Our domain server went down over the weekend. All the files were uploaded for our main website, but the picture files from a few posts down were lost, and I'm too lazy to repost them right now. You'll live.
Planning for the week ahead. Oughta be fun. Two plays, kids' outings and other stuff. Makes me tired just to think about it, though, so off to bed!
20 March 2005
19 March 2005
Fun on a Saturday
If you want a good laugh, combined with a test of your vocabulary skills, try explaining the definition of the slang usage of the word "douchebag" to a teenager from Brazil.
17 March 2005
Back in my place
So after my bitchfest yesterday, I start my daily round of devotions to be confronted by this...
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. —Psalm 103:2
The theme? Count your blessings. Translation: shut up and clean up your basement and be glad you have a house to maintain. *sigh* Yes, Sir.
I am exceedingly and publicly thankful to our friend Mark who did the grunting, lifting and shoving necessary for the sewer project yesterday. I am thankful that we were able to rent the $40 unit and do it ourselves instead of making the $150 service call. I am thankful that my basement floor is concrete. I am thankful that I have a working washer and dryer. I am thankful that we discovered the problem before it got out of hand. I am thankful that because I was home dealing with the mess, I got a phone call from an old friend that I otherwise would have missed.
I really do feel better now.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. —Psalm 103:2
The theme? Count your blessings. Translation: shut up and clean up your basement and be glad you have a house to maintain. *sigh* Yes, Sir.
I am exceedingly and publicly thankful to our friend Mark who did the grunting, lifting and shoving necessary for the sewer project yesterday. I am thankful that we were able to rent the $40 unit and do it ourselves instead of making the $150 service call. I am thankful that my basement floor is concrete. I am thankful that I have a working washer and dryer. I am thankful that we discovered the problem before it got out of hand. I am thankful that because I was home dealing with the mess, I got a phone call from an old friend that I otherwise would have missed.
I really do feel better now.
16 March 2005
Misconceptions about Strong Women
There are a few drawbacks to being a strong woman. I think I qualify as one. Certainly I think most of my husband's family thinks I'm a dowright bitch.
I tend to run in a circle of strong, outspoken women. We frequently hear jokes about being domineering and headstrong. Even though we take it in good humor it gets a little tiring sometimes, at least from my point of view.
Being strong is not always a good thing. People just assume you can handle something. A couple of years back, a very strong friend of mine had a miscarriage. I asked her if she wanted a hug. Later, I could have kicked myself. I had to ASK? What the hell was I thinking? Because she isn't a delicate little flower, I thought maybe she wouldn't react the same way to a physical show of support. How stupid of me. That same friend is now dealing with a (successful) c-section that went septic. She's dealing with it just fine, by all appearances, but I'll bet she's sick and tired of having to.
I've about had my limit of things I can handle. I am working part-time and student teaching full-time. For which I don't get paid, by the way, thanks to everyone who's asked how much student teachers make. With Kyle's back being out, the housework, especially our laundry is way behind. I've been able to do about 2 loads a day, with help from the elder children. We kind of recycle the same clothes off the top of the heap as the bedding and extras pile up. Unfortunately, part of the heap winds up on the basement floor. This morning I went down to get clean clothes and discovered the sewer had backed up all over the basement floor. There are days when I've just had enough, and I want to go sit in the corner and cry. I don't have time for that. I have to try to run a snake before I call the rooter guy, because the last time this happened, he wasn't much help anyway. I'll call as a last resort before I spend $150. Then I have to wash laundry for hours, either here, if the sewer works, or at the laundromat.
Enough venting. Back to it. As soon as I go to the neighbors and use the bathroom.
I tend to run in a circle of strong, outspoken women. We frequently hear jokes about being domineering and headstrong. Even though we take it in good humor it gets a little tiring sometimes, at least from my point of view.
Being strong is not always a good thing. People just assume you can handle something. A couple of years back, a very strong friend of mine had a miscarriage. I asked her if she wanted a hug. Later, I could have kicked myself. I had to ASK? What the hell was I thinking? Because she isn't a delicate little flower, I thought maybe she wouldn't react the same way to a physical show of support. How stupid of me. That same friend is now dealing with a (successful) c-section that went septic. She's dealing with it just fine, by all appearances, but I'll bet she's sick and tired of having to.
I've about had my limit of things I can handle. I am working part-time and student teaching full-time. For which I don't get paid, by the way, thanks to everyone who's asked how much student teachers make. With Kyle's back being out, the housework, especially our laundry is way behind. I've been able to do about 2 loads a day, with help from the elder children. We kind of recycle the same clothes off the top of the heap as the bedding and extras pile up. Unfortunately, part of the heap winds up on the basement floor. This morning I went down to get clean clothes and discovered the sewer had backed up all over the basement floor. There are days when I've just had enough, and I want to go sit in the corner and cry. I don't have time for that. I have to try to run a snake before I call the rooter guy, because the last time this happened, he wasn't much help anyway. I'll call as a last resort before I spend $150. Then I have to wash laundry for hours, either here, if the sewer works, or at the laundromat.
Enough venting. Back to it. As soon as I go to the neighbors and use the bathroom.
14 March 2005
Hooray for consumer debt!
There is a new-to-me minvan in front of my house tonight. Woohoo! I owe the bank more tonight than I did this morning. D'oh! Anyway, the Pontiac Montana is the new kid-hauler of choice. Time to hose off the Oldsmobile and put a "For Sale" sign in the window.
13 March 2005
All's quiet...
Pretty uneventful of late. We had a pretty busy week brewing on the homefront, but happily it was a low-prep week for me at school. My students were working on performances and papers, so not a lot of "lessons" per se. It was to be a two-concert week for my kids, but two little sickos sat out one of the concerts. I worked a bit, so I felt busy.
Kyle had a frustratingly short reprieve from his pain, but now is as miserable as ever. At least we know now that steroid treatment works, so we can see what other options are out there along those lines. Its making all of us tired. He's unable to sleep much past 4 am on any given morning. Although the new memory foam bed is true to its claim that you can't really feel someone else moving around in bed, it doesn't do anything for hearing them. All in all, I've been pretty pleased with the new bed.
Better go now and herd the cats off to church.
Kyle had a frustratingly short reprieve from his pain, but now is as miserable as ever. At least we know now that steroid treatment works, so we can see what other options are out there along those lines. Its making all of us tired. He's unable to sleep much past 4 am on any given morning. Although the new memory foam bed is true to its claim that you can't really feel someone else moving around in bed, it doesn't do anything for hearing them. All in all, I've been pretty pleased with the new bed.
Better go now and herd the cats off to church.
07 March 2005
Full speed ahead
This week is going to be a long one. I am required to be at school from 7:45 until 3:45 daily. Often I go early or stay late to accomodate make-up work or meetings. Tonight we had a band concert. Tomorrow is the Tuesday marathon; I stay in town, two older go to play practice, younger I meet at library, do shopping and errands until two back-to-back dance classes, then home about 7:30. Wednesday I work my "real" job 4-9. Thursday is a choir concert. Friday I work again, as well as Saturday and Sunday. Whoda thunk a Monday would look so good?
We started Thing 1's debutante training last weekend. One of the really cool things about a small town is cheap, accessible space. The town hall here can be rented for $35. T1 had asked if her dad would set up his DJ equipment in the basement for her birthday. For $35, he could set up the DJ stuff and I wouldn't have to clean my house. Bonus is that Kyle knows his music and clientele, and won't play filth for the kids. So my daughter got to throw herself a dance for her birthday. I came out cheaper than taking the 7-year old bowling with her friends. I'm thinking this will be the plan from now on.
Hubby and I went to see The Gaithers in concert Friday night. We got our money's worth. Four hours of gospel music. Wow. It was a great variety: some family singing groups, a few southern gospel soloists, a bluegrass group, and a couple of men's quartets, along with some awesome CC soloists. Well worth the cost of admission. I shake my head at our eclectic music tastes, though. Among the concerts I have seen in my life: Rick Springfield, Michael W. Smith, Quiet Riot, Alice Cooper, Blues Traveler, Ronnie Milsap, and now the Gaithers. My husband saw Deep Purple, Ozzy and the Scorpions at an outdoor festival. We've been to REO Speedwagon, REM, ZZ Topp, and stood in awe of BB King. We watched Kansas blow Lynrd Skynrd off the stage. What a long strange trip it has been, indeed.
We started Thing 1's debutante training last weekend. One of the really cool things about a small town is cheap, accessible space. The town hall here can be rented for $35. T1 had asked if her dad would set up his DJ equipment in the basement for her birthday. For $35, he could set up the DJ stuff and I wouldn't have to clean my house. Bonus is that Kyle knows his music and clientele, and won't play filth for the kids. So my daughter got to throw herself a dance for her birthday. I came out cheaper than taking the 7-year old bowling with her friends. I'm thinking this will be the plan from now on.
Hubby and I went to see The Gaithers in concert Friday night. We got our money's worth. Four hours of gospel music. Wow. It was a great variety: some family singing groups, a few southern gospel soloists, a bluegrass group, and a couple of men's quartets, along with some awesome CC soloists. Well worth the cost of admission. I shake my head at our eclectic music tastes, though. Among the concerts I have seen in my life: Rick Springfield, Michael W. Smith, Quiet Riot, Alice Cooper, Blues Traveler, Ronnie Milsap, and now the Gaithers. My husband saw Deep Purple, Ozzy and the Scorpions at an outdoor festival. We've been to REO Speedwagon, REM, ZZ Topp, and stood in awe of BB King. We watched Kansas blow Lynrd Skynrd off the stage. What a long strange trip it has been, indeed.
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