The Best Laid Plans … Get Shot to Hell

4 Comments / Christmas, Family Funk, Holidays, Kid Talk /

I woke up this morning with a good long list of things I was going to accomplish before the little kids showed up at around 11am-ish.

1) Fold laundry and get more laundry into the washer/dryer.
2) Unload/load the dishwasher.
3) Get some work done.
4) Take some stuff out to both cars (a bag of odds and ends from my old car — things like lip balm, bandaids, pens, notepads, etc. and the battery charger & emergency kit for the Funhouse car.)
5) Dump the dead pumpkin on the porch.
6) Get the Flamingo Santa to stop blowing off the porch.
7) Move the Gazelle into Prince J’s room.
8) Get some odds & ends out of the living room/dining room so there’s room for the tree and Christmas decorations.
9) Put the rake and hedge clippers into the garage.
10) Make the surprisingly good salad and deviled eggs for our Thanksgiving dinner.
11) Get the tree put together in the stand and the box carried out to the garage.

I did all of those things, except #s 10 & 11 by about 10:15 (except the rake/clippers were in front of the garage, waiting for me to open the garage and put the Christmas tree box in there…)

At 10:15 I told TW I was going to make the surprisingly good salad and deviled eggs but first I was going to put the tree together. She laughed and said she’d been thinking about doing that, too. So we got to work on that together. All of the pieces were out and TW got the first piece into the stand. As we’re both reaching for the next pieces, I noticed my piece had some fur stuck to some branches. “Oh. Someone made a nest in our tree…”

I went into the kitchen to get a plastic bag and a towel to clean that up and as I was cleaning it, TW said someone had nested in her piece, too. About that time, I noticed not only nesting material but the creature that nested had snacked on some of the wires (it’s a pre-lit tree.)

Hell.

I said, “I guess if we plug this in we’ll either short out the whole house or catch the house on fire, right?”

TW said, “Right.” and suggested we just put strands of lights on it and not use the pre-lit strands. This caused me to roll my eyes. We really want a tree with six strands of dead lights and six strands of live lights. That will look awesome, won’t it? No. Not happening.

I wondered whether we could strip the pre-lit strands off… TW said it would take a long time. I fiddled with one and realized she was right.

Hell.

It was 10:25. I jumped online to see who had trees on sale… everybody has trees on sale, but would they have the size/type we want? No way to know except to get in the car and find out.

Target is closest so we jumped in the car and by 10:40 we were checking out but we did not have a tree. They only had a tiny tree with multi-colored lights. (I impulse purchased a couple of things and since there was no line to check out, I went ahead and bought them.)

We dashed across the street to Lowes. They had trees but nothing we loved that wasn’t $400. I convinced TW that we should get the 6′ multi-colored tree for less than $100 since we have a puppy who eats everything. We’d be a lot less annoyed if she ate a cheap tree than if she ate a $400 tree. TW reluctantly agreed — she had little choice since we had to get the tree done TODAY before Prince J goes back to college.

We got it home and it was TINY and we were all getting really depressed. I sent RJ up to Elly’s room for the LACK table to stand it on, thinking if we made it look like it was taller, we’d like it better. And we do, but it’s still tiny and not full and not a tree we love. We only put about 1/3 of the normal ornaments on it because it’s just so small.

And, we have to figure out how to keep the tree on the table with a hyper puppy around. So far, she’s been relatively good but as soon as we turn our backs, I know she’s going to go for the tree. It’s a lot more interesting than slippers or the couch or any other things she consistently chews on when we turn our backs.

I did manage to get the surprisingly good salad and eggs done while Prince J and TW drove across town to pick up the annoying, evil 14 year old who refused to go to breakfast with the rest of her family this morning so was not dropped off here when her dad dropped her siblings off. (I hate 14 year old girls.)

We managed to celebrate Prince J’s 19th birthday (he got his first iPhone, yay!) and celebrate Thanksgiving and get everything cleaned up from the tree decorating, birthday celebrating and Thanksgiving celebrating in record time.

I even found the missing reindeer stocking for Johnny Mac Pippin.

Let’s call today a win, even if it wasn’t as perfectly managed as I had planned.

The Best Laid Plans … Get Shot to Hell Read More »

I Love Wells Fargo, Even When They Piss Me The Hell Off

1 Comment / Daily Dose, Money Talks, Pet Peeves /

There I was, standing in the shoppette at Great Lakes Naval Station, thinking about all of the things I needed to get done and trying to plan every detail down to the last second so I could get – it – DONE when the clerk asked me to run my debit card through the machine thingy again.

No surprise, this happens a lot at the shoppette, the NEX, and the commissary.

I ran it again.

Declined.

He tried it manually.

Declined.

WTF? I just used it at the gas pump outside, with no problem.

Whatever. It happens. The machine breaks. Wells Fargo breaks. No big deal. I pulled out another card, paid, and grumbled my way to the car.

I pulled out my phone, checked my balance — it was exactly what it should have been, so why the heck was Wells Fargo declining my debit card. Who has time for this on Black Friday, for goodness sakes?

Luckily, I wasn’t planning on doing much shopping — less than $50 at the commissary and I had cash for our Robeks/McDonald’s run. No big deal.

As I was standing in Robeks a half hour later, my phone buzzed — an 800 number, I didn’t pick up. They didn’t leave a voicemail. I called it back and oh hell — Wells Fargo Fraud Prevention or Protection or whatever they call that department.

Figures. They decided to question my charges on Black Friday? How inconvenient could that have been if I was a different person or in a different financial situation?

Their nice little recording thingy had me verify my last five charges:

1) Evanston Maid Pro (a cleaning service in Evanston, Il) for $XX. The recording actually says these things.
2) Clarks Shoes (a shoe store in Somewhere, MA) for $XXX.
3) Toms Shoes (a shoe store in Somewhere, CA) for $XX.
4) A denied charge (at the Great Lakes< ILL NEX shoppette) for $XX 5) Amazon.com (a bookstore in Washington) for $XXX (I chuckled at Amazon still being called a bookstore, lol) I verified that all of those charges were MINE (for godsakes) and they agreed to let me use my debit card to buy more of the things, which was nice of them since it's my darn debit card and I have a lot of kids, a puppy, and a grandson to shop for. I do love my bank but damn that was annoying.

I Love Wells Fargo, Even When They Piss Me The Hell Off Read More »

A Weird Thanksgiving Shopping Day

Daily Dose, Money Talks /

TW and I have been going to Kmart, Walgreens and CVS on Thanksgiving for more than 10 years and we’ve never experienced a shopping day quite like this one.

First, we walked out of Kmart without pajamas and without socks and without any weird Christmas gift packages and without any DVDs or video games. That has NEVER happened. Ever. We didn’t even find anything that we wanted to buy for Johnny Mac Pippin OR for Skeeter. Either the stuff we found interesting wasn’t on sale or they just didn’t have the stuff that normally catches our eye. Don’t get me wrong, we still bought stuff — we just didn’t buy the stuff we normally buy and expected to buy.

Weird.

Our Walgreens trip was eventful only in the fact that they had everything on my list — this is not something that usually happens to me on a Walgreens coupon trip.

And then there was CVS. Weird, weird, weird…

Last Sunday, we bought a ton of stuff that gave us the full price back in ECBs so we had almost $80 in ECBs to spend today and as we checked out, the cashier (who checked us out on Sunday, by the way) began to rant about stores being open on Thanksgiving. I don’t know what rock she’s been under but drugstores being open on Thanksgiving is not new. It wasn’t crowded, so I don’t think I can chalk it up to having a stressed out day — their big day was really last Sunday when the big batch of ECB sales came out.

Then, she started ranting about “the company” — and how she doesn’t understand what’s going on with “the company” that they can give away all of this stuff. And all day, every day, people come in with these ECBs and basically get this stuff for free and Target and Walgreens don’t do this so why does “this company” do this?

And when I tried to explain that Walgreens actually does something very similar and I’d just spent $75 at Walgreens fifteen minutes ago and gotten $50 back in RRs she acted like I was lying because she prefers Walgreens and she’s never gotten anything like “this” at that store. And then she ranted some more about “this company” and giving away all of this product for free with these coupons and she just likes Walgreens so much better.

I… couldn’t figure out what the proper response should be since me trying to explain that you can get free stuff at Walgreens (and even Target, lol) didn’t seem to be the right answer. And when I tried to explain how much I love CVS because it’s clean and the people are friendly and it’s just a nicer store she said, again, that her friends say that too but she likes Walgreens.

See — weird. Very weird.

I kind of hope she’s not my cashier again — I kind of liked her last Sunday but after today, I dunno. She creeped me out and made me kind of grouchy. I like CVS and I don’t want my CVS cashier trying to tell me that I shouldn’t.

I spent $15 out of pocket today and walked out with another $24 in ECBs — What’s not to like?

A Weird Thanksgiving Shopping Day Read More »

Photos For Johnny Mac Pippin

Christmas, Daily Dose, Family Funk, Friends & Family, Kid Talk /

You might have seen the post I wrote on BlogHer.com filled with gift ideas for Johnny Mac Pippin — and you might have noticed that I did not include any type of photo album for him. Texasebeth noticed and made the suggestion and that was awesome — because it’s on my list of things to do.

I was hoping (and am still a little hopeful) that he and his parents would be moving back to the mainland sometime soon, so we would have more opportunities to visit JMP and he would have more opportunities to visit us. Hoping that we could all get to know each other face to face rather than through Facetime. Because as much as JMP loves his mom’s iPhone, it’s just not quite the same as getting to cuddle and giggle in person.

As the days start slipping by and there’s no sign that they are going to be moving I’ve started thinking about sending JMP a picture album filled with pictures of family members who wish they could spend more time with him — something he can look at and play with and his parents can point out all of his people.

A few weeks ago, I ordered a couple of really nice books from Paper Coterie — a journal/notebook and a “quotable” book that I’m going to try and remember to update once JMP starts talking, for real.

These books are really nice and I’m impressed by the quality and by how easy it was to make both of them.


So — I think I’m going to head back there and make JMP a nice photo album all his own. I hope he likes it.

Photos For Johnny Mac Pippin Read More »

Grand Plans Cancelled Due to Illness

4 Comments / Daily Dose, Health and Wellness /

I thought I was going to blog about something real. Something not dog related. Something not book related. An actual honest to god topic. I even had three to choose from. But that’s not happening. I’m only writing this because it’s day 20 and I’ll be damned if I’m going to fail at another NaBlo, dammit.

I am sick. I feel pretty darn proud of myself for having (mostly) made it through the work day. Without breaking anything. Or causing any significant problems for others.

I am sick. I need to get up right now, while I’m not moaning and coughing and TW isn’t telling me I look like shit, and get ready for the cleaning ladies who are coming tomorrow.

I am sick. I hope tomorrow I will feel well enough to blog about something other than my illness or a dog or a book.

Keep your fingers crossed or pray for me or do whatever it is you do to help people recover from illnesses. Pretending I’m not sick didn’t help. Neither do over the counter medications or TW’s really yummy ginger tea. (Gosh that’s really yummy and almost as good as feel better tea, which I don’t have.)

Grand Plans Cancelled Due to Illness Read More »

The Rook

1 Comment / 2012, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women /

When Sassymonkey tells me I should read a book, I almost always listen because she’s almost always right. It sometimes takes me months to actually find the time (or the room on my TBR list) to read what she recommends but I do it. Luckily, the timing was pretty much perfect for her recommendation of The Rook. I reserved it within minutes of her telling me I needed to read it. And, I read it just a couple of days after it arrived at the library. The most frustrating thing was having it ready to read and being too busy, too tired, or to ill to read it.

The opening page is fabulous. The first five pages were so interesting that I kept putting it down to think about what I’d do if I was in THAT position. What choices would I make? How come she did not even THINK about calling the police? I mean really… wouldn’t she have? Was there something underneath it all, maybe a memory or a piece of personality not gone that caused her to never even really consider that as an option? And if that’s true, is she really someone “else” at all?

It’s a fun book, a really fun book. I cannot get enough of Myfanwy Thomas. I need more. Immediately. Or I might just have to read this darn book all over again. And I want more Ingrid, too.

The Rook Read More »

Thanksgiving Tradition: Shopping!

Daily Dose, Family Funk, Holidays /

I got into the habit of shopping on Thanksgiving when I lived overseas. I’d usually spend the morning with my family, we’d eat an early dinner at around 2pm and then I’d head out to do some shopping while folks lounged in front of the TV watching football (which I did NOT want to watch) or hung out with their friends (which I did not need to supervise.)

It was a really nice way to get a jump start on holiday shopping — a Thursday afternoon is not generally high shopping time in either Panama or the Philippines, so it was fabulous. No crowds. No kids.

TW and I started doing Thanksgiving day shopping but we’d do it in the morning while the teens were sleeping and the little kids were lounging around with legos or books or a movie on TV. A trip to the drugstore for stocking stuffers on Thanksgiving morning was a great way to knock out some shopping without a lot of stress. When we realized that K-mart was also open on Thanksgiving, that just made things all the better. Holiday pajamas, socks, dvds, odds and ends that just jumped into the cart — no crowds, no kids. It was fabulous.

A couple of hours of early morning shopping, then we head home for an hour nap. Afterwards, we’re up and cooking, hanging with kids (if they’re here), pulling out holiday decorations, and just generally kicking off the winter holiday knowing that we’ve gotten a nice bit of holiday shopping out of the way and we didn’t have to fight the crowds to do it.

Thanksgiving is one of the few days a year that I actually look forward to shopping. No joke — it’s stress-free shopping and I love it.

Thanksgiving Tradition: Shopping! Read More »

Weapon of Mass Destruction

5 Comments / Animal Issues, Daily Dose, Family Funk /

Our floors are sprinkled with bits and pieces of dead toys. Little fluffy orange bits here, there, and over there too. Little white foamy pieces there, and there and also there. Little blue strings everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

Three toys have bit the dust this week.

An orange fuzzy gecko (that looks like no gecko I’ve ever seen) was first — she started pulling the squeakers out of it while TW was in the hospital and all that’s left is a bit of the head and the tail, the latter of which does still have the plastic bead shaker thingy in it. Funny thing about this toy’s demise, they call it the Invincible Gecko Dog Toy. Invincible my ass. Thankfully I only paid $3 for it on clearance at Petco a couple of weeks ago (I almost bought the super duper 12′ long version for $25, lol.)

She ate an entire Martha Stewart tennis ball and caused me to wonder whether those balls have little rubber band balls in the center… surely not. Surely Martha knows dogs eat these things and those little rubber balls would be bad. Thankfully(?) Skeeter brought me another Martha Stewart tennis ball that she’s working on eating and I could reach my finger inside to see that there is no little rubber ball in there. That’s good. Those little blue threads from the tennis ball all over the floor are not so good. They stick to your socks and to the broom when you’re trying to sweep them up.

Yesterday she demolished one of the first toys we ever bought her — a foamy blue bone with squeakers in both ends. She ate the center piece and was working on the ends when I took them away, afraid she’d swallow the plastic squeakers that were still squeaking.

The toy bin that used to be overflowing with toys is not so overflowing this week. Good thing Christmas is coming, I’m sure Santa will bring her some new toys to eat play with.

(FYI, last month she destroyed another toy that I’m probably going to buy again. We bought a Kong Wild Knots Flamingo at Wilmette Pet last month and she immediately loved that thing. Loved it to death but she really, really loved it. Thankfully, I’ve found it a bunch of places online for less than $10. Impulse pet toy shopping is a bad idea, that thing cost $25 at the pet store! This is a great toy, it looks like a plain ole stuffed animal but it’s got knotted ropes inside which makes puppy chewing fun.)

Weapon of Mass Destruction Read More »

The Strays Are Gone

Family Funk, Kid Talk /

Well that was fast.

Michelle’s friend and her boyfriend arrived mid-day on Wednesday and left last night at around 9:30pm. Fastest stray children ever.

It was almost like they weren’t even here and that’s never happened before.

I sure am glad I took Susan’s photo in the high chair on Thursday otherwise it would have been easy to convince myself she’d never been here at all.

Who ever heard of kids moving to Chicagoland with no job and no place to live — and finding a place to live in less than 48 hours? That’s just madness. Not that I’m complaining. Or that I’d have been complaining if they were still here?

It’s just unusual. Very unusual.

The Strays Are Gone Read More »

Wool

4 Comments / 2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

My mom buzzed me last month and told me to buy Wool for Kindle. She said it was a bunch of short stories or novellas — a series of them or something. I told her I’d reserve it at the library. She insisted my library would not have it.

My library did have it (she’s always surprised by this, for some reason) and it arrived just in time for the Readathon. Of course I didn’t get around to it during Readathon — my book stacks are always larger than my 18 hour Readathon day. Then I made the mistake of starting it the day TW went into the hospital — I managed all of one page in the five days she was in the hospital, that one page made no sense and I kept reading it over and over again.

I was a little worried that this was going to become another “Moonstone” and I’d never manage to read it.

Silly me. The Wool Omnibus is no Moonstone — it’s hella awesome post-apocalyptic fiction. One of the best I’ve read in awhile (saying something since I read a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction.) My mother is also silly because she described it to me as science fiction, which it certainly is but it’s post-apocalyptic scifi. There’s a difference. A big difference.

The title is excellent. Wool — when Elly saw the book, she couldn’t figure out why I would read a book about … Wool. Or sheep. It took her awhile to grok the concept of people as sheep or the wool being pulled over someone’s eyes.

This deserves to be Kindle’s #1 Indie Book of 2012. You should read it. On Kindle or in paper. Who cares, just read it. (And pray that there’s an installment 6-12, too.)

Wool Read More »