Puppy Mania or Just Mania

Daily Dose, Family Funk, Pets, Work /

This is not the post I planned to write today but since this month’s Nablo theme is “Work” it makes sense that I’m not writing it because of work related issues. And also because my tomorrow is shot to hell and it’s still today, so I will be working a 16 hour day today, after all.

And that’s what my life is like. In a nutshell. This also goes a long way to explain why I never blog here any more.

See, I had to write a blog post for Rita, due this weekend and I’d been putting it off for ages because I didn’t really know what to say. I finally figured it out and I wrote it and there went an hour of blogging time. When was the last time I spent an hour for a post on this blog? Forever, that’s how long it’s been.

Then, I needed to test a tech problem at work so I wrote another post, you can see it here (and you should, if you have a puppy.) Puppy Toy Holiday Gift Guide: Skeeter Bess Approve.

Which led to MomofAli (Mom of Ali, dammit) showing me a photo of HER singing rat. Except hers never made noise because she found it, dead, at a playground. Heh. She thought it was a child’s toy and had no idea it was really a dog’s toy.

Which led me to do a wee video of Skeeter with her rat, so everyone could hear just what it sounded like, (that video is in the BlogHer post I linked above, so really, you should click that link whether you have a puppy or not. It’s worth it.) Except Skeeter wasn’t in the mood to play. She was too bloody busy cuddling with my woman — ON MY PILLOW.

Hmph.

Now back to work I go but at least I didn’t fail at December’s Nablo on day 3.

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To Work or Not To Work — Dumb Question

Daily Dose, Personality, Work /

I’ve been at my desk working since about 4:30. It’s 6pm now. I’ve gotten up a couple of times to let the dog out. And, I did get up and fix a plate for dinner (which I ate at my desk, working) and I scooped some ice cream for myself and Elly (which I ate at my desk, working.)

As soon as I finish writing this post, I’ll start a load of laundry and I’ll clean the kitchen. After that… do I come back here to my desk and work some more? Or do I call it done for the weekend?

It’s never a matter of will I work or won’t I work, on my days off. It’s a matter of how much I’ll work.

If I don’t get a jumpstart on the week, or catch up on what fell through the cracks last week, I’ll be so far behind that I’ll never catch up. Or, more likely I’ll catch up by working 16 hour days until it’s done. I love my job but I kind of hate 16 hour work days.

I don’t particularly love spending six hours on a Sunday night at my desk, either.

There are books to read and Firemom watched Dawson’s Creek in front of the Christmas tree today, which sounded like a ton of fun to me. There are movies I haven’t seen that I could be watching. There’s a puppy who’d love me to throw a toy for her for awhile. There are teenagers I could harass, because they so love it when I harass them. I could call my big kids. I could play with my iPad. I could re-organize the cabinets and the stockpile room. I could wrap the last two packages for JMP and his parents and get their boxes packed (and the Fake Husband’s box packed.) There are so many things I could do.

But I won’t.

I’m going to come right back here and barrel through. The work calls and if I don’t answer, I’ll be here tomorrow night until 9pm playing catch up and kicking myself for not getting it done.

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Leverage

2 Comments / 2012, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Young Adult /

Some books should not be listened to on audio. Some books should come with a warning that says “Gut-Wrenching & Heartbreaking”.

I’ve watched a lot of movies of the intense, graphic, emotionally, physically painful variety. I’ve read a lot of books of the intense, graphic, emotionally, physically painful variety. Rape. Child abuse, physical and emotional. Bullying. Horror. You name it, I’ve seen it or read about it.

I read Push twice. I read The Kid, for goodness sakes.

And I sure as hell didn’t expect a book about a High School football player and a High School gymnast to be the most difficult and stomach churning book I’ve ever listened to.

I had to go through long spells of not listening to Leverage because it’s so horrible. Not the writing or the characters but the violence done to characters by other characters. Horrible.

Once we reached the end, TW said it was a book she would recommend to absolutely nobody. Ever.

I can’t quite agree because this shit does happen. Sports culture IS like this. IN HIGH SCHOOL. People should know this. They should read this. Just know, before you start – I don’t recommend it on audio. Do not read this if you’re looking for a feel good sports story, this is not that book. You will feel dirty and sick and heartbroken over and over and over again as you read.  You might even find it difficult to drive past a damn high school football field while/after reading it – or maybe that’s just me?

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

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Half Empty

8 Comments / Daily Dose, Day to Day /

So.

I was feeling all stoked about succeeding at NaBlo and looking forward to December — the holidays, some days off, seeing the big kids, going out to see Melissa. I wasn’t even stressing over TW’s still missing paycheck and the hospital bills that just keep rolling in. Life was good. I wasn’t even too grouchy about all of the driving around we were facing the next day, to get RJ to all of the places she needs to be.

I took a shower and was looking forward to climbing into my bed with a book (and TW and probably the damn dog) but as I was drying off, TW informed me that RJ did not have her ID. The ID that’s necessary to get her into the SAT at 7:45am.

I cursed and put on my dirty clothes and then was informed that not only does she not have her ID, she doesn’t even know where her ID is. I cursed some more and went to find my shoes.

10 minutes later, she’d verified that her step-mother was in possession of her Passport, so I leashed the dog and headed to the car. And waited. RJ came down without shoes and had to go back up to get them. I waited some more. She forgot her key. I waited some more.

Everyone was in the car and I started to back out of my long ass driveway. Something I’ve done 8 zillion times in the last four and a half years.

Crunch.

I. Hit. The. Damn. Pole.

The pole I’ve reminded people not to hit 8 zillion times in the last four and a half years.

I. Hit. The. Damn. Pole. With. My. New. Car.

I pulled forward and just sat there a minute.

Climbed out. It was too dark to see anything but I ran my hands over the side of the car, just above the tire well — scrape. A very large scrape.

I cursed and got back in the car, where I sat and cursed again for a very long time.

I stopped cursing and just sat there quietly for awhile. I just needed a minute to feel all of the happy float away and all of the frustration just flooded right out of me.

Numb. Comfortably numb. That pretty much describes the trip across town and back again.

This morning, I’m tired but the kid is at the SAT and I’m at my desk doing most of the normal things I do every morning. Planning the rest of my day. Wondering whether I should file an insurance claim or just pay it out of pocket. And wondering where a good body shop is, close by.

Fuck.

At least Michelle Belle is in a cab, on her way home, after a nice Florida vacation.

At least JMP is adorable as ever (almost 19lbs of adorable.)

At least 99% of my Christmas shopping is done.

At least we finally finished listening to the most depressing YA book on the face of the earth.

At least the puppy hasn’t eaten baby Jesus, so far, today.

Fuck.

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Half Full

4 Comments / Daily Dose, NaBloPoMo /

I made it through a full month of NaBloPoMo. It’s been so long since that happened that I can’t even remember the last time I made it. Or made it through a month of blogging without NaBlo to nudge me.

That’s a good thing. Sort of.

I didn’t write the posts I was hoping I’d write. But, I also didn’t fall back on a month of blogging about books (and not entirely because I didn’t get much reading done this month, either.)

I also didn’t make the time to write that I’d hoped I would. A few days, I did. But mostly, I jotted off something quickly, at the end of the day, just so I could say “I blogged.”

That’s OK. It’s a hell of a lot better than I’ve been doing and part of the experiment is to figure out whether I even enjoy saying anything at all. Turns out I do. Sometimes. Maybe even “Often” if I’d actually give myself some time to do it.

Tomorrow is the start of a new month — I’m not sure I’m ready to sign up for another full month, but then again — why not? Even if I only get a few fun posts out of the month, getting back into the habit just might be worth it in the end.

Maybe.

November was fun so let’s just see what happens tomorrow, ‘k?

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What Do You Do On Your Days Off?

2 Comments / Daily Dose, Work /

I took two days off from work and I had big plans to do ALL the things. Apparently there are fewer hours in the day on a day off than on a day I work because I did not get ALL the things finished.

I worked a few hours each day, which I had factored into my plans.

I did manage to wrap all of JMP’s presents and all of his mom and dad’s presents, though I’m still waiting on one for his mom to arrive so I can get it all boxed up (lord, do they make boxes big enough for all of this stuff?)

I got the gifts I need to send to Charlotte wrapped and shipped!

I finally managed to get the Comcast cable box sent back. I was supposed to do that last week but I forgot.

I ran out to the Navy Base today, so we don’t have to do that on Saturday (which we’d never manage to do since we have to drive kids to hell and back all day long.)

I made it to the library to pick up some books on hold but forgot (again) to pay my fine. Sheesh.

I did two loads of laundry. TWO. And one of them is still in the dryer waiting to be folded. That’s pathetic. I do more laundry than that on a work day.

I did take a short nap and a regular sized nap, which was nice and not really on my list of things to do.

I took the puppy for one walk. One. I would have taken her for two but remembered today was puppy training class and figured we could skip the walk in favor of a nap, since we’d be working during the class. I should have taken her for a walk, that might have saved baby Jesus or the lamb from being eaten.

And that’s it.

I didn’t get a blog post written that is due next week.

I didn’t clean the cabinets or the stock pile room.

I didn’t clean up the videos on my iPhone or the apps on my iPad.

I didn’t go through the winter clothes to see what’s going to Goodwill and what’s going into our drawers.

I didn’t even read more than one book (and that was a graphic novel!)

I didn’t figure out where I stand with my reading challenges for 2012 and figure out what I’m going to challenge myself to do in 2013.

And, I definitely didn’t get my desk cleaned.

Poop.

I hope I can get more done next week when I take some more days off.

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Soulless: The Manga

2012, Books in Bed, Comics & Graphic Novels, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women /

Last week, or maybe earlier this week (I dunno, time flies and I can’t keep track anymore), Sassymonkey asked some folks what the best book they read this year was. I refused to answer because I can’t do “favorites” – there are lots of different kinds of “best” and “favorite” and how do you pick just one?

Whatever, right?

One of my favorite series was The Parasol Protectorate. I loved those books and I’m dying to read the next series – I mean really dying to read them. I introduced them to Michelle Belle and she ripped through the whole series, too.

I’d been meaning to check out the manga versions and when Michelle read the series last week, I was inspired to grab one from the library. Soulless: The Manga was just as fun as Soulless (the not manga).  The color frames in the beginning are GORGEOUS and I really wish the entire book was color. It’s not that the black and whites aren’t good, they are – but the color really did justice to all of the characters and I didn’t think I’d feel that way having loved the non-manga series so much.

The only tiny little complaint I have about the first book is Lord Maccon’s accent…. It’s supposed to get stronger and revert to the Scottish brogue when he’s wound up by Alexia and that didn’t really happen.  There’s one bubble where he starts to slip into it but that was it. I’m not sure what the thinking was behind that change but it disappointed me.

Otherwise, bring on Volume 2!

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

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American Gypsy

2012, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction /

Do you ever read a book and then feel like you can’t decide HOW you felt about it? That’s how I feel about American Gypsy.

The cover looked cool and we were low on books so I dropped it into my library bag. The book, it’s maybe not as cool as the cover. Or maybe it is? See… I can’t decide.

It’s a memoir and it has photos, which is always a plus when you’re reading a memoir (if you ask me.)  Oksana is interesting, as is her entire family. But that’s where it gets mushy for me. She’s a Roma… a Gypsy… and there were all sorts of stereotypes and discriminatory practices against Gypsies in the USSR (when there was still a USSR) but Oksana doesn’t do a lot to clear up the stereotypes. Or she makes it clear that she is uncomfortable BEING a Gypsy and that bothers me.

I guess it would be hard not to be uncomfortable with who you are, when you’ve been raised with so much discrimination …and there I go, back to liking the book again because that helps make sense of Oksana’s feelings about her family.

See, it’s a difficult book. I think I liked Oksana’s dysfunctional family more than she did – but I didn’t have to live with them, did I?

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

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Tips/Gifts for Service Providers?

2 Comments / Community Chest, Daily Dose, Money Talks /

TW’s mom would like to give a gift to the guy who drives the bus for the Senior Center but he’s not allowed to accept money so she was wondering whether he could accept a gift card or what other type of gift she might give him. He goes out of his way to pick her up/drop her off — beyond the call of his actual duties and she wants to thank him.

So — I started researching the problem and I found a whole lot of people who feel very strongly (both in favor and against) the tipping of service providers.

And, I understand both sides of the argument.

Why do we tip folks for doing their jobs?

Shouldn’t tipping be reserved for people who go above and beyond? For those who provide extraordinary service?

Do teachers, bus drivers, hair dressers, postal service, UPS/Fed drivers, garbage collector, etc. always deserve a holiday gift?

Are those who make a “good” wage with benefits less deserving of a tip/holiday gift than those who don’t make said wages/benefits? Even if they provide outstanding, over-the-top service?

How do you decide which service providers to gift? And what types of gifts do you give?

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Thankful for the Internets

1 Comment / Christmas, Family Funk /

The internet makes holiday shopping so much damn easier. I’m so close to being finished — or finished except for a few odds and ends — or finished except for a few odds and ends and any gifts at all for one child who shall remain nameless (Joseph).

This weekend I’ve visited:

– Amazon
– Kmart
– Lolshirts
– Etsy
– Urban Outfitters
– Threadless
– Buy.com
– Gap
– Target
– PacSun
– A variety of one-off odd online shops for extremely odd items… because I have some extremely odd kids (Chris. Elly. Michelle.)

I’ve still got some items in a cart, waiting for a coupon code or a price drop or to find a couple of things just a wee bit cheaper and I’m ordering CHEESE tomorrow for some very lucky people (I might have to order some for myself, actually, heh.) I will be ordering a photo album for JMP tomorrow, too.

Now if I just knew what to get for the Prince who has everything… I could be DONE by 12/1. That boy lives to make my life difficult. I’m not going to finish by 12/1, am I?

Bah humbug.

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