I’m On An Adjusted Sleep Schedule!
That title is from New Girl, the TV show. I won’t go into why that’s funny because, 1. I AM on an adjusted sleep schedule!; 2. It’s late, and I’m trying to hurry and type fast; 3. I am lazy and don’t want to; 4. If you don’t watch the show you won’t think it’s funny anyway; and 5. Watch the show!; but 6. It’s probably too late, because the end of the world is fast approaching and the show airs on Monday, and this is Thursday, and I think you missed your last chance earlier in the week; and 7. Major sad face all around 😦 Emoticon. Finite. The End.
That’s our chalk family portrait done by my daughter over the summer in the driveway. I was trying to find just-the-right-picture for this close-to-the-end post and as I was browsing through my many, many, many bird pics, I saw this one, and bonus(!), it looks like we are all waving. Waving goodbye! It’s perfect!
So I don’t really think that the world is going to end in 24 hours or so, but, if it does, I will tell you this: One, I am avoiding Facebook like the plague. I can’t even imagine what people are posting about it. I mean the whole 12/12/12 thing was bad enough. I hope it’s mostly jokes. But I will never know. Two, I have the day off. Thursday. So technically I get to spend the entire last day on Earth (provided the world is ending at midnight going into the 21st) with my family! We will all die in our sleep I guess, in the house, or something…I’m not sure how it will end. Quickly I hope. I don’t want to live in a zombie world. Too old. Too tired. Isn’t the whole zombie thing played out? Like vampires? Three, If the world keeps spinning and spills into Friday, I’m good until, like, 1:30 at least on the 21st. Then I have to go to work. My kids will be at school. The BF will be at work. All of us scattered around Illinois. That would be sad. But, Four, Even sadder would be if the world crawls its sick self all the way until midnight on Friday. The kids and BF will be snug in their beds and I’ll be driving on the expressway. Blah humbug.
At any rate, this is something I wanted to sneak in, just in case. Thanks for reading. Thanks for checking every day, whoever you are, and keeping me active with approx 10-20 reader “hits”. Or the same reader over and over. Either way. Even if you were just randomly searching and came across the site and stopped for a minute just to scan the words and liked even one sentence, I thank you. Also: I love my kids. And the BF. My family. My friends. And that feeling of peace and comfort and total relaxation that I get at 8 am when I am laying in my bed, on my side, covered to the neck in a heavy, warm, down comforter, eyes closed, body loose, about to go back to sleep, after getting the kids up at 6ish to send them to school, and after going to bed around 2-ish (3-ish or even 4-ish, like tonight) because I stay up too late after work playing stupid app games on my phone and because I’m not tired. Whiny whiny whiner. That feeling right before falling totally asleep again is really the best feeling. Like, I could die on the spot and not care if that’s how it felt, kind of feeling. Deep sigh. Then shake it off, because yuck! Too much. Too ghastly for tonight. Wasn’t my intention to make this, possibly the last post, so long and wordy. I can’t even reign it in near the end. And I need to wrap this up seriously and get to bed already.
I actually have a plan for the day and it involves doing, and completing, every single Christmas thing I need to have done before the big day, especially since I have to work right up until we do our family Christmas. That would be Sunday. I am off Monday, Christmas Eve, and that’s when I wanted to do my personal family x-mas. Just me and the BF and the kids. And the Sears repair man. Oh yeah. Did I mention that my clothes dryer took a big crap a few days ago and that I also have to go do laundry tomorrow, at an outside facility (outside the house, not actually outside outside)? No? Well it did. And I do. And the repair guy is coming on Christmas Eve morning to fix it (I hope). Sucks for him because he has to work. I am only off on Monday because it’s my regular day off, otherwise I would be working too. That would have been a fun family x-mas to remember. The kids are going with their dad, later in the Christmas Eve afternoon, the way they always do, and since I have to work on Christmas anyway (First time. EVER. In my whole life. I was soooo spoiled with that office job) I won’t see them again until I get home on x-mas or the next morning. On Wednesday. Just another day. Also a day that I have to work. No more winter breaks or office shut downs for me. Oh well. That’s why everything has to be done tomorrow.
But don’t get the wrong idea, I am not complaining. Big whip, a broken dryer and no time to buy a present? Boo hoo, cry me a river. I know that I already have what is most important in my life right now and I won’t waste any time fretting over something like wet clothes and a botched up day. My kids are with me. I have a fab BF. And a rockin’ set of family and friends. I have a pretty decent job, some money to spend, and a house to live in. It’s good enough. I think I already said that earlier in this Armageddon novel, but it bears repeating all the same.
I also have a list and a plan and a general direction of which stores and in what order and what needs to be done in my house. Like, all of it. I dragged all the decorations out into the living room, 3 big boxes worth, and put out about 4 of them. 4 single decorations. 5 if you count the tree. It has lights and a star. And one decoration. It’s a green glitter glass ball ornament that my daughter got from school. I thought, at first, it would be the starting point. Then I thought, well, we can just have the one ornament, like it’s a “thing”, and move it around every day. Then I had another thought: We can just have one ornament. And it can just stay where it’s at. Bottom left when you look at the tree, hanging off the lowest fake branch. Picture proof coming right up.
Anyway I really do have to end this. It’s almost 4 am Chicago time. No, now it is 4 am. Almost 4:30. Tick tock. The weather is supposed to take a big fat ugly turn in a few hours and dump our first sticky snowfall on us here. But right now it is pouring rain. Pouring. Like non-stop. And it has been since I left work at 11. That is 5 hours of fun rainfall just soaking in and pooling up all over the cold-ass ground. They say the temps are going to drop, and the rain will turn to snow. That’s good right? Snow covered ice slicks all over everywhere. Damn Midwest. The BF has work. The kids have school. My son is sick and has had a 102 degree temp for 2 nights in a row now. He hasn’t had a fever in years and years. But he went to school with that temp down to a cool 101 on Wednesday for finals and he has to go again today for more finals. He’s tough. Both my kids are tough. But I still wake them up every day for school because I can.
Here’s to all the hard working, staying up late, getting it done people I write all this crap for. Have a very merry Pre-Christmas and Weekend-Before the holiday. I will try and write more words in the next few hours and days to come if time and the universe allow. I apologize for all the “likes” used in conversational phrasing and the numbering thing/gimmick. I also used way too many commas, parentheses, and italics. I just can’t help myself sometimes. I love love love English and punctuation! What a nerd! Thanks for hanging out with me anyway. Peace, and that picture as promised. Later.
Weather Update!
Going with a blue theme. And continuing with the “people reflected in ornaments/windows/etc..” theme. That’s Stevie. I am still trying to take down the decorations, so I have to use up the rest of these holiday themed pictures. I figure I can push it another week and that’s really it. Also, I meant to update the weather yesterday because I know my cousins depend on me to fill this internet space, and their valuable time, with information they can easily get by walking outside. Plus it’s been real nice. Like unseasonably nice. So nice that there is talk now of: “THE HORRIBLE WEATHER TO COME!!” Dun dun dun. We love predicting blizzards and snowfall that will be higher than our houses. Eh. I say it’s fine. It’s not really a matter of, one month of nice equals 3 months of crappy. It all depends on the winds and the atmosphere and the isotopes and all that meteorological stuff. If the world wants to warm up and top off right about here, I’m good with it. I’ll take rain and wind over white-outs and sleet any day. Anyway, it was a balmy 45 in the daytime yesterday and dropped to about 33 or so by night. It was very windy but I thought it felt kind of good. So imagine my surprise this morning when it was snowing! And some even stuck to the grass! Right now, at 5 pm, Monday, it’s cold. Not ridiculous cold, 23 degrees, (which I guess is pretty cold actually), but it’s not snowing. And it’s not too windy so it feels ok. Besides, I hear 50 degrees is on the way again by the end of the week. Yay! Global warming!
So that’s my update for now. No phone calls for any jobs today but I’m sure they will tomorrow. This is the year of positive thinking, all day, every day. I’m also going to go to the store and buy myself another interview blouse. I love Stevie doing the laundry for me, but she washed and dried my already snug blouse, and now it’s a little too small for me to stuff my upper body into. You know that scene in Tommy Boy? Fat guy in a little coat? Picture sausage arms in a black fitted blouse. Three quarter sleeves are not sexy when they are so tight your forearms have fat rolls. And speaking of rolls…I also need to purchase a pair of jeans (or two). I’ve lost another pair of jeans to the “thigh rub hole”. That’s where your jeans wear and tear at the place where your legs touch at the upper thigh area. Not everyone has this problem. Some people actually have a space between their legs and the material never touches. I say good for them. I am jealous, but can’t seem to ever exercise enough to open that gap. I guess it’s a lipo thing. But back to me. I am not now, nor have I ever been, one of those people. I am a thigh toucher. A corduroy avoider. I cannot be making noises while wearing my clothes (swish swish swish) c’mon, some of you know what I’m talking about. Besides that, I have other stuff that needs to be done on the big transformative 2012. Like get skinny. Well, not skinny. I am aiming for pre-child weight. I’d say baby weight but it’s been 14 years so that’s kind of pushing it. It’s probably attainable as long as I stop welcoming the day with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. (So tasty though, and if you microwave them to just the right temp you can literally smoosh them into a small enough lump that can fit into your mouth whole! That seems healthy!)
OK this wasn’t supposed to be this long. This is my third paragraph of winding this up. My kids have left again to go have dinner with their dad, and the BF is on the way with Chinese food. We were supposed to go to the gym as part of the new year, new you, but since they left unexpectedly and it’s really still kind of sort of a holiday technically legally recognized based on the fact that all of the banks and libraries are closed and there was no mail as an excuse to continue the bad habits until tomorrow when the year officially begins, this is what I am doing for just one more day. Posting. Eating. And half-ass laundrying and undecorating. I did manage to throw alot of junk food away today and will send the rest packing with the BF to his office tomorrow. One thing done. I even cleaned out the garage a little bit and have much garbage prepared for the morning. Two things! And now I will really end this post so I can clear a space on our table so we can settle in and let the food shoveling begin.
PS. For Amanda: Guess what the BF was getting me today at work? Are you ready for a really really really really long winter of annoying posts?? Are you? P. 90. X. 2. Yep. TWO. T-W-O. The second version. Doesn’t matter if I can’t even finish the first set. I shall attempt 90 days of one and then 90 days of two. I will fail I am sure. BUT. I can annoy you with it for 6 months!!! Happy New Year my darling sister!!! XO XO XO, or should I put, P90 X-O (hee hee hee) Forevah!
Sunshine and clear skies!
I love a Christmas Eve that is sunny and clear! Snow is highly overrated in places where it falls on a regular basis for half the year. It still feels special and the brightness just lights everything up with that extra energy boost that can move you through a long day. The kids protest Christmas music so we are listening to the fastest, poppiest, rock and dance songs that we have. It’s actually very cheery over here. And, the TV is not on. Another small Christmas miracle.
The above picture is from a gift my mom had given me a long time ago. It’s not really very holidayish but I keep it with my Christmas stuff and bring it out every year. It was really catching all that light this morning, so I took its picture and here you go. One bright wish for the coming days.
Happy Thanksgiving!
It always starts and ends with them! Grateful for the two best things I ever did! And as you can see by the joyful looks on their faces this is likely to be the ONLY picture I can get with both of them in a somewhat holiday-type scene!
I know it’s a little late in the day but we are just getting ready to go and have dinner with the family. And this time I get to have my kids too! They usually hang with their dad, but we are shaking it up this year! Crazy right?? I think we are even going out later to brave the Black Friday shopping frenzy with all the maniacs trying to get an 80 inch TV for 5 dollars. I will not be trampled for low priced electronic merchandise! However, these kids of mine want tablets and the stores are going nuts with the cheap prices and my children have burning hot pockets full of birthday cash they can’t wait to spend. Long night ahead.
Love to all my family, friends and fans wherever you are in your world! Thanksgiving is a day that kicks off a holiday season that feels like hope and new beginnings! Anything is possible!
Everyone, be safe. Be merry. And if you are going out too, BE CAREFUL!! Maybe I’ll see you as we are all running for the doors at midnight! Later!
Torn! X-Mas Catalog Number 2!
It’s a Christmas catalog. But it’s the NFL Christmas catalog.
I want to say this one came the next day after the Target one. We were all pretty excited for this one. Including me. I think I even vocalized an “oooh” or two. Being the proud owner of three NFL Reebok Women’s Premier Jersey’s, I am loving the fact that I now get a catalog mailed to me for easy shopping reminders.Well, it was technically mailed to the BF, but since it’s the same address…what’s yours is mine right?? I was going through quite a football phase the last two years. It probably had a lot to do with the extreme stress I was feeling with nursing school. I needed something to focus on other than failing out. Which of course, if you’ve been reading this website for any length of time, you know that I did not. I am an RN, even if I don’t have a job to prove it. Anyway, the point is, I kind of lost my manic devotion to football this season, as I underestimated how much more intense the feeling of failure would be when I couldn’t find a job right away. Football is not helping this time. It’s not diverting like it used too. Probably because even though I’m still in school, my class is Wednesday and there is no football anywhere near that day to distract me from my homework. I do that all on my own now. So it’s not like much has changed. Again, if you read this site, even  occasionally, you know that I spend all day chasing after jobs and all night wasting study time goofing around here or just watching TV. It’s sad really. I got to take someone to the doctor last week and I had a long opportunity to read that never ending book by Denis Leary. I was hoping to finish it so I could finally post about it and be done. Seeing as I originally talked about it 2 years ago. Anyway, you would think I could just take an hour out of one afternoon and finish the stupid thing already. It’s embarrassingly easy to read, with fairly large type and lots of short, double-spaced sentences. It even has pictures in the middle! I’m not kidding when I say I could have read that book in a few hours many years ago, but my brain has altered its core function so that it is now only able to concentrate in short, random bursts. Like firecrackers. Not even. More like snap pops, those things you throw on the ground that make a popping noise. My brain kind of bubbles gently rather than erupting violently anymore. See? I just typed an entire paragraph in a direction that nobody saw coming. Not even me.
Let me see. Scroll back up. Re-read. Pick up original topic. I don’t even know what my original topic was going to be! I guess it was about the catalog. It’s football. I still want another jersey to add to my collection. My sister says they are quite flattering and very fashionable. I know she is being sarcastic, but it gives my mom something to buy for me. Actually this year, I might need a new stethoscope and some work shoes so I may go with that instead. (hint hint Rita) The other thing about the catalog is that they have the Green Bay Packers featured on the front. SuperBowl champs you know. 8 and Zero at this posting time. With my favorite player in the NFL right now, Clay Matthews. Number 52. He’s the jersey I got for my birthday. It’s so pretty and green. Really brings out the color in my eyes too. I included the Green Bay thing because, 1, Clay Matthews really is my fav right now. 2, they are undefeated. And 3, I wanted to talk about football in some post, so it looks like this is it! My original favorite, and very first jersey, was Peyton Manning, of the Indianapolis Colts, who I still love, but sadly has been injured this year and is unable to play. His past winning SuperBowl team is now Zero and 9. It’s painful to watch and the news is always saying how bad Peyton wants to come back, and how he keeps trying to find ways to play, but I just want to call and tell him it’s just not worth it. He could be paralyzed with one wrong hit and no football game or amount of money is worth that risk. I feel so strongly you would think that we were actually friends. We’re not. Or that I at least knew him or his family. I don’t. Or that I knew someone that knew him or was friends on Facebook. Nope. This is probably how the “casually following” type person begins the “dedicated stalker” journey to crazy. My last contribution to this football paragraph is to say that my third jersey is an Eli Manning. It was really the second one I got, but third in this list. Eli is Peyton’s little brother and quarterback of the NY Giants. Interesting that I have both brothers. One step closer to the evening news!
Ok last thing. Well, two last things. I just typed another whole paragraph NOT on the subject I wanted too. And it was almost as long. This will be it for the night. I was going to try and read while I keep watch on my daughter, who is pretty sick tonight, but I can’t concentrate with the worry. I think I better try to sleep. We will be going to the doctor in the morning so it’s a good thing I didn’t finish that book today because now I can bring it with me tomorrow when I take her.
The very last thing is, that I noticed the NFL Shop catalog also threw out the word “holiday.” It’s an epidemic.
Holidays to all and to all a goodnight!
Because Christmas will be starting promptly at…..NOW!
NEVER underestimate the power of the TOY catalog for Christmas! Even if your kids are teenagers now. Even if they are 6 feet tall. Even if they begrudgingly dress up for Halloween and complain that trick-or-treating is lame, but still go out there and then eat so much candy that they are sick the next morning. Even if they barely let you take a picture of them in said costumes. These children are powerless against the allure of the magical and colorful, red-ringed, fake wreath of holiday, dunt, dunt, dunnnn, TOYS!! No child can resist. Mine could care less about anything other than video or audio products, but they still like to look. They get all excited and starry-eyed. It’s sick. And truthfully, I think parents like to look too. What else would you have to talk about with the other desperate parents just before you shoot yourself in the head after the second hour of potentially paralyzing, soul killing fun at the Monkey Joe’s or Extreme Trampoline?? Yeah yeah….I signed the waiver…it’s my own damn fault.
The only negative comment I have on the greed of Christmas commerce being shoved down our throats two months early, and the fake anxious panic Target is trying to instill in parents everywhere by deadlining all these “great deals” by November 23, (not even Thanksgiving yet!), when they damn well know everybody who missed these first great deals will be flocking to their stores the Friday after for even better deals, is that their catalog is UGLY!! U-G-L-Y! You make your momma cry! You’re ugly!! Seriously. My picture is pretty true to life. And I tried to get it against a nice, dark background to make it look better. It’s not even a true white cover to give the red something to really “pop” against. It’s this sick, creamy, off-white, dingy pearl color. And speaking of the red, it’s too red. Like, dark red. It makes the green look like lime and not Christmas tree. I am NOT a fan of red and green together. Especially Christmas red and green. But if you’re going to print and mail the first toy catalog of the season you should make the cover bright and cheerful, and not some half assed attempt that looks like it got thrown together on somebody’s lunch break the day before Halloween. Not to mention the failure to use toys from this year. Buzz, Lightning McQueen, Elmo, Barbie, Rubik’s Cube, Etch-a-Sketch, Yahtzee?!?–thank goodness Hollywood cooperates every year with Christmas sales and releases another installment of the same movie so companies can use the same toys with new packaging.
That seemed kind of rough and harsh. I like Christmas actually. It always feel like something good is about to happen. But I kind of like my Christmas to wait until after Thanksgiving before it shows up and carol’s me to death. It doesn’t feel very special when it’s been going on for weeks and weeks and weeks. I also like Target. They do have good deals and they have had much better catalogs. It’s all about eye appeal. Luckily kids don’t care. The clever market research team probably told them not to bother with a fancy look because this is the catalog the kids are just going to flip and tear. Mine did.
All this rainy day, gloomy evening, dark-at-4:30 ranting post (Weather update! That’s for my newest official reader/cousin Linda. Shout out!) has made me thirsty! And since it is dark now, it must be nighttime, and that earlier talk of lime reminded me that I have Corona in the fridge. (That is some “chain of reference” for my other cuz Lorraine. Holler!) And just for the hell of it…Go Sox! (For my sissy, not forgotten, you were the first after all, and next year of course, ’cause baseball season is over. Woop! woop!) Later.
Quick extra note, without comment: The front cover does not say “Christmas” or reference “Santa” specifically. It does on the inside though. Holiday is all you get for now.
Happy Easter!
Sorry for the LONG delay…I have been busy with school…it is winding down, so more frequent posts should be coming. BUT, I could not let this day pass without sharing the love from some of our neighborhood entrepreneurs.
Yes that's a liquor store in the background. I ask you, Can a businessman help it, if that's what happens to be on the busiest selling corner?? People gotta drink. And they need Easter baskets. That's just good marketing.
just shy of pretty 