Oh my aching back!

Note to self: carrying C-man on your shoulders around a quarry does absolutely no good for your physical health. I hurt so bad today I can barely stand up. How soon can I start on those cancer-causing, infertility-inducing, pain-relieving meds? There's stuff spread all over the floor, and I can't even pick it up. Ugh... I'm ornery.

I'm Spent

What a busy day... whew... we're all going to sleep tonight!

TGIF!

Dozer Day, Village Picnic, Indian Summer Festival, mulch to put under the playset... we've got a jam-packed weekend in front of us!

Beerman's Web Debut

Click on Dr. David Ryder to see Beerman at work: http://www.mgd.com/craft/home.do To track my Garmin, follow this: http://wwwapps.ups.com/WebTracking/processRequest?HTMLVersion=5.0&Requester=NES&AgreeToTermsAndConditions=yes&loc=en_US&tracknum=1Z3V822V0340412478

Elfin Crackers on the Loose!

I swear to God, I almost just got run over by a cart of Elfin Crackers. The vending machine guy wasn't looking where he was going, whipped around the corner, and the next thing you knew... I was flying through the air with Elfin Crackers flashing before my eyes. Here's hoping the Jolly Green Giant doesn't find me later today!

GPS, Yeah Baby!

Oh, Garmin 60 cx, how I wait for thee... https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=309#

Behold! It is Done!

Double stained, double bolted, double hung, double rocks... it's done and over-done. Whew! Who knew it was this much work? I think Beerman will kill me if I mention another project anytime soon. Let the roof parties begin.

Old McDonald Had A Farm...

And on his farm he had a nugget. E-I-E-I-O! With an eat-eat-here and an eat-eat-there...

Do I have to go to work tomorrow?

Ish. I could use another week off. I think I should get one, considering our week off blew. The wedding was beautiful yesterday. I confirmed that I can't drink at all anymore, though. I feel ill with just one drink. Damnit! So that made it kind of not fun, since I was feeling ill after one Miller Lite and all. We went shopping for a new GPS today. I've decided I want an exterior antennae, color and downloadable capabilities. Getting C-man out of Cabela's was an interesting sport. ("Mommy! Look at that BIG FISH!") Getting him out of McDonalds playland was an even bigger job. His face broke out in a rash after eating the raw apples though. He didn't complain, but it's all rough and red where the apples touched. Great. He's got Beerman's food allergies. Enjoy your day off. Solidarity forever.

Wedding Bells

Happy wedding day, Lance and Robyn! Who knew THIS day would ever come?

Long Weekend!

Woo-hoo! I had a half-day today. I spent it getting some clothes, and then at the spa. Then I met an old friend and had a couple of glasses of wine. Not a bad half-day. We've got a crazy amount of stuff to get done around the house, since it did nothing but pour on our vacation. We have a wedding to go to on Sunday. That should be fun. Hopefully we can do a grill out on Monday. Those are the extent of my major plans. Ahhh... and nobody's going to f it up on me either!

Happy Birthday Mom!

It's Mom's birthday, the sun is shining, I had lunch at Steak n Shake, I found a babysitter for Sunday, and tomorrow's a half-day before a 3 day weekend. Wahoo!

Stop the Rain!

Oh my God. Make it stop. I need to see the sun, or I am going to go crazy! And could Larry Craig have had the decency to have gotten busted in a reststop bathroom like all the other self-respecting perverts? Now I have to look over my shoulder in an airport bathroom. Gross. Just resign already, so I don't have to listen about it anymore!

Monday Madness

I'm back to work, watching it rain one more day. This is getting ridiculous. At least our cafeteria served Beaver Street Pork today. Come on, I don't care who you are... that's just plain funny. The good news today is that I only have a half-day on Friday, and Monday off. Speaking of that, I've got to get a babysitter for the wedding we're going to this weekend. Man, Labor Day came quick. Who is going to babysit on a holiday weekend? So Michael Vick is sorry. "I am immature." Really? Because I thought electrocuting dogs for profit was more of a sociopathic thing than mere immaturity, but what do I know? The playset is stained. Hopefully the rain today doesn't wreak havoc on it, because I think we can call it done. I don't think Beerman is going to want to hear about any new projects I have for him and his drills for a while! I have a doctor's appointment today at 4. Oh goody, I can hardly wait.

Family Tree

Penultimate Day of Vacation

Nails are done, laundry is... well... getting done, playset is done (except for the staining), and the power is on. Here's a goodie I know you'll enjoy: And here's Beerman as a Simpson:

Feel the Power!

31 hours without power, and it blessedly reappeared at 12:20 a.m. last night. I've lived in the boonies my whole life. I've lived in a 3rd World country. I've never been without power as long as I was in Milwaukee County. Who knew? So at midnight, I was taking a shower. One of the pitfalls of a well. To survive, we played lots of games, ate out a lot, reads lots of book by lamplight, captured rainwater to be able to flush the toilets, and even went so far to see Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Daddy Day Camp. 31 hours in the dark and humidity will make you do some crazy things. Hopefully the floods will hang back long enough for us to finish C-man's playset. Only the roof and slide to go. (Okay, and cleaning and staining, but that's for another dry week)

If this isn't love...

Sammy Hagar went through Beerman's brewery yesterday for some top secret stuff. And he chose to stay home and put the playset together with me. Now if that isn't love, I don't know what is!! My daddy warned me, momma did too, They said, "Son, see what some lovin' can do"

Vacation -- Take Day 2

We've got swings! Only monkey bars, a rock wall, a slide and a roof to go. Whew... this sucker is taking a lot of hours.

Rain Rain Go Away...

So at first I was bummed about the non-stop gray crappy rain on our vacation. And then my bedroom got clean. And then the bathroom closet... And now the basement is getting done... Hell, this could be alright! So to make it a great day, I postponed my annual exam for another month. I think we can all agree I've had enough of doctors lately, that I can put that little annoying one off for a bit longer. I have a book club tonight. I'm still on the fence whether I'm going. It's on Water for Elephants, which is one of my all-time favorite books, though. These are the tough decisions of my day. I'm lovin' it.

Raining on my head

Holy crap, would it stop already!?!? We had to go to Menards to let C-man run around on the playsets there because we were all going stir-crazy. 3 1/2 inches in 24 hours, and the grass keeps growing!

Rain I opened my eyes

And looked up at the rain,

And it dripped in my head

And flowed into my brain,

And all that I hear as I lie in my bedIs the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly, I walk very slow, I can't do a handstand--I might overflow,

So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

Zoolicious

We went to the zoo today, got caught in the rain, and ate our way through zoo ala carte. Then we all came home and took 3 hour naps. What a good day.

Liftoff!

Wahoo... It's vacation time!

One More Day...

...Until vacation. Wahoo! What will I do? Zoo ala carte? Sleep? Manicure and pedicure? Playgrounds? Geocache? Sleep? Bike? Ahhh, it's almost too heavenly to consider while I still have one day of work "heaven" left.

Hump Day

Doctor appointments, dog groomings, loads of classes to train... it's been a full week already. Whew, is it only Wednesday? 2 weeks to wait for my next doctor appointment is too long... I'm up all night, now not just with pain, but with all the possibilities of what's to come running through my mind. The good news? Next week we're on vacation. I can't wait. I'm not talking to anybody for one whole week. Bliss.

Country Scent

While naked, except for a paper-thin gown over me, with a giant gaping hole in the back, inside a cold room on an even colder x-ray table, I looked over and saw a can of Lysol. It was labeled Professional Strength Country Scent. Now I don't know about you, but I've been to the country. And that isn't the smell I want stinking up ANY room. Moooo!

Winter Weekend

Simpsonize Me

Thursday is the New Friday

Yippeee! I have tomorrow off. Even the pesky rain can't get me down.

Numbers

32. This is the number of forwarded e-mails I've received already this week and then subsequently deleted without reading them. Forward Senders, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. If you're sending me these e-mails, you clearly don't understand my position on Iraq, religion, (or God forbid, a combination of the 2), age (yeah, menopause jokes are a little over my head, as are "children of the 70s") or just overall sense of humor. So PLEASE take me off your stupid e-mail lists! 4. The number of gifts I've given in the last 30 days that have received no mention. I'm not looking for anything formal, because I don't give gifts to get a thank you note. But come on... zero acknowledgement of receipt? A complete brush-off? Miss Manners is going to send you to hell! $136. The amount I've spent on those aforementioned gifts to the ungrateful jerks. And by the way, I'm done giving to those who are that incredibly rude. You'd better be good this year and hope Santa comes, because I'm through with it. 6. The number of hours I am going to ride in the car with a 2 year old and 2 stinky sheepdogs for a 6 hour car ride on Friday... I'm just hoping we all make it out alive. 4. The number of nuggets C-man got after this comment last night: "Mommy, I have a great idea! I go to Old McDonalds and get applie pie, nuggets and chocolate milk!" After that, who could deny the kid?

Funny Photos

http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=BrewersFanFoto&tcount=28&scount=24&gallery_id=787033&image_id=23 http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=BrewersFanFoto&tcount=24&scount=5&gallery_id=787035&image_id=4

Corn Dog Hangover

I think I'm hungover from yesterday's corn dog. Then again, it might have been the caramel apple... or the pork sandwich... or the french fries... or the corn... sheesh! This is going to give me nightmares until they're out: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/06/utah.mine/index.html

Whew!

My in-laws were here this weekend. We all took naps this afternoon. Farmers markets, shopping, Brewers games, State Fair... I'm exhausted. It was a good weekend. I'm going to need to go to work to recover, though!

Crappy Day

Some days are good, some not so good. Unfortunately, today sucked. I ache like nobody's business, thanks to the humidity. Work is sucking. I'm exhausted. My house is a pit and it needs to get cleaned tonight for my in-laws who are coming tomorrow. I'm exhausted. Riley-dog won't stop chewing on his leg. Okay, he does that all the time. Now I'm reaching for things that suck. I just need one night of interrupted sleep. The good part of today? State Fair started. We're heading there Sunday. Awesome.

Birthdays for Beth

Happy Birthday Beth! Toys R Us, I'm through with you and your cancelling my order! New present on its way this week though, I promise! Beerman continues to slog away at the playset. Only two gazillion more screws to put in.

Dawn 'til Dusk

Beerman worked and worked at putting C-man's playset together, and we're still not very far. Poor thing was putting a gazillion pieces together in the heat. I feel like it's my fault for buying the thing. Maybe I can hire it put together? My in-laws are here next weekend, and he's gone the following weekend. At this rate, we'll have a playset in a few months. I finished the latest Harry Potter. Pretty predictable, if you ask me. And what's with Lupin and Tonks? Did anyone care? Now I'm on to another TC Boyle: East and West. And for those still asking the answer to the great Chicken, it's Turkey!

Errands, etc.

Beerman is putting together the playset. C-man continues to try to help. Therefore, my job of the day is to keep C-man so busy with errands that the doesn't remember that he's not helping pick up the drill, move the screwdriver, or slap people with the tape measure. We need groceries, haircuts, new bedsheets, and maybe a trip to the library. Paul Stanley has a heart condition. Who knew a thousand years of touring and substance abuse was bad for your health? Get well, Paul.

Playset, Shmayset

I wanted to get C-man a playset for his birthday. But that's in March. And we had to get the drainage done. Well, it's done, so we went and bought him this, but with the scoop slide. (I couldn't bear paying $500 for the twisty slide, no matter how cool it is.) Now Beerman is putting it together. We came inside, because I didn't think it was appropriate for C-man to learn those words quite yet.

I don't have any fat pants! and other rants

Okay, when my fat pants don't fit, I'm in T-R-O-U-B-L-E. After trying on several pair this morning, I realized it's time to start laying off the enormous amount of crap and start moving a bit more, or I'm going to be shopping Womens before I know it. I've also decided if I get cut from this job, I'm going to become a doctor's secretary. Because I don't know what they do all day, but it sure isn't answer the damn phone or return any messages! It took me 10 full days to get an appointment with this rheumatologist, and it's not for 3 more weeks. What's up with that? A big initiative I've been working on at work launched today to a rousing round of success. Ahhh, yes. India now has a female in charge. I'm not sure what to think when India is more progressive than the US... Oh, and Michael Vick? When there's video of you and your dog killing involvement, nobody is going to believe your not-guilty plea.

We Built This City...

So Beerman informs me tonight that in 7th grade he had to do a jump rope routine to "We Built This City". When I asked what the hell that meant, he said that they played the song, while he did cross-overs, side-to-sides, doubles, and singles. Okay, are you peeing your pants like me? If not, then try this one. As we're going through identifying the countries on a map after bathtime, C-man points and says, "What's that one Mommy?" and I said, "You tell me." He proudly looks at me and says, "Chicken". Can you guess which country he was looking at? Okay, those are about the 2 best things I've heard in ages.

Terrorist Cheese

Only in my great state would we be worried about the terrorist cheese: http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/8688447.html

Sick Kids and Bubble Blowing

C-man woke up at 5 a.m. needing to watch Cars. So I got up, turned it on, and went back to bed. Well, not being with Mommy wasn't good, so he crawled back in bed with me. He slept, sweating like a waterfall, until almost 11 a.m. Thankfully, the fever broke. And he's ornery, ordering us around, which means he's totally on the upswing. So far, we've washed the cars, gone to Menards, and blew some bubbles. I'd like to point out the new shoes. The last pair he had we convinced him were "Bob" shoes so he would wear them. Well, he barfed on them Friday, so I made the executive decision to pitch them. So now he has "Lightning" shoes.

Sick Bay

It's a fabulously beautiful weekend, and I'm stuck inside watching Cars. C-man is sick. We went to the farmers market, he got his churro, and immediately said, "I want to go home!" I hope he breaks this fever soon. Even more... I hope I don't get it too!

Friday Funnies

Because I have a barfing kid, and this is just too funny to pass up. Enjoy your weekend. http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/07/20/280529.aspx You can tell that Iran is feeling a little beleaguered these days when there are reports that Tehran may be under attack from rodents! That is what the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported this week, that police had, ahem, "arrested" 14 squirrels on charges of espionage. The rodents were found near the Iranian border, allegedly equipped with eavesdropping devices, according to IRNA. When asked to confirm the story, Esmaeel Ahmadi Moghadam, the national police chief, said, "I have heard about it, but I do not have precise information." He declined to give any more details. IRNA said that the squirrels were discovered by intelligence services – but were captured by police officers several weeks ago. 'Are you serious?'The reaction to the report on Tehran’s streets was varied – from disbelief to assigning guilt for the alleged infraction. "No, I had not heard about this, but it does not surprise me, foreign countries are always meddling in Iran," said Hassan Mohmmadi, a fast-food vendor. Mohammadi asked me if I knew where the squirrels were from, and I told him that I didn’t know. Then he came to his own conclusions. "I bet they were British squirrels, they are the most cunning," he replied. Meantime, an independent journalist, Sepher Sopli, was not surprised by the idea that another country would spy on Iran, so much as he was dumbfounded by their methods. "I read this story in the papers and though it was very bizarre; what struck me as odd was that in this age of modern technology, people were relying on squirrels to do their spying," Sopli said. But, the report was still strange enough to surprise. "That's very funny, but you’re not serious are you?" said Soraya Jafari, a student in Tehran. Maybe not a first Espionage not entirely foreign to animals. If true, this would not be the first time animals have been used for military endeavors. During World War II, Allied forces used pigeons to fly vital intelligence out of occupied France. More recently, U.S. Marines stationed in Kuwait trained chickens for a low-tech chemical detection system. It’s also well documented that dolphins have been used to seek out underwater mines.

Scary Stuff, Harry, and the Brewers

So the Sao Paulo airport (Corgonhas) has a 608 yard-long runway. Holy shit! I don't know if I can count the number of times I've flown into that airport. Clearly, from now on, I'm flying into Rio. I don't care if it is more expensive. I guess this is a situation that get what you pay for. So Nike just suspended its Michael Vick line. So soon? Bastards. You had to wait to see if anyone would notice a sick animal torturer before you made your decision? Nike, I'm done with you. Okay, I was done with you before, but now I'm REALLY done with you. EZ Bake Ovens have been recalled AGAIN. Can someone tell me why a lightbulb in plastic needs to be recalled? I'm pretty sure Thomas Edison figured out how to make this work like, forever ago! In case you've been living under a rock, Harry Potter comes out tomorrow night. I think I'll wait until Saturday, after I've slept, to go pick up my copy. And I think the lucky numbers of the day ar 10 - 1, 3 1/2, and #1. The Brewers, the Brewers, they're turnin' up the heat, YEAH!

Is it March?

It's so gloomy, it looks like March out there. This blows. I want to be home eating chocolate ice cream in front of a movie. I'm off-site all day tomorrow for work. It's a manager's business strategy meeting. What about that sounds like a good idea to anyone? When I grow up and run my own show, I'm doing no off-site meetings unless they're someplace cool, like a spa or a bar. At the very least, there has to be drinks! I trained a class today. Somehow, by the end of it, I end up looking like I've been coloring with C-man. My hands are Smurf blue from the flip chart writing. I need to figure out how to avoid that in the future. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Random Crap

You Are a Smart American

You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed. Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be.

Are You a Dumb American?

You Are a Plain Ole Cup of Joe

But don't think plain - instead think, uncomplicated You're a low maintenance kind of girl... who can hang with the guys Down to earth, easy going, and fun! Yup, that's you: the friend everyone invites. And your dependable too. Both for a laugh and a sympathetic ear.

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

Day of Rest? Surely, You Jest

Whew. What a busy day. Garden store, grocery store, playground, fighting C-man to go down for a nap, weeding the herbs, cooking for the week (well, as much as I can prepare in advance, anyhow)... who called this the day of rest anyhow? Oh, yeah... In other news, America's Got Talent got it all wrong. You put through the flaming stilt walkers and not the red-neck tenors? David Hasselhoff, I'm through with you! Do you hear me? Through with you and your drunken ways! And finally, I finished the book I Don't Know How She Does It, and am on to the Tortilla Curtain and Plum Loving. All worthwhile. However, I've been told T.C. Boyle is amazing, but I didn't quite realize how much until I started reading Tortilla Curtain. Wow... pretty impressive stuff. I can't wait to get to his other stuff. So if you haven't guessed, he is going on my recommend-must-read list. Tomorrow it's back to the grind. Oh goody.

Muffins and Markets and Medicine, Oh My!

It's been a nice day, beautiful weather, although I've got a snotting-sick kid. We went to the farmers market, but the churro guy wasn't there. Luckily we'd already eaten blueberry muffins, so C-man's belly was full. That could've been precarious. He played on the playground a bit, and then needed to come home. He's so miserable, poor thing. I need to get him in for a haircut. We'll see if that happens. Pop quiz! Where was the trench dug in my yard? Awesome, my yard has racing stripes.

Half Day

I had a half-day today. I tried to go to Dinner by Design to make up some meals, but apparently you can't go there without an appointment, despite the fact that there was absolutely NO ONE in the store when I was there. I guess it'd be too much for the woman to let me put some crap together, since they were so busy. The great part of my day was getting a fabulous massage. My back feels soooo much better now. I so love getting a massage. The poopy part of my day was getting called just as I was getting done with my massage to tell me C-man was sick. He's just got a cold (God, please don't let him have my mono), but his eyes are little slits, his nose is snotty, and he's coughing a lot. Poor thing looks so miserable. Enjoy your weekend!

Count the Ways...

...That my day sucked. 1. The cashier at CVS congratulated me on my pregnancy. Note to self: Empire waist shirts are super cute, but old ladies see them and think they are maternity shirts. No longer wear empire waist shirts. 2. 4 giant vials of blood being drawn out of me does not feel good, no matter how many times I've done it in the past 2 months. 3. Having your doctor poke and prod you for the thousandth time while you try not to howl out in pain is not a good way to spend my time. Note to self: Stop going to the damn doctor 4. My VP sent a disparaging e-mail in error to our interns instead of their managers about said interns, and relied on my team to fix her errors. 5. When I got home, I let the dogs outside. When they weren't busting down the door in 30 seconds to get back in, I realized they had popped the gate open and were now purusing the neighborhood at breakneck speed. I then had to go get them. The good things about my day? 1. Beerman brought calzones home for dinner 2. It's almost done

Arks and Appointments

I've decided if I want to quit my job, I could always make some cash being an ark builder. What is it with this rain? This is not a tropical country. Mother Nature is seeming to disagree with me right now, however. I made my next doctor's appointment for Thursday. It's sort of one of those take-a-deep-breath-and-do-it moments. This sucks. I can't say much about it because everyone, my husband at the front of the line, acts like this is such a minor thing... kind of like the flu or something. Um... no. This is why life sucks every morning for the first 2 hours for me. Okay, nuff whinin'.

Drowned Rat

I am a drowned rat. I went outside to go to lunch just as the heavens parted and dumped their wiley ways on my head. So scratch that. I am now dry. And therefore, I am a Chia Pet. Awesome. I also took it upon myself to eat 2 brownies and a Rice Krispie bar. So much for the "My body is my temple" mantra. If this is a temple, I'm treating it like Chuck E Cheese! My teeth hurt I have taken in so much sugar. Ugh. Enjoy your Monday!

Spontaneous Combustion

97 degrees? Um, this is lakeside in Milwaukee. It's not supposed to get this hot. Help me, Al Gore! Since it's been so hot, we've been watching movies. It's my esteemed opinion that an animated film that isn't Pixar is worthless. Nemo and Cars, excellent. Madagascar, Open Season and Everybody's Hero are a waste of time. I can't remember the last time I watched so many bad movies. This is ridiculous. To add to the fun of this heat, my back is completely frozen. Doans, ice, laying down, sitting up, Advil, a trip to Ihop (hey, nothing else was working)... none of it helps. I'm such an old lady. I hope my new orthotics come in this week! Well, off to get C-man new swim trunks since he's just gone through a major growth spurt again. Be cool, Stay cool!

HOTweekend

Wow, it's hot. And my child only wants to play outside. So far, we've gone to the farmers market, played at the playground, gone to Menards, washed both cars, and ridden our bike to the neighbors. Wow. I'm pooped! And now I can add Worst Mother Award to the day -- I just bribed my kid to come inside with a McDonalds apple pie andthe chance to watch Madagascar. I hate people who parent by TV, and here I've gone and done it. We were supposed to go camping on the beach last night to tonight, but Beerman had to work late last night, and yes, it's really steamy hot, so we backed out. Too bad, because that would have been SO much fun. I got my hair cut this morning. It's always a good day when I get my hair cut. The bad part is that she chopped almost 2 inches off... Note to self: don't ask a strict Catholic Mexican woman about her brand new illegitimate bi-racial grandson when she'd only found out last night that her other son is expecting an illegitimate son in 6 months. Tomorrow's supposed to be 97 degrees. I sure am glad we pulled the pool out in exchange for my insanely expensive lumpy backyard. Awesome.

Yippee! The Weekend!

Here's C-man from last weekend's backhoe extravaganza. It seems every 4th of July weekend I'm emptying my bank account for this backhoe. At least C-man loves it.

Wow, am I glad it's the weekend. It's supposed to be hotter than snot this weekend, so that's cool. Enjoy your weekend!

Independence Day

Land of the Free...

2 Thursdays

So I started work today sad that I was stuck with 2 Mondays and this weird day in the middle off. Then I realized... it's not 2 Mondays, it's 2 Thursdays! And then the rest of the day was brilliant. Big diggers came this weekend to do the drainage in the back yard. C-man was thrilled. He keeps asking for the excavator to come back. I told him that maybe next year, when we sock more cash into this horrible project we call our back yard. Our neighbor kid turned 3 this weekend. The fence in our backyard clearly separates the brains and braun of the 'hood. They hired a woman to play guitar while they all sang along in perfect harmony, right after the rented preschool teacher ran the craft table... um, yeah. My kid was the one racing around on his tricycle and jumping off the slide. Other than that, it was a typical weekend at the playgrounds, book store, and farmers market. We were planning on heading to fireworks for the 4th, but axed that when neighbors let them off and C-man started shaking he was so scared. Guess we'll walk in the parade and call it done.

Summer Showers

It's been on and off today like a tropical country. I love it. Since it's Hump Day, I'm looking toward the weekend. It should be a good one. Summerfest is starting, but I hate it so much that I probably won't even go near it. There's only so many drunk, thuggy, fighting, trashy people one person can stand. And now that I don't work near it, I don't have to swear at all the cars taking all the parking either. So that's good! We have a neighbor kid's birthday party to go to, which should be nice. I've got some errands to run. But really overall, nothing major. I'm so excited. Other than that, have a great Hump Day!

He's Trying to Kill Us

Last night Beerman gave C-man some rice pudding he'd purchased because C-man doesn't eat much for variety with food. C-man took one bite and spit it out like it was caustic. So he got yogurt, and I took the rice pudding. And then I spit it out like it was caustic. Yeah, it was supposed to be refrigerated and he had put it on top of the fridge. Sour milk. Yikes! We joked all night he was trying to poison us. So much for getting C-man to try new things! My liver values are near normal. Yeah! No liver medication. And now I can have a beer again! Hello, summer.

Pity Party Take 2

You know, there are people with it worse than me. WAY, WAY worse. To the point I feel guilty about the pity party I'm throwing myself. And yet, I continue to wallow. Something's got to get me out of this funk, but I just can't help but look at all the research and statistics on rheumatoid arthritis and get incredibly saddened. Being run-down with mono isn't helping. Since it's Saturday, we biked to the farmers market this morning. That was fun. It was beautiful out this morning. Then I had lunch and took a nap. Which was awesome. Beerman is trying to re-do the fence around my lettuce garden. The bastard bunnies ate THROUGH the fence. Nevermind being able to run under it, they ate THROUGH it! Bastards. Our dishwasher is here. Let me rephrase that. Our dishwasher is in the middle of our kitchen. Now Beerman has to install it. I have a feeling that's a night project. Yea dishwasher! And can I just say - 8 1/2 games in first... Go Brewers Go!

Pity Party

This being sick thing has gone from being annoying to being completely depressing. I'm feeling sorry for myself. Who can't pick their kid up because they're too tired? Who can't stand because it hurts too much for that matter? I'm ornery, I'm sad, I hurt, I'm exhausted, and I hate everything. This sucks.

Toledo, Toledo

Yeah, baby! I'm in Toledo. If there is a better strip mall town in the world, I've yet to see it. Plus, I got to see the Detroit airport again. I'm living the dream!!! Traveling sucks. I'm still feeling like total crap. I taught a class for the majority of yesterday. I haven't been on my feet for an hour at a time, let alone 6. Whew. That was rough. Well, off to eat a Chinese buffet dinner in a strip mall and go to Kohl's to buy some clothes to wear for my meeting tomorrow. (I was just informed it's not even business casual - but casual!)

Just when I thought I was getting better...

I feel like a pile of poo. I couldn't sleep last night, aching so bad that I broke down and took an Advil. Just don't tell my doctor. I only took 1, and I'm not dead, so I guess it was okay. Fathers Day ended up pretty good. We lit a fire (up to the sky in true Beerman fashion) and had the neighbors over for s'mores. Tasty little suckers. The s'mores, not the neighbors. The neighbor kid freaked out when Riley licked him, so Riley spent the time indoors. Poor dog. Everyone is freaked out by him, and all he's trying to do is give you a smooch. Enjoy your week!

Happy Fathers Day!

Overall a decent one, but nothing tremendous. I feel like such crap, and C-man wasn't cooperative, having a late nap. So Beerman is assembling his fire pit, and I'm making dinner. Could be worse. Probably should've been better though...

Dishwashing Fool No More

After 6 weeks of our dishwasher going out (5 year old Whirpool Gold be damned!), we purchased a new one today. A nice little black Amana number. It'll be in on Wednesday. I.Can't.Wait. I hate doing dishes more than the laundry. We put the air on for the first time today. Being stuck in the house in the middle of the day forced me to clean the house a bit. I'm completely exhausted now. Happy Fathers Day tomorrow. We're planning on a picnic if it's not too freaking hot out. Beerman is getting an outdoor fireplace. Hopefully he likes it. My own dad is fishing in Canada. God bless him for that.

Is it the weekend yet?

For the love of God, I feel like crap. To make it all better, I just got a call from my dentist who has an opening at 4:40 today. When you're feeling like crap, there's nothing like a trip to the dentist to make it all better. Ugh!

Beautiful Days

It was gorgeous outside today. I got a couple of short naps in. For some reason, Beerman needed me after I got to sleep for about 10 minutes. Oh well. It's back to work tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to make it without an afternoon nap.

Good vs. Evil

There are so many things I could say to this, but the picture is just so ironic on its own... Beerman was running some beer festival today. It figures. I'm completely exhausted, and on my own to take care of C-man... sigh... At least he took a good nap, and I did too.

Living Life in Mono

It's confirmed. An acute case of mono. Fabulous. My liver values keep going up, so I am going to have to submit to bloodwork weekly until it starts to go down. The rheumatoid arthritis remains high. Hopefully it's an artificially high number due to the mono, but probably not all that much... which sucks. I've got to say, I've never been so glad to have been diagnosed with an acute case of anything before. I'm off to go get my little man from school and take him to the playground. Enjoy your amazing day!

Let Me Tell You A Ting or Tree

I haven't watched the Sopranos all season, because I have rabbit ears. I know dark ages. Anyhow, I've been in a hotel room with HBO, which is showing the Sopranos every night. So I watched this week's show. And I've got to say, I hate how this is going. Poo! The Georgia Aquarium was AMAZING! Just when I thought I'd seen the coolest thing, we'd go to the next exhibit and see something more incredible. I could spend days in that place. If you ever get the chance, spend some time there. It was really well done. I'm scared. The tests that turned up really abnormal just weren't good ones. And tomorrow they're taking more blood for more tests to confirm the first ones and find out the causes. What are THOSE going to show? I guess I should be glad that they're showing something because I knew things were seriously wrong, which is why I went in the first place. But I'm really scared. Why couldn't it just have been a thyroid problem that a little pill would fix? Sigh... I never do anything less than dramatic, I'm told. Why would this be any different? I'm heading home today. It'll be good to be home.

H-O-T Day 3

The conference is just the vendor expo crap this morning, so we ate breakfast and went through Coke. Maybe if I were a Coke collector it would have been cool, but it was just kind of cheesy. Tasting all the products from around the world was kind of cool, but gave me a belly ache. I talked with my doctor. Apparently my body's a mess with lots of weird things coming up abnormal. So I'm going back for more tests Thursday morning and can't take any Advil or play any sports in the meantime. Doesn't that sound awesome? Oh, and did I mention she's pretty sure I have mono? Double awesome. Tonight we're going to the Georgia Aquarium, which I really wanted to do. The conference I'm at booked it all night long with food and drinks. I'm super excited to go see it. It's supposed to be amazing.

HOT-lanta

So I'm in Atlanta. It's frickin' hot here. Like crotch-pot-cooking hot here. My head is an afro. The conference has been so-so. Half amazing, while the other half my dogs could do a better job at. Yesterday we walked around a bit, went to the Underground, toured CNN, touristy kinds of stuff. It was good. My doctor left a message for me at the end of the day saying she had my blood test results and that I need to talk to her first thing in the morning. That's never good. So now I've made myself sick to my stomach, convinced I've got cancer. Awesome. Off to go drink myself to a stupor. I want to be home.

JPR...Out!

Off to Atlanta until Thursday for a conference. Later.

Giving away stuff

Does everyone know about Freecycle? It's a web group that exists for you to give away your crap. For example, we purchased a new gazebo, and were going to chuck the old one. So we posted our gazebo on this site, and the next day I had about 10 takers. It's gone, and being used in someone's yard. And we get to feel better that we didn't just chuck it in a landfill.

Gross

What's gross? Having your dog eat a sock and then poop it out on the backyard grass. What's grosser than gross? Discovering that your dog ate and passed a sock while the lawn mower runs over it and spits it out. What's grossest of all? Watching your dog pounce on top of the sock and reingest it. I am living the dream. _________________________________________ Memorial Day weekend was nice. It was beautiful weather. We bought a new outdoor living furniture set and gazebo, which is nice. Beerman declared he never needed to assemble another item again in his life. We had dinner wiht our neighbors one night. We discovered that they want their kid to be our kid's playmate. They didn't say as much, but I'm pretty sure they want their kid to have a non-Jewish friend. How funny is that? We're the TOKEN! No geocaches this weekend, though. Just no time. I had to be to work by 6:30 this morning to set up for 80 interns starting today. Guess I need to get back to them.

Happy Memorial Day!

Fix It

Will someone come and fix it? My gazebo needs rebuilding. My dishwasher needs replacing. My master bathroom has been out of commission over 2 years. When it rains, my backyard becomes a pool that I drained my savings account last summer to get rid of. And the house is a disaster. Ughh... help.

Summer Daze

I love half-days at work! I was going to immediately get C-man, and then I realized - by the time I got out of work, he'd be napping. So Mama went shoppin'. Sweet! So I went to Bayshore, got a couple of trendy-trend outfits. And the topper? I purchased a pair of white jelly shoes from a man who was wearing white eye shadow. Does it get any better than that? C-man should be waking up about now, so I'm off to go get him and go to the park near the construction site. It should be fun. Here's a photo we took at the Brewers game on my birthday. Classic...

Disturbia

So I take Beerman's car this morning, and it's on E. I remember there is cheaper gas on the way to work. (And since you have to take out a mortgage to fill up these days, 12 cents/gallon is significant!) So I stop. The problem? It's in the middle of the 'hood. I tried to pre-pay with my debit card, and I couldn't. I had to go in and show the attendant my ID was the same name as my debit card. As if that wasn't disturbing enough, I realized I wasn't just paying next to the row of candy bars, but in front of the large rack of nudie magazines when the guy behind me ordered USA red 100's. I think I'll pay the 12 cents in the future. Another disturbing item of my day... I bought a Snickers bar, and it's green inside. Apparently it's some Shrek promotion. But disturbing, nonetheless. My sciatic nerve is acting up really bad again. I can barely sit down, and I've been popping Advil like it's Starburst. So what's a girl to do but go out and drink with co-workers tonight? The plan is to go to a local wine bar. I need different friends in my life, so this should be good.

I Want A Baby Sister!

If this kid shouts it one more time, I'm moving out. I.Am.Not.Giving.Him.A.Baby.Sister...yet. Someday, maybe. For sure, not now. I am dreaming about the long weekend. Friday is a half-day at work (summer hours). I can't wait. I've got 40 things I want to do with it. Any thoughts helping me decide?

H-O-T HOT!

Today is beautiful, and I'm at work until 8 p.m. Life isn't fair. Last night I was awoken by my child sobbing. And not just any sobbing. It was inconsolable sobbing. All with the same message. "I want a baby sister!" I think Beerman has been conspiring. I'm exhausted. For our anniversary, we decided to get outdoor furniture to create an outdoor living space. I picked it up today, with my snazzy discount plus an additional 20% that I get. I can't wait to see it up under our gazebo. I love summer. For those who watched 24 last night, I'm sorry. This season blew. Jack needed to die when he dropped off that ladder. It would have been a fitting ending. For those lucky enough to watch the Idol final singing night, I don't want to hear about it. Life just isn't fair.

Talk Dirt To Me

Happy Monday. I actually don't hate them when I've had some sleep. Not being hungover like I was yesterday assists in my brighter mood too. What doesn't brighten my mood is that I have an interview from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. tomorrow night. WTF?!? It's the American Idol finale!!! This weekend I was enlightened to one of the greatest sports of all... LaCrosse. Now, after the whole Duke fiasco, it doesn't have the greatest reputation. But I'd always thought it was a pansy-ass East Coast sport like tennis. Wow, was I wrong! Do you know that while you have the ball, the entire other team is beating you up with their sticks? And not just in the "bread-box"... all over! It's fast-paced, vicious, and wicked-cool. I also did some fabulous gardening this weekend. I love putting my hands in the dirt and pulling up the big night crawlers. Good earth, fat worms. And Beerman put a fence around my perennial bunny feeders: arugula, dill and parsley. Take that you little greedy bastards! It's the season finale of 24 tonight. Will Jack save the world? Will they finally kill him in a way that is only befitting to Jack Bauer? Who will run the presidency next year? Oh, I can't wait.

Anniversaries, Hangovers, and Singing Debuts

We ended up getting a babysitter for our anniversary and going out to eat. Thankfully we walked, because the wine was pretty tasty! But I just don't recover like I used to. Whew! C-man had his singing debut in his daycare's church today. I don't know what's worse - that he stood there and didn't sing a single note, that I filmed it all, or that the pastor rambled on for well over an hour with a church full of 2 - 3 year olds! Can't win 'em all, I guess.

Woo hoo!

It's the weekend, and the weather is supposed to be fabulous. It's also our 6th wedding anniversary tomorrow. We have no plans, because we have no babysitter. I have to get my herbs and flowers in the ground. Beerman and I are going to buy some outdoor furniture for our anniversary. So I guess we have to actually go and get it. We might go see some friends Sunday night, too. And I'm sure we'll find a geocache or three. So I've got that going for me. Enjoy your weekend.

It's another day

"I love my Mommy because she sings songs, plays Bob the Builder in the den, climbs trees, and gives me treats." It's a good thing he's so sweet, because he broke my glasses for the 2nd time in 3 months this morning. UGH!! Another fine Tuesday. The warm weather has me feeling better about things. Man, I hate winter. I'm realizing this more and more each year. I need to move somewhere warm. The good thing about the warm weather is I can start geocaching on my lunch or on the way to work. Woo-hoo!

Happy Mothers Day!

I got to geocache for my present this morning. Pretty funny. I scored a pearl ring. Apparently Caleb picked it out himself. It's gold, and I don't have anything gold, so I now have an excuse. We did a couple of geocaches this morning after a breakfast of eggs. Then everyone took a nap and watched NASCAR. Sweet, redneck heaven. Then we went and got a couple of caches this evening. I planted my own travel bug. http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?guid=e5eb8fff-8e30-4f18-b12c-67b68f2a7aba Now Beerman is at Outback picking up some greasy, fried goodness for dinner. Happy Mothers Day!

TGIF

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Summer Hours

We got an e-mail today announcing summer work hours. One day a month we get out at noon on a Friday. Sweet Jesus, that sounds marvelous. May 25th is the first one, so I'll have an extra-long Memorial Day weekend. I forgot to post that we got our photo taken at the Brewers game the other night. Would you expect anything less of me than this photo... http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=BrewersFanFoto&gallery_id=675930&image_id=29 Yeah, we won't be ordering that one. Did the man not have a digital camera?!? At least the Brewers are on a tear, with my man JJ at the helm.

Give A Homeless Man A Pizza, Please!

Philip Workman was executed in Tennessee this morning. His last meal request? A pizza to be given to a homeless man. He was refused, because "Taxpayers don't allow us to donate to charity." How many things can we find wrong with this situation? If you don't agree, then maybe it's because I haven't mentioned that the ONLY witness to the "crime" was convicted of perjury and never truly saw the "crime" occur. At least justice has been served, right?

80 degrees out today and rainy. I got my drivers license renewed and a new picture taken. I have curly hair, and it's hot and humid. Perfect. I ended up looking like a deer in the headlights with an afro. But whatever. It's not like I get carded anymore anyway, so what am I worried about?

Mothers Day is this weekend. Half of me thinks I should spend it with my mother, and the other half thinks I should spend it completely and utterly alone reading a book. All of me is most likely going to spend it with my own family geocaching after a nice breakfast of eggs. Which is pretty darned good too. I should probably scope a few caches out in advance to get my gameplan down. We've been going for some harder ones lately, and I've been enjoying it immensely.

Speaking of Mothers Day, I need to send my mother-in-law her gift so it gets there on time. I hate the post office, though, so I'm sure I'll procrastinate, and then spend too much on going to the UPS store, having them packign it, and then shipping it overnight. I meant to do it today, but after the DMV (do I have to explain the time it takes at a ghetto DMV?) and the bank, I needed to get back to work. Maybe tomorrow.

Unsubscribe hell

I've decided to start unsubscribing to my spam to see if it helps. Man, it's a pain to do that. Every page that I get to by clicking unsubscribe puts me into the "register" page. I don't want to register! I want to get out of this spam hell! Didn't Congress pass laws about this?

Sunny Monday

Busy day. Glad I'm home. 24 is on tonight. Only 3 episodes left. Next weekend is Mothers Day. I love May.

To Rapids and Back

Whew, 6 hours in a car can be a drag. But, we went to my nephew's first communion. I'd be lying if I said going back into my childhood church didn't give me the cold sweats. I can't help it. That place still creeps me out. It was good to see the family though. I'd also be lying if I didn't say talk radio didn't give me a screaming headache. To try to drown it out, I attempted sleeping. That was foiled by Beerman not watching road signs and blowing past where we needed to go, and me trying to navigate our way back on course with an ancient road map. Then I tried to read the paper. However, that plan was foiled by Beerman commenting on the talk radio I was trying to drown out, at least every 5 minutes. I've taken 3 Advil, and it's just not getting any better. Can someone explain the point of talk radio anyhow? A bunch of yahoos blabbering on about absolutely NOTHING in an AM frequency, so it's complete with scratchy background noise. ARRRRGGGGHHHH! Anyhow, it's Sunday night. C-man's had a bath, spring is here, I got some pretty good birthday loot, and my family is pretty darned satisfying today. Enjoy your week.

It's my 31st birthday!

Happy birthday do me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birth-day to me-ee, Happy birthday to meeeee! After sleeping in, opening presents, and eating scrumptious cinnamon rolls, we went geocaching in Port Washington. While out, C-man picked some dandelions for me: We found all 3 geocache finds we were going for. Tonight we're heading to see the Brewers clobber the Pirates. Suppan is pitching - he's my favorite pitcher, so I'm very excited.

Tomorrow's My Birthday

I don't know what's more thrilling, that Bo Duke sold his car for almost $10 million, that Nebraska stayed the execution of its latest prisoner, or that tomorrow's my birthday. Okay, simple one, tomorrow's my birthday. My staff got me some great costume jewelry. Tomorrow we're heading to the Brewers game. Go Brewers Go! Enjoy your weekend, and if you haven't already done so, be sure to send your packages overnight so they get to me on time.

1 More Shopping Day...

...Until my birthday! Last chance to get your presents. There are still many beautiful items left to get.

Happy Birthday!

The polls are closed

I ordered C-man's pictures. I ordered #5, if you look on our website page. I've got 3 votes for #3, but when it's bigger, I can't see anything but his curled tongue. Plus, #5 is just darned cute. So thanks for those who voted. If you are immediate family, your copy will be in the mail shortly after I get them. If you're not immediate family, too bad. This cat's not made of money. :-) I went to a workshop this morning. I know I shouldn't, but I couldn't get over the fact that he was a poor speaker to listen to much of his message. The pitfall of being a trainer, I guess. Today is fabulously sunny out. I've got to stop on my way home and pick up some Mothers Day gifts. If anyone has any bright ideas for my mother-in-law, please tell me now! I also have to pick up my latest audiobook I've had sent to me from the library. I've been on a tear through this series. I highly recommend it. But anyhow, I need to get otu and enjoy the sunshine at some point, and it's not going to just be parking lot to car. The best news is this weekend is fabulous, so I'll be able to do some more geocaching. Yeah, baby!

May Day

Happy May Day! I'm not sure why we celebrated it as kids since it's a communist holiday. We usually marked the occassion by dropping flowers and candy at the neighbor's house. Fidel Castro didn't make it to his ceremony. Only his 3rd time ever. Interesting enough. In other news, W vetoed something. If there's a bigger idiot out there, I've yet to find him. Maybe my old boss, Cindy. It rightfully could be a tie. Beerman is working late tonight, so it's just C-man, the newly groomed dogs, and me. Fine by me. American Idol, pizza, a little laundry and to bed. Simple enough.