Catching Up

Ok, no more excuses for not posting. I got my new laptop cord a couple of days ago and am really glad to have my comp back. Unfortunately, you know how it goes. When one thing starts working again, something else will inevitably break. That something is my cell phone. If I call someone, they can't hear me at all. If they call me, I can't hear them. I'm keeping my eyes open for a deal on a new cell because I don't want to buy a brand new one and I don't want to have to renew our contract to get an upgrade. Other than that, our internet and power both went out today. Fun, fun.

We had to get out and do something and ended up at the dollar theater. We did a double feature of The Simpsons Movie and Transformers. This is like the third time I've seen Transformers and it just gets better every time. It's one I will definitely be buying when it comes out. The Simpsons Movie was good, enjoyable. (I know. High praise, huh?)

This week was season premiere week for television. The three shows I made sure to watch were Heroes, Ugly Betty, and CSI (the original). The one that I was most impressed with was Ugly Betty. Last season's cliffhanger left you wondering if Betty's sister's fiancee had been killed in a holdup. The season opened with it showing him injured, but mending. The sister and he spend the whole episode holed up in the house and spending every minute sharing how grateful they were and how much they loved each other. It was really touching and made you feel great that he survived. He convinces her that they really should leave the room and get back to life, no matter how dangerous and unsure it is. Then, it next shows Betty's sister sitting on the bed, clutching her pillow,.....alone. He had died after all. The whole day that they spent together was actually in her own mind, she was dealing with the pain of losing him. It was such a stunner. I was shocked and sad. But it was all done so perfectly too. That show is a winner for a reason.

So, other than my tv addiction, I am looking for more permanent full-time work. I have an exam for an USPS job next Saturday morning. I am also building my resume to apply to 2 or 3 different jobs. If I work more, we can hopefully get some of our debts taken care of. With the kids both in school full-time and them being older now, there's few reasons for me to not work more. I just hope I can find something good that pays decent.

The kids are doing fine. Mister has taken up cello for the school orchestra. Tiny wants to participate in a program where little girls will cheer with local high school cheerleaders during a football game half-time show. And they both want to take part in a play with a youth acting group. So, that should keep them busy for a while.

Adventures in Babysitting...I Mean...Substituting

My lack of blogging is due to the fact that my laptop is still unavailable and I have been working a steady stream of substituting jobs this week. I thought I would quickly let you know this and to also share a few things that I am learning from my subbing adventures.

1. Subbing for elementary grades is a lot like actual teaching.
2. Subbing for junior high and high school is a lot like babysitting.
3. When an elementary student hears "substitute", they think "fun, new person."
4. When a jr. high or hs student hears "substitute", they think (and sometimes shout) "yay, we don't have to do any work today and get to chat at horrendous volumes."

Yeah, can you tell which one I'm leaning toward as my preferred substituting grade level??? Goodnight...I'm tired.

Ta-Daa

Here's what I've been missing. So glad to have it back, and looking so purdy and shiny too.

Power Cords and Diamonds

Still laptop-less. I believe that H damaged the power cord or it's connection by accidentally tripping on the cord. A comp-savvy friend has offered to check it out for me before I go and spend money on a new cord. Best Buy has a cord that will work...but it's $120! Other places I checked with were $100, and the computer company had it + s&h for $90. This is a lot to part with, especially when one full day of subbing energetic and loud 2nd graders only nets me about $70. But, the internet may have saved me once again. The wonders of an ebay purchase will only run me between $25-40. But, I will wait until I am sure that the cord is the problem. Let us give thanks for that one friend everyone has that could take spare parts from your toaster and repair any model of computer.

News flash: I am currently without my wedding ring. No, H didn't run off with Heidi Klum (good news for Seal...and me too). No, I took my rings in last Thursday while out window shopping. I needed them cleaned desperately (hasn't been done in about 8 years), sized down a little and soldered together (so they would stop sliding around). The jeweler told me he might have them done the next day, Monday at the latest. Well, it's Monday, so I called and another jeweler at the store let me know they wouldn't be there until after 7pm. Granted, this is still a lot faster than most jewelers that will send it away for 2 weeks, but I miss my rings terribly. In 8 years of marriage, I have not been without them this long. My finger feels naked. To compensate for the lack of bling (and to ward off any unwelcome suitors...yeah, right), I have been wearing a cheap, yet super sparkly, fun ring from Claire's. But, it just doesn't compare. I'll have to post a pic of the new-ish and improved ring when I get it back. I'm very proud of it. It's an emerald cut diamond set in a white gold band with a complimentary band. I loved it the moment I saw it. I knew it was for me. You'll see what I mean. The best part...NO ONE has a ring like mine. It's simple and beautiful.

Well, that's all for now folks. Hope you have a great day.

Don't read the ingredients

Well, folks, it's been more than one week....and I've only had one coke. Cut me some slack, I was at the state fair with 5 5th-graders. Don't get me wrong, I haven't cut out chocolate, but I've cut back. After the first couple of days, it was a lot better. I have successfully walked past the soda and junk food aisle about 4 times without yielding. *standing ovation*

The fair...I volunteered to help out with Mister's class trip and really enjoyed it. I got some good kids in my group and we covered almost every exhibit. They weren't allowed on the rides, for which I was thankful. I had promised Tiny that I would bring her back some cotton candy. But, no matter where I looked,.....NO COTTON CANDY. What kind of fair doesn't have cotton candy. Weird. Knowledge I gained from this trip, pigs are the stinkiest animals there are...even when they're clean.

H and I have been watching the show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel lately. The host of the show travels to different parts of the world and tries as many of the local cuisines as possible, no matter how bizarre. I've seen him try a drink processed with human spit (and I know someone who's actually done the same thing...he wasn't impressed). In South America, we went to a large meat roast in a cattle community and had his fill of rare steaks. He then made the mistake of visiting the ranch after eating and watched a bull be castrated. The meat in his stomach didn't sit so well afterwards. I eat meat, not a lot, but I do. I can appreciate that an animal's life was taken for me to have that meat. I have a simple understanding of how they are killed, processed, and prepared. But my bottom line is...I don't want to be intricately educated in how what I am eating was once living, and the process that has brought it to me lifeless and ready to consume. I'm a bit weird in the fact that I have a problem eating some meats and not others. Chicken, I usually pass when it still looks like the body part it came from (wings, legs, etc). But if it's chopped up in pieces or compressed into a patty, I'm fine. Hooves, snouts, toes...there's no way. Even if they are pickled, I will not try them. However, when they are ground up and combined into an unrecognizable food item, such as chorizo or bologna, I can eat them just fine, as long as I don't think about it too much or look at the ingredients. Like I said, I'm weird. Hope none of this offended anyone, but it's my life, my blog, and my palette. Thanks for reading though.

Problems

Just wanted to let you know that my computer is currently a bit out of commission. I hope to have the problem fixed soon. But, until then, there will be fewer posts. Hope you're all well. Laters.

Willing to work for caffeine.

Today has been a bit rough. I have not had any soda for almost three days now. I did not set out to give it up. I simply ran out of soda and decided that I should not buy anymore. I've been noticing that the kids have taken an interest in how much soda I drink. They've been asking why I drink so much coke and why they can't have any. It's getting harder to convince myself that soda is not having a negative effect on my body. It's so bad for the teeth and I don't dare to think about where all that sugar is going. I don't know how long I will be able to hold out though. I'm incredibly tired all the time and am having caffeine-withdrawal headaches. When I told H how long I've gone without soda, he asked if that was a good thing. I told him, "Well, it's not fun. That's for sure."

Dripping all over and then it rained...

We got a good storm last night. The wind blew down some trees, the rain soaked the ground, and the temperature is much lower today. The only bad part is that the smell of the lake is wafting over the city and invading my house. I hate the smell of it and it seems to be affecting my allergies as well. Growing up, I never had allergies to anything. But for the last few weeks, I seem to start sniffling right after I wake up. It's annoying, all the sniffling and sneezing and dripping. Yuck. Well, at least we got some rain out of it.

Labor (Day) of love and sore muscles

It's 11:30 and I'm tired, but can't go to bed yet. I'm waiting for laundry to finish drying. I was pretty impressed with my latest purchase, OxyClean Versatile. I threw the kids' muddy and wet new school shoes in the wash after our hike today and was just praying that they would come clean. I put in the regular detergent and a scoop of OxyClean. I wish I had taken a pic of the shoes before I washed them and another after. I was amazed. The shoes looked brand new. I love this stuff.

So, as I said, we went for a hike today. We headed for a waterfall that H and Tiny have visited before. It was really worth the hike, but I have to say that climbing some steep hills and rocks does not bode well with a fear of heights. H and the kids made it up above the waterfall by scaling a really steep, loose dirt path. I know my limits and that was it. I waited for them. But the waterfall was awesome. It came from above, fell through an opening, and down into a cave. The rushing water emitted a cool spray that was nice on such a hot day. We took a few pics and enjoyed the atmosphere. Then we headed back down, driving the scenic route. I told H during the drive that I loved living here. I love driving up the mountains on a hot day to cool off. I love when the leaves turn in the fall and I love to watch the kids snowboard down the slopes. I think we'll be here for a while. I hope your Labor Day was as enjoyable.

Go From a Size 20 to a Size 2 in 2 Minutes!!!

I just wanted to share this eye-opening link that I found through the ever-so-stylish and lovely GlamNest. Towards the end of the post, she shares a link that reveals the amazing transformations that airbrushing does for the celebrity photos we see on magazines and advertisements. I am very much in favor of the recent movements to reveal these airbrushing techniques and educating people (especially young girls) on just how imperfect celebrities really are, though no less attractive. As a woman and a mother, I wish more promotions kept it "real" about the models/actors/singers' appearances, instead of bewitching young women and men with an unattainable perfection of appearance. While I can admire the skill of those doing the airbrushing, I believe that their contribution to the final image should be made more known. GlamNest provided a link to one such studio that uses these talents on celebrity images, IWANEX STUDIO. They have a portfolio of celebrity photos. You must scroll over the image to view the before and away for the after. I didn't even recognize one photo subject as Naomi Watts until I viewed the before image. This GlamBlush post has an amazing video of how an airbrush specialist was able to take a photo of a size 20 model and whittle her down to a size 2.

This makes you wonder, do they only do this on people? How about those home decorating magazines? I know they do it on the dieting product befores and afters (this was suggested to me by H and I was incensed by it, the poor trusting soul that I am). How about the babies and kids in mommy magazines? No wonder you see a whole generation of toddlers being primped and label-outfitted beyond recognition. Ok, maybe that is going a little overboard. I'm just saying, I'll never look at any magazine in the same trusting way again.