Halfway to Crazy ~ Oh, wait, we're there.

Oh, yeah... I have a blog.

2011-07-23T10:56:00.002-06:00

This is gonna be super-quick... I kinda forgot about this blog. I've... uhm... been busy. Okay, not really; I don't know what's going on. Busy in the head, maybe. Yeah, that's kind of the problem. Lots of swirling about in the brain and nothing getting accomplished outside of that. But, I am still alive, even after pnuemonia and "drug-induced-lupus". Yeah, seriously - some antibiotics are NOT worth taking!!

What do you do with an unhappy cat?

2010-09-24T20:41:00.003-06:00

We have this cat.... we've had him since he was a kitten, and he's 3 years old. He is a housecat, as I thought that was the thing you are supposed to do. Right?? In reality, I prefer indoor/outdoor cats - I mean, I think a cat should be a cat... but on the other hand, I don't want one to get flattened in the road or something.

So here is the problem. He is desperate to be outside. He's been like that his whole life, altho in the beginning he was content to just go out on the patio and lie in the sun while we were out with him. Then one day he sprinted across the lawn, climbed the fence and started across the green space in our neighborhood. We ran outside and scooped him up fast. After that, we didn't let him out anymore, but he's tried to get out whenever he can. When we moved from there to the apartment, we thought we were safe - we had a 2nd floor balcony so we'd let him out there and for awhile, he was content. Then one day, after we'd lived there nearly a year, he bailed - seriously - he jumped off the balcony and we didn't find him 'til 8 hours later!! Even then, he didn't seem to be on his way home... he was on someone else's ground-floor patio, just snooping around. After that, we didn't let him out on the balcony anymore. I had to block the doorway with my purse whenever coming home, because he'd try to shoot out the door and down the stairs.

Well, now we've moved again, and we are staying for awhile at my parent's house. I thought (wrongly, it seems) that he'd be happy since their house is waaay bigger than our apartment, with lots of new places to check out. Nope. He seems even more desperate than ever to get outside. He has gotten out accidentally a couple times (too many people and too many doors here) and he doesn't just wander out to check it out - no, he streaks across the lawn, heading across the street or into a neighbor's yard!!

We are trying really, really hard to make sure he doesn't make it outside. I'm pretty sure he has no clue how to survive out there, with cars and dogs and such. But, he's so miserable! He yowls at the door, he yowls out the window at night while we try to sleep..... he's pretty annoying, too.

Any ideas on how we can keep him happy and safe inside?

Is this what retirement will look like?? (please say no!)

2010-09-22T10:52:00.002-06:00

My husband needs a job. Really, really needs a job. Oh, I mean sure, we need money so we can pay our bills and all that, but I'm not even talking about that yet. What I mean is that without anyone for him to boss around, he's beginning to (try to) boss me and Kiki. And it's starting to get on my nerves.

Water in, "water" out

2010-09-09T11:53:00.003-06:00

You may or may not know that I need to lose weight. As in, a whole lot of weight. As in, I'm twice the woman I should be.

I joined Weight Watchers a few months back, and I've lost just over 20 pounds. If I was being awesome and losing 2 lbs a week I'd have lost twice that... but hey, I'm losing, not gaining! Not even staying the same... so I figure I'm going the right direction, anyhow.

This week hasn't been the best ever, so I'm a little freaked out about weigh-in. So today I remembered "drinking water is good" so I've been chuggin' it.

I've peed 12 times this morning and it isn't even 10:30.

I remember why I quit drinking water.

It's Raining, it's not pouring

2010-09-08T13:39:00.002-06:00

It feels completely fall-like today. Which is good. Fall is my favourite season. Oh, look, I spelled that like I'm British or something. Everyone here is annoyed because they really didn't have a summer. I guess there were only a few hot days this year. But, having myself just moved from Virginia where it was disgustingly hot and humid, I am as happy as can be!

Next door, the neighbor's cat is asleep on their roof. In the rain. Which seems pretty strange to me. At least it is only drizzling.

Well, we haven't finished our lessons today, so back to school I must go.

"Go Big Blue"!!

2010-09-07T21:18:00.002-06:00

So I said I would blog every day.... here it is, as promised -

B S U!! B S U!! B S U!! Gooooo Broncos!!

That's what is on my mind today ;-)

Overcoming lameness (and no, I don't mean I have a limp)

2010-09-06T11:41:00.002-06:00

So I've been a total slacker on this whole blog thing. Which needs to end, eh? So I'm revamping what I'll write about, hope I can continue to sneak onto my daughter's laptop (a stinkin' middleschooler has a laptop and I don't?? Yeah, grandma loves her more...) and I don't know, see if I can collect a thought or two each day.

Today's thought: School starts tomorrow. For most moms, that's probably cause for celebration - but when you're a homeschooler, it means my work begins. I am sooo not ready. Too bad for me, huh? 7th grade.... wow. They grow up so fast. Since we just moved back across the country (Virginia to Idaho.... again) two weeks ago, I'm not really organized for school yet. And don't have the space here to really be. But I can work with it. We were asked to re-join the school board! Nice to be loved. ;-)

Going to the Beach!!

2010-07-12T14:42:00.003-06:00

This Friday morning (really early!) we are going to head over to the coast - my first view of the Atlantic Ocean! I am sooo excited! Growing up out West, I have been to the Pacific Ocean a bajillion times (at least!) but this will be my first time to the Atlantic. I think it will be weird to see the sun rise over the ocean, instead of setting into it!

We are going to spend one day and night on Chincoteague - unfortunately, we couldn't make it for Pony Penning - but, just to be there will be a thrill for this girl who grew up loving horses and reading the "Misty of Chincoteague" stories! If only I could bring home a pony as a souvenir! Then we will head to Virginia Beach to do the touristy thing.... Kiwi has only been to the Oregon Coast, which is absolutely beautiful, but generally pretty cold - so, she's never actually swum in the ocean. I am really excited for her to get to play in the waves and lay out on the beach in the blazing sun like I did growing up in Southern California.

The weather forecast calls for a 30% chance of rain, but that doesn't mean we won't still get plenty of sunshine and heat... I am really looking forward to the trip!

My dog rocks! (and so do I)

2010-06-27T19:13:00.003-06:00

Friday I had to take Merry dog to the vet for some vaccinations. This was our first time seeing a vet here in Virginia. About a year and a half ago, Merry dog had to have knee surgery for a torn CCL (like an ACL in a human). At that time, the vet told us she needed to lose some serious weight in order to protect both the repaired knee and the other knee... I suppose for other health issues as well. So, we have really cut back on how much we feed her. Now, she is a Lab - those dogs loooove their food, and she is certainly no exception! She has gone from about 115 lbs to 73. I was actually concerned that maybe she is a little too thin, so I asked the vet about it. She said to me "Oh, gosh, your dog could be the poster child for "Perfect Weight for a Large Breed Dog". Hahaha!!! If only someone thought I was the perfect weight!! I have a lot more poundage to lose before I am as beautiful as the dog, lol. But, I too, am on my way to slender.

:-)

Looks like I need to take a more current picture....

Moving, Again

2010-06-21T12:02:00.002-06:00

Well, here we go - again. Yep, we are moving. That part gives me a sheer panic attack. I don't like moving. Let me rephrase that - I despise moving. I've done it waaay too many times for someone not in the military! And of course, the longer we've been alive the more stuff we've accumulated, so it just gets harder and harder. I see these cute little UHaul trucks come in and out of the apartment complex, and Scooter and are are like, "hey, remember when all our stuff could go in a tiny little truck like that?" Sheesh. No longer.

The good news is that we are moving back to Idaho! Yeah. Guess the East just isn't for us. The West is - in my blood I suppose. I'm not sorry we came... I mean, I don't regret the year here. We've gotten to see and do some stuff I probably would never have done if I'd always lived in the West. It's been hard, don't get me wrong. We've been poorer than we've ever been, Kiwi has been miserable without her friends back home... oh, she's made a few connections, but it's been way harder than we thought it would. But, there will be some good memories of our time here.

I guess the best part of this move is that we realized something. You see, of all the places we've lived, Idaho isn't really our "all time favorite". There's not a lot to do there; the weather can be less than ideal; it's sort of in the middle of nowhere.... and yet, we've realized it's where we want most to be, because the people we know and love the most are there. I wonder why we are so thick-headed we had to move cross-country to figure that one out.... Okay, we did need a job - but, we are going back without one. Yeah, it's sort of scary. But we have a job here, and still can't make ends meet, so what-ev, I guess.

I've been trying to sell a bunch of stuff on crai**list that we don't need, but that's going slower than I'd hoped. Get a lot of 'scam' emails, but not as many actual buyers.... what we really need to to have a yard/garage sale - but I don't know how you'd do this when you have no yard (or garage), so that's probably not going to happen. Urgh. Apartments. Except for the pool; I am loving that right now!!

Wow, where have I been?

2010-06-09T20:00:00.002-06:00

Sorry - I've been totally AWOL. Gonna try to remedy that. Not sure what direction to take this blog - like, should I make it about something? Dunno.

Lots going on in my life right now, I will be back to post more later, but just wanted to pop on to let folks know that I'm not dead.

Uhm.... not much to say

2010-02-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

Just another day. At least it's not snowing!

Making Snow Ice Cream

2010-02-19T11:46:00.002-07:00

Growing up in Southern California, this wasn't something we ever did! My grandma was also a Californian, so I don't have childhood memories of making this at her house, either. (I do have great memories of making 'Shake-A-Pudding' at her house though... anyone else remember that stuff??) But I digress.....

Since we had 4 feet of snow, I figured we ought to do something fun with it. Well, besides sledding and hucking snowballs at each other, which we certainly did plenty of! Somewhere, on someone else's blog - and I don't remember who, or I'd give you credit! - I saw 'snow ice cream' and since I adore homemade ice cream, I figured this was for me!

I found more than one recipe for it, but since I also adore sweetened condensed milk I decided to go with that one. It was incredibly sweet and rich, and no one could finish their bowl of it. Well, except me, because I could probably eat a whole can of sweetened condensed milk just plain. Gross, I know. But still.

So here it is - I sent Kiwi out with a big metal pan that I had stuck in the freezer to get good and cold. She got 10 cups of clean, fresh snow.

Then we added one 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk and a couple teaspoons of vanilla.

As you stir it together, the snow really condenses down... it looks kinda... chunky... but it's not. It was nice and creamy. I wonder if it's different with different types of snow? Ours was a very light, fluffy, dry sort of snow.

Then we dished it up and ... yummmm! I have to admit, this was more like 4 - 6 servings, not three.....

Snowmaggeddon?? Lol

2010-02-09T09:20:00.005-07:00

Yeah, that is actually what they are calling it around here. Which I find hilarious... I mean, yeah, it's a whole lot of snow in one storm, a lot in an area that isn't used to it, I guess... but sheesh! This would be a typical winter in so many places that it seems silly that folks are freaking out about it. As one woman said when she was interviewed "It's just snow - it's not like it's attacking us." I suppose for us, living in an apartment, it's not such a big deal since I haven't got sheds to worry about caving in, or animals that need to get out of the weather, or a long drive to shovel out or whatever... but, still.

Yet, I suppose you know it is pretty bad when the snowplow gets stuck... he's trying to dig it out here...

Here is a pic of Merry dog enjoying the freedom of a snowed-in parking lot. (the lumps on either side are cars)

Here's my family enjoying the snowfall - the big pile just to their right is our car!

Checking out the sledding hill.... we made dad do it first!

The path after it'd been plowed

Tennis, anyone?!

We thought this one looked like a hippo face! Can you see it?

Hmmm, bummer....

Look how beautiful it was the next day!! Gorgeous! Makes a person happy to be alive.

Hope the weather where you live is pretty too!

Yep, we're getting some snow!!

2010-02-05T18:47:00.003-07:00

I think they might be right... we have at least 8" and the biggest part of the storm is supposedly yet to come. I blame me - I was bummed that we were in Idaho for Christmas when the last big snowstorm hit, so I guess this was all for me, lol.

Took the dog out for her "final" nighttime walk a little early tonight, and it was nearly to my knees in places... tomorrow should be interesting if this keeps up.

I've been giggling at cars who can't make it up the little hill to the apt. complex (cause I'm mean that way) Alan on the other hand went and helped one guy make it in... he's a better man than me, I guess!

I'll post some pics tomorrow....

Amazingly Accurate Weather Forecast

2010-02-05T09:37:00.002-07:00

Living for many years in Idaho, where the weather seems to be anyone's guess, I am used to taking the forecasts with a grain of salt. Something about the wind and the mountains (they claim) can cause the fronts to shift, so we never really know what we'll get.

So here I am in Northern Virginia, (just outside of Washington DC) where they have been predicting the biggest snowstorm in - well, I don't know, a long time, and I'm thinking "yeah, whatever". They said the snow would start falling today mid-morning, around 10:00 am. At 9:55 I got in my car to take my daughter to her literature group, and the first flakes had just begun to fall...!! That is some seriously accurate forecasting - these folks are good!

Now, as to whether or not we will get the predicted 1 - 2 feet of snow remains to be seen. It is coming down pretty thick right now... I'll keep you updated!

An interesting day...?!

2010-02-02T19:19:00.005-07:00

First we had this......

Which was caused by this....

Kinda like TV for pets, eh?

Huh! Who knew?? A post about "ice melt"

2010-02-01T21:14:00.003-07:00

So, the other day it snowed again. Which is weird, because it's been in the 50's and really lovely weather... been feeling like Spring. The snow from the Christmastime Blizzard was almost gone - and then it does it again. Well, not blizzards, but snows, about 6 inches or so.

So we are taking the dog for a walk when she starts limping. I look at her paw and don't see anything, put it down, she is still limping. Then I notice it seems to be both front feet - no, all of her feet... what the....?? She is walking as tho she is trying to walk on the sides of her paws, they are all curled in and...well, weird. My mind is racing, trying to think what could possibly be wrong, when Scooter says "hey, walk her on the snow". So I do, and then she's fine. He'd realized that the ice melt stuff that the apt. complex had put down on the sidewalk was burning her paw pads!! Poor girlie! It's true, the moment we were off that part of the sidewalk, she was fine. Thank goodness, it didn't do any damage, just hurt at the time. I would never have thought of that - I mean, when there is a need for ice melt on the ground, I'm generally not walking barefoot, y' know? So who'da thunk it?

Now you know.

stuff that makes you go hmmm....

2010-01-19T04:30:00.001-07:00

So, I don't know why I find this so funny, but.... the big initials on the sides of the garbage trucks here - which, you know, must be the initials of the company....

C S I

giggle

it is indeed a crime what I throw away.....

West vs. East ~ Weirdness ~ What's a Yellow Lab??

2010-01-13T18:37:00.009-07:00

So here is something I have noticed since living here: East coast people don't know what a Yellow Lab is.... apparently. At least they aren't familiar enough with them to recognize one without it's tail. See, our dog hasn't got a tail - just a silly little nubbin that makes her do what we call "Wiggle Booty". She had a tail once... and she was a voracious wagger! When she got happy - which was mostly always - she would wag from the ribcage back. The problem was her Yellow Lab/Golden Retriever mixing... most of her tail was thick-and-heavy lab tail, but the final inch or two was fine-boned Golden tail.... so when she wagged like that, she'd break the end of her tail open on the door frame or whatever - then the continued wagging would, well, make a pretty gross mess of blood splatter on the walls as she wiggled around. We tried for nearly a year to beat this, with splinting and wrapping and whatever we could think of. Finally, our vet just said our best bet was to amputate her tail. To be honest, I haven't missed that thing, or the constant bruising on my thighs that she gave me with it.

Now, in Idaho, (where Labs are about the #1 or #2 popular breed) when I'd be out with my dog, people would just ask me "Why did you dock your Lab's tail?" I mean, they recognized what she was - a tailess Lab. They may have found it strange, but not, like, frightening.

Here in Virginia, when I'm out walking my dog, people will look at her with obvious fear, and - sometimes - ask me "What kind of dog is that?" What is that about?? I think - and I'm guessing sort of - but I think that they assume she's some sort of pitbull mix, since that is probably a more "popular" breed around this area, and I guess only mean and aggressive dogs have docked tails....?! I mean, seriously, look at this dog's face and tell me how scary she looks, lol! But I can't tell you how often I get the frightened look, or if I have her off-leash and someone sees her, the "OHMYGO_!!" exclamation as though they expect her to be eating their face within seconds. I find it really irritating. 'Cuz she's about the sweetest dog on the planet.

(the blue in the pic above is me - you can kinda see my hands in my hoodie pocket - she's fully laying on top of me!)

Sick men....ugh

2010-01-07T22:22:00.001-07:00

Finally convinced my dh he needs to see a doctor. He's only been sick - I mean, really sick - for over a week now! Seriously, I couldn't sleep last night, listening to his labored breathing. He's probably got pneumonia or something! Sheesh.

...uhg....

2010-01-04T19:41:00.003-07:00

So, now I am sick. Which is just boring, and stupid. I had things to do today... not the least of which was starting to put away the Christmas paraphanelia. I mean, I love it, I do... but I also love the clean-ness and space you find when you put it all away. Sometimes I like to leave it up until the 6th (Epiphany) but this year I was just ready to clean up. Well, mentally ready. Obviously, not physically ready. Hubby is still sick. Of course he refuses to go see a doctor. 'Cause he's a guy. Argh. Men are dumb sometimes. Lots of times. But, I digress.... I don't want to be sick. It's boring. Poor Kiwi is really bored, what with having both parents sick.... ahh, poor kiddo!

Well, someone still has to take the dog out to potty.... crud. That'd be me.

...and so it begins....

2010-01-02T14:13:00.002-07:00

2010 is not beginning in a very good way at my place. Everyone (but me) is still sick. Urgh. Which means sleeping late, laying around, and watching waaaay too much tv. Which to me is kinda like... Hell. Seriously. I am a "need to get OUT" kind of person, and this is driving me crazy. So, I may have to bail on these people pretty soon! I can't believe my husband had 3 1/2 days off work and we got to do... absolutely nothing. I despise that!!

At least I have to walk the dog - that's something. It's OUT. She is loving the snow - she stops to eat big, crunchy mouthfuls of it - like it's a snowcone or something! Silly girl. The cat is trying to scratch his way thru the glass panes in the office door so he can go out, which he would change his mind about if he knew how cold and windy it is out there... think, "blustery".... in fact, I should probably go pick the swim noodles off the balcony so they don't blow away. Yeah, the pool toys are still out there.... in the snow.... so sue me. Lol. It's called "no storage in this crazy apartment".

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-01T11:29:00.003-07:00

Wow...2010. When you're "old" like me, that just sounds weird. Almost science-fictiony, huh? Lol.

I watched the Rose Parade this morning... it starts so much later when you live on the East coast! The Parade is such a tradition for me... I grew up in Southern California, and my grandparents lived right there in Pasadena (in fact, my parents actually met while attending Pasadena City College! hehe) Every year we would walk over to Colorado Blvd. and watch the parade... sometimes dad and grandpa would bring a ladder so us kids could sit up there and see over the crowd (which wasn't quite so big in those days!) When I was a teen, I belonged to the "Petal Pushers", which was a group sponsored by the Lutheran Church ( The Lutheran Hour has had a float in the parade for years). We'd get farmed out to all sorts of groups, whoever needed help decorating their float. I've glued hundreds (probably thousands!) of flowers and seeds and stuff to floats in the past! Fabulous fun!! In "lucky" years, if our particular youth group got to work on the 31st, we'd spend the night in some church gym and go to the parade in the morning. A couple other years, I and some similarly crazy friends spent the night right on the sidewalk, staking our claim for a good viewing position the next morning. And yeah, even in sunny Southern California, it gets pretty dang cold overnight when you are in just a sleeping bag!! Once I remember waking up to feeling kinda squished in my sleeping bag - and some people were sitting on me! Absolute strangers! Didn't want to get dirty by sitting on the sidewalk I guess... I think that was the same year I foiled a purse-snatcher.... Good times, good times!

The downside, of course, is that every year it looks so absolutely beautiful there in SoCal, sunny and warm, and all those folks freezing in the gray and snowy midwest would pack up and move there.... it got so crowded my family had to move to Idaho!! Where it's gray and snowy.... huh....

Anyhoo ~ HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!

Missing the Blizzard

2009-12-19T12:20:00.003-07:00

So this probably seems silly, but even though I am quite happy to be here in Idaho spending Christmas vacation with my family, I am kinda bummed that we are missing the craziness back there in Virginia! I've never been in a blizzard, and tho I am sure it's a big pain in some ways, I wish it had waited until we were back home for New Years!

It's probably not going to be a White Christmas here... right now it's just gray, with a 'slight' chance of snow for next week. Oh, well, at least we can leave the house, huh?!

If I don't get back here before the big day....

Merry Christmas to you all!! Be safe if you are in Virginia or other areas affected by the "Blizzard of '09".... and remember -

Christ the Saviour is Born!!

Traveling....

2009-12-08T21:02:00.002-07:00

Two days and 300 loads of laundry to go before we leave on our Christmas journey....

Snow!!

2009-12-05T11:08:00.005-07:00

Woke up to this view this morning.....

And it's getting thicker......

and yes, I went out on the balcony in my barefeet.....

...'cause that's how I roll.

So...it's December

2009-12-04T20:58:00.008-07:00

The stockings are hung... sort of...

The Nativities are set out... (well, the bookcase was empty anyway... the books are all still in storage) There was more greenery and a really nice Hurricane lamp on the top corner of this.... but I cleaned up the shards of that this morning about 6am... apparently the cat tried to investigate up there....

The cat is still getting in on the action....

How is it that Christmas can sneak up on me when it comes at exactly the same time every year?? Like...duh. We are leaving in one week to go to Idaho for Christmas, and of course I have more than a week's worth of work to do first.

The place is all decorated, and looks pretty nice despite having a cheesy fake Christmas tree. I swore I would never have a fake tree, but since we aren't actually going to be here for Christmas, and will be unable to water the thing, and wanted to put one up early and take it down late (I mean, I will be gone for 2 weeks, so I want to enjoy the thing I spend so much time decorating!!) well, having a bone-dry fire hazard in an empty apartment just didn't seem like a good plan. Of course we are financially strapped so we could only afford a cheap artificial tree - so, bonus good!! Yay us. It looks alright though. Actually, it looks pretty nice. Huh. Whooda thunk it.

It started out pretty awful.....

But it turned out looking presentable!

"I felt bad that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet"

2009-11-24T19:56:00.003-07:00

Are you familiar with this saying? I know it's old; so old it probably seems cliche'.... and yet it really hit home with me this past weekend.

Yeah, I've been feeling a little sorry for myself, what with the holidays coming, and not being able to spend them the exact way we'd like.... not to mention how we're crammed in this tiny apartment with most of our "things" in storage because they won't fit here, and it seems like every time we go to someone else's home for a Bible study or something their homes are enormous!! I mean, seriously, not even 'normal big' but huge!! (Okay, what do all these people do for a living?? They are mostly one income, homeschooling families, just like us ... and yet.... I guess these women married better than me, lol!!)

So - last Saturday my little family took the dog for a quick stroll just before dark along this walking path they have here called the W&OD (that's for Washington and Old Dominion, I guess the path runs along the old train lines or something). Well, it's quite woodsy there, but since it's hardwood forest and the leaves have mostly fallen now, you can see pretty far in. In the very short distance we walked - since it was nearly dark - we saw at least a dozen tents in the woods, where it was very obvious that people we not just camping but living there. Yeah. So it got us all thinking that we are so very blessed, and we've been pretty ungrateful to have been thinking the way we have. How can I be thinking how horrible it is to have to eat at a restaurant for Thanksgiving when those folks may not eat at all that day??

So, tomorrow Kiwi and I will tidy up the apartment and shop for some groceries to make a special breakfast on Thursday. We bought some supplies to make crafts on Thursday while daddy is camped out on the couch watching football, and we bought a log so we can have a fire crackling while we play games together. And most of all, I plan on being THANKFUL for the wonderful life that I have.

Something Wicked this Way Comes

2009-11-20T20:42:00.003-07:00

It's called - The Holiday Season!!

Okay, just kidding... I love the holidays. Thanksgiving, Christmas.... they make me happy. Usually. This year is a little tougher, being so far away from home and family. Kiwi is so upset about not being able to do all the "traditional" things that we usually do.

I'm trying to have a good attitude about it. There must be a million cool Christmas-y things we can do here. Then, we are flying to Idaho for Christmas, so at least we'll get to spend time with the ones we love.

Thanksgiving is going to be the wierd one. I'm used to the big get-togethers - lots of family, a handful of friends who didn't have anywhere else to go, ("strays" in my family's vernacular!) hanging out after the meal to make puzzles and play games.... that's what the day means to me. This year, well, we're 2,500 miles away and it's too darn expensive to fly two months in a row (heck, it's too expensive to fly once! We're only able to do it for Christmas because that is my MIL's gift to us this year). My husband has a cousin near us, and he and his wife invited us to go out to dinner with them on Thanksgiving. Now, going to a restaurant on Thanksgiving seems like so many shades of wrong!! It's not even a buffet - just a "plated meal".... now, how the heck do you do Thanksgiving without going back for 2nds??! I made my husband promise that we would find something different and interesting to do the rest of the day since the meal out is only going to take a couple hours... I refuse to do our 'regular' stuff the rest of the day (ie: sit in front of the tv and feel sorry for ourselves). Okay, a little tv for football, that's fine.... but that's all!

What do all of you have planned for the big Turkey day??

Speaking of turkeys, we saw a wild one hanging out on the side of the road a few days ago! It was so funny - and then, I saw a news article about that same guy on MSN news! Crazy bird.

Don't Wanna Homeschool No More

2009-10-21T15:20:00.005-06:00

Seriously. Can I be done? I want to get a job and put Kiwi in a full-time school.

So far, 12 is not my favorite age-of-my-child. She swings back and forth between being my sweet little girl to being.... well.... some snarly, nasty, angry little thing that is so not fun to be around.

I thought this year would be fun. Yeah. Call me crazy. Or, naive. I thought we'd go see all these amazing historical places and museums and just enjoy our time together...uh, yeah. Basically it's more just whining about how awful it is to live here and how much she misses her friends and she wants to go back home. Now. Today. With or without me and her dad. As if she'd last one day; but she thinks she's all big and grown up. Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that airfare is completely out of my reach, I'd send her off, if only to teach her a lesson. Or, she really would be happy and I wouldn't have to deal with her.... either way, it'd be win-win.

Okay, I probably wouldn't. That would be mean. Right? Bad mommy-ish? Ah, but for some peace and quiet!! The real problem, bottom line, is that I am an introvert and Kiwi is an extrovert. She craves being around people; I want to be left alone. For awhile. Being that she is stressed from the move, lonely without her friends, and suffering from the mood swings of tween-ager-angst, she is more clingy than ever before, and what I need, given those same circumstances (okay, yeah, my mood swings are more of the pre-menopausal sort, but still) I just would really, really like to have some time alone, for-the-love-of-all-that-which-does-not-suck!! This is how bad it is - when I go to the bathroom - which, you know, really ought to earn ya some alone time - she follows me into my room and flops down on my bed so she can talk to me. Cripes. The only reason I'm on here now without interruption is because she is 10 feet away from me on the laptop. sigh

Homeschooling. What was I thinking??!

Deer and Cream Puffs

2009-10-19T20:09:00.003-06:00

Today, Kiwi and I took the dog for a walk into town (For mochas, of course! What else could inspire me to walk so far?!) On the way there, we saw a groundhog ("cream puff" in Kiwi-eese - we didn't know what they were when we first moved here, so that's what she called them). On our way home, we passed two deer, right on the edge of the wood - like, maybe 30 feet from us! A mama and a young one... the little one just snacked, while the mama watched us closely, but didn't move - even tho I had the dog! Guess it didn't bother her. We stood there for about 5 minutes, until a large truck rumbled past and she trotted off into the trees. It was soooo cool! See, in Idaho, we have lots and lots of wilderness, so the wild animals don't hang out right in the midst of town.... we aren't used to seeing them if we aren't out camping somewhere.

Rain rain rain.....!!

2009-10-15T13:11:00.006-06:00

My gosh! It is very wet and pretty dang chilly today! We need to get some wood for the fireplace (yeah, our apt. has a woodburning fireplace! How suhweet is that?!!) The not-sweet deal is having to take the dog out on her leash to...uh...do her business. I swear I'm gonna make a doggy-litter-box out on our balcony for the winter! (Watch me!) Because it's only gonna get wetter and colder, I'd imagine...

Currently girlie-dog is laying on her mat intently watching out the patio door - squirrel patrol, you know. The one thing that makes her crazy, and this apt. complex is loaded with them! Because of walking her, I have tedonitis in both elbows! I'm so not kidding. She never learned to properly walk on a leash. I tried, honest... I think it's her puppy brain damage, the poor dear. It's just one of those things she doesn't "get". Good thing she's so dang sweet :)

Recipe!! Dinner in a Pumpkin

2009-10-14T08:40:00.003-06:00

Alrighty, as promised, here it is! You know this has to be easy, because cooking is about my least-favorite-thing to do. (not baking, I like baking...)

First off, let me say you need to use a good "eating" pumpkin, like a pie pumpkin, or sugar pumpkin... don't use a huge ol' jack-o-lantern carving one!

Also, you can use 3 - 4 small pumpkins if you want - that's what I did this time, so we each had our own to eat, which was fun! It took just about as long to cook, tho.....

Takes 2 hours/1 hour prep

Serves 6 (or 3 little piggies, like us! Well, we did have leftovers for lunch the following day.)

1 medium pumpkin
1 onion, chopped
2 TBSP veg. oil
2 lbs. ground beef
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms
1 (15 oz) can cream of mushroom soup (NOTE! this is what the recipe calls for, but as far as I know soup doesn't even come in 15 oz cans... there are the little 'regular' cans, or the big 'family' cans, and 15 oz would be right in the middle. I used one 'regular' size can.)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I like brown basmati; nice flavor)
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts

cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out pulp and seeds. Butter and salt inside of pumpkin
preheat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet saute onions in vegetable oil until tender
add meat and brown
drain drippings from skillet
add soy sauce, mushrooms, brown sugar and soup
simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
add cooked rice and water chestnuts
spoon mixture into cleaned pumpkin shell(s)
replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin, with filling, on a baking sheet
bake 1 hour or until inside meat of the pumpkin is tender
transfer pumpkin to serving plate
remove pumpkin lid and serve meat
for your vegetable, scoop our pumpkin and serve

That's all there is to it! Sorry I don't have any pics for you.

Time for bed

2009-10-12T20:56:00.003-06:00

So, I was going to post something interesting... or at least maybe my Dinner-in-a-Pumpkin recipe... but I just spent the last hour IM'ing with a friend from Idaho... so, instead of interesting, you get "good night".....sorry!

I think I'm better now

2009-10-09T12:07:00.011-06:00

Alright, I think I'm over...well, whatever it was. I feel way better.

Maybe it was the memory of my late sister's birthday coming up earlier this week... or the changing weather affected me. Or it's just the stress of moving still getting to me... who knows.

The house (well, apt.) is tidier, supposedly the pest control co. is coming to spray the complex and I have to let them spray inside my home, so I had to clean a bit... one huge downside to renting - I hate the fact they are going to spray bug-icide indoors! We always just used the stuff all around the exterior perimeter, then the bugs never came inside. I don't really want it in here, but it's not my choice.

I made "Dinner-in-a-Pumpkin" last nite - yummmm. I love this as a fall meal. Okay, sure, it was after 8pm when we ate (I didn't plan so well) but it was good, anyhow. I even baked gingerbread for dessert.

See where the cat hangs out when I sit at the computer?

The squirrels are running on the roof, driving the cat a little loopy.... he can't figure out how to get up on the ceiling, and it bothers him! (He's not allowed on the table - don't tell Scooter!) Oh, and yeah, I said the apt. was tidied, not "done and decorated"...as you can see by my empty bookcase.

And here is the wonderhorse, all-time-fave stuffie of Kiwi, all dressed up to go "colonial". Too bad we don't have a trip to Williamsburg planned anytime soon.... hopefully in the near future, though....

All that worry and hanging around the house - do you know what that pest guy did?? He came in, put something under the sink, and left. That was it. OH, brother.

(the something was roach bait... and no, we haven't got roaches. guess it works)

Slogging thru

2009-10-04T19:36:00.002-06:00

So I said I wasn't going to whine anymore. Fine. I will just be.....sad. Very sad. Today was a beautiful day, weather-wise, and hubby and daughter went for a walk at a historical farm site... I stayed home in bed. Sick, or depressed? I'm not sure.

I've got to pull myself together.

Wow....

2009-10-03T18:52:00.000-06:00

...it's October. Holey Cow.

Today I am not going to whine

2009-09-28T21:40:00.002-06:00

Actually, I was kinda thinking about running away from home. At least for a couple days. Maybe I would miss everyone and want to come back. Or they (I should say he) would realize I am good for something and beg me to return.... 'cause that'd kinda make me feel good, anyway.

I just need a break, ya know? From the clinging and the neediness (and that's just the dog!)...well, okay, and the girl. It's weird, because the more I need "me time" the more clingy she gets... it's just our own reactions to the emotions we're feeling.... but they aren't real compatible!

I'd give good money to once... just once!... sit down on the toilet without the dog putting her head on my lap and one or more human family members sitting on the bed to talk to me.... geez! I suppose I could just shut the door.... but I'm kinda weird and claustrophobic about that.

Well...... the weather has been nice.

I'm getting tired of being the family cheerleader

2009-09-24T05:42:00.004-06:00

Why is it that I am the only one trying to "see the bright side" here??! I know, I know. It's hard to move 2,600 miles away from all you know and love. I feel it too! But, still. I am trying to have a good attitide, to look for the best in it, to find fun stuff to do. My daughter cries every other day that she wants "to go home". My husband hates his job here. (Now, that doesn't surprise me... given the company he works for. He's worked for them before. It was my only real hesitation about moving here, and sure enough, they've remained true to their colors. I don't know why he thought it would be different.) This morning when I dropped him off at work (yeah, I have to get up at 5:30am to take him to work since the company took away the managers' vehicles.... but have I complained? No. Well, not a lot!) Anyway, he tells me he just wants to move back, that it isn't going well here at all. I asked "Isn't it better though, now that Kiki and I are here?" (he moved here 6 months before she and I were able to come) and he was all "well, it's better, but still, like last night, you were on the computer while I watched tv alone.... what fun is that?" OH!! Let me explain something! I hate inane television, and my husband is the KING of coming home, plopping his butt on the couch and grabbing the remote. I have spent countless hours sitting next to him watching crap I couldn't care less about, trying to be "with him". Well, I am tired of it, so recently I've started getting on my computer when he camps out with the tv set. (and besides, the computer is about 20 feet from there - it's not like I'm upstairs, or in another room or something!) I have tried and tried to get us to play a game, or read, or do heaven knows what instead of tv..... but now he's not happy enough that Kiki and I finally joined him here because we aren't spending time together??!!!

If he doesn't pull his crap together, maybe I will just take Kiki and go back to Idaho.... at least I can make one of them happy that way!

The cat is one reason I'm crazy

2009-09-23T18:30:00.003-06:00

Now that the weather is getting nice, I like sitting out on the balcony; especially in the mornings with a nice cuppa coffee. It starts out nicely, all of us just enjoying the cool autumn air...

But then the goober cat thinks it's time to quit being 'dog lazy' and do something....

Which generally involves jumping up on the railing...

Wondering if he can get on the roof.....

And what you need to understand is - A) we live on the 2nd floor and - B) this is the klutziest cat I've ever known.... he falls off stuff on a regular basis. At this point, I have to toss him indoors, and he spends the rest of my "quiet time" pawing the sliding doors in an attempt to claw through the glass and once again join us in "the great outdoors".

A little funny to start the day - too bad it's true

2009-09-22T07:03:00.004-06:00

I don't usually get political on here, but I rec'd this in an email, and loved it!

Let me get this straight - Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress who hasn't read it and whose members will be exempt from it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that is broke.

What could possibly go wrong?!

Oh - back to the trip - Day Two, Mt. Rushmore

2009-09-18T11:24:00.006-06:00

Oh, wait ~ first, I have to post a couple pics of the "amazing" Reptile Gardens (lol... it's waay over publicized in my opinion...but, I guess since it's out in the middle of South Dakota, it's the "biggest thing" next to Mt. Rushmore, heehee!) We visited this on the way to see Mt. Rushmore.

That's the main building where there are a lot of creepy crawly things. I'm not into them as pets (I prefer furry critters) but Kiwi is interested in them.... she was enjoying it until we found the giant blown-up photograph from some foreign country of an alligator (or crocodile?) that had eaten a local native, and the creature had been killed, but you could see....well....'parts'... of the native. Even in black and white, it was terribly gross. What were they thinking??!

The snack bar. Where they serve super-expensive, lukewarm, not-terribly delicious food. Because what self-respecting, money-making theme park would be without one?

Birds, tropical flowers, of course reptiles, and....

....eeeyyywwww. There were dozens of these, just laying all over each other. They didn't even look alive except for an occasional rolling of an eye. It totally gave me the heebies.

School is in session!

2009-09-08T21:10:00.004-06:00

So, Kiwi and I started school today. We had what you might call a "soft start", lol! See, I haven't had any money to order her curriculum, so we just started with what we had... we did our devotions, we did some reading (thank goodness for the library!) we went to the apartment gym to exercise - this will be a daily part of school - I gave Kiwi another lesson in 'laundry', because part of school this year is definately going to be "life lessons"! Then, because we are going to journal every day, we made journals!

The idea is to take plain old composition books and make them pretty!

You just need two pieces of scrapbooking paper ~

Here Kiwi goes for a Christmas theme ~

Cut it, glue it, fold it to size....

Fold and glue the corners, then the sides...

and there ya go! Easy peesy....

Kiwi did this one in autumn hues....

Her Christmas one ~

I just chose patterns and colors that made me happy! Here they are, quick and easy... you can embellish with ribbons, buttons, stickers, whatever.... we may just leave 'em as is.

So, it's September

2009-09-05T22:48:00.004-06:00

Huh. Who knew. September already. Summer is over ~ it's time to start school.

I am so not ready. Spending most of the summer getting ready to move, then moving, then trying to get moved in; well, it takes it out of ya. And, like my little Kiwi observed, after all that it didn't really seem like a summer vacation. She got that right!

But, life doesn't care how you feel about it. It just moves on like a river, whether fast or slow, and you have to go with it. Fighting the current only makes you tired.

So, we'll have a little Sunday, and a Labor Day, then start our little homeschool venture on Tuesday. Of course, with the car breaking down and other nice little surprises, we haven't had the money to purchase one single textbook. But, we have a library, we have the internet, we have wonderful points of historic interest to visit, we have good brains and we know how to use them. Life, and school, will carry on. And it will all be fine.

If all else fails, we have the cat for entertainment.

Day Trip to Mt. Vernon ~ home of George Washington!

2009-08-30T16:41:00.008-06:00

So, here we are! It took about, oh, I think 45 minutes to an hour to get here.... I was in the backseat with Kiwi, we weren't really paying attention! It was a hot day, and a little humid - I thought it was actually pretty decent... of course, all the buildings, even his mansion, are air conditioned.

The Father of our Country. When watching the film inside the first building, it made me tear up a little - thinking of what our forebears fought for, and we seem to be letting slip away... sometimes I feel like some of todays citizens are ruining my Wonderful country..... but, back to Mt. Vernon ~

It was a gorgeous day...to think, he had like 8,000 acres on his plantation!

The happy little family

A cool model of the house - walls raise and lower to show different sections and rooms

As seen from the far side of the "Bowling Green"

I love covered passageways! Do you see the Potomac in the distance?

View from the "front" side - that tree is in the film "National Treasure II"

The lovely patio - it was shady and cool(ish) here

The Potomac looks really lovely from here; but actually it's pretty cruddy - you wouldn't want to swim in there!

I don't think this needs any more explanation!

Hey!! My whole family could go at once!! Yay!

We didn't have nearly enough time here. Wait... I didn't mean here. In the neccessary... I meant, here at Mt. Vernon!! Lol. We didn't get to see the gardens, or the outbuildings, and we barely got to look around the gift shop (which seems to have some pretty great stuff!) The up-side is, we live here, so we can go back! Besides, we have to eat in the Mt. Vernon Inn, because they dress in Colonial garb plus they have Peanut and Chestnut soup! Yummmm....

Well, that was our Saturday!

Today (In "Real Time")

2009-08-29T07:54:00.003-06:00

I am taking a quick break from my travel log to bring a 'current' event ~ today, we are taking my visiting MIL to visit Mt. Vernon. It will be our first visit, and I'm pretty excited! I'll return with pics and the scoop. :)

The Big Move - South Dakota Tuesday (June 16th, 2009)

2009-08-27T08:32:00.014-06:00

On this day we left Montana behind, crossed a corner of Wyoming, and entered South Dakota. We were now in territory I'd never visited before. Which, I need to talk to my parents about. Because, Mt. Rushmore is pretty dang close to Montana, yet we never, ever visted it. Seriously, mom and dad?? What were you thinking??!! My poor, deprived childhood.

Anyway, the hills are rolling, bare, and beautiful. Native Americans still live here (but I'm guessing not in the teepees we saw). Actually, we crossed the Reservation, and they are generally sad looking areas. I always feel bad about history when I see that.

We saw a cool old graveyard

The endless highway

On which we saw far too much of this sort of thing:

Somewhere in South Dakota ~

The whole reason for coming here!! (not

really.....) This was, shall we say, somewhat of a disappointment after all the advertising. Think,

JimBob decided he'd have hisself a nice little ol' theme park....

But, hey, isn't that what the Great American Experience is all about?

Tomorrow, Mt. Rushmore...... (altho it might not really be tomorrow... my M.I.L. is flying in from Seattle tonight, so who knows what I'll be doing the next couple days!)

Okay, I tried like 1000 times to get this post right - pictures and text in proper order - but noooooo!!! How DO you get the pictures to be where you want them???

The move begins ~ Montana Monday (June 15th, 2009)

2009-08-26T08:33:00.013-06:00

Look at that sky ~ talk about blue....!!

So, on Monday the 15th of June we left Idaho (crying as we pulled away from my parents' home) and headed for our first hotel stop in Billings, Montana. This is all familiar territory, as my maternal grandmother lived in Billings, and we visited nearly every summer, from California where we lived, by way of Yellowstone National Park. I love Yellowstone! One of my 'happy places'! I wish we'd been able to spend some time in the park, but this trip was really more about "getting there" than about the trip - bummer. I love Montana - to me, this is how the west should look. Big Sky Country and all that. The Gallatin Valley is amazingly beautiful.

It was probably the worst day as far as how we were feeling... Kiwi and I were pretty devastated about leaving our family and friends, and I think it finally hit us full force this day. We were cranky and nasty to one another until Scooter actually told us to "Shut UP!! Both of you!!" (You have to understand, we just don't speak to one another in this way! It was just, really, that out of hand.) :( So I sat in the silence and enjoyed the view. Sheesh.

(please keep in mind that these pictures were taken out of the car doing about 75mph... cut me some slack!)

The town of West Yellowstone

A very Montana kind of hotel - see the bears?

Leaving Idaho ~ Virginia, here we come. PREPARATIONS

2009-08-24T15:21:00.009-06:00

First, I thought I'd start with some of the stupidity of my "professional" packers.... (I guess "professional" means "morons".... I didn't know that.) Here, you see some hangers. Left behind. I guess the guy was just like "hey, I already packed a bunch, they don't need these." Is that their call??

Then there is the key to our antique mantle clock. I mean, who needs to wind this? Maybe it's just for decoration.

The dish drainer. Guess they figured I wouldn't be washing any dishes in our new home.

(I actually told them to leave the phone, I was giving it to my dad since we aren't getting a land-line here, for now.)

Or, the bathroom trash can they left on top of the fireplace mantle. Yeah, I know, why didn't I say something? I don't know... at this point, my brain had sort of checked out.

There's more, but I am tired of thinking about those idiots.

Here they are, loading the truck. Good thing they pulled it all out to the curb first, since soon after this pic it began to rain..... like I said - morons. You can't imagine the unbelievable manner in which I have been finding stuff as I've unloaded!

Alright, so then the fun began.... me packing the car for a 5 day road trip. This is Kiwi's spot...

The cat is crated up. Oh, yeah, he just loooved this trip. The dog crate is folded up and under everything else. This made unpacking each night for the hotel a joy. Oh, life is full of fun!

And here is our car, 'full-up", ready to hit the road ~ the ramp is for the dog; since her knee surgery, she's not allowed to jump up into the car, so we had to put this up for her each and every stop... again, JOY. Now, if only I had a fifi dog or something that I could just pick up, instead of a 95 pounder.... Lol.

Virginia VS. Idaho

2009-08-22T08:04:00.002-06:00

Just a few thoughts ~

Idaho has mountains.
Virginia has hills.

Idaho has wide open spaces.
Virginia is covered in trees.

Idaho has fry sauce. (yummm)
Virginia has peanut soup. (also yummm)

Idaho has tons of wildlife that you rarely see.
Virginia has deer on every roadside - and some critters I think are groundhogs? And wild bunnies on the lawn.

Idaho is so dry you wither.
Virginia is so humid you mildew.

Virginia has history and artifacts and great shopping.
Idaho has my family and friends.

I really like Virginia... but I really, really miss Idaho.

Will I ever be good about posting here??!

2009-08-21T12:12:00.003-06:00

I had an old blog (on another site) and blogged daily.... now, I just hardly ever get online. I guess I'll blame it on moving - I've got stuff to do, ya know! Like, right now, I am supposed to be emptying more boxes. Ugh. I am tired of it all - but, I'm more tired of tripping over stuff in this too-full and messy apartment, so I guess I'll get busy. Besides - my mother-in-law is coming to visit next week. I am so not ready for guests! She's coming for Kiwi's birthday, tho, so I can't really tell her not to come...

Today is my birthday. (another year older and deeper in debt.... isn't that a song? Lol)

I was thinking.... since I finally got my pics downloaded, next week I am going to do a day-by-day play-by-play of our trip out here. Go back in time to the beginning of life in Virginia....

Here's a sample:

Nearly loaded and (physically) ready to go... mentally, not so much!

May I please go home now?

2009-08-14T14:14:00.002-06:00

I'm done here. I am homesick and physically sick and I just want my mom. Lol... But seriously, I do want to go back home. To my family. To familiarity. To dry heat. To a back yard to toss the dog in when she's got the shoots. Yeah. Urgh.

Okay, I'll quit moaning - time to get back to what I was doing earlier - lying on the couch, holding my aching gut, watching Spongebob, and feeling sorry for myself. Oooh - maybe I'll cry a little.....

How NOT to move; part 2

2009-07-27T13:37:00.004-06:00

Seriously?!

Do not move into a place much, much smaller than your last home....this necessitates cramming all your belongings into a storage unit, which you will be forced to visit time and time again, trying - often unsuccessfully - to find stuff. This will make you crabby. Okay, totally pissed off. Angry at the packers for not understanding the importance of properly marking the contents of boxes. Angry at yourself for not doing it yourself in the first place because then the boxes would be properly marked. Also, if it's Virginia in the summer, this will make you very, very hot. And disgustingly sweaty.

I swear we have opened and looked thru every box marked "girl's room" and as of yet there are no signs of Kiwi's beloved (and crazy expensive) babydolls. By the time we find them, she'll be dating and not even interested in dolls anymore! Criminy.

So here's a suggestion: Sell everything you own - furniture, dishes, clothes - the whole 9 yards. Keep what you can pack in say, oh, 10 boxes. You'll be able to find what you packed, and instead of the headache of hunting for stuff, you'll have the joy of shopping. That'd be win-win!!

hi!

2009-07-23T12:26:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I know, I've been AWOL.... well, I won't have internet at my apt. 'til Aug. 6th, so it's been really hard to get here... but, just wanted to say "hey" and let y'all know I am still alive..... barely....alive....geez, it's so stinkin' humid here!! I've never sweat so much in my life, I swear!

And on it goes....

2009-07-07T19:28:00.003-06:00

Well.... yeah, I know, deep subject. I don't have much to say (which is amazing, if you really knew me!) Kiwi really misses "home", Scooter wants to quit his job, I am having to get on the case of the apt. management because we were supposed to have moved into our "big" apartment, and yet it hasn't even been cleaned.... seriously?? Urg. I can't even tell Scooter how I really feel about the apt., because he is already getting depressed.... besides, it's not like he can do a darn thing about it, anyway....

Oh - wait - I said I wasn't going to complain, didn't I?! Oops. Alright, then , I gotta go.....

Cheers!

A Little Perspective

2009-07-01T10:11:00.002-06:00

Funny how life turns.... when you feel that your life is so tough, and you're enjoying your little pity party, something happens that reminds you how good you really have it. Yesterday Scooter called from work and he sounded pretty upset - of course my first thought was "what have the corporate jerks done now" but, it was worse... two of his employees were out on a call; the driver was not paying attention, lost control of the car on a curve, and hit a tree. The driver was fine, a few bumps and bruises.... but the passenger lost his life.

My life is blessed.... my little family is all here, together. I won't gripe about being cramped.

Drinking wine out of a water glass

2009-06-29T15:01:00.002-06:00

It's wrong, but I did it. Because I really, really needed to relax a little!! And no, I didn't FILL the glass! Thought about it..... Living in this tiny apartment is killer. It's like still being in a hotel room, but you have to do dishes and laundry. Speaking of laundry - that's what caused my "drinking problem". See, we have this laundry room - uh, laundry closet - and we put the dog's foldup crate in there.... well, I was washing clothes, the only nice stuff we have, because we were meeting Scooter's cousin for dinner... well, when I closed the door, the crate fell over, and there was no way to re-open that door! So I had a little melt-down moment.... then I used my head, hooked the dog leash to the crate, put it over the door, and pulled that sucker back into place. (I have a huge row of bruises up my arm where I had to cram it in the crack of the door.) Sheesh....life.

Now they want to take Scooter's company truck away (a company-wide decision) but that was one of the 'deal makers' in him accepting this job... no way we can afford to buy a car (and pay the gas).... dear Lord, if this means we have to stay in this apartment and not upgrade to the 2-bedroom!! Geez, I was bummed enough that we have to be in an apartment at all, but at least we could survive in the bigger one....sigh. I'm not sure I get this move at all....... trying not to panic...... 'cause next time, that water glass will be full!!

We really ARE there!

2009-06-23T16:17:00.002-06:00

Virginia!! Wow, here we are. It is so beautiful here... and so far, the weather hasn't been horrible. I mean, humidity-wise. The trip was - loooooooong. As in over 2,600 miles long! We went through 13 states! The dog didn't mind, but can't say that about the cat, lol. What worked was tranquilizing him then letting him loose in the car.... he hunkered down beside the car door and back seat where my daughter was sitting, and then he was content - enough. It's interesting living in a tiny one bedroom apartment. Not nice - but interesting. Ha. It's been forever since I've lived in an apartment complex; it's really weird. Kiwi isn't doing well with the move - she's cranky, irritable, grumpy.... and just wants to "go home". sigh. It's hard being a mom, when the world is hard and you just can't fix it. When we get moved to the "big" apt. (still, half the size of the house we left behind) I will get my computer set up, then I'll have lots of pics to share with you!

And off I goooooooo......

2009-06-09T00:56:00.004-06:00

Off my rocker, mostly. Someone - I suppose the packing guy - is gonna walk in here tomorrow and find me balled up in a corner, sobbing and gently rocking back and forth..... back and forth... back and forth...ah, that sounds so peaceful, so nice.....

It's seriously that bad. Today when Scooter called, all I could do was cry into the phone. Ridiculous. Saturday afternoon was Kiwi's birthday party, and I spent the morning alternately yelling, then crying...sobbing, really. Now, I've moved a lot. You'd think I could deal with it. I usually do. Not this time. I'm not sure why, I guess because I'm having to do it all alone, as a "single mom", and really, I think it's finally hit me that I am moving 2,500 miles away from my family and friends. And I really don't like that.

So, I thought I'd post one last time before the men in the white coats come to take me away....

Okay, it's really because after tomorrow this computer will be packed up, and I really haven't got a clue when I will be back online.... so, if you think about us, pray for our trip and our move and my sanity.... oh, and that Kiwi finds her Nintendo DS.... needed for the trip, but missing-in-action as of this moment.

I will check back in....later!

How NOT to move (unless, you are crazy like me!)

2009-06-06T00:54:00.006-06:00

At least there is one family member who is blissfully happy and unaware of the crap going on around them......

First, agreeing to move - at all - is a step toward insanity. Trust me on this. In our married life, we have moved....uhm, wait, I'm counting..... I think this will be #13. Yeah. Seriously. The dude isn't even in the military!! (that doesn't even count a few stints of staying with parents in between settling someplace else...because, we didn't have to unpack there) What is that all about??! I don't know, and it's my life! I have to tell you, however, that this is the worst yet. I think because it's been sooo long in coming, and because Scooter and I have been apart for 6 months now, and worst of all - he's gotten off scott-free while I'm here going nutsy!! Yeah. That is so not right. To hear him, it's all "yeah, but you'll be done soon, and I have to work for 20 more years before I can retire" yada yada yada....whatever!! But I still have to be here packing and cleaning the garage out and making the arrangements and dealing with the kid and the pets (and the pet surgery) and ...and.... and.... well, okay, at least I don't have to work 20 more years before I retire. He's got a point. I sleep in. I like sleeping in.

The next insane thing to do is to say "yes, of course you can" when your daughter asks you if she can have her birthday party early, as in, here and now, because after all, she won't have any friends in the new town in a couple months when it's really her birthday.... because, heaven forbid she miss out on anything in this life. What were you thinking??? Right, you weren't. Typical. So, it will be 1am and you will be baking a stinkin' cake, and sewing the finishing touches on the poodle skirt (oh, because it has to be themed, of course, this time a 50's party...) because earlier today, when you should have been baking, you took her to a friend's house to go swimming, because, heaven forbid she miss out on anything in this life.... do you sense a theme?? Girl, you need to put your foot down!! She won't be permanantly scarred if you say "no"! Right? Because she still wants one last sleepover.... OH for sanity sake, say no!!

Here's the skirt - and I cheated and used cake mix (geez, they're just kids!) - and that is seriously pink... she wanted it to match her "theme", lol

Hmmmm.....

Must be the stress???

2009-06-03T00:00:00.002-06:00

Alright, so my legs are driving me absolutely mad!! They are all itchy and tingly, like bugs are crawling on them or something.... I could barely sleep last night! Today, I was absentmindedly scratching, and I scratched so long and hard that I have a big ol' bruise on my leg now! It's horrible! What could be causing this?? Looks like a double Exc*drin PM night for me!

The way it stands......

2009-06-01T18:30:00.002-06:00

...is that my garage is horrid, and I gotta get to it. Or, through it. Past it?? Beyond it?? Anyhooo..... yeah. I was supposed to start today, but what with taking the cat to the vet, and going to the bank (not just for regular banking, but to get my signature notarized so I can get a new title for my husband's motorcycle which we want to sell but of course he has no recollection of where he put that thing) then of course, the DMV... which, I have to say, is one of those things I appreciate about Idaho. It took me about 10 minutes... maybe 15. When I lived in California, this would've been at least an hour+ job. Another thing I appreciate, and will miss, is our trash service. I mean, we have 1 can, but if we have more stuff, you can put it out there, in a bag, a box, whatever....even an old piece of furniture if it's small, and they'll take it. Totally cool about it. My DH told me today that in Virginia, if you have anything that doesn't fit in your trashcan, even a small bag, they'll charge you $5.oo extra to take it. Per bag. Geez. I'm thinking I am gonna be sorry for all the times I've groaned about living in Spudville.

The good news is that the cat doesn't have the disease the rescue center's vet told us he had! Which is great. I kind of wondered about it, since she just arbitrarily told us that was his problem, without any kind of test. I didn't worry about it, because we don't have any other cats he could have spread it to, and he's an indoor cat, but still, it's good to know he's a totally healthy little guy. Very little! He only weighs 9 lbs. Runt of the litter, I guess! Boy, was he unhappy about the trip. Didn't like the vet's office at all!

The dog - she's doing great. Still limping, but leg getting stronger every day.

Tomorrow is the last day of school, even though last Thursday was actually the last day of school. Confused much?? Okay, last week was final tests and all, and tomorrow is just desk-cleaning and assembly and then a picnic. So, a fun day!

This week is going to be a bit hectic - too much to do, too little time. D-day for the move is coming up fast!

Just sayin'

2009-05-31T21:57:00.001-06:00

Where've I been?? Crazy, of course. Too much to do, too little time. Only 2 weeks til we pull out of here to move cross country. Wholey cow.

Another day another problem

2009-05-20T20:58:00.003-06:00

I don't know... this deal just gets crazier (at least, more annoying) by the day! My husband called today, and we have to decide by tomorrow if we want to keep our reserve on a 2 bdrm apt. in the complex he is in. He is currently in a tiny 1 bdrm., which I really would hate to live in with the three of us plus the cat and the dog. I went a bit stir crazy just over the weekend we visited him there! However..... when he moved in, they were rather low on renters and were having pretty good deals, so his rent isn't too bad. We expected higher rent for the 2 bdrm., obviously, but not a ridiculous sum! Well, now that it's nearly summer - and therefore aparently everybody and his brother is moving into a new apt. (why???) the rates have skyrocketed! In fact, just since last week when he looked at an available apt., the price of that one has gone up $100./month! No freakin' way! Then, he went to ask some questions about it yesterday, then again today to reserve it, and it went up $10.00 since yesterday! (to give you an idea, the rent there for a 2 bed, under 1000 sq. ft. apt. will be more than our mortgage payment on our 3 bdrm + bonus room 1900 sq. ft. house with a nice yard!! plus the $300 month for a storage unit 'cause the apt. is just too dang small!) Then here is the kicker - as if that's all not bad enough - when he moved in, he had to sign a 14-month lease. He supposedly talked to the mgmt. about continuing that particular lease when we upgraded to a 2 bedroom... now they are saying they can't do that. (In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion he assumed they'd do that and didn't really ask like he was supposed to) So, our choices are to: 1) stay in his tiny 1 bdrm for 9 months or: 2)rent the bigger apt. and be stuck there for 14 months. I hate both options. I am not an apartment dweller!! I want a yard, and lots of closets, and a yard, places to plant stuff.....and a yard.... the only reason we went with an apt. was because we know jack-diddly-squat about the area and wanted to be close to his job until we decided where to live. Now I feel like we are stuck in a horrible spot. Urgh. I halfway don't even want to go anymore. Can't he just commute?? Can't someone give him a job right HERE??

Weird advice and too much stress

2009-05-17T10:25:00.005-06:00

So, on the "moving front", we are scheduled to pull out of Idaho in 4 weeks, heading off to Virginia. Wow, seemed like it was *forever and ever* away, and now I am suddenly having panic attacks because I "ONLY" have 4 weeks left, and so much to do! I've been trying to avoid going into the garage, because that's what I need to tackle next... and it seems like one more insurmountable mountain. ~full body shiver~ We are seriously considering paying someone to pack the house up... mostly, because I just "don't wanna"! Well, and it will take them, like, one day, as opposed to me starting now and hoping I get it done on time! It's enough that I have to load up all the crap - I mean lovely stuff - onto the moving truck.....

We've had lots of people looking at the house (good, but what a pain!) and we almost had an offer - it was all signed and in their realtor's hand, but then the buyers got scared and changed their mind... and, really, "almost had an offer" is as good as not getting one at all, so, poop. The nice thing is all the realtors who've been thru say our home shows really well, so at least they aren't saying stuff like "seriously, that house'll never sell" so, there may be hope, at least. I am already sick of keeping it spotlessly clean. Altho, I kind of enjoy spotlessly clean.... hmmm.... who knew??!

Now, here's the Weird Advice... our realtors (who are good people; I've known them several years, so I don't think they're being flaky or dishonest here) they are telling us - well, telling us that they can't really tell us but - we should quit paying our house payment. Seriously?? Seriously. "Cause here's the deal - home prices have dropped so low in our area that there is no possible way to sell our house for what we owe. Not that we 'overbought' or anything, we were very reasonable when we bought this place. It's just - life today. Every single comp is either a foreclosure or a 'short sale' so there is no way - even if someone wanted to buy the house enough to pay full price - well, it wouldn't appraise out. So, we're stuck. But, the bank will generally accept a short sale only if the homeowner is obviously in distress (ie: behind on payments) which, we aren't. So, they are saying, well, once you move (next month) you'll have to pay rent there plus this house, will you be able to (not if we want to, oh, I don't know, eat) so, if it doesn't sell, do you want to long-term long-distance rent it (NO! Been there, done that) so, what does that leave you? Foreclosure? So, if that's where you're headed, why throw money away? Quit paying now, the bank may then accept your short sale, and maybe it will be sold before it forecloses, so that's your choice, really, or throw money into a pit......
Wow. Telling me to just quit paying my house payment seems like telling me to, I don't know, start shop lifting or something! You know, it's wrong and mom taught me not to! But, in a month, we'll be living in Virginia, and we honestly can't pay the rent and the mortgage here.... I don't know. I just don't know. It's....Weird.

Well. On to other things! Only two more weeks of school!! YAY!! I was mentally done, like, last month. We may yet make it through....

The dog is doing well. I worry about her daily, but she seems to be progressing. Not sure how long until I can breathe easier.... this Weds. will be her 8 week post-surgery mark.

One Reason I am Crazy

Yesterday marked the 5 year anniversary of my little sister passing away. I can't believe it's been that long. Honestly, I had been trying to decide if it'd been 3 years, or only 2.... then my mom was talking about it.... 5 years. It's really been messing with my head. And I've been crying alot the last couple days. They always say "Time Heals All Wounds" but no one ever explained how slowly time can move......

My "Murphy's Law" life

2009-05-08T21:59:00.002-06:00

So my house is finally on the market. And people want to look at it. That's a good thing, I know... but it's only been two days and I am SICK of keeping the house spotless. Not to mention the whole dog dilemma, how she can't be left in the back yard or put in the car like I'd originally planned... she has to be crated in the garage, and I hate that. But today, just to top it off - I had two realtors wanting to bring people to see the house, (one called at 8am... seriously?? is she insane??) so, of course we have to leave the house.... and my daughter has the flu. No joke. What a life I am having!

Sunday Sunday

2009-05-03T14:16:00.001-06:00

Today I cleaned the carpet. Don't let anybody tell you "oh, it's really easy" - huhh. Between the monster machine, the miles of cord (which have to be plugged in at two different places being sure they're on separate circuits, the huge twisty and not-very-flexible hose.... well, I'm just not sure it was worth it. Especially given the fact I stand to gain nothing on the sale of this house - in fact, I'll probably lose my good credit and who knows what else... but that's a post for a day when I don't still have to load that monster steamer into my car and take it back....

Buying myself gifts

2009-05-01T00:15:00.005-06:00

So, in celebration of my 25th wedding anniversary, it being the 'silver' one and all, I bought myself a gift... a beautiful sterling silver ring with cubic zirconia in it. See, I've gained alot of weight in the last few years, and my wedding ring doesn't fit. I've been told "have it resized" but that feels like 'giving up', as if I'll never lose the fat. Instead, I opted to buy myself a new ring, for the meanwhile. It's reeeeal shiny....lol. And sparkly. ooooooh. 'Cause I love me. I told Scooter "send me the $20 I spent and I'll tell everyone you bought it for me" hahahaha!!!

(The cat likes the ring as well, you can see...)

The realtor came over two days ago, and we are getting it listed as we speak. Or, as I type. Anyway, it's getting done. Sigh. The work ain't over yet, tho, is it??! Now I have to work on the garage. The mere thought makes my head throb.

Merry dog is healing nicely, it would seem. That's the bright light in my otherwise muted existance right now.

A Better Day - or two!

2009-04-27T01:03:00.003-06:00

This has been a GOOD weekend! My husband is home for a visit (which sounds wierd, I know!) but that's how it is. Anyway, it's awesome to have him here! ' Cause he changed the light bulbs way up high in the kitchen ceiling where I can't reach. And helped me get the big ol' 100lb. dog to the vet (well, wait - she's only 97lbs. now...doing good!) It is also our 25 year wedding anniversary, so YAY US!! Anyhow, it's been a sweet time.

Another good thing is, the house is going to be put on the market this week! I got it all 'tidied', and I have housecleaners coming in the morning to get it sparkling. (I decided I was sick to death of the household chores, so I'm paying someone else to do it this time around - it'll be so totally faster than if I did it myself, not to mention - I don't wanna!!)

The next good news is that we took Merry to the vet, because I was freaking out, again, about the leg. She's got this funky bump just on the outside of her leg, and her suture site is looking a bit red and puffy... since she fell last week, I was all stressed out. Well, the bump is where she is building up a callous on the inside from where the permanent sutures are tied in a knot and aparently irritating her skin in there, and a little seroma has built up. That should clear up on it's own, but if not the vet can drain it. The problem with the suture site is that instead of absorbing the 'absorbable' sutures, my dog's body is, instead, trying to reject them. So, it's built up a little 'wall' around it, and getting red and possibly a little pus - trying to shove those sutures out of the skin, the way you would a splinter. So, while not "ideal", not a huge problem. Just gotta keep an eye on it. Oh, but I said this was good news, didn't I? Yeah, because the surgery itself seems to be doing well.... the vet tried to push the knee to do the 'drawer' thingie, and he said there isn't even "micro-movement", which means the knee is good and tight and the permanent sutures are holding like they should, and she's building back the muscle tone, so - so far, so good. We still have a long way to go before we can say we've really made it, but it's good news at this point. And! She's lost 3 pounds, which is a good start. She probably ought to get down about 15 lbs....

Well, that's my GOOD weekend! Hope you all had some of that, yourself.

M I A

2009-04-21T22:09:00.002-06:00

Wow, I have totally been missing in action around here! I really do want to post every day, but life is just - well, not like that right now. But, here's what's up:

The dog is doing okay. I worry about her alot. Today she is walking pretty good (not perfect by any means) but she has this little lump on her leg, in the knee area. And she seems, I don't know, not quite herself tonight. I am just not loving this whole cruciate - surgery - recuperation business, at all. Far too iffy, in my opinion. Scooter is coming home for a visit this weekend (YAY!!) so one of the 'fun' activities I have planned is a check-up trip to the vet. Oh, yeah, I know how to show a guy a good time!

The house is ALMOST done!!! Unbelieveable. Just a couple more things to pick up and put - somewhere - but I have a maid service coming Monday to do a serious cleaning, then the realtor will be out later in the week. Finally! I'm trying not to think about the garage, then the packing, the actual move.... and of course, now that spring is here, I've had to add watering, mowing, and weeding to my already-too-long list of things to do. Sheesh.

I am having someone else do homeschooling with Kiwi for a few days - weeks - whatever. I need the time to get my poop-in-a-group. Thank the Lord for good friends!

Well, that's about all the news from here. Except that YAY!!!! my husband will be here for 4 whole days!!! I have been missing him, way too much.

Oh, and I just have to say....

2009-04-15T16:13:00.002-06:00

...today, at work, was the weirdest. I was exhausted beyond belief. I could barely stand up. Seriously. Now, I'm always exhausted in the mornings; I am sooo not a morning person. But this was beyond. Like a fog was on me or something. So, I'm having trouble pulling the espresso shots - that is to say, they just weren't tasting good. Quite bitter. I'd done all the typical adjustments, to no avail. So it might have just been....me. I dunno. So I make this drink for a gal, and I'm like "if those shots are bitter, I will re-make it for you; I'm just having trouble this morning. She tastes it, and says "Well, the shots taste fine, but the milk is kind of cold." Which is weird, because I always steam to 160 degrees because I despise room temp lattes, so I look at the thermometer in the pitcher.... then I pick the pitcher up.... then I lay my hand against the pitcher.... it's not just kind of cold, it's absolutely chilly! I hadn't even steamed it, at all! I'd made her drink using the milk straight out of the fridge! Holey criminy.... I need to sleep, for at least 3 days straight......

Update on Doggie Surgery

2009-04-15T16:00:00.005-06:00

Here she is enjoying a nice chew!

Her hair still hasn't grown back in....

Her incision site sure looks tons better!

I thought I'd post a couple recent pics of my dog since the surgery. Things are going well; we are taking little walks now, and I am freaking out less often - so it's all good. Now I have more time to freak out about the fact I am supposed to list this house to sell and it's a ginormous clutter-bin. sigh.... When Scooter comes for a visit next weekend, he may kill me... or stick to his claim of renting a dumpster and a back hoe...... Well, that'd save me from packing, wouldn't it??!

And for today....

2009-04-12T00:35:00.002-06:00

Happy Easter, Everyone!!! Have a blessed day!!

I'm sooo tired

2009-04-07T21:02:00.004-06:00

That's all. I'm tired.

A new week begins - and ITBS, yee-haw!!

2009-04-06T16:41:00.004-06:00

I hate waking up in the morning and dreading getting out of bed. Which is, pretty much every morning. Like there is nothing to look forward to, just another day of stuff I have to get done but don't want to do. I'm just having a pity party, I know - things really aren't that bad. It just feels like they are! We had to do banking and hit the post office this morning, so we got a really late start on school - I mean, really late, since we didn't even get out of bed 'til nearly 10am. So now it's almost 5pm and we're about midway through our lesson plan for the day. I really, really want to just be done with school... I can't see how it matters at this point, to have to finish up. It's just 5th grade, and she's ahead of the curve anyway.... Scooter thinks she needs to have "closure"; to finish up with the other kids in the co-op and all that hooey. To which I say "phooey". But then I still have to go to work on Tues. & Thurs. which are her co-op days, and it's right there at church, just like school is... I guess I just really want to be done with our M-W-F home days..... or, I could just quit work!! Yeah, right. I really need that money right now, pittance though it is. Pooh.

This week is ITBS.... which is Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.... why Iowa, I don't know.... I guess that state sets the Gold Standard, eh?! This is the test they give nearly all public school kids, as well as most private school students.... and we test our homeschoolers to show that they are doing as well - if not better than - publically schooled children. Last year Kiwi rocked these - at 4th grade, she tested at 7th - 9th grade levels in all subjects. She was in the 95th percentile of children. So, is she brilliant, or is the average public school kid waaay below the standard they ought to be?? Makes you wonder...... This year, she's struggling a bit, and I think it's the stress caused by daddy being gone. This quarter was the first she has ever gotten anything other than straight "A's" on a report card.... she got a B and a B+. Not like that's bad; it's just not typical of her. So I tried to warn her that the ITBS points might not be as high this year and not to freak out over it (she's waaay harder on herself than I am on her! I know she's bright; I don't need "percentages" to tell me that!

Well, I guess I need to go make sure she's on track.... I smell felt pens, lol.....

What a week! Flu and post cruciate surgery on dog (ACL)

2009-04-02T22:26:00.003-06:00

I got the flu and was miserably sick since Sunday. Now I'm just exhausted. It's no fun taking your dog out on a leash to potty when you're sick. And it's raining. Yeah. Good times.

I am calling the vet tomorrow to see if I should leave the dog in the crate all the time. Supposedly, it's okay to have them loose in the house when you are there, but then they also tell you no trotting, running, or sudden movements. Well, I'm sorry - but when someone knocks on my door, the dog pops up, runs to the door... and how am I supposed to avoid that other than keep her crated 24/7?? She's also been hyper-skittish (she's always has paranoid tendencies, like that Kiwi's backpack is going to eat her when she's not looking) but it's worse now - even a piece of paper flitting down from the table will send her running. So of course I'm paranoid she's already messed up the knee that was just fixed! sigh. It's gonna be a long 8 weeks.....

Doggie Girl Surgery Update

2009-03-28T19:55:00.003-06:00

Okay, so there are pain meds for dogs, and she's on them... actually morphine and, uh, I don't remember, Remadyl or something? Anyway, she's still moaning like she's simply dying..... however, when I called the vet today (for like, the 5th time since we've picked her up!) the vet said the pain meds are pretty strong so she's probably more likely feeling sick and miserable because of the meds. Niiiiice. It sucks that dogs can't tell you how they're feeling! My husband reminded me how crappy he felt after his own knee surgery (and he had to add that I seem to be much more caring and sympathetic for the dog, lol!!) Well, she's so much sweeter!! When I told the vet that Merry still won't eat a thing, (and this is the hog-dog extraordinaire) she first said "yeah, that is weird for a Golden Ret./Lab mix" and then started to say something else when my cell went dead.... I plugged it in and called her right back, and she was like "Oh, good! I thought I'd offended you, because I was looking at her chart and was saying how her missing a few meals wouldn't hurt her!" Lol. I'd had the exact same thought this morning when her breakfast was untouched!

Here is something cute, though.... when we left the house today, we had to crate her, and I guess the cat is feeling very sympathetic!

Surgery is Over, now the work begins

2009-03-26T23:28:00.003-06:00

Well, Merry came through with flying colors! Our vet said her hips look great for a dog her age and size, her other knee looks good, and he was most surprised that the bad knee had no signs of arthritis to speak of. I guess these injuries usually take place as a series of small tears, so there has been wear on the joint and arthritis begins... but not in Merry's case, so that's good. My biggest concern is getting her through the healing process without breaking the repairs... you see, what they do is drill a hole through the bone and put non-dissolving sutures (the description to me sounded like fishing line) in and around the joint to basically hold things in place as the ligament did when it was there. The idea is that, over time, scar tissue builds up and the muscles firm up and eventually do the job of the ligament, even if after a period of time the sutures would slowly dissolve (but this isn't supposed to happen, except after many years, at which time they probably aren't needed.) The problem is that if the dog were to over-exert the area during the critical 2 - 6 week time period, they could snap that line and the job was a waste, basically. So, I had a vet tech come out to help me put the dog in my car (it's a big ol' SUV and a big jump up) but she - the tech - wasn't ready so Merry tried it on her own... so I'm all freaked out that she messed it up before we even left the vet's office!! Arrgghh. But, the vet said he put double sutures in, just in case since she's a 100lb dog, so hopefully all is well. Poor thing, she's been laying around groaning all night - it's pathetic, really. She wouldn't even eat a treat (to take her medicine) and that is a total rarity for this dog - so I know she's really miserable. Tonight Kiwi and I are sleeping in the livingroom with her - she'd probably cry all night if we shut her out of the bedroom, and we can't risk her jumping up on the bed. Oh, what I do for my pets! In three days, we start physical therapy.... funny thing, that.

Here are a few pics - Kiwi laying with her, reading; the IV site on her foreleg; the epidural site on her rump (an epidural! who knew?!); and the incision site on her hind leg. Icky.

Doggie Surgery Day

2009-03-24T22:34:00.002-06:00

Well, this is it. Tomorrow Merry goes in - bright and early - for her knee surgery. Honestly, of all the dogs I've had in my lifetime, this gal takes the award for highest maintainance! Sheesh, some "free" dog, huh? My daddy always told me "there is no free lunch...." Well, she's the sweetest dog on the planet, so she's worth it. My one big worry is that they will call me right at the pre-surgery scans to say the knee isn't the real problem, but that it's only a symptom of a greater issue - very bad hips. At which point, our only real option would be to have her put to sleep. I worry about this because her only surviving sister from puppyhood had this problem, and was put down at only age three. With all that's been going on in our lives, I don't know how we could deal with a blow like that. Kiwi would lose it for sure. As much as I am not looking forward to 2 weeks of confinement and 6 - 8 weeks of slow rehab, it totally beats the alternative! We really need this sweet girlie dog in our lives for many years to come!

Holy Horse Crap, Batman!

2009-03-21T23:59:00.002-06:00

Today, Kiwi informed me she simply loves horses. Okay, it'll never be as deep as my own love for them, I realize that - but of course I hopped right on that wagon, and decided this would be a great summer to sign her up for horse camp! So, I got online and checked out some in the general area in which we will be living by then.... You gotta understand, I have sent her to summer camp the last couple of years, at a Church Camp up in the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains north of us....and she took the Horse Option, which gave them a couple trail rides during the week she was there - so, not full-on equestrian camp, but still.... the cost of the week is under $200.00. So you can imagine the jaw dropping that happened when I saw the prices of horse camp out East..... $980.00, $1000.00 - for a stinkin' week of horseplay!! Geez, for that price, I'm sending myself and Kiwi can stay home and do the housekeeping!

Life, Death, and the stuff inbetween

2009-03-21T01:49:00.004-06:00

I had to go to a memorial service today. I say "had to" because I didn't want to, at all. The last one I attended was my own little sister's, so I really just would have preferred to have not done this today..... besides, I didn't even know the kid who died (he was just 27).... however, I know his family... and, from that experience of my own sister's funeral, I know how important it is to see how you have people who love and care for you, who stand with you in your time of grief and need. So I went. And it got me thinking.... that the stuff that matters in this brief time we have on Earth is the love we share with those around us. Just like my sister, this kid had made bad choices, messed up his life, and that ultimately cost him his life, way too young. And yet, the way he had touched others, impacted their lives forever because of his realness and love of them, was huge. Even the most screwed up of us can make someone else feel significant by simply loving them. All the other stuff that clutters up our lives and takes up our time fades in comparison.

I am glad I am on this journey of clearing out the clutter of my life. Even though it began as a quest to rid my home of actual, physical clutter so I could sell this house and move back east to be with my husband again, it has become a ridding of the very real clutter in my head and in my heart. And I will be so much the better for it when it has all been tossed out, and some clear space is left for the important things in this life.

What I may need to make it through

2009-03-16T19:10:00.003-06:00

Saturday night the dog was trotting back across the front yard - after successfully chasing off the neighbor's cat - when she yipped and began limping. The next morning she wasn't any better (not putting any weight at all on her hind leg) so we took her in to the emergency vet. (Why must they always do these things on the weekend??) It would seem she has torn her "cruciate ligament" (like an ACL in a human). We have a vet consult tomorrow to see what we are up against. It sounds expensive and not a great outcome, at this point. Like, surgery in the $1,500 - $3,000 range.... and may not be a total cure..... and more likely than not, she'll pop the one on the other leg in a couple years... Why? WHY??? Do I not have enough to worry about right now? Cripes. She's only 8 years old; not a pup, but not old, either. I've been researching on the web.... now I'm on one of those "information overloads".... "surgery is the only option" "surgery often doesn't help"' "without surgery they'll get serious arthritis" "no matter what, they seem to get arthritis" And on and on it goes, even to the dangers of the anti-inflammitories she's now on... There are even 3 - 4 types of surgery for this, and everyone has their opinion as to the best one........ And I can't tell you how fun it is to lift her 100lb. self into the back of my full-size SUV.... then of course, all the other thoughts are swirling around in my head.... Will I have to get a new, lower car? Will we have to rent a ground-floor apartment when we move? Can she ever go on off-leash walks again? Will we have to buy a little doggie ramp so she can get on off the bed? I am a mess, totally. Today, we just hucked school, and we went to a movie then out to lunch. Because my brain needed some time off.

Still cleaning.... is there no end to our stuff???

2009-03-14T19:27:00.002-06:00

Today I almost found the upstairs closet! Trust me, this is a big deal.... see, we have sort of a strange arrangement in this house - upstairs, we have a bonus room, half bath, and a huge closet of shelves. Most folks would use this area as a family room, but we've used it as Kiwi's space - bedroom, playroom, part-time schoolroom; the works. The closet won't hold clothes (so hers are downstairs in the office - like I said, it's weird) and the upstairs closet holds craft items, games, and toys. I haven't checked on the closet in awhile - quite awhile - and as I've long suspected (and feared) when Kiwi didn't want to deal with something, she just hucked it in that closet. Yeah, you can just imagine how that looked! I've had the Christmas wrapping paper on the floor in my bedroom since - well, Christmas - because I couldn't get into the closet up there to put the stuff away! So it was time. I finally called it quits at just after 6pm, but I think we can get stuff mostly put away now... and that means the rest of her space is looking pretty great, because there is somewhere for all of the mess to be stored! Yay us!!

Gettin' Stuff Done

2009-03-12T18:31:00.005-06:00

Yeah, I am actually accomplishing something! Check this out.... nice, huh?

Oh, this is from the girl who keeps telling me she needs nail polish...reeeealllyy??? Maybe someone just needs to clean her junk up, eh?? Pretty much all she had in here that wasn't trash was nail polish. Geez.

I didn't take a pic of the huge bag of garbage I took out of the drawers!! It seems when Kiwi doesn't know what to do with something - or doesn't want to walk the, uhm, 8 inches, to the trash can, it just gets tossed in the bathroom drawers!!

I soooo love order and organization!! Too bad it happens once in..... let's see, how old am I now??

Oh, wait - there are more drawers upstairs.... oh, look! Is that more nail polish?? Uh-huh. This is actually a cleaner drawer....

And here's some of the stuff I took out... yeah, that's right, those are socks.... 'cause where do they get stored, if not in the bathroom drawers, really??

I'm feeling like a "less than"

2009-03-10T18:00:00.003-06:00

Let me explain.... I've been popping around to some other homeschooling blogs, and I'm thinking "wow".... what am I doing again?? You see, I started off in a very unique situation; a homeschool co-op that is run like a regular school, two days a week. That's right - I homeschool M-W-F, and on Tues. & Thurs., Kiwi is in a classroom with a paid teacher and other students. It is run by our church, and I've really loved it the last 4 years.... this year ~ not so much. I started this way because I am totally disorganized, so I was scared to h.s. on my own... I figured I'd wake up one morning about the 1st of June and go "Crap! We haven't done any school this year!" I would. Honest. In our co-op, the teachers do all the curriculum planning and lesson plans and we pretty much just go along for the ride. Which was a cool way to begin, but I am tired of the inflexibility - because, I was thinking homeschooling was all about the flexibility! Our school was in the beginning, but it's kind of outgrown that stage of it's life.... we've got 200 kids in preschool to highschool now, so it needs to be, I don't know, the way it is, I guess. But I don't want to do it anymore - which is cool, since we're moving across the whole US and I don't really have a choice in the matter!! But I read all these blogs, and think.... huh, can I compete with that?? And c'mon, you'll say "it's not a competition" but, hey, I've been to the homeschool conferences, I hear the talk.... lol. In fact, people in my school have been quietly derided for not being "real" homeschoolers.... yeah, whatever! I personally get that same deal about not being a "real" mom since I just have one kid - I'm kind of a freak in the homeschooling world! It's cool; I'm tough, I can take it. Bring it on.... Anyhow, I do really want to do a good job on my own, and mostly, I really want to have FUN!! This year has been a tough one on my daughter and I, and I really don't want her to end up begging me to send her to school so she can get away from me!!

Next year should be an interesting one!

The Value of the Husband

2009-03-09T22:28:00.002-06:00

Hey, I'll be honest here - for awhile now (a long while) I've been thinking my husband did about jack-diddly-squat around here. In fact, I'll be quite transparent - I figured life would be fine if he was elsewhere and just sent home the paycheck. Yeah, sad, I know! Guess what? Now that we are in that situation (predicament, really!) I have learned something.... it totally sucks. Yep, that's right! I really, really want to live in the same place as my hubby, who did an incredible amount of good around here!! From taking out the trash, changing lightbulbs, making sure the furnace works (yeah, it was 55 degrees in here this morning...brrrrrr) all those little things I'd been taking for granted. Especially helping with our daughter... that's huge. It's far more work than I can really handle on my own. I will be thankful and incredibly grateful when this little part of our life is over..... and I won't forget how much he means to me.

More help from the cat

2009-03-07T15:45:00.004-07:00

He's back at it... today my focus was the office/schoolroom. Tidying it up and all. So I am stacking books in the bookcase, turn around, here he is. What a goof.

What the heck

2009-03-05T16:49:00.001-07:00

I need to work on this blog - because nobody is reading it. Focus, girl, focus!! Never mind - it's too hard.

What? It's March?

2009-03-04T21:56:00.003-07:00

When did this happen? Where was I? Oh, yeah.... in some closet, trying to make order of it. How a family of three people can have so much crap is beyond me, honestly. Then there is trying to do everything, with my husband gone.... Tuesday I forgot to set out the trash, as it's his job... and the can is overflowing with all the stuff I'm chucking, not to mention the "science projects" that had been growing in the fridge, which I threw out since "it will be gone tomorrow". So, what did I do when I realized? I cried. Totally reasonable, right?? And helpful.

It's no wonder I'm nuts

2009-02-27T23:16:00.002-07:00

So I had to spend all day trying to find the bottom of my daughter's room.... I've done this time and again, but it always ends up back the same way. I'm not sure who to be angriest at...her for trashing the place, or myself for letting her do it, over and over.... or maybe I should be ticked off at myself for buying her so much crap in the first place. That's probably the biggest problem.... Oooh, I know! I'll blame her dad for buying her stuff.... And Grandma! Yeah! It's all their fault!! Oh, I feel much better now.

How is this helping??

2009-02-26T22:55:00.004-07:00

Why does the cat insist on getting into every box I open up? He's such a crazy thing.... I tried to get the dog to eat him, but she's far too nice for that.

Although I think she was considering it, given the way he must have smelled at this point....

Yay Yay YAY!!!!

2009-02-25T22:35:00.002-07:00

Oh, I am so happy happy happy!! My computer is working again! The wierd thing is, the friend I took it to couldn't find anything wrong... so he just gave it back. So, I plugged it in, said a prayer, and WOW!! It works. I don't know why, but I'm not going to question good fortune.

The Sun is Shining!!

2009-02-23T13:00:00.003-07:00

Perhaps this will lift my spirits! I can certainly use a bit of that.

Today is a busy homeschooling day, with a few projects going on, but I also am meeting my sister and another gal for coffee (not because I have time for that, but because this gal could really use some support, and I think that is an awfully important reason to go!)

The house is looking horrid, but, I think, progressing. We'll see if I'm actually ready for the Realtor this weekend.

Gotta run - need to shower if I am not going to embarrass myself at the espresso bar!

Today I am wondering....

2009-02-18T16:06:00.002-07:00

...among other things, if anyone is ever going to start reading my blog. Sure, it's dull, sure it's boring... but c'mon!

I need to try harder... make this blog about something. It's supposed to be about my little family of three moving across country... the good, the bad, and the ugly of that whole life situation. So far, it's really just the ugly. Well, and the bad. My husband is already gone, 2500 miles away (give or take) and I am still here, trying to work and homeschool our daughter and get the house ready to sell. Now, if I was a normal person, that wouldn't be too bad.... like most of you women who basically always have a fairly presentable home, and could just give a shout to your realtor to list the puppy....but I am so not normal. My home is somewhere between "hoarder" and "crazy cat woman" (altho I only have one cat...it's the insane mess that I'm referring to). I break into tears on a daily basis as I look around my house and see anew the stuff I need to deal with! Each time I think I've accomplished something, I open another closet door, or walk into a room my daughter has tornadoed through, and think crap, I will never ever get out of here and to my husband.

Is there anyone else out there like me who is a giant disaster, or am I, somehow... broken??

urgh

2009-02-16T16:19:00.002-07:00

That's all I have to say. Between trying to get caught up on our school lessons (since we didn't work while we visited Virginia) and trying to get the house sale-ready..... urgh. My head hurts.

Another day, another crisis

2009-02-13T14:08:00.002-07:00

I am home, and the trip was great.... then the next morning my computer crashed (I'm blaming my daughter, as she was on it typing at the time, and says "something came up, and I clicked on it, then it quit working." ??? Who knows. So, I won't be on here much for awhile, as I don't know when I will get it fixed..... so much other stuff to do in the meantime, like clean, and pack, and move.... and try not to slip back into that depression that threatens to suck me in.....

Visiting Virginia

2009-02-04T21:32:00.002-07:00

Well, tomorrow afternoon my daughter and I fly out to visit what will soon be our new home! We are so looking forward to spending a few days with daddy! I'm looking forward to not having to work on the house for a few days!

I need to go finish packing - I will post some pictures when I return!

February already??

2009-02-02T00:19:00.002-07:00

Practically unbelieveable! Where does the time go?? This month marks the last month I have to prepare my house to list for sale. I told my realtor I wanted it on the market March 1st. (I knew I needed a deadline or I would procrastinate forever!) I think it's do-able... okay, you have no idea how cluttered my house is!! But I think I can, I think I can.....

The Girl and I head out this Thursday to go visit Daddy in Virginia!! Yay!! We are totally excited. I hope the weather is nice, but it doesn't really matter. As long as it's good enough that our plane can land; that's all I really care about!

Now I just have to do laundry, and pack, and clean..... and stuff that homeschooling in there somewhere..... it never ends. : )

On the Potomac

2009-01-31T22:13:00.002-07:00

This is what my husband saw today as he took a walk along the Potomac River ~

How cool is that?!