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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Whiny Witches and Grumpy Ghosts

It's almost Halloween, and my whines this week are not scary, really, but more trick than treat.

I'm traveling at the end of the week, to speak in front of college students, for whom I am supposed to be relevant and engaging. Urp. Still putting my materials together. Still waiting to hear back if I'll have live internet or need to run on screen shots and downloaded movies. Noticing that I am disrupting three days of my life to give a 40 minute talk.

And meanwhile we're doing a big project at work for a high-profile client which is a leetle bit of a stretch for us (read: OMG why did we agree to do this?). My wonderful boss, who can work miracles on her average days, is having some far below average days for good reasons and has asked me to pick up the task. Urp again.

Life will go on. The hotel in College Town claims to have internet access. And I have all of you to commiserate.

How does your week look? More tricks or more treats?

92 comments:

Sarah at ratatat said...

Happy Halloween!

Hope the conference is more anti-whine than whine, by the end.

My anti-whine is that I was hired for a job. I start Wed. It has some pros and cons, but all in all, I'm happy.

Whine: Two friends are dealing with very sick sons. And I am worried about them. And I feel completely helpless as both are out of the area.

Whine/Anti-whine: the Halloween party I've been planning all month is finally really coming on Friday. I am cleaning the house. I am decorating. I think it may even be fun.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Madeleine - amend that to speaking engagement. I read it as a conference. Oops.

Madeleine said...

Sarah, it's a speaking engagement at a conference, so you win either way! Here's a mini-twix bar as a prize.

I hope your first day at work is a smashing success and the party too, of course.

kathy a. said...

oh, congrats on the job, sarah!

and good luck on the speaking and miracle-working, madeleine!

i am super whiney, because:
- my internet broke.
- it just took close to half an hour to get the laptop connected to the cafe wifi.
- it is really windy.
- there is a big stress zit on my nose.

my stepfather died this weekend. he was 88, had alzheimer's and cancer, and went gently at home. we will be having another 3 day family funeral extravaganza, beginning sunday. [that might account for the stress zit.]

in antiwhines, i got this stage of the albatross project out yesterday. yes!

esperanza said...

What's worse than having a cold? Having a non-medicated pregnant cold. And what's worse than that? Your whiny husband with a (medicated) cold. Maybe not your husband, but mine.

Antiwhine of Crossed Appendages: maybe Sweet Baboo's Mystery Fever last week was her fighting off this cold? She is showing no signs of having it so far. Please, please, please, may it be so.

More Crossed Appendages: next Monday is the first fetal fibronectin test, the one that will tell me whether I can go to my brother's big deal thing and (more importantly) tell me how comfortable Mini Baboo is in there. Already worrying about it? Who me?

kathy a. said...

oh, sick husband plus non-medicated cold = prize-worthy. crossing appendages for you, esperanza.

AW: my beautiful internet is fixed.

cluestick nomination: medical billing person who sent a bill for my adult son's care to ME [even though i paid in full at the time], and refuses to talk with me about the bill because of medical privacy.

it seems to me that if they have the right to threaten my credit rating, i ought to have the right to dispute the darned bill. [there were 2 additional bills, but the other billing people have some common sense.]

Elizabeth said...

kathy a -- sorry to hear about your stepfather.

I'm sort of generally down and grumpy and not entirely sure why. Keeping my fingers crossed that my family will stay healthy this week -- everyone but me is going to the House of the Mouse for 3 days as MOnday and Tuesday are school workdays.

JenR said...

I have nothing to wear to sarah at ratatat's Halloween party. My husband probably doesn't either, but I'm leaving him to figure that out himself. At least our boy will be costumed.

Amy said...

Tater's hair is growing out nicely. Thank you, pixies, I completely agree it's the only course of action in the event of a bad haircut.

Tater is very sick with what I have learned today is bronchitis and a sinus infection. How sick? Like, I contemplated urgent care twice this week when, in the middle of the night, his little congested chest was so overrun by mucus that he was lightly panting to breathe. Why didn't I take him? Because he didn't seem bothered, and he had no other problems. You can bet I stayed up all night holding him to watch him sleep, though.

And then I heard that my daughter's school has a bunch of kids out with what is believed to be swine flu. Fireplace.

Anti-whine - the doctor feels very confident that Tater just has a sinus infection, not any kind of flu.

In other Tater Anti-whine news, he learned to clap his hands and dance this past week. Not at the same time, but still.

P.S. I got a Blackberry! I'm sure I can't afford it, but hoo boy, it's great!

Amy said...

Lots of hugs to your family, Kathy A.

Halloween whiners -- I totally get it. I have no idea how or when I'm going to finish getting everybody ready. Thank goodness I love this kid holiday!

esperanza, here are some virtual tissues and a spiked mulled cider. You can still have virtual alcohol when you're pregnant, right?

healthy vibes for everybody!

kathy a. said...

JenR -- oh, it's time for some costume brainstorming!

for years and years, i was a [pre-E.T.] alien. the important costume piece was a set of antennae, made with a thin wire dry-cleaning hanger that curved under my hair [like a headband worn upside down], had zig-zags arising on either side, topped with balls of aluminum foil. then just wear the wildest, most mis-matched pieces of clothing that you can put together. voila!

well, as madeleine said last week, it helps to have no sense of style...

Emily said...

Virtual chicken soup to all suffering pixies!

I have to make a confession. At the end of whining last week, Esperanza thought she had found her long-lost bra twin. Alas--that person is still lost. The 32D wearer was my daughter (who has since grown a bit and is no longer a 32). Sorry bout that.

Esperanza I hope the fetal fibronectin test comes out appropriately! How many weeks are you?

KLee said...

Speaking of swine flu, a school staff member from last year died this past weekend from swine flu.

I did not know her well, but other people that I work with did, and they are all moved by her loss. She was only 38, and had been in the hospital since mid-September, and just never got better.

It's a sad, sad time for her family. She leaves behind small children, and a sorely grieving husband.

That being said, I don't want anyone to freak out over the swine flu. Yes, it is good to be prepared, and take precautionary measures like frequent hand-washing and spraying down items like phones and doorknobs. I think a lot of people are going overboard with their "precautions" as evidenced by the prevalence of the swindlers out there to make a buck off of our paranoia; some even going so far as to try and bilk seniors out of their money by selling fake H1N1 "vaccines."

Everyone, take care of yourselves.

Anonymous said...

Neighbor Boy got swine flu mist last week (which is an antiwhine) but now has horrible cough, which just made him gag til he threw up.

I am a throw-up-phobe, but got through it ok. he is traumatized though, poor guy.

sigh.

had some weird thing this past weekend where my whole body felt as if it were sunburned, sensitive to touch, yet it was not sunburned. hate medical weirdness!!!

wah. wah. wah. wah. wah (I wish I meant them sarcastically, but I don't.)


--Neighbor Lady
p.s. that is horrible about your colleague, KLee. Trying not to freak out.... Also, hugs to Amy (virtual, so no germs are passed your way)--how scary! Hope he improves pronto!

antiwhine: my parents arrive thursday, and the biggest antiwhine of all is that while that would have once been a whine of huge proportions, our relationship has improved such that now it is a huge antiwhine.

esperanza said...

These whines are getting worse and worse, er, better and better, er, more and more whiny. Sunburn that isn't sunburn? That is weird.

Emily, I am 26 weeks. For those keeping track, the Sweet Baboo was born at 29 weeks. Hence the paranoia. I guess I will still be searching for my bra twin, huh? There aren't enough of us to make a market, apparently.

My hands now have the "too much handwashing" rash that I haven't had since the Baboo was in the NICU. Desperately trying not to pass on this cold. Did you know that humans have two nostrils because we really need two of them? One is insufficient.

I'll stop now.

Sarah at ratatat said...

KathyA - oh my. Sorry for your loss. I hope the funeral togetherness has some positive notes.

Esperanza - stay in there Mini Baboo! We mean it. I ave never heard of that test, so I can only hope it goes the right way.

KLee- how sad. Anecdote isn't evidence, but when you have that personal connection, it makes the whole fuss about H1N1 much scarier.

That reminds me, I think I now should whine that my 8 year old daughter is giving hand massages at school during recess. Which was more of a 'huh?' but now that I think of it...less touching.

Elizabeth - I hate grumpiness of unknown origin. Good luck having the feeling fade soon.

Amy - we had sinusitis go around our house too. 3 doctors insisted it is not flu. Cross your fingers.

And JenR - ideas based on comfort and easy of chasing the small one: Hawaiian short wearing tourist, hippie - Rob has a Woodstock theme, so there will be lots of hippies, construction worker, chef - I can loan you the hat. And we'll have the costume chest out to dress you if you come unprepared :)

Anti-whine: my two friends' little boys are much better. Still in the hospital, but on the mend.

Amy said...

costume ideas:
1. weather = light blue jeans or brown or green pants with a blue sweatshirt strewn with pulled-apart cotton. (do not use fake spider webs. they itch.)

2. ideas = two pieces of foam board cut into thought/word bubble shape hung over the shoulders by suspenders like sandwich board. Carry dry erase markers.

3. PCH Award Deliverer = dark suit + 6 helium balloons + foam board check. you'll be very popular at the party. :)

enjoy!

Madeleine said...

So much costume brilliance in one place!

We successfully solicited the remaining parts for SG's costume this afternoon when we went to meet her new doctor. "So, I asked you a lot of questions. Do you have any questions for me?" "Can I have some gloves?" The doctor didn't miss a beat. "Gloves? Is this for Halloween? Sure." I think we're going to like her :-)

We need the gloves to complete the "headless" costume. Cardboard height extender, check. Trench coat with shirt sleeves sewn in, check. Red t-shirt still needs taping over top of "neck" and final assembly should be fun.

Sue said...

Madeleine - I hope the conference is anti-whiny. You will be, as always, fab.

kathy a. - so sorry for your loss.

Klee - how awful. The scariest part of the whole H1N1 thing is that it hits the people we assume to be the most healthy and immune to it.

esperanza - all of my appendages crossed for a good test day.

costume-seekers: a pair of glasses and a hair bump and you can be a stoopid former political running mate (with apologies to palin fans out there - I think she's an idiot)

Clearly, I'm grumpy this morning.

I will gladly join Elizabeth in the Grumpiness of Unknown Etiology Department. There we shall be studied like grumpy lab rats. It would be better if people just left me alone today, however.

Whine: went home yesterday from work with a fever. Had my H1N1 shot the day before, so I'm guessing it was a bit of a reaction to that.

Anti-whine: I'm off next week! Going to visit a friend in the US of A - can't wait!!!!! (I'll be in the Milwaukee area)

Anti-whine: aside from General Grumpiness and Low Stupidity Tolerance, my fever is gone. NL - could your sunburn feeling have been a mild fever? Sometimes that is the feeling I get with a fever, especially if I try to soak in a bath.

Happy Halloween pixies!

Anonymous said...

Hi Sue--
I actually took my temp, but it wasn't fever. Good thought though. Weird. Was freaking me out, as it also came with a tightening of throat and chest muscles (jsut enough to be noticeable but not enough to actually cause a problem). Doc said some vitamin deficiencies can do it, so am waiting results of bloodwork. Maybe not enough vitamin d or something...who knows?

Condolences to Kathy a.,and hugs to all pixies in need.

Neighbor boy had a rough night early on with more gagging etc. but slept pretty well in between coughing bouts, slept in this morning, and is now running around hte house enjoying staying home from school (there are multiple whines around why he doesn't love going to school, but I'll spare you for this week.)

--Neighbor Lady

Amy said...

My daughter (the tot) is a drama queen. When she's caught up in the drama, I try to ignore the petty crap, but sometimes it doesn't work.

For instance, this morning, she was doing everything she could think of to stall getting ready for school. At some point, she did something (probably nothing) to "hurt" her hand. She unconvincingly cried, "Ow!" but I didn't take the bait. I kept walking through the house getting her backpack ready.

Pixies, she *followed me through the house* repeating "ow" with ever decreasing emotion. What-the-fireplace-ever, child. You are not hurt. I am so close to saying to her, "Well, if you're that hurt, maybe we should go to the doctor and see if they have a shot for that." (She is petrified of shots.)

Kids, I swear.

Liz Miller said...

Memo from Dept Secretary:
"REMINDER - Team Building Event Friday, October 30th
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Lunch Room

Please be on time for this event. We will be divided into Teams. Roster of Teams will be
posted on the BULLETIN BOARD.

ALSO, Dessert at 2 P.M. in Lunch Room. Both events are
mandatory.

Thanks,

The Team Building Committee"




Sounds about as useful and fun as being hit with a sock-full of chalk.

Madeleine said...

Hugs to sick pixies and pixie kids, even those who are shirking but otherwise healthy. Extra hugs to parents of sick kids and to kathy a.

I'm reaching for the right joke to describe Liz's workplace but I can't quite find it -- something about if they have to make dessert mandatory for team building purposes, the general atmosphere may be beyond saving. But Liz, don't be so negative. I'm sure they paid some consultant a big pile of dough to come up with sitting on laps in a circle. You will report back on Friday, right? And tell us how much fun it was and what kind of desserts?

kathy a. said...

~snort~ mandatory dessert as a team building exercise is something only a Management Consultant From The Planet Bizzaro (TM) could suggest with a straight face!

why yes, i still have some little issues from that reorganization in 2001. have a continuing and warm relationship now with my former office, but if i ever see that management consultant again, i will be tempted to smack her in the face with the nearest dessert item.

kathy a. said...

((( klee ))) i'm so sorry about your colleague. agree with trying not to freak about H1N1 specifically.

neighbor lady, so sorry about the barfs, and hope the boy is feeling better. and youch, about the sunburn that isn't sunburn.

sending some virtual nivea hand cream to esperanza, for the handwashing effects.

sarah -- the hand massages are rather sweet! maybe the girls can use a little hand sanitizer in the ritual?

go, tater! clapping and dancing are among the most excellent developmental milestones!

emily, no shame in bra whining on behalf of others! my daughter is maybe an A cup and tiny, and when she can find her size, her whine is: "why do they think i need underwire? it makes no sense."

amy -- ooh, the drama! it's funny how fast ignoring it works.

sue, glad the fever is gone, and hope you have a great trip next week!

Sue said...

Liz - that is HILARIOUS. Do fill us in on the fun and "team building" ~snort~

kathy a. said...

W: my email just delivered close to 40 aged messages from a list-serve, and i didn't realize until far into the swamp that some of them were over a year old. um, wtf?

esperanza said...

Yeah, Liz, I can't wait to hear how team spirited you feel after the dessert. Although chocolate *would* improve those kinds of things.

Perhaps you will remember my whine from two weeks ago, the out-of-order house cleaning woman and window replacing guys? Today, wonderful housecleaning woman comes, we commiserate about the messy window guys, she begins cleaning. When she is halfway through the house, doorbell rings. Yep, window guys, here to finish up. ARGH.

Liz Miller said...

Esperanza, THANK YOU! You reminded me to call the cleaning service to come out and do my house Friday. My mom will be staying with us Sun-Tues to take care of MM and, at 40, I'm just not ready to let her see my mess.

esperanza said...

Happy to be of service, Liz. Just make sure people stay away from your windows.

Madeleine said...

Whine: my attempt to simulate a miracle wasn't getting very far.

Anti-whine: my boss seems to think she's recovered her mojo. She's doing a restructuring and then we'll divide the remaining work. And she promises to take all of next week off.

JenR said...

I fear the costume ideas may not be necessary after all - I woke up tired and have been feeling more and more sick as the day goes on. Yuck.

Madeleine said...

Oh, no! Not another pixie with teh Yuck!

I just spoke to a friend who is a doctor; she's a specialist, but her hospital is starting to ask non-ER doctors to take shifts in the ER because they are seeing double the usual patient load. I would guess a lot of it is people who are SCARED but don't actually have H1N1. But still. No fun.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Oh JenR - hope you feel better.

And KathyA - I hate phantom emails. Just creepy.

Liz - that dessert better be awesome. LOL.

and Sue - Milwaukee! Yay! I am in Cedarburg. If you're near, we should have lunch or something :) Vacation, right? Not a board meeting - my new job is having a board meeting next week and it is a religious org and that would be a crazy small world.

Amy said...

That's the thing, kathy -- ignoring her doesn't work. She's nothing if not persistent. And as irritating as that is now, I'm trying to remember the silver lining: that very quality might serve her well when she's an adult. [fingers crossed]

Emily said...

My whines:
My children think the dishwasher loads itself by magic. (antiwhine--they put the dirty dishes in the sink). They complain when I say "The dishwasher doesn't load itself" ("We Know! MOM!) but not enough to actually, you know, load the dishwasher.

Kathy a.--I could whine about bras forever. I'm a reasonably easy size (34DD which is not as easy as 34D, but it's not impossible like 32D) but I, um, point outward. It's not too bad, if I can find bras without underwire, but that can be a challenge! If they stop making the bra I wear regularly, I will be sad.

Liz--mandatory team building? Has anyone said "the beatings will continue until morale improves?":-)

Liz Miller said...

No, but they've told us a good time WILL be had by all.

Jenevieve said...

Liz, that sounds so ominous, but I can't help but giggle! We have "mandatory refreshments" after our seminar every Friday afternoon. Since at 5pm on Friday, we all reeeally want to go crack a pint with our professors, and not, say, go home.

W: Man, I'm tired. I have too many things to do. And I can't find a chocolate ice cream I love. My life is so hard.

AW: Hosea's been rocking the potty training. Only one poop accident in 2 weeks! The pee is a bit trickier, but he gets it most of the time, so I really can't complain. Yay!

W: How is he so freaking big and grown up? I will not accept this full-sentence-speaking, guitar-playing, potty-training, sous-chef. Where the heck did my baby go?

Anonymous said...

Amy, I am so with you on that mantra: "Persistence will serve her well as an adult...."repeat while banging head into wall. Sorry it's so frustrating--I totally get it.
--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

yay, hosea! sending some virtual choc ice cream to jeni, with fudge.

Sue said...

Oh JenR - ick. So many pixies and pixie relatives with the Yuck. So many here in town too!! I don't want to leave the house because I don't want to be sick for my week off. Alas, this thing called "work" beckons. ~sigh~

Sarah - I'm staying with a friend in Wales. I'm not sure where that is in relation to Cedarburg. And no - no board meeting - just a brief two day visit with a friend. We have Tuesday planned out as a total spa day - mani/pedi, massage - martini lunch - the works. I can't wait.

How close are you to Milwaukee itself??? My friend has to leave me at the airport there around lunchtime on Wednesday for my flight later that afternoon (she has a meeting to get to). Maybe we could meet up there?

Squeeeeeee!!!! Pixie meet up!!!!???

KLee said...

Neighbor Lady -- an overload of niacin has been known to cause that "sunburn-y" feeling. You feel all flushed because it's a vasodilator -- stimulates blood flow, especially in the face and upper body. You might want to check your vitamins, and see if they have lots of niacin. Appropriate dosages differ for different people, but it is recommended that you check with your doctor if you go over 500 mg a day.

This may not be what happened to you, but it might explain it -- no one likes to have a medical mystery on their minds....

A/W for me -- I got a card from my brother today for Halloween.

Whine -- he says I no can haz mini kit-kats. Even wrote: mini kit-katz = not yourz. i all sad nao.

Hugs to all the pixies in need of hugs. And mini kit-katz.

kathy a. said...

klee -- who put your brother in charge of kit-kats, anyway? i'm not sharing snickers with him.

Amy said...

I'd like to award KLee's brother the Charlie Brown Trick or Treat Award. In his treat sack, he gets a rock.

Sarah at ratatat said...

No mini kit-katz? Horrors!

Sue - Well, we're about 45 minutes form the airport and Wednesday is the first day of the new job. Darn it all. Not that Wales is any closer. We're probably an hour from there. We're very very far north. Wales is south west. So close, yet so far! Enjoy your trip.

And a bravo to Jenevieve on the potty training. Hosea seems to be doing the work, but he couldn't do it without help!

Amy said...

Can we also get Sarah some kind of super-sweet award for her last line? "Hosea seems to be doing the work, but he couldn't do it without help!"

Madeleine said...

Continue your excellent whining, pixies. I'll be back at the end of day to tally up the scores.

Liz Miller said...

Jenevieve for mullet! For both "I will not accept this full-sentence-speaking, guitar-playing, potty-training, sous-chef. Where the heck did my baby go?" and "Man, I'm tired. I have too many things to do. And I can't find a chocolate ice cream I love. My life is so hard."

What are you looking for in a chocolate ice cream? Light and creamy, or dark and decadent? Or the holy grail - dark and creamy? Personally, I'm fond of Haagen Daz's chocolate but MS thinks it's too rich and likes Breyer's better.

Sue said...

I'm with Amy - no kit katz??? That's just wrong.

Too bad Sarah - maybe next time....

Whine: my favourite show was pre-empted by the Stooooopid World Series last night. Wah.

Anonymous said...

KLee, thanks for the niacin thought. I don't actually take vitamin supplements, but I have been eating a lot of kale lately... (?)
Anyway, it seems to have magically disappeared so that is good, I think.
Maybe it was all a deficiency of kit-katz. Will rectify immediately.
--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

in honor of the stimulus funds repaving roads all over town:

How many times must the street move its cars,
Before you do the repairs?
How many times before you do ours,
instead of just doing theirs?
How many weeks will you keep posting signs,
Raising hope that turns to despair?

The answer, my friend, is that it will never end.
The answer is that it will never end.


this morning, the neighbors all dutifully removed their cars from the street for the 8th time over 4 weeks.

Liz Miller said...

Kathy A. FTW!

Liz Miller said...

May I whine about (otherwise smart, sensible, logical) people who effectively vote for someone they do not agree with AT ALL, because the person they mostly agree with has pissed them off on one thing?

Because I'm having a real face-palm moment here, and am getting bruises on my forehead from banging my noggin on the keyboard.

Liz Miller said...

BTW, I think this may be the article a local reporter was writing when she did doors w me on Friday. And I'm not in it.

esperanza said...

glucose screen today. Man that stuff they make you drink is nasty. It tastes like the orange drink they used to serve at McDonald's birthday parties when we were little, only like someone forgot to add enough water. Blech.

kathy a. said...

gah, liz! i really can't understand voting pissed about a little something. or why they would ignore your obvious status as the doorbell queen of all time!

esperanza, i remember that test, and uck. you need some quality savories to counter that, so passing some warm little bits of bread and cheese with perhaps some garlic and olive, if you like that.

our street's been rescheduled for next week, although the tow-away signs for tomorrow have not been removed. i recycled my style whine in an email to the city guy in charge, with copies to neighbors. take that, you repaving people!

Madeleine said...

kathy a., the style!

OMG, pixies, you will not believe this. Well, you've heard everything around here, so you probably will.

The Project that Needs a Miracle was proceeding OK toward the deadline of a good, full draft on Friday. Then at 2:30 this afternoon, while I was up in the air, my boss reread the contract and discovered that we aren't only supposed to be writing about Topic We Don't Know All That Well, but also about Topic We Live and Breathe. So the bad news is: OMFG! Several people, none of whom are me, forgot what the contract says. (I never saw it). But the good news, of course, is that we know this additional stuff like the back of our collective hands. So back to reading the new draft I go!

kathy a. said...

not to brag, but the city guy sent an enthusiastic email back with real dates, got the signs taken down for tomorrow, and forwarded my email to the city engineer because "who doesn't like dylan?"

madeleine, that's a big whine/antiwhine!!

Madeleine said...

Consider yourself awarded, kathy a.!

My poor boss is asking for hallucinogenic drugs.

kathy a. said...

well, how would your boss feel about a nice glass of whine and maybe a fortifying grilled cheese sandwich? also, some kit kats.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Yay Kathy!

Madeleine - those pesky contracts.

Liz - I have to admire your bravery to go near politics, especially as the doorbell queen. Voters frustrate me. I must admit non-voters do too :)

And NL - you haven't been in the weeds have you? Your sunburn haunted me and it came to me - wild parsnip, I think. It looks like a lacy yellow flower (like queen Anne's lace, but yellow). And for some people more than others it causes a sunburn reaction. Sometimes even blisters. It is akin to poison ivy, but the reaction is a burn. Bad stuff.

amy said...

My husband found out yesterday that he's going to lose his job, sometime in the coming weeks. :(

He's not supposed to know (boss shared the info that it's coming from higher ups in the next couple of weeks), and we are not telling our families until it's official.

So PLEASE, if you're a FB friend, DON'T say anything on my wall. Thanks.

Madeleine said...

amy, I'm so sorry. That stinks. I guess extra warning is good, but still. STINKS!

esperanza said...

Amy, oh no!

Sarah at ratatat said...

Oh Amy, that sucks.

Liz Miller said...

Thinking of you and your family, Amy.

Sue said...

Oh amy, I'm so very sorry.

kathy a. said...

oh no, amy.

Liz Miller said...

Team building activity = competitive pumpkin carving. My team used some ideas I'd gotten while canvassing.

Emily said...

Nothing says "team building" like handing out sharp knives and inviting competition!
:-)

Elizabeth said...

(((amy)))

Elevated risk of milk coming out my nose to Emily.

kathy a. said...

oh, yeah -- mullet to emily!

KLee said...

I am so glad the WW community is behind me on the unfairness of de no mini kit-katz. Dat iz a bit eksessib, i finks.

Hugs go out to Amy -- I'm so sorry that Hubs will not only be job hunting, but has a longer time to obsess about losing his job vs. those who are still in the dark. I hope the extra time gives him an advantage over all the other people who will be entering the same job pool.

Happy Halloween, everyone! I'm off to go find and defiantly consume some mini kit-katz....

esperanza said...

KLee, I think the WW community can stand united behind any sort of chocolate and/or candy restriction.

purple_kangaroo said...

PoisonpoisonpoisonPOISON germs poisonpoison POISON!!!! You-never-pay-attention-to-me-or-do-anything-with-me-or-buy-anything-for-me-or-spend-time-with-me (because the therapist asked me if I was worrying about germs because I wasn't getting enough attention from Mom and Dad, so it must be true even though Mom spends practically 24/7 with me)

POISON poison poison GERMS! poisonpoisonpoison . . .

purple_kangaroo said...

Hugs to all, especially KLee.

Madeleine said...

All the hugs in the world to you, p_k. Wishing the magic pixie dust were stronger.

kathy a. said...

(((( PK )))))

Sarah at ratatat said...

Oh PK. How absolutely frustrating.

amy said...

P_K, I can't even imagine. I'm so sorry.

On a lighter note, I misread KLee's statement "I'm off to go find and defiantly consume some mini kit-katz....". I seem to have spent so many years correcting my students on their inability to spell "definitely" combined with their poor use of spell check that I read it as "definitely consume some mini kit katz." Either way, I'm sure it's true for KLee, and I endorse that defiance definitely.

amy said...

Thanks for all the love, pixies. I can't forget to thank you all. I needed to tell someone since we're not telling anyone in real life. I think we'll be mostly okay, but the uncertainty is agonizing. I guess the antiwhine here is that I'm sure to have new whine fodder, beyond the standard "I can't believe my husband won't wash kid dishes" whines, and that's refreshing.

Liz Miller said...

Anti-whine: The Mid-Atlantic Young Democrats are an unstoppable force. Fifty of them knocked on around 4000 doors today, bringing our total doors knocked for the day to over FIVE THOUSAND.

I am floored.

PK, I'm so sorry. Many hugs.

Emily's adage has now been spread far and wide through my cube farm.

kathy a. said...

wooot, liz! go team GO!!

amy for some kind of bright lining award.

we have had no trick or treaters here. i'ts not 8 p.m. yet, so the night's not over, but if they come by, we haz kit katz. and all the extras go to pixies.

purple_kangaroo said...

Whine/antiwhine: AJ was asked to take a break from talking about poisonpoisonPOISON for the weekend, because Mommy and NLASS are being driven. crazy. after weeks of hearing about poison approximately 60 million times a day. (And Mommy is very tired, after being kept up until almost midnight and woken at something like 6AM to field worries about poison yet again.)

AJ wrote the following note in her notebook and left it open on the table:

"It's Halloween, And my whole costume is wett do you think it mihgt be poisen?"

M&M found the note and wrote on it, "Anser: No. I would say not." and on the next page (which I managed to make disappear before AJ saw) she wrote, "You are So Silly!"

AJ thereupon had a meltdown that M&M wrote on her note. M&M recopied AJ's note nicely on the next page of AJ's notebook, sans answer, crossed out her comment on the first copy and wrote, "Sorry. I diden't now it [the notebook] was yors."

kathy a. said...

oh, PK. i don't favor prizes for the hardest things, because who needs to be in that competition? but my thoughts and love are with your family. it is terrible that AJ is so afraid all the time, and these short vignettes you have written tell us how very hard it is for your whole family. hope that relief comes sooner rather than later. xoxoxo

purple_kangaroo said...

Thanks, all . . . I keep reminding myself that at least this time the object of obsession isn't related to one of the other kids. I think it's harder on the other kids when AJ spends months freaking out about something like the way M&M draws pictures.

purple_kangaroo said...

Kathy A, if a new therapist doesn't help significantly fairly quickly, I think we're going to need to try the medication route. This has been going on in one form or another for too many years now.

purple_kangaroo said...

Mullet for "I endorse that defiance definitely."

purple_kangaroo said...

((Amy))

. . . and seconding the niacin idea. Look up "niacin flush."

Must go to bed now. Hopefully no children will be waking me in the wee hours of the morning tonight, particularly not to listen to them worry about poison.

Madeleine said...

Sorry, pixies, for the extremely late awards. I think you know how my week went :-S

they'll probably go up tomorrow . . . Halloween and other family festivities in progress . . .

purple_kangaroo said...

Madeleine, I actually love having the thread open longer . . . it allows for more fellowship and support over a longer period of time.

Unknown said...

I am still in the hospital. I've had such a plethora of bizarre medical issues that I wonder if they'll ever let me out again. It's been since Oct 2nd, and I'm praying that I'll be able to go home temporarily next Tuesday. Maybe not, though.

My latest disease to add onto the long list of other problems is called G.A.V.E and, of course, it's rare. RARE. Like everything else I have. It's bleeding on the back of the stomach and it means I have to have my stomach cauterized 3 times.

While all this was happening I went into atrial fibrillation for a few days and had to have a procedure to shock my heart back into sinus. Now I have a big round burn mark on my chest. Very attractive.

I can't remember if I mentioned that Worthless Pet died of old age sometime in the past month and of course, me being here, my kids had to deal with his death and burial on their own. It was very difficult for them. I miss him a lot and feel very sad that I didn't get a proper goodbye.