When life gives you lemons, ask for tequila and salt

It's Hootman!

2005-10-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

Sierra with Hootie and The Blankie, taken last Christmas

Tonight I realized something...a tremendous amount of power in my household is held by a small gray stuffed animal we have named Hootie. He is Sierra's favorite stuffed animal. Hootie was a gift from Uncles Charlie and Chris last year, along with "The Blankie." Hootie and The Blankie are sacred items. You don't screw with them. They have power. Wonderous calming power. We even have a little chant: One, two, three, four. What the hell are we fightin' for? It's Hootman!

Now, the reason that I'm telling you all of this is that Hootie isn't home tonight. He's out galavanting in the van, where we unfortunately left him this morning. Rusty stayed in Jefferson City tonight after work, and I didn't even think about Hootie being in the van. Bedtime tonight was.....not as easy as I would have liked. As it turns out, even toddlers are not easily fooled. No matter how many stuffed animals I attempted, none were Hootie. My daughter looked at me like I was an idiot. I just love it when she gives me that look like I'm the dumbest person on the planet...and I thought I'd have to wait until she's a teenager.

A little Sunday Drive

2005-10-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

The Reid Clan at Meramec Springs

This weekend we took a little Sunday drive with our friends Will and Angie to Meramec Springs State Park for their celebration of Old Iron Works Days. It's a thing that they do twice a year. Lots of good historical stuff and every craft known to man. It's like a craft fair with a 19th century theme. Pretty cool. We wandered around, fed the fish and had lots-o-family-fun.

Sierra and Mommy feeding the fish.

My Mommy's Tattoo

2005-10-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the tattoo my mom got when we went to Columbia. Turned out very well! I wish the picture did it justice.

Just another Saturday night

2005-09-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Last night Rusty and I took my mom to Columbia to the place where we got our tattoos. Rusty got his touched up, and I got a new one! I love it. He did a beautiful job. Anyway, my mom is turning 50 on October 5th, and she has been wanting one of her own. She hadn't planned on getting one while we were there, but she went home with one! When I get a pic of it, I'll upload that too. (I fianally got the program downloaded so I can upload pics to my blog. More random pics to come!)

Also, we have kind of bonded with our tattoo artist, Jason. When Rusty got is tattoo done we were there for like 4 hours. His wife Jenny and I were both pregnant at the time gabbed a lot. (Of course, she was tiny and looked like she had swallowed a basketball. I, on the other hand, was the size of a small house.) Come to find out, we were due on the same day. So, now when we go in there we all have to compare baby pics. It's just bizarre, but cute.

I can't tell you how funny it is to hang out with your mom at a tattoo parlor on a Satuday night...especially in Columbia. While were were there a myriad of college kids drifted in and out getting tattoos and piercings, talking about how their parents were going to react. Meanwhile, I'm laughing as my mom is sitting right next to me. Ah, the special joys of family bonding.

Spring has sprung, fall has fell

2005-09-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my favorite time of year. Today is the first day of fall, which has for some reason become my favorite part of the year. When I was a kid I kind of dreaded fall because it meant going back to school. Now I look forward to it. Rusty and I seem to have had an action packed spring and summer. But fall brings a slow down in our schedule. We're a lot like bears...we hibernate for the winter. I'm gearing up for cool mornings, big pots of chili and hanging out in my comfy Raiders sweatshirt. Also, this year I'm kinda looking forward to a little snow. She won't be able to stay long, but I'll bet that Sierra will want to play in the snow this year.

Random thoughts.....

Today was one of those days of random thoughts. Maybe that's because work was so freakin busy that I didn't get to finish a complete thought before I had to move on to something else. I was sitting at my desk at one point today, and found myself thinking about the movie Chasing Amy. Don't ask why, because I have no answer. Anyway, there I was thinking about Chasing Amy and wondering, "I wonder what Kevin Smith is doing right now." For those of you who don't know who Kevin Smith is, he is the genius behind Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, Chasing Amy and Jersey Girl. I highly recommend checking out his website, www.viewaskew.com.

Of course, I have no clue what he was doing at that very moment, but I'm hoping he's creating another cinematic work of art from which I can steal another witty line or two.

Ok, it's getting past my bedtime, and I'm starting to turn into a pumpkin.

Greetings from the Slacker

2005-09-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks! My posts have been pretty sporadic, and I know, I am a slacker. Admittance is the first step. Gotta start somewhere, right?

Ok, here's a little of what I've been up to lately. First of all, the beginning of August I started yet another new job. My job with the arthritis program was eliminated due to budget cuts. (thank you republican Governor Blunt.) Fortunately, my bosses worked to find me a new job with the department. I moved over to the Special Health Care Needs unit. Great place. Love the job more than the last one, and my boss rocks. I love anyone with great use of obscenities. One of my very favorite qualities. Anyway, I'm part of the Information & Logistics Team and I also assist the coordinator for the Healthy Children & Youth program. It's good stuff that they're doing, and it's nice to be a part of something that really does help people. (Mostly kids, which is even better.)

On the home front, Sierra is getting so big. Well, not really big. She's only put on about a pound or two since January. But what I am referring to is the number of things that she can do now. She's not talking as much as I would really like, but we're getting there. She has gotten really good at letting us know what she wants. For instance, when she's thirsty she bangs on the fridge door. It may not sound like much, but for those of you who have small children, you know how nice it is when they finally start communicating a little more with you.

Rusty is good. He's sucked in to a new computer game. I have to admit that this one has me too. Guild Wars is an obsession at our house now.

Our major trip of the summer was to the zoo with our friends Angie and Will. Their son is about six months older than Sierra, so we must have been insane to take off to St. Louis in the heat of the summer with two toddlers. Strangely enough, it turned out well. We all had a blast. The penguin exhibit rocked. Of course, after a super hot day, a 40 degree building would have been awesome even if it didn't have anything in it.

This last Saturday I managed to survive my 10 year high school reunion. It wasn't quite like I imagined it would be, which is a good thing. I had visions of sitting around with all the people I had been less than crazy about. Fortunately, those people didn't show up. The ones who did were mostly the people I hung out with. I saw one who I hadn't seen since shortly after graduation. Michelle was there, of course. I don't get to see her very often, so that was nice. Also, Will and Angie went. (Will was in my class.) It was pleasant, I have to admit. Sierra wasn't as cooperative as I really would have liked, but she wasn't too bad. I think she was just kinda bored, and considering that she did really well. Anyway, I'm not sure exactly how many of my classmates showed up, but I'd say it was around a dozen. Granted, there were only around 50 of us to begin with.
I have to admit that it was kind of nice to see how everyone had changed. All of us are showing a bit of that 10 years of age, some more than others. I'm glad to know that the gods have evened the score for some of us a bit.

Until next time....

Posts

2005-06-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm an idiot. I've sent a couple posts that I just discovered didn't post to this page. I just wasn't smart enough to check to make sure that it posted. (No comments from the peanut gallery, please. Yes, Chelle, that means you too.)

Random question for the day....if you could be like Katie Holmes, and end up engaged to the person who's poster was on your wall as a kid, who would it be? I remember the first real poster I had. It was Don Johnson on one side and Rob Lowe on the other. That was followed up by Chad Allen (should have known he was too pretty to be straight), Jason Bateman, Charlie Sheen and Michael J. Fox. Not to mention massive ones of the New Kids. (I still love Donnie!!!!) From that I went on to posters of male strippers. (I think my mom was actually pretty fond of that phase, all truth be told.) I had a favorite. I think his name was Robert Parish. My final decor was a massive alter to professional wrestlers. Those were my favorite. Yummy.

I'm feeling a little quirky today. I am listening to the collection of music I made as sort of a soundtrack from college. Currently I am doing the Macarena....naked beneath my clothes.

Some random thoughts......

2005-05-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

My poor brain is a little fried today, so here's what's left:

Soap operas are like heroin. Heavily addictive and leaving you wanting more. We have the Dish Network version of TiVo. I record As the World Turns and The Young & The Restless everyday. I'm about two or three weeks behind, but I don't care. Just can't get enough of them!!!

I love my job, but sometimes I feel like I should wear a referee's uniform and carry a whistle. This was one of those weeks. No "Plays Well With Others" stickers for my coworkers this week. While we're on the subject of work, after a couple years of being bored to death, it's really hard to adjust to actually working for a living. It is gratifying to know that I may have actually accomplished something at the end of the day. Maybe someone with arthritis was in some way helped by something I did today. Maybe not...but it's nice to think I'm doing something that could be important to someone.

It should be legal to heavily sedate small children. Any of you who have had a small child understand what I am saying. As a teenager, cruising around town was cool. Tonight I did it to put my daughter to sleep. I felt kinda old.

If I get my hands on the teenage girl who lives down the street, I may choke her. She blares her stereo constantly. This neighborhood used to be SO peaceful...until they moved in. Of course, that's probably what the other neighbors thought about us. You know how we love to party. *yawn* It's a shame we can't manage to stay up past 11:00.

Speaking of, my pillow is starting to look really comfy.

Another State Goodie...Especially for those of us who work for state government

2005-05-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

TRIBUNE COLUMN
Blunts plan for boosting morale of state workers falls on deaf ears

By TONY MESSENGER

Published Thursday, May 5, 2005

The wintry winds from last weekend have blown in a few random thoughts that I must share:

Irony is a governor handing out pink slips and then celebrating Public Service Recognition Week.

Welcome to the world of Missouri government in 2005.

In the budget that must be passed by the Missouri General Assembly this week, thousands of state jobs are cut, a directive from Gov. Matt Blunt. No raises are planned. Budgets are tight. Still, the governor wants to tell the rank and file what he thinks of them. So he and his department heads are pushing participation in the national Public Service Recognition Week. The governor even sent out a news release announcing that yesterday he planned to honor the state employees he hasnt fired.

"Missouri is blessed with state employees who are dedicated to helping meet the needs of all Missourians," Blunt said in a news release.

Next year, it will be blessed with about 2,000 fewer such employees.

Some of those who are still around are being subjected to the kind of morale boosting that was best described by one Department of Labor and Industrial Relations employee, a lawyer by trade, as material appropriate for third-graders. New Labor and Industrial Relations Director Tom Deuschle offered incentive for his employees to be festive during Public Service Recognition Week by offering some "fun" activities. The whole week, Deuschle wrote, has been declared a casual work week. "Employees may wear casual attire, including jeans and Capri pants. Monday is red, white and blue day, Tuesday is sports day and Wednesday is hat day."

Capri pants and hats? Where do I sign up?

The winners of trivia contests can earn coupons for later casual dress days, and dont forget, today is snack day.

I feel the morale rising. Dont you?

I'm from a monkey, I might as well act like a monkey....my tax dollars are paying for this crap?

2005-05-06T03:30:00.000-07:00

Despite lively debate, evolution bill looks dead

By Matt Franck

Post-Dispatch Jefferson City Bureau

05/04/2005

JEFFERSON CITY - The bill is probably as extinct as a dodo bird, but that didn't stop a passionate debate Wednesday over evolution and how it ought to be presented in biology textbooks.

The House Education Committee heard 90 minutes of testimony on a bill that would require alternative theories to evolution to be discussed in all biology textbooks sold to Missouri public schools.

As expected, the debate pitted those who laud evolution as the bedrock of modern biology against those who attack it as a fraud. One side said the bill would undermine legitimate science instruction; the other said it would promote critical thinking regarding competing theories.

From a legislative standpoint, the debate was likely a rhetorical exercise. The measure has virtually no hope of passage, given that lawmakers have just over a week to complete their current session. The House Education Committee, which would have to approve the bill, isn't scheduled to meet again this session.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-O'Fallon, has no false hopes for her bill, which is one of several supported by social conservatives that have stalled this year. Davis said she hopes that by getting a hearing, she at least introduces a concept that might catch on in next year's session.

The evolution bill would represent a departure for Missouri, which typically leaves most all decisions on textbooks up to local school districts. The bill would require all textbooks sold to school districts to contain at least a chapter "containing a critical analysis of origins."

The bill further requires texts to draw a distinction between "testable theories of science and philosophical claims that are made in the name of science."

All but one person who testified in favor of the bill were members of two families, both of which home-school their children. Critics included a University of Missouri professor and a representative from the Science Teachers of Missouri, which opposes the bill.

The only fireworks in the otherwise sedate debate came after an evolution critic made an indirect connection between the Columbine school shooting in Littleton, Colo., and evolution instruction.

Ann Ihms, who traveled from her home in Indiana to testify, said the Columbine killers had a disregard for life that could have rooted from the view that humans evolved from lower species.

"What does that cause children to think?" she asked. "If I'm from a monkey, I might as well act like a monkey."

Ihm's remarks prompted a response from Robert Boldt of Jefferson City, who testified against the bill.

"The idea of equating the tragedy of Columbine with evolution is one of the worst acts of demagoguery that I've ever seen," he said.

Davis is among several socially conservative Republicans who had hoped for a fruitful session this year for her bills, given the fact that Missouri has a Republican governor and a Republican-led Legislature for the first time in more than 80 years.

But the Legislature has dedicated its time largely to economic issues, such as school funding and controlling Medicaid costs.

Davis said she believes socially conservative bills will eventually win the support of Republican leaders.

The bill is HB35.

New Pics

2005-05-05T03:18:00.000-07:00

For new pics of the family, check out the OTHER photo album!

Yes, she's mine...

2005-05-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

When Rusty and I pick Sierra up from daycare we always get that nice rundown of things she's done that day. Wednesday's information contained the fact that apparently she found some candy that our sitter's daughter had left from Easter. She got into Shawna's room and scattered candy everywhere. She also managed to sneak a piece or two into her playpen for later. When Dawn went to get her after naptime, she had her face covered in chocolate, and half a chocolate egg was discovered.

Unfortunately, most of the tinfoil wrapper was not found. We can only assume that she ate that too.

It's the little things...

2005-05-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes it's the smallest things in life that make you happy. This has definitely been one of those weeks. For starters, I am blistfully happy that my house, by some strange miracle, is still clean. One whole week. Also, I think I only have one or two loads of laundry to do. It may not seem like much, but I hate spending a whole day doing nothing but laundry and cleaning. That's usually what I end up doing on Sunday.

There is one small thing that's bothering me. Actually, it's several small things. We have an ant problem again. The little bastards are back! Yet again, I am forced to take up my crusade to end the ant problem by use of chemical warfare...in other words, I'm spraying the hell out of them with 409. Fortunately, they haven't made their way to the catfood like they did last year. If they do, I'm ready for their little ant asses! (Insert sadistic laugh here.)

A Day of Accomplishment

2005-04-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Some days just feel more fulfilling than others. I don't know why that is, it's just some rule of nature.

Today I took on one of the greatest chores possible...I cleaned Sierra's room. Since she's not old enough to mess up her own room, I only had myself to blame for the wall-to-wall mess with a narrow walkway. After stubbing my toe on her toys for the millionth time, I decided it was time to take action. Sierra helped me in her typical fashion. She stood in the crib and yelled loudly. I have no idea what she was saying, but I'm pretty sure she was pissed that I was throwing things away as I went.

Second on the list was to give both cats a bath. Yes, you read that right. Each of the cats got a bath today. They've been shedding badly, and the fur had taken over the house. The best way to take care of it is to give them both a bath. It's also a nice way to remind them that they are the pet, and I am the human. Those of you who have cats know that they sometimes need that little reminder. By some miracle, neither of them scratched me. They mostly sat like pathetic drown rats in the tub. I washed one at a time, as the other sat in the floor in front of the tub, staring with a tearfully sympathetic face at the other.

It's not quite ten o'clock. Sierra is in bed, and I hope, asleep. Rusty is in bed, and he's alseep. He spent all day working on the lawn, cleaning out the shed, and cleaning out both vehicles. I shudder to think of what he found in the car. We hadn't cleaned it out in forever. Anyway, almost all the laundry is done. The dishes are in the dishwasher. Sierra's toys aren't scattered across the living room floor. My house is something resembling clean, which is a nice way to start the week. These may seem like small things, but they're damn nice ones. Right now all is right with the world.

Howdy all!

2005-01-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

Hello all! I've been quite a slacker. I haven't posted anything in quite a while!

I've been keeping pretty busy since I posted last. I'm still job searching, but so far have had a couple interviews. I think the holidays have slowed down the hiring process for the majority of the places I applied to. The good thing is that I haven't received any rejection letters. (Which I affectionately refer to at the "fuck off letter.") I see this as nice progress. This Thursday I've got yet another interview. I'm not getting my hopes up, but it would be nice. This job makes more money than my last one!

This Friday is Sierra's birthday. I can't believe my baby is gonna be a year old! Time really does fly when you're having fun. She's crawling everywhere, and any day she's just gonna take off walking. She's holding on to stuff and moves pretty quickly. I'm just waiting for her to get brave enough to let go!

Tiff's Blog becomes Adventures of the Unemployed

2004-11-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life likes to take unexpected turns on you. Friday mine took a bit of a detour.

Late Friday morning I was informed by my that my employment had been terminated. I have to admit, there's still something about that term that I like. I had been terminated. I kept looking around for Arnold Schwartzneger. No such luck. Anyway, such as life goes when working for an elected official, the joys of politics, I was not given a reason for my termination. I asked, but my answer was that the answer had come from "the powers that be." Nothing unusual on the Friday after Election Day. The really crappy part is that I was 6 months away from being invested with the State retirement plan. Sucky, huh?

My first thought was to panic. Run screaming through the office like a mad woman throwing furniture...and then it came. The relief. I don't have to go back there. I'm finally free of that place. I've been miserable there for two and a half years. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about being terminated. I wanted out of that job, it's just not the way I wanted to leave.

Now, here I am. Unemployed. It's terrifying, but I've chosen to follow the advice of my wonderful husband, who was also relieved to hear that I didn't have to go back to that miserable place. It even made me cranky at home. (Although he agrees that it would have been really nice if I had a job to go to first!) Anyway, I'm following his advice. This is an opportunity. Maybe I'll find something closer to home, or at least something that I like much better.

In the meantime, our online store has become a consignment business. We already started advertising, and already have one client.

Welcome to the Adventures of the Umemployed!

Bushed

2004-11-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it’s the day after the election, and I hate this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. For the last few months I held out great hope. Today that hope is rather shattered.

I didn’t vote for George W. Bush four years ago. I remember that feeling of being in front of the television, hanging on Dan Rather’s every word, clinging to the hope that Al Gore would keep Bush away from the presidency. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Here we are, four years later, in an economic shithole. I thought it would happen this way. Rusty and I discussed before Bush took office that within his term we would once again be in Iraq and the country would be in debt. Hmm....

Today I have that post-election hangover feeling. I call it a hangover because the results have given me a bit of a headache and the urge to throw up. Icky.

I just don’t completely understand the motivation behind voting for Bush. I suppose I never will. A few months ago I had a little email debate with an old friend who supported Bush. She couldn’t comprehend why I supported Kerry. She had sent a message to me regarding a few of the issues. I responded to her with the following:

We have different beliefs and agendas. That is the joy of a democracy. The true beauty of our society and government is that we have the freedom of choice. We have input in picking our leaders, and the right to disagree with them.

It is a common misconception that democrats believe in taking away gun rights. John Kerry himself is a gun owner and hunter. However, just as with many of our other rights, it comes with responsibility. Not all members of our society should be able to purchase guns, as they have proven themselves to be unable to deal with that responsibility. I am a firm believer in background checks.

While I do not believe in abortion, especially as a form of birth control, I do not believe it should be met with government interference. I don't believe you will find many who "believe in abortion," but will instead believe in the right to choose. Anti-abortion law restricts control over our own bodies. If that most personal control can be taken from us, what else could be taken?
I do believe that same-sex marriage should be legal. I know, the Bible says that it is "wrong." I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state. One of this country's founding principles was the freedom of religion, thus one man's religion would not infringe upon the religion (or lack thereof) of another. Thus, with the intended separation of church and state for those purposes, a "marriage" in the eyes of the law is essentially a legally binding contract. No more, no less. We sign this contract when we sign a marriage license. Any moral or religious implications upon the union formed are at the choice of those forming it. If we are going to force religion into law regarding marriage, then we should outlaw a marriage between atheists, as they cannot uphold a rule of a god they do not believe exists. In addition, what about doing away with any ceremony conducted by someone other than clergy or any ceremony outside of a recognized church. Also, if we are to protect the sanctity of such a marriage, divorce should also be outlawed. I am for the legal recognition of any two people who choose to dedicate their live to one another. There are many homosexual couples who spend the majority adult lives together, without the recognition of a legal marriage, and without the legal perks such as insurance coverage. Meanwhile, how many heterosexual couples do you know who cannot manage to make that sort of commitment?

As for our ongoing war, I believe there is no easy answer there. I do believe that our attack in Afghanistan was well justified in the shadow of the events of 9/11. In the case of Iraq, I wish the answer were more simplified. Do I believe that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (or mass distraction, as I have come to call them)? Yes, I do. Did I believe that any would be found? No, and I don't think we will find them any time soon, if ever. Were we justified? I've debated that one. I'm still not so sure, but I'm not in Washington and didn't have to place that vote. I have the luxury of that continuous inner debate. Do I think that the Bush administration went about the attack correctly? No, I do not. He should have waited on the UN inspectors to finish, and should not have alienated so many allies in the process. I think our "bull in a china shop" approach and lack of true plan for restructure in Iraq could have seriously used some refinement.

I agree that freedom is not free. I'm not crazy about republican economic policy. If I balanced my checkbook the way they balance the budget, I'd be in jail for passing bad checks. Being a democrat, or being "liberal," has nothing to do with going with the flow. It's simply a different viewpoint. Harry Truman was a democrat. I doubt he was characterized as going with the flow after dropping the atomic bomb into Japan's lap.

You may be surprised that I am in favor of the much-debated death penalty.

I want my daughter to grow up in a world without injustice and intolerance. I want her to respect and appreciate differences of race, culture and religion. I do not want her to grow up in a society thriving on fear, where opportunities are scarce, and her civil liberties are in jeopardy. As an adult I want her to be assured that she is just as capable as her male counterparts. I don't want her to believe she can't accomplish her goals simply because she's female, or because she was raised in a tiny little town with fewer opportunities. Essentially, I just don't believe that another four years of Bush would be good for our country...nor do I find that my personal beliefs are comparable to that of his administration. (As I'm sure you've already assumed, I didn't vote for him the last time.) I do, however, want to reiterate that I think the beauty of our county is our right to not only have our own beliefs, but to voice them in the form of debate and casting our ballots.

All that having been said, it looks as though the hopes of Kerry/Edwards, myself, and millions of others are going to be out the window. We’ve been Bushed. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another four years. Welcome to another four years of fiscal irresponsibility, diplomatic ineptitude, ignorance, diversity intolerance, fear-breeding, and oppressive "leadership."

What's keeping me busy...

2004-11-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

In other news, I’ve started a little side business of sorts. If you look over in my links, you’ll see a link to my Ebay store, Sweetness Clothing & More. I’m selling off an assortment of stuff. Some of it’s mine, some of it I’ve picked up here and there. Some of it I’m selling for others. Right now I don’t have a lot of items out there, but I’m working on it. It takes some time, and our internet connection is...well, we have dial-up. You can assume what it’s like. I miss a speedy connection. Too bad I can’t do it from work...

MISSING

2004-10-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

No need to keep my face on the side of milk cartons, I have returned. I've just had my hands a little full lately.

Let's see...for starters we've all been sick again. Or perhaps that should be STILL sick, because I don't think it ever really ended. Rusty and I are feeling considerably better, though tired. Sierra is starting to get better. Her doctor gave us a nebulizer and we've been giving her breathing treatments. That helped a lot. Most of the time when she's sick she doesn't want either of us to be more than about an inch away from her, which makes getting anything done very difficult.

We've kept ourselves pretty busy. October is the month of birthdays for us. Mom was the 5th, Rusty was the 8th, and Dad was the 17th. Thank God they're all over. We gave Dad a 50th birthday party. Rusty and I played hosts. We kept most of the festivities in the back yard, so it worked out well.

Two little side projects have been going on at our house. Rusty is working on making a video out of family pictures for one of his coworkers. She wants to give it out as a Christmas present to her family. I have been going through the house for items to sell on Ebay. Make a little money, get rid of some crap we don't need or use. Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it?

Sorry for the long absence! I'll try to be good!!!

New Pics

2004-09-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

FYI: Two more pics of Sierra have been added to the photo album!

Just a little note of happiness....

2004-09-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, it is football season once again. Here are two beautiful notes of happiness:

The Raiders won yesterday. No, it wasn't spectacular. But it was a win.
The Chiefs lost yesterday. This makes them 0-2. Surrounded by Chiefs fans, I am enjoying this greatly.

Sierra Reid: Child Prodigy

2004-09-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Another big day in my household! Saturday morning I laid Sierra down in her crib, and when I went back in she was sitting up! I put her back down again, hoping that she would show me how she did it. Of course not. Wasn't ready to give away her secret. So, I left her there and walked out of her room. I peeked around the door where she couldn't see me to discover her rolling on her tummy and lifting her little butt in the air. She managed to get her legs underneath her, and pushed up with her hands. After a few wabbly moments, she sat up all by herself! I ran in, clapping and hollering, telling her what a smart girl she is.

Later on in the day I had her in the crib again while I was cleaning her room. This is a chore that I can't wait for her to take over. I will feel a little bad telling her to pick up her toys, knowing that I'm really bad about picking them up now. Anyway, while we were having one of our insightful little chats about the state of the world, she pulled up on the side of her crib!

Learning to sit AND stand all by herself in one day. Her daddy and I are so proud!

Crossing Fingers

2004-09-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

I've spent the last few days torturing myself, and now I'm really troubled...so I'm going to share it with you. Back in early summer I interviewed for a job I REALLY wanted. Needless to say, I didn't get it. Now here we are a few months later and I get a call from the people I interviewed with asking me if I'm still interested. Apparently the girl they hired has quit already. I went for a second interview, and I'm SO psyched. If I don't get the job, I admit that I'll be awfully disappointed. Once was bad enough! So keep your fingers crossed!

Congrats!

2004-09-09T12:00:00.000-07:00

A big congratulations to Courtney (Sierck) Cassil and her husband Johnny! Courtney is pregnant with her second child! Baby Cassil will be joining big brother Christopher in the spring. Right now she's about 13 weeks along. One trimester down! I can't wait until she finds out if it's a boy or girl!

No need to get excited,it's only Thursday

2004-09-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

What do I know today? Not a lot.

We have to start going to bed earlier. Rusty and I say this all the time. It very seldom happens.

I know that the trash men came yesterday, so now I have to get off my ass and finish cleaning up the house. We had run out of room in the trash can.

I know that the scotch tape that is holding my headphones together won't hold up long. The cleaning crew here at work killed my headphones.

I know that football season starts tonight. We're very excited.

I know that the chick who's email is similar to mine and apparently has the same password, is now searching for houses. I looked again the other day. She's found some pretty decent ads.

I know that I am evil, and should stop checking that poor girl's email.

The question today is...what do you know?

Daze of Glory

2004-09-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

I was reading the news articles on the Stephens College website yesterday and found myself getting all nostalgic. This happens to me a lot. I miss Stephens and the people I met there. It was a very happy place for me, and I will always feel a certain indescribable fondness. Not only is it my alma matter, it is where I had my first real job, as Assistant Director of Financial Aid. (I never felt completely comfortable in the job, but that's another story for another time.)

I knew that I wanted to go to Stephens about 5 minutes after I first stepped onto it's campus. That was my junior year of high school. I was accompanied by one of my very best friends, Michelle. We both chose Stephens, living in Searcy, and a hell of a lot of fun girls to conspire with.

I cannot possibly list all of the things I remember doing. (Some of them I wasn't exactly sober for.) Playing poker in the Roblee lounge while watching Nick at Nite. Belching contests at dinner. Porn Party 95. Dressing up as a white trash housewife and going trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Having deep discussions with Sara while we did dishes in the bathroom. Breaking into unoccupied dorm rooms for spare furniture. Surviving numerous fire alarm scares. Monday Night Nitro parties. That just names a few finer moments. I know that somewhere in there I went to classes too. Strange how that doesn't stand out in my mind as much.

After graduation, I have since been able to hang on to some of the memorabilia I collected, and most of the friends I made. Thanks to the miracle of e-mail I talk to some of them on a pretty regular basis. Unlike most friends who go off to college together, Michelle and I remain friends. Actually, I don't think our relationship has changed a lot since we met when we were 11 or 12. It's kinda funny, really. It's probably because inside somewhere are 15 year old girls who'd like to be pro-wrestling groupies.

I was thinking to myself this morning that I hope my daughter is able to have the same kind of experience, because I know I wouldn't trade mine. For those of you who were in any way a part of that experience, I thank you.

I left Stephens with a heart full of memories...and several boxes full of stuff that I had no idea what to do with.

Sierra's Big Day

2004-09-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

Day one of our three day weekend has definitely been noteworthy. We've been doing exactly what we planned. Nothing. As it turns out, we're pretty good at it.

This has been a red letter day for Sierra. Our baby is getting so big! Literally. Rusty and I both swear that kid grew over night. All of a sudden some of her clothes aren't fitting. But that's not the big news. She finally got her first tooth!!! We're so excited. We had to call our parents as soon as we found it. Also, she started eating crackers and figured out how to use her sippy cup! But the cutest thing of the day was her dancing. She has started dancing. (We have CMT and GAC on a lot. Country music soothes her.) Today she was in her walker dancing to Rough and Ready and Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. Too freakin cute, I tell you.

Well, it's time to go back to my little family. Rusty says to tell you all hello! Sierra keeps saying "Daddy. "

Missouri Family Singlehandedly Supports Makers of Tylenol

2004-09-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I’ve been M.I.A. a lot lately. Here’s the story:

As you know, we survived last week’s adventures with Sierra’s herpangina. After that we thought that we might be in the clear for a little while. We thought wrong. Desperately, horribly wrong.

Last weekend was quite pleasant. Saturday night we went out to dinner with my parents, and then went to Wal-Mart. Sierra came home with an assortment of stuff, including a new toy. It’s one of those Leap Frog toys. It’s a spinning ball that plays music, says the ABC’s when you press on each one and gives the phonic sound of each letter. Very cool. I finally had to leave it alone so Sierra could play with it. Sunday was a nice family day. We just went out driving around. The three of us bummed all day long. It was wonderful!

And then the rains came....

Monday I started getting a little bit of a sore throat. Tuesday I developed some things on my hands that made me think I was allergic to Sierra’s new body wash. Unfortunately, I was wrong. By Wednesday morning these nasty little sores had gotten worse. My hands felt like they were on fire, and were swollen. My feet started doing the same thing! I stayed home and went to the doctor, only to discover that I have Hand Foot & Mouth disease. This is the same crap that went around Sierra’s daycare. Herpangina is basically Hand Foot & Mouth without the hands and feet. They’re the same virus, just different strains. Now, those at risk for Hand Foot & Mouth are kids under the age of 5. RARELY does an adult get it. I am that rare adult. Oh joy. Lucky me! I feel SO sorry for little kids who get this. The rash of blistery lesion looking things are very painful and itch.

I returned to work on Thursday (yesterday). Thank God for office jobs. I sat shoeless most of the day trying to touch as little as possible, and yet look semi-productive. Fortunately, I’ve become quite the ace at that one. Apparently this is what I’ve been practicing for!

Last night the excitement continued. Rusty’s pulse and temperature skyrocketed. He started feeling numb all over. I called his mom to come up. She helped me get him in the van and stayed to watch Sierra. Off to the emergency room we went. I don’t think I set any land speed records, but I didn’t make bad time. It’s a 45 minute drive from Belle to the hospital in Jefferson City. I know it didn’t take that long.

When a doctor finally came in to see him, after over an hour wait, we were informed that Rusty had the beginning of strep throat and was dehydrated. Two containers of IV fluids and a prescription later we were back on the road home. We finally made it home around 1:30am. Something like that. Believe it or not, we were able to drag our asses back out of bed at 5:15 to get ready for work.

Rusty made it a little over an hour at work when he REALLY started feeling the strep symptoms. He then went home and crawled into bed. My goal now is to make it to five o’clock without going completely crazy. We plan to spend the weekend laying around and attempting to rid our bodies of the nasty germs they’ve been invaded by. Even though we’ll probably all be feeling a little miserable, I’m still kinda looking forward to it. I’m envisioning all three of us curled up in bed watching a movie. Sounds nice. Except for the coughing and scratching. We’ll just forget about that part for right now.

Little Stuffed Hitmen

2004-08-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, have you ever watched one of those movies where some sort of catastrophic explosion has happened, and after all are thought to be dead, one hand comes slowly reaching up through the wreckage? Today I feel like that guy with the hand.

My poor baby has been REALLY sick. She has herpangina. This is a nasty little childhood disease that involves sores in her mouth and throat. She's been running a high fever and broke out in a rash all over her little body. Like most childhood diseases, there's not medication for it. Just lots of Tylenol for her pain and fever. She has had no appetite. We haven't even messed with solid foods. She hasn't wanted formula or juice. The only thing she really took willingly for a day or so was Sprite. Whatever she would take is what she got. It's a better option than dehydration. Very little seemed to make her feel better. Never have her Mommy and Daddy felt so powerless. Fortunately, she has finally started feeling better. She's not 100% yet, but she's getting there. At least she's taking her formula and sleeping for more than 30 minutes at a shot.

I stayed with her for the first part of the week and Rusty stayed home the second half. Each of us are just completely exhausted. Sierra was getting up or just plain not sleeping through most of the night. This meant keeping her entertained or at least comfortable. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty when I was singing her the theme to The Muppet Show at 1:30 in the morning. To my own surprise, I was able to remember most of it. Of course, this is after I had already run through a couple Nat King Cole songs, which seem to be her favorites.

Sweetness, as we call her, is at this moment having an insightful chat with her stuffed animals, Sid the Shark and Howard the Duck, in her crib....and if you're laughing to yourself about the names of her toys, rest assured that they have friends: Fred the Flamingo and Rover the Dog. Not to mention Elmo and Ernie. Almost all of them have the middle name "the." Kinda makes them sound like hitmen, doesn't it? Welcome to our Baby Mafia.

Gotta go now. I think the Don needs to have her butt changed.

If random thoughts had URL links....

2004-08-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Gerardo was such a hottie. I remember that poster that Michelle had in her locker.

Those daytime anmensia storylines are so irritating.

I wish these people would get their own damned staplers. Oh wait, I order the supplies. Hmmm....

Boy, those Bush girls really have it together.

Sometimes virtual is just not as good as the real thing.

The anticipation is killing me.

Plant Wisdom

2004-08-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Greetings all!

Well, I'd love to tell you that I haven't posted since the middle of last week because something spectacular happened to me. Perhaps I won the lottery or at least a cruise? Nope. So, I must confess that I've just been tired and lazy. I haven't quite had the strength to put anything witty together.

We're still fighting Sierra's cold. Poor kid probably thinks she's gonna have a snotty nose forever. She hasn't slept very well this week, which means that we haven't either. One night I was up with her three times. Last night was probably the best. She didn't get up until about 4am, and after 4 ounces of formula she went back to sleep. Unfortunately, but the time she did that, I had to get up anyway. Five o'clock comes very early.

The exciting event of the week was rearranging furniture. We moved Rusty's computer into our bedroom. Mine is still in our laundry room/office. He moved the phone jack into our room and drilled a hole to run cord networking his to mine. All turned out rather well, and there's a lot more room in our laundry room now! It takes so little to make me happy.

I should proudly announce today that I have now kept an African Violet alive for about 2 weeks. I have a black thumb, so this is quite an accomplishment. It's even blooming! I've heard that thing about how you're supposed to talk to plants. Well, this plant is at work on the counter above my desk. So, what do you talk to the work plant about? We've had several decent conversations. Thus far my plant and I agree that the shredder should be moved away from us and that the boss is a prick. You wanna know the best thing about talking to my plant? It never replies with sarcasm or tells me to stop slacking and get back to work. Like I probably should now.

Audience Participation

2004-08-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's time for a little input on your behalf. As so few people in this world ever get their dream job, I'm taking a little survey....

What do you wanna be when you grow up? What's your dream job?

All responses posted in the the comments would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for ideas. =)

Doogie Howser, MD

2004-08-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday night Sierra coughed and coughed...her daddy and I decided it was time for her to take that dreaded trip to the doctor. It's not that bad for her, but terribly painful for us. Neither of us are all that crazy about the pediatric clinic she goes to. The doctors are very nice, but the staff stinks.

Friday afternoon we made our way to the clinic. Of course, no matter how sick Sierra is she's always cute for the nurses. I swear that kid could have a limb just barely dangling and she'd still take a minute to charm the nurses. These people must think I'm crazy when I tell them that less than ten minutes before she was screaming her head off. Probably explains why they give me that look like I'm the dumbest woman on the planet. Anyway, her doctor was booked up, so we saw one of the others. After waiting more than an hour, he finally wanders into the room. Apparently Friday was some sort of dress-down day. Standing before us was a six foot tall man with highlighted sandy blonde hair, a hawiian shirt, stonewashed baggy jeans and sneakers. He was like a thirtysomething Doogie Howser. I don't remember my doctor ever looking like that. Actually, my doctor when I was a kid looked more like the Pillsbury Doughboy. Doogie gave us good news. No new ear infection. Just a virus of some sort.

Overall, the weekend wasn't too bad. Rusty played golf on Saturday. His cousin was in town over the weekend and we went to visit her. She was accompanied by her two kids, who were way older than they should be. When Rusty and I first started dating, her daughter was two. Still in diapers. Now she's twelve, and almost taller than me. Granted I'm only 5'2" or so, but it's still just wrong.

Yesterday was spent cleaning and doing laundry. We now have somewhere to sit, and no one had to go naked today, so I've done my job there. On the other hand, naked would be pretty comfy, don't you think?

A crappy afternoon....

2004-08-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have had a similar experience, you'll appreciate this short story. I don't really have a point in telling it, just wanted to share it with someone. I've chosen all of you. Lucky you, right?

Yesterday afternoon while I was cleaning the house, I sat down for a minute to appreciate how good the house was starting to look. Ok, not really. I sat down because I convinced myself that after a cigarette I could work my way up to cleaning the toilet and bathroom sink. Anyway...while I was sitting on the couch a very unpleasing odor made its way toward my nose. I gazed over at the only thing it could have been. Sierra was in her swing giving me her innocent "I didn't do it" look. Dead giveaway.

I picked her up to discover that she was not only the cause for the odor, but it was runny and green. And it oozed out of her diaper, up her back and soaked though her sleeper onto the cover for her swing. Ick. I stripped her in the kitchen sink and hosed her off like she was covered in toxic waste. I love those Huggies disposable washcloths.

Thirty minutes later my child was bathed. Her sleeper and swing cover were soaking in the sink.

And me? Well, I was pooped.

(Yes, I know. It's a cheap pun. Admit it. You laughed.)

A dark cloud hangs over the capital city today.

2004-08-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps because it’s pouring today, perhaps not. Gloomy looking clouds are nothing new in Missouri’s capital, but I think it’s even gloomier today. It’s that post-election disappointment. The only thing redeeming is that Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy is on the radio right now. I love that song! I’m desperately trying not to sing and dance in my chair.

Today I’m feeling so far apart from my fellow man...or at least my fellow registered voters. The amendment to ban gay marriage passed by 70 percent. I have no words, only that I am disheartened that we have allowed such blatant discrimination into our state constitution. Also, I’m deeply saddened for the people of Rockaway Beach who had hoped that casino gambling would revitalize their community. I’m on the No-Call list, but I didn’t have the heart to tell them when they called me about 20,000 times to ask for my support on election day. In good news, however, Bob Holden lost the Democratic nomination for governor. For those of you who are unaware, he is our current governor. State employees, including myself, aren’t very happy with him. He’s been screwing us like a dime store hooker on nickel night for the last four years.

In other news...beware the underwear gnomes

2004-08-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

My shower is now complete again. (I know how concerned you all are about my happiness while showering!) Our shower radio died a few weeks ago, and we finally found a replacement. Rusty picked it up the other night. (I love that man!) I missed washing my hair while listening to Bob and Tom!

Sierra finally finished her antibiotics. I’m extremely happy. It was that pink liquid stuff, and the smell just makes me gag. I can handle the smell of poopy diapers, but that pink stuff is nauseating! Anyway, I think she’s starting to feel better.

Last night Rusty and I were watching David Letterman in bed. When he finally gave up and rolled over to go to sleep he handed me the remote. I wanted to see the end of the Bill Clinton interview, but joked that I’d probably just fall asleep with the remote. That was the last thing I remember. At about 1:30 I woke up, curled up to Rusty and the body pillow...with the remote in my hand.

Right now I have some clothing missing, and I’m finding it greatly disturbing. I have a couple pair of underwear that I cannot find. They’re not in my drawer, and they’re not in the laundry anywhere. This leaves a few options, and none of them are wonderful. First of all, I accidently threw them away the last time I cleaned out that drawer. That option isn’t very likely. Second, my house has been infested with some sort of underwear-stealing gnomes that use socks and underwear as a form of currency. I threw in the socks because Rusty has some socks missing. This alternative is somewhat likely. Third, and this one has happened before, thanks to the miracles of static electricity they are stuck in the leg or arm of one of our shirts or pants. In the meantime, I’ve gotta figure out where those damned gnomes could be hiding. I wonder if 409 will work on them too.

Photo Additions - Betsy's Pics

2004-08-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Betsy sent me some pictures from her outing with a few coworkers to watch practice rounds for the Senior Open, which was in St. Louis last week. I have added them to the photo album.

Tip: For those of you who don't know her, Betsy is the one in the vertically striped shirt with long hair!

Men and Women are Different. Really?

2004-08-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

Michelle sent me a nice little article this morning. If you want to know what this post is raving about, give this a read.

http://www.showmenews.com/2004/Aug/20040801News025.asp

The first paragraph is a study in the power of perception. Maybe it's just me, but after four years at a women's college, I think my perception of feminism is much different from that of the Vatican. Fortunately, I'm not Catholic. My perception of feminism has nothing to do with bluring the differences between men and women. It's about acknowledging the differences, celebrating womanhood, and recognizing that even as we are different from men it does not mean that we are incapable. We are not inferior, nor are we the weaker sex.

I shall not begin the debate over how good or bad the Catholic Church is. I feel that each person is entitled to their own belief system. However, there are a few things from the article that disturb me. For starters....

1. Clergymen, who by their own religion are not allowed to marry, and yet the spout off about the impotance of family. You want to profess the sanctity of marriage and the value of the family? Get married and have one.

2. The Pope's admiration of women and their talents. What talents are those exactly? I don't know why this statement got to me, but I found it kind of unsettling.

3. This paragraph:

It said women should not be stigmatized or penalized financially for wanting to be homemakers. It also said women "should be present in the world of work and... have access to positions of responsibility which allow them to inspire the politics of nations and to promote innovative solutions to economic and social problems."

Does this mean that women should be paid to stay home? Also, what's this thing about having access to positions of responsibility which would allow women to inspire the politics of nations? Are we to be decision makers or merely a muse?

4. Last, but certainly not least, was the final paragraph:

The Rev. Thomas Reese, a commentator on the Catholic Church, in an e-mailed statement noted that "although most American feminists would express their theology differently from the Vatican, on the practical level, they are on the same page (in terms of equality in education, politics, workplace) except on abortion and women priests."

If this statement is true (note that the statement is from a commentator, and not a member of the Church), the Catholic Church essentially agrees with feminists...unless it comes to making a decision about what to do with our own bodies or if we think we may be as capable as men at spreading the word of God.

Hmmm....

Another sunburned Monday

2004-08-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Today I feel like one of those people who comes out of a coma to recognize the world around them, and then slips back in again. Last week Rusty and I both were just absolutely exhausted. I finally got some sleep over the weekend, and was feeling pretty good yesterday. This, however, was to be short lived. Last night Sierra didn't want to go to sleep. She finally crashed sometime just before midnight.

Last week I made a major change in my life. (Hold on to your seats for this one.) I converted. No, I didn't change religions. I have changed from My Yahoo to My MSN. Hey, don't laugh. A person's homepage is sacred! (The only thing more important is choice of desktop wallpaper.) I think it was the pretty page options and MSN videos that did it.

The weekend was not quite as packed as usual. It was a good one. Friday night we went over to Angie & Will's house. Played poker for a while. Used poker chips, but no money ever changed hands. It's almost too bad. I was seriously kicking ass! Quite proud of myself. I love Texas Hold'em. After that we played Bullshit. If you have never played this game, just let me tell you that it goes on forever, but it's really fun. I do find it a challenge, because as you all know, I would never bullshit anyone. =)

Saturday I went grocery shopping with my munchkin and my mommy. I'm not sure who was the most worn out when we got home. Wal-Mart had some baby clothes on clearance, so Mom and I each had to buy something. It's so hard not to.

Yesterday Rusty and I watched the last Lord of the Rings movie. Actually, I've probably still got a few minutes to go on it, but Sierra decided that she wasn't happy for a few minutes. So I figure I'll go back and watch the last little bit of it tonight or tomorrow night. Anyway, after that we went to the pool for a while. yet again, I am nicely scortched. Although this hurts a lot less than the last couple times. Someday I'll figure out that I'm a REALLY white girl.

The day of rest and relaxation was topped off with a visit to Bob's Frozen Custard and Angie & Will coming for dinner. Angie taught me how to make her chicken, which is to die for. Boneless chicken cooked in italian dressing and some other seasonings. YUMMY!!! As my dad would say, it's so good it'll make your tongue knock your brains out. I shall now make it for other people and take credit for it's genius.

Photo Album Additions

2004-07-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

Some new pics have been added to my online photos. (I love unlimited storage space!) The rest of the pics that Chelle sent me from her trip have been added, as well as those from Sara's visit and a couple new ones of Sierra watching the Belle Fair parade. I also uploaded some earlier pics of Sierra and 3 from Rusty's snagging trip with my dad.

Pop Quiz!

2004-07-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

See how well you know me!

http://connect.tickle.com/test.html?id=qPeGEvJgOXHYz34Q

State of delirium

2004-07-26T14:50:00.000-07:00

You know, I personally have never tried any illegal drugs. I just don’t think I’d make a good druggie. Mostly because I’m too cheap to spend money like that. If illegal drugs were cheaper, there are days when I might consider it. In the meantime, I have come to the conclusion that sleep deprivation is a pretty decent substitute. Everyone told me while I was pregnant that after Sierra was born, I’d never sleep the same again...if I slept. There’s no way I could have prepared myself for this. Silly me. I have come to feel that it’s the only part of parenthood that I have serious issues with. I’ve been drooled on, puked on, pissed and shit on. Everything I own has just the slightest smell of Enfamil. These things are livable. It’s the sleep that I miss.

To be fair, Sierra is an exceptional baby. She usually goes to bed between 8 and 10pm. If we don’t wake her up, she sleeps until between 7:30 and 9:30am. (Truthfully, I sometimes keep her up later on the weekend so that she’ll let me sleep in.) All rules, however, go out the window when she’s sick.

She’s had a cold since the middle of last week. She’s been miserable, and so have Rusty and I. Over the weekend she also developed an ear infection. All I can tell you is that there was a lot of crying...and that was just us. Last night she was up until 11:30 or midnight. For those of you who don’t know, I get up at 5am during the week. (Otherwise known as "Freaking Early"). It’s now almost 5pm. I’m reaching the state of delirium.

Back to the drug reference, I found out today that the nitwit nurse I talked to from the pediatrician's office told me the wrong amount of Dimetapp to give her. Essentially, we've been trying to overdose her for the past few days. Poor kid!

Ant Antidote

2004-07-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

I had a visit from my little insect friends again the other day. In typical fashion, I sprayed the hell out of them with 409.

Here's a little helpful hit for those of you battling the little buggers: spray bleach, 409 or Pine Sol around the area where they appear to be coming in. Don't wipe it up. Instead, let it air dry. Someone gave me that same tip, and it appears to have worked. I sprayed all around my windowsil above the kitchen sink. I haven't seen any ants in that spot for several days. Interestingly, I did see them on my kitchen floor. An entire colony of ants came in for a small bit of pizza crust. (Obviously they haven't heard of delivery...not that there is delivery in Belle.) I was in the middle of trying to deal with a screaming baby, so I didn't have the chance to kill them. I remembered the next morning, and went to look. All of them were gone. Apparently they got full, or like me, figured out that I had left that pizza in the oven just a few minutes too long.

Gay marriage proves to have no impact on global warming...film at 11:00

2004-07-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

All right, I’ve just gotta rant a bit. Today’s topic: gay marriage. The whole thought of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage just absolutely sickens me.

Once upon a time, I remember being taught about separation of church and state. If I remember correctly, it has something to do with keeping religion out of government. Now, every time I have a conversation with someone who opposes gay marriage (not to mention homosexuality itself), it usually goes a little something like this:

“It’s just wrong.”

“Why?”

“Because God said so.”

“Have you discussed it with him personally? Are you sure you we’re just hearing voices again? Did he send you a nice note? If so, what kind of stationary does God have?”

“It’s in the Bible,” will say my frustrated and morally superior friend.

I have yet to hear a reason that doesn’t end up back with this whole Bible scenario or something about moral decay. Yet again, discussions of moral decay also end up with some sort of Bible reference. If we’re abiding by the separation of church and state, then there goes that reasoning. In the eyes of the law, a marriage is no more than a contract. If the morally superior are going to hopelessly bind marriage and religion together, then it's time to make some changes in regard to marriage. First of all, no more ceremonies outside of a church. No ceremonies in courthouses by someone other than clergy. In another act of discrimination, no marriages for atheists. They obviously don't subscribe to the majority view, so they're out altogether. Last, but not least, no divorce. After all, you're swearing before God to stay with your spouse until death. How about those for some new laws? Oh wait, that's right....we're only subscribing to certain beliefs. Picking and choosing what suits the needed purpose.

Who would it really hurt? I've never heard of anyone being injured by same-sex marriages. I don't know of any gang violence or terrorism related to same-sex marriage. Have these turned up on your local news lately?

"In other news, a gang of married homosexual couples kidnapped a Phoenix man. Sources say that the man was given a complete makeover and forced to clean his apartment."

"We take you now to Saks Fifth Avenue where a group of terrorists calling themselves the Pink Triangles have taken innocent shoppers hostage."

Sorry folks, just had to vent on this one. In a world full of war, searching for weapons of mass distraction...um, destruction, global warming, homeless children and other atrocities, why the hell do we give a damn if two people want the opportunity to dedicate and legally obligate themselves to each other? Does it really matter that much?

A Slacker's Ramblings

2004-07-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, lets see. Where do I start? It’s been a busy week.

First of all, this was the weekend of the Belle Fair. In a small town, the entire world nearly comes to a dead stop during the days of the Fair. Thursday evening was the parade, so we had to take off early in order to pick up Sierra from the daycare. Both of our sitter’s kids were on a float, so she closed a little early.

Sierra did wonderfully through the parade. Although even she made a nasty face when the high school band went through. I swear, those kids play worse every year. When I was in band, we had to do it right or not at all. Hell, they didn’t even have to march! They rode on a hay wagon! I’m a little bitter. As Michelle will recall, we even marched one year during the parade in the pouring rain! I had to stop periodically and dump out my saxophone. We were also expected to try to memorize the music. Now these little pussies are riding on a float and have sheet music in front of them. Frankly, from the way they sounded, I’m not sure if they were all playing the same music.

Friday was Sierra’s six month checkup. She now weighs 15 pounds and 8 ounces. She’s where she should be on size and development. Rusty and I have been trying to tell the pediatrician for a couple months that she has allergies. Finally she’s old enough to take infant Zyrtec, so she’s now taking that. Also, she has been rolling from her back to her belly for over a month, but wouldn’t roll from her belly to her back. We asked Dr. Voss about it, and she just laughed. It’s a lot harder to roll back to belly, so there’s no reason that she shouldn’t have been doing the reverse, except that she didn’t want to. The following day, Sierra rolled from her belly to her back for the first time. Apparently Dr. Voss blew her cover.

Friday and Saturday nights I went up to the fairgrounds. The same stuff as usual. The fair smells are always what get me. It’s a mixture of exhaust from the rides, body odor, funnel cakes and fish sandwiches. In combination it’s not so bad, but very distinct. My daughter came home with a gigantic stuffed blue dog, which her grandpa (my dad) couldn’t resist winning her. Always interesting that I get to see all they people I spend the rest of the year avoiding. This year, however, I saw few people that I know. Belle only has a population of about 1500 people, and it’s amazing to me how many of them I don’t know. When I was growing up, everybody knew everybody else. Maybe it’s just because I moved away for a few years, and because I don’t have any kids in school yet.

Anyway, Sunday I napped and cleaned. Rusty tried to kill the lawn mower, but fortunately he and Dad were able to fix it. Shanna, my cousin stopped by for a while. Yesterday, I stayed home with a stomach flu-like substance. SO much fun.

Isn’t my life exciting? Doesn’t it just make you want to BE me? Don’t even try to deny it. I can feel the envy.

Sara Visits!

2004-07-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

In among all the other craziness, Sara came to visit over the weekend! I hadn’t seen the other half of my brain since November 2001. I took her to the fair, which I’m sure seemed like the biggest redneck fest she had ever seen. She was even lucky enough to be there the night of the tractor pull! (We avoided the tractor pull.) We walked the fairgrounds and lost our asses at bingo...damned old ladies. It was a nice, but busy weekend. Hopefully we haven’t completely scared her off, and she’ll come back again.

Work? I think not.

2004-07-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I must publicly declare my envy of Michelle's hard work. I opened up my e-mail this morning to find a picture of Michelle and a coworker on the beach. Uh-huh.... Nothing was really written to go along with it, but nothing was needed.

I was thinking that if there had been something to go along with it, that it would have needed a translator. I think it would have gone something like this:

Dear Friends (unlucky wenches),

We've been working so hard out here in California. (Recovering from hangovers.) This has been a great conference (health spa). I've learned so much (gotten so many pedicures) while I've been here! I've also made some very important business contacts (hairstylists) and met so many nice people (ladies night at the strip club). Attached is a picture of myself and a coworker relaxing in our down time. (It's on the beach! Ha! Can you people hear my evil laugh?!?!?) She and I are looking very forward to our next business trip. (Drying out at Betty Ford.)

Right now I have to get back to work (tanning)!

Love,
Chelle
(The Bitch Who's on the Beach While You're Not!)

It's just a rough translation...but Chelle knows how much I love still love her. Even if she does come back all tan.

That reminds me. Gotta remember to put some aloe on my forehead.

She speaks....

2004-07-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

Sierra speaks! Well, sorta. "Dada!" It's very cute, and obvious that she knows what she's saying. Needless to say, her daddy thinks it's the greatest thing he's ever heard. Meanwhile, I'm sneaking her off in the other room saying "Momma." Tonight I did that while I was giving her a bath. She looked at me and says, "Dada." Hmmmm....

By the way, Rusty says hi to those who know him...or know infamous stories about him.

Sun and Family Fun

2004-07-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

I survived the weekend. Well, I have almost survived the weekend. It's Sunday night. It's almost bedtime, but the weekend isn't officially over yet. I suppose that something profound could happen within the next hour. Given how exhausted I am, I don't think that I would comprehend it anyway.

The family reunion was hot and uncomfortable...and the temperature was bad too. A few dirty looks were there to be had between family members who have barely spoken in years. That's always a lot of fun to observe. My dad is one of five kids. One of his siblings has been a bit isolated from the other four since my grandma died in 1999. There's always tension when that one's around. I apparently missed some sort of to-do about my cousin's daughters referring to their aunt as Mommy. (I always miss the good stuff!) Something about spending more time with her than their mother. Otherwise, I think it was fairly uneventful. I ate dinner with one of my younger cousins. I am in total denial that he is as old as he is. Actually, he's like 23. Engaged. I will always think of him as being a kid, which he is no longer. This is the same boy that I called Apeface. I would turn him upside down over the toilet at my grandma's house and threaten to flush him.

Saturday evening we spent with my parents. Mom and I hung out while Rusty went with Dad to the driving range. Rusty has taken up golf again. He played a little when he was in high school, but never REALLY got into it. Now he's doing it again, and he's into it this time. Seems to really be enjoying himself. I have to admit, golf is just not something I was able to take a great interest in. Dad tried to teach me once. Once was more than enough for me. I took several swings and managed to dig a hole in the grass large enough to fit the entire population of Belle in. I think the ball moved about 2 feet. On the other hand, I drive a golf cart with great skill. (As long as you ignore that time that I hit my cousin's truck with Dad's golf cart when I was driving it around in the driveway.) Also, I do admit that when I was younger I took great joy in driving around the course and watching my dad play golf with some of his buddies. I found it hilarious to watch a man wander around screaming, "I lost my ball!" Always sounded like an intensely personal problem to me.

Today was a great day. Angie and I had a Mom's Day Away. She's got a membership to Lost Valley Resort. We spent the day in the sun at the resort lake. In my usual style, I came home with a small sunburn. I was smarter this time, I at least used sunblock. Still managed to burn my forehead and my nose. Another wonderful look for me. Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.

It's still not easy being green...

2004-07-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

...especially when you wanted to be purple! I created the prettiest little blog, all in purple. However, when I tried to publish it, the backgrounds wouldn't work. I don't understand it. It worked on the preview. So, I went with another green one. Don't think I'm gonna leave it that way though.

There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.

2004-07-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a woman came wandering into the office asking where her interview was. Now, I work for a state agency that is spread over 4 buildings in Jefferson City. She did not have the name of the woman who called her to set up the interview, nor the division it was with. She had not written down WHERE the interview was to take place. Maybe it's just me, but I think this would be important information. Please! You don't schedule an interview at Dillards and show up at Sears. Sure, they're both at the mall and they both sell clothes, but that's where the similarity ends.

Worse yet, she was coming to interview for an investigative position. Perhaps that's why I found the whole event mildly disturbing.

The escape button is very deceiving....

2004-07-09T06:36:00.000-07:00

I've been hitting that damned thing all morning, and I'm STILL here. By "here" I mean work, of course.

It's Friday and I couldn't be more overjoyed. After all, Saturday comes after Friday. If you're reading this and thinking about what a silly, obvious statement that is, you are missing the profound meaning in those words.

Saturday implies a day of potential greatness. No work. No hurrying around my living room at six o'clock in the morning franticly looking for the clip for Sierra's binky. Most importantly, Saturday means no alarm. I hate my alarm clock, and that obnoxious noise that it makes. It's just as well to scream, "Hey bitch, get your ass out of bed!" That would actually be friendlier.

This Saturday is somewhat marred by the fact that I will be attending yet another family reunion. Fortunately, this will be the last one for quite a while. Years, I hope. Anyway, this is the Thompson family reunion. For those of you who don't already know it, they're all nuts. Well, not all...but most. Now I'm going to spend a nice fun filled day with all of them. I love my family, but sometimes they are enough to make you want to climb to the top of a water with a semi-automatic rifle. Please, Lord, give me strength.

Please excuse the mess

2004-07-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, in a poor attempt at dressing up my blog and learning a little html, this page is getting a little remodel. I promise to eventually stop screwing around and get it back to something that will be something approaching normal.

Photo Album

2004-07-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Please note the addition of the link to my Yahoo photo album. I hope to get several pictures uploaded soon.

Weekend Survivor

2004-07-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

You know, I think I have a new idea for a reality show. They should have contestants repeatedly clean and prepare for house guests, survive family functions and clean up the aftermath. Eliminations would happen naturally. See who cracks first.

I have enjoyed the company of the few people who have come and stayed a couple days with us. It's just exhausting. We always stay up a lot later than usual...and I just don't have the stamina for that anymore without a good afternoon nap.

We had a good holiday. Rusty's brother and his brother's significant other stayed Friday and Saturday night. Good times. Wish we saw them more often. Usually only see them once every couple months. Saturday night was the Reid family BBQ and fireworks bonanza. My in-laws are a pretty small group, but they buy enough fireworks to blow up Rhode Island. Every year my hubby comes home covered in ashes with scortched fingers. I must tell you, there's nothing funnier than watching 3 adult men inspecting and lighting fireworks...and then running away like little girls. Rusty swore that he was not running this year. Thus, he came home covered in a little more ash than usual.

Sunday was yet another BBQ and more fireworks. Our friends had a small gathering at their house. I was truly disappointed in one thing. I brought a bottle of wine with me, and had such high hopes. Angie poured me a glass, but unfortunately with this damned cold I could barely taste it! Ugh! Doesn't that qualify as some form of alcohol abuse?

By Monday morning my house looked like the set of a war movie...after the war. Clothes, dishes and baby toys everywhere. There were even clothes on the kitchen counter. I'm still not sure how they got there. Anyway, my day was spent trying to reassemble the house into something livable and getting enough laundry done so that we wouldn't have to go to work naked today. That last one was accomplished, thankfully. I'm thinking that naked wouldn't pass the office dress code.

Sierra and Fireworks

2004-07-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Like every other parent on the planet, I believe that I have given birth to the single cutest child ever. Sierra confirmed it for me Saturday night.

I missed the better majority of the fireworks that Rusty’s family set off because I couldn’t stop watching Sierra. She sat on the laps of either my mom or dad and watched with great interest. The fountains seemed to be her favorite. She got all excited, threw her arms back, and squealed. Meanwhile, the other kids around her were falling asleep.

Oh yeah, my kid is the cutest one.

The ants go marching...

2004-07-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

I have momentarily outsmarted the little buggers. (Note that I'm disgustingly proud of this.) I haven't seen any ants for a few days now. We moved the cats' food to another room. (Aren't we sneaky?) I've also been trying to be better about leaving any dirty dishes on the cabinet. Maybe they've figured out that the food is gone. Or, just maybe, they've gone to visit the family that moved in next to us. Maybe they'll be nice enough to come back and let me know how many kids are living in that house. I still haven't been able to figure it out.

My Montana

2004-07-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

I love the van. It rocks. We have discovered, however, that there are a couple glitches. We're having some problems with the headlights. It has dayrunners, and instead of just the dayrunners, all the lights are coming on. Playing with the switch and cursing at it doesn't seem to help. Beyond that an actual mechanic will have to do something. Fiddling with switches and cursing is the extent of my expertise. Fortunately, we have a warranty.

The other thing is that I still don't have my own key yet. It's one of those keys with a computer chip in it, so we have to get one from the dealer. Goody. I just love all these antitheft devices so no one can break into the van. Unfortunately, if I were to lock my keys in it, I wouldn't be able to do it either.

How about never? Is never good for you?

2004-07-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days where I don't want to do anything for anybody. I'm feeling a strange mixture of perkiness and sarcasm. This is often a deadly combination. It's probably a good thing that the boss isn't here today. I'm sure he's off somewhere performing some sort of ritual sacrifice. It's not that I think he's REALLY the devil, but at this point I wouldn't eliminate the possibility completely.

My goal today is to do as little as I can and look really busy. I've been doing it for years, so what's one more day?
Slacking can really be an art.

Chocolate, 2% or whole?

2004-06-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

In case I turn up missing, don't bother putting my face on a milk carton. Instead, I want you to send some sort of special forces into my house. I'll probably be buried underneath a pile of dirty laundry and used Kleenex. You see, tonight Rusty and I are going to clean the house.

For those of you who know me well, you probably think that my house couldn't be that bad. Let me assure you, it's bad. I've been sick for a month, and haven't been too eager to clean the house...and now it has to be done. His brother and his brother's significant other are coming to stay Friday and Saturday nights.

So if you hear screaming, and probably sobbing, off in the distance...it's probably me cleaning my bathroom.

Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.

2004-06-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Alright, I confess...I checked that other girl's email again. (If you have read my Moments of Pure Evil post, you'll know what I'm talking about.) Reading her messages has become like my own twisted little soap opera. It's sick, but I'm kind of enjoying it.

The proctologist called ...they found your head

2004-06-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

Today is yet another one of those days at work. The only thing redeeming is that it's payday, which means I can pay bills and be even more pissed off when I realize that the lousy paycheck around here doesn't go as far as I want it to.

Anyway, the idiots here never abide by any sort of office procedure until they realize that they may get their ass chewed. So what do they do? They pretend that they've been doing things the right way all along...and those of us at the bottom of the totem pole get OUR asses chewed. Oh the joy of working!

Monday, Monday.

2004-06-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

What a weekend.

First of all, we found and bought a minivan. We are now the proud owners of a silver 2000 Pontiac Montana. I love that van. Dual sliding doors. Rear temperature control. CD Player. Stereo controls on the steering wheel. Oh, yeah....

Went yesterday with my Mom to see the third Harry Potter. Good movie. Cute kid. Probably gonna be really hot when he's older. Makes me think of the time that Sara and I were discussing Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and she said, "I'd do him...if I were a pedafile."

I also stopped by the after hours clinic while we were in Jefferson City. This bronchitis is still kicking my ass. I'm now on my second round/type of antibiotics. Please, dear Lord, let them work.

Today I am amazingly tired. Just do not have the ability to concentrate. Thank goodness that this coming weekend is a 3 day weekend. I will be very happy to have Monday off.

Random thoughts for a random Friday

2004-06-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

What is it about a new pair of shoes to make you feel all perky? I'm wearing a pair of sandals that my coworker gave me. They've got the highest heels that I think I've worn in 5 years, but they're really cute. I'm feeling kinda girly. Hmmm...maybe I'll repaint my toenails at lunch.

Well, last night was SO exciting at my house. Rusty fell asleep at 7:30. I put Sierra to bed at 8. I went to bed a little before 9:30.

I would have gotten to bed earlier last night, but I had to take some time to fight the ants again! They've found yet ANOTHER place to come in. This time they came in through the floor of the closet in the laundry/computer room to the cat food. I brought out the 409 again. They were back by this morning. Bastards! So, the cat food has officially been moved to another room. They'll probably come there too, but I'm at least gonna make it a challenge.

This is looking to be an action packed weekend. Tomorrow morning we're going to test drive minivans. In the afternoon we have a birthday party. Our friends, Will and Angie, have a little boy who's only a few months older than Sierra. His first birthday is tomorrow. Sunday I'm going to see the new Harry Potter with my mom. I'm very excited. It's gonna be us and all the 10 year olds on the edge of our seats!

A new family bought the house next to us. Their side yard connects to our back yard. I've spent the last week trying to figure out how many kids they have. I've been watching them through my kitchen windows. I know it's only a 3 bedroom house, and I swear they've gotta have a dozen kids. They're everywhere! I think it's time to get out my binoculars so I can see more distinguishing features. That will make it much easier to count the kids.

I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter.

2004-06-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days where I have no tolerance of the ignorance around me. And let me tell you, the legal profession is full of ignorance. These are people who can go to law school and pass the freakin bar, but have no idea how to transfer a phone call.

On the 14th I had a job interview and was told that I would probably hear back sometime the end of this week. So now I play that little game with myself where I pretend that I really don't care. Of course, I know that I don't mean it. If they don't call me by the middle of next week, I'll start doing that little "should I call them?" thing. I hate this whole process. It's like dating!

I've been searching websites of local car dealerships for minivans...and drooling all over myself.

Sara, Sara, Storms are brewin' in your eyes

2004-06-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Big hugs today to my Sara today...the Cagney to my Lacey.

Guestbook

2004-06-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Please feel free to sign the guestbook that has been added over on the bottom left. I'd love to know you've stopped in to read my little blog!

When it's you against the world, bet on the world

2004-06-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

It's not really a bad day, but not good either. You know the ones I'm talking about.

Sierra crashed early last night while she and I were watching that AFI 100 greatest movie songs. I didn't necessarily agree with all their choices and rankings, but I don't exactly remember being asked. Overall, I think their number one pick was on the money, but the rest needs work. Also, one more interview with Celine Dion and I think I would have slit my wrists. I don't quite know why, but that woman irritates the crap out of me.

The cold is still not going away. This is my seventh day of antibiotics. Still no change. Between the coughing my hubby, and my two cats, I slept very little last night. When I got comfortable, I'd cough. There were several times that I was almost alseep and then Rusty or one of the cats would start snoring. Now, it's not that Sassy or TJ snore loudly, but it's kind of an annoying sound. More of a battery powered screwdriver than an chainsaw, but annoying none the less.

All is momentarily quiet at work today. People are working, or so it appears. (You already know what I'm doing.) Must be because the boss is back today. Hmmm. Makes me wonder who's running hell when he's here.

The great hunt for a minivan has begun. I want either a used Caravan or Grand Caravan. The tricky part is gonna be finding one in the right price range.

Ok, I have to admit that I checked that girl's email again. I'm awful! But she still doesn't have anything exciting. Not even any cheezy forwards. How disappointing!

It's not easy being green...

2004-06-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

...but it was even harder being pink. Had to change the page color. I just kept thinking that the page looked like it was sprayed down with Pepto Bismol. I think we'll try this look for a while.

Welcome

2004-06-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

A big Howdy to the employees of Jeffrey E. Smith Companies who have found my little blog entertaining. Just a little FYI, Michelle is even more twisted than she appears. Don't be deceived. Pop Tarts everywhere still fear her.

Fight the signs of aging....

2004-06-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

I like to think that at one time I used to be at least kinda cool. I drank on school nights. I had a car named "Big Sexy." I could pick the locks on my friends dorm rooms if they locked themselves out. I was hip. Cool. I could get down with my bad self.

Those days, my friend, are apparently gone. The signs that they have been replaced are too much for me to ignore.

Sign number one: A teenage boy with an apparent hearing problem (note the sarcasm) went cruising through our neighborhood last night. I stood at my living room window, cursing, watching him go by. First, I screamed at him for driving "too damned fast on a street where little kids play a lot." After that came a long grumbling about the volume of his stereo and his choice of "music." (I hate to admit it, but hip hop just gets on my nerves. Give me Aerosmith anyday.)

Sign number two: Rusty and I have been discussing selling his truck and buying another vehicle. At first, he wanted a Chevy Tracker. We had one a few years ago, and he's still got separation anxiety. I admit, I liked it too. Loved that convertible top. Anyway, now I think we have decided on a mini-van, which I have wanted for a while. The thing here is that I'm starting to get really excited at the prospect of getting a mini-van. I watch the commercials on tv and just drool all over because they have so much room. I could get the car seat in and out so much easier! Groceries would be a breeze!!!

Oh well. So some of the coolness is gone. Now, where's my Geritol?

The battle continues...

2004-06-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

The ants who have decided to make my house their place of residence one-upped me this weekend. After cleaning my kitchen cabinet and bombing several of them with Formula 409, the sneaky little bastards decided to take a different approach. Apparently they found a way to get into my computer/laundry room. I discovered hundreds of them under my desk (this is personal now) headed in a straight line toward the catfood bowl. As if Meow Mix were somehow better than my cooking. (For those of you who have eaten my cooking, please refrain from laughter.) So, out came the 409 again. It's really sick, but I felt quite satasfied in my temporary victory. I even chased down the non-conformist "stray" ants to squirt them too. Vengeance is mine!!!

Opie Taylor, MD

2004-06-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally admitted defeat last Thursday. I gave it up and went to the doctor. The cold won. Actually, it has surpassed the level of "cold." I now have a nice rip-roaring case of bronchitis. My world has turned into a whirlwind of used Kleenex and cough drop wrappers.

The trip to the doctor was pretty interesting. Belle has one doctor. Dr. Daugherty. I switched to him as my primary care physician just so that when I'm sick I don't have to drive 45 minutes. There's nothing worse than having to drive a long distance when you're miserable. ANYway, this was my first visit to the Belle clinic. I have to say that it was a little unnerving. First of all, Dr. Daugherty was very nice, but I just couldn't get over the fact that he looked like Ron Howard as Opie. I kept waiting for Aunt Bea to come in and take my temp. Secondly, one of the girls I went to school with from kindergarden on is a nurse there. I find it so hard to take her seriously. It's nothing personal, but I have a difficult time seeing the people I grew up with as responsible adults. Hell, they probably feel that way about me too.

Moments of Pure Evil

2004-06-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

So here's a good ethical question: what would you do if you accidently logged into someone else's email account? Would you log back out when you realized it wasn't yours, or would you browse around a bit and read the messages? That question presented itself to me yesterday. I was logging into my Yahoo account, which I very rarely use, and made a little typo when doing it. Well, apparently someone with an address very close to mine also uses the same password. What were the chances? So what did I do? I read her e-mail, of course. I couldn't resist it! Sure, maybe it's wrong. But it was just too compelling. As it turns out, this girl is extremely boring. Judging by her messages, I'd say she's a bible thumping, pseudo-intellectual who's addicted to the Home Shopping Network.

In other news...for weeks now I have been fighting with the ants that are trying to take over my kitchen. At first, they came in groups of about 4 or 5. This, I feel, was very poor ant leadership. Usually I would just smoosh them or flick them down the drain. Somewhere along the line, however, they became more organized. Now they're coming in huge numbers, which has left me only one choice. Chemical warfare. It's amazing how fast a few squirts of Formula 409 will kill of a few hundred ants. Still, the thing that puzzles me is that they have apparently tasted my cooking, and continue to come back.

I'm still suffering through this cold...which has turned into something slightly more nasty. I've decided to finally admit defeat and go to the doctor. I hate going to the doctor. The idea of paying someone to harp at me for not taking care of myself like I should. I can get that for free from my family!

Also, in another brainy moment, Rusty and I went with our friends Angie and Will on a little road trip to Lebanon, MO on Friday. They have a Tracker, and we drove down with the top off. Apparently, my feeble mind forgot for a day just how painful a sunburn is...and that sunblock would have been in order. I passed the point of burn, and ended up completely scortched. Of course, I then had a job interview on Monday. Let's just say that I looked like a lobster in a black dress. Hopefully they're lovers of seafood.

T.G.I.....T.?

2004-06-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a Friday-like substance! I don't have to work tomorrow, so it's just as good as a Friday. Better, actually, because it's a 3 day weekend. The only improvment that could have been made was if it were payday too!!!

Have you noticed that Nancy Reagan looks like a really old Sally Jesse Raphael?

I have to confess that I looked up all the cast members from Kids, Incorporated. Ryan Lambert is now in what I assume is an alternative band of some sort. So are Stephanie Ferguson and Martika. Most of the others disappeared into oblivion. I love IMDB. The source of all great random entertainment knowledge.

Random Thoughts...

2004-06-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days where I have the attention span of a fruit fly, and can't seem to get two brain cells to work together....

I've had another non-eventful day at work. Still fighting the cold, but it appears that the Dayquil is working somewhat. Sierra just absolutely crashed last night, so I actually managed to get everything done and was in bed by 10:30. On the other hand, she decided she was starving this morning at 4:20.

Check this site out if you get the chance: http://www.johnkerryisadouchebagbutimvotingforhimanyway.com/.

Do you ever wonder what happened to the cast of Kids, Incorporated? I was just thinking about that show this moring. Ryan Lambert was such a hottie. Hmmm...may have to look them all up on the net today.

Mommy doesn't feel so good....

2004-06-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's yet another day moving slowly by after a mere 4 hours of sleep. No one in my house seems to be sleeping lately. We've all been sick. Sierra is getting over an ear infection and cold. As for Rusty, I've spent the last few days shoving Dayquil at him. And now I'm starting to get sick.

Now, for those of you who are Moms, you know that being sick is out of the question. I remember very few times that my mom was sick when I was little. It's not because she didn't get sick, it was because she wasn't allowed to BE sick. The Mom seldom gets to stay in bed all day surrounded by a pile of kleenex. (One of my favorite activites when I'm ill.) Always reminds me of my junior year of college when Sara and I got so sick that we both laid in bed and called each other on the phone because we didn't want to walk through the bathroom to the other one's room.

I'm starting to wonder if anyone would notice if I just curled up under my desk. Probably.

*sniff* *sniff*

Update & Addiction

2004-06-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I was surfing around the internet last week and ran into the blog of a classmate from college. That got me thinking that perhaps I should start one of my own. I could bitch to the masses instead of just my friends and family! And yes, it is cheaper than therapy! Thus, here's my blog.

I'm married, age 27, have one daughter, and I'm a 1999 grad of Stephens College. I've spent the last four years working for state government in jobs that have absolutely nothing to do with my degree. Where did that $100,000 go again?

I was hoping for something monumental to start with...some sort of life changing event to tell you about. Alas, here I am...and the best thing I've got is that I just got one of those "buy a 20 oz Pepsi and you get one free" caps. Whatever happened to just getting a free soda? Now you have to buy one to get the free one. Sounds like an evil plot to keep me hooked on caffeine. Good for them, cause it's working.

This is such a Monday. Ick.