Even in the dream I was like, "Josephine Evangaline? That's a HORRIBLE name!" And I started trying to think of alternatives. The high point here is that all the dreams I've had with Joe have always featured gross Joe. All grey and bloated, bald with the droopy face like in the hospital. In this dream, he looked really good. He was thin like he was back when we were exercising all the time. His hair was a little longer on top than he usually kept it and was parted on the side and looking very shiny and professional. I can't remember if he had his beard or not, but he was wearing a polo shirt (tucked in) and jeans. I think he was even wearing the belt and shoes that he was buried with, which makes sense cause he wore them all the damn time in life. :) It's nice to have that image in my head rather than the creepy one!

Ten more minutes. hmph.

New horizons

2009-10-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

You are reading the blog of the newest member of the UNT library's Digital Projects Unit! Soon I'll never have to clean any one's toilets but my own! YAY!

I'm also seriously thinking about changing my major. Mostly because programming makes me want to die. I'm thinking of going into communication design and minoring in technical writing. Then I could become a technical writer, or a graphic designer, or a web designer, or go into advertising, or a number of other things. It's good. I likes it. Plus, I wouldn't have to take nearly so much math and science, which makes me happy beyond all reason.

Ethan had a blood test the other day and is being referred to an endocrinologist for low testosterone levels. He said, "I don't want shots in my balls everyday!" I assured him that is not the probable outcome (after I told him to not be crass), and boy will my face be red if that's what they do! :) Mom's still in the nursing home, but she's making good progress. Dad can't seem to beat the flu.

hard day

2009-10-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a hard day. I woke up with a horrible horrible case of pink eye, which was incredibly painful. My office said to go to work anyway, and I had to work at the house of the lady that chain smokes the entire time I'm there and it gives me a headache and a runny nose. And on top of that, it was the anniversary of Joe's death. The whole day everytime I looked at the clock I would think, "Last year at this time I was writing his obituary," or whatever I was doing. So, that's a fun way to spend your day. I skipped my computer lab cause my eye just hurt too much, and today I'm skipping my other classes to go to the doctor.

But on an up note, I got an email from the library wanting me to interview for the digital projects job! Huzzah!

I'm probably going to cut my hair off cause I'm sick of it making me hot all the time. My hairdresser has an idea, and I trust her completely. This is what I think she wants to do, only shorter:

By the way, you can't really click to enlarge. Sorry. I think she wants to cut it a little more in line with the chin, but I could be wrong. We'll see won't we? It'll be an adventure!

Ka-razy

2009-09-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

My life is crazy busy these days. I only have time to blog because I'm ignoring the lecture in my pre-calculus class. Don't worry, Josh explains all this crap FAR better than my lame ass teacher. Here's what my life is like: I have class literally all day on Tuesday and Thursday. My first class is at 11, and my last one ends at 8:20pm. I had to place them far apart because the middle one is across town at the Engineering campus, and parking's a lot cheaper out there, so I have to park there and take the shuttle to my other classes, which adds a good hour to my class block for each class. Before my last class, I have a 3 hour break, which I have to use to try to do any errands I have and on Thursdays I have to drive to Lewisville to turn in paperwork for work. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I work 8-5. I'm exhausted when I'm done, and can barely move, plus I have to go home and shower before doing anything else. Monday nights I have my computer lab from 7-8:50, and Ethan is joining Civil Air Patrol, which goes from 6:30-9. Of course, Ethan has scouts Wednesday night, and I usually go to Josh's for help on my math homework during that time. I usually have to call Dad to see if he'll pick Ethan up, cause 1 1/2 hour is no where NEAR enough time for Josh to pound all that math into my head. As a matter of fact, Ethan spends most of his time with my dad these days. I try to take him to Lawrence's to practice piano, but most days I just don't have time. Between all of this, and other homework as my teacher's see fit, I have to eat, and as a consequence, my no fast food efforts have gone right out the window. *sigh* I also have to schedule time with my cat everyday, because if I don't pet him for long enough each and every day, he poops on the living room floor. Stupid cat. Of course on the weekend, I have church and anything else that I need to do. Mom is still in the hospital, so I have to try to get up there just about everyday or she poops on the floor, too. Just kidding, she gets mopey. Some days I literally go up there for 15 minutes. It doesn't help that traffic in Denton and Corinth has suddenly become a crazy traffic jam just about any hour of the daylight hours. What the heck is up with that?!? Anyhoo, mom is doing pretty well, and may be released next week, unless of course she has further complications, which knowing her is highly likely. :) But the good news is that Barbara's planning on moving out soon! Huzzah!

Important info

2009-08-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

I realize that I'm supposed to be writing about vampires right now, but I fell the need to report on a more serious issue. I have had quite an insane week or two. Both of my parents have been in the hospital for a full week. My mom went in to the ER on a Monday night two weeks ago because her hand was swollen and painful. They decided it was gout and sent her home. On Friday, her kidney doctor told her that it was not gout and to go back to the ER. She did, and they admitted her. It was cellulitous and needed IV antibiotics, so they started with that. Eventually her veins collapsed and they put in a pik line. The evening she was admitted, dad started feeling bad. He was weak, his speech was slurred, and he would break into a sweat every time he got up even though he was icy cold to the touch. On Saturday afternoon, he asked me to drive him to the ER. They ran every test known to mankind, and the final diagnosis was that he had a virus and was dehydrated. He was admitted to the hospital and put on an IV to rehydrate him. While he was there, they discovered that he had a magnesium deficiency and an ulcer. They did a colonoscopy, found three ulcers and cauterized them. He had been bleeding internally, which had contributed to his problems. He was just released yesterday (Friday). Mom's hand infection got into the bone, which is really bad apparently, and yesterday they transferred her to long term care for the next 4-6 weeks to try to treat the infection with continued IV antibiotics. If it doesn't work they'll end up doing surgery, which they really want to avoid. They want her under constant surveillance because if the infection gets into the blood, fast action will be needed or she might die. Fortunately, the place she's staying is really close to Lawrence's house, so that's convenient. On top of all this, Ethan and I started school this week. *sigh* I need a vacation already! :)

Books I've read lately

2009-08-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

So I've read a few books lately that I've been wanting to share and now I will. You'll see a decided theme to the books, which might be one of the reasons I can't help but compare and contrast them.

First I read a book called "Bloody Good" by Georgia Evans. I was really excited about this book because it's about vampire Nazis infiltrating a small British village during WWII. What a great concept! Nazi vampires, it totally makes sense, am I right? They both pale, they both are super stylish, and they both have no conscience and kill indiscriminately! Sadly, I was very disappointed. The book was written in the omniscient format, and all the characters seemed to have the exact same thought patterns and speech mannerisms. I looked on Amazon, and most readers gave this book 4 stars, and quite frankly, I'm baffled. Also, in the middle of all the Britishness and stiff-upper-lippyness, there were a couple of extremely graphic sex scenes. It was very jarring. Not to mention the constant glaring grammar and spelling problems that made me want to get out a red pen, mark the corrections and send it back to the editor with a big 'F' written on the front.

Next I read a book called "Dust to Dust" by Heather Graham. This book was on the New York Time's best seller list, so I was astonished to see that on Amazon it has only received 3 stars with most of the reviews talking about how it falls flat. I loved it! The thing that captured my eye at the store was the subtitle; "This is the way the world ends." It is about the apocalypse, and about the first 3 people that have been chosen to prevent it. The book is free standing; although there will be more books in the series, and some of the characters in the book come from others of her books. She thoughtfully provides a list of books and which characters are in them at the beginning. My only complaint is that the story took a long while to get going. By the time the "twist" that some of the characters are vampires is revealed, I was long since like, "Yeah, no duh!" But that's OK, cause the book definitely left me ready for the next one, which doesn't come out till next summer.

After that, I really wanted to read a book called "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell. I read another of his books a while back called "Outliers: The Story of Success" and I was just enthralled by it. It was all about the strange little things that lead to one person being successful while others aren't. So I was excited to get started on another one of his books, so I went to get before work one morning and...I couldn't find it anywhere. I STILL haven't found it. I have no idea where it's gotten to. But I had to have something to read, so I grabbed a book that Josh gave that I really had no interest in reading. I'd been putting it off as long as possible, but it looked like it's time had come. Some people might have heard of it, it's a book called "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer. I had been avoiding it because the movie was kinda lame and teenage angsty, and because practically every house I clean has all the books piled next to the wife's side of the bed and everyone I know even casually has gushed to me that every single person they know just LOVES it!!!! Any book that's that popular usually is not that great, in my humble opinion. (Except for the Harry Potter books, but that's just due to JK Rowling's pact with the devil.) So that said, I've actually been enjoying it somewhat. Possibly because it's better than the movie. The teenage angst and brooding isn't nearly so annoying when you know what's going on in their heads. I am a little annoyed by Bella and Edward going on two dates and then falling in irreversible eternal love. It just really doesn't work that way, and I was appalled by the "you're my life" sentiment of it all. I'm surprised people talk about Jacob so much from this book, because he's barely in the book. Maybe they're projecting future knowledge. I would also like to know why Bella's so freaking clumsy. Some people criticise Bella's lack of self esteem as being even farther down that a real teenager, but I really disagree. I think my self esteem was about that level as a teen. *shrug* I'm just at the climax now, so we'll see if I change my mind dramatically before the end.

Next time: Vampires and teenage girls; what's up with that?

Ah August

2009-08-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

I really am going to do a picture post about my vacation, I swear it with the computer gods as my witness. I finally got around to trying to download the pictures and it turns out my SD card reader can't handle an 8 mg card. Every time I tried it, the computer crashed hard. There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. It wasn't pretty. So, now I have to try to find what Mom did with the cord to plug the camera into the computer, and we'll see how that goes. Anyone who's looked into my house lately will see that I will need special equipment; ropes, harnesses, those little hats with the lights on the front, some Sherpas, and a fair supply of rations. Ugh.

Arkansas was just how I remember, which is to say boring and lame. My cousin was an all-right guy, but I don't really see us spending Christmas together or anything like that. He remembers teasing me when I was very little because I said flyer instead of flower. I have since rectified that problem and have no recollection of my past errors.

I saw the new Harry Potter movie last night, and I thought it was pretty good. I'm kinda over the whole Harry Potter thing, I guess JK Rowling's contract with Satan must have run out or something. But I saw it anyway and enjoyed it. I especially though it was really pretty. I haven't read the book in so long that I can't remember it well enough to get angry over all the stuff they left out, so I probably enjoyed it a lot more than a number of people out there.

I'm sick and tired of my home and visiting teachers and companion all trying to contact me in the last few days of the month to schedule visits. I think I'll make a rule that I don't accept calls past the 23rd or something like that. I like this plan. I think it'll work.

I am a slacker

2009-07-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

My family and I went on a two week vacation all over the western US, and I fully intend to blog about it. First, I need to load the pictures from the camera to the computer, and I keep not doing that. So, I will be doing that someday soon. Trust me. And the check's in the mail. Really.

This morning I went to work, you know, like you do, and while I was walking through the house, I did not notice that the living room was a sunken living room. So down I went, and much pain ensued. I'm glad the client wasn't home, because I was in so much pain that some naughty words escaped my lips. I tried to keep on working, but about an hour later, I was gasping in pain at every movement, and I knew I was done for. I took off my shoe and discovered a lump about the size of an egg right below my ankle. So I called in, and the told me to come by the office to drop off the key so that someone else could go finish this afternoon. I went to the doctor, and he said I have a type 2 sprain, which apparently means that 2 ligaments are torn. So, I'm taking the rest of the week off, and then I'm supposed to get back on that horse, complete with working and ankle exercises and everything. I'm also supposed to wear a stiff ankle brace to work for the next couple of months. That should suck.

This weekend mi familia and I are going to Arkansas. I know, that's not my first ideal destination, either, but we have reasons. You see, my dad's brother died in a car crash when he was 21 (The brother was 21, not my dad). At the time, his girlfriend was preggers. This was about two years before I was born. So, about a month ago, my brother gets a myspace message from this long lost cousin, who's just itching to get to know his father's side of his heritage, so off we go to Arkansas to meet this guy. It's all kind of exciting, I think. I've often fantasized about unknown family popping out of nowhere, but usually it was royalty or famous people or at least fabulous wealthy people rather than unemployed truckers with a mullet, but I'll take what I can get. :)

I should probably go ice my ankle now. Bah.

decisions, decisions

2009-06-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

I am currently in the throws of trying to decide what to do with my life. Well, at least my work life. You see, I got a job as a maid in March, and while it's a job and better than nuthin, it's not my dream job. When you clean 10 houses a week, you make $14/hr, but due to the economy, I'm still not up to 10 houses a week, and only making $12/hr. On top of that, although most weeks I clean about 6-8 houses, some weeks I clean as few as 3, and that's not much bacon on my paycheck. But, once again, in this economy, I'm glad for what I have and wouldn't be thinking of leaving except for one thing. On my financial aid, I was approved for $2500 per semester for work study, meaning I can get a job on campus. I am having a really hard time deciding if I should do that, so I'm gonna list the pros and cons of both and see what you think.

Maid/pros:

I already have it.
I'm good at it.
It's year round.
It's only during the weekdays, no weekends/evenings.
It pays pretty well, when there's actually work.

Maid/cons:

It wears me plum out.
It's inconsistent.
I have to travel (around the area anyway).
I never know what my schedule will be.

School job/pros:

It'll be on campus, easier to get to.
They'll probably be more understanding when I have papers or tests.
MIGHT be able to get a job where I can study while working.

School job/cons:

Might have hours I don't like.
Might not pay well.
Only during school, no income during breaks.
Looks bad to quit a job so soon after getting it.
Unknown quantities.

Hmph. So, what do you think?

Bringing home the bacon, etc.

2009-04-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

All's well in Margie-land. I'm behind on my homework because apparently I can't work and go to school at the same time, but I'm catching up. I had been really busy with work, but it seems that some of the jobs they had been sending me on were just because the lady who normally did them was out for surgery, and they gave them back to her when she came back. Ungrateful! So this week, I've only had a couple of jobs, but I got hit with massive allergies that turned into a painful ear infection, so it all worked out after all. Today they sent me to sub for someone that got hurt at a house that I had helped in before, and the lady there likes me so much that she called the office and requested me permanently! I think it's cause I listen to her while she tells me all about her medical conditions, and the last maid didn't speak much English. :) Maybe being fluent in the language DOES help sometimes! Tomorrow I go back to the only house that I've broken something in. It was a painted rock. You heard me. I'll have to be extra careful this time. I like this lady, and I'd like to get her permanent-like too, but if I keep breaking stuff she'll boot me fer sure!

It took me longer to post than I wanted because I was going to take a picture to post of the latest addition to my family, but I haven't gotten around to it. I went and got myself a cat from the SPCA. He's a huge orange and white short hair tom, although the orange is so light it looks kinda tan. He's 2 years old, and he's got some scars and a chunk missing from his right ear. When the girl took him out and handed him to me, he started purring and rubbing his cheek against mine and giving me kisses. Who could resist that?!? His name is Sprite, but he was immediately re-dubbed Spritecus Maximus, both because of his size and cause he gives off the air of being a tough gladiator type, although you and I know he's just a softy that loves to love ya, baby. Mittens (the cat from next door) is very confused by all this. He thought he was the only cat for me. Sad really. Also, turns out I'm allergic to cats. I've had cats all my life, so I never put it together before. *sigh* Too late now. I'll just have to make with the vacuuming.

Speaking of vacuuming, now that I clean houses all the time, my messy messy house is driving me batty. Seriously. It is a chaotic evil that must be stopped. I'm planning on taking some major time this summer to get right on top of that situation. Since I'm going to UNT full time this fall, and will still need to work unless my financial aid is mammoth, I certainly won't have time to do it in the fall!

Seems that now that my kid is old and less cuddly, I'm loving the nursery. Who knew?!? It's fun most of the time, except when there's a full moon or sumtin and all the kids are super cranky. There's two new girls that just came into the nursery, and one wants me and only me all the time. She screams like a fire truck when her parents drop her off. Seriously, I'm afraid of hearing damage. So I have to take her in the hall to calm her down, then take her back in and hold her for at least 30-45 minutes until she realizes that playing with toys is fun. Even then she doesn't want to get too far from me and she has to return regularly to make sure everything's ok. There's another baby that ALSO wanted me to hold her, so I had a double armful for a while on Sunday. Fortunately, the second one was much smaller than the first (who's family calls her chubs cause she's so big). It's actually making not getting married easier, strangely enough. You see, I know I'm supposed to be in the nursery. Five separate people turned in my name when they needed someone, and knowing that I'm where God needs me to be helps me to be patient and know that when I'm done there it'll be time. I personally think it's cause of Whitney (the screamer/Chubs). Since she normally won't let anyone but one of her parents hold her, and she likes me, I'm the right person to acclimate her to nursery. And believe you me, her mom NEEDS her to go to nursery! She has 3 girls under 4, and she's already had one nervous breakdown, so I'm glad to take some of her stress off. Ironically, I have two of her girls in the nursery, and she teaches Ethan's class, so we just trade kids.

So anyhoo. This is turning into a novel, and I gots homework to do, not to mention that dinner ain't gonna make it's self. Hasta la pasta!

Gainful

2009-03-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

You are now reading the blog of a woman who is no longer a drain on society. I am now a drudge of society instead. I an now a "cleaning technician." In other words, I am a maid, which, if you've ever seen my house you would realize is hilarity. I am in training this week, and at the end of the week they decide if they want to keep me for sure, but considering that my trainer wanted to know yesterday if I've ever cleaned professionally before, I'm thinking it's a sure thing. It's not as hard as it sounds, because most of these rich people seem to keep their houses pretty neat anyhoo. It's not the most fulfilling job I've ever had, but that's why I'm going back to school. I'm only taking 2 classes this semester, but next semester I'm gonna go full time and in a couple of years I can get a white collar job! (Although technically, the uniform I wear does have a white collar, but I don't think that's what they mean.)

Unfortunately, I don't get paid for three weeks, and working without money sucks ass. Someday my check will come! Also on the sad side of matters, it ALSO sucks to go from working 4 or less days a week for about two years (averaging 2 days a week for the last 9 months), to being unemployed for 5 1/2 months to working full time hard labor! Man, I can't seem to get enough sleep! I know I' ll get used to it, but it's hard right now. It's also surprisingly hard to be away from Ethan so much. I didn't think that would be a problem, but I feel like I never see him anymore. :(

I was a zombie at class this morning, and it was a lab day, so I had to pretend to be working the whole time! Since I did squat during spring break, I'm way behind, but I was so brain dead I had no hope of actually figuring out loop structures! Not a chance! I'll do it this weekend, no worries.

working it. hopefully!

2009-03-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

The animal control job didn't happen, and I must say that while I want and need a job, I'm just as happy to not get a weekend job. I had an interview at Buckets and Bows Maid Service yesterday, and it seems a lot more promising. The lady actually said, "I have to start the background check, but as far as I'm concerned, you can start Wednesday!" She told me if they hadn't called me by Wednesday that I should call at noon. It's gonna be hard work cleaning houses, but I can work around my school schedule and still only work weekdays. Plus, she assured me that it's a great workout, which is good cause I'm lazy and prefer getting paid to exercise. So say a little prayer for me, and we'll see tomorrow what the outcome is.

Speaking of exercise, I keep the Wii at Lawrence's house because at my house there's never a time when it's possible to use the TV. Plus, it's a pain in the neck having to rearrange our entire living room t0 use it. See, we have Wii Fit, which is a great work out program, and I love it, and now that I've moved it to Lawrence's, I can actually use it on a regular basis. The only problem is that my clothes and stuff aren't over here. So I leave two sets of undies and a set of exercise clothes over here so that I don't have to cart them over everyday. The problem is, if I work out every day, then 2 sets of undies aren't enough, and today I forgot to bring a set with me, so now I am washing clothes. Yes, I am washing a load of whites at Lawrence's house. What this means is that I am also washing HIS undies. So, I'm been making dinner almost everyday, taking showers here, now I'm washing his unmentionables, AND we're not having sex. It's just like we're already married! Of course, he helps me with my bills and changes my oil, and I eat MUCH healthier over here, so maybe our pseudo-marriage is all right! :)

Last night my computer programming teacher showed up on my caller ID. Isn't that weird? He didn't leave a message OR send an email to either one of my TWO student accounts, so I have no idea why he was calling. It's kinda wigging me out. And, no, he's not young OR cute. That was the first question my mom asked.

I know that there was something else I was going to write about, but for the life of me I can't think of what it was. Oh well, probably a lie then. Laters!

New beginnings

2009-02-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

I had a really interesting dream this morning. Most of it isn't all that interesting, so I'll just say the good part. I had a dream that I had left my car somewhere in Denton and was having to walk miles to get back to it, in my nightgown, none the less. Then, in my dream, I woke up to take Ethan to school. Joe was in the living room. His hair was grown out some, but still wasn't back to it's previous glory. He also had a set of crutches next to him because he had trouble walking due to all the nerve damage to his feet. I told him about my dream and having to walk and told him that when he fell asleep, he should come pick me up. He chuckled and told me, "Sure, no problem!" It was kind of a nice dream, and besides being able to spend a little virtual time with Joe, it was nice that I was so quick witted in my dream. :)

I had a second interview about the animal control job yesterday. I had really struggled with whether or not I should continue to pursue this job since it would mean I would have to work every Sunday. After much thought and prayer, I decided to also get a blessing. My bishop gave it, and in it he said that if I was open and honest that doors would be opened to me. He told me after that he didn't know if that meant I would get THIS job, but that I would be blessed for standing for my beliefs and continuing to attend church. See, the problem isn't so much that I would have to work Sunday, cause I understand that SOME jobs must still happen on Sunday, such as Hospital workers, Police, etc, and I could see that if a dog gets hit by a car or something and needs animal control, that it probably couldn't wait until Monday. The biggest problem is that I really didn't want to have to miss church every single Sunday. So when I went in for the interview, I asked right off what the hours were, and she told me 8-5, so I explained the situation to her and said that unless I could come in after church then I should probably take myself out of the running. She said that she would have to ask the Chief, but she wouldn't have a problem with me working 4 hours Friday afternoon, 8 hours Saturday, and 4 hours after church on Sunday! So I still might get the job. I'm supposed to get a call early next week.

Speaking of new jobs, after about a bazillion years as ward librarian, I was finally released on Sunday! And guess what calling they gave me. Go on, guess. Nursery assistant. Oh boy! The most annoying job ever! Oh well, wither thou needest me, Lord, eh?

Typing fool

2009-02-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

Just so everyone knows, I am typing this using the correct technique. Which means that is going much more slowly than usual. :) I'm still no typing wunderkind, but it's coming along. Last night as I was laying in bed thinking, everything I thought then got repeated on a keyboard with the keys for the words lighting up as I went through each word. It amused me and I started thinking of sillier and sillier sentences on purpose. I just wish it was that easy when I was doing it fer real. Part of the problem is that keyboard keys are so darn easy to press sometimes I don't even realize I've hit one! The only numbers I can do are 1 and 8, so don't ask me for major phone numbers or math problems.

My programming class is totally easy. The hardest parts are trying to get the school computers to work right and typing, cause I try to maintain proper form and my brain works way faster than my fingers. Mostly cause my fingers have no brains. Maybe I should upgrade!

I thought that the animal control job had been taken out of the running because I hadn't gotten any calls, but then I DID get a call, so now I have to make a decision. *grumble grumble* I hate the idea of turning down a job, but I also hate the idea of working every weekend. Especially the Sundays part. But it would let me schedule classes for whenever I need to, so that would be a bonus.

The big storm that came through blew off major portions of our shingles, so I had to spend Monday on the roof re-shingling. Some fun! I'm still not all the way done, but I got it to the point where it's not an emergency or anything. I do not relish the idea of going back up there, so I'm essentially stalling. :) All righty-roo. That's all for today!

job dilemma

2009-01-29T21:25:00.000-08:00

So I'm into my second week of typing, and I'd like to announce that typing the fer reals way sucks ass. I'm catching on slowly but surely, though. And, no, I am NOT typing that way now cause I haven't learned all the letters yet. :) My programming class seems like it's gonna be pretty easy.

I had an interview for the animal control job, and the problem with it is that I would be working every weekend for 8 hours each day. Plus I'd be on call for the evenings. The only reasons I am still considering it is because: a)it's a job, and b) the guy who works weekdays is leaving and I MIGHT be able to move up. I dunno, what do you think?

The more things change. . .

2009-01-18T21:37:00.001-08:00

Most people reading this blog probably don't know a man named Larry Cook, but he's a friend of mine. He used to be in the bishopric in my ward, and he also was diagnosed with cancer while Joe was in the hospital. They shared their struggles and became very close over the months that they were in the same hospital together. I just found out that he died tonight in the hospital in Florida where he went to get special treatments. I intellectually knew that he was probably going to die, but this is hard for me, never the less. He asked to be buried near Joe, and I don't know how I am going to make it through the funeral and burial. He was such a sweet man, and I hope that Joe helped him across. Maybe it wasn't so scary for him.

I start school this week. I'm only taking typing and beginning programming, but it's progress at least. I did NOT get the Kinko's job. :( I've even stopped praying for a job because I don't think I'll ever get one. Man. This post is a real bummer. I think I'll come back when I'm in better spirits. See ya! :)

life is so blah

2009-01-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

I'm here with another update, due to popular demand. If by popular, you mean one person. :) I STILL don't have a job. Everyone hates me. I think I'll go eat worms. Actually, this morning I went in for an interview at Kinko's. Most people don't even bother calling me, so I'm pretty optimistic. Also, for anyone job seeking, Kinko's has the most interesting test I've taken, and believe you me, I've taken a few. It actually had questions about what I would do in real work situations. Crazy! So keep your fingers crossed. Or better yet, give me a job!

Josh and Cainnum are officially quitters, in that they've quit trying to quit smoking. They suck.

Ethan passed sacrament for the first time on Sunday, and was sent up to be Bishop's assistant and sit on the stand for sacrament, much to his dismay. He also went to Sunday school rather than primary for the first time. Craziness!

I'm a slacker. Since I spend many hours not working, you'd think my house would be immaculate, but not so! I spend a fair amount of my time sleeping or playing World of Warcraft. I think it might be addictive! Or I'm a bad person. Or both!

rocky times

2008-12-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

I've been a little grumpy lately. I'm am sick and tired of looking or a job. There is seriously nothing as bad as applying for 5 jobs a week and not even getting any calls. It really makes a girl feel worthless. I just applied for a job as a Librarian Assistant at TWU, and I am SO hopeful. It pays really well, and I hear TWU has really good benefits. I REALLY want them to call me! I keep trying to think if I know anyone with connections so that I can pull strings, but sadly I don't think I do. *sigh*

I had a big fight with my dad about the neighbor's cat. This cat thinks he belongs to me, and I love him so much, but dad doesn't want him in the house. Last night it all came to a head, so things have been bad around here. The neighbor knows that the cats always here and totally doesn't care, so I wish that I could ask for him so it would be official, but between Dad's being a jerk and Lawrence's allergies, I don't feel like I should. But if I get this job and am able to move out of my parent's house before Lawrence's proposes; fuck it, I'm taking the damn cat. Lawrence can just kick himself for not proposing sooner!

Last night I also realized that Lawrence's Christmas trip that his parent's bought makes it so that he will not be here for Ethan's receiving the priesthood. Oops! It has to be that Sunday because that's when his dad can come. So I asked Lawrence to see if he could get the flight moved and he said he'd try. I'm glad he saw it as a problem, because if he didn't, it would seriously be time to rethink our relationship. :) It's so weird that Ethan's getting the priesthood in a few weeks. I don't see him as being that old!

Thanksgiving wasn't as bad as I thought it would be without Joe. Don't get me wrong, I'm still sad, but I thought mom would be crying all day and she wasn't, so that was a relief! We went to Cracker Barrel for dinner, then we came home and later we had snacks and watched The Island. (Fine Thanksgiving movie!) I made an apple strudel and my aunt Debra came up and brought all kinds of venison products from a hunting trip that she and her boyfriend went on, and it was good. The next day she took us to see some ice sculptures at The Gaylord Texan, and they were really cool. Literally. It was 9 degrees in there. I enjoyed the exhibit, but the whole experience went a bit long for me and I got tired.

Josh is trying to quit smoking, so he's cranky these days. Cainnum's quitting, too, so our World of Warcraft instance on Friday night was. . .interesting. I was trying to be the peacemaker, and it worked for the most part I think. At least Ethan's not off his meds in addition; I think someone might have died if that was the case.

Well, gots to go. Wish me luck on the job sitch. Prayers are helpful, too! :)

bereft, bemused, beffudled

2008-10-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

So here's the haps:

My dad had shoulder surgery, which went far better than expected and he's going to have a far shorter recovery time than expected. But for the moment, he can't lift anything or use his right arm for much of anything, which means that my mom wants me to go every where with them so that I can lift her wheelchair. It's freakin annoying and I'm tired of being dragged all over the metroplex every day.

My brother died. I'm sure anyone reading this would already know that, but it bears repeating for any strangers who have the misfortune to stumble into my little lair. I still miss him a lot. It's not cool, and I don't like him being dead one bit. I had a dream last night in which my friend Mark was working at the factory I got a job at (in my dream, not real life) and I thought he looked weird, but didn't think much of it while I was dreaming. When I woke up I realized it was because he looked like my brother when he was in the hospital. Bald, eye patch, etc. I sure wish it would be easy to substitute Mark for Joe, but he's living in Iowa, so I don't see it working out. Plus he doesn't have nearly as foul a mouth as Joe.

When I'm not hauling my parents all over God's creation, I'm looking for a job. Yeah, I got laid off. On the day of my brother's funeral. They called me especially to tell me. That's just rude. I was hoping to get a job at UPS because they have free benefits and tuition assistance, but it turns out that they're only hiring seasonal help right now, and if I do get hired for permanent, I wouldn't start receiving benefits until January of 2010. Stinky. That's a long time of low paying, back breaking work to get insurance. So I dunno. I'm considering taking it anyway just so I don't have a long gap on my work history, but I haven't decided yet. I checked the paper today, and there's a dental office in Flower Mound that's looking for a lab tech with one year's experience, and I have 5 years experience, so maybe that's the job for me! Only time will tell.

Ethan's been having troubles since Joe died. He's having break downs in class anytime the other kids get rowdy or he's having trouble with the work. He's having massive daily nosebleeds. Last week I got a call from the principle because Ethan just walked out of class and another teacher found him wandering around and brought him to the office. She had a nice long talk with him about his troubles and he asked her to call me and tell me. We're working on it. Hopefully we'll get it all figured out. I'm thinking about putting him in counselling, but there's a few adjustments in his life I'm trying to make first. Keeping a structure for him is never easy in this house! Everyone says the nosebleeds are because of his hormones changing. He had his nose cauterized about a year ago, and it worked like a charm, but I can't afford to do it again right now! He walks around with toilet paper sticking out of his nose all the time these days, and that's just annoying. Not to mention goofy.

Well, that's about it I think. The most interesting thing in my fridge is cherry-orange marmalade. :)

Let's put it up the flagpole and see if any one salutes

2008-08-19T19:42:00.001-07:00

I must admit to you that while I appreciate not feeling obligated to update my blog during these crazy times, I've also been missing it. I've been thinking that I should start again maybe. So this is a trial to see if anyone gives a crap. :)

So I figure the only person who's gonna read this will be Kiera, but just in case I thought I should give an update on what's been going on since November. Here's the big things:

1) My brother Joe's been in the hospital with Burkitt's Lymphoma since January 9th. If you don't know the story, go to www.bigjoewatch.blogspot.com

2) My dad had a sextuple arterial bypass on July 11th (the day after my b-day). He's doing fine.

3) Our cat got diagnosed with FIP and died. I've been having major cat withdrawal, but we can't get a new one; partly because it lives in the environment for 2 months, partly because with all the hospital stuff I just don't think I can care for a new cat properly, and partly because my boyfriend's allergic and since I plan on moving in with him within a cat's lifespan, it's really not right for me to get one.

4) My son came home rather than staying with his Dad for 6th grade as was planned. It's a long story, but let's just say that his step mom was kinda stressed and couldn't handle all the kids. I was super freaked about him coming back due to the circumstances, but he's been so sweet and helpful that he's been a real blessing. I'm really glad to have him here with us.

5) School starts next week, and rather than going to Argyle, Ethan's going to be attending a charter school called The Education Center. ( http://www.theeducenters.org/theeducentersatdenton )
We're really excited about this place, and hope for Ethan to make a lot of good progress there. The drawbacks are that they don't have door to door pick-up and drop-off and that it's not a "normal" school experience, but the nicest thing is that when we move, Ethan won't have to change schools AGAIN. Plus, possibly no homework! SWEET!

6) No, I'm still not engaged. But I'm actually good with it. Lawrence and I had a series of talks this summer and I found out that he's WAY more traumatized from his ex-marriage than I realized. So, I'll wait. I'm not giving him an ultimatum or anything like that. I've prayed about it and I really feel like waiting is the right thing to do, but I DID tell him to get back in counselling. THAT's non-negotiable. For now I'm just chilling and enjoying the wonderful relationship that we have right now. Even if that does mean that I'm STILL NOT GETTING ANY! *grumble grumble* :)

7) I'm still making teeth for a living. Barely. The current economic crises has seriously impacted our business. I get enough hours to scrape by. As long as I don't need anything like gas or meds. I'm off my arthritis medication because it's too expensive, and that kinda blows. But Ethan's ADHD meds are more important. SERIOUSLY.

8) I'm out of tae kwon do for the moment. My contract was up for renewal in July, and considering the constraints on my time and wallet, I thought it would be better to let it slide for a while. Which is good, cause without my arthritis pills, I don't think I could do it anyway! :) I'll go back when I can, but not right now!

Well, I think that's all the big stuff. Maybe I'll be back soon! I'll see ya when I look at ya!

My New Christmas List

2007-11-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again, and despite the fact that I haven't blogged since October, I am going to post my Christmas wish list. My mom's been asking for a list, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone, although usually I am against needless violence towards animals. Except ugly animals. Maybe these are ugly birds. Like vultures or something, although that would have to be one heck of a stone I can tell you. So without further eloquence. . .

Buffy seasons 6 and/or 7

Quantum Leap season 4

Xena season 2

a light for my bike (so I can ride after dark)

money towards new running shoes

Spa visit (facial, pedicure, massage, makeover, etc)

a fuzzy sweater (like cashmere or something else very soft, size XL)

a column kicking bag

a good book (one that you think I would like)

never forget that I have an extensive wish list at www.amazon.com

please remember that I am seriously trying to lose weight. When it comes to food and candy, quality is better than quantity. One year I ended up with like 4 bags of candy, and that's just not good for my waistline.

and for the readers who have more heart than money: I will GLADLY let you perform the service of cleaning my room, cause I just never seem to have time

That's all I can think of for now. I'll let you know if I think of anything else. Peace out, and happy holidays dawg!

Food Quiz

2007-10-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, well, I don't really think about food that much, but I done been tagged, so here goes:

1) How do you like your eggs? Usually scrambled, but sometimes I like them fried where the white's all the way done and the yellow's still runny. I never can remember what that's called.

2)How do you take your coffee/tea? I don't drink them, but when I did, iced coffee with lots of sugar and lots of cream was the way to go.

3) Favorite breakfast foods? Probably Basic 4 cereal or pancakes, but I love breakfast foods and eat them as often as I can. Just usually not for breakfast.

4) Peanut Butter: Crunchy or Creamy? Creamy of course. I LOVE LOVE LOVE peanut butter, but I really don't care for peanuts. Weird, huh?

5) What kind of dressing do you like on your salad? Ranch, but I'm also a big fan of Catalina, French, Italian, and any kind of Vinaigrette. I guess I'm a dressing whore.

6) Coke or Pepsi? Coke. They DO NOT taste the same, KIERA!

7) You're feeling lazy, what do you make? Peanut butter and jelly sandwich for me. For la familia, angel hair pasta with butter and herbs with broccoli and sauteed chicken tenders. Easiest meal ever.

8) You're feeling REALLY lazy, what pizza do you order? Pepperoni with black olives.

9) You feel like cooking, what do you make? Depends on the mood. When I really feel like cooking, I like to look for recipes I've never tried before and make them. Currently I really want to make Beef Wellington. But if I'm making something I have made before and I feel like cooking, it'll probably be lasagna or cheesecake. Or cake in general. Or cookies. Let's just go back to it depends on the mood.

10) Do any food bring back good memories? Watergate salad reminds me of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wafer cookies reminds me of when I was a kid and mom would make them and freeze em and I would steal them out of the freezer. I'm not usually a thief, they're just like crack, I couldn't help it.

11) Do any foods bring back bad memories? Let me count the ways. I got dumped 3 times at Pancho's by Ethan's dad, so for a long time I lost my appetite every time I thought about Pancho's. Of course, it's Pancho's so a lot of people probably lose their appetite when they think about it. I ate a bad ham sandwich when I was a kid, so ham makes me sick. I threw up a banana once when I was pregnant, so smelling bananas makes me think of that. I know there's more, but it's early and my brain's damaged.

12) Do any foods remind you of someone? fudge, cream wafers, Watergate salad: mom. Cold Stone ice cream: Lawrence. Churrascaria: my brothers. Spaghetti, crab, lobster, calamari: Ethan

13) Is there any food you refuse to eat? Ham, lobster, veal. The first because it makes me sick. The other two because I find them morally offensive.

14) What was your favorite food as a child? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Geez people, why do I have to keep reiterating how wonderful PB&J is?

15) Is there any food you hated as a child, but like now? Sausage.

16) Is there a food you liked as a child, but hate now? Can't really think of anything.

17) Favorite fruit and vegetable? Watermelon and broccoli. Not together.

18) Favorite junk food? Does Nutella count as junk food?

19) Favorite in between meal snack? Nutella on pretzels. Or craisins. Not saying I like nutella on craisins, I'm saying I also like craisins.

20) Do you have any weird food habits? People have often been annoyed that I always smell my food before I eat it. But that's just good sense, I think.

21) You're on a diet, what do you fill up on? Celery and carrots.

22) You're off your diet, now what would you eat? Whatever I want. If I'm not on a diet, why would I care?

23) How spicy to you order your Indian/Thai? Not very.

24) Can I get you a drink? Water, lemonade (preferably of the strawberry variety), caffeine free coke, milk, fruit or vitamin water. Seriously people, variety is the spice of life.

25) Favorite dessert? Chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. Or chocolate chip cookies. Or whatever flavor ice cream I'm in the mood for. It's all on the moods really. I wish anybody luck who tries to guess what I'm gonna want on any given day.

So there you have it. Now I tag. . .did Kiera tag Josh? No, ok, I tag Josh and Cainnum. Go to!

It's not a problem, it's cool, I feel alive

2007-09-06T15:47:00.001-07:00

So I've been thinking about trying to cut down on my swearing. I'm not saying that I'll be in Disney language area, I'm just thinking about pulling back out of Quentin Tarentino area is all. Maybe to a nice PG-13 place. I know that they're just words, and swearing doesn't bother me in the least, but I've been thinking lately that if I feel the need to curb it around certain people (aka: someone's grandmother or baby) or in certain places (like the temple or a preschool) then maybe I shouldn't be making with the sailor mouth quite so much. The problem here is that I started swearing when I was 8. The first time I tried to stop I was in 8th grade, which was obviously a dismal failure. I think it's kind of like how when people start smoking too early in their developmental years it's almost impossible for them to stop later. Any tips for me? And, no, I refuse to pop myself with a rubber band every time I swear, so that's already covered.

It's not a problem, it

2007-09-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

for my loyal fans, a blog entry!

2007-08-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ethan called me Sunday and he was being very silly. I think he was just bored, and was being extra silly to fight off the boredom. When I talked to his step mom, she said that he was certainly being silly on the phone with me, and that he was far sillier with me than he ever is with them (meaning her and his dad.) I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, I feel like kids should be able to have fun, and goodness knows that with Ethan's depression he spends little enough time having fun. On the other hand. . .no, I've decided. I like silliness. Done and done.

Lawrence's sister Melanie has come to live with him for four months. I don't like it one bit. She's abrupt and unpleasant. I wish she were more fun. But, Lawrence and I are a lot less likely to get into trouble with her around, so maybe having a chaperon is a good thing. Maybe he'll want to have authorized private time with me and finally propose. That would be super!

I feel like a slug today. I think I need a vacation. But there's no rest for the wicked, sadly. I'm getting a haircut tonight, I have a doctor's appointment and bike riding tomorrow, and TKD the day after. The office manager at work is trying to rig things so that we can have a 4 day weekend for labor day, but always dangling over me like a foul miasma is the stench of knowing that I have to feed 400-600 people 3 square meals at the Single Adult conference on the 15th. Gack. The last weekend of September, I'm going to visit Ethan, and he wants to take me swimming at the bubble and ice skating. Of course, long time readers might remember that last time I went to Bountiful I felt like crap the whole time because of the higher elevation. But, it'll be nice to see my baby boy, and after that I can rest for a little while. You know, like I'll blow off exercise one night and be a couch potato or something. Yep, I think I'll definitely schedule that for October.