Is it possible to be selectively obessive complusive? If so, I'd like to buy the drug that will make me so but only in the areas of house cleaning and personal finances. Way back in my Jewel days I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, I dug it, kinda of got it and moved on to something else. It all came flashing back to me today while I struggled with the lock on my front door. It sticks, and you have to jiggle it sometimes like a mental patient trying to escape their room. One devil on my shoulder was saying, "Replace the damn lock for fucks sake!" The other devil/angel was saying, "Hmmm this is very Zen and Motorcycle-ish. Pay attention to the details." *sigh* So now I am looking, searching, seeking, and all I am seeing is my poor house cleaning skills and my on-again-off-again attitude towards our personal finances. Both things that are my responsibility and that I struggle against. Not with, because I am not really "with" them, but against them, as in, "I don't wanna!!" *whine whine*

After spending the morning with a drugged up Time Warner guy, getting disconnected, then him calling back, and me asking AGAIN when they are coming out to repair the bad line, I went in search of my coffee, my ode to Casey. He makes it 100% better then Moi. He adds love to it. I found it cold in my room waiting where I left it, while I battled over lack of internet. I also found all around it, my mess. And no, you don't get a picture of the MESS. Its like the Scurge, but worse. It breeds more then bunnies and it is catching. Alex has been exposed to the mess scurge for 6 long years now, and I do believe he is permenately scarred. And poor Casey, his exposure came with our wedding vows. I slipped it in between to love honor and cherish. I am now looking for a vaccine, but find myself like those test subjects who only get worse after the initial shot.

I think the Motto should be Search, Destroy, and leave a Mess. Not Search, Discover, Share

This is what it looks like when you have only 4 Cub Scouts hanging out while there is a parent planning meeting going on. And this was after giving them a 5 minute warning to clean up.

Me thinks I will be making some strict rules since they will be here all most every week.

Why you should always turn off your Mike

I was watching CNN today while making lunch, Bush was on giving a katrina Speech. There started to be some noise, which I thought was maybe a heckler in the crowd. Turns out its a CNN reporter who turned her Mike on by mistake while in the bathroom. She is pissing (!) and talking about a guy she is seeing, who is "Married with three kids, his wife is a real control freak, bitch." HAHHAHAHAHHAHA That was the best 3 minutes on TV today. Way to entertaining.

ETA: Okay so maybe it wasn't pissing like I thought, but it sure was funny

Uncle Charley Time

Journaling: He is family by friendship, thicker then blood, colored with love and laughter. Uncle Charley.

Its not about winning until you Win

"It is not about winning."

That is what I heard over and over again this weekend. I said it, Casey said it, countless parents said it, kiddos said it. But then Alex won. That's right folks, apparently we have some kickass sea faring ancestors in our family tree. Alex is now the 2006 Champion of the Rain Gutter Regatta. He beat 32 kids by blowing his boat down a rain gutter filled with water. The magic was the boat that Casey and him built, Casey's coaching and Alex's blowing. * Hey, get your mind's out of the gutter! We are talking about a six year old here* :O)

************************************************************************

There are about 4 people in the world who will get this, but it was fun to scrap none the less.

JoJo's Girl

Journaling: How do you make a Hurricane and good bar food at Patty O'Brain's better? Add a half dozen Mardi Gras beads, a cheesey hat, Casey and Nicole AND... A hot flirtious lesbian bartender with bedroom eyes. October 2005

Send a little prayer

It is a very scary feeling when you are talking to your husband who has been flying all morning and you open up CNN to see a story like this . Casey is okay, he wasn't anywhere near the flight, but it is still unnerving.He flies those small commuter flights all the time, today he is on a larger plane for the first leg of his trip, hopefully the same for the second. I know he will get there safe and sound.

I know I will be adding a long list of prayers in church today. Say a couple for those families too.

We are having one of those days that seem to create its own energy. Busy Busy, with holding patterns in between. Some interesting jobs have come up for Casey, so we are working on his passport right now. Thank goodness for rush delievery! The on going dentist trials are just dragging on, between scheduling issues and idiots in accounting we have been delayed months. The current state of house is horrid, time to invest energy in cleaning.

I did finally get to make the recipe I had for Cinnamon Strudel Bread.


It turned out perfectly! Soft supple fragrent bread, I love bread machines. It even self swirled just like the recipe said it would.

But it was a bit lacking in the taste department. I think I will toast it up and put some cinnamon and sugar with butter on it for tomorrow's quick breakfast. That should make it just plaster itself to my gut.

For the record, since I brought up my gut, TKD kicks BOOTY! Alex is struggling with the fact that I now know how he should be doing our form. He gets so frustrated with me since he is the "senior student". It is hard for him to understand that my corrections are not attacks but rather me trying to help him. It is a phase that he is in right now. You can be explaining something to him and he just glazes over, listening but not watching. I am harboring a secret fear that I will pass the form testing and he won't. My plan is to work with him on form daily, repeatition is key. Just have to stick to the plan.

I sometimes wish Moms had a gold star board for "chores" and the like. *sigh*

Here is proof (through my super dirty window Thanks to Girlie-Licks-Alot Bella) how hot it is right now. What you can't see is a huge fan that Casey setup to the left blowing cooler air on the dogs. Twain, fatty ass, tries to bum rush the door every time we open it.

On the messier side of life

Yup that is my work space today. We had a mega move within the house, me moving all my office stuff and desk unit out of the shared office and into my scrap space. All because we needed to have access to a phone jack that needed repair, all because we bought a 5-in-1 and we need the line for the fax. So piles upon piles are adorning my floor and tables.
Most of it needs to fit in this baby. My lovely favorite magikar IKEA unit. Love me some IKEA.

I even went so far as to sort all my books. I packed them all up and went to the local half Price books, those rat bastards wanted only $25 for well over $300 worth of awesome hard back books.

$25 BASTARDS!

Time for project runway!

In all the right places

* You push me, to go the extra mile*

Casey made Christmas come early for Nikki in the form of much needed fitness gear. Shoes, shirts, and comfy sports boulder holders. My girls are going to be strapped down and secured.

Last night I started Tae Kwon Do, man alive, it rocks. My feet are sore today, but the stretching was awesome, I am still pretty damn flexible. Yay!

Morning #2 I was slower up today, but rewarded myself after the school prep, drop off, and walk with Casey with some coffee and peace at my spot.

This is for Lisa... I love these pictures of us. Sorry about the flash glare.

Old Blog

Just want to make a quick link to my old blog.

www.livejournal.com/users/ciaobellanicole

Creeped out the Casey

Weeks ago I doodled this little girl, inspired from another doodle I saw on a site somewhere.

Casey started asking me about my girl doodle yesterday, he asked 3 times before I finally asked WHY? Turns out the girl doodle looks just like the little girl he sees in the house. I creeped him out.

Cusp of change

Only a handful of days before school starts, before our carefree loose routine changes. Before alarm clocks and calendars will become our best friends. Before breakfasts of warmth and substance and lunches of thoughts and comfort will be made. Only a bit of time to savor the last few days of summer, regardless of the weather or what the first day of fall says. Summer is over the first day of school. Gone will the lazy mornings of cool pillows and sheets be. No more all day pajama parties.

-But-

Hello new friends, new classroom, new goals. Hello routines, those carefully laid plans that offer salvation and comfort if the rules are followed. Welcome cold weather, jackets and scarves, heaters and down comforters. Anticipating the purchase of wood for the fireplace, of the most decorative time in our household, Fall and Winter. Out comes the boxes and boxes of single season friends with our figurines and decorations. Out comes the tree and lights and boxes of paper that tease me to rip into on a single day. Soon there will be nights, where our only goal is to snuggle up next to the fire, enjoy the warmth seeping from the hot cup in our hands, and let our eyes soak up the yearly fairytales from Charlie Brown.

Now with my last few days, I feel the need to cram as much summertime in. I want to scrap and create all day with out stopping. I want to spoil Alex with endless free TV and games. i want to enjoy the sunset with a slurpee. I want to get over my body issues one more time so jump into the pool, carefree. A few more days on the cusp of change between carefree indulgence and responsible routines.