Prejudice – It’s Not Just for White People Anymore

Our school district has been realigned for next year.  The Pleaser’s two best friends live in different areas than we do and the three boys are districted to three different schools according to the new plan.  They were given the option to stay in their current school for next year and The Pleaser insisted on the transfer because he assumed his other friends would do the same.  This means we won’t have bus service and I’ll have to resume the Mom Taxi next year.  But I’m willing to do that for him so he can stay with his friends.  I’ve already filled out the paperwork and sent it in.

Today he told me one of the boys (his very best friend) has decided not to transfer because there are “too many Blacks and Mexicans” in the current school.  Now this boy is Mexican.  I mean, his parents were born in Mexico and immigrated here.  He and his siblings are the first generation of his family not born in Mexico. 

They seem like wonderful people.  They have 3 children who are all excellent students and, better yet, nice kids.  They are very involved with their kids and never miss a school event.  My son has spent the night at their house and gone with them to the movies.  He’s played video games at their house.  I can’t help but wonder how they would feel if I told my son that he couldn’t go to school there because there were too many Mexicans.  Would they be offended?  Would they allow their son to continue being friends with my son? 

Of course I would never do that.  We live in a very diverse neighborhood and my kids grew up in a very diverse elementary school and I believe that they are better, more tolerant individuals for it. They each have friends of many different races and religions and I am glad that they don’t see color as a barrier.

The Pleaser is completely devastated that he won’t be in the same school as his very best friend anymore…and I am devastated for him.

It’s the perfect end to an extraordinarily disappointing day.

Jeans – Now with 100% More Rotten Egg Scent!

I hate buying Jeans, probably because they don’t make jeans to fit Weebles, but I finally had to break down and buy some because my last pair gave up the ghost.

I actually found some jeans that fit really well. I tried them on in the store but since they didn’t have the colors I wanted, I came home and ordered them on the web. I bought 3 pairs in 3 different shades of blue.

I wore the lighter pair first and I was satisfied with the fit so I decided to open up the darker pairs and wash them. One pair had an odd kind of burnt smell, which I chalked up to the dye. No biggie…or so I thought.

I washed them and threw them in the dryer, then left the house to go pick up Danger Boy at school. I came home to the foulest rotten egg stench I have ever smelled. I thought there was a sewer leak. Seriously.

When I took the clothes out of the dryer later I realized that it was those jeans stinking and now the entire load smelled of sulphur. Back into the wash they went, only to reek all over the house again when they started heating up in the dryer.

That pair of jeans STILL smells of rotten eggs after 3 washings. It’s not so bad after they have been out of the dryer but they stink up the whole house every time I dry them.

Anyone know of a cure for rotten egg scented pants?

Interesting Choice of Names

Squirt Wipe & Go Car Wash
Originally uploaded by DigitalHowie

This is an actual car wash not far from where I work. I pass it every time I go to lunch at Taco Bueno and it never fails to make me snicker.

I found the photo on Flickr because I forget to take my camera every time I go by there, so big thanks to Digital Howie.

Irrational Fears

Danger Boy is your typical boy. He likes to get dirty, has to be constantly reminded about personal hygiene, doesn't really care for showers and he plays with bugs. Ladybugs, rolie polie's, beetles, butterflies - he has always seemed to like them all. Until today.

This hot, dry time of year always drives a few cockroaches into the house. I'm sure they are seeking water. I hate them as much as the next gal, but they don't scare me. Annoy me, YES! But they don't scare me.

So today, as Danger Boy was getting his gear ready for Karate, he starts screaming and runs down the hall because he saw a roach in his room. I was annoyed by his behavior and told him to get back in his room and get his gear so we could go. He absolutely refused, which made me even madder. So good mom that I am, I forced him down the hall and into his room and he proceeded to have the biggest near panic attack, crying episode I have ever seen. I thought I was going to have to call the psychiatric hospital to come get him. It was absolutely insane. And it was just ticking me off. I guess I should have felt compassion for him, and if it had been a spider or a hornet or a snake, I probably would have. Hell, I might have joined him. But as it was, a harmless (though disgusting) cockroach, it annoyed me to no end.

Phone Guy found the creature and disposed of it. I finally got him to calm down and get his gear and we headed to class. We no sooner than got started down the road when his headband brushed against his neck and he freaked out in the car....and I mean FREAKED OUT! I went on to Karate and he was fine there but as soon as we got home, I asked him to take a shower and he was walking on tiptoes through the house because he was afraid one would get on his feet. He didn't want to go in the bathroom because he was afraid there was one in there. He was completely looney toons about it. Even at bedtime he was still talking about them and looking nervously around the room at the walls and ceiling.

I guess I'm wrong to be annoyed and I should comfort him and coddle him but it just makes no sense to me. Do your kids have irrational fears like that? Did they come on suddenly? Am I a loser mom for being annoyed? (Wait, don't answer that last one...)

If You're Finished with my Brain, I'd Kindly Like it Back

I know I am a mom and I am supposed to think for my kids, but I thought after 8 or 10 or 12 years they might start doing a little thinking for themselves. No dice.

Last Night The Pleaser had a Whiz Quiz tournament (yes, he is very smart) and I had given him one task when I dropped him at school: Find out what time we need to be there and where we need to go. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

I picked him up from school and, as we drove away, asked him if he had that information. He said, "I have a schedule." I drive away so proud, thinking "My kid is so super-awesome." Boy was I wrong (well he is awesome, just not at that moment).

When we got home, I look at the schedule. It is a schedule, but only a schedule of the upcoming tournaments. It doesn't tell me if we meet at his school or go to the tourney school. It doesn't tell me what time he needs to be there, if I am supposed to take him or if he is riding a bus. I kinda need to know these things. I'm sure he was either told or given a handout at one point but that information never seems to get to me (like last year when I found out about the out-of-town Science Olympiad at 3pm the day before the 8am start of the competition). He said he thought the coach told them to be there at 4:45 so I made the executive mom decision that we would go to the tournament school and that turned out to be the right thing to do, thankfully.

Danger Boy was lacking brain function yesterday as well. When I picked him up, he very snottily said to me, "Mom, you need to send me a jacket every day. I didn't get to go to recess today because I didn't have one." I said, "What season is it?" He replied, "Winter." I said, "When you walked outside, did you not notice it was cold?" He said, "I did, but you didn't tell me to get my jacket." I guess it is against the law for him to wear a jacket unless I tell him to put it on?

I don't understand?? Have I done too much thinking for them in their lives. Have I not taught them to think for themselves? Do I chalk it up to the fact that they are just kids. Or is the bigger problem the fact that they are boys?

Wait, I think I know the answer. Phone Guy, don't forget to put on clean underwear.

What a month!

I wanted to stop by and say "Hello" and let you know that I'm still alive and will begin updating again very soon.

My life over the last month has been a roller coaster and it seems I haven't had much time to do anything.

My grandpa passed away on July 28, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 84, and had lived a full, long life, but it was still hard to say good-bye. I spent the two weeks after his death helping my grandma and mom with things like phone calls to social security, filing life insurance claims and getting thank you's done. In addition to all of that, I had been swamped at work with all the quarterly things that have to be done.

Then last week, just when I thought things would settle down a bit, my father-in-law called. He was frantic because my sister-in-law had just called to say she was having an emergency c-section. She was due on December 1st, so this was shocking news, of course. It seems she had HELLP syndrome, and was very grave. They took the baby to save her life and brought him by air ambulance to the area where DH and I live (they are about 2 hours away). So we rushed to the hospital to be there when the baby got there. We stayed off and on for several days until sister-in-law was feeling better and could get out to visit the baby.

She is doing so much better and baby Andrew is hanging tough. If you are the praying type and can spare a prayer for him and his family, it would be much appreciated. He is one week old tomorrow, but only would be only 25 1/2 weeks gestational age. He has a long, hard road ahead of him, but I feel good about his chances. The doctors and nurses who are caring for him seem to be the best.

So maybe the turmoil around here will settle down eventually...The boys head back to school next week and the new TV season is fast approaching. I'm looking forward to fall.

Isaiah found another job

Well, that was fast. Isaiah Washington has signed to star in 5 episodes of the new Bionic Woman for NBC. I had this one on my list to watch next fall but this turns me off a little. I guess I'll give it a shot and see how it goes.

NBC may also be developing a "non-action" series with Washington.

"He's a wonderful actor and a great performer, and he became available," said NBC's new chief programmer, Ben Silverman, who was installed as the network's co-chairman of entertainment in late May with Marc Graboff.

Graboff called the decision to cast Washington in one of NBC's most high-profile new series "a second chance," saying he was confident the actor had "learned his lessons about the way he acts around his fellow actors and the public."

"He knows he came this close to losing his career," Graboff added.

You can read more about it at Yahoo News.


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Heaven Help Us All - Tori Spelling is a Minister

Yes, folks it's true. Tori Spelling is now an ordained minister.

"I am now officially ordained," Spelling, 34, writes on her MySpace blog. "Yep, that's right – Reverend Tori Spelling! I did it last week online and my official certificate is in the mail."

She even officiated a ceremony at Chateau La Rue, the bed and breakfast she runs with husband Dean McDermott for their Oxygen reality show Tori & Dean Inn Love.


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Ex-'Grey's' star cites racism for firing

Did I call it, or did I call it? I said he would scream racism if given the chance. I have two words for Isaiah Washington: Shut Up!

Here's the story from Yahoo News:

LOS ANGELES - "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington said racism was a factor in his firing from the hit ABC series after he twice used an anti-gay slur.

Washington, who initially used the epithet during an onset clash with a co-star, told Newsweek magazine that "someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me."

He tried to make amends by expressing remorse and volunteering to enter a counseling program to understand how the confrontation got out of hand, he told Newsweek.

"My mistake was believing that I would get the support from my network and all of my cast mates across the board. My mistake was believing I could correct a wrong with honesty and sincerity," he said in the interview posted online Thursday.

"My mistake was thinking black people get second chances. I was wrong on all fronts," he said. His unwillingness to act like a submissive black at work was part of the problem, Washington said.

"Well, it didn't help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn't a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn't speak like I'd just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime," he said.

"I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that `some people' were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I'm a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn't go around saying `Yessah, massa sir' and `No sir, massa' to everyone?
"It's nuts when your presence alone can just scare people, and that made me a prime candidate to take the heat in a dysfunctional family," he said.

ABC declined comment Thursday. In its one public statement regarding Washington, issued in January, the network said his actions were "unacceptable."

Washington, who used the slur against co-star T.R. Knight during a confrontation with Patrick Dempsey, repeated the word backstage at the Golden Globes in January in denying the first incident. A public apology to Knight and others followed.

I Can Tell It's Summer

Seems like every summer I have to become my mother (and if you know my mother, you know what I mean.).
 
For example:  Today, my kids are playing in the back yard.  My dogs are going nuts barking and one of the boys comes running in to tell me he needs to go see what is going on in the front.  Well it seems a couple of boys (one of whom I have already had to tell not to just walk in my house uninvited) were wanting my boys to come to the front yard.  He didn't like that the dogs were barking at him so he THREW HIS SHOE over my fence at my dog.

I went out back and could not find his shoe anywhere.  We searched and searched and then I had a thought...and I was right.  My dog had it chewing on it.  This gave me quite a delight.

So The Pleaser grabbed up the shoe and we went out to the front yard.  I told the boys 1) not to throw things over my fence, 2) not to throw things at my dog and 3) if they did throw anything else over my fence or at my dog, their mom or dad would have to come and get it because I was not giving it back to them.

So the boy sheepishly took the shoe from me and slid his foot into the dog-slobber-soaked footwear and went on his way.   And once again...I am the neighborhood bitch. Thank you....thank you very much. 

Unbelievable

I am the room mom for Danger Boy's class.  Our Valentine party is today, and thanks to the Texas "no sweets in school" policy we have to eat healthy.  I assigned items to be brought -veggies, dip, pretzels, cheese, etc.  Most of the parents came through but the parent who was supposed to send carrots didn't send them at all and the parent who was supposed to send celery sent the whole stalk in not chopped up.  The teacher rolled her eyes and handed it to me and said, "the mom didn't feel like chopping this up."  OK, whatever.  I brought it home with me.

On the way home I stopped at Wal-mart and picked up carrots and the fruit I had planned to bring as my contribution.  Got home and started preparing things.  Got all my grapes and strawberries taken care of and put in the fridge.  I take the celery out and start to unwrap it and O-M-G it is MOLDY!  It has grey fuzz growing all over the top.  I cannot believe a parent dug into the back of their fridge and took out this disgusting specimen and sent it to school.

I would be mortified if something I sent was that disgusting!!

Edit:  I just got back from the party. I felt so bad for that poor little boy. The whole time we were having snacks he kept saying, "I'm gonna have some of my celery (which was actually MY celery)." "Did you eat some of the celery I brought?" Then when we were finished I was sending things home with the students who brought them and he said, "I want to take my celery home." The teacher said, "Well that celery belonged to Mrs. Fxxx. We are going to send yours home with you." So I didn't write a note saying "excuse me you sent moldy celery", I just gave it to him. I didn't want to make a big deal of it since he was so proud.

Blonde Moments

No, I am not referring to myself.  I am talking about my oldest son.  My 10 year old darling boy.  I don't care if his hair is turning brown, he is still having major blonde moments lately and I am about ready to ring his neck over it all.

It all started when his teacher called me Wednesday to tell me that she needed me to send his report card back.  (OK, actually it all started when he started to school 5 years ago - he has lost at least one jacket every year, a few lunchboxes and countless other things.  At least in elementary school his teacher kept up with his school supplies!  Anyway, back to my point...)  Well you see, I gave him his report card on Tuesday morning to put in his backpack.

Soooo, when he got home I made him go through his binder.  When I saw the mess in his binder, I nearly blew my top.  Not only were there 40 billion papers just stuck in there, wrinkled, turned every which way - there was NOT ONE pencil, pen, or colored pencil in his zippered bag.  His ruler was missing.  The 3 hole punch that snaps in his notebook was gone.  He had no scissors.  Mind you, I have replaced pens, pencils, colored pencils and the ruler not once, but twice already this year because he has lost them. (Thanks so much BTW to his Uncle Brad for all those organizational skills he passed down to his nephew! )

As I am steaming about all of this, I also realize that his laminated hall passes for study hall and science club are missing.  He has already had 2 science club passes this year because he lost one of them.  I lectured him when he lost the first one about making sure it went back into his notebook as soon as he used it but apparently whatever I said went in one ear and out the other.  I told him if he lost it again, he was out of science club because there was no sense in going to school early if he couldn't get inside the building. 
After all of this mess, I went on a hunt in his room and we found:  Report card, colored pencils, 4 pencils, 4 red pens, a blue pen, a black pen, a highlighter (that I hadn't even realized was missing) and his scissors.  Later we located the hole punch and the study hall pass.  So basically all he was missing was the science club pass.  I told him he could have one more chance if he could get another pass on Thursday.

I picked him up a little late on Thursday because Danger Boy had Chess Club and got out at the same time The Pleaser gets out of school.  The first thing I asked him was if he took care of getting his science club pass.  He was so proud that he had.  We got almost home (which is quite a drive) and he realizes he doesn't have the pass. I asked him where he put it when the teacher gave it to him and he says "I laid it on the ground under my lunchbox while I was waiting for you to pick me up and I guess I forgot to pick it back up when you drove up."   I totally lost my cool.  I asked him why he didn't put it in his binder or backpack like we had talked about?  I asked him why he didn't treat that pass like gold?  I was in total disbelief that he could do something so ditsy again!!

So he cried and begged for another chance.  I told him there was no way he was going to school early today.  I told him no more chances.  So now I am the mean old bitch.  I hate being the mean old bitch but GOOD GRIEF!

Please tell me he will grow out of this....

A Hair-Raising Day

OK, this is going to be a long story so grab some popcorn, relax, sit back and listen, er I mean read.
Ever since we got back from our weekend out of town my Exploder, er I mean Explorer, has been making some terrible racket.  Phone Guy looked at it the other day but couldn't really pinpoint anything.  So I have just embarassed myself driving around for the last few days with my loud, grinding, clanging car.
Today we got our tax refund (yes, we just did our taxes...don't worry we had an extension) so we decided to buy a storage building for the back yard.  We clanged and grinded all around town to different stores and finally decided to buy one at Costco.  He went in and paid for it and I pulled up and we got it loaded in the car. 

About 1:45pm I pulled out on to the road and we got half a block before we started smelling this foul, hot car odor.  Simultaneously, we both said, "Is that this car?" and "CLANG, CLING, PING, TING, SLAP" the car answered us.  I immediately lost all power steering.  We pulled over and Phone Guy looked under the hood to find that the serpentine belt was gone along with one of the pulleys.  GREEEEAAAAAT.  He got in to drive and we made it about another block before the car started to majorly overheat so we pulled onto a side street.

Now remember, the storage building is loaded in the back and the tailgate is strapped down so we can't lock it up.  Also remember it is 1:45 and Danger Boy gets out of school at 3:15.  We are probably about 3-4 miles from home.  My dad is at work in Fort Worth.  Mom is at the hospital with my Grandpa in Fort Worth.  Jamie lives too far away.  Lisa is at work.  At this point I am thinking, "I need more friends."    
Before I can go thru anyone else in my cell phone directory, Phone Guy decides he will walk home and get his car and come back and tow me home.  OOOKAY.  After he leaves, I called my dad and he told me to call my brother...he said, "He owes me one" as my mom & dad have had to bail him out of car trouble a few times recently.   So I call - no answer.  I call his girlfriend - no answer.  I wait a few minutes and try him again and he finally answers and agrees to go pick up Danger Boy at school so we can tow the dang car home.

So I wait for Phone Guy and get to watch a forklift driver crossing the street totally lose his load off his lift.  It was pretty funny, although I bet he didn't think so.  Phone Guy finally arrives, hooks up the tow strap and decided I should drive the towing vehicle since there is no power steering in mine.  OH GREAT. 
We have to turn around....goes very smoothly.  SWEET!  We get on to the main road and it goes really well.  Only 2 more turns until we are home!  On the first turn, I hesitated a little and the tow strap jerked really bad.  So I got a little cautious on the second turn and hesitated again and BAM - the strap broke right as we turned onto our street.  Phone Guy yelled at me.  "Way to go ACE," he said and pissed me off.  I told him that I didn't want to drive the tow vehicle in the first place.  It wasn't pretty.  At least he could drive the rest of the way without overheating.  We were only about 5 houses away from our driveway.

So anyway to make a long story even longer.  He went to Auto Zone, got the parts and only had to spend $51 and I'm all fixed up.  It's nice to have a handy husband sometimes!  Even if he does act like a jerk occasionally. 

My Son, the Bra Thief

I got ready to change Danger Boy's sheets last night and started removing the 32 dozen stuffed animals he had amassed up there (he is in a loft bed) only to find the black bra that I had been hunting for over a week.

He had to have put it up there.  I know for certain it wasn't in the sheets when they were put on the bed. 
Now what the heck does a 7 year old do with a bra?   I have come up with 3 possibilities:
1)  He is a fledgling cross-dresser.
2)  He is already becoming a boob man.
3)  He wanted something of his Mommy's to keep him company because he is scared of the dark.

I am going with the 3rd one just to keep my sanity.

To Catch a Thief

The Pleaser's locker has been broken into at least 3 times this year.  It is getting really old. 
The first time the little &**$%# thief stole his gym bag.  Granted it was a $2.49 bag from the Army/Navy store but that's not the point.  They strew his clothes all down the hallway, stole his bag and the book that was in it.  I'm sure the only reason they didn't take his clothes was because his name is written in huge black marker across the front of the shirt.

Last week he realized his Harry Potter watch was missing.   Of course, he left it in his locker which was kind of a bonehead thing to do - especially considering it had been broken into once before - but still.  So he sees a kid wearing the watch at school.  And it is a pretty distinctive looking watch.  So he reported it to the school crimestoppers and they recovered it for him.  The bad thing is he confronted the kid before reporting it so they know who he is and will probably target him now.

Today he comes out telling me that when he got to his locker his backpack, lunchbox and his new gym bag (an ever-so-attractive Wal-mart sack) were strewn all along the hall.  Nothing was missing but the buckle on his backpack is broken and can't be reparied so now I will be out $15 bucks on a new backpack.

I just emailed his teacher and demanded he be assigned a new locker, but I am still seriously going to research some kind of booby trap.  I don't want to blow the kid up but I would like to mark him in some way.   Off to the internet for ideas.   Heh heh heh.

Oh You Like That? Then Let Me Get Rid of It.

Why is it that whenever I find something I really like, it becomes hard to find or gets discontinued?  This happens all the time with foods, shampoos, jeans.  A few recent examples:

I just found out a few weeks ago that the only deodorant I am not allergic to has been discontinued.  I wrote to the manufacturer to see if they had any old stock and of course they don't.  So now I get to try 42 different kinds to see if I can find one that I'm not allergic to. 

Then yesterday I went to get a new bra and found out that they have discontinued it!  I managed to find one in black and one in pink but after checking online and at 2 different locations I can't find any white or beige.  I have worn this kind for 4 years now and I really like them.  So the quest begins to find a new one that I like.  Again, wasting money on a bunch that I won't like along the way.

So I go to Costco to get my granola bars, which have become a staple of my diet and they are nowhere to be found.  I don't know if they have been discontinued or if Costco just decided not to carry them but they have vanished.

I am beginning to think that the government is spying on me and making companies discontinue every product I ever decide that I like.

*I* Have the Superman Curse

I have been eagerly awaiting the new Superman movie (if you couldn't tell).  I wanted to go opening night but since I have kids and Phone Guy works in the middle of the night, that really wasn't an option.  Thursday I helped my mom with my Grandma's move so unfortunately I had to delay for another day.  We were going to go Friday and time got away from us and we didn't make it again.  So by the time Saturday rolled around, I was more than ready.  We were going to go to the 11:30 show but naturally, Phone Guy was running late doing a bid for a friend of ours.  (Imagine that!)  We ended up going to the 3:00 pm show.  About 2 hours into the 2 1/2 hour movie, a thunderstorm blew through and BAM!  - Power was out to the theater and all surrounding businesses and it stayed out.   So we have rainchecks to see it again.  Of course now I have to sit through the 2 hours I have already seen to get to the part that I haven't seen! 

(WARNING:  if you haven't seen the movie you might want to stop reading now because it may get a little spoilerish)

Now, on the funny side of this power outage - if you've seen the movie - Lex Luthor is causing havoc with his evil plan and power has been going out in Metropolis and all over North America because of it.  We were just at the climax of the movie when Lex's evil plan is taking hold and we are seeing power go out everywhere and general chaos unfolding....then we hear a huge BOOM and total darkness.  Everyone in the theater kind of gasped for a second and I think we all thought it might be part of the show for a moment.  Then we realized what a suck-ass thing had happened.  Phone Guy yelled out, "that damn Lex Luthor" and everyone got a good laugh out of that. 

Where the Hell Are Your Parents?

It is 11:15pm and I sit here listening to kids playing in the street in front of my house.  I'm not talking teenagers, I mean kids - 10 and under.  One is only about 3 years old.  They are running around screaming and there isn't an adult in sight.  My 7 year old is trying to sleep.  My 10 year old isn't here but if he was, he couldn't sleep because they are playing in the street outside his bedroom window.  My neighborhood is pretty safe but that doesn't stop predators from coming and snatching one of them up.  Not to mention that people sometimes drive pretty fast down my street and might not see them in the dark. 

I guess I am getting old but it is really irritating me!  I'm giving them about 15 more minutes, then I am going out to tell them to get in their houses!  I am such a mean old bitch!! (It's official....I have turned into my mother)

The Peace is Over...and other Random Thoughts

Danger Boy went to stay with the grandparents for a week.  The Pleaser was with his dad for 3 days.  I had glorious peace for 3 whole days.  Everyone's home now.  The Gamecube is blaring, they are fighting over who gets to play and all is back to normal on the homefront.  But I am glad to have them home. Of course, what did I do while my kids were gone?  I spent all of Saturday evening with my next door neighbors playing with babies.  They have been trying to adopt and have decided to become foster parents.  They have a brother and sister 10 months and 20 months right now.  The cutest things you have ever seen!  The 20 month old little girl took to me right away, which is strange because as much as I want them to, girls never take to me.  When it was time for her to go upstairs to bed, she grabbed my hand and said "Go".  She wanted me to come with her.  She was just so sweet!  They are hurricane evacuees and their mom abandoned them.  Thank goodness for wonderful people like my neighbors.  There is so much joy in their house right now.  I hope the mom stays out of the picture so my neighbors can adopt these precious babies.  They would give them such a loving home. 

Weight loss report:  As of today, the plateau is over.  I have lost another 2 lbs since Friday making the grand total (drumroll please)......
22 pounds!

Sometimes You Feel Like a Bitch, Sometimes You Don't

I am just pissed at all of the "men" in my life right now, so ignore me....

GRIPE #1:
OK, you know how men are always blaming our bad moods on PMS....well what the hell causes their bad moods?!?  Phone Guy has been on the rag now for 3 days.  Everything he says is some smartass comment and it's pissing me off!  For example:  I washed the towels he uses in the garage.  I ask, "Where do you want me to put these?"  He looks at me and very sarcastically says, "the garage." (Oh no you di-nt....)  So I calmly turn around, walk to the garage door and throw the stack of nicely folded towels into the garage to land where they may. 

GRIPE #2:
I am tired of being woken up in the middle of the night for stupid crap.  The kids are on summer break now.  The first day of summer break, Danger Boy wakes me up at 1:30, 4:30 and 6:30 - each time asking the burning question, "Is it time to get up yet?"  HELLO!  It is summer vacation.  It is NOT time to get up at any of those ungodly hours!  You have a freakin' clock in your room, look at it.  You know I wake you at 7:00 am for school.  Don't get up any earlier than that.  Then the last 3 nights he has woken me between 11:30 and 1:30 to tell me he has a nosebleed, which would be fine if he actually HAD a nosebleed.  He has 2 microscopic drops of blood on a tissue...and do you want to know why?  Because he lies in bed and picks his nose.  GROSS!  He is just nasty. 

GRIPE #3:
And this morning was even more enjoyable.  At 3:30 Phone Guy wakes me to ask where my car keys are so he can leave for work.  My sleepy mind starts thinking....and I realize I never drove yesterday.  So I get up to look for them.  He says, "I got the spare key, never mind."  I then remember that I sent The Pleaser to the car yesterday for something.  I have a psychic vision and call to Phone Guy to tell him to check the rear bumper.  Sure enough, there sit my keys on the rear bumper...in the driveway...with my house key on the ring....in front of the house.  OOOOOH BOY is that child going to hear from me when he wakes up. 
I need some sleep.   (can you tell)