Fall Madness Edition

Pixies, you are gems for putting up with an excessively whiney host this week! Other weeks, too, but my fretting knew no bounds whilst our girl was off to the other side of the entire fireplacing planet.

Frozen chocolate drinks for everyone! [h/t Madeleine.] If it's not the heat, it's the humility this week -- lots of transitions going on in Pixie-land.

Liz, of course, sweeps the Mullets with her campaigning whine: "The bottoms of my feet resemble, in color, the hind quarters of a baboon and they feel like someone rubbed them vigorously with coarse grit sandpaper." She retains her sterling reputation as the Doorbell Queen. We are sending soothing virtual footbaths and cool insoles.

Style Award to Madeleine, for her Whine/anti-whine, nine year old style:

SG: I'm bored!

Me: Are you bored enough to come try on some clothes your grandma sent?

SG: Yes!

Old Skool Award to Sue, for the whine of too many emails on vacation. Kudos to Liz for suggesting the solution. And the runner up is also Sue, for her hotel not having the channel of her guilty pleasure. Second runner up is Liz, for bad cafeteria food.

New School / Budget Cuts Award to KLee, who (like most teachers) is already woefully underpaid, but must take a pay cut for the privilege of herding and instructing her charges. Boo. Cluesticks to whomever decided to add to the fun by stuffing her classroom with excess furniture.

A+ Award to Esperanza, for good news from the OB! We are glad you retain a close relationship with the couch, anyway.

Spa Party Survivor Award to Sarah at ratatat, who bravely hosted a gaggle of 8-year-olds for an exciting birthday party! Which was only 6.5 hours but felt like it lasted days, possibly weeks!

Junior Whiner in Training Award to Esperanza's Sweet Baboo, who somehow deduced that it was Wednesday.

Brilliant Idea Award to Liz, who complains: "My whine is I had a brilliant idea. It was brilliant, I tell you. And I handed this brilliant idea off to the people who could make it happen, who also think it's brilliant. And they told other people who could really make the brilliant idea shine and sparkle brilliantly and they think the idea is brilliant too. And it will happen...but not for another couple of weeks."

Best to all until next time!

Separation Anxiety Edition

Daughter finally started packing on Friday, for her year away. She's currently on a plane over the Pacific, and will reach her hotel near the university in about 20 hours. So far, it only appears that she forgot to pack earrings -- not bad, considering the frenzy of the past couple of days. For, before one can pack, one must unpack the things dragged home in June. There was laundry to be done; there were needed items to acquire. There was sleep to be missed. There was mother/daughter synchronized hormonal enhancement.

In antiwhines, there wasn't any yelling. She did get it all done! This morning she started crying as the last few items got stuffed into bags. In an act of maternal bravery, I held off until she got through airport security. Her dad and I finally staggered off, clutching one another and remembering all those things that make it hard to let her go.

What's the news up your way?

Prizes!

Perks of Pregnancy Award to Debangel, who says: "Anti-whine: Am eating Pop-Tarts for dinner and am mature grownup so nobody can stop me. Neener, neener boo boo."

Ain't That the Truth Award to Amy, for her response to breaking news that Debangel's cat was eating her Pop Tart: "I'd like to call for a cluestick posse to visit debangel's cat (she's pregnant! she should get to eat what she wants!), but it's a cat. cats don't care about clues. I know -I've tried."

Elevated Risk of Mullet Award to Sue, who complains: "I spent ten hours in two different airports yesterday because of "delays" (shakes fist at fireplacing Air Canada, whose motto should be 'We Don't Care Because We Don't Have To.'"

Brown Wrapper Book Drop Award to Esperanza, who laments: "since I am (doctor's orders) a lazy bum, I have been reading more than usual. My favorite escape reading is the trashy novel. But when one is the preacher's wife, one should not check out trashy novels from the small town library, nor purchase them from the small town stores. So, I'm reading a *slightly* higher quality of book."

Just Like a Junior High Group Project Award to JenR, who has unwittingly become the "go to" problem-solver, leaving no time for her own darned work. Hat tips to Esperanza and Sue.

Water Follies Award to Sarah at ratatat, who reports: "My whine/anti-whine is that we almost drowned the older kids last week. But we didn't." Pixie Central agrees that the only possible reaction was to crack jokes the rest of the week!

Fuzzy Bunny Award to Klee, who has a new member of the family!

Cluestick Posse is hereby dispatched to deal with Purple Kangaroo's neighbor, the one whose fireplacing hobby is calling animal control on various families in the vicinity.

Oooh, Shiney! Award to Elizabeth, who is pleased with her new (and cheap) laser printer.

Many hugs to Pixies struggling with life-threatening issues. Condolences to Pixies who have this week dealt with: police response to a false alarm; ouchy broken bones; kids who don't want meds; transportation woes; heat; broken hearts; family and personal sicknesses; the aftermath of oral surgery; deadlines; travel; awkwardness; and other complaints of the season.

Thanks for playing!

Summer, she is winding down

My sweet daughter, age 2, taking "her piece" of the cake.

My big fat whine is really an antiwhine, because my daughter will be flying off Sunday to fulfill a dream she has had for years and years, to spend her junior year of college in Japan. I'm not kidding, she probably first thought of this 8+ years ago. And through some set of miracles, it is happening -- even though Mom thinks it is awfully far and isn't 11 months really a LONG time?

We had this whole adventure at the Consulate today, because boy howdy, do they want a lot of information before you get a visa -- even though she already had a Certificate of Eligibility from the Japanese Ministry of Justice, which might well be the prettiest thing in our entire house.

They wanted new passport-style photos, without glasses. Also, they wanted street addresses and phone numbers not only for where she is going, but for her regular U, and for the fireplacing hotel she will stay at the first night. [Really, they wanted her dorm assignment, but we don't have it yet. And the hotel's website is in Japanese, which wouldn't show the characters on the computer I managed to borrow in the city.] It all worked out, and fortunately the strike on the commuter train was called off last night, so we could get there. She'll get her visa on Wednesday. And possibly start packing by then.

Lest you think I'm going all fancy-pants on you, I continue to have usual whines: ze litter boxes; son lost his temper with me again; my computer's continuing stupidity; and dagnabbit, how can someone of my age get zits?

Let the Whines and Anti-Whines begin!

About Esperanza

There are some weeks when all of the commenting Pixies achieve overwhelming consensus on something, and this is one of those weeks. It is official: Esperanza is not a weenie! We are also impressed with the Care Posse's willingness to do what needs doing. [They don't call themselves that, do they? We mean it in the most complimentary way.]

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In addition, Esperanza wins the coveted Elevated Risk of Mullet Award, for elaborating that she feels like a strong woman, but "My uterus, apparently, has a different self-image."

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Liz takes home the Old Skool Award with her classic: "I hate being grumpy. I hate that it makes me resentful and ungenerous." Runner Up is Elizabeth, whose hands got all swollen and achy with the heat.

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KLee wins the Tooth of Wisdom Award for Dental Bravery. Sending virtual icepacks, painkillers, and ice cream, as needed.

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Redzils brings the fluids this week, in the form of flooding. Because the flood consumed her delicates, we award her the Ark of the Unmentionables Award.

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Madeleine wins, hands down, the Intrepid Flyswatter Award for continuing local efforts to eradicate the fruit fly. We are torn between admiring the engineering genius, and thanking our stars that the flies are in your kitchen, not ours.

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Sue has earned the Sloth Life Award, for enjoying her vacation. And, thanks for the Pixie Dust!

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Hugs and condolences to JenR, whose family lost a cousin way too soon. JenR also wins the "Whining Works" Ribbon, as her mom is coming to the rescue on the child care front.

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NUD wins a valuable Visit From The Class Prep Fairy, since that stuff didn't get done during her relaxing visit to MIL's cottage. We can hardly wait to hear what prizes she wins on the work-related trip!

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Domestic Tranquility Award to Amy. We aren't reckless enough to offer specific advice, but rest assured that there were nods of recognition all around the Pixie Campfire. At Madeleine's excellent suggestion, we are sending virtual fudge.

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Sorry for the lateness of the awards! My glam work life took me 500 miles away, so I could spend several hours looking at stuff in a basement and then fly back.

Have a good week!

All Wired Up Edition

Do you ever do something different and stay out late, and then you are too wired to sleep for a good three hours or so? Well, we went to a local production of Singin' In the Rain at an outdoor theater, and it was fun, but we were with this crowd from my beloved's work for close to 6 hours, including the potluck, and the guy next to me arranged it all so everyone could see his daughter in the play, and it was fun, but here I am at nearly 1:00 a.m., feeling like I had coffee even though I didn't.

So, breaking out the whines early. Awards are likely to be late, too, because I'll be on the road [so to speak] most of Thursday. The trip is an unspeakable work whine, but I heard rumors about free wireless at the destination airport, and possibly also on flights to/from that destination, so that would be an antiwhine.

In real anti-whines, the quilt got where it was going, and in time to be enjoyed. One of the formerly feral cats has been asking for loving, and he even purred!; and the other finally let me pet her! It's all about the love.

How's by you?

Awards - FIRED UP edition

This is where I was yesterday.




Pretty cool, no?

Kathy A. gets the Get 'Er Done Award for organizing and completing a loving quilt in less than a week. We are all thinking of your friend and your step-father and you in this hard time. And sending out a pickle posse for a hard-hearted Hannah (or Herbert) who said, "no, i think i'll pass." What a douche-bag.

KLee gets the time-honored Trouble With Telephones and Teen-agers award for her daughter's texting WHILE BEING YELLED AT FOR TEXTING! I work for a phone company and even I say, hide the fireplacing thing in the back of the cleaning cupboard. She'll never look there. Bright side? Not "sexting", yes?

Madeleine gets Elevated Risk of Mullet for "Wow, the suckitude is starting early this week." and for "KLee, I'm guessing that the lack of sleep from being up texting at 2 am is not helping her stress levels much. Maybe she'll be more reasonable when she's caught up on her beauty sleep? Or in 10 years, which ever comes first."

Esperanza wins Whine of Substance this week for being told not to lift her not-yet-walking Sweet Baboo for fear of "straining". Sending step-stools and stool softeners.

Sue wins Style for her two-word whine: "Barfeh Kitteh"

Sarah at Ratatat wins the Yes! That! Award for "My whine is that I'm feeling whiny."

Amy wins the "And we shall call it... the WHEEL..." award (ht to Elizabeth) for her marvelous invention.

Hugs and love to all you with kid whines, tooth whines, toe whines, money whines, bra whines (go up a bra band and down a cup or up a cup and down a bra band! And go to a good bra store), and too-far-away-from-loved-ones whines.

Night all!

New Cute Blue Shoes Blues

My new cute blue shoes, bought specifically for walkingwalkingwalking, are good for 36 houses MAX. After that, they rub blisters on the tops of my poor feet. And blisters are not cute.

Lo, I am blue.

But I went on with the walking and finished all 72 doors and therefore I am muy macho.

Que es mas macho? Walking with blisters or cleaning car sick out of a minivan half-way through a 6-hour car trip? My experience says walking with blisters es mas macho. But I did 'em both this week.

How was your week?