Storm waiting, a list

• Neighbors had firetrucks at their place tonight, don't know whats up yet.
• Wind is creaking the siding.
• All Along the Watchtower on my favorite SciFi geek out, BattleStar Galatica.
• King ranch Chicken and rice for dinner.
• Archie Muffin is super cuddly.
• Flannel, love our flannel sheets.
• A good messy sleepy hair day. Tis the sign of a good cut that is!
• School year end in sight.
• A new blank page on my desk blotter.
• The smell of Star gazers
• Storms coming in, love the waiting and watching.
• NOAA is my friend.
• Casey is my love.
• Alex is our bug.

Life is Good.

The Spider bit the Dust

Alex is a sensitive sort of kid. Mostly because Casey and I are both so protective of him and any danger that could befall him. Alex has also been hanging with a new gang, a group that literally gets startled and shys away if any signs of tears break out. They quietly gather up any toys, and depart the premises if anyone can't handle the occassionaly scrap and pavement biffying. Tough kids, but Happy kids, even the 2 year old in the bunch has the highest tolerence for pain just by association.

Alex is melding with this group and on his own is starting to expect that bumps, bruises and cuts are not Forever Scars and to suck it up try again and move on.

Yesterday, I introduced Alex to the Spider Swing. Remember that? I know you do, its when one person sits on the swing as normal, then the other sits in their lap facing them, so that both riders can pump as they swing, which results in MEGA height. Yesterday, Alex and I Spider'ed and then as I was helping him off my feet slid in the gravel and next thing I know I have literally tossed Alex over my head and I am staring at the blue blue sky with the wind knocked out of me. Alex was immediately up, sort of, crawling his way to me asking if I was okay and once I said I was he bust out crying facing away from me. So I sat him with me and checked him over quickly and then burst out laughing. Alex was shocked and confused by my laughter. What?! Mommy isn't cuddling me, kissing every red and bruising/swelling spot? WTF was written all over his face. So I kept it positive as we sat there in the gravel with all five dogs licking us madly because Hell they have never seen Me flat on my back and ass in the gravel and I am sure the yell that went along with our little trip south got their attention.

So yesterday I learned my lesson as a Mom of a Boy, laugh it off even if it takes you 5 minutes sitting where you fall just to really make sure you didn't break your arm, just to save tough face and to help your son build tough face.

Good times for this lady Grace and her son Shiner face.

Casey-Isms: A Non G rated post, its sure to offend

Casey, oh Casey the love of my life and my constant source of interesting names. This weeks words are Fucktard and Nut Squashes.

I got the day right.

Yesterday I had to teach a class, so I woke up late (way late), we hustled Alex to school, we battled traffic, made four phone calls to my contact and left messages, arrived at class site, waited, got a call, and then found out that my class didn't start till Wednesday. So today I got it right, I woke up earlier (not quite late), did the breakfast thing with bug, did the routine school thing,came home to rain and a Casey on the stoop who I hustled back in so I could put on some makeup and actually find my heels instead of flip flops, we battled traffic again, drank coffee, talked with contact, geeked out over Office neatos, and now I am half way through class on lunch break. Luckily my students are amazing women who are smart, funny, and NICE. It's nice having nice students to interact with all day long.

Tomorrow I have to get it right again. And Tomorrow I have to have lunch variety. Casey was a love and packed me a lunch box: Juice, peaches, Peanut Butter sandwich, and, ummm, peanuts. Lots of peanuts, more so with the sandwich. I had a giggle because I knew he was thinking about protein and me keeping my blood sugar up. I love my lunch box packing man. Tomorrow, must eat leftovers and have variety. With Peanuts.

XOXO

Photo Essay

One of my favorite household chores is REFILLS. I love to refill the salt and pepper mills, the oil bottle, the flour bins, the soap dispensers, the toilet paper supply, the back stock shelves.

And then I see this. How can I go to organized refills to desk paperwork overload. Can you tell where I am going to be spending my time today?

But first it is time for the morning doggie run. Its the daily act of chase the Flossy sounding as mean as you possibly can...

... and then jump on Mommy.

Then Mommy will distract herself from her desk pile by show casing the crafty goodness she caught up on last night, like the 6 weeks behind I was on my 52 words project.

And this Yummy that started off as a Calendar over two years ago, it sat in a bag that long waiting for something, and now has become a monthly photo display.

Close up, I love my St. patty's gal.

This belated card package is waiting to go out. Layouts and a special crafty goody for my Mother in Law.

A memory of OH MY GOD!

Once, just once, I was invited to a function in my Mom's neighborhood. It was a Pampered Chef party that a neighbor named Callie was throwing. Now my parent's neighborhood is interesting, they live in a large subdivision in a new area of town, their part of the subdivision is actually it's own little enclave of houses, just a cut above the rest of the mix. Their cul-de-sac is interesting as well since there are 9 houses and I SWEAR to God about 16 kids. It's a great place for Alex to go too since he can go be a kid with all the other kids in the sac while we visit my parents house.

Anyways, back to the kitchen party. I was meeting all these women for the first time, and it was immediately and abundantly clear that I didn't fit. I was just a couple years to young, a kid short of average, we didn't live in the special enclave, and well, I am Me. When I get in situations like that I clam up. I am not Me, I turn into this observer. I feel like I have to find a part of the conversation to partake in. I don't fit, I am a square peg in a round hole. The conversation at some point turned to house cleaning, something I strive towards but never quite reach completely, THE CLEAN READY FOR NEIGHBORS TO POP IN HOUSE MODE. These suburban housewives are Pro's at this mode, they ooze it, they foster it while they have their gin and tonics, they achieve it to keep up with the Jones'. They were discussing vacuuming (Dyson's), cabinets, hardwood floors, laundry, and then cleaning the toilets. Yes, discussing toilets was the point in which I decided to join in and the next thing I know I am declaring that I clean my toilets to the point were I wouldn't be embarrassed if George W. Bush had to come puke in it. All to get my vote of course. And these Desperate Housewife's in their perfect outfits and MAC Make Up Faces, and sinful alcoholic bevies, bat their eyes at me, inhale, and change the subject.

OH MY GOD, what did i just say?! Me, toilets (?), ummm the boys are lucky if I clean them because I hate the mess they make trying to aim for the target. I feel that toasted crab bagel lodge in my throat, my face flushes, and even my own Mother doesn't look my way. Oh balls, I just shoved my foot half way down my throat. I am dying of June Cleaver envy and embarrassment inside. So I order my bread pan and go home.

About a year later my mom drags me to a Naughty party that Callie is hosting, once again the same women are present, and this time I sit on a couch with my ice tea and watch the desperate housewives around me toss rings onto the strap on dildo one of them has on all to get 10% off their Rabbits and Vanilla flavored lube they have just ordered. Blink Blink. I was embarrassed about my toilet conversation when they are playing suck the condom off the banana?! OH MY GOD. So I went home and cleaned my toilet and smiled.

I took Alex and friend to Fiesta Texas last week, my mom joined us too. I only have one thing to say, NEVER waste your money on that park.
Alex and I brought out the Spring/Easter decorations. Now I just need to sew a mantel skirt and its all good.
This is my favorite thing about Spring, all the fabulous fresh Produce. So yummy. I made a batch of green beans and new potatoes yesterday to go with Roasted Chicken tonight. Tomorrow will be a Margarita pizza with fresh fruit parfait for desert. I am totally loving the yummies.

Now I am off to finish cleaning, print some pictures, scrap, and make a delish dinner.

FlashBack to June 2004

Today is a day full of rumbling thunderstorms and severe weather alerts. We have Star Wars on the TV as I clean and he pretends too. We have food in the fridge, a list made out for tomorrows day trip, and clothes tumbling wet and dry. We have doggies that hate the rumbles and rain, who are alternating between the pool deck and the table for cover from the sprinkles. We have a garage floor that is close to impossible to dry out after the rinse I gave it because we are at 99% humidity. We have grey light and couch cushions beckoning us to sink into them as we watch Lela chained to Jabba in a kickass metal bikini.

It's Spring Break.

Zoo tidbits

Today Alex and i went to the SA Zoo with some friends from scouts, good friends, friends that are friends and not just aquantancies. Anyways! We packed mega lunches, got a family pass for the year, enjoyed our lunches (which they allow into the park) on a floating dock over looking one of the bird lagoons, hiked around the zoo since it is all up and down hill (think Hills like the ones by the Polar bears in SD), walked every minute of it in rain (some sprinkles, some down pours), continuously carolled three kiddos, petted a RHINO (seriously), saw mega bugs at the new bug mania exhibit, peeped at the new construction, quizzed Misty on the Zoo's history, fed Lorikeets and butterflies, and then finished up the day with a trip to the gift shop where each boy picked a poster. Fun times, wet times, good times, no camera times, just good memory building times. it is interesting to me what I actually absorbed about the day, I was in a new place and I REALLY enjoyed myself. It is no where near as Fabulous as the San Diego Zoo, but DAMN SA should be proud of the zoo and support it more. I dig it.

I now find myself sitting up, storm watching since we are under a string of watches right now, tornado, flash flood, severe thunderstorm, and high winds. This weather strikes often this time of year and I actually slightly enjoy the process of tracking it till I can't hold my head up any longer or the immediate threat passes. And to think, this is what Casey drive through last night!

The Best Gift ever!

Casey and I knocked our heads together for this gem of a gift. We made our friend Scotty a mixed CD of songs that are all about S*X. I had fun making the covers and of course rocking out to raunchy tunes.

Last nights party for Scotty was fun, Casey and I were the only couple to not come Backwards, meaning in each others clothes. That group of people are always a good time, a drinking time and smoking time and food time, a need the next day to recover time, a time when I am always amazed that they do this "time" like 3 times a week. How I have no idea. But none the less it was a good time.

They want me to come back tonight for a Karaoke party, and I don't think that is going to happen. *grin*

Done with One on to Two

Finally this is done! I finished up this morning with the MFing Samuel L Jackson of yarn cutting helping me with the massive amounts of fringe. We both agree that this finished product is channeling a wee bit of Stevie Nicks.

My Mom is in Red Hat Society and she wanted a shawl knit for her well over a year ago. We scoped out some lovely Cherry tree hill yarns, she bought hers as well as my "payment" and I started it, but never finished. Life went by so slowly when all you did was knit 200+ stitches row after row with one row of Purl thrown in. But last week I vowed to just get it over with, so out it came, snuggling up to me on the couch and today was my due date. I finished just in time with Casey's help, I wanted to deliver it to my mom at her Red Hat luncheon so she could feel special. And she did!

Now I can return to this lovely bit of tranquility and fun, Casey's Irish Hiking Scarf with Cables. Sweet Sweet knit sticks.

Catching Up Listed

No time to super update so here's a list!

• Super crafting going on, lots of unfinished projects finishing up!
• Mega Mail pile to go out next week.
• Casey caught a thief in the act!
• Getting use to my new short hair.
• Made an awesome Shepard's pie, so good I pouted when Casey had the last piece.
• Made awesome French bread, OMG so good.
• My Tiger's have two achievements to meet and then they have earned their badge, WOO HOO!!
• I need a filing cabinet
• A pitbull killed a dog in our neighborhood, not good.
• I had the best airplane dream last night.
• We are going to a Backwards party for a very gay friend. Hehehhee I imagine that there will be feather boas.
• Alex super cleaned his bedroom yesterday, so nice!
• I am sporting a wee sunburn, nothing like Casey's, from talking to the neighbors outside for two hours Monday.
• Peach tea is the best.

Narcissism

First time I have had "bangs" in 15 years. I swore off them when I self inflected them on myself. But these I SWEAR are not bangs, or so my stylist says.

Ouch this shot looks Soccer Mom-ish, but hey it can be sexy, funky or Soccer-y.

So what do you think? I cut off 10 to 15 inches depending where. I Love it!

The Busy Day

Fridays are the days when everything that needs to get done gets done. My list today isn't daunting or scary, just full, and I am enjoying that. I like to be busy from the first moment to the last moment, well at least once I get started. The getting started part is always the hardest for me. Today my list looks like this:

1. Finish Office paperwork and payment schedules
2. Finish March Budget
3. Update February budget
4. Laundry
5. Get Groceries for the weekend and week
6. Vacuum all the carpet, all the way to the edges
7. Spot clean said carpet, Mr. Muffinator had some issues that I missed apparently.
8. Clean up studio space.
9. Post office!!
10. Clean out the garage, meaning sweep it out, hose it out, let air out while drying. when it houses three big dogs in it at night, it can get funky.
11. Meal Plans for the next week, super important to the grocery shopping part.
12. Have a sugar scrub and super Shea butter treatment, oh my poor flaking skin.

Its 8am and I am armed with my list. Time to get cracking!