Me, and Mini Me

Today both older kids have ROTC commitments, and that just leaves me with Little One.

I had it all planned: we would go early to the outlet mall, have something to munch on while I took her to her favorite stores, checked out Soma for more PJ’s, then lunch at Johnny Rockets.

The reality? She slept in, decided she didn’t want to go at the last minute. So, I decided to just read a bit before starting to finish folding the clothes waiting by my bed.

So what happens? After I tell her she needs to stop watching TV and clean her room, she then decides that the outlet mall is a great idea!

Convenient, huh? But that’s ok, because she gets to clean her room after we return.

There’s a price to pay for fun in the Sith Empire 😉

Disjointed Ramblings of a Tired Mind

I woke up this morning rather disoriented, finding I had overslept because I set the alarm for PM instead of AM, and was rushing to get Son to school on time for him to catch the bus for the school trip to Angelo State University for an ROTC drill meet. So currently I am operating with only four hours of sleep, and one pot of coffee. Don’t worry, there is another pot percolating quite happily right now.

As usual, thoughts tend to be disorganized when I have not had plenty of rest. This morning was no different. As I drove to the school I thought of how odd that the post office is completely lit inside. I thought that it is due to workers, but no….it’s kept completely lit all day and night. Which made me wonder if it was a deterrent to vandalism, which led to thinking about how many vandals have been caught lately (three), which made me wonder who would want to vandalize a post office, and how. I mean, do they write graffiti on the wall about poor service? Do they put bulk mail in the single letters slot? What?? And speaking of graffiti, it used to be we could ALL read it just fine. Now? Dear Lord above, the misspellings drive me insane. Driving home last weekend I saw a a highway exit sign that had the word “Legion” spelled “Lejion”. And no, it isn’t in Spanish. I just wanted to hit the taggers with the unabridged Webster’s Dictionary. And once I arrived at my folks, the idiots wrote “La Reconquista” up on a highway sign, but they spelled it “LA RECONKISTA”. Seriously?? You want to “reconquer” Texas and can’t even be bothered to spell your cause correctly?? Gah!!

Ok, I think I better go drink my next pot of coffee now. Hubby will be skyping soon, and I need to be lucid for that.

Tattoo You

Full disclosure: I don’t have any tattoos. Nevertheless, I love the intricate works of art that can grace someone’s body. I remember back in the early 90’s, the Dallas Museum of Art had a photograph collection on display of 114 tattoos by 68 different artists, and I was mesmerized. It is different than painting on a canvas. The precision, the detail, and the no-room-for-mistakes make for some beautiful work, and sometimes for major drama when the artist does makes a mistake. Unlike tattoos in the past, nowadays you can correct mistakes a bit more easily, though not without added discomfort!

I had briefly toyed with the idea of either getting a tattoo, or a (SHOCK!!) belly button piercing when I lived in Germany. It seemed everyone was getting one. And Hubby wasn’t opposed to it either, as long as it held some sort of significance.

Me: Significance? Like the kids’ names?

Hubby: No, something oblique that only you and me understand.

Me: Kids’ names in Sanskrit??

Hubby: (big sigh) No, no names. But you do have a lot of moles on your back. Maybe like Connect the Dots? Or hey! How about the Big Dipper? You do have moles that look like the stars in the Big Dipper….

Me: ………

Needless to say, that never came to fruition. And in retrospect I suppose it’s a good thing. But sometimes I think wistfully of the remarks a Big Dipper tattoo would have generated 😉

Sometimes My Kids Forget How Cool I Am

Yesterday I was cleaning out my jewelry stash, preparing to let the girls go through my discards of fashion baubles prior to giving the rest to my nieces. Sometimes I do wonder whatever motivated me to buy certain pieces of jewelry. No, I have nothing with skulls and crossbones in the lot. Not yet, anyway. Suffice it to say, most of it is usually appreciated by the girls, so it’s never a loss. But the cascading shell earrings were a wash for sure.

Anyway, as I was reorganizing my treasure chest the lot, I came across certain pieces that Hubby acquired during a conference he attended in Scottsdale, Arizona. I usually wear the earrings and necklaces, but had completely forgotten about this one:

Those who know me will probably be surprised that I own a “slave bracelet”. They would be more surprised to find that I own more than one. And let’s not start on the ankle bracelets. That inventory can take a while.

That’s right, kidlets: your momma is way cool, and she has the creds to prove it 😉

Into Each Life a Little Rain Must Fall

It seems like into my life, a freakin’ hurricane landed. As usual, it’s the little things that pile up, some of which I am ill-equipped to fix.

I am….not the most handy person around the house. Sure, I’ll figure out some quick-fixes every now and then. But the drawer that I had “fixed”? That completely broke. And a couple of weeks ago, the doorbell stopped working. There are cracks alongside the bathtub edge, and I fear I have water damage in the walls, so that has to be checked by someone other than me. The spigot outside needs to be replaced, and several dead bushes need to be dug up.

My tool basket. Yes, there are Legos in it.

As usual, I will try my best to fix things around here, but I realize some things are beyond my control. But the drawer? Oh yeah…. THAT has to be fixed before my parents and sister come to visit. So, I’m looking up information as to how to go about it. That’s what the internet is for!!

And after the huge storm that passed through last night, I shudder to think what lies in store for me outside on the patio 😉

St. Paddy’s Turned Into Christmas!

A brief prayer to thank the Good Lord that Spring Break is now over.

Over the weekend, I went to visit my folks. I try to post once a day, but posting Sunday was just not going to happen. It was really nice to visit with them, and have the chance to make plans for Easter. And as usual, my mom was working on a puzzle. She really enjoys the challenge, just like Little One does. As we were putting it together, my mom mentioned that I should take some of her silver since she doesn’t use it. As I ran like a mad woman calmly walked around the table to look at the pieces, I noticed she had some stemware, and I offered to clean them. She looked up and said it wasn’t necessary, but that I should take them.

Like I’m going to pass on WATERFORD™!!!

And if that weren’t enough, I came home to find a lovely surprise from The Queen!!

SQUEEEE!!! I got my own Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane glass, and a bag of mix, too!! The instructions say to add 4 oz of reconstituted mix to 4 oz of gold rum, and pour into the 28 oz glass full of crushed ice. I’m thinking more along the lines of less ice, and more booze.

But that will have to wait until Easter 😉

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

And as usual, I can’t drink. But hey, don’t let that stop any other Sith, right??

That will be me, except instead of Guinness, I’ll be drinking green milk. Or not. Actually, that sounds gross. I think I will imbibe in a green-tinged lemonade, though. Really can’t screw that up.

Y’all have a great and safe Paddy’s Day!!

The Week in Review

Some things I have learned this week:

• Never underestimate travel time. Everyone is constantly on the road during Spring Break.

It took me half an hour to travel six miles on the highway last night. And that was going in the opposite direction of Rush Hour.

• Enjoy the time kids sleep in.

Once they wake up, thinking is out of the question.

• Always wear jeans and socks and shoes to work in the garden.

You would be surprised how many insects can find your sweaty shoes comfortable.

• As a corollary to the above, do not do gardening when surrounded by dogs.

You would be surprised how many insects find their fur comfortable.

Now, for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of JAM2:

And now I’m going to go drink more coffee, and get the day started!!

Fierce Fifteen

Today we get to celebrate Son’s fifteenth birthday.

Don’t know the plans yet, because that’s how he rolls!

Hard to believe he is fifteen, and waaaaaay taller than I am. Ok, that second bit isn’t hard to believe. He is a joy, a warm hearted soul, considerate of others, and full of plans for the future, and no parents could be prouder than we are.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SON!!! WE LOVE YOU!!! 😀

Tuesday in the Park

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day here. The weather and the clouds co-operated during the photo shoot for the kids at the Japanese Gardens. Elizabeth walked them around the area, while I entertained myself walking with her little boy. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded. We did see several families there with the same purpose as ours, so that made it challenging to wait for turns. But overall, it was a wonderful morning spent in serene surroundings. We did manage to get distracted, though.

That’s right: they spend the morning getting all gussied up and prettified only to want to stick their hands in the water to pet the koi. They get that from their father. But who am I to dissuade them from petting glorified goldfish?

Afterwards, I surprised them with plans to walk down to the zoo, which is just a couple of blocks from the gardens. But as we looked at the throng of people migrating in that direction, we realized that the zoo would have to wait. It appears that everyone goes to the zoo on Spring Break. So, we headed for home, and made plans to go to Fredericksburg later this week.

Of course, plans are bound to change at the last minute around here, so I’m not holding my breath 😉