Bailout Blahs Edition

Hey, Pixies! What a week, eh? Between the political news and the financial news, I'm feeling a little queasy, yet pulled by a strong force to keep watching. (Not, however, on the television news -- that way lies the need for a straightjacket, my friends.)

We have a moderately anxious partial bailout going on the home front. Adult son and the feral pirates he has been living with with are breaking up and moving out of their apartment. Son will stay with friends while he continues his job search, but all his stuff will stay with us. Also, he lost his cell phone the other day. Also, he had to go see the doctor about his asthma and get a new prescription, and he currently lacks insurance. Also, all of his clothes are falling apart, which is not helping the job search. Also, he doesn't drive, so I got to drive him around all morning. Also, could I do some research on landlord/tenant law? In antiwhines, he is staying with friends instead of moving home! (I swear I love my boy! We just love each other better from a few miles distance.)

And folks, that's not all on the domestic front. A young buck got into our yard the other day. We startled one another, as I spyed him 3 FEET FROM MY WINDOW. The poor deer was so flustered that he broke the gate and a fence post while escaping, leading to serious weekend grumpiness on the part of my beloved, the designated fence guy in the family.

What's happening with you? Bring 'em on, the big fireplacing whines and the bitty little funny ones, anti-whines of glory and the small victories as well!

Awards: Welcome to the world, little pixie! Edition

Welcome to the world, Baby Olivia! Hearty pixie congratulations to Diane, and her perfectly sized baby. I suppose dad can have our warm wishes too, but we are keeping the cluesticks at the ready in case he doesn’t quickly realize that babies are to supposed to spit up.

Amy gets the Haz Mat Sunshades Award for the four-year-old with pink-eye. (My eyes water just typing that!)

The Bodily Fluids Awards this week go to Madeleine, whose “nose is a faucet and my throat is a river and and and…” and Diane for “the leaking” with a horrified honorable mention to Liz for 'It is now nearly 6 years since I stopped pumping and I still have leakage.'

We are awarding an Invisibility Cloak to esperanza’s inner introvert, who is quaking at the thought of twelve family members on their way for the Sweet Baboo’s birthday and baptism.
Sweet Baboo gets the Big Girl Now award, for cutting her mom a break in the anti-whines department where “the word "oxygen" has not appeared in [her] whine for two weeks in a row.”

I wish I didn’t also have to award esperanza the Buzzing of Doom award, for yellow jackets in her walls, and the Hostess with the Mostest (Headaches) award for the broken dishwasher and guest who wants to help by creating more work.

Could we send KLee’s difficult child a straight-jacket, or does that violate school policy? Maybe just an anvil from the sky?

Miranda’s early entries were worth of awards (work travel! Co-parenting! Lunch with a loved one at kids’ schools), but have been totally surpassed by her need for the Pit of Despair Cloud award, in honor of “possible orthopedic surgery.” Ow.

kathy a., we hope you are enjoying your vacation.

We hope the drop-off remains smooth and daycare gets easier for JenR’s little one, and that the babe a) feels better soon and b) sleeps through the night again in the near future. Mommies like that sleeping thing…

Sue gets the Whine of Substance award this week, for having her book deal yanked out from under her. We are sending love, Sue.

And, finally, kathy a. gets the Style Award for putting into words what we all wanted to say to Sue: “ that suckity suck sucks about the book. big time.”

Thanks for sharing, Pixies! See you next week!

All Whining Welcome, All the Time.

Hi pixies!

It's been a long, weird week, and I am ready for the whining to start.

So far the poor dog got sicker, then better, then sicker again. Stepping out of bed into a fresh (warm) pile of dog yak is NOT how I prefer to start weekend mornings. I've spent twice my rent on dog hospital bills this month, and at this point would give a kidney for her to Just Feel Better.

Work is working, sort of. The dissertation is looming, largely. And I wanna hear what you guys are up to. Let the whining, whinging, and wailing begin!

Awards! Reporting live from my cubicle edition

Welcome to this week's editions of the Wednesday Whining Awards!

First up, The Whine of Substance Award goes to AMY who will be delivering her baby via c-section with no support.

"The worst of it is that I am the only one who thinks I
need as much help as I think I need, like someone to stay with me overnight at
the hospital or, say, someone to hang with my four year old beyond the first or
second day I'm in the hospital...Why does no one else in my life think having a
baby is hard?"

Amy, where in the world are you? The Whining Pixies stand ready to help you if we can. Also, we have a clue stick brigade armed and ready to do battle.

Next up, The Remembering What It's All About Award goes to UCCELLINA for missing dinner because she

"was trapped in the bed, tandem nursing two cranky babies who refused to stay
asleep if I moved."

Sending you one of those hats and some smoothie fixin's. (that's the plural of fixin', not the possessive)

By acclamation, The Old Skool Award goes to ESPERANZA whose husband made her a mustard sandwich.

The Fundamentals Are Basically Sound Award goes to MARGALIT, whose bra is trying to kill her.

The Telling It Like It Is Award goes to SUE for "Insurance companies are the pure embodiment of evil ".

Elevated Risk of Mullet goes to QUINN for

"As an assessment of our assessment, do we think this is working, and if
not, how can we assess that?"

Coffee. Out. My. Nose.

And the coveted Style Award goes to JENR for

"Work stinks.
People are dumb.
Day care starts next week.
And so I am crabby.
The end."

Succinct. Wise. True.

There are certain whines which we have gotten used to seeing around here which are notably absent this week. Sue's headache is MIA. And Uccellina points out that Esperanza's whine was missing the words "oxygen" and "Baboo". For both these things, the Pixies are rejoicing.

Thanks to Kathy A for mentioning my series on why I'm volunteering for Obama.

And that wraps it up for this week's WW. Tune in next week when Redzils will do the honors!

Wednesday Whining - WTF is WRONG with people edition

Open letter to some co-workers:

What do you MEAN you're not voting? Are you kidding me? People have been arrested, tied up, beaten, raped, and killed in the struggle to get voting rights and you're just throwing it away. Voting is a sacred duty. Do you know how many people in the world want what you're just throwing away???

Gah!

And you, you there in the cubicle next to me. You with the Lexus. I'm talking to you. McCain's going to tax your health care benefits that you're so smug about. Yeah, that's right. Taxes AND more expensive health coverage! It's a two-for-one sale!

/end rant


So, fellow whiners, what's eating you?

Awards! Grumble Edition

Thank you, everyone, for grumbling with me this week.

Pixie sympathy is going out in waves to redzils, because we're worried about your poor puppy (and your own crappy medical news, too).

And more waves of sympathy to margalit, who got a happy ending for her daughter's schedule woes, but is still dealing with injuries to BOTH of her son's knees, job loss, and community tragedies.

Speedy Delivery Award to Sarah, both for Arabella's lightning fast arrival, and for getting the good news to the pixies within 24 hours! I think that is a record. No pressure on the other pregnant pixies, though. (And I truly mean that, as a victim of the "we need more baby pictures" grandmother guilt trips.)

Remembrance of Headaches Past Award to Sue, who has finally, FINALLY kicked that ache right out of her head. It was touch and go there as of Wednesday, but her blog update says the new, local treatment was a success! Three cheers for Sue! May this be the first week of the rest of your (pain-free) life.

The Golden File Folder Award to Sara, who needs somewhere to put the avalanche of paper that is flowing at her house. One of the many joys of back-to-school season.

A Hero of Our Nation Award to KLee, for continuing to teach our children despite the presence of a violent student in her class. Thank you.

Old Skool Whine Award goes to Liz, who is stuck between a locked door and a hard place.

Style Award (Mathematics Division) to esperanza for this emergency management equation:

Hurricane approaching + bored weathercasters = paranoia. Multiply by one pessimistic husband and what do you get? Lots of extra errands for esperanza.

The pixies hope your preparation keeps the storms at bay, and that you all are warm/dry/well lit today.

Best wishes for an easy delivery to Diane, who is counting the last few days, and "Hang in there!" vibes to Amy with a couple of weeks to go!

Join us next week when the lovely Liz conducts the complaints chorus.

9/11 once again

Open thread for thoughts. Hard to believe it has been seven years.

Here is last year's thread.

Grumble!

As I put Snuggly Girl to bed tonight, she summed up WW perfectly:

I mean, I get what I get, and I'll take what I get, but that doesn't mean I won't grumble about it.

And grumble I will! If I don't fall asleep first. Sleepy, so very sleepy.

I was going to whine about my vacation, but that seems a bit petty. It was a great trip except for the part where going hiking with Snuggly Girl, her Dad, and my Dad gave me flashbacks to unpleasant childhood hiking trips. I managed to pretty much keep my shit together until I got her into bed and then I lost it. Lost it! Cried and cried.

So I thought a lot about my relationship with my Dad for a couple of days and maybe processed a few things, and here I am at home and OK. And sleepy.

What makes you grumble this week?

awards

Welcome once again to the awards ceremony for Wednesday Whining, where the chocolate is virtual, but the sympathy is real.

Neighbor Lady wins the Escape from Mauling award for "Getting one's period while tent camping in what may or may not be bear country."

Close runners up in the bodily fluids category were Amy, Uccellina, and Margalit for pee, cat pee, and pee and drizzlin' shitz.

Kathy A gets an Elevated Risk of Mullet for her recognition of the baboo's contribution to "the strategic national snot reserve." Redzils get the Paper Bag Princess award for having her priorities straight with "someday my white horse (prince optional, but I like horses) will come."

Diane gets the Genius by Comparison award for having to deal with coworkers who don't get that the point of the evil work ban is to stop them from having fun.

hugs to all dealing with mouthy teens, too much work, medical issues, and hot and cold running politics. See you next week when Madeleine returns as our host.

Back to the books

It's September, so I guess it's time for back-to-school whines.

Feel free to whine here about helicopter parents, impossible schedules, inexperienced teachers, bullies, negligent parents, burned-out teachers, lack of affordable child care, overpriced textbooks, and the ever-present fear of having no one to eat lunch with.

Or about anything else on your mind. Especially the bodily fluids -- bodily fluids are always in season around here. Nothing too big or too petty.

Should we be inviting the folks bitching over at Her Bad Mother to whine over here?