Mad, Stupid, Crazy, Ridiculously Busy

Scott is off today so I'm doing his job and my job and someone else's job who doesn't work for this company.  (God bless our customers)   I'm making the same hourly rate.  Hardly seems fair.  I keep getting stopped as I speedwalk through the warehouse with, "I know you're busy but..."  I walk and talk, but I have to stop because no one seems willing to walk and talk with me.  They stand still and watch me go.  All the office staff went to lunch at the same time.  It's seriously impeding my ability to do Scott's job because I need to be out in the production & storaga areas where there are no phones.  I'm tempted to forward the company's calls to my cell phone.  Being tied to my desk means stuff is piling up out there.  I'm frustrated.  I'm cranky.  I forgot to make the potato salad for Cubscouts.  I raced through my work just to be tied to this desk.  On the verge of yelling just to yell.  Losing it.

Janis Joplin was right

I was sitting at home bummed about being bored and broke.  When I'm bummed, I don't feel like doing crap.  I sit and let my brain melt away and allow myself to be bummed.  Today, I passed on the whole melting process. 

Alex suggested we have a picnic.  I put together some pb&j, grabbed some sodas, water and a blanket and we headed to the park.  It greatly improved my mood to be sitting in the grass enjoying the warm breeze.  My mood was lifted instantly, even though I was bitten in the ass by an ant.  We threw around the football and spent a few hours at the park.  Good times.

Sometimes I forget to be grateful for the little things.  I lose sight of what's important.  I forget that my mood colors the mood of those around me.  I have to remember to try harder...and that there's no substitute for sunshine and peanut butter & jelly.

News at 11

First the bad news...  I didn't win the lotto this week.  I rolled over my winnings and only got 2 numbers.

The good news is I still seem to have a lucky dialing finger.  I won Tool tickets on The Edge this morning.  I like ""Sober""--it reminds me of high school.  Beyond that I'm not a really big fan so I think I'll sell them for daycare money.  Daycare is going up to $90 per week per kid in the summer and that's reasonable for all day in this area and all they do with the kids.  Still.  Good Lord that's a lot of money!

I dyed my hair tonight.  It's really black.  The sun had faded my hair to shades of brown and soft black. ick.  I like it super dark so I went for the Garnier blue black-very natural yet exotic...like me.

My son wants to bleach his hair and possibly dye it blue, red or silver this summer.  He hasn't decided, but he'll let me know.  I'm gonna go with it.  At this point it's a fashion statement, but if I tell him no now and he does it in a few years it will be a rebellion.  Worst case scenerio is he hates it and we have to shave it all off and he'll look like a chubby Eminem.  Hmm.  With a big, red dome, he'll look like a regular M & M.  This motherhood thing is complicated.  I didn't get the manual and I really have no clue what I'm doing.  Input?

Snail Mail

While walking down the hall today, I hear a voice that is obviously pained and overwhelmed, ""We'll have to send it snail mail.""  You would think she had to walk the letter to Oklahoma herself. 

Personally, I love snail mail.  I like buying cute stamps. (best variety was at the Hammond post office-flowers, black folks, fruit, Andy Warhol...)  I like getting letters.  I like sitting down and writing letters.  Sometimes I'll sit and type one out and sometimes I'll get a pen and subject the recipient to my crooked handwriting.  I find I'm often quite funny when writing a letter and if I'm actually writing, I usually include a drawing or cartoon.  I crack me up.  Sadly, I haven't had a good correspondence match (like a tennis match) since I was in high school and Kris was in college.  I cracked her up too.  She said she learned after a few letters not to read them in public places. 

I love getting stuff in the mail that's not a bill or advertisement.  Every Christmas, Jan sends me a card.  I love cards, even the ones without money.    My mom sent me Tweety high tops once.  I wore them till they fell apart.  I love getting stuff I send to myself!  Ebay purchases make me happy even though I know what's in the box and that I paid for it.  I like sending people things too.  I'm kinda bad about remembering to ship things though.  Mom used to send Kris her Christmas presents in February or March.  The stuff for Tiffany's kids is still sitting on top of the desk shelf.  Of course, now that I've discovered the joys of foam peanuts and bubble wrap and big, padded envelopes, I'm thinking of sending more stuff.  

Snail Mail is a win-win.  You get the joy of writing stuff and knowing you're gonna make somebody happy.  As a recipient, you get the joy of getting something in the mail.  I think snail mail has gotten a bad rap.  I think everyone should go write someone a letter.  Your mom, sister, cousin, gf/bf and mail it.  Just keep in mind some things don't mail well like ketchup packets or condoms.  Just take my word on it.

Almost ready to dance

I have finally finished putting in the numbers for the GIGANTIC database that really should have been created when the company opened its doors.  It's not complete, but it's as far as I can go with the information (raggedy-ass notebook full of misspellings and arrows directing to other pages) that I can go.  Now someone else has to fill in the blanks.  I have no doubt said blanks will be filled in with a dull pencil and I'll have to go in and update this thing in a week, but I don't care.  I finished in two and a half weeks, which is 3 and half weeks before I was supposed to be done.  Go me!  I will no longer have nightmares about spreadsheets.  I will not dread coming in to work likes it's a halfway house for crackheads.  I will be Miss Sunshine and drive them all nuts again with my positive, industrious attitude.  Again...Go me!

A Little Culture

Ouiser Boudreaux: I do not see plays, because I can nap at home for free. And I don't see movies 'cause they're trash, and they got nothin' but naked people in 'em! And I don't read books, 'cause if they're any good, they're gonna make 'em into a miniseries.

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In an effort to expose ourselves to a little culture, Alex and I went to the symphony on Saturday.  We were in the third row, which are the cheap seats for such concerts, but I didn't mind.  I could see the pianist's fingers flying and it was pretty cool. 

I took peeks at the boy during the performance to see what his reaction would be.  Mostly he just sat and listened.  Sometimes he'd lean his head on my shoulder and sometimes he'd bounce his head along with the music.  I thought he was bored.  Then at the end, the audience starts clapping.  My son clapped right along and let out a big ""Wooo Hooooo!""  I started to laugh and was about to explain that one does not woo-hoo at the symphony.  He then said ""Bravo!"" so I let it drop.  He's clapping and a few of the violints turn to look at him so at the top of his lungs he lets out another ""Wooo Hoooo! WOO HOO!"" 

My son was ready to be exposed to culture.  I'm just not sure culture was ready to be exposed to us.

I'm lucky of late

While listening to WRR today, I called and won tickets for the symphony Saturday at the Eisemann Center. 

I need a sitter and a date...or maybe I'll just put a tie on Alex.  I haven't decided.

Lucky streak is on again!  I think I'll roll over my $3 winnings and play next week's lotto.

No such luck

I stopped for gas and the guy asked if I wanted a lotto ticket cuz the jackpot was $4 million.  I said, "I'll take it!"  He must have sold me the wrong ticket cuz I only won $3.00.

Show him the money

There are certain phrases I try not to use on my kid.  I've never said, ""Quit crying or I'll give you something to cry about.""  However, I'm not perfect and I have been known to say, "Because I said so."  Actually, by the time I say that I'm usually yelling, but I try not to use it very often.  I'd much rather he know that I say so for reasons and not think I'm jerking him around.  I swear I used to wonder what the old folks were thinking with some of the stuff we had to do.  I'm still not sure.

 

I've tried to teach my kid lessons in such a way that they stick with him for life and not just until he doesn't have to listen to me anymore.  He's been rather receptive so far.  I think I've driven home the concept of saving because things cost money.  I'll take him to the dollar show, but if he wants to see a new release at night, he's going to have to come up with part of the ticket price.  I've also taught him that you have to work for your money because no one is going to pay you for doing nothing no matter how cute you are.  He's fully grasped both concepts.  He'll cheerfully clean houses, rake yards, wash cars, mow lawns, paint fences or any other laborious task for anyone anytime….for a fee.  He'll negotiate a flat fee or hourly rate depending on the job and when an agreement is reached, he'll shake on it and get it done.  His work ethic makes me proud. 

 

Lots of people call my son "the businessman".  What can I say?  The boy is an entrepreneur—he loves to make tha dollas.   He saves his money, counts it and if he finds something that's really worth it, he'll spend it.  He's very particular about what he thinks is worth his spending money.  I don't blame him.  I'm working on incorporating a new lesson into the mix.  This weekend we helped Jason moved. (That man has an astounding amount of stuff)  My kid helped out and then started bargaining his fee.  I'm trying to get him to understand that sometimes you help friends out just because.  His response was, "I don't really know him that well."  Ok.  How about ""sometimes we help people because it's the right thing to do"".  My baby looked at me like he was trying to see my angle on it.  He said, "If you say so, I believe it."  I was content. "Plus he already gave me ten bucks."