Christmas is much on the mind as it is fast approaching & everyone is coming to our house this year since my parents are having massive house renovations (see De-I's blog for more updates). We haven't been aking as much as usual this year since my moms is so close and she is a way better baker than I could ever hope to be. After coming across this on you tube, however, I felt like I had to make some cupcakes. Ah the power of music ;)
As a side note, I have been listening to Christmas music non-stop for the last few weeks, and it seems to me that they feel it necessary to play the same versions of songs every day (kind of like regular radio most of the time). But it seems odd since there are so many wonderful carol interpretations out there. For example, I have yet to have hear one James Brown Christmas Carol, and, surprisingly, they haven't played this holiday favorite. Oh well, maybe next year.
I already bought myself my Christmas gift (Chalean Xtreme from Beachbody in case you were wondering), but if this were available, I would totally want it for Christmas...or Hannukah, we're equal opportunity in the Pu household. Yay for blended families! :)
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Get In the Kitchen and Make Me Some Pie!
Reading over my last few posts, I realize that I have been venting more than normal. I have been bottling all my stress up, so I apologize for letting it all out on here. So when I am feeling particularly stressed I have resolved to devote my blogging to an activity I find less stressful: cooking a quick, family-friendly meal. I figure I cook most nights now (since we are tightening our belt just like 99.9% of Americans nowadays), so this will provide me with lots of blog fodder! :) Here is today's menu, which was made in less than 30min (minus cooking time):
Chicken Pot Pie*
1lb chicken breast, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, choppped thin
2 carrots, chopped thin
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sherry
3 tbsp bouquet garni
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbsp butter
frozen pie crust (or make your own if yo' so inclined)
Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat & fry up chicken pieces until just cooked through (about 6-8min depending on how small you cube them). Remove chicken & add onion, carrots, celery, & spices (salt, pepper, bouquet garni) to pan and cook until onions are clear (make sure your celery and carrots are sliced thin so they cook through at the same time as the onion). If the mixture seems a little dry, add some more butter or oil. Remove pan from heat & add flour, stir until thoroughly mixed & return pan to heat. Add chicken stock, milk, cream, & sherry stirring slowly to keep the consistency creamy. Return chicken to mixture & add in frozen peas. Remove mixture and add to pie pan and cover with prepared crust (remember to cut slits in the top pie crust!). Pop in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes and voila! dinner that everyone will actually eat!**
*Confession: I cook by taste and don't really measure my ingredients, so please forgive me if they are slightly off. Also, please remember that I am at a very high altitude, so you may have to adjust the liquid to flour ratio to achieve the right consistency.
**Hint: place a baking pan underneath the pot pie so that if it overflows it doesn't fuck up your oven!
Chicken Pot Pie*
1lb chicken breast, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, choppped thin
2 carrots, chopped thin
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sherry
3 tbsp bouquet garni
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbsp butter
frozen pie crust (or make your own if yo' so inclined)
Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat & fry up chicken pieces until just cooked through (about 6-8min depending on how small you cube them). Remove chicken & add onion, carrots, celery, & spices (salt, pepper, bouquet garni) to pan and cook until onions are clear (make sure your celery and carrots are sliced thin so they cook through at the same time as the onion). If the mixture seems a little dry, add some more butter or oil. Remove pan from heat & add flour, stir until thoroughly mixed & return pan to heat. Add chicken stock, milk, cream, & sherry stirring slowly to keep the consistency creamy. Return chicken to mixture & add in frozen peas. Remove mixture and add to pie pan and cover with prepared crust (remember to cut slits in the top pie crust!). Pop in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes and voila! dinner that everyone will actually eat!**
*Confession: I cook by taste and don't really measure my ingredients, so please forgive me if they are slightly off. Also, please remember that I am at a very high altitude, so you may have to adjust the liquid to flour ratio to achieve the right consistency.
**Hint: place a baking pan underneath the pot pie so that if it overflows it doesn't fuck up your oven!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Quick Post
I feel like I should post something even though there's nothing exciting to write about. Had an IT meltdown at work today. Luckily my system admin was able to get everything up and running by day's end so that I would have system access during the holidays (he is headed out on vacation tomorrow), which would have really sucked since I am working through the holidays! Thanks to my fabulous company policy, we either have to take leave or make up the time if there is inclement weather which prevents us from being able to get to our worksite. Because of the nature of the work I do, it is not possible for me to work from home, so I am basically stuck making up the two hours I missed on Tuesday thanks to the snow (yes, it totally melted by about noon). This especiall sucks since I was hoping to work overtime already so that I could take the 24th off, but now it is physically impossible to make up the hours (we can only make up hours during the same pay period) so I am going to have to work on the 24th. Plus, since the Pres declared the 26th a federal holiday our building will be closed that day too and all contractors are being forced to take leave or leave without pay. So while it will be nice to have the 26th off, it also kind of crappy since I don't really have any leave to burn.
I also attempted to make rugalach tonight since we are having our organizational holiday potluck tomorrow (families are being permitted into the conference room...lucky families!). I happened by the sign-up sheet just as one of the oranizers was standing there with pen in hand and asically guilted me into promising to bring something in the next day. Kind of crappy since I had assumed the whole thing was going to get canceled (no one had signed up as of yeserday). Anyway, apparently I have a very short term memory because everytime I try to bake I remember all over again that I cannot bake! My sis MR must have gotten all the baking genes in the family b/c my moms is an awesome baker. Hopefully they taste good since they look like shit (and kind of like J might have made them) and I only managed to make about 12 cookies before I said fuck it. I didn't have enough time to let the dough cool in the fridge and I don't have a baking sheet to roll out the dough, so I was getting really frustrated with the whole endeavor. Hubs finally suggested that I just bake what I already had assembled and leave the rest, that way if they taste terrible I will not have wasted my entire evening. *sigh* I love the holidays (I am that annoying person who has the 24hr Christmas station on all day in the office), but man has it been stressful!
I also attempted to make rugalach tonight since we are having our organizational holiday potluck tomorrow (families are being permitted into the conference room...lucky families!). I happened by the sign-up sheet just as one of the oranizers was standing there with pen in hand and asically guilted me into promising to bring something in the next day. Kind of crappy since I had assumed the whole thing was going to get canceled (no one had signed up as of yeserday). Anyway, apparently I have a very short term memory because everytime I try to bake I remember all over again that I cannot bake! My sis MR must have gotten all the baking genes in the family b/c my moms is an awesome baker. Hopefully they taste good since they look like shit (and kind of like J might have made them) and I only managed to make about 12 cookies before I said fuck it. I didn't have enough time to let the dough cool in the fridge and I don't have a baking sheet to roll out the dough, so I was getting really frustrated with the whole endeavor. Hubs finally suggested that I just bake what I already had assembled and leave the rest, that way if they taste terrible I will not have wasted my entire evening. *sigh* I love the holidays (I am that annoying person who has the 24hr Christmas station on all day in the office), but man has it been stressful!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Home Again
I made it back to Abq just before the storm (woke up to snow & ice on my car this morning). There is a mountain pass just across the NM-CO border that I must cross in order to make it home from the Springs, and I am always worrying about the weather. There was a huge snowstorm last night, so my reserve command was kind enough to release me a little early in the day so I could speed my ass off to beat the storm home. And it's only December!
In other news, things are quite stressful at home. I have been worrying a lot about my school aged kiddos since I think they are both getting screwed by the public school system and there doesn't seem to be much I can do about it.* I don't want to go into too much detail here, but C & T are both getting teased in school for various reasons. And, as a mother and as a kid who was once picked on myself, my heart just breaks for them both. You just want your kids to have a wonderful childhood and to avoid all the horrible things you went thgrough as a kid. I want to give them the best possible future, and I feel so helpless. It just makes me feel so sad...
Anyway, now that it is truly the holiday season, I have started the kids on my usual X-mas excitement kick. Every night we watch a different Christmas movie (Rudolph, The Grinch, Charlie Brown or Garfield Christmas, etc.) and open the advent calendar (hey, any tradition that encourages the eating of chocolate is one we all should adopt ;) Then we sit around the tree and either read the various holiday story books (there's a whole bunch of Hanukkah ones, too...I'm an equal opportunity holidayist :) or count up all the presents under the tree. And we still have three more weeks to go! As a child, I just loved the feeling of anticipation that came with Christmas, and I love seeing how excited my own children get.
Example of Pu Family Christmas Joy:
We are watching Rudolph...enter Abominable Snowman...I grab Jocelyn and squeeze her pretending to be afraid...
Me: *gasp* Oh no, it is the Abominable Snowman. He is so scary!
J: Eeeee! Scary Nomabable Snowman!
Me: Is he going to eat Rudolph??!! I think he likes to eat reindeer.
J: *firmly* No! We will eat him first. He will be yummy like snow. Snow is yummy.
C: Um, what about his teeth? He has really big teeth.
J: *pauses thoughtfully* Then we will give him Alex.
So I leave you with some happy holiday pics:
*Thanks to all who commented on my previous post about the NCLB Act, especially those who aren't my normal audience. It is comforting and yet incredibly frustrating to know there are others facing these challenges. One can only hope that the Obama administration will turn their attention to our abysmal Education Dept; however, I think they'll probably be quite busy with just keeping the country afloat. I have just about given up on public schools altogether. I am seriously considering homeschooling, if only we can figure out a way we could afford it.
In other news, things are quite stressful at home. I have been worrying a lot about my school aged kiddos since I think they are both getting screwed by the public school system and there doesn't seem to be much I can do about it.* I don't want to go into too much detail here, but C & T are both getting teased in school for various reasons. And, as a mother and as a kid who was once picked on myself, my heart just breaks for them both. You just want your kids to have a wonderful childhood and to avoid all the horrible things you went thgrough as a kid. I want to give them the best possible future, and I feel so helpless. It just makes me feel so sad...
Anyway, now that it is truly the holiday season, I have started the kids on my usual X-mas excitement kick. Every night we watch a different Christmas movie (Rudolph, The Grinch, Charlie Brown or Garfield Christmas, etc.) and open the advent calendar (hey, any tradition that encourages the eating of chocolate is one we all should adopt ;) Then we sit around the tree and either read the various holiday story books (there's a whole bunch of Hanukkah ones, too...I'm an equal opportunity holidayist :) or count up all the presents under the tree. And we still have three more weeks to go! As a child, I just loved the feeling of anticipation that came with Christmas, and I love seeing how excited my own children get.
Example of Pu Family Christmas Joy:
We are watching Rudolph...enter Abominable Snowman...I grab Jocelyn and squeeze her pretending to be afraid...
Me: *gasp* Oh no, it is the Abominable Snowman. He is so scary!
J: Eeeee! Scary Nomabable Snowman!
Me: Is he going to eat Rudolph??!! I think he likes to eat reindeer.
J: *firmly* No! We will eat him first. He will be yummy like snow. Snow is yummy.
C: Um, what about his teeth? He has really big teeth.
J: *pauses thoughtfully* Then we will give him Alex.
So I leave you with some happy holiday pics:
*Thanks to all who commented on my previous post about the NCLB Act, especially those who aren't my normal audience. It is comforting and yet incredibly frustrating to know there are others facing these challenges. One can only hope that the Obama administration will turn their attention to our abysmal Education Dept; however, I think they'll probably be quite busy with just keeping the country afloat. I have just about given up on public schools altogether. I am seriously considering homeschooling, if only we can figure out a way we could afford it.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Fool's Gold
Lisa is in Colorado Springs until Monday, I hear it's a winter wonderland and she has been snowboarding to and from work everyday.
I hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I am really thankful to have a wife loved by so many, that and being richer than 65% of the world, BWHAHAHAHA ...!!!!
Honestly, when I was driving through West Texas last week, besides continuously reminding myself that the Chainsaw Massacre guy and his family were in fact not going to get me when I stop for gas :) I heard on a local radio station if you had any spare change in your house, car, whatever, then you were richer than 65% of the worlds population. The radio station was really interesting, but had a lot of shitiness to it as well, therefore death magnetic was turned back on and yes, loudly. At any who, it really makes you think just how fortunate we really are, especially around the holidays.!!
If you don't donate regularly, perhaps this X-mas can be your first? Something that isn't much to you would mean the world to others.
This here is just ridiculousness..
Peace guys
I hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I am really thankful to have a wife loved by so many, that and being richer than 65% of the world, BWHAHAHAHA ...!!!!
Honestly, when I was driving through West Texas last week, besides continuously reminding myself that the Chainsaw Massacre guy and his family were in fact not going to get me when I stop for gas :) I heard on a local radio station if you had any spare change in your house, car, whatever, then you were richer than 65% of the worlds population. The radio station was really interesting, but had a lot of shitiness to it as well, therefore death magnetic was turned back on and yes, loudly. At any who, it really makes you think just how fortunate we really are, especially around the holidays.!!
If you don't donate regularly, perhaps this X-mas can be your first? Something that isn't much to you would mean the world to others.
This here is just ridiculousness..
Peace guys
Friday, November 28, 2008
Gobble, Gobble '08
Sorry to continue the shortness of posts. I am suffering from a terrble cold (but at least I am the only one to have contracted it...kind of astounding when you think about ow mnay kids we have ;) Turkey day was uneventful, as I pretty much just felt like curling up into a ball and dying and not so much like baking a big ass turkey. I did it anyway (otherwise the kids might have revolted and I just did not have the strength to fend them off). hubs was kind enough to put them all to bed a bit on the early side...mainly because I had already passed out on the couch (thank you Benedryl). Hope your Thanksgivings were slightly healthier than mine!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Incommunicado
Sorry for the lengthy absence...we're up to five kids now and have been crazy busy with work/school (I know, what's new). Anyway, I'm thinking that, through the holidays, it's going to be very difficult to find time to write so I hope you'll all forgive the time between posts. I'll put up some pics soon. A got his first haircut (Grandma took him so Hubs couldn't say no, hee hee), and he actually looks like a boy again (I was tired of getting complimented on my three beautiful daughters ;) J is enjoying her school (she gets to take a backpack and lunchbox, so she feels like a big girl), and C had her 1st parent-teacher conference this year. Remind me to post about how ridiculous the No Child Left Behind Act has made it for gifted and learning-disabled children alike to get help. I wanted to put C in the gifted program, but the new requirements put a heavy burden on the teacher and parents to show that the child can't be helped in someother way, then the testing process takes up to 12 weeks, they have to pass tests in 5 different subjects (no testing into the English gifted program, for example, you have to pass all 5 subjects), and you have to take an IQ test and score over 130. I'm thinking a charter school might be the way to go to meet her hands-on learning needs b/c she is extremely bright, and I think she is just extremely bored in class. I can sympathize not being a rote learner myself. It also sounds like you have o jump through just as many hoops for children with learning disabilities to get help. You have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that your child needs help they can't get in a regular classroom. Yay NCLB Act! Let's shove all our children into one box so no one gets "left behind." No wonder our children perform so poorly.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Life Goes On
Not much to say on the homefront. Life is progressing as usual. Work is crazy, kids are driving us nuts, etc. J is growing up so quickly. They really progress quite fast at this stage I think the Montessori day school we have her in now* is really helping because she has really started to formulate a certain amount of logic which she applies at random.
Toddler Logic:
J: *sitting on my bed staring out the window* Shhhhh, Momy. There are dinosaurs there and they will get us.
Me: There are! Oh no, are they coming to eat us?
J: No, they just go roar. That's all they do.
Me: They just roar?
J: Yes, they roar. Roar. Like that. That's how they do it.
Me: Well, are they going to scare us?
J: Yes. I will be scared becase they have big teeth and go roar.
Me: Big teeth! Ohhhh, that is scary.
J: Yes and then they brush their teeth. Like that *pretends to brush teeth* That is how they brush their teeth.
Me: Hmm, I wonder if they use toothpaste?
J: Mommy, you so silly. They have dinosaur toothpaste and it is green because dinosaurs like green. I have princess toothpaste and it is pink because I like pink.
Me: I wonder how they brush their teeth with such short little arms?
J: *thoughtfully* I think their mommies do it.
9 Year Old Logic:
C: Mom, I, like, totally have to go see High School Musical 3 when it comes out. It is going to be soooooo awesome!
Me: What happened to HSM 1 and 2?
C: *gives me the duh look* Uh, they're already out on DVD, Mom. But this one is going to be in the theater, and I can't wait to see it! Squeeeeeeeeeeee!
Me: I think you just popped my eardrum, also how are you planning to go see this movie?
C: *thoughtfully* I just won't eat for a week and I will save all my money and buy a ticket.
Me: Oookay. Supposing you could actually go a week without eating, how are you planning to get to the movie theater.
C: *shrugs* I'll just get my friend's mom to take us. Or, I could ask my grandma.
Me: *skeptically* And you think your grandma is going to want to se HSM3?
C: Um, yeah. It has Corbin Bleu in it, and he is, like, soooo dreamy!
Me: You're right, your grandma will definately want to see HSM3.
1-Year Old Logic:
A: Ahhhhh, goo ga ba ga ba. Heee heee heee. Mama?**
*Just PT, that shit is expensive!
**I couldn't very well leave A out even though there is clearly no logic to what he says ;)
Toddler Logic:
J: *sitting on my bed staring out the window* Shhhhh, Momy. There are dinosaurs there and they will get us.
Me: There are! Oh no, are they coming to eat us?
J: No, they just go roar. That's all they do.
Me: They just roar?
J: Yes, they roar. Roar. Like that. That's how they do it.
Me: Well, are they going to scare us?
J: Yes. I will be scared becase they have big teeth and go roar.
Me: Big teeth! Ohhhh, that is scary.
J: Yes and then they brush their teeth. Like that *pretends to brush teeth* That is how they brush their teeth.
Me: Hmm, I wonder if they use toothpaste?
J: Mommy, you so silly. They have dinosaur toothpaste and it is green because dinosaurs like green. I have princess toothpaste and it is pink because I like pink.
Me: I wonder how they brush their teeth with such short little arms?
J: *thoughtfully* I think their mommies do it.
9 Year Old Logic:
C: Mom, I, like, totally have to go see High School Musical 3 when it comes out. It is going to be soooooo awesome!
Me: What happened to HSM 1 and 2?
C: *gives me the duh look* Uh, they're already out on DVD, Mom. But this one is going to be in the theater, and I can't wait to see it! Squeeeeeeeeeeee!
Me: I think you just popped my eardrum, also how are you planning to go see this movie?
C: *thoughtfully* I just won't eat for a week and I will save all my money and buy a ticket.
Me: Oookay. Supposing you could actually go a week without eating, how are you planning to get to the movie theater.
C: *shrugs* I'll just get my friend's mom to take us. Or, I could ask my grandma.
Me: *skeptically* And you think your grandma is going to want to se HSM3?
C: Um, yeah. It has Corbin Bleu in it, and he is, like, soooo dreamy!
Me: You're right, your grandma will definately want to see HSM3.
1-Year Old Logic:
A: Ahhhhh, goo ga ba ga ba. Heee heee heee. Mama?**
*Just PT, that shit is expensive!
**I couldn't very well leave A out even though there is clearly no logic to what he says ;)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Punkin Patch Pics
Guess what we did this weekend (besides watch the Bills whoop some Charger ass*)
*5-1 beeyotches, 5 and 1!
*5-1 beeyotches, 5 and 1!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Boombastic..
We really don't have the slightest idea where we will be 1 year from now..
And life is a bit rough these days, out here in the desert for us...
However, this post has nothing to do with either topic?
I feel as long as we have eachother, everything will be alright..has Bob Marley not taught you people anything??...geesh! I thought I would take it one step further in the appreciation department by posting on her blog..BTW, Lisa is not a burrito head..most of the time..
And life is a bit rough these days, out here in the desert for us...
However, this post has nothing to do with either topic?
I feel as long as we have eachother, everything will be alright..has Bob Marley not taught you people anything??...geesh! I thought I would take it one step further in the appreciation department by posting on her blog..BTW, Lisa is not a burrito head..most of the time..
She's actually the best mama in the land and I need to give my girl some extra appreciation because from my collected evidence below, these kids just ain't right sometimes man..
And
I even think our cat may be on drugs!!
You all know her, Lisa, , that's my smoking hot' hottie... and she looks more f-i-n-e to me everyday..(yea, Go Bills!!)
However, we can't all be perfect..(De-I and Ms De-I, please seek the real tomato killing culprit--damn tobacco smokers!!).BAM!
And the Lord said "Let's go Buffalo"..!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Name That Bug
Seriously, if anyone knows what kind of bug this is, I'd love to hear it. It spit in my cat's eye the other day (he's okay, but we were totally freaked out).
Also, Sabres are 2-0, yay!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Grad School Follow-Up
Thanks to everyone who replied to my post below. I think RM, especially, brings up some excellent points. My personal reasons for wanting to go to grad achool is to really learn about a subject that is very interesting to me. I am looking at Chinese or East Asian studies programs exclusively. I am not interested in a broad poli-sci or international relations program. My goal is to re-learn the language (my skills have drastically decreased since I have rarely used my Chinese since graduating from college) and to get a better understanding of Sino-American relations, especially within the last 10-15 years (in my BA program, I concentrated on the Qing dyasty and beyond but, really, I only studied Sino-American realtions as they related to politics). Attending a program like that accomplishes two things for me: it would allow me to spend time learning about a subject I find extremely interesting and it would help me to advance in my career field. My ideal program is through the Naval Post-Graduate School, which offers an education in exchange for service program (civil service, that is, I'm not talking about going back into the military). If accepted, I would receive free education, a small stipend (in addition to my GI Bill, though I would still be making less than 1/2 of what I make now), and I would be required to "pay back" the government by being automtically placed in government service (i.e. a guaranteed job).
Additionally, I have been feeling more and more dissatisfied with our current situation as of late. I like my job because I find what I do in general to be interesting; however, there is absolutely zero opportunity for advancement (not what I was told when I took the job), we contractors have very little say in what direction our project ends up going (as evidenced by the last project I was bitching about) or how to utilize our talens, there is no training to advance your skills as an analyst (the gov't guys can take all the training classes/conferences/events they want so long as there's $$, contractors are supposed to be "fully trained" - you figure out the difference), my boss sucks....he just sucks, there's no other way to put it. I always thought leaders were supposed to support their people and make sure they had the tools they need to succeed, in our case, to act as a conduit between the analysts and government expectations. Instead he trash talks us to make himself look better, makes snidely, inaccurate remarks about the work we've done, and (instead of bringing up issues beforehand) calls us out in front of the big gov't boss when we're presening our projects.
In addition to all of that, Hubs has had a very difficult time finding a worthwhile job out here. I say worthwhile because his field seems to pay nearly 50% less out here than it did in LA, while childcare costs are only about 25% less, so it ends up that he only takes home a very small amount after all the costs involved with getting him to work in the first place. He is now going to school full-time and working for his old company at home on a pay-per-placement basis, which will actually end up paying him more in the end (an dis more satisfying work for him), but we have to wait on $$ since he is not salaried. So, to make a very long story shorter, we are not making the kind of money we thought we would by making the move from LA to NM. In fact, I would venture to say with the loss we've taken in income combined with the current economic circumstances everyone is facing, we made a very poor decision in coming out here. Not that I don't absolutely adore my parents, and that has been the one bright spot in all of this, but watching my savings dwindle down to next to nothing with absolutely no safety net (thanks to the value to all my investments going in the toilet)...well, I'm thinking I would have been better off staying in the higher cost of living area where we made nearly 2x what we're making now.
I don't know. I realize the grass is always greener on the other side, but I also think we have to be realistic. I'm unhappy professionally and I would like to get back to the area which excites me most, and Hubs is also unhappy both professionally and personally as it is difficult to find and make friends when you work from home. I know that it would mean a severe change in lifestyle, but I think it would be worth it in the end. Besides, there's no guarantee I would even be accepted, so this may all be for nothing. I just feel like I'm not getting any younger, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life stuck doing things I don't really care for when there is the opportunity to continue doing what I love (don't we all feel that way???)
Additionally, I have been feeling more and more dissatisfied with our current situation as of late. I like my job because I find what I do in general to be interesting; however, there is absolutely zero opportunity for advancement (not what I was told when I took the job), we contractors have very little say in what direction our project ends up going (as evidenced by the last project I was bitching about) or how to utilize our talens, there is no training to advance your skills as an analyst (the gov't guys can take all the training classes/conferences/events they want so long as there's $$, contractors are supposed to be "fully trained" - you figure out the difference), my boss sucks....he just sucks, there's no other way to put it. I always thought leaders were supposed to support their people and make sure they had the tools they need to succeed, in our case, to act as a conduit between the analysts and government expectations. Instead he trash talks us to make himself look better, makes snidely, inaccurate remarks about the work we've done, and (instead of bringing up issues beforehand) calls us out in front of the big gov't boss when we're presening our projects.
In addition to all of that, Hubs has had a very difficult time finding a worthwhile job out here. I say worthwhile because his field seems to pay nearly 50% less out here than it did in LA, while childcare costs are only about 25% less, so it ends up that he only takes home a very small amount after all the costs involved with getting him to work in the first place. He is now going to school full-time and working for his old company at home on a pay-per-placement basis, which will actually end up paying him more in the end (an dis more satisfying work for him), but we have to wait on $$ since he is not salaried. So, to make a very long story shorter, we are not making the kind of money we thought we would by making the move from LA to NM. In fact, I would venture to say with the loss we've taken in income combined with the current economic circumstances everyone is facing, we made a very poor decision in coming out here. Not that I don't absolutely adore my parents, and that has been the one bright spot in all of this, but watching my savings dwindle down to next to nothing with absolutely no safety net (thanks to the value to all my investments going in the toilet)...well, I'm thinking I would have been better off staying in the higher cost of living area where we made nearly 2x what we're making now.
I don't know. I realize the grass is always greener on the other side, but I also think we have to be realistic. I'm unhappy professionally and I would like to get back to the area which excites me most, and Hubs is also unhappy both professionally and personally as it is difficult to find and make friends when you work from home. I know that it would mean a severe change in lifestyle, but I think it would be worth it in the end. Besides, there's no guarantee I would even be accepted, so this may all be for nothing. I just feel like I'm not getting any younger, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life stuck doing things I don't really care for when there is the opportunity to continue doing what I love (don't we all feel that way???)
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Should I to Education Me-self?
Recently I have been toying with the idea of returning to school. I have always wanted to get my Masters (and had taken a few courses when I was in Japan and only had 1 child), but my life is very much at odds with the average grad student lifestyle. Other concerns: my verbal GRE score is excellent, my quantitative score is on par with a doughnut; how would I pay off the loans; how would we live without my income? What do you all think, should I throw caution to the wind and pursue my dream? Should I chuck my dreams and be a practical wife and mother? Should I say fuck it and get a cake degree from a no-name, online school just to say I have my Masters? Should Joslyn win ANTM based purely on her awesomeness? Will Russia take advantage of the current financial crisis to take over the world? Er...sorry, got a bit off-track there. I am also concerned with my personal statement. I am fortunate to have several old bosses/co-workers who are willing to write me glowing letters of recommendation, but I would need to write a personal statement on why I deserve to be a grad student and what I would do with it if they deigned to accept me, and I have no clue where to start. Really what I'm having trouble with is being concise...I have a lot that I could say, but I realize that whoever is reviewing my application is also reviewing the hundreds of other applicants' statements and (of course) I want mine to be the best and have a lasting impact. Any suggestions?
Random Tidbit
Today marks the first real hockey game of the season (Sabres 25-1 to win the Stanley Cup this year). Today also marked the annual softball game our organization plays (read: lots of old guys with "something to prove:). Because I am a contractor, I would actually have to burn my vacation time to attend this event, but, really, I would go only if the competition were more like this, anyway.*
* These guys are freakin' hilarious
Random Tidbit
Today marks the first real hockey game of the season (Sabres 25-1 to win the Stanley Cup this year). Today also marked the annual softball game our organization plays (read: lots of old guys with "something to prove:). Because I am a contractor, I would actually have to burn my vacation time to attend this event, but, really, I would go only if the competition were more like this, anyway.*
* These guys are freakin' hilarious
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Glendale Gaffe
So we lost. I had a bad feeling that going to see our beloved Bills in person might jinx the whole undefeated thing. In our defense, our QB (Trent Edwards) went down on the second play with a concussion (and still managed to complete that pass!) and it seemed like the entire team just said, fuck it, we're screwed without Trent. And so they were. The offense couldn't get anything going and the defense just got exhausted after all the constant 3 and outs.* In spite of the loss, we still had an awesome time in Arizona.
It was a gorgeous and sunny 85 degrees (yet still freezing inside the Dome. WTF, Pheonix!?)
We literally sat 5 rows up froom the field (the better to see JP get sacked, oh ho!)
And, we managed to get on tv! (the DVR is the best invention ever!)
*Ya know, we Bills fans have gotten bit greedy with all this glory. If you had told me last season that we would be 4-1 going into the bye week, I would have been ecstatic. So I really can't complain. Besides, the bye gives us a chance to get healthy and come back strong in week 6. Go Bills!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Random Musings
All day long I notice little things that would be great topics for blog posts and, then...well, apparently I don't blog about them! I did want to mention that I had an okay trip up to the Springs. Some positives: I got to see my awesome friend, L, who took care of A for me while I was working my UTA weekend (you can see her musings on the ordeal here ;), we had a mini-Det 910 reunion where I got to catch up with some old friends, I went to a great conference on space intel (one of the first I've been to that I actually thought was worth my time, plus I saw my old bosses from SMC and from Misawa) and..um..it didn't rain too much. The negatives: billeting totally screwed up my reservations resulting in a lot of pain and my Sq/CC actually having to physically go down to billeting to demand that they honor my reservation so A and I could have a place to stay, we had a big visitor come through that got dumped in our laps at the last minute due to someone else's incompetence and then said person tried to make it look lie it was all our fault! (eventually got straightened out but very stressful when you are new to the unit!), I had A with me in the same room the whole time (I had originally reserved TLF so we could have separate rooms but obviously that didn't work out as expected), which is not really that fun when your 1 year-old snores!, I missed the first 2 Bills games (4 and freaking 0, baby! I can't wait to go see the game in Glendale next weekend!!!), and then I came home to find that my project had undergone some major changes while I was away that I didn't totally agree with but couldn't do anything about since it had already been briefed at the next level. Grrrrr!
Something awesome I would like to note: I attended a change of command for one of our squadrons while I was there and I couldn't help but notice that the minority CC was handing over to another minority CC (a Vietnamese immigrant whose family fled from Saigon and who waxed eloquent about what it meant to him to serve the United States). Additionally, the conference I attended had 3 full bird Cols in attendence...all 3 were women. How freaking awesome is that! (for you non-mil types, Col is just below General so it is a way big deal) Where else do you se such diversity (no where but the mother fuckin' AF, people, that's where!)
Tv Musings
"If there's something wrong with me, then society made me this way." - *sigh* Oh, The Office...how I have missed you.
Tyra, Tyra, Tyra. I watch America's Next Top Model to escape from my life, not to be given a lecture on who to vote for. Besides, do we really want the target audience for a CW show taht promotes curly, red hair as "edgy"to vote for our next president???
My DVR bumped off all the Project Runway episodes I missed while in CO, WTF happened to Kenley? Why is she such an incredible bitch now? In other news, go Jerell!
I learned over the course of watching House reruns every night at the hotel that I freaking love House...also, I should really go to the doctor more often becuase now I am totally paranoid.
In Other News...
I have decided that I'm tired of looking in the mirror and not being happy with what I see. So I've decided to just accept myself as I am...ha ha ha ha! Really got you there, didn't I? No, don't be silly, I could never manage that, so instead I am going to attempt to try to stick to a new workout/diet plan called P90X (google Beachbody if you're curious). I actually bought this system a few years ago before J was born and had great results, but it is hard to stick with because I get really bored with the workouts (oh, and I fucking love chocolate). However, I have come to the conclusion that I'm not unhappy with my weight, I just unhappy with my shape. I want a tighter tummy and thinner thighs, but I don't really want to lose any more weight. After seeing some of the results other moms got (I belong to a video fitness website...yes, I know, I am a huge dork), I figured maybe I have been training all wrong for the kind of body I want. I guess we'll see what happens!
Something awesome I would like to note: I attended a change of command for one of our squadrons while I was there and I couldn't help but notice that the minority CC was handing over to another minority CC (a Vietnamese immigrant whose family fled from Saigon and who waxed eloquent about what it meant to him to serve the United States). Additionally, the conference I attended had 3 full bird Cols in attendence...all 3 were women. How freaking awesome is that! (for you non-mil types, Col is just below General so it is a way big deal) Where else do you se such diversity (no where but the mother fuckin' AF, people, that's where!)
Tv Musings
"If there's something wrong with me, then society made me this way." - *sigh* Oh, The Office...how I have missed you.
Tyra, Tyra, Tyra. I watch America's Next Top Model to escape from my life, not to be given a lecture on who to vote for. Besides, do we really want the target audience for a CW show taht promotes curly, red hair as "edgy"to vote for our next president???
My DVR bumped off all the Project Runway episodes I missed while in CO, WTF happened to Kenley? Why is she such an incredible bitch now? In other news, go Jerell!
I learned over the course of watching House reruns every night at the hotel that I freaking love House...also, I should really go to the doctor more often becuase now I am totally paranoid.
In Other News...
I have decided that I'm tired of looking in the mirror and not being happy with what I see. So I've decided to just accept myself as I am...ha ha ha ha! Really got you there, didn't I? No, don't be silly, I could never manage that, so instead I am going to attempt to try to stick to a new workout/diet plan called P90X (google Beachbody if you're curious). I actually bought this system a few years ago before J was born and had great results, but it is hard to stick with because I get really bored with the workouts (oh, and I fucking love chocolate). However, I have come to the conclusion that I'm not unhappy with my weight, I just unhappy with my shape. I want a tighter tummy and thinner thighs, but I don't really want to lose any more weight. After seeing some of the results other moms got (I belong to a video fitness website...yes, I know, I am a huge dork), I figured maybe I have been training all wrong for the kind of body I want. I guess we'll see what happens!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Wicked Rad
Yes, the Bills are 2-0 and the stinkin' lousy Raiders are coming to town (sorry oneballers).. Lisa will be back from Colorado Springs on Thursday afternoon..very jazzed!! The girls and I drove up last weekend to pay her and the baby boy a visit... if you were wondering...the dame is doing f-i-n-e.Peace guys.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Outta Here
I'm off to sunny CO Springs for two weeks tomorrow. This time I'm taking A with me so that Hubs will only have to deal with two little childrens while I'm gone. The AF is making it extra easy by making me come to billeting for 3 days, then go to a hotel for 3 days, and then return to billeting for the remainder of my time there. So, yay for that! See you all when I get back!
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Pu on Politics
I know what ya'll are thinking "Ooooooh, Pu's doing a political post. This should be rich!" Well, I can't guarantee that, but you should read this anyone because I am very curious as to what you all think. There's been a lot of talk about Sarah Palin and her children, and, as a working mom with an unusual job, I am very interested in what people are saying about her. Specifically, I find it fascinating to think that the fact that she has a pregnant teen daughter somehow makes her a bad candidate* As a former teen hellion, I would hate to think that my troubled childhood reflected poorly on my wonderful parents who did their very best to keep me under control, and I happened to turn out pretty durn well in the end (if I do say so myself ;) Even worse, all the talk on the radio this morning was about how she has a 4 month old daughter at home and how could she possibly campaign and then have a 24/7 type of job and still raise her infant? Oh yes, god forbid a woman with a baby try to take on a powerful job that is quite time consuming. I guess it's fine for all those women who serve on active duty and might be separated from their children for months/years at a time. Their children are probably totally fucked up because someone else is raising them** What shocks me the most is that these are Democrats making these horrible 50's-era arguments that she is somehow a bad mother because, again, god forbid she choose to follow her career aspirations. Believe it or not, moms do have a life outside the home (though it might not seem like it sometimes). Whatever path you choose (working mom or SAHM), I find it truly appalling that women just don't know how to support each other. Because, I have to tell you, all of the people calling in to complain about how Sarah Palin shouldn't be running for office and/or is a bad mother, were women! How sad is that? I guess all this time I've just been fucking up my kids and being a poor parent since I choose to work in a field where I am on call 24/7. Here I always thought that I was setting a good example for my kids about how they should follow ther dreams and find that one thing in life that they are passionate about, but apparently I am stuck in the 70's.
Also, I have to comment on how sad it is that poor Sarah Palin's daughter *** is being dragged through the mud on TMZ and Perez Hilton when, ya know, there's still real topics up for debate like, say, the economy that is going in the toilet or the fact that there's still a war going on! Oh, and the Soviet Union, excuse me, Russia has invaded Georgia**** and the Iranians are developing nuclear weapons. Ya know, shit like that. But, I guess, a pregnant teen is way more important a topic for us to be discussing rather than the state of world affairs and what the U.S.'s role should be. That shit is just way to hard to think about, and pregnant teens are so much more interesting. Seriously, ya'll, double-u tee eff!!!!??? Am I the only person who finds this entire scandal to be, well, not that scandalous? And should Democratic women be out in force to support Sarah Palin (even if she is a gun-toting member of the NRA) and her workin' mama ways? Should the American public care about foreign affairs or has the question of the economy consumed all other points of debate even though the price of oil is tied to the situation in the Middle East, the situation in Russia/Georgia, and Russian support to Venezuela. Oh, you didn't know that Russia and Iran supply Venezuela with weapons and economic support? Congratulations, you've just joined 99% of the American public in your understanding of foreign affairs. Whew, sorry about that. I guess I got off on a rant there ;)
Personally, I guess because I'm confronted day-in and day-out with the realities of foreign doings, I have become much more of a realist when it comes to international relations. No matter how many times you invite the North Koreans to tea and crumpets, they're still going to talk behind your back and spread rumors that you're a whore, so why give them the satisfaction. You can talk to Iran 'til you're blue in the face and they're still not going to be able to separate us from Israel. They think Israel is our Hizballah for god's sake! The liklihood that they're going to have serious nuclear talks with us is a joke. They're going to act just like the North Koreans, i.e. we'll tell you what you want to hear and then go do what the hell we want anyway because, and I know this is hard to believe, they're going to do whatever is in their best interest...not ours! And, though I choke to say this as a confirmed liberated woman, but my experiences over the last 13 years in my field is that all states act in a manner that is most beneficial to them. So maybe we should stop acting all holier than thou and just admit that we don't ever do anything that isn't in our best interest either. Everybody hates a hypocrite.
Anyway, that's enough politics for now. Maybe I've just become to cynical, or maybe I'm just PMSing. Discuss! ;)
* Please note that Pu's Corner does not endorse political candidates of either party
**Please, please, please note the sarcasm here
***yes, I know, she put her family in the limelight by running for office, but that poor girl did not ask for all this attention, especially when Jamie Lynn Spears is practically being deified for chosing to keep her baby
****To which the EU's response was to say, "Hey, Russia, please don't do that...oh, and don't stop exporting oil to us either. 'Cause, ya know, we need that shit." Way to go EU! No wonder no one gives a shit about Europe...sorry AinA ;)
Also, I have to comment on how sad it is that poor Sarah Palin's daughter *** is being dragged through the mud on TMZ and Perez Hilton when, ya know, there's still real topics up for debate like, say, the economy that is going in the toilet or the fact that there's still a war going on! Oh, and the Soviet Union, excuse me, Russia has invaded Georgia**** and the Iranians are developing nuclear weapons. Ya know, shit like that. But, I guess, a pregnant teen is way more important a topic for us to be discussing rather than the state of world affairs and what the U.S.'s role should be. That shit is just way to hard to think about, and pregnant teens are so much more interesting. Seriously, ya'll, double-u tee eff!!!!??? Am I the only person who finds this entire scandal to be, well, not that scandalous? And should Democratic women be out in force to support Sarah Palin (even if she is a gun-toting member of the NRA) and her workin' mama ways? Should the American public care about foreign affairs or has the question of the economy consumed all other points of debate even though the price of oil is tied to the situation in the Middle East, the situation in Russia/Georgia, and Russian support to Venezuela. Oh, you didn't know that Russia and Iran supply Venezuela with weapons and economic support? Congratulations, you've just joined 99% of the American public in your understanding of foreign affairs. Whew, sorry about that. I guess I got off on a rant there ;)
Personally, I guess because I'm confronted day-in and day-out with the realities of foreign doings, I have become much more of a realist when it comes to international relations. No matter how many times you invite the North Koreans to tea and crumpets, they're still going to talk behind your back and spread rumors that you're a whore, so why give them the satisfaction. You can talk to Iran 'til you're blue in the face and they're still not going to be able to separate us from Israel. They think Israel is our Hizballah for god's sake! The liklihood that they're going to have serious nuclear talks with us is a joke. They're going to act just like the North Koreans, i.e. we'll tell you what you want to hear and then go do what the hell we want anyway because, and I know this is hard to believe, they're going to do whatever is in their best interest...not ours! And, though I choke to say this as a confirmed liberated woman, but my experiences over the last 13 years in my field is that all states act in a manner that is most beneficial to them. So maybe we should stop acting all holier than thou and just admit that we don't ever do anything that isn't in our best interest either. Everybody hates a hypocrite.
Anyway, that's enough politics for now. Maybe I've just become to cynical, or maybe I'm just PMSing. Discuss! ;)
* Please note that Pu's Corner does not endorse political candidates of either party
**Please, please, please note the sarcasm here
***yes, I know, she put her family in the limelight by running for office, but that poor girl did not ask for all this attention, especially when Jamie Lynn Spears is practically being deified for chosing to keep her baby
****To which the EU's response was to say, "Hey, Russia, please don't do that...oh, and don't stop exporting oil to us either. 'Cause, ya know, we need that shit." Way to go EU! No wonder no one gives a shit about Europe...sorry AinA ;)
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sibling Rivalry
Sorry for, yet again, the long wait between posts. I turned in a project on Thursday that I have been working on with my team for almost 4 months. Of course, now we have to go through the editing & revision process, but I am pleased to at least have finished and briefed the first draft...and I briefed the shit out of that mutha'!* Some of you may have noticed that I completed my project on Thursday and it is now Monday. To those people I say, have you met my kids? Speaking of which, I have to share a little annecdote that I can't decide whether it is amusing or disturbing or, quite possibly, a little of both. Recently J has had a couple of incidents where she sneaks into A's room after he's been put down for the night and pulls his legs through his crib. We noticed this because a) A screams like a maniac and b) his legs are through the slats of the crib. Of course J gets into big trouble for this, but this last time I felt compelled to ask why she would do such a thing because, seriously, who does that?! I asked her very nochalantly over coloring:
Me: Why did you hurt A?
J: I not hurt A.
Me: But, why would you pull his legs through the crib? That's not very nice.
J: I didn't want that.
Me: What didn't you want?
J: *very matter-of-factly* A.
We then discussed that regardless of what you want, you still can't hurt other people, and J has not done anything like that since, but still...is that not totally crazy? Apparently my older sister used to toddle up and stroke my hair while my mom was nursing me and then yank on it when she wasn't looking, so I guess siblin rivalry starts early in our family ;)
Here's some pics of the kids that my mom took. I wish I had one of V to share with you, but she was having none of the picture taking as you can see from the one with her & J!
*Only someone as white as I would punctuate mutha'
Me: Why did you hurt A?
J: I not hurt A.
Me: But, why would you pull his legs through the crib? That's not very nice.
J: I didn't want that.
Me: What didn't you want?
J: *very matter-of-factly* A.
We then discussed that regardless of what you want, you still can't hurt other people, and J has not done anything like that since, but still...is that not totally crazy? Apparently my older sister used to toddle up and stroke my hair while my mom was nursing me and then yank on it when she wasn't looking, so I guess siblin rivalry starts early in our family ;)
Here's some pics of the kids that my mom took. I wish I had one of V to share with you, but she was having none of the picture taking as you can see from the one with her & J!
*Only someone as white as I would punctuate mutha'
Monday, August 25, 2008
Pity Party Averted; Hormones Closing In
My sister shared this in the comments section of my last post, but I know a lot of people don't go back to read those, so I wanted to share it with you all because it really touched me. We are not poor but any standard, and I somehow lucked into working in a field I love that also pays me extremely well. I have a wonderful family and beautiful, healthy children who have never had to wonder where their next meal will come from or where they will sleep tonight. I am truly, truly blessed. Thi is one of the most amazing aspects of blogging. Reading other, ordinary peoples' experiences can lift you up or make you feel like there is someone else out there in the world who feels just like you. For example, I choked up when she talked about missing the babies her boys once were. A is still a baby, and yet I sometimes feel like crying when I snuggle him in my arms and smell his warm, whispy baby hair. Now I understand why the youngest is usually the most spoiled of children. (generalizing here, youngest children, please don't come after me with pitchforks like the scientists did! ;) Because I know this is probably going to be the last opportunity I have to hold a little baby in my arms, I spend as much time as I possibly can holding him, tickling his fat little tummy, and covering him with kisses. My heart delights and yet aches with each little milestone he hits because I know I'll never go through those steps with another baby. And that is why, despite my greatest efforts by blogging about the absolute misery I endured during my pregnancy with A, I will always long for another baby even if logic insists that we really don't need any more children. Damn those mommy hormones!
Toddler or Psycho
Now I'd like to introduce a new segment here at Pu's Corner called "Am I a toddler or a psychopath?" It's simple, really. Just read the following and ask yourself, "Am I exhibiting the behavior of a psychopath or emulating the average toddler?"*
1. Do you, at every opportunity, remove your clothing and run around the room screaming in delight, "I'm naaaaked! Naked, naked, naked!" while swinging your naked butt from side to side?
2. When asked what you would like to do for the evening, do you throw a plastic eggplant across th room and shout, "No! I would not like any vegetables, Sam I Am!"
3. When it is time to go to bed, do you run and hide under your covers shrieking loudly, "There's no one here! There's no one here!"
4. When you hear a place flying overhead, do you run around your backyard squaking like a bird trying to find it? When you do manage to locate the plane, are you then extremely disappointed to find that it is, yet again, too far away for you to catch?
5. Do you randomly run up to people and ask them, "Sing song wit' me?" and then cut them off before they can answer, "Okay. A, b, c, d, hmm hmm h, i, j, k, lemmeno b, hmm hmm, s, t, u, v, hmm hmm and z! Now sing again, okay? Okay. A, b, c, d...."
Pu Party
Hubs and I decided to forego a long planned night out for my birthday in favor of a family party that didn't cost us a dime :) My fabulous father de-I cooked all my favorite foods (poor Hubs and Mrs. De-I had to suffer since Hubs dislikes fish, Mums is not crazy about lamb and neither of them are fond of mushrooms). Um, I was going to write more, but I got interrupted (amazing, I know, that never happens). Now that I've put all children to bed (several time thanks to the no-sleeping phase J is going through right now) my mind is finally clear enough that I've completely forgotten everything else I was going to write. Oh, now I remember, I totally got the good quality digital camera I have been begging for for over three years (Canon Powershot S5IS). My old camera was a piece of shit to being with (it wasn't very good quality and had a terrible delay that gave me many pictures of the back of my children's heads as well as consistent red-eye any time I managed to catch them with their head turned around the right way), but then A went spilled a drink on it and now it's a piece of shit and the shutter doesn't open properly. So you could say that this was the perfect time for a new camera. Luckily Hubs agreed and also he bought the camera before we got the news about the IRS and the dental bill, so he didn't know we were going to be strapped for cash when he bought it. Happy birthday to me! ;) In all truthfulness, I was so excited when I got it that I did not even care about any of the practical things we could have used the money on. I needed a new camera, damn it! Now I can have my memories captured in many more megapixels and without the constant red-eye. It was totally worth it!
*I only ask these things because Hubs has started making comments about my behavior as of late ;)
Toddler or Psycho
Now I'd like to introduce a new segment here at Pu's Corner called "Am I a toddler or a psychopath?" It's simple, really. Just read the following and ask yourself, "Am I exhibiting the behavior of a psychopath or emulating the average toddler?"*
1. Do you, at every opportunity, remove your clothing and run around the room screaming in delight, "I'm naaaaked! Naked, naked, naked!" while swinging your naked butt from side to side?
2. When asked what you would like to do for the evening, do you throw a plastic eggplant across th room and shout, "No! I would not like any vegetables, Sam I Am!"
3. When it is time to go to bed, do you run and hide under your covers shrieking loudly, "There's no one here! There's no one here!"
4. When you hear a place flying overhead, do you run around your backyard squaking like a bird trying to find it? When you do manage to locate the plane, are you then extremely disappointed to find that it is, yet again, too far away for you to catch?
5. Do you randomly run up to people and ask them, "Sing song wit' me?" and then cut them off before they can answer, "Okay. A, b, c, d, hmm hmm h, i, j, k, lemmeno b, hmm hmm, s, t, u, v, hmm hmm and z! Now sing again, okay? Okay. A, b, c, d...."
Pu Party
Hubs and I decided to forego a long planned night out for my birthday in favor of a family party that didn't cost us a dime :) My fabulous father de-I cooked all my favorite foods (poor Hubs and Mrs. De-I had to suffer since Hubs dislikes fish, Mums is not crazy about lamb and neither of them are fond of mushrooms). Um, I was going to write more, but I got interrupted (amazing, I know, that never happens). Now that I've put all children to bed (several time thanks to the no-sleeping phase J is going through right now) my mind is finally clear enough that I've completely forgotten everything else I was going to write. Oh, now I remember, I totally got the good quality digital camera I have been begging for for over three years (Canon Powershot S5IS). My old camera was a piece of shit to being with (it wasn't very good quality and had a terrible delay that gave me many pictures of the back of my children's heads as well as consistent red-eye any time I managed to catch them with their head turned around the right way), but then A went spilled a drink on it and now it's a piece of shit and the shutter doesn't open properly. So you could say that this was the perfect time for a new camera. Luckily Hubs agreed and also he bought the camera before we got the news about the IRS and the dental bill, so he didn't know we were going to be strapped for cash when he bought it. Happy birthday to me! ;) In all truthfulness, I was so excited when I got it that I did not even care about any of the practical things we could have used the money on. I needed a new camera, damn it! Now I can have my memories captured in many more megapixels and without the constant red-eye. It was totally worth it!
*I only ask these things because Hubs has started making comments about my behavior as of late ;)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Sometimes You're Up
...and sometimes you're down. Today, for example, we learned that Hubs needs dental work that is probably going to run into the thousands evenwith insurance, my car check engine light ame on meaning I'm going to have to take it in to the shop for the third time since we moved to Abq, and I got a letter from the IRS indicating that they think we owe them $1800 from 2006. So, um, yeah, pretty suck-ass day. On a somewhat positive note, I managed to turn 23 again yesterday, so yay for aging backwards ;)
Just so I don't completely spoil your day, here's a cute tidbit from the front lines. As I was making dinner tonight, I noticed J kept throwing her Pez dispenser across the room. I yelled at her to stop, but she kept doing it. Then I looked around the corner and saw that A was fetching the dispenser and returning it to J so she could throw it for him. Apparently fetch is just as fun for infants as it is for puppies! ;)
Also, the stepkids have headed back to Texas, so we're down to just three little munchkins to do our bidding. Here's some random pics from the summer:
Just so I don't completely spoil your day, here's a cute tidbit from the front lines. As I was making dinner tonight, I noticed J kept throwing her Pez dispenser across the room. I yelled at her to stop, but she kept doing it. Then I looked around the corner and saw that A was fetching the dispenser and returning it to J so she could throw it for him. Apparently fetch is just as fun for infants as it is for puppies! ;)
Also, the stepkids have headed back to Texas, so we're down to just three little munchkins to do our bidding. Here's some random pics from the summer:
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