The Queen of Planning

The Queen of Planning should really be my title. It's not enough that I am constantly planning our escape from this state in eighteen month [well, really sixteen months and ten days, but who's counting :)], but it appears that I have become my entire family planner.

This weekend, I arranged for my family's various summer flights, car rental, and a hotel in Norway. My sister and her family will be visiting Mouseland at the end of February so I planned a dinner at my house for her and her brood, and my grandmother, her 87 year old boyfriend (don't ask!), and my aunt, uncle, and cousin all who live about an hour from here.

Then, I received another call from sister who had been talking to to my parents. It seems that instead of a fortieth anniversary party in August, my parents want a family trip to celebrate - WITH ALL OF US! That is eight adults and five children, ages two, three, five, six, and nine. The only available time that everyone can schedule the trip is the week after Christmas. And of course, since I am the Queen of Planning, the trip has been dumped on my doorstep. I say "dumped," but in reality I don't mind as it gives me some control as to where we go.

So here's the parameters - it must be warm, preferable the Caribbean, possibly an inclusive sort of place, accessible from Boston and Florida, big enough to accommodate 8 adults and five children, with a kitchen so we don't always have to take the kids out, and it must be the week after Christmas. What I have run into so far is that the cost between Christmas and New Years increases at most resorts at least three fold. I have one lead in the Dominican Republic that looks promising, but I'm hoping for some assistance in blogger world - places people can recommend or places to go with thirteen of your family members (yes, hell does seem to be the most accurate response). All this family planning has left no time to plan my Mommy free time in May, but I'm sure I'll come up with something (insert dramatic sigh here). Where's my crown?

Suggestions

As a pay back for PH's trip to Arizona, he has suggested that I take a few days away. Because of my work schedule, it doesn't appear that I can take any time until the very end of May or beginning of June. So where to go? Time period is a maximum of three to four nights. And no, I don't want to stay in Florida!

Something new

Lately, this blog has been a lot of whining and not much substance. Although I cannot promise that will change often, periodically I will be making attempts to add some "substance." The following is just some thoughts I had after reading an article in today's paper about the boys from Missouri who had recently been rescued from their kidnapper. Feel free to agree, disagree, or tell me I'm full of crap. I'm interested to hear what others think about this.


Those in “developed society” tend to frown upon the stories of women convicted for being victims of rape. Stories from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, and other countries about women being imprisoned for “zina” or unlawful sexual intercourse (which is a rather nice phrase for being violently forced to have sex) are abhorrent. The idea that someone could be jailed or sentenced to die because of being sexually abused is outrageous to the majority. These stories are a reminder that societal organizations should not be used to further victimize those who have harmed wrongly.

Why then is there a questioning outcry after two kidnapped boys from Missouri are discovered – one after nearly four years of captivity? The issue centers on the fact that this child had opportunities to use a phone and a computer, and was also seen outside of his captor's apartment, yet according to the media there were no attempts to escape. Somehow, in the court of public opinion, this has brought this child's victimization into question.

Is it necessary to remind John Q. Public of a child’s vulnerability? This child was kidnapped at age eleven and was held approximately one hour from his home. In reality, how many children age eleven could find their way home when an hour away? Additionally, a child's inability to accurately assess a situation should be noted. Children readily believe that a fat man in a red suit can slide down the chimney of every home in one night. Yet according to the media backlash in this case, a pre-teen should be able to measure the credibility of his kidnapper's words and deeds, and then act to save himself at opportune moments. It is unknown at this point what was done or said to this child, but the media questions should focus on why he was taken and what can been done to keep this offender from stealing another young life, instead of blaming the child for failing to escape.

Lately, it has become easier to blame the victim of a crime as their credibility is further questioned in the news. Through cases like the recent Duke rape case, the issue of an alleged victim's credibility are being examined. In the Duke case, the waters are furthered muddied by a prosecutor who in seeking fame, forgets his ethical responsibilities to the public. It was easier during an election year to spew words like "gang rape" and "racism" without first investigating the case. Due to a recantation and evidence issues, the focus has moved to one of blame. Because of the rush to judgment without evidence in that case, other victims of crime will suffer --their credibility will be attacked for having the audacity to report a crime that is often near impossible to prove. After all, the smart criminal chooses to commit a crime where it cannot be seen and is careful not to leave behind evidence. Thankfully, many are not so smart.

In looking at these cases, it becomes evident that “civilized society” is no different than those courts in developing nations. Instead of a criminal conviction for being raped, there is a conviction in the court of public opinion -- the child in Missouri should have done more to escape. This is the same logic used to punish the victims of rape. The only difference is that there, women are punished for the actions of their predator, whereas here, we punish the kid for the actions of the kidnapper.

Thoughts?

Still looking on the bright side

Incredibly, the good mood continues. I say "incredibly" because I have some horrid stomach virus that makes me feel tethered to the bathroom. However, I have lost almost five pounds since Friday. Not the diet plan I was going to use, but I'll take it. Hope everyone has a happy MLK day tomorrow - although I have the day off, I'll be working on lesson plans if I can break free of the tether.

A Happy Note

Back to work almost a week - still had unhappy parents and children grumbling about school, and a surprise evaluation, BUT I've just been happy. My lesson plans have gone well, the evaluation went fine, and I've been able to have a few nights where I haven't had to bring home work. Do you think the job's getting better or it's just the temperature dropping below 70 degrees that brought on my smile?

Singles Parents

I don't know how single parents manage. PH flew out early yesterday morning to Arizona. He'll be back late Tuesday and until them I'm a single parent. I've got one kid with an ear infection and another with allergies (at least that was the diagnosis Friday). Both have been good with occasional bouts of sibling dispute, but I miss sharing the load.

I've always been amazed by single parents. I know that most don't have a choice - you do it because you have to do it. I imagine that at some point I would become resentful at never having a moment to myself. All of the fights, the baths, the getting dressed, the fits, the illness, the laundry, the dishes, the late nights, and the early mornings. I know that also means you get all of the kisses, the hugs, the snuggles, the I love yous, and the attention. I admit that I'm relieved that my single parent status ends on Tuesday. And yes, we ate take-out last night!

Some thoughts for the New Year

This is the first year that I haven't made any resolutions or come up with any great thoughts on how to improve my life for the future. I'm still reeling from the impact of my latest life changing decision and haven't decided whether I have made a mistake. For such a planner, I am at a loss for the future.

For the past four years, PH and I have been talking about a move. Although PH has a great job, it's not what he wants to do forever and I really dislike Florida (I know - surprise, surprise!) Our initial thoughts were to move North to New England. It would be closer to my family and I miss the change of seasons. Then after a few vacations, we began entertaining the idea of trying to find a job overseas. At first, it was just fantasies about winning the lottery, quitting my job, finding a good nanny, and moving to the Alps. The talk became more serious as we volleyed around ideas of how we could earn a living. No, we're not technology people, international business people, or military. And between the two of us, we speak some basic french and one of us is fluent in Norwegian [not a very useful language in most countries - sorry Renny :)]. Still, we are educated, with advance degrees; there must be something we could do overseas to earn a living.

PH and I were in the same line of work - law. I was working part-time to be available to parent our new children. Decent pay, great benefits, and part-time with something I had done for years. PH is a partner -- great salary, great hours but he is ready for a change. With the talk about moving, we decided that I would go back to school, take a few classes so I could work at a lower paying job that put me on my kid's schedule. I went back to school so I could teach. I never expected it to be easy but we thought it would be easier to find jobs once we moved if we weren't in the same business.

So, we had a plan. I'd change career. It would be better. It would give us options. Only it hasn't quite worked out that way. I'm working for a private school that is going through an administrative change. Because of the upheaval, parents are currently running the school. Not literally, but for all intens and purposes, they are calling the shots. I have been screamed at and insulted; I have had parents barge into my room ten minutes before class starts demanding I change my lesson plans; my credentials have been questioned; grades are changed upon the demand of parents. These are parents who would have never dared talk to me this way before I became their child's teacher. There is some assumption that because I have "lowered" myself to teach that I am fair game for attack. Additionally, the school does not have a mentor program and no one else is teaching the classes I am teaching, so there is no collaboration. Also, there is no set curriculum; other than asking other teachers what they have done in the past, I am responsible for developing my own curriculum. I have been told this is not a typical "first year" teaching experience.

I know I don't have to do this forever. I keep reminding myself this is for us to get out of here. I only have a year and a half left, and then I can start looking to move. But more and more, I'm realizing that it is not likely that we could both find jobs overseas and support ourselves. Today, I received an e-mail from a well meaning expatriate that sums up my fears. The e-mail discussed the average teaching salary, the tax code, the cost of housing, etc, etc, etc. What's the likelihood that two people, one who speaks only a smattering of french and one who is fluent in Norwegian, will find jobs in a foreign country? And not just any jobs, but jobs that will allow them to support their two young off-spring? Jobs that will not blow their saving that they have worked the last ten years to accumulate?

So now, I wondering why I'm sticking with a job where I am treated badly and I'm not sure if I even like it? If we're just going North to New England, why not just stick with my original profession? Did I make a giant mistake in changing careers? And at what point, do you have to grow up and become realistic, and give up on the idea of moving to the Alps?

New Years Brunch

Welcome to New Year's Brunch at Hexe's house. It was just the four of us this morning. PH had mentioned last night that he wanted to run in the morning so I thought I'd have time to cook. Of course, this morning PH changed his mind. Finally, after thirty minutes of trying to cook with a two small children at my feet begging for food, I finally ordered PH to go for a run and take both kids. By the time, they were all dressed, had various bathroom breaks, and put on their shoes, the rain started! Fortunately, the getting ready process lasted long enough for me to get brunch completed.


First, a bite of pumpkin bread to keep the children from starving while I cooked. In the fall, I pickled up a few extra pumpkins that I cooked and pureed, and the froze for later use. Although the canned version works, the frozen pumpkin always makes the bread very moist. Yum!

This was a egg and ham custard recipe from a french cookbook. It is seasoned with thyme and nutmeg. Very easy to make! I made some potato pancakes to serve with the eggs.

This was suppose to be peaches and strawberries in pink champagne, but I couldn't find any good peaches, so I substituted cantaloupe which worked well. I made it without the champagne for the kids which they seemed to like. I need to work on my photograph as this picture does not do this fruit cup justice.

And finally, mimosa - champagne and orange juice!
HAPPY NEW YEARS!

The Disappearance

I wish I could say that my blogging absence was due to something exciting - like a lottery win and an around the world adventure, or a spontaneous cross country move. Unfortunately, the hiatus was the result of more mundane events - some work related problems and some family chaos. Neither is something that I can comfortably talk about right now. We are all fine, but this past months has left me asking myself some difficult questions about our future plans. Sorry for being so cryptic - at some point, I hope to be able to laugh about all this, but right now I'm just a tad overwhelmed.



On to the excitement of Christmas . . . the blurry pictures show the result of global warming in Maine. That's right - no snow this year. This is our first Christmas trip with no snow and we have been traveling to Maine for ten years, except for 2001 when I gave birth to KK two days after Christmas. The kids asked about the snow, but were content to play with their cousins and the numerous Christmas gifts bestowed upon them by Grammie and Grampa. For them, the trip was a great time -- Santa and their relatives were exceptionally generous, hours of play with cousins and friends, walks on mud filled roads -- even without snow, it was a wonderful time.

We arrived back in Florida two days ago to 80 degree weather. Three out of the four of us have lingering colds - 'tis the season! No plans for New Year's tonight, except to put the kids to bed early and relax. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and I wish you a joyous New Year! Bonne Annee! Ein Gluckliches Neues Jahr! Godt Nytt Ar!

Over the River and Through the Woods

The quick and dirty on Thanskgiving in New Hampshire (there was a 'nice' photo of the trees and stream where we stayed but Blogger does not wish for me to use photo at this time - Damn you, Blogger!):

1. Hew to KK as they walked outside the first morning - "Hey, look at the frosting on the car!"

2. Attempting to make fudge with powdered sugar results in chocolate taffy, but NOT fudge, no matter how long you put it in the freezer.

3. Children who refuse to sleep for their parents and then sleep perfectfully for their grandparents WILL NOT receive a visit from Santa.

4. My parents are becoming the old, obnoxious, retired people who winter in this state. Not only did my father who used to ice race cars fail to drive over forty miles an hour, he also refused to follow the direction to my brother's house given to us by my brother. We spent an hour driving forty miles an hour through the mountains for no apparent reason.

5. This is the first time in ten years that I did not make the meal and I missed it. Plus, we had no left-overs.

6. It is amazing that my sister and I grew up in the same house. Sis has been building a house for more than three years (according to their bank loan it was suppose to be done in a year - yeah, that tends to impair your credit rating) and there was a list of things the bank wanted done before the end of November. We all go over there to help - there is no system or order. Neither Sis nor brother-in-law (BIL) is sure what to work on first. Food has not been made (there are ten people coming to your house, you might want to plan a little!). Sis planned to make lasagna but forgot. I made it, realizing after I cooked the noodles that the only cheese in the house was shreaded cheddar and colby jack. At night, I am sleeping on a pad from a lawn chair, in a room with no heat, with my four year old niece's blanket that doesn't reach my toes. Next to me is PH who is sleeping on an air mattress with a leak thus resulting in the middle of his bed sinking to the cold floor and PH being wrapped like an enchilada by the air filled sides of the mattress. Both kids are in the room and I have dressed them in full length pants and sweaters to sleep. There should be a test people must pass before they attempt to build a house - Sis and BIL would fail it.

7. I love my family. I love to visit with them. I miss them. But living with them would result in my hospitalization in a psychiatric facility.

Friday Feast

Appetizer: Have you ever flown in a helicopter?
No never. I tend to become ill in small planes and make use of those cute little bags that are so thoughtful placed. I imagine flying in a helicopter would produce the same results and I fear they would not have the cute bags.

Soup: What color is your warmest coat or jacket?
I have a stylish, fitted ski jacket in sky blue and white. Never did I think a white winter jacket would be slimming, but I look positively svelte in it. Living in Florida, I get to wear it for one week when I visit my parents at Christmas which is too bad because there is little else in my wardrobe that has the effect of that jacket.

Salad: What is your favorite rainy day activity?
Before children, it was reading. There is nothing better than a cold, rainy day, a blazing fire, hot chocolate with Bailey's Irish Creme, and a good book. Now, it's building a tent from chairs and blankets or playing the game "Put Mommy to Bed" which allows Mommy to lay in the bed while the kids read me stories and put me to sleep.

Main Course: Describe your hands.
Small, short, slightly swollen fingers. The life line is longer on my right hand. I have prominently veins which is why my Husband says I am a Borg.

Dessert: If you could eat only one nut for the rest of your life, what nut would you pick?
Cashews, of course. My Husband thinks I should have a different answer to this question.

Sorry for the hiatus

Life at Hexe's house has been a little crazy. After the sick kids, Hew decided to make the most of his terrible twos. For nearly two weeks, he has refused to sleep through the night. The tantrums escalated into forty-five minute screaming fits. I seriously started to think we needed to have him evaluated AND THEN my parents arrived. Hew slept through the night - no problem. This was after I had called my mother sobbing as I was so sleep deprived, trying to explain why Hew needed a neurological exam. She laughed and said he was two, testing his boundaries, and apparently winning. Damn, I hate when that woman is right! Since then, some minor tantrums but definitely more sleep.

Add in craziness at work. Plus this time of year seems to depress me. I know I'm obsessed with heat, but it is nearly December and it is 80 degrees. Late autumn should be cold mornings with frost, steaming coffee, and a fire in the fireplace. I do realize that all this is just excuses for my lack of writing but with the lack of sleep, I've barely been able to find matching socks in the morning - complete sentences were just too much!

We did make it to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving. Once my parents arrived and Hew slept, we had a nice time. I know it sounds thrilling - 'nice', but our standards are pretty low here. We stayed at a place with a pool which made the kids happy and PH happy, and it was in the mountains with a stream running outside my bedroom window, so I was happy. PH and I even had a dinner sans children once my parents came to visit. We ended the evening with a cursing, tiring screeched stop as a BLACK BEAR was smack in the middle of the road as we drove home. Yes, it was a BLACK BEAR - not some large dog. The thing moved rather rapidly back into the woods, but then turned and watched us watching him for several minutes. We just kept repeating different versions of OMG THAT IS A BLACK BEAR! See - easily entertained.

More on New Hampshire later. Sorry for the lame and awkward post - I'm out of practice. For those who celebrate Thanksgiving - Hope it was 'nice'.

Look out Norway . . .

I love making travel plans - the anticipation, the research, the discovery. Other than frustrating airline mileage redemption programs, I enjoy the entire process of planning for our next trip almost as much as the actual trip. A future trip to an unknown destination is just the escape one needs when the doldrums of evevery day life set in.

I have previously mentioned my frustration in planning our summer trip to Norway. After numerous tries we finally gave up on the idea of using our frequent flyer miles. Even after informing the airline that Stavanger is in NORWAY not GERMANY, it was impossible to use the miles unless we were willing to stay for six or more months. As the kids will be at Grammie and Grampa's house, six months seemed a bit of an imposition. So after a few weeks of research and searching different options, we have finally procurred tickets to Stavanger for eight days in June. I do understand that this more than six months away, but I now have plenty of time to anticipate, research, and discovery western Norway. Plus, some basic Norwegian must be learned as we will be visiting the family PH stayed with as an exchange student.

So anyone with information or suggestions about the area between Bergen and Stavanger, drop me a line. (This means you, Renny - although I know you are on the opposite coast). For now, I can be found ignoring my sick child (yes, that's why I'm home mid-day) so that I can troll the web and fantasy about my escape. Happy Friday!

Just call me the Scrooge of Halloween

I love autumn. It is the time of year I miss the most living in the God forsaken Mouseland. I love Halloween - carving pumpkins, the kids all excited to dress up and go door to door in the neighborhood, shrieking over their favorite candy, proudly showing off their costume to their friends. Ah, Halloween . . .

Over the years living here, I have come to accept that our neighborhood is one where many parents drop their children off in order to trick or treat. I have learned not to question where the kids are from and just smile and hand out fifty dollars worth of junk that will rot through their teeth as they sleep tonight. After all, it's Halloween . . .

BUT (you knew there was a but coming) . . .

BUT, there comes a point in time when it's time to retire the costume. When I was a kid, it was around age twelve or thirteen. You were in middle school, you were a teenager, you were already feeling awkward and a costume certainly didn't help - you were too old and you knew it. It appears that today's teenagers have not been made aware of the age limit. So below are some suggestions for today's youth in order to determine their eligibilty for trick or treating.

• If you are old enough to shave any part of your body, you're too old.
• If you can drive, you're too old.
• If you walk away from the door with your hand on your girlfriend's ass, you're too old.
• If you have had elective surgery to enhance certain body parts or reduce other parts, you're too old.
• If you have impregnated someone or birthed a child, you're too old.
• If you have your own credit card or checking account without a parental co-signer, you're too old
• If you don't know how to get off the damn cell phone while your candy bag is open, you're too old.
• If you qualify to earn minimum wage, you're too old.
• If you can't be bothered to put on a costume, you are too old.
• If you can legally buy alcohol (or you're old enough to desire a fake I.D.), you're too old.
• If you're costume is a tattoo and (visible) body piercings, you're too old.
• If you're old enough to access porn on the internet, you're too old.
• If you dress as a playboy bunny, you're too old.

Unfortunately, this has been my evening and I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Welcome to the Neighborhood . . . NOT!

I have previously mentioned my uptight, rude, petty neighbors, but their obnoxious behavior had reached a new high. Last weekend, PH and I began to put our lawn back together. During the summer heat, we generally let some of the weeding go. We still mow regularly but it is fair to say that we do let things grow out a bit. It's hot and things just tend to wither a bit no matter what we do.

Anyways, last weekend, we began weeding and trimming back the shrubs. We cleaned up on the side on the house and cut back a couple trees. We were happy with our start and intended to continue our "clean up" this weekend. I also should add that we do have a sign in our yard, supporting a local political candidate that we know.

Fast forward to Wednesday after work. I'm driving home with both kids, figuring out how to get dinner on the table. I pull up and grab the mail before going in the house. Strangely, there is a letter with no return address and our names are not on the envelope, just our address. Once the kids are in the house and have a snack, I open the curious envelope and there with various spelling errors is the following message:

Here's the deal...We will vote for your favored political candidate and in turn you can take care of your lawn, cut your bushes and bring your property UP TO OUR COMMUNITY STANDARDS.

The letter was unsigned, of course, as my neighbors don't have the courage to approach us personally. Now, these neighbors have no problem sending their children to play in our yard while they go about their business and we watch their kids, but they can't be bothered to speak with us. I am counting the days until I can sell this house and move.

So, did these cretin cowards keep us from working on our yard? Certainly not, but we left the front yard looking as is and have done a lovely job cleaning out the back where our children play and our one neighbor who is actually decent lives. As far as the front, I'm thinking about a dozen pink flamingo yard ornaments - what do you think?

I love my new job . . .

Today: 7 hour drive for a 5 hour seminar! Now going to bed.

Surreal

Right, this moment I am riding in the car as PH and I drive home from Cedar Key after a weekend sans kids. Being without the kids is surreal in its own way (don't worry, we left them with MIL and not locked in a closet), but even more surreal is that I have internet access in the car (new wireless thingamadoo that PH's work decided was a necessity). Even stranger, is that we are listening via the thingamadoo to a radio station in Norway. Just heard the news in Norweigan - fine for PH, not so interesting for me.

Our first trip to Cedar Key, we were young, high pressured professions, with no kids, a crap load of college debt, and no home. We laugh at the changes eight years have brought - we are very lucky - a home, two healthy children, friends and family who love us.

For those who haven't heard of Cedar Key, which I know is the majority of you, Cedar Key is a small island off the Northwest Coast of Florida. There isn't much there. A couple bed and breakfasts, a few boats, and a cute little downtown. It just happens to be the place that PH proposed eight years ago. We haven't been back since then, but PH planned a surprise get away weekend for our anniversary. This would be where I would post the beautiful pictures of the coast and the adorabel little B&B, except that in our haste to run away from our children, we forgot to grab the camera battery.

What is even more surreal is that we are in the same car from 1998 when we got engaged - my 1995 Volkswagon Golf. I moved to Florida in this car and still have not had the heart to turn it in, but the time for a proper burial is coming. So, this our last trip in this car - funny, it's to the place where our lives together began.

A Visit to Hell

Just when things begin to fall into place, we visit PH's family and Hew comes home with a flu. Poor Hew had a temperature of over 102 for three days. PH stayed home with him on Monday and Tuesday, and I stayed home Wednesday. PH swears that I can not blame his family for this, but EVERY time we see these relatives, they or their children are sick. AND EVERY TIME my kids end up sick!

I will concede where we met for the visit could have contributed to Hew's illness. The location was NOT my choice but PH's brothers already had plans to got to this place. Drum roll, please . . . We went to The Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. I tried to have an open mind, but truly the place is Hell on Earth.

Imagine thousands of small, overly sugared and overly caffinated children screaming in a large pool with maybe two life guards. I won't even mention the urine/water ratio.

What disturbs me is the blatant commercialism and over spending. Parents were seen giving into every whim of their children - allowing them to purchase and consume whatever they wanted. My brother and sister-in-law soon fell into this trap, and when they purchased a "surprise" for their children, their elder child threw down the gift, pouting and whining that the gift was not what she wanted. Did punishment or a reprimand ensue? - No, instead the child was consoled by her mother that she could go back to the store and "get what she wanted." Mother additionally berated Father for not buying the "right gift." I had to grit my teeth and leave the room.

Forgive me for wishing for the "good old days" where a parent understood that their role is not to befriend their children, but to love and guide their children into becoming decent human beings. Also, entertainment should be a backyard and an imagination. A child who can not entertain themselves for ten minutes without television or a loud, flashing electronic device is missing out. My siblings and neighbors still laugh over the "plays" we used to perform in the backyard - including a modern version of Cinderella, where yours truly decided she didn't want to marry the prince (my childhood neighbor who did end up coming out of the closet years later), but instead had the wicked step sisters turned into appliances (a washing machine and a vacumn) and then Cinderella moved off to the city to get a job! Yes, even then, I was an independet women. Seriously, the skills children develop while playing outside and using their imagination are skills they will continue to build on for a lifetime, and they certainly won't come from watching Nickelodeon or going to their hotel.

There - I'm done ranting.

Copy Cat

I stole this idea from Sunshine. Go to Google and enter your name followed by "Last I heard s/he was". Here the life I didn't know I was leading.
Last I heard, Hexe was

1. Living in Austin, Texas and appearing on MTV's Austin stories.
You just know that MTV is looking for a working Mom with two kids who's idea of a wild party is a bunch of preschoolers hopped on kool aid and cupcakes.

2. homeless and begging people to send her cash.
Does begging work?

3. the husband's kitty.
This is PH's favorite. He's hoping this means I have some sort of Cat Woman costume for our anniversary at the end of the month. Keep dreaming . . .

4. getting a petition signed against lip piercing
Do you blame me? What are all the multiple piercing people going to do when they get old and it all starts to sag, thus creating open, gaping holes in their bodies? Think about it!

5. living in Syracuse, NY and was represented by galleries in NY.
Who knew that stick drawings could be so profitable?

6. going back to Florida to have her second kid.
Never left after the first kid, and sadly, still here after the second one.

7. headed up North.
Alright, who's been talking about my Thanksgiving trip before I told my mother-in-law that I am taking her grandchildren away for the week?

8. going upstairs for a smoke.
Yuck!

9. "preggers"
GOD NO!

10. crazy for crystal pleating polyster for scarves.
Wow - I must have said that while I was partying in Austin and drinking that crazy kool aid.

God, it's good to be back!

help my blog is gone