Dreams and Such

Yay squared

2008-11-10T18:02:00.001-08:00

I got a new job ...

I'm sooooooo psyched!

http://www.msistone.com/

This sickens me ...

2008-10-30T10:06:00.001-07:00

Exxon Mobil posts biggest US quarterly profit ever

Another Big Day!

2008-10-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew is 15!!!

We had milkshakes at Cheeburger! Cheeburger!

Yummy!!!!

Big Day At Our House

2008-10-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

JOSHUA IS 18!!!!

Wow! I can hardly believe it!
The little baby I held not-so-long ago is now a man!
The gift from his Dad and I will be a class on gun-safety
with some time on the gun range after that.
His brothers are quite jealous!

We had dinner at Outback Steak House to celebrate!

There will be lots of changes in the coming year, I am certain ...
but I am very pleased and blessed that he isn't racing out the door yet!

More Retail Woes -

2008-10-15T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ok ... so my frustration with my employer finally boiled and I quit my position and said I want to work part-time.

Blah!

This terrifies me

2008-10-05T11:49:00.001-07:00

To many people, Organ Donation is not even questioned. They check the box on their driver's license and never really think about it.

Many years ago I was reading some historical information about how doctor's began studying this on injured people who were still breathing (long before the modern life saving devices we have.) I really struggle on this issue because I feel there is something inherently wrong with stopping someone's heart so they can be declared dead ... for organ retrieval.

I honestly pray that I'm never in a position with my children where we are hoping for an organ transplant because I'm not certain I'm up to the task.

This article details some of the horrific thoughts I have about Organ Transplants.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100301974.html

The Doctors Who Are Redefining Life and Death

By William Saletan

Sunday, October 5, 2008; Page B02

Think being the next president would be a brutal job? Imagine being a transplant surgeon. You can't tell the parents of a dying kid when to pull the plug, but you have to be there, ready, the minute he expires. You have to wait until he's dead, but not so long that his organs become useless. You can give him drugs to keep his organs healthy, but you mustn't technically revive him. And you can't remove and restart his heart until it's been declared kaput.

Pick up a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, and you'll see the far edge of this tortured world. In the journal, doctors at Children's Hospital in Denver describe how they removed hearts from infants 75 seconds after they stopped. The infants were declared dead of heart failure, even as their hearts, in new bodies, resumed ticking.

UNREAL!

2008-09-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

Something really should be done about our government stupidity!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/ap_on_go_ot/mad_cow;_ylt=An1OLKvoyoy.flgrEBDjDUqs0NUE

Vacation Rules!

2008-08-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Vacation ... time for cleaning the house! Woot!

Dinner!!!

2008-08-25T17:48:00.001-07:00

What a concept!!!!!!!!

Yay for me!

Yay for me

2008-08-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

Well ... have been to several job interviews ... some didn't want me and some I didn't want ...

but I *did* get the position at Borders I'd been waiting to hear about so hopefully my hours will be getting better after this next week.

We shall see

Retail Woes

2008-07-05T01:39:00.000-07:00

I am really tired of working in retail. It is not the job as much as it is the scheduling. Five closings a week is getting really old. I've been sending out resumes daily for non-retail jobs ... so far no luck but I'm still praying.

My family won't tolerate these hours much longer.

I don't even remember what a "family meal" is anymore ... which is really sad.

Anyway ... that's my 5am insomnia-driven whining.

Taggage

2008-07-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged. Rachel tagged me to spell out 6 quirks that I have. Here are the rules:

Link the person who tagged you.
Mention the rules in your blog.
Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
Tag a new set of six bloggers by linking them
Six quirks about me....

1. I like my fingernail polish, toenail polish and lipstick to all match
2. I like my shirt color and shoe color to match (ie: I can't tolerate white tennis shoes if wearing a black shirt.)
3. I have an addiction to purses ... I own bajillions and I like to change them to match what I'm wearing (do you sense a trend here?)
4. I like owning a neutral color car because it won't clash with anything I wear (nothing worse than seeing someone wearing orange in a purple car! LOL!)
5. I love how necklaces look but can't tolerate wearing anything around my neck
6. I have to keep all our DVD's and my music alphabetized and I keep my books shelved by category and would like them alphabetized but I've run out of room on the shelves!

Ok ... yes a bit neurotic, am I.

I don't know six people to tag on here! Summer you are tagged!
Rachel tell Mary, Tally, my mom and my aunts they are all hereby *tagged* and now have to start blogs! Oh and Lauri and Amber, also!

Vocabulary Lessons

2008-06-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

A few of us were talking a couple weeks ago about vocabulary words we remember learning from actual vocabulary lists/tests in high school. I kinda chuckled and said that the only word I remember learning was "undulating" in 9th grade because of how my English teacher would form the word with her mouth.

Then, lo and behold, three ... not one, but *three* novels I read last week used the word within. I found that particularly amusing and wondered if the authors were all about my age and we all had that word on our 9th grade vocabulary lists.

The other words I've learned this week are Australasia and Interlocutor. What about you?

1/2 way through May!

2008-05-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Boy this month has flown by and I don't even really know why ... nothing spectacular has happened ... just days go by in a blink. Maybe it's that "getting old" syndrome starting to happen ... yuck. Ha!

So what did you want for Mother's Day? All I ever want and ever ask for is happy children and a clean house. Somehow those two seem mutually exclusive at this location.

My darling husband cleaned the living room and rearranged it while I was still asleep. He did such a good job ... it looks most awesome!

Hope all the moms out there had a relaxing day!

wow!

2008-04-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

Steve and I joined some of my fellow employees after work the other night at a restaurant. Mostly the chat ended up being about books, computer games, etc.

BUT ... the next day one of the folks from work stopped me to say that he was really impressed with my marriage and that it wasn't often he saw married people who you could tell were really, truly best friends.

I think that is just about the best and nicest comment I've ever gotten in my life!

Sigh

2008-04-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

Just an FYI I've changed my comments to moderated after having to delete spam comments by Fenrisar numerous times.

Sorry about that but I don't want anyone getting a virus from this moron.

.

Camera Happy

2008-04-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

Family Fun Night

2008-04-04T19:49:00.001-07:00

We have a local place called Dave & Busters ... it has a HUGE arcade, pool tables, bowling lanes ...

We spent the evening there ... the boys played an assortment of games while Steve and I battled it out on Galaga (and reminisced about playing it so much at Keesler AFB before we got married ... ahh romance *grin*)

Sports?

2008-04-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

Rachel brought up kids' soccer in her blog and I posted in response that we didn't go the organized sports route.

It also made me remember that:

We first purchased the Star Wars movies for the boys when they were pretty little (now I realize just how little they truly were.) They fast turned anything into light sabers and began dueling. Steve would bring home the used computer paper from his job and they would roll piece after piece of it together until they had a long form and then surround it with enough tape to ensure that they could get a full days' use of it.

Eventually we were able to begin purchasing various quality toy lightsabers until the collection required a couple of large rubber maid tubs to hold them all when they weren't being used.

We didn't have the Boy Scouts in our neighborhood ... all the local kids would come to the door and ask if the boys could come out with all the lightsabers we own and they eventually formed their own "Jedi Training Club" with rigorous rules for what you had to be able to do for rank advancement.

The coolest part (to me) was that Matthew somehow ended up the leader of 'the gang' and all these kids would follow him all over the neighborhood. They haven't all gathered like this for a year or so, but at the time some of the local moms trusted the boys with their younger kids and there was an older boy who was training in swords who also hung out with them. So it was this huge swarm of kids from 3 or 4 years old up to the 18/19 year old.

One of the more awesome memories of my boys' childhoods as I watch them quickly becoming men. (insert big mom sigh)

2008-04-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

39

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Rewards for drinking Coke

2008-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Steve's been saving "Coke Rewards Points" for ages ... and we finally had enough to get a telescope ... quite a dandy one, at that! Can't wait to take it out to the hills one night soon!

Taller Than Weeds

2008-03-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Clinton Nailed!

2008-03-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

I admit it freely ... I don't like Clinton (you can pluralize that) and I've seriously thought about looking into Canadian job openings if she wins the election ...

she's a snake ... here's some proof

Clinton's Lie Kills Her Credibility

.

Ahhhh

2008-03-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

I love Fridays .... cuz I have 'em off!!!

Go Arnold!

2008-03-08T23:40:00.000-08:00

In reaction to the "Ban" on homeschooling in California, I was pleased by The Terminator's words in support of parents and their choices.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080308/us_time/criminalizinghomeschoolers;_ylt=AgRYreNbAXxD2AOQwIvPqkms0NUE

California Homeschoolers Blindsided

2008-03-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

California is attacking its homeschoolers and hardly any of them are aware, apparently.

Here's the article http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/07/MNJDVF0F1.DTL

I love that they aren't as concerned about who is teaching the children as they are that the children "go to school" for various reasons.

Insanity.

New addition to our family!

2008-02-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

We have become .......... a two-vehicle family!

Have a peek at my new baby .... http://www.chevrolet.com/cobalt/

Was kind of an unexpected thing when the van up and died on me one afternoon while Steve was in Florida on business. When he got home we headed to the dealer, brought home this cutie and then fixed the van when we got our tax return.

Wow ... it is quite weird to have a vehicle at my leisure!!! I kinda like it!!!

Moving piles

2008-02-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

I think that sometimes all I'm doing while cleaning is making one room look nice, and destroying several others in the process.

The dining room is now nice and tidy ... however, I now have to clean my office area, my bedroom, and the kitchen to totally "finish" the cleaning of the dining room because of the piles of "all this stuff belongs over there, and all that stuff goes upstairs."

Every once in awhile I miss the days when we moved so often we didn't really accumulate a "life" of stuff ... because I could keep my entire house really clean.

Or maybe if we were all just more boring and less interested in so many different types of things that grow into their own piles of stuff.

And while I like the idea of living in a multi-story house, I think overall keeping a single level is easier for me to maintain.

My friend and I have oft discussed the desire for a few thousand dollars that was unneeded for anything else simply to spend on organizational items ... matching rubbermaids and closet organizers ...

I dream of a day when all my stuff will have actual places it belongs in my home and not kind of float around pretending to live in the dining room until I move it to a corner of my bedroom while I wait for a spot on the basement shelf to become available.

So .... yeah ...

2008-02-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

Ever go to get your hair cut ... take in pictures and tell them you want it cut like that ......

only to find yourself a couple hours later staring at the mirror wondering how in the *world* the stylist thinks that the cut he gave you is anything remotely like the picture you gave him to work with ...

wowza ... not saying I hate the cut .... but not AT ALL what I was telling him to do.

To top it off, Steve is out of town .... I should probably warn him about the dark brown posh spice thing I've got goin' on now.

The clincher was when I walked through the door and Josh says, "wow ... mom ... you uh, look different."
"Good different? Bad Different?"
"Just different."

Glah!

Dumb Duh Duh Dumb

2008-02-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Ok ... I am *all* for helping women feel the best they can feel about themselves no matter size, shape, etc.

However, I went to Lane Bryant's ..... normally adore that store ... trendy but not stupid-trendy ....

... until someone gave them the wise idea to relabel their jeans sizes .......

RIGHT ... because picking up that size 1 or size 3 makes me feel SO much different about how I look in them!

Sheesh .... just give me my regular "size" and let's be done with it already!!!

The Bipolar Handbook

2008-02-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

If anyone is interested in learning more about Bipolar ... I read a book that had light bulb after light bulb going off in my head.

No one I've talked to or anything I've read thus far has left me with a "ding ding ding ... THAT IS ME" feeling until I read this book.

It is called The Bipolar Handbook by Wes Burgess http://www.wesburgess.yourmd.com/

It also left me with a deep sadness for those in the past who were afflicted with this and so misunderstood. I can only imagine how hopeless it all must have seemed.

new blog fwiw

2008-01-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

Since I'm a voracious reader, I thought I'd share a few thoughts on various titles.

If any are interested in the ramblings of a bookstore employee ...

http://tamsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

tah!

2007-12-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

Yay for me!

I had an interview yesterday and was hired at my faaaaaaaaaaaavorite bookstore!

And the biggest perk is the very sweeeeeet discount store employees get!

"Paycheck? ummmm ... what paycheck?"

Muwah!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

We're So Thankful!

We were able to travel to Ohio
and spend Thanksgiving with my sister.

I didn't realize how much I missed being with family on the holidays!

Above is the gorgeous table she set for the occasion.

Her hubby's family also joined us for the feast!

It was a great time and awesome food!!! YUMMY!!!

Here is Uncle Steve with his nieces (this was brave for a dad of all boys!!!)

2007-11-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

I've never been a big "spring-time" cleaner ...
but I LUH-UV to get things clean in the fall!

I think it must be knowing that the amount of daylight is getting shorter
and that snow is coming soon

I love getting all the spices cleared out ... old ones tossed and saved ones organized

lining up the flavors of teas I have in baskets
hot cocoa and marshmallows out and ready

Winter is coming!!!!!!

Snow! Snow! Snow!

2007-11-11T14:20:00.000-08:00

Blah Blah Blah!

Money Stinks!

Unfortunately, we find ourselves needing a bit more than we are currently finding in the bank account on paydays ...

so I applied for a job.

Actually, it seems pretty cool and rather interesting.
It's at a jewelry servicing store.

They are supposed to call me in a few days.

I hate zee waiting! :)

2007-11-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to better understand the smoky air
those back home in Southern California
recently found themselves breathing ...

we fired up the heater tonight

mmm ... the smell of burned dust
(cough)

2007-11-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

I love autumn!

The colors amaze me every year!

The Long Climb ...

2007-10-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

I labored as I climbed
not daring to look behind me
focusing on the top ...
the icy peaks I finally reached

I braced myself
to brave the downward slope
preparing to conquer ...
the bottom I found

Alas ... we can no longer ski on what-was our laundry pile!

(Steve will be so shocked when he gets home from the airport!)

2007-10-22T10:43:00.001-07:00

Steve left for Florida today ... he'll be gone for the week.

Blah!

I really miss him when he's gone. It's silly ... but I just like knowing that he's right down the road at work every day. It's disconcerting to have him so far away.

Thankfully, I've got my boys with me.

Little do they know that we have some deep cleaning to do together this week.

Muwah!

2007-10-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Matthew had his best friend over for the night. He and Kyle are working on a video game they want to make. I thought I'd throw in some ideas.

"You should have a mermaid," I said. "No games have mermaids."
I was then given a lesson in all the games that contain mermaids.

"What about something off the wall? Like a rabid turtle?"
I could hear their eyes rolling to the back of their head while Matthew said, "moooooom!"

"You should have random things ... like if you can have a pet bear, 1 out of every 900 times you use it, it should just turn around and eat you!"
Apparently they don't think this is such a workable idea either.

I'll keep trying ... I just know I have a brilliant video game idea somewhere in my head!

Life in general

2007-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

Today it is mid-October. My oldest son will be 17 next week ... wow. I'm quite aware of this fact, and yet at the same time, quite unbelieving.

I find myself pondering life the past few weeks ... where has time gone? where is time going? what is it *I* want out of life?

I find that I'm refusing more and more to merely "survive" ... I surely don't want that for my children! I don't want to spend the rest of my life "surviving" .... albeit that is better than an alternative of not surviving!

But I find as I'm encouraging my children to find a path in life that truly brings them happiness, I question why it is that so many of us let go of that dream for ourselves.

Let us all do what it takes to go about our daily lives doing those things which we dream about doing! Perhaps it is simply taking time to smell the flowers outside your window .... or maybe something so large you fear it can never be attainable. Bah, say I! Let us attain it!

Such are my thoughts today ...