Kids....I am at the end of my rope....

I'm not even sure where to start....my son got in trouble AGAIN yesterday. He is now suspended until Monday for truancy. But that is the least of his problems. He stole caps for a cap gun while he was skipping. His friend stole knives and the cap guns in the first store, apparently. I am at the end of my rope...so frustrated. And then I found that picture...and it explains EXACTLY how I feel!!

Thankfully, I was able to make up my time from yesterday today, but it is getting very old. I did not raise him this way...to lie...to steal...to skip...The other student? was laying it all on my son, and my son did not see how this was not a good friend? We had a good (I hope!) discussion last night, away from SU. One thing I've learned is that SU, while trying to be helpful, speaks at the wrong time and says the wrong thing. He would be better off saying nothing at all.

I called the bank today...and left a message inquiring about mortgage assistance through work. We'll see if she calls back before I leave to go back to work today. If not, I will try again tomorrow. I know that the worst thing she will say is "No." And then she will follow it up with "This is what you need to do so I can say yes." Dad is supportive of our leaving SU, just isn't sure how he might be able to help. At least he's supportive...I was afraid that I would be doing this on my own.

Otherwise, not a lot in our home. I did orientation (basically the filling out of paperwork) for McDonalds. I was having some issues reconciling with that, too, until I remembered that I have an aunt who still works at her local McDonalds...so I'm good again. It's amazing how much of a snob I have become in some respects. My coworkers at my full-time job thought it was pretty neat, too. That's a nice feeling.

Since my son is suspended from school this week, I don't need to be up at 530. I will definitely be taking advantage of that!! He has extra chores to do, and that is what we will leave it as until he is charged, etc. etc. *sigh* Hopefully he has learned...or will learn and retain...his lesson this time....

Positives for the day: My coworkers were happy to see me unexpectedly today!!

~~Heather

Happy Thursday

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Hehehe....I am shivering today...so that was a perfect picture.

I got the job at McDonalds. I have orientation this Saturday, and then I will go to the local gym and get a month-to-month membership for myself. My son didn't seem interested in joining again, and I am sure not going to pay for SU. I just downloaded a fun album called "Skinny Songs" and iTunes again caused problems. I don't get it. the first three songs errored, but the last 7 downloaded fine. The first thing support will do is tell me to change my settings. Why would I do that, when it's obvious that most of my music downloads fine? My son just downloaded 15 songs with no problems last week. I really wanted to listen to this on my drive to work.......

So, as soon as the newly-built McDs is built, I am presumably working M, W, Th and Su from 7am-10am. Then, on the weekdays, I will go to the gym, workout, shower, and then go to work at Premier Bankcard. I am sure on Tuesdays and Saturdays I will be busy doing housework because Heaven forbid those two do anything. Yesterday I gave up and loaded the dishwasher and ran it because they apparently can't after supper. Got home last night and the dishes weren't put away, the dishwasher is still in the middle of the kitchen (portable dishwasher) and dirty dishes are piling up again. Last night was trash night....I still see trash on the floor in the dining rom...the bathroom trash was not taken out...the living room trash was not taken out...why do I bother cleaning up anymore??

I swear, every time I try to make things better in my life...they just seem to get worse. Let's hope this 3rd time will be the charm (eventually leaving SU). It has to be, doesn't it?

I do have a lot of things to be grateful for, though. A friend's daughter was in a major car accident last week and has only a few torn muscles to show for it. Thank God she had plenty of Guardian Angels with her!! I have wonderful friends who have been providing me shoulders for crying on and sound advice (even when it isn't what I want to hear!! lol). They have been such an inspiration...I am very blessed to have them.

I have a roof over my head, 2 good jobs, food in my stomach, and clothes on my back. The necessities are taken care of. (And, thanks to the kindness of a stranger on the apple support forums, I got those last 3 songs done!! yay!! A want is taken care of!)

For the rest of the week I am going to focus on the positives again...as I unload and reload the dishwasher when I get home tonight (because I can almost guarantee they won't have done it!!). I have a feeling that will start a fight, because I know SU will jump up to do it and I will tell him not to bother. If he was really going to do it, he would have done it before I got home so I wouldn't have had to stay up late again. I shouldn't have to get mad before they do their share around the house.

This just seems to be more of the same...which is why I don't post as much. Repetition is boring!! LOL

~~Heather

Good morning...it's a good morning, really it is...

Never mind that my son has just came back in for the 3rd time to get something he forgot (and the bus is due any minute now). Never mind that I took an extra day off yesterday because of said son. Never mind that my SU (spousal unit) claims to be horking up snot because he has a cold (because it doesn't explain the same sounds and gross things when he doesn't have a cold!). It's a good morning.

I talked to my Dad while in the Hills, and he will do what he can to help me out. I have an interview at McDonalds for a 2nd job tomorrow morning. I am hoping that between the 2 jobs I can qualify for a mortgage through work. If not, I will have to see what Dad can do to help me out. It is nice to have his support and understanding of why I am leaving SU. That is a big relief in and of itself. The hard part will be making it through the holidays, pretending to be happy, until I am at a point where I can move out.

My son decided to cut class yesterday and leave campus (after I had revoked that privilege a month ago). I caught him with a friend as I was driving to work (I happen to work pretty much across the street from the school). I pulled him for the day, came home, and he pretty much sat at the dining room table for 3-1/2 hours working on homework. I have since hidden his new skateboarding shoes, cell phone, and brand new mp4 player he just got from me for his birthday this past weekend. Now I need to figure out how to disable the satellite TV so he can't watch TV either. My TV doesn't have a timer option and that is one thing I miss from my cable box. I could lock it so that it couldn't be used at all. I will end up taking an occurrence at work, since I can only make up 1/2 the hours missed.

We had a great visit in the Hills. My nephews are so adorable. The almost-3-year-old can clearly say the name of our president....Ohh-BA-ma! he says! The younger one, who just turned 1, is laughing and walking and gets into EVERYTHING. I brought an afghan to work on while visiting, and he really wanted that totebag!! We had a great time, though. It's sad that I won't get back to the Hills now until February, although we will all be going to MN for Christmas. Yes, SU included. I don't want to ruin the holidays or make an upcoming separation/divorce the center of attention.

Exercise and eating healthier still are not working so well. If anyone has suggestions for overcoming sheer exhaustion in the mornings to work out, I would love to hear them. I don't get to bed until almost 11, and am up at 530. Makes for long days...although if I do get this 2nd job, until I move into town I plan on getting a membership at the local gym so I can exercise there and use the shower. I refuse to go to work at my full-time job smelling like fast food. If only my SU would have the same courtesy for us. Just because it's a "restaurant" and not fast food doesn't mean he doesn't reek when he gets home.

Well, since I am going in early, that means I need to get ready early. Have a great day and thanks for reading!!

~~Heather

Just a few more days....

Oh what a weekend...My spousal unit gave my son permission to go trick or treating Friday night....without consulting me first!! I had no idea where he was, who he was with or anything. I had a text message from my son asking permission, and my last break I called (last break is at 515) and no one was at home. So I called his cell phone and he was already with his friend. SU had told him to be home at 8, but didn't ask any other questions. I was livid. I told my son to enjoy, however, and that I would see him whenever he got home. Silly me...took away that 8pm curfew, but I wasn't thinking clearly. I confused my son in doing so, and didn't realize that until Saturday night when we had a chance to sit and talk.  So....at 930, no SU is home, no child is home...I'm so mad I'm crying on my friend's phone...*sigh* It just made me so mad that SU didn't even bother to get details!! My poor friend lives 1600 miles away and was so sweet...even got me to laugh a bit. SU came home not long after that (scheduled off at 8, but does it surprise me anymore?) and sat down like nothing was wrong. Of course, to him, nothing was wrong. He asked where my son was...I said I had no idea. I didn't know where he was, who he was with or when he was coming back. I was trying very hard not to blow up at this point.  To give my son credit, he was home at 1015. He had also remembered to lock up the house & take his key with, as well as his cell phone. And he told me on the phone who the friend was, and we made arrangements to get him home. He understands that he needs to plan ahead to make things go smoother. He also did some extra chores to make up for the ones he didn't do during the week. I'm not so mad at him, I'm furious with SU.  He put my son's life in danger. I don't care if this is a town of only 11,000. He had no idea where my son was, who he was with, anything. And thought nothing of it. Never mind that a teenager went on a rampage and killed his parents with a broadsword 2 years ago. Never mind that when I was working at the hospital the police scanner was on and I listened to many teens getting picked up for drunk driving. Never mind the fact that he has no legal authorization whatsoever to do that.  That was the straw that broke the camel's back. This next weekend I'll be in the Hills. I have a friend who was a paralegal and her & I will be working up a separation agreement. I will be asking Dad for help which will be really, really hard for me to do. Especially since I still owe him for the van transmission. But repaying him is in the budget I've worked up. I'm going to take a 2nd job somewhere...don't know where yet. McDonalds is hiring, just not quite sure I can do it. BUT I will if I have to. Perhaps WalMart is still willing to hire me? We'll see.  I have a good emotional support system in place...it's the financial side of it that scares me. Plus not being able to visit the Hills as often, if at all. That will be hardest of all. But I can use a webcam to talk to them, that will help a little. It won't be the same, of course.  I am focusing on positives at work. We had a great Halloween Party/staff meeting. Our team was "Black Eyed Ps"....kind of a fun play on words. (That's me up above.) They had pumpkin cake and cookies and hot apple cider as well. I am not getting an incentive for the month of October, but that is okay. I can't change it, so no point in getting upset. I also found out that our team is the worst team in the center. BUT if we all bring up our stats (and I admit, mine could use some improvement as well) then one of the center managers is treating us to a sub party. That will be fun. And I do adore my cubicle-mate. We have a good time together. I got the time off I needed to go to the Hills this weekend, and I got the time off over Christmas that I had planned on taking before I took this job. I was nervous about that, but they managed to work it out. That will be fun.  So....I just need to get through these next 4 days and then I am off to the Hills...yay!! We're going to surprise my oldest nephew by being there when he wakes up from his nap Friday afternoon. That will be such fun!!  Next week will not be so fun. At some point, I will have to sit and talk to SU about a separation (but staying in the home together at first) and ultimately a divorce. *sigh* It will be tense, to say the least. But ultimately, it is for the best. I just hope he can understand that...  ~~Heather

What a week....

It is 748pm....he was scheduled off at 4pm....I was browsing through icanhascheezburger.com and this pretty much fit what I think he's doing. Granted...it's pheasant season. But still. A phone call would be nice. Heck, I'm not so demanding. I would settle for a text message. But this "nothing" shtuff? Is really getting old. To the point where I am seriously considering taking a 2nd job at McDonalds when they reopen so I can for sure afford to move out. I can pay all the bills but rent and groceries right now. Another $400-700 a month would cinch it. Would I have to eat crow? Of course. And that is very hard for me. For 16 years I've been priding myself on how well I've been able to take care of myself. Now I have to admit that I really screwed up and I need help fixing it. Pride goeth before a fall...and it's tottering now....

Soooo.....that has been heavy on my mind lately. Lately? More like continually. I won't file for anything until after Christmas, as I don't want Christmas to be about that. I want it to be about family. So sometime in January is when this will happen. Do I wish it could have lasted more than 3 years? Yeah....but if it isn't meant to be, then it isn't meant to be. And I look around this house and I just can't live like this anymore. My previous homes were cluttered, yes. But I could walk in and not smell what is probably rotting food, not see trash on the floor, not see clothes everywhere, and and and....

On a positive note...I'm still trying for those positives! LOL They have the computer issues at work ironed out, and to try to make up for that they are offering overtime. I've found I don't mind working 10 hours too much, so I will take advantage of that a little bit. I am off Tuesday, and I won't go in then. Well, unless the shop looks at my van and says it's something more than the alternator or battery. *sigh* If it's not one thing it's another with that thing...but it is what I have and I like it.

I am positive I will exercise at least 30 minutes 2 days this week. I did 1 day of 45 minutes last week. Not a lot, but better than nothing. I also picked up frozen veggies to repackage in 1/2 cup containers to have 1 each day. Again, not a lot, but it's a good place to start. I don't like canned veggies, and raw veggies tend to go bad fast....so this is a good compromise.

I am working on a crocheted afghan for my cousins for Christmas. It's a Victorian pattern, which I have always loved, but don't really fit in my house (at the moment!!). So this is a good excuse to make one!! lol We draw couples on Dad's side of the family which makes it nice. Between Dad's side and Mom's side of the families there are 20 kids. YIKES!!! Not including my immediate nephews and niece. But they're separate.

I am still enjoying my job. I'm not qualifying for an incentive, but I don't bank on that. It would be icing on the cake, ya know? But cake is just as good without it!!

My hands are already drying and cracking a bit. I picked up some gloves to wear at night in the lotion/spa section, and 3 body creams to try (I like creams better than lotions sometimes). I put those gloves on last night before going to bed, woke up with them gone!! I couldn't find them until I turned over the pillow...I had apparently put them inside the pillowcase so I wouldn't lose them!! But I did feel a difference this morning already, so that's good. I also put plastic over the inside windows of the living room windows which helped a lot since the plastic on the outside has blown off!! One more thing to worry about....next weekend! hehehe

On that note...it's about bedtime. I'm curious to see what the scale says. Stressful week means it probably went up. But what goes up must come down...right??

~~Heather

Happy Monday

300.0

See that weight? May this be the last week I am at or above that weight. I am up and dressed for the treadmill or exercise bike. Of course, SU woke up this morning so it may be the exercise bike. Any other time he sleeps until I go back upstairs, especially on his day off. THIS morning...oh no...had to wake up. (Don't ask me why, but I am not comfortable exercising around him at all. I can go to a gym, I can exercise in front of friends, but not him.) And he's sniffling and horking (not coughing!) and just being gross hoping for sympathy for having a tiny cold. I'm sick for over a week and I get the "I'll let you sleep in on your day off now that you're feeling better" treatment.

Ah well. I best go hit the bike since it looks like he is settling in down here. Not quite how I wanted to start my day.

Positive: I'm starting it with yogurt and exercise!!!

~~Heather

What a week.....

Oh man, what a week. Monday night I was so worried about the van I upset my stomach, so I went home early. It was rather nice enjoying the evening with my son. Tuesday morning I took the van down to the Co-Op and began the period of fretting. The DISH Network guy showed up and wasn't sure whether he would be able to find a signal or not. Uff-da. But he did, by putting the dish on the garage. So that was nice. I got my phone and internet bundled into a new package they're offering so I (finally!) have unlimited long distance. Then the Co-Op called. Apparently I didn't think that the tail lights would be on separate fuses, plus I was primed to have it be something major. Thankfully it was just the fuse, so that's all good. SU made it home late, shortly after my son and I went to bed around 10:30.

Wednesday and Thursday were pretty uneventful, other than the usual his coming home late. Friday morning, however....we were going to meet with the insurance agent to talk about life insurance on him and retirement plans for both of us. I left a little early because I had a package at my PO Box in town that I needed to get (too big for the box so I had to go during their business hours). As I am walking out the door he *informs* me that the entire kitchen staff may be walking off the job. Apparently the head honchos made a pretty serious (but hard to believe, even for me) accusation against their supervisor and so they decided if she quits (if she does not receive an apology) or they fire her, the entire crew will leave. I looked at him and said, "Great. You turned down the only comparable job in the area and now y'all are going to flood the market??" He claims he can go back to that other restaurant and get hired because 2 of their cooks are in jail for theft, OR he can go back to a different one he previously refused to work at because it was the nastiest kitchen he'd ever seen. (Apparently he doesn't see how he cooks at home, either.) I just said "Whatever" and left. Our appointment was at 10, and he showed up a couple minutes late. I hate it when he does that.

He did cash his check and leave all but his gas money in the van so I could get money orders to be sent off. That is good, I suppose. He then said he would take the air conditioner out upstairs Saturday morning before we went to bed.

Saturday morning I woke up, got ready for work, woke him up at 630 and he asked me to leave the lights on so he would get up. I went to work where we had an interesting day since they wanted us to all log in at once and try to crash the system. It worked fantastically! Because they knew it would be frustrating (as we would then have to try logging in to see if the bugs worked themselves out) they gave everyone a $10 gift card. I took that to the grocery store and got a pizza and ice cream and paid $1.11 out of pocket. (My son wanted pizza for supper.) That was a nice treat for us.

The first thing I noticed as I went upstairs to change clothes was that the air conditioner was still in the window. I wasn't really surprised, though. If there is one thing that he is consistent in, it is saying he will do something and not doing it. According to his schedule, he was due to be off work at 8. 1130 we went to bed. I woke up to the back door slamming shut a couple times around 830. I looked over and realized he never came to bed last night. After I heard the car leave, I came downstairs and saw that he opted to sleep on the couch. So now I have no idea when he came home, isn't that nice? What was interesting was that he was supposed to be to work at 8.

Later on, my son told me that they spent the morning watching movies on TV and then, before SU left, he told my son that he (SU) probably should take a shower, but he would just put deodorant on instead. Lovely.

So this afternoon we have been doing laundry and watching the shows on DVR we recorded this past week. He decided to DVR 2 football games (neither of which were the Broncos) and so we couldn't watch TV but we could watch our DVRd shows. His schedule was 8-? so we have no idea when he will be home. Granted, it is the opening weekend of pheasant season, but this is a little ridiculous in my opinion.

Positives for the week: The van is fixed, the DISH is set up and I have a game plan for leaving SU. In fact, I even got a lead on obtaining a pro bono lawyer.

Here's to another week!!

~~Heather

Wet, rainy day.

Well, it's another wet, rainy day. But that's okay. We kind of vegged today. Yes, the air conditioner is still in the window upstairs. But that one is really sealed well, it could almost stay up. But it won't.

I caught up on my TV from last week. I know...I need to do that the next morning while on the treadmill. Which means....I need to get my workout clothes laid out the night before. Which I will do as soon as I am done blogging. I have to put my clean clothes away anyway.

My spousal unit is gone until sometime Tuesday. Today was a very quiet day. No fighting, no walking away in frustration, just quiet. Well...until the neighbors on the other side of my neighbors began going in and out of the driveway with their pickup. That got my dog's attention, of course. (Loud pickup.) To top it off, this neighbor (who has threatened to shoot others in his old home 2 blocks away) is also the owner of a chow-chow dog. Who apparently likes our yard. So much so that at least 2 mornings this week my spousal unit has commented that it was there when he took our dog out and tonight my son had to get her back when she chased it off the property. Hopefully this is just them not realizing what is going on and it will end. I imagine I will have to go over and talk to them and ask them to please keep an eye on their dog and keep it out of our yard. I hate talking to people about things like that. *sigh* But, then too, we don't know for sure it's their dog, either. We'll see how it plays out.

We did attack the entertainment center. I needed to clean behind it for the Dish Network guy Tuesday (spilled cat food and such). I also eliminated my stereo (isn't recognizing CDs for some reason) and the VCR. Man does it look empty, now. I'm anxious to have the DVR service, though. The VCR kept putting squiggly lines on the faces!! Plus, we have a couple shows that are on at the same time which makes it hard to record. And, the way I had to put things together, I had to have the TV on to record. So those middle of the night shows? Meant the TV was on overnight. Thankfully, not many of those. And don't tell anyone...but I dusted the entertainment center while I was at it!!

My son was making pancakes for lunch, when he realized we were out of vegetable oil. So we found a recipe that didn't use it (he had already mixed the eggs and milk). No problem. Then we realize there is just enough syrup to tease, not enough to be good. No problem. I can make syrup with white sugar, brown sugar and water. Except we have no brown sugar. I remember, from www.budget101.com, that you can make your own with white sugar and molasses. Except...we have maybe 1/4 cup of sugar left?! This is utterly ridiculous!! Between the 2 of us we now make over $45K a year and we can't go into the grocery and buy even the basics anymore??? I am so mad I could spit!! Where does all the money go?

Just another frustration. I really can't blame him, because he has been really good (since July) of turning his paychecks over to me and only holding on to his gas money. Of course, I haven't seen a stub in months, so for all I know he is getting huge gratuities and doing who knows what with it. Food, to him, is not necessarily a priority. He is okay with fatty meats, no vegetables or fruits, and lots of carbs. I prefer lower-fat meats, some carbs, and fruits. I'm still working on liking more veggies. And I can tell I'm not eating well. I'm tired constantly, lots of headaches, and I just don't "feel right." I can buy for myself and my son, and separate for him, or I can buy what we can afford, which is what he eats.

However...with time, these things will change. I just need to be patient and get in as many nutrients as I can. I suppose that is what vitamins are for?

On a positive note...the house still feels nice and warm. The critters are all healthy. In fact, after I switched cat foods, there have only been 3 incidents of urp-ups. That was 2 weeks ago. Before we would find urp-ups maybe 3 times a day. The geckos are loving the superworms (very creepy things!!) and the hedgehog is still happy running on her own "treadmill." I wish I had that same zeal for mine!! The dishwasher is functioning, even if I did tweak a screw to get it to work. I am gearing up for NaNoWriMo again this year. (www.nanowrimo.org) Tuesday I will have better TV service and unlimited long distance.

Crud. Tuesday I have to hope the guys at the CoOp can figure out why my tail light isn't working, and hope they can do it for $40 as that is all I have left. But if it isn't working be Wednesday, my 10-day grace period is up and I'm sure I'll get a ticket since I drive home at night. (Replaced the bulb...still not working.)

Ah well. We'll see what happens.

~~Heather

Brrr!!

What happened? I blinked and it got cold!! Yuck!! I had asked my spousal unit if he and my son could take out the air conditioner so I could turn on the heat (exotic pets don't do well when it's 55 inside!!) and he said we all 3 needed to do it. So I said we would do it this morning. Well, after giving me the bad news that changing the light bulb didn't fix the tail light that is out, he left for work. But that's okay, because I knew my son and I could do it on our own, and so we did. Took it out of the window, put it on his little red wagon and pulled it into the garage. Then we put plastic on the outside of all the windows on the lower level. My son was nice enough to climb the ladder for me!! I'm just a wee bit paranoid of this one, since I weigh more than the weight limit, AND Dad always called it "The Widowmaker" since it is a light aluminum one. Tomorrow we'll take the air conditioner out of the loft window and put plastic on the inside of all the upstairs windows. I am also planning on putting plastic on the inside of the lower levels, just for a little extra help. The electric bill is going to skyrocket again, of course. Baseboard heat on the lower level is the only source of heat we have. Nothing upstairs. Hopefully next year I will be able to buy infrared heaters, 1 for each level.

These past 2 weeks have been unusual in the household. My spousal unit has been uncharacteristically nice, and trying to be lovey-dovey again. I'm not buying it. I don't hate him, mind you. Hugs are okay, kisses are not. I want to give him credit for replacing the tail light on the van this morning. I'm also frustrated because I don't like it when he tries to fix things. He's not a mechanic/carpenter/handyman at all. But he tries to be, and that can cause bigger problems. He's been good about not overtalking me when disciplining my son (we had a couple rough nights with him this week) and making sure his side of the bed is made, and such. It's scary. It's nerve-wracking. It makes me wonder what he's up to away from home.

Yesterday we switched the car insurance to State Farm. They had a lower rate than Progressive for higher coverage and a lower deductible. We also carpooled since we were working close to the same schedule. The gal at the insurance office (who is wonderful!) mentioned life insurance and 401(k)s. We'll go back next week to see what they've pulled together. My spouse has nothing through work anymore. The only benefit he has is discount on motel rooms. That's it. So we'll look at life insurance on him that will build money over time towards retirement and getting him started on a 401(k).

I was thinking forward and realized that even though I will be eligible for a 401(k) through work, there is no reason I can't start one now, and make it the type that is a little higher risk. Buy stocks now while they're cheap. I heard somewhere that it took about 30 years to recover from the Great Depression and it will possibly take that long now. Well, I will be right at retirement age at that point. It will be perfect for me. So I will take the extra savings from the homeowners insurance (we will get a discount on that by adding the car insurance with them) and use that to build up my nest egg.

Don't panic. I know. I'm thinking ahead. I'm planning for my future. I'm being a responsible adult. Don't worry. Only for a few moments. Then I went to work and returned to normal.

I do have some positives going on, which is nice. I am still enjoying my job. That is unusual for me, trust me! But this place has such good camaraderie and I feel like I fit in, if that makes sense. I had forgotten how much of a difference that makes. It looks like I'm on track for a decent incentive check next month, if I'm figuring things right. Hopefully my supervisor will get together with me this week to go over things. (She did that last night with one of the gals from my training class, so I think she's getting to Cassandra and me this week.) That is the Christmas shopping money. In December, it will all go to debts (mostly to Dad!!). In January, 1/2 to debts, 1/4 to 401(k) and 1/4 to high interest savings, and so on.

In December, I'm going to Sanford Health for a heart checkup. Normally $875, I will be getting a lipid panel, blood pressure check, EKG and heart CT scan for $50. It's a wonderful option, and with the heart issues that run in the family, it's a good idea. I'm making it a "me" day and hoping a friend can come up from IA to make it a "girl's day out."

On that note...my son is 16 and has never seen "Jaws" so we're going to watch it today!!

~~Heather

Today was a good day....

I have no idea when he left for work, although I think I hit snooze for him once this morning. Force of habit. I slept until around 9 (I had stayed up late talking to my son about things) which I think helped my head cold tremendously. I'm still a bit congested and a trace of a cough, but not anywhere near what it was. I spent most of the day reading "Pillars of the Earth" after catching up on my TV watching from last week. No treadmill walking unfortunately, due to the stupid head cold.

He came home and promptly went upstairs to watch football. Sundays may be good days for awhile. Came downstairs and did dishes and made supper and we've been watching TV since. Sort of. My Dad called so I talked to him for about a half-hour.

I'm tickled pink that I could finally get the part to the dishwasher we got on Freecycle a few months ago. It's been missing the upper spray arm since we got it, and I've been looking forward to getting that and being able to use it. It's a portable one, and there is one more part I need to get (the part that connects it to the sink faucet) but I am fairly confident I can get that locally. Sure hope so, anyway!!

While resting and relaxing today I crocheted another pumpkin. I made 2, 1 for each nephew. For my almost-3-year-old we're going to fill it with small bags of M&Ms, and for the almost-1-year-old we're going to fill it with some apple-something Gerber Graduates dissolving thingys. (That made sense, didn't it?? ) I will also make one for our niece and fill it with M&Ms (she is 3). I worked on my shawl a little bit, too. But mostly, I read. I absolutely love "Pillars of the Earth" and the sequel, "World Without End." It was nice to have a lazy, at-home day today. Yesterday we went to Mitchell and had a nice day just looking around and splurging a bit here and there.

I switched the cats to a new food, Purina Naturals. We had gotten samples in the their litter last year and when we ran out of their regular food we gave them those samples. My older girl has problems keeping food down, and has been skinny behind the ribs for a long time. (The more I think about it, I really do think it was when I moved to that darn house I couldn't afford and had to start getting cheap food for her.) When we gave them those samples, we had no digestive issues you normally get with those and the normal "urp-up" issues stopped. But I couldn't find it locally!! Well, it's now being carried by Wal-Mart (urg), but only in a 6.3-pound bag. For 4 cats. Hmmmm. But I got it yesterday, and we got home and switched it straight out. Not only has there been no "urp-ups," but she also already looks better. Says something, doesn't it?

The geckos got new water dishes and treat dishes. They love meal worms as treats. They look wonderful and seem to enjoy "playing" with the cats through their glass walls. The hedgehog also enjoys meal worms as treats, and she is still holding up very well. Hard to believe she's a "senior" pet. Their lifespan is 4-6 years, and I got her in April of 2004.

The dog is doing well. She is also pushing "senior" status...figure she was an early 2002 puppy. (The older cat is a Labor Day 2002 kitty.) Gosh, but time flies.

My son is having a few issues, but nothing major. He admitted to breaking the rules by skateboarding on the sidewalk once and watching more TV than he should have once this week. So he should be okay this week. I hope. I am off Tuesday and working Saturday. We'll see what happens. He supposedly got his homework caught up. I hope so. He's struggling again, and it's not because he's not smart. He just lets other things get in the way.

Well, hopefully I have a good week again. I can do a little more exercise since I can breathe again. And I can get back on track with my original plan of doing medical transcription work in the mornings after my son gets on the bus and before I leave for my job. More money to pay down more bills and get more secure.

Have a wonderful week!!

~~Heather