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Monday, January 18, 2010

I Have a Dream Edition



So much to think about -- the dreams, the progress, the promise still unfulfilled. And then, oh, Haiti.

Whine big if you want. Whine small, too.

It's been pouring rain here, which is actually good news for the drought. But the garage roof leaks right over the washing machine and some other things, and I just had a refreshing spell scooping foliage out of the drainage to avoid floodage. Woo. Hoo. In anti-whines, the Duke of Earl's intestinal problem worked itself out after a day in solitary confinement with the baby food diet, during which the junior cats held a vigil outside the bathroom door, and one attempted to dig him out. We were planning to eventually replace the carpet, anyway. Also, daughter got her best grades evah this last term!

Let the whining and anti-whining begin!

36 comments:

Jenevieve said...

I PASSED THE BOARDS!!!! WOOOOOO!!!!! Champagne for everyone!

Wait, this is a whining thread?

kathy a. said...

woot WOOOOT whoopity woo hoo, jeni!!!!!! such great news!

Days said...

WOO HOO! Congratulations Jenevieve!

Hoorah for the baby food kitty diet and its ability to solve the pook problems.

Can I continue the trend with a substantial antiwhine of my own (albeit one that must not be said too loudly lest the gods of smooth adoption proceedings hear it and smite me)?

We are one(!) government document away from traveling to Small European Country(SEC) to bring home our son(biological brother to our eldest daughter) and the courier picked up the document this morning. It's on the way! (Whine ahead!) We have been waiting three years for SEC to release our son for international adoption. The prospect of being 2-3 weeks away from travelling has brought on the joyful tears all day.

Contemplating taking a delegation of the Cluestick Posse to SEC because their adoption process is beyond ridiculous.

kathy a. said...

oh, days! i can't even imagine the frustration of this wait, and am so happy for you that it is finally, finally almost over! xxoxo

esperanza said...

Hip, hip hooray, Jeni!

And Days, I am soo excited for you. May the rest of the path be very, very, smooth.

Madeleine said...

Oh my goodness! So much happiness in one place!

In case anyone is afraid to whine after all that happiness, here is a small Old Skool whine from Snuggly Girl. She has a little cut on her finger. Maybe a papercut, maybe a dry skin crack. So she put a bandaid on it and got into bed. And then realized the bandaid was in teh wrong place! She missed the cut entirely.

Sue said...

WooooHooooo Jenevieve!!!!! *clinks pixie glasses of breakfast champagne*

Well done!

Days - I can't imagine how difficult the waiting must have been, but I'm thrilled for you that the wait is almost over! Eeeeee.....

kathy a. - sorry about the kitteh, um, incidents. We continue with teh RunnyStinky here, but he is now making it to the box. He sees the Cat Whisperer vet on Friday.

Whine of Little Consequence Unless You Live Here: I can't turn off my spinning toothbrush or remove the batteries. I have taken to whacking The Horrifying Spin Brush of Doom with a large screwdriver (not the drink, the tool - although the drink doesn't sound bad right now....). That isn't working this morning. So we're still with the buzzing, buzzing, always the buzzing.

Hubby is busy trying to get the back off to remove battery. Not working. Spinning sound is mind-numbing.

Does anyone have a large hammer???? AAAAAACK.

Emily said...

Woot!! Jenevieve and Days!

Sue--I hope you've dealt with the demonic toothbrush.

I have a paltry whine this week. In the last year or so we've had to replace three different appliances (that's not the whine, each had served us well). But, each appliance needed between 1 and 3 service calls to get it to perform appropriately. It's not such a big deal (each repair was covered under warranty) but it's annoying to have to stay home for each service call (we'll be there some time between Feb. and April) for an appliance we've just spent $$$ and aready spent much of a day waiting for delivery/installation. We waited for one service appointment yesterday and, since parts must be ordered will have to wait for another one next week.

Elizabeth said...

Congrats, Jenevieve!

Trying not to obsess about the MA election and failing... trying not to obsess about Haiti and failing...

kathy a. said...

sue: dumpster. trash can at the gas station. something.

emily: arrgh, the service calls. annoying beyond belief.

elizabeth: crossing fingers about the election. haiti, omg...

Jenevieve said...

Oh, okay, my whine: Our flat is unbelievably biohazardously filthy. I really think that if it was on fire, the firefighters would look at it and say 'Let it burn". Sigh.

Liz Miller said...

Hooray for all the joys!!!!!

Hooray that the whines of substance are scattered thinly on the ground.



W: due to work woes last week, my fingers look they've been put through an industrial shredder. And I should know, since I actually did that once accidentally (the finger's fine, I didn't lose more than a deep gouge).

AW: To keep myself from gnawing, I've been working steadily on the Gryffindor scarf when not typing furiously at my desk.

Additional AW: This here is Redskins country. The Redskins and Gryffindor share team colors.

Sue said...

Anti-whine: New spin brush has been purchased. I have yet to inform the Horrifying Toothbrush of Doom.

Anti-whine: You remember last week's obnoxious son of the deceased while I planned for today's funeral service? He was the one who couldn't look me in the eye or call me by name or address me directly.

Today he was like a bad rash I couldn't shake off. He REALLY appreciated my homily and the service as a whole. He said several times that it was the nicest funeral he had ever attended and he thanked me for honouring his mother in such a dignified and honest way.

Funny, this life. You never know when grace is going to tap your shoulder and say, "Hey, you done good, kiddo."

This poor fellow was sad last week. Some people cry when they're sad - he gets grumpy. Today, in the best way he knew how, he said he was sorry and thanked me for loving his mother too.

That's why, even when I'm the most tempted, I don't find work at the bookstore. Because on days like this, it's all worth it.

Days said...

I have believed electric toothbrushes to be a harbinger of doom since my childhood. Just saying. Emily's appliances appear to be channeling the spinbrush mentality.

Sympathies to the pixies(and junior pixies) with finger injuries. My right index finger is swollen and painful, with no obvious cause.

Kudos Sue on the excellent service and the appreciative family members.

My spouse is using logic(fluency in the official language and dual citizenship) to win the argument over who will have the privilege of travelling to SEC. I don't think that "I'm the mom and I said so" is an adequate rejoinder.

Madeleine said...

Days, how about "You'll be the one who is fluent and more helpful once Son is home -- so I want this chance to bond with him before he latches on to you and won't let go."

KLee said...

I'll bring the Old Skool and Bodily Fluids together in one big, nasty, you-REALLY-didn't-wanna-know uberwhine:

Aunt Flo is here, and boy, mama! She sure is pissed off about something or another. I think I'm beginning to get light-headed from the blood loss. I would honestly worry about possible miscarriage if it weren't highly improbable.

Not fun. *AND* TMI! Everyone wins! Well, maybe not so much on the everyone part.....

Emily said...

Sue--don't tell the old spin brush about the new one--you don't want to anger it!

It's very nice to hear that the obnoxious son managed to turn it around!

esperanza said...

OK, I'm back and now glad that I have a manual toothbrush.

AW: 38 weeks

Whine: 38 weeks feels like crap around here. Exhausted. Nauseous. No discernable increase in contraction-like activity. Just feel like crap.

Additional Whine: Sweet Baboo doesn't seem to care that I feel like crap. She still wants meals and entertainment.

Sue said...

Emily - I am treading very carefully around the Possessed Toothbrush. I have yet to take the new one into the bathroom. Will I really have to brush my teeth in the kitchen? Stay tuned.....*shudders*

KLee - I went through that before my endometrial ablation surgery. Not sure if you're old enough to be pre-menopausal, but the ob/gyn said they used to call that "flooding" and it's pretty typical for women "of a certain age" (he was so delicate about that part). Anyway, the ablation did the trick. No Aunt Flo since. At. All. Don't miss her a bit.

esperanza - WOW - 38 weeks!!!!! So sorry about the nausea and lack of energy stuff, but just think - 38 weeks!! Soon a New Baboo!! Soooooooooo exciting.

Elizabeth said...

W: Impending gridlock in the Senate.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Congrats Jeni!

And Days - how happy and exciting and it must feel like about damn time. Travel soon and safely.

Sue - I try so hard to like electric toothbrushes and I just hate them. More proof I am rational. Or not :) I hope the buzzing has stopped.

And then I got to the funeral grace and I am all teary eyed. How nice. And it doesn't quiet excuse earlier meanness, but it is nice that he expresses positive emotions as well as negative.

Madeleine - poor Snuggly Girl. I hate paper cuts.

Emily - I hate the appliance parade as much as the car repair parade. I hope you get back to just having appliance and not thinking about them.

KLee - oh no. Hope that things are calmer around the unstable relative :)

Yay Esperanza! I only made it to 38W 0Days, 37W 6days and 36W 3 days. 38 weeks. Woohoo! After all of the worry and wait, I just don't think you'll find it funny to go late.

Whine: Massachusetts. Oh no.

Whine of mine: I am more than a little nervous about flying alone to SF on Friday. The trip is a huge Anti-Whine, but the details of getting myself there and parking and airport hassles at 4am...

Antiwhine: 2 more days!

JenR said...

no time to whine yet ... but sarah, if you need a ride to the airport, I can do it.

Sue said...

Whine: Massachusetts. Crap.

Anonymous said...

Hugs to all pixies in need of hugs, or band-aids.

Whine: We have taken our car in numerous times now about a clacking sound that I hear almost every time i drive my car. (I say almost, because not so much on the road test i went on with the service dept.) And, not on any road tests that we have had yet. But every *other* time! Also, a weird almost stalling, followed by a slight rev as the gears engage. Also not experienced on the road test. Yet, that one, they know the cause, as there has been an "issue" with my make and model, and they know what it is, but they are not authorized to just fix it already until they experience it. ARRRRRRG!

antiwhine: Husband thinks that since it is so sporadic (ie all the time except when I need it to happen) it must not be a safety issue. Service guy agrees.

whine: not sure I do

whine: and by the way, they say, your battery is a little low. (read: so don't be surprised when it eventually conks out.)

antiwhine: ????

whine: I hang my head on behalf of Massachusetts, though I tried my mightiest....

anitwhine: life in general is good (ducking as the other shoe prepares to drop on my head.....)

--Neighbor lady

kathy a. said...

sue -- glad for obnoxious son's turnaround!

liz -- your poor fingers!

klee -- no.fun.at.all.

elizabeth and sue -- joining the chorus. bleah.

sarah -- hope your trip is smooth! it is really, really rainy now at your destination, but it's supposed to taper off by friday.

Jenevieve said...

Oh freaking Massachusetts. Honestly.

kathy a. said...

my blind cat, the duke of earl, the most loving being on the entire planet, is sitting behind me on my desk chair. nobody has accused me lately of being too skinny, so we are a bit of a tight fit. but he's warming my lower back and heart, and i'm warming him, so it all works out.

Anonymous said...

The cat cuddling sounds lovely.
And yay to Jenevieve on the boards!!!
And to Sue for the well-deserved kudos for her job(s) well done...

A late breaking antiwhine: husband decided that the "somewhat low battery" needed to just be replaced now instead of later, because he couldn't stand the thought of me and the kids getting stuck somewhere. I am feeling cared about, which is always good...

--Neighbor Lady

Liz Miller said...

Halfway thru the scarf.

esperanza said...

NL, glad your hubby wants to replace the battery. Our heat sucks the life right out of them, so you want to replace them sooner rather than get stuck. But then you don't want to pay for a new battery. it's a delicate balance.

I have an unbloggable whine for a friend. It's awfully painful, even from the outside looking in. Mean people suck.

Sarah at ratatat said...

NL - I hate cars. And dealers. My husband has tried to disown all repair and maintenance for my car, so I get that lovey feeling you had when your husband wanted to change your battery.

Aw, Kathy, you makes cats sound fun. at least this week with so little bark.

JenR - Thanks for the offer. The plan is to park at the airport so it is easier come home. So I should say no even if I will be cursing myself on Friday at 3am. But if I took you up on it, you'd be curing me at 3am :)

Small whine: I reached out to a friendly acquaintance who had her first baby a few weeks ago. My husband is friends with her husband. And I just wanted to offer if she needed someone to talk to during the day, see how the baby is...you know all the things I wish anyone had done to me the first 6 months after I had my first. And her husband called my husband to say they are pretty busy and there's a family thing...and I feel completely misunderstood. I think I must have sounded pushy not helpful and now I feel bad because new baby hormones etc etc. and my point was to brighten her day not burden it.

Anti-whine: Sf countdown grows ever closer and I don't think my destination has been flooded out (yet). Thank you for the weather update Kathy.

amy said...

So, this week when I took Tater to the babysitter, she asked if he had boots with him. I said no, because when he wears them, he faceplants, so I completely overlooked putting him in anything other than his house-shoes. Oops. My bad. She told me that if he doesn't learn to walk in boots *now* (like, this season), he'll fight me about boots next year. Um, he's 15 months old. I'm pretty sure he's going to fight me about putting on boots next year just because he's 2, whether or not I put him in boots now.

Normally, she's my go-to person on parenting stuff and I love her dearly, but srsly? And because I'm still living a lie and not saying anything to people about our sleeping situation (to avoid teh Judging), it felt like piling on and I've been having anxiety dreams since then. WTH?

Sue said...

esperanza, I never would have considered that heat would drain a battery as much as the cold. Most interesting. (See, I learned something today already!)

Good work Liz. Keep those needles tapping!

NL - glad for the new battery. I get so tense when the car is not running perfectly.

Whine; Ouzo not eating or drinking as of yesterday. He was doing really well, now he's just lethargic and refusing food. His blood sugar this am was 2.6 so we didn't give him insulin and Peter will try to get some food/water into him through the day. We see the Cat Whisperer Vet in the morning. Poor little man. I'm getting that bad, sad feeling in my gut again. I'm really worried about what they might find tomorrow.

Whine; No day off this week. It was supposed to be Monday, but I had funeral work to do and an unplanned impromptu meeting that took two hours. My next day off is scheduled for Tuesday the 26th. I know. People die, meetings are called without my consultation and the meetings are actually important, but come on people. I'm so tired I fell asleep at my desk at 11:00 yesterday mornng. Ugh - my doc will NOT be happy if I tell him this stuff. But I probably will, just because he will ask.

Anti-whine: Massage booked for next Thursday afternoon, which will be a nice follow-up to a day off on Tuesday.

Anonymous said...

Sue--thinking lots of good thoughts for your kitty!
Esperanza--I didn't know that about the heat either. Good to know!
:) --Neighbor lady

Liz Miller said...

Hugs and more hugs to you all.

Turns out gauge matters even on a scarf. Who knew? Fortunately, it only matters if you care.

Emily said...

Amy--you are absolutely right--how Tater reacts to snow boots next year is completely independent of what you do now. Your babysitter most likely means well, but that sort of generic advice only works coincidentally (that is--if Tater does rebel next year, you'll remember she said this, but otherwise, probably not).

If I may offer some assvice--two things I was told that were actually helpful:
You're the mom--you know your child best.
This too, shall pass. (especially effective for sleeping issues!)
Repeat, as needed!

NL--good thing on the battery replacement--mine died when I was in a school pickup line. (I had turned the car off while we were waiting for the kids to be dismissed) Quite embarrassing--especially when the person behind me decided that honking at me was the right thing to do. I hope the rest of the car issues get sorted out soon!

Liz--gauge doesn't matter on a scarf if you find a person of the correct proportions to wear it!

Esperanza--good luck with the next few days/weeks--the end of pregnancy is designed to make you look forward to labor. I had my preemie last (at 34 weeks, after 2 uncomplicated FT deliveries) and while I'd never wish for a pre-term birth (hers was rather "eventful" and more complicated than most 34 weekers) I had not yet gotten to the "beached whale" point, and that was a very, very, very small silver lining in the whole thing.