Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
A Day In The Life
4:47 a.m. - Wake up to the sound of ice cubes being forcefully thrown into a glass. Stagger into kitchen to find husband making himself a drink. Look at him out of one squinty eye and say "You do realize it's almost 5:00, right?" Get "I just walked in the f***king door!" as a response. Attempt to open other eye and ask "So, um, how are the roads?" Get "Shitty! Absolutely SHITTY!" as a response. Turn around and go back to bed.
5:00 a.m. - First alarm goes off. Turn on TV in the hopes that I won't have to drive Boy Wonder to school today so I don't have to deal with the inattentive parents that drop their kids off. Alas, school is not cancelled, nor is it delayed. Poopy.
5:30 a.m. - Second alarm goes off. Turn TV on again hoping that school has been cancelled. Nope. Silly me, why would I think school would be cancelled today? They never cancelled it after the 11 inches we had last week! Decided to just give up hoping for a snow day and take a shower.
5:55 a.m. - Leave warm sanctity of the bathroom for the freezing temperatures of the living room. Listen to the snowblowers start up and the graders begin to clear the streets.
6:20 a.m. - Wake the Bub up. Listen to him beg for "Just 10 more minutes pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease? Wait, isn't it supposed to be a snow day?" Watch all of his hopes and dreams drain out of his fair-skinned face when I tell him yes, you can have 10 more minutes, but no, we're not having a snow day.
6:35 a.m. - Give the Bub 15 extra minutes of sleep. Peel the covers off of him and attempt to drag him out of bed. Essentially force-feed him a bowl of oatmeal until he wakes up enough to feed himself.
6:37 a.m. - Bub wakes up enough to realize he doesn't like oatmeal. Eats it anyway.
6:55 a.m. - Call Kevin Rompa, newscaster for WBAY a lying bastard for saying that school is still open. Poopy Snickerdoodles.
6:56 a.m. - Apologize to Kevin for calling him a lying bastard.
7:00 a.m. - Watch yuppie neighbor attempt to snowblow driveway. I'll show his yuppie ass how things are done. Never underestimate the power of a pissed off midget. Make a note that I will be snowblowing when I get back from dropping the Bub off at at school since Husband is sleeping.
7:30 a.m. - Brush snow off of Jeep Jeep. I am happy that it is actually semi-warm out.
7:45 a.m. - Drop Bub off at school. Grumble over the parents that either a) can't park and walk their kids to the line or 2) can't just drop their child off and keep going. Get honked at by a parent attempting to butt into the drop-off line. Smile and wave while quietly putting a curse on them and their mini-van with the DVD playing in the backseat.
7:52 a.m. - Arrive home. Psych myself up for the project ahead.
8:06 a.m. - Bundle up for my project.
8:36 a.m. - Give up trying to figure out what's wrong with the snowblower and decided to play the "I'm a girl I shouldn't even know how to run this damn thing" card. If your snowblower sounds like a sewing machine there's obviously something not working properly.
8:45 - 9:55 a.m. - Attempt to do homework/study for tomorrow's final. Listen to Pickles complain that because I'm at the kitchen table she is unable to crack the assortment of mixed nuts I have on the table. Tell her that as soon as I'm done (and I'll get done faster if she would wait politely in the other room) I will crack some for her. Pickles pouts off, nutless.
10:00 a.m. - Let Pickles attempt to crack her own nut.
10:01 a.m. - Get hit in face with hazelnut. Ask Pickles to please put the nutcracker down and slowly step away from the table. She complies, wide-eyed and impressed at how much force a Filbert being shot out of a nutcracker actually has.
10:02 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Make coffee, bagel, complain to former boss/close friend Leeeeesa about being hit with a nut. Get laughed at and reminded that not only have I been nearly blinded by Pickles, but she also gave my kitchen "Pizazz!" last Friday by blowing the glitter from her "art" all over the place. In the words of Nerma, "It looked like a stripper blew up!"
10:30 a.m. - Attempt to finish homework. Pray I will not again be the victim of another run-by nutting.
11:50 a.m. - Listen to Pickles wiggle her way into her outside clothes. Laugh hysterically when all I can see is a brightly-colored butterfly print hat bounce back and forth in front of the kitchen window. Realize she has her hat on funny and it makes her look like Hermie from Rudolph.
12:35 p.m. - FINALLY finish homework/studying for tomorrow's final final. I am happily amused by the song playing on Pandora as I finish - "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" by Quiet Riot. Thank you! Don't mind if I do!
12:57 p.m. - Make a sammich, refill Pickles-pilfered nutless nut tray. Look outside and laugh at the fact that Pickles is following so closely behind Husband while he snowblows that every time he stops to adjust the chute she runs head-first into his butt. Oh, of course it took him only seconds to start the damn thing.
1:23 p.m - Realize this entry is way too long. Consider making more Cranberry-Popcorn chains for tree. Consideration noted, then denied.
2:15 p.m. - Leave to pick Bub up from school.
2:45 p.m. - Make cookie dough.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
These are a few of my issues with things...
Things that made me happy today:
- Snow! We finally have snow. My children can now stop asking in their sweet little whiney voices "Moooooooooooommmmmmmm?????????? When is it going to snoooooooooooooowwwwwwww?"
Blue Steel. Someday he'll found the
King Henry Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And
Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too
- I finally to to snuggle with King Henry the Champ. I smelled like baby when I got home from Nermie's...and I didn't care!
- I got to poke Chesty's tummy to play with Mr. Boy. His big sister Audragon put on a show for all of us at Nermie's house. It was absolutely breathtaking.
- 4-Wheel Drive. I got to use it last night on my way home from Nermie's. I happen to enjoy my purple Jeep Jeep and all of his abilities.
Things that made me sad:
- Nermie lost her grandfather earlier this week. He had been sick for a while, but it's still hard to see the relative of someone you love like a sister pass away. Rest in peace Grandpa Kramer!
- My children have apparently been visited by the three the ghosts of Christmas. Not your usual ghosts. You know, Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future. My children have been visited by the ghosts of "Not Me!" "Not Mine!" and "I Didn't Do It!". I swear to God when I find these three ghosts I'm sending them back to Gozer.
- My local Mack, Volvo and UD dealership. We had 11 inches of snow dump on us last night and they still want my husband to drive the 4 hours to Chicago for a two day class. On something he already knows. Seriously, if you work on the same trucks for 13 1/2 years and you're more than up-to-date on the trucks and their inner workings is there really a valid reason for having to drive the afternoon of a snowstorm? I think not. But then again, I'm the angry wife, so what do I know.
I'm trying very hard to get back into the Christmas spirit. Help? Anyone? I'll make cookies...
Friday, December 3, 2010
Happy Holidays!
So yes, I've been too busy to post lately, what with school and whatnot. Which I will toot my own horn, "toot toot MF!" and say that I'm doing better than I ever thought I would, so KMA to anyone that doubted my decision!
Monday, September 13, 2010
An Open Letter to a Certain Parent:
Dear Blissfully-Unaware-Mother-of-the-kid-in-my-son's-Second-Grade-class:
We live in a middle-class school district. Some families are actually below the poverty line. I know for a fact that some of the kids only get two meals a day - breakfast and lunch, both provided by the GB School District. Some families are very well-off; one father drops his child off in his Porsche 911 every morning, which I will add drives me INSANE! This is Wisconsin! WTF are you doing driving that in the winter?!?
I hate to do this, but I feel the need to tell you the following:
1) Your son is in Second Grade. Not a Freshman in High School. Nor is he an Undergrad at Harvard. He does NOT need the best of everything. Especially when the school itself is over 70 years old.
2) Any child that has an Adidas backpack, Ecko Unlimited shoes, and only wears Aeropostale is going to get left out of a lot of things. Especially when he won't play with the other kids lest he get his Ecko Unlimited shoes and Aeropostale sweatshirt dirty.
3) No second grader needs a Mongoose bike. Seriously. I asked my brother and he didn't get his first Mongoose until he was in 7th grade.
4) If your kid is going to park his Mongoose in the bike rack with the other kids' bikes he's going to have to accept the fact that not all kids can afford a Mongoose (although I'm sure the price of one may have changed since 1995 but still) and he WILL have to park said bike next to the VoldeMart Specials and the hand-me-downs.
5) I'm not going to tell my kid to be super-careful around your kid's bike just because he happens to have one of the VoldeMart Specials. Which I will add he's INCREDIBLY proud of.
6) My kid's shoes are from VoldeMart too. Screw you.
7) Yes, while my son was able to attend a very expensive Science Camp this summer, as was your son, my son was able to attend thanks to the love and generosity of his great-grandparents, not because it was something incredibly expensive to prove your love to him. Did I mention that I never see you at any of the fun child-oriented "free" school functions or at Boy Scouts?
8) Luckily we are raising our son to accept everyone for who they are, be they rich or poor, regardless of race, gender or mental ability. He knows that if someone is going to be a jackass that he can just walk away. I have seen him play with your son. I have seen your son seek out MY son to play with on the playground, only to have your son decide he doesn't want to get "dirty." To which my son shrugged his shoulders and said "Ok. Well, if you want to play we'll be over here."
9) My son does not play video games or watch a lot of TV. He is allowed certain times to play his online games and watch cartoons; he loves to be outside. Unlike most children my son has never been interested in the typical video games. Yes, he'll watch his father play the "typical" male video games, but he'd much rather be on the Wisconsin DNR website learning about the habits of our local freshwater fish, or building Weapons of Mass Destruction in the basement with his K*Nex or Legos. So when your kid starts talking about whatever the flock video game he's playing this week and my son has no idea what he's talking about I don't appreciate your son turning his back on my son. Luckily my son just brushes this off and finds another friend to play with.
In closing I'm pretty sure my son will have more friends than yours. Friends that he will have for a lifetime. And that makes me incredibly damn proud of him.
Regards,
The Midget Mom of the Really Cute Blonde Kid with the VoldeMart Bike and the Hand-Me-Down Clothes
I apologize to anyone who may have found this offensive. I know for a fact that this particular person does NOT read my blog, let alone even acknowledge the fact that myself and my son exist. Believe me, we're not up to her standards...
We live in a middle-class school district. Some families are actually below the poverty line. I know for a fact that some of the kids only get two meals a day - breakfast and lunch, both provided by the GB School District. Some families are very well-off; one father drops his child off in his Porsche 911 every morning, which I will add drives me INSANE! This is Wisconsin! WTF are you doing driving that in the winter?!?
I hate to do this, but I feel the need to tell you the following:
1) Your son is in Second Grade. Not a Freshman in High School. Nor is he an Undergrad at Harvard. He does NOT need the best of everything. Especially when the school itself is over 70 years old.
2) Any child that has an Adidas backpack, Ecko Unlimited shoes, and only wears Aeropostale is going to get left out of a lot of things. Especially when he won't play with the other kids lest he get his Ecko Unlimited shoes and Aeropostale sweatshirt dirty.
3) No second grader needs a Mongoose bike. Seriously. I asked my brother and he didn't get his first Mongoose until he was in 7th grade.
4) If your kid is going to park his Mongoose in the bike rack with the other kids' bikes he's going to have to accept the fact that not all kids can afford a Mongoose (although I'm sure the price of one may have changed since 1995 but still) and he WILL have to park said bike next to the VoldeMart Specials and the hand-me-downs.
5) I'm not going to tell my kid to be super-careful around your kid's bike just because he happens to have one of the VoldeMart Specials. Which I will add he's INCREDIBLY proud of.
6) My kid's shoes are from VoldeMart too. Screw you.
7) Yes, while my son was able to attend a very expensive Science Camp this summer, as was your son, my son was able to attend thanks to the love and generosity of his great-grandparents, not because it was something incredibly expensive to prove your love to him. Did I mention that I never see you at any of the fun child-oriented "free" school functions or at Boy Scouts?8) Luckily we are raising our son to accept everyone for who they are, be they rich or poor, regardless of race, gender or mental ability. He knows that if someone is going to be a jackass that he can just walk away. I have seen him play with your son. I have seen your son seek out MY son to play with on the playground, only to have your son decide he doesn't want to get "dirty." To which my son shrugged his shoulders and said "Ok. Well, if you want to play we'll be over here."
9) My son does not play video games or watch a lot of TV. He is allowed certain times to play his online games and watch cartoons; he loves to be outside. Unlike most children my son has never been interested in the typical video games. Yes, he'll watch his father play the "typical" male video games, but he'd much rather be on the Wisconsin DNR website learning about the habits of our local freshwater fish, or building Weapons of Mass Destruction in the basement with his K*Nex or Legos. So when your kid starts talking about whatever the flock video game he's playing this week and my son has no idea what he's talking about I don't appreciate your son turning his back on my son. Luckily my son just brushes this off and finds another friend to play with.
In closing I'm pretty sure my son will have more friends than yours. Friends that he will have for a lifetime. And that makes me incredibly damn proud of him.
Regards,
The Midget Mom of the Really Cute Blonde Kid with the VoldeMart Bike and the Hand-Me-Down Clothes
I apologize to anyone who may have found this offensive. I know for a fact that this particular person does NOT read my blog, let alone even acknowledge the fact that myself and my son exist. Believe me, we're not up to her standards...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Your Daily Dose of Vitamin ROCK!!!
Editor's Note: There are lots of links to clickity-click on throughout this post. If you don't want to, don't! If you do, please enjoy!
As I sit and go through some of my older blogs I notice that music plays an important role in my daily life.
This is something I have tried to teach my children as well.
Your day goes by so much easier when music is involved. Household chores get done faster when you've got the stereo on your favorite station or cd.
My kids have always listened to music. They both have favorite cds they listen to at night. Ash listens to "Baby Beatles" and Cole, up until last year, listened to "Lullabies for Little Dreamers." Apparently when you're 6 you don't need music to help you fall asleep anymore. :(
Like I said in my recent post about Unconventional Lullabies, my kids have also been exposed to almost every type of music imaginable. From Classical to Country (not my favorite), Grunge, Rap (again, not another one of my favorites), Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Hair Bands, you name it, we listen to it.
Well, most of it.
We do have restrictions. Considering the urchins are 7 1/2 & 4 1/2 we don't allow them to listen to the hardcore stuff. They'll have to wait a while to hear mommy's Type O Negative cd. Although it was my OWN mother that bought me the cd...also, please note that this cd got 90% of its play around Halloween.
I know I'm just repeating what I said in the lullaby post but I'm drawing a blank on what to blog about and my guest bloggers *ahem - LADIES!!! * haven't been able to come up with anything. So you're stuck with my music stuff. DEAL WITH IT! ;)
So anywhoo, my children have a wide variety of musical tastes.
Pickles favorite song this week is "Hey There Li'l Red Riding Hood" which has always been one of my favorites. Turns out that Brian Haner, a.k.a. "Guitar Guy" with Jeff Dunham, played with Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. I love Brian Haner. He's also the father of Synyster Gates, lead guitarist for Avenged Sevenfold!
Bubba's is Dropkick Murphys "Shipping Up to Boston." I personally REALLY like this one. He also begs to listen to Paul Revere and the Raiders "Kicks" and "Stepping Stone" over and over again.
I was raised listening to the bands of the 60's and 70's My parents have always been into concerts; my dad was lucky enough to see The Who in the 70's, my mom got to see fat Elvis. When I was younger my parents took us to the Brown County Fair. We were watching the bands play when all of a sudden they announced the headliner. I have no idea if my parents knew which band was headlining that night but I wound up seeing REO Speedwagon! When I turned 21 I got to see Alice Cooper. Alice is awesome.
I know my mother-in-law loves music too. She's been buying my kids their own cds since they day they were born. Not too many people can say they've danced with their mother-in-law to Violent Femmes! She also listens to the great folk singers like Neil Young (my husband's favorite) as well as Led Zeppelin.
I was born knowing all of the words to Cheap Trick Live at Budokan. Believe me, I was shocked when one day when I was 15 "Big Eyes" played on the radio and I knew the words. I called my mom and said "Why in the HELL do I know the words to this?!?" She nonchalantly responded with "Oh. I listened to Live at Budokan the entire time I was pregnant with you. You probably know all of The Cars music too...."
Nice one mom.
My best friends and I, mainly Nerma, while agreeing that NKOTB was SO COOL and someday she'll marry Jordan Knight and I'll marry Donny Wahlberg and we'll live in a MANSION TOGETHER!!!!, had very different music tastes. Nerma was into Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Taylor Dayne, while I was into Poison, GnR, Motley Crue, John COUGAR Mellencamp. Yet as we got older we started to get into the same music again. I'll never forget the summer of Wanda Chrome and STP...
It doesn't hurt that bands like The BoDeans, Annex (this video was filmed at East High in GB), Violent Femmes, Farenheit 420, as well as guitar guru Les Paul all hail from Wisconsin...
As I sit and go through some of my older blogs I notice that music plays an important role in my daily life.
This is something I have tried to teach my children as well.
Your day goes by so much easier when music is involved. Household chores get done faster when you've got the stereo on your favorite station or cd.
My kids have always listened to music. They both have favorite cds they listen to at night. Ash listens to "Baby Beatles" and Cole, up until last year, listened to "Lullabies for Little Dreamers." Apparently when you're 6 you don't need music to help you fall asleep anymore. :(
Like I said in my recent post about Unconventional Lullabies, my kids have also been exposed to almost every type of music imaginable. From Classical to Country (not my favorite), Grunge, Rap (again, not another one of my favorites), Classic Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Hair Bands, you name it, we listen to it.
Well, most of it.
We do have restrictions. Considering the urchins are 7 1/2 & 4 1/2 we don't allow them to listen to the hardcore stuff. They'll have to wait a while to hear mommy's Type O Negative cd. Although it was my OWN mother that bought me the cd...also, please note that this cd got 90% of its play around Halloween.
I know I'm just repeating what I said in the lullaby post but I'm drawing a blank on what to blog about and my guest bloggers *ahem - LADIES!!! * haven't been able to come up with anything. So you're stuck with my music stuff. DEAL WITH IT! ;)
So anywhoo, my children have a wide variety of musical tastes.
Pickles favorite song this week is "Hey There Li'l Red Riding Hood" which has always been one of my favorites. Turns out that Brian Haner, a.k.a. "Guitar Guy" with Jeff Dunham, played with Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. I love Brian Haner. He's also the father of Synyster Gates, lead guitarist for Avenged Sevenfold!
Bubba's is Dropkick Murphys "Shipping Up to Boston." I personally REALLY like this one. He also begs to listen to Paul Revere and the Raiders "Kicks" and "Stepping Stone" over and over again.
I was raised listening to the bands of the 60's and 70's My parents have always been into concerts; my dad was lucky enough to see The Who in the 70's, my mom got to see fat Elvis. When I was younger my parents took us to the Brown County Fair. We were watching the bands play when all of a sudden they announced the headliner. I have no idea if my parents knew which band was headlining that night but I wound up seeing REO Speedwagon! When I turned 21 I got to see Alice Cooper. Alice is awesome.
I know my mother-in-law loves music too. She's been buying my kids their own cds since they day they were born. Not too many people can say they've danced with their mother-in-law to Violent Femmes! She also listens to the great folk singers like Neil Young (my husband's favorite) as well as Led Zeppelin.
I was born knowing all of the words to Cheap Trick Live at Budokan. Believe me, I was shocked when one day when I was 15 "Big Eyes" played on the radio and I knew the words. I called my mom and said "Why in the HELL do I know the words to this?!?" She nonchalantly responded with "Oh. I listened to Live at Budokan the entire time I was pregnant with you. You probably know all of The Cars music too...."
Nice one mom.
My best friends and I, mainly Nerma, while agreeing that NKOTB was SO COOL and someday she'll marry Jordan Knight and I'll marry Donny Wahlberg and we'll live in a MANSION TOGETHER!!!!, had very different music tastes. Nerma was into Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Taylor Dayne, while I was into Poison, GnR, Motley Crue, John COUGAR Mellencamp. Yet as we got older we started to get into the same music again. I'll never forget the summer of Wanda Chrome and STP...
It doesn't hurt that bands like The BoDeans, Annex (this video was filmed at East High in GB), Violent Femmes, Farenheit 420, as well as guitar guru Les Paul all hail from Wisconsin...
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday WTFs.
I don't go to church very often.
*Gasp!*
I know. Whatever. After spending 6 years as the being one of only two non-Catholic kids in my Catholic school (my brother being the other non-Catholic) and spending my weekends going to our Methodist church/Sunday School I had pretty much had enough.
And I was only 10 years old.
That and my family didn't like the new minister at our church.
All that has changed now. Even since Kel and I got married 8 years ago. Our Methodist church is much more family-oriented, with activity bags for the kids to play with during services, a nursery that is no longer in the darkness of the classrooms downstairs but just around the corner from the Worship Hall itself, more child-friendly summer activities like summer "Vacation Bible Camp" where the kids get to do all kinds of neat things. This year they went to Egypt, made mosaics, did pottery, and met new friends.
Because of the drastic change in our church I figured we might as well get back into it.
We have two wonderful new ministers as well. Pastor Jill lets the kids go into her office and poke at her fishtank. Today she let Bubba and Pickles feed her fish.
Anywhoo, after church we went out for breakfast with my mother and my grandparents.This is where things get interesting.
My grandparents like to eat at Denny's. But then again which person over the age of 65 doesn't?
We sit down, the very nice yet very gruff waitress brings us our menus. The kids picked out the following:
Bubba ordered the Chocolate Chip Pancakes. These looked exactly like the menu picture. He was very happy.
Pickles decided on the Softball Pancake. The description and picture are thus:
"One softball-shaped pancake drizzled with raspberry sauce served with one slice of bacon and one sausage link."
This is what Pickles received:
It's gonna be a while before we hit up Denny's again...
*Gasp!*
I know. Whatever. After spending 6 years as the being one of only two non-Catholic kids in my Catholic school (my brother being the other non-Catholic) and spending my weekends going to our Methodist church/Sunday School I had pretty much had enough.
And I was only 10 years old.
That and my family didn't like the new minister at our church.
All that has changed now. Even since Kel and I got married 8 years ago. Our Methodist church is much more family-oriented, with activity bags for the kids to play with during services, a nursery that is no longer in the darkness of the classrooms downstairs but just around the corner from the Worship Hall itself, more child-friendly summer activities like summer "Vacation Bible Camp" where the kids get to do all kinds of neat things. This year they went to Egypt, made mosaics, did pottery, and met new friends.
Because of the drastic change in our church I figured we might as well get back into it.
We have two wonderful new ministers as well. Pastor Jill lets the kids go into her office and poke at her fishtank. Today she let Bubba and Pickles feed her fish.
Anywhoo, after church we went out for breakfast with my mother and my grandparents.This is where things get interesting.
My grandparents like to eat at Denny's. But then again which person over the age of 65 doesn't?
We sit down, the very nice yet very gruff waitress brings us our menus. The kids picked out the following:
Bubba ordered the Chocolate Chip Pancakes. These looked exactly like the menu picture. He was very happy.
Pickles decided on the Softball Pancake. The description and picture are thus:
"One softball-shaped pancake drizzled with raspberry sauce served with one slice of bacon and one sausage link."
This is what Pickles received:
It's gonna be a while before we hit up Denny's again...
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
I'z Gettin Mah Edyoomakashun!
Well I did it. I sent in my college application.
Yay me!!!
Sadly my college experience will be nothing like my favorite movie.
I also put in my two week notice at work. I just couldn't handle it anymore. I've decided that I'm going to put my all into school.
So if anyone has a dog that needs walked or a toilet that needs to be scrubbed let me know. I'm available.
Oh, and wish me luck!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Thinking...
So I'm sitting here thinking.
I know. I smell smoke too.
There are too many things running through my head right now.
One is how much I hate my job.
I cannot work there any longer. It is against everything I believe in to do my job every day. I have a very hard time working for someone that feels no sympathy for "the little guy" just trying to make his way in this world.
I work for a company that sells maintenance supplies. Anything companies may need to make their business run, things like bin liners, cleaning chemicals, right down to the take-home containers you get when you visit some of our local restaurants. We do a ton of business in the NEW area.
My issue lies in my boss's thinking. He has no problem jacking prices up 40-60%. I have a very hard time charging some companies almost triple the price of what we paid for items. Sorry, but unlike most people, I have a conscience.
I also have a hard time being the only one that works in the office. This makes me everything from Customer Service to Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable. I have little to no accounting background. I can do the basics no problem. My problem lies in when trying to give my boss an answer to a question, if I can't spell it out for him - literally - it's a huge problem to him. Put it this way - I had to type up a "how-to" sheet, complete with pictures, on how to use Facebook. Seriously.
The thing that really set me off recently is this. I totally understand that it's his company. He can do whatever he wants with his money. Recently he went to a local golf outing. He got too drunk to drive himself home. So he called a cab. To take him to another bar. Then when it was time to go home (for real this time) he called another cab. The next day he had me pay his cab fare with the company credit card and write it off as a "Travel Expense." Sorry, but that really REALLY bothers me. Just like how he pays the guy that mows his lawn at home with the company account and writes it off as "Building Maintenance." Our office is in an industrial park. We're surrounded by concrete....
So I've decided this.
My wonderful mother-in-law and I toured a new college in Green Bay (my mom already had plans or she would have been with us). I only say "new" because it's new to the Green Bay area. The college itself has been around for 125 years with locations in MN, SD, and now WI.
I loved it.
And I loved that my mother-in-law is so supportive in this. My entire family actually. So with their help and support I am going back to school.
I'll hopefully be starting in October in the Veterinary Technician Program. In two years (God willing!) I will have my BS in Veterinary Technology. Something that I have always been interested in. Unfortunately it was never offered in the Green Bay area until now. I'm very excited.
Now I just have to give my notice at work and find a job that will work around my schedule. I'm still in the beginning phases of everything, i.e., finding Financial Aid information, how the Hell I'm going to pay for college, possible "moms going back to school" loans/grants/scholarships, etc. So if anyone has any ideas or hints for me please let me know.
Oh, and wish me luck. I'll need all the support an encouragement I can get.
I know. I smell smoke too.
There are too many things running through my head right now.
One is how much I hate my job.
I cannot work there any longer. It is against everything I believe in to do my job every day. I have a very hard time working for someone that feels no sympathy for "the little guy" just trying to make his way in this world.
I work for a company that sells maintenance supplies. Anything companies may need to make their business run, things like bin liners, cleaning chemicals, right down to the take-home containers you get when you visit some of our local restaurants. We do a ton of business in the NEW area.
My issue lies in my boss's thinking. He has no problem jacking prices up 40-60%. I have a very hard time charging some companies almost triple the price of what we paid for items. Sorry, but unlike most people, I have a conscience.
I also have a hard time being the only one that works in the office. This makes me everything from Customer Service to Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable. I have little to no accounting background. I can do the basics no problem. My problem lies in when trying to give my boss an answer to a question, if I can't spell it out for him - literally - it's a huge problem to him. Put it this way - I had to type up a "how-to" sheet, complete with pictures, on how to use Facebook. Seriously.
The thing that really set me off recently is this. I totally understand that it's his company. He can do whatever he wants with his money. Recently he went to a local golf outing. He got too drunk to drive himself home. So he called a cab. To take him to another bar. Then when it was time to go home (for real this time) he called another cab. The next day he had me pay his cab fare with the company credit card and write it off as a "Travel Expense." Sorry, but that really REALLY bothers me. Just like how he pays the guy that mows his lawn at home with the company account and writes it off as "Building Maintenance." Our office is in an industrial park. We're surrounded by concrete....
So I've decided this.
My wonderful mother-in-law and I toured a new college in Green Bay (my mom already had plans or she would have been with us). I only say "new" because it's new to the Green Bay area. The college itself has been around for 125 years with locations in MN, SD, and now WI.
I loved it.
And I loved that my mother-in-law is so supportive in this. My entire family actually. So with their help and support I am going back to school.
I'll hopefully be starting in October in the Veterinary Technician Program. In two years (God willing!) I will have my BS in Veterinary Technology. Something that I have always been interested in. Unfortunately it was never offered in the Green Bay area until now. I'm very excited.
Now I just have to give my notice at work and find a job that will work around my schedule. I'm still in the beginning phases of everything, i.e., finding Financial Aid information, how the Hell I'm going to pay for college, possible "moms going back to school" loans/grants/scholarships, etc. So if anyone has any ideas or hints for me please let me know.
Oh, and wish me luck. I'll need all the support an encouragement I can get.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Unconventional Lullabies...
My bestest friend Nerma will be having her first baby in November. Because I'm such a fantastic "Auntie" I was making copies of my kids' favorite things to listen to for her as a gift.
Yes, I know she reads this, and yes, she already knows about them. It's not a surprise. :)
This made me sit down and think about all of the different things MY children listen to. I came to the conclusion that due to my music choices my children are very, VERY strange....
When Bubba was born my grandmother gave me a cd of lullabies. He LOVED them. He had to listen to his lullaby CD every night. We even made copies for his grandparents to keep at their houses. In fact, he listened to it so much that my mother-in-law bought him a new one because the old one was wearing out! Sadly when he turned 6 he decided he didn't need the lullaby cd anymore. I understood...sort of.
When Pickles came along we gave her a copy of the lullaby cd. She wasn't quite as impressed as Bubs was. Her music choice? "Baby Beatles." She still listens to it every night.
I have made Cletus the Fetus his own copy of both of these cds for his listening pleasure.
So not only do my children enjoy good old-fashioned lullaby music but they love The Beatles. Bubs begs to listen to "The White Album." Pickles is a big fan of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Especially "Kicks."
Pickles is into what she calls "girl rock stars." She even has her own words to Joan Jett. "I Hit Myself for Lovin' You" is one of her favorites.
We also listen to "The Nutcracker," "Carmen,"(the Muppet version of course) and "Phantom of the Opera."
Halloween brings out our Alice Cooper records - really. Records. I *ahem* borrowed them from my mom. Of course, the Muppets are watched yet again..
Alice is awesome. We got to meet him a couple of years ago.
At Christmas time we listen to the above-mentioned "Nutcracker" as well as my personal favorite, anything done by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
I have only myself to blame. I'm not a "Rock-a-bye-Baby" kind of person. If you know me (or if you've been following my blog) you know this.
When they were babies I sang them to sleep with my own versions of lullabies. At 6 months they were trying to sing along to Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight." Yes, I know it's a Country song, but as I'm typing this and making sure the link works Pickles came flying up yelling "HEY! THAT'S MY SONG!!!" Bubs agrees. "That's our bedtime song!"
They also know the words to KISS's "Beth," and "Hard Luck Woman," Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Ballad of Curtis Lowe," The Beatles "Blackbird." You name it, they probably know it.
This blog is already too long so now I'll compile a short list of my kids' "favorite" songs.
The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions
The Grass Roots - Temptation Eyes
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance
Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
Paul Simon - Kodachrome
And of course anything from the Cheap Trick "Live at Budokan" cd.
Then again, when I was two Santa brought me the John Cougar Mellencamp "American Fool" record...
So, my fellow webions....what "unconventional" lullabies or music do you let your kids listen to?
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Grievuses, Pet Peevuses, and Mere Annoyances.
*Be warned. I'm crabby today.*
I'm considering adding my Wench Outfit to the daily rotation of comfy clothes I wear, considering my mood has been quite "Wenchy" lately.
I'm on the left. One Wench, Two Pirates...
I've come to the conclusion that I am the only one in my house capable of
a) Unloading/Reloading the Dishwasher
Really. I load the dishwasher as we use it, run it at night when we go to bed, then unload it in the morning before I go to work.
Same thing EVERY DAY.
Oh, I forgot to add that even though I do unload it before I go to work, leaving it virtually empty except for the dishes that either a) didn't fit the night before or 2) Kel used when he got home from work at the ass crack of dawn, no one else seems to be able to fill it.
I come home EVERY DAY to a kitchen full of dirty dishes, only to open the dishwasher to find it more or less empty and fill it myself even though I haven't used ANY of the dishes left on the counter. I'll say it again - EVERY DAY.
ii) Washing Machine
Yes, this is the exact same washing machine I have.
It has all kinds of neat buttons and settings on it and makes really cool beepy noises when you turn it on and make your clothing scrubbing selection.
Sadly this appears to be another machine only the Lady of the House knows how to operate.
Apparently everyone else thinks the clothes just jump in there themselves. Oh, then they make their way to the...
IV) Dryer
Yes, this is the same dryer I have. Much like its twin, the Washing Machine, it makes fun sounds when you push the buttons.
After having these fine pieces of machinery for almost 8 years now it has become apparent to me that the rest of the beings in my home have yet to figure out that c) the clothes don't magically float from the washer to the dryer and ff) the clothes don't magically leave the dryer, hover up the basement stairs, fold themselves and make their way into the dresser drawers.
Maybe someday I'll come home to a house that hasn't blowed up, with all the clothes nicely folded, or better yet, PUT AWAY!
Hey, a girl can dream, right?
Grrr.
I'm considering adding my Wench Outfit to the daily rotation of comfy clothes I wear, considering my mood has been quite "Wenchy" lately.
I'm on the left. One Wench, Two Pirates...I've come to the conclusion that I am the only one in my house capable of
a) Unloading/Reloading the Dishwasher
Really. I load the dishwasher as we use it, run it at night when we go to bed, then unload it in the morning before I go to work. Same thing EVERY DAY.
Oh, I forgot to add that even though I do unload it before I go to work, leaving it virtually empty except for the dishes that either a) didn't fit the night before or 2) Kel used when he got home from work at the ass crack of dawn, no one else seems to be able to fill it.
I come home EVERY DAY to a kitchen full of dirty dishes, only to open the dishwasher to find it more or less empty and fill it myself even though I haven't used ANY of the dishes left on the counter. I'll say it again - EVERY DAY.
ii) Washing Machine
Yes, this is the exact same washing machine I have.It has all kinds of neat buttons and settings on it and makes really cool beepy noises when you turn it on and make your clothing scrubbing selection.
Sadly this appears to be another machine only the Lady of the House knows how to operate.
Apparently everyone else thinks the clothes just jump in there themselves. Oh, then they make their way to the...
IV) Dryer
Yes, this is the same dryer I have. Much like its twin, the Washing Machine, it makes fun sounds when you push the buttons.
After having these fine pieces of machinery for almost 8 years now it has become apparent to me that the rest of the beings in my home have yet to figure out that c) the clothes don't magically float from the washer to the dryer and ff) the clothes don't magically leave the dryer, hover up the basement stairs, fold themselves and make their way into the dresser drawers.
Maybe someday I'll come home to a house that hasn't blowed up, with all the clothes nicely folded, or better yet, PUT AWAY!
Hey, a girl can dream, right?
Grrr.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Hey there Little Red Riding Hood...
Today, friends, we shall discuss the topic of irrational fears.
ir·ra·tion·al –adjective
1. without the faculty of reason; deprived of reason.
2. without or deprived of normal mental clarity or sound judgement.
3. not in accordance with reason; utterly illogical: irrational arguments.
2. without or deprived of normal mental clarity or sound judgement.
3. not in accordance with reason; utterly illogical: irrational arguments.
4. not endowed with the faculty of reason: irrational animals.
fear
-noun
1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights.
3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety.
4. reverential awe, esp. toward God.
5. that which causes a feeling of being afraid; that of which a person is afraid: Cancer is a common fear.
Therefore, irrational fear would be "to be afraid of really, REALLY dumb things." I myself have my own bizarre irrational fears. My friends and family will totally agree with me on these.
1) Thunderstorms. Ok, so a lot of people are afraid of thunderstorms. It's not like I go running for the basement at the mere thought of lightening. I do, however, talk alot more when I'm nervous or scared. I know, hard to believe, but yes. ALOT MORE. I also close all of the blinds in the entire house to the outside world, turn on all the lights (so I don't see the lightening) and crank my stereo up to ELEVEN, Spinal Tap-style.
I also have a tendency to duck every lightening flashes and thunder booms. Something which my father constantly reminds me is pretty much useless, as my height - 5'1" tall - will never EVER allow me to be the tallest thing in an area. Ever.
2) Clowns
When I was 3 my mother decided to take me to the circus. Keep in mind this was not your usual run-of-the-mill traveling circus. This was the ghetto version of Barnum & Bailey's traveling show. A couple of ponies, rides that didn't really work, creepy carnies, and of course CLOWNS.
Horrible, horrible clowns.
Considering I was only 3 when it happened, my memory is foggy at best (shut up. Lots of people have foggy memories...)
I remember a clown following us all over the Brown County fairgrounds. This clown finally decided "Oh! It's time to pick on the wee lass!" and started chasing me. I tried to hide behind my mom but this God-awful piece of shit clown wouldn't leave me alone! My mom yelled at Asshole the Clown to leave me alone, but he decided picking on the wee midget was more fun. My mother picked me up, pretty much told the clown to F*&K OFF and took me home.
This is why you never accept free tickets to the circus.
To this day I have an issue with clowns. I LOVE Stephen King, but the only movie I have never seen in it's entirety (because I had my eyes closed) is "It." When we moved into our house in 2001, for our first Halloween in the neighborhood my friend and neighbor Yori walked up the driveway with a big bag of candy when I got home from work, at 5:30 p.m., in the dark, dressed like a clown. We have a good laugh every time she tells the story about the look on my face when I got out of my car.
I hates me some clowns.
3) Refrigerated Biscuits
Ok, now that you've stopped laughing, hear me out. Refrigerator biscuits are SCARY, YO!
You gotta peel the tube and pray to God the little "POP" happens, because Heaven help you if it doesn't and you have to bang the damn thing on the counter to get it to open.
My friend T thinks this is hysterical. Especially since I hid on the other side of the counter when she opened hers.
My kids love cinnamon rolls and since those are the one things I refuse to make from scratch it's a treat when I buy the canned ones. Until I have to open them. Then it's a treat for my family to watch me run and hide around the corner while someone (usually Kel) opens the damn thing. Or chases me down the hall with it.
Either way they suck.
Both the biscuits and my family.
And today my blog does too since it keeps changing the font color and spacing.
So tell me friends. Any irrational fears of your own you'd like to share?
Please? So I don't feel all alone in this here blog?
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
It's a Twista! It's a Twista!
Well ok. It's not that bad. There is a slight possibility of us being taken to Oz, but as most of you know I have my broomstick all ready for when that happens.
Although the radar does look pretty nasty.
I'm not a real big fan of thunderstorms. I've been at our cabin in northern WI during some nasty storms and have seen giant trees explode after being struck by lightening. Our cabin is built into the bluffs that surround the lake we're on so we have no basement.
All in all it's not very fun.
Exactly a week ago tonight while we were visiting my grandparents we had another bad storm. This time it wasn't so much the thunder and lightening (which is what we have now - thank God for Wireless Internet!) as it was the rain. LOTS of rain.
So much rain that my kids went swimming in my grandparents' driveway.
My grandparents live about 4 houses away from Lambeau Field. The police had all of the roads around the stadium blocked off. We had a hard time getting home that night!
While my grandparents had a lot of rain on their street my brother's friends had more.
Muffin and his roommates Bootie and Big Ben live on a fairly busy street on the West side of Green Bay. We had fun playing in the water at grandma's house. The boys had more fun at their house..
Muffin trying to get people to slow down...
..
The reason Muff was trying to get people to slow down.
Although the radar does look pretty nasty.
I'm not a real big fan of thunderstorms. I've been at our cabin in northern WI during some nasty storms and have seen giant trees explode after being struck by lightening. Our cabin is built into the bluffs that surround the lake we're on so we have no basement.All in all it's not very fun.
Exactly a week ago tonight while we were visiting my grandparents we had another bad storm. This time it wasn't so much the thunder and lightening (which is what we have now - thank God for Wireless Internet!) as it was the rain. LOTS of rain.
So much rain that my kids went swimming in my grandparents' driveway.
My grandparents live about 4 houses away from Lambeau Field. The police had all of the roads around the stadium blocked off. We had a hard time getting home that night!While my grandparents had a lot of rain on their street my brother's friends had more.
Muffin and his roommates Bootie and Big Ben live on a fairly busy street on the West side of Green Bay. We had fun playing in the water at grandma's house. The boys had more fun at their house..
Muffin trying to get people to slow down.....
The reason Muff was trying to get people to slow down.Every time people would drive down the street it pushed
more water into the neighbor's house!
more water into the neighbor's house!
I have more pics but my computer is being stupid right now and the thunder is getting louder and my stereo is cranked up to 11 Spinal Type-Style so I'm cutting things short.
Anyone see my Sister? She was wearing striped socks and mumbling something about her ruby slippers..
Anyone see my Sister? She was wearing striped socks and mumbling something about her ruby slippers..
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Farewell...
Tonight will be one of the hardest nights I've had in a long time. This is a sad post. Deal with it.
I've always been accepting of death, no matter how hard or sudden it is. I lost my great-great-grandfather when I was two years old due to old age. Two years later my great-grandfather (my grandmother's father) passed away due to a massive stroke at age 66. The year after that my great-grandmother (my grandfather's mother) passed away due to old age.
In 1993 my favorite cousin in the whole wide world lost her husband in a car accident. He was 23 and a Marine home on leave.
2003 took a very good friend of ours, Tommy Steinbruecker. Tommy was the bassist for the local band Annex. They had played at BayFest the day before and were scheduled to play at a bar in the country the next day. After the guys were done setting up Tommy decided to go for a nice country ride on his Ducati. All it took was one mini-van not paying attention to take Tommy away from us. He was 26.
My dad lost his best friend Monte in 2004 to brain cancer. The man that survived racecar accidents, car accidents, and a motorcycle crash into a train had his life cut short by something no one could control.
In 2008 I lost my great-grandmother to old age. This was incredibly hard as she was with me for 27 years of my life. She was 18 when my grandmother was born. My grandmother was 19 when my mother was born. My mother was 23 when I was born. This meant that great-grandma was only 62 when I was born, grandma was 44. I was lucky enough to have 4 generations of Whicker/Seidel/Pelkey women at my wedding. I miss her terribly.
Tonight I watch the last episode of my favorite show "Deadliest Catch" with my all-time favorite captain, Phil Harris. I've been a Phil fan since before the show took off. I've had my CM hoodie for over 4 years. I sent my get-wells and concerns to Phil when he first started having his blood pressure issues. I sent my thoughts and well-wishes after his first health scare.
I'm also lucky enough to be friends, albeit FaceBook friends, with a personal friend of Phil's, Bonnie Rasmussen. Bonnie is also fricken' awesome because she's a biker chick, and I LOVES me some biker chicks! I was also friends with Bonnie back in the MySpace days, so pppbbblllttt on those of you against internet friendships!
Bonnie is an awesome lady with a heart of gold who has been taking care of Phil's personal affairs for quite a while now. She was the first person I sent an email to after Phil's untimely passing. I spent days crying for someone I had never met but felt like I've known for years. Bonnie was my shoulder to lean on. I thank her every time I get an email from her. She told me I'm a doll. Ha! ;) Someday we'll meet in person and have coffee and of course drinks.
Phil Harris reminds me of the men I have in my life. I grew up around bikers, drag racers, mechanics, gear-heads, etc. I married a diesel technician. You name it, I've probably either helped fix it, kill it, ride it, cut it up for storage, or asked to hide it. I'm not a girly-girl. Tee hee.
Watching Phil interact with his crew, his boys, his fans, showed exactly what type of person he was. A man you could sit down and have a drink with. My favorite off-show appearance of his was when he was on Paula Dean's show making stuffed mushrooms. Again, he was just a regular guy who liked to hang out at home, making bird houses and drinking coffee.
Phil was a biker. I love bikers. Watching him ride with Johnathan Hillstrand was one of my favorite things to see, as Phil was my ultimate favorite captain with Johnathan coming in at a very, VERY close second.
When I first started seeing the commercials for the last two-hour episode and heard Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone" I thought I'd be having a hard time with it. Then seeing Johnathan and hearing him say that he had the honor of walking this earth with Phil Harris and that' a damn fact clinched it. I'm definitely going to have a hard time with it. So here I sit, writing a blog about a man I never got to meet and never will meet. Then watching Johnathan and Josh Harris on Leno last night made it even harder. It's so hard watching a man I admire lose his life.
I can't say I was his biggest fan, as I never followed him from place to place, never made it to a CatchCon, never spoke with him in person. I'll probably never meet his sons or his crew, but I can still be upset over the passing of a man with a heart bigger than anyone could ever imagine. I'll always melt when I see those beautiful blue eyes.
Rest in peace Phil.
God needed a captain, and you're the best there is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)