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

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

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.

My dog rocks! (and so do I)

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

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?

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

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

Amazingly Accurate Weather Forecast

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!

stuff that makes you go hmmm....

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??

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

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.

...and so it begins....

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".

Traveling....

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

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

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.

Don't Wanna Homeschool No More

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??!

Time for bed

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!

Slogging thru

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.

Today I am not going to whine

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

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!

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

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?!

So, it's September

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.