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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Clocks, They are a Changin'

I went out yesterday for my third go at raking the leaves. (Seasonal whine: dear me, the sun is low when I leave to meet SG after school now! I was really enjoying the time change right up to that moment.)

I like to do a bit of raking every couple of weeks, because that way I can keep refilling the old trash barrels instead of using up the lifetime supply of leaf bags I bought at teh Costco. Feels more conservationist that way. Snuggly Girl is eager to help as long as she gets to jump in the pile mid-cleanup, and we've actually had enough for her to jump in all three times, so she's happy, at least until I start picking leaf bits out of her hair. I won't attempt leaf perfection, it's just too crazy-making. I am for volume reduction and don't-annoy-the-neighbors.

So in that spirit, I've borrowed an annoying pop tune, and I hear-by present for your ear-worm annoyance:

What Miley Cyrus would sing if she did her own yardwork:

There's always gonna be another leaf pile
Blowin' in from the neighbor's yard
I'm never gonna want to rake it
Getting every leaf is just too hard

Don't care about how neat the yard is
I'm too annoyed that it's dark at 5

It's the whiiiiiiiiiiine . . . .

71 comments:

Liz Miller said...

Getting my staples and stitches out today.

Liz Miller said...

Just found out that Dick Francis died earlier this year.

I am stunned. I feel bereft. He was one of my favorite authors. When I get home, I'm going to write a card to his son to let him know how much his father's books meant to me.

kathy a. said...

yay, liz! and oy oy oy, still thinking of that accident, and hoping you can be gentle to yourself for a while. xoxo

madeleine, good work! volume reduction is truly the way to go. and i hate this time of year, when it is dark so early. especially right after the time change. bleah.

esperanza said...

Oh, Liz, I love him too. I hadn't heard that he had died either.

My whine? Is a socioeconomic class whine, I think. We are going to a wedding this weekend in Big City with Lots of Oil Money. Now, we are far from poor. But this wedding? Holy cow. It is way richer than we are used to. There are lots of examples, but consider this juxtaposition: I purchased my dress for said occasion at Goodwill, $6. I sewed my own wrap to go with it, $8. The wedding is providing a limo to transport guests from the hotel to the wedding site. Which is a block and a half away.

We are feeling a bit like country bumpkins, out of our league, unsure of what to wear when, etc. Mr. E is performing the ceremony, leaving me on my own with the Baboos for the duration. Baboos which they couple made double certain to invite and encourage to attend. And we hardly know anyone else that will be there.

Suffice it to say that I am not looking forward to the weekend.

On the upside, I won't be raking leaves.

Oh, and big AW, the Sweet Baboo is starting to make more sense! Phrases resembling "I did it" "all better" and "what's that?" have come from her mouth this week alone. Perhaps we have a breakthrough!

Madeleine said...

liz, condolences on the surprising news. I don't think I had heard, either. I feel more like I read that he had a new book out recently. (Amazon says yes, he did, but it was his last.) I read a lot of his books years ago and may need to put one on my vacation list this year in tribute.

esperanza, wishing you the joys of more "what's that?" than you could ever have imagined hearing!

A limo for the block-and-a-half ride sounds to me like a Texas thing, maybe? Too hot to walk in nice clothes? I suspect the baboos will be the best part of the wedding. Cute kids usually are. I hope you can relax enough to enjoy the party.

kathy a. said...

liz, i think your author's son would appreciate hearing how much you admired him.

esperanza -- go, sweet, go! how exciting!

as for the wedding: [a] nobody else will have your fabulous outfit, and you absolutely must be mysterious about its exact provenance, which will make you giggle; [b] it will probably be easier to walk to the second location, particularly considering the stroller issue; [c] madeleine is totally right about your kids being stars!

Flutterbye said...

Feeling totally let down by my support network right now. Blah.

Madeleine said...

Flutterbye, so sorry to hear that. Sending virtual support, but I know that isn't at all the same.

Sue said...

Hope the de-stitching went well Liz. And I love the idea of writing to the author's son.

esperanza - oh ick. ick times ten. It's awful enough to go those dreadful wedding dinners (really, I don't *care* how drunk the groom got at his highschool homecoming party, kthnxbai) - but they're even worse when you don't know anyone. Good luck on the weekend.

I have no raking whine - mostly because I have no leaves. *grin*

Flutterbye - so sorry. What a nightmare....

Whine: Still sick and on day 8, I now have the added bonus of vertigo. I woke up feeling like the condo was on the high seas. Spent the day popping gravol and trying not to bark.

Anti-whine: So far, so good. No barks.

Anonymous said...

Sue, any chance you have a sinus infection and not the flu? I ask only because sinus infection (with all the accompanying snot, headaches, and fever) is more easily cured! Keeping fingers crossed....I have been there SO many times with the vertigo, and it stinketh!
--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

((( flutterbye ))) xoxo

oh, sue. no barks is not much of an antiwhine; hoping for better tomorrow.

so, the dreaded family thing turned out OK, nice, far more so than i could have hoped! but i've been back 2 days and am still winding down; something like this always brings up the backstories, and in this case (involving "mom's last wishes") there is a little extra to chew on.

however, i returned with nuts, cookies, chocolate, wine, bubble bath and other spa treats, so passing these goodies to the far-flung but well-loved pixies!

Anonymous said...

Hugs to Flutterbye and Liz and anyone else in need.

whine: My father had a mild heart attack on Sunday

antiwhine: He caught it quickly, they did a procedure to unblock his artery, and he didn't need bypass. He has already been discharged from the hospital to my sister's house where he was visiting at the time. He is feeling very thankful, and seeing this as a wake-up call about weight and lifestyle. Let's hope it sticks.
And that he continues to heal.

whine: somehow this happening brought up old issues again

antiwhine: i have made enough progress on those issues that i realize how much i want him to stick around for a long while and be part of our lives.
This is a huge antiwhine.

--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

((( neighbor lady ))) glad your dad is OK. what a scare. and i totally hear you about the issues.

Days said...

((NL)) Glad your dad is on the path to recovery.

((liz)) You deserve an award for stitch removal bravery, IMHO as a huge wimp about that sort of thing.

((Sue)) gravol and chicken soup headed your way. Hope that healing comes your way soon!

W: The leaves. Oi. We have them. It's nice to have big, mature maple trees on your property until this time of year. We spent the entire weekend raking and bagging and leaf-jumping ad nauseum. And! We get to do it all over again next weekend on our other property.

AW: The nice gentleman hobby farmer that lives down the street pays my kids $5/bag for leaves(which they are raking and bagging themselves, in theory), because he likes to use maple leaves on his gardens. My kids are up to about $100 worth of leaves so far.

W: That $100 might be the grocery money for the week since our credit cards and debit cards are frozen due to fraudulent purchases. Purchases to the tune of $5000. And! The card number that was used unfortunately comes directly out of our chequing account, and the MC customer service rep actually told me that he doesn't think we get the money back because of that factor.

AW: Obvious fraud = no responsibility on our parts. It's just a matter of sorting things out.

W: Our cupboards are bare since I found out that everything had been frozen while I was making a major grocery run today and trying to get cashback to buy gas, to boot.

W: I had to call MC and the bank; they didn't bother to call me to tell me that they had frozen the cards.

AW: I did feel well enough to rake leaves this weekend, grocery shop to day.

esperanza said...

Days, that is awful! They didn't call you to verify that it was fraud? I am very glad that you feel like raking and shopping. That is good news.

Sue, if I recall correctly, "no barking" was your miserable AW last week. I hope the feeling better comes PDQ.

Flutterbye, so sorry. Hugs and whatever support we can give from far away.

Sue said...

(((NL))) ((((Days)))

esperanza - repeat whineage is not good. Not good at all.

Whine: missed most of Glee because my step-mother wanted to "chat". Ugh. Can you say dysfunction? Her daughter's fourth marriage takes place in May. Said daughter and fiance #4 arrive for Xmas on the 19th. On the 20th, the family has been summoned for a "Let's all Adore R" summit. Stepmother also hinted that R and fiance might want to speak with me about their May wedding.

Crap.

Stepsister and I not on speaking terms. She's the one who ignored me when I needed her help seeing the Trigger Point guy in Kingston. We haven't spoken since. Now her mother is hinting that I should do the wedding.

REasons NOT to do the wedding.
1. This one won't last any longer than the rest. Call it intuition. Or a good read of someone's character.

2. Stepsister is a devout athiest, which is fine - to each their own. I dont' do civil services - EVER - not even for family.

Can you say Awkwaaard????

All that, plus feeling like crap has made for a thoroughly crappity weekend.

Oh, and I don't know how to change the clock in my car. I tried to read the manual but discovered that I didn't have my reading glasse with me. ~sigh~

Jenevieve said...

Gahhhhhh my family gahhhhhh.

That is all.

Unknown said...

Sue- I'm SURE you mentioned that you are already booked up solid for any weekend your stepsister requests. And then BE BUSY. That is the only way you are going to gracefully get out of that disaster-in-progress. And a cluestick for your stepmom for even hinting for your services!

flutterby- more ((((hugs))))

Days- at least your fraud wasn't caused by your child's repeated like SOME people we know. Yup, he did it again on a brand new photo card to the tune of $300. This kid can outsmart the bank of america over and over again.

W: Neuropathy is driving me nuts. My feet are always cold, painful, and stiff. I am taking meds it but all they do is make me sleepy.

W: Still homeless since Sept 1 and I CANNOT get real estate agents to set up viewings. No matter how much I plead they never call back with a viewing time.

W: Living in a small hotel "suite" with one tv and no oven, plus 3 plates, 3 sets of silverware, etc is driving me insane because son is a hoarding slob and I can't find anything. Tonight's dinner? Two yogurts eaten with my finger because I couldn't find a spoon.

W: Second cat is still with toxic family who are complaining about price of her cat food after I left about $500 worth of food when we left.

AW: Daughter is having a blast in Miami.

AW: I think we MIGHT qualify for some food stamps, finally. We are over the $ limit for any other state programs.

AW: I am getting mighty tired of my own negativity and am trying to be more positive, so I laughed hysterically when Aunt Flo paid a HIGHLY unwanted visit after a 5 year absence. HAHAHAHA

Sue said...

((((margalit))))

esperanza said...

Hugs to Jeni, too.

Sue, that sounds perfectly awful. I'm anticipating that Mr. E will be in a similar pickle soon. BiL has just divorced wife #4. It feels wrong to encourage someone *not* to get married, but the track record is clear, no?

Another whine from me: Mini Baboo back to the doctor today (if you're counting this is three full weeks of sickness). This time, just a mysterious rash, that is still mysterious after our doctor visit. "excema"

Liz Miller said...

Esperanza, what medication is Mini taking for her other illnesses? Because the "mysterious rash" we saw on Muffin Man after his bout of pneumonia when he was 4 months old was found to be an allergic reaction to amoxicillin.

Liz Miller said...

Sue, you definitely have a scheduling conflict for whichever weekend their wedding will be. Bonus points if the scheduling conflict involves you going for your "X months no headache" follow up with the folks who removed your headache this past Summer.

Liz Miller said...

Days, this happened to us a bit over 10 years ago and is the reason that we don't allow our bank to issue us those things, we get atm cards only.

Tell the bank you will be taking your business elsewhere if they don't make it totally better. If they give you push-back, try seeing if any of your local elected officials can help you with it. This is the sort of thing that they can be amazingly good at helping to get fixed.

kathy a. said...

((( jeni )))

and sue -- oh my. another dreaded family thing. woo. it could well be that stepmom thinks you are the perfect solution, and stepsis does not. [dysfunction runs all kinds of directions!]

poor mini!

AW/W: my son's applying for a new job, one closer to his home, better pay and benefits, it's a funded thing that will last a couple of years, he'd learn new skills. and so he came home last night, needing his resume, which i kept; and needing a computer, which we have. and lo, there were problems with his email, problems with formatting, and he didn't allow much time before he needed to be someplace, and yelling ensued. i.do.not.do.yelling.well.

Liz Miller said...

Aaaaggghhhh!!! My head itches where the sutures were and it hurts mightily to scratch.

kathy a. said...

and oh, days -- my sister's debit was hacked recently, too. what a mess. she only found out when she tried to use it. they think her info was stolen via a fake front on the card-reader at the gas station, and by the time she found out, there were a bunch of charges.

my credit card info was stolen a couple years ago, and i found out the hard way, too. so i called MC, and THEN they told me about the tickets someone tried to buy for flights to the middle east, and etc. MC basically closed the investigation when it sent me a new card. the local police [where i was when the info was stolen] said they had a couple other complaints, but they were focused on a business i had not visited. some months later, the bookstore at my daughter's U told all its customers about a credit card theft scheme, so i guess that is where it happened. frustrating.

kathy a. said...

oh, no, liz! neosporin ointment, pain/itch relief version might help; it has a little topical anesthetic. ice? or frozen peas in a baggie? i swear, all the cool kids with head injuries go with the peas.

Sue said...

Liz - sorry about the itchies. Ick. And yes, I'm definitely busy the weekend of The Wedding Behind Door Number 4. Kathy, you may be right. It may be that stepmom is keen on the church wedding thing, doubtful that stepsis has even thought about it. Either way - I'm busy.

Actually, it's not far from the truth. I have to be in Minneapolis two days after the wedding date and I can't leave hubby at home for long periods of time. He's independent, but gets horribly bored (because I'm so, you know, exciting....) and misses me.

kathy a. said...

liz -- bactine! it is antibacterial and has a topical anesthetic, and isn't as goopy as the neosporin. i'm shocked that i have none in the house, because it saved my life with things like mosquito bites. [to which i react badly.]

Madeleine said...

There's a fly in my office. It got in yesterday, but I was hoping it had expired overnight. Alas. Still zooming.

kathy a., I'll have to look for bactine. That sounds very good. I use my mega-steroid allergy cream on mosquito bites, but a bit of anesthetic might be a better choice. Particularly for other family members who I am probably not meant to share my prescription with.

purple_kangaroo said...

Elected officials might be able to help unless the FDIC is involved, and they've taken over your loan because they shut down your bank. Even elected officials don't seem to be able to do anything about that, as we're finding out.

Did you know that if the FDIC shuts down your bank, they can foreclose on your loan even if you've been faithfully making all your payments on time and 100% meeting your obligations regarding the terms of the loan?

They can jack up your interest rates, declare the loan a toxic asset to keep any other bank from taking it on, insist on full payment of the entire loan amount plus exorbitant interest immediately (in addition to taking the property the loan was taken out on), and then sue you for more than the amount of the original loan. My parents are dealing with this right now, along with many other loanholders around the country, because the FDIC took over the bank their loan was through and in this economy the actual value of the property is worth less than the amount of the loan.

The clincher is that the FDIC has turned down all offers from the lonaholders or outside investors to buy the loans or the property at prices currently above market value, has refused to work with the loanholders to let them make payments to pay them off in full over several years, get investors to take over the loans, etc, and turned around to sell the loans at pennies on the dollar (at prices less than what the loanholders and investors were offering) to their buddies at Multibank that the FDIC generously extended an interest-free loan to with a guarantee that the Multibank people will be able to make a specific amount of (humongous) profit on the loans.

The property itself is being taken by the loanholders and sold at extremely low prices to a specific developer (who is closely connected to the FDIC and the loan company also), who will turn around and make a huge profit on that also, while they're coming after the loan holders for the difference.

Meanwhile, people wonder why our economy is tanking and businesses can't afford to hire employees. They're killing the small business owners, that's why.

I guess that's my vent/whine for the day.

purple_kangaroo said...

(And let me just clarify that I'm fully aware this is not the *only* reason we're having problems with the economy. But it doesn't help. And it makes me really mad to see so many good, ethical small business owners being driven out of business when they didn't do anything wrong and never missed a payment.)

Liz Miller said...

P_K, I'm assuming you've called your parent's Congressperson and Senator. Call them again and ask to speak to their constituent services aide. Lay it out for the aide just like you did here, and see if they can get some movement on it. Often if you have a plan of action that just needs someone to listen and react to make it work, you can get the constituent services aide to get that done.

kathy a. said...

you might also check with the state attorney general's office; many have a consumer protection division. there could be other state agencies that might help. and local officials, too, may have gotten enough calls that they have some resources at hand. obviously, your parents are not the only innocent victims of this kind of misconduct.

the bank must have had serious problems for FDIC to be involved. but that's no reason to punish consumers who have always met their obligations. something is wrong here.

purple_kangaroo said...

Oh, that's being done. Lawyers are involved too, but there doesn't seem to be much they can do.

They've gone to the congresspeople, the representatives, and the governors. Our senator had a meeting with a bunch of the small business owners here a week or two ago and is going to meet with the FDIC people soon.

She kept saying things like, "This is a travesty!" and took more than her scheduled amount of time with them. But she warned the business owners that she probably will not be able to do much for them, although she'll try. What she *may* be able to do is try to get some laws passed or changed to stop this from happening to others in the future. But we've been warned that it will most likely be too late for people like my parents.

Currently I'm working on trying to track down whether the local homebuilder's association or someone has a clear summary of events or some sort of "talking points" resource that I can use in writing letters, blog posts, etc. and resources to refer people to for more information. I'm calling around to other associations, too, because this is happening all over the nation. Wish me luck at finding the information and resources I need. :)

purple_kangaroo said...

Thanks for the ideas, Liz and Kathy. I hadn't thought of state attorney general. Will try that.

purple_kangaroo said...

Margalit, that sounds similar to Raynaud's. This type of weather is HORRIBLE for circulation or neuropathy issues. Hugs.

Liz, I hope your head heals up very quickly. Meanwhile, ice or frozen peas sounds like a good idea. Or what about that numbing spray--Dermoplast or something like that?

Sue, I'm sure any pixies would be happy to have you schedule a visit which would just happen to coincide with the wedding. :)

Liz Miller said...

Sue, what PK said.

Surely there are sights in DC you'd like to visit? I live not 10 minutes from the airport!

Sue said...

Thanks to PK and all the pixies. It's good to know I have pixie power on my side!!!

esperanza said...

Liz, Mini is taking amoxicillin. That was my initial thought, but I have been assured by two doctors that if it were a penicillin reaction, it would happen immediately rather than a week later. I'm not totally persuaded. Tomorrow is the last day of the medicine, so we'll see what happens. In the meantime, working on laundry soap/bath soap angle and trying not to give her any new foods. Another possibility is just an overtaxed immune system--she's been sick/recuperating for almost three weeks now.

There was the perfect storm with the after school program today...my assistant was in the ER w/her MIL, one of my students broke her arm, I was sooooo hungry, and *shudder* craft project.

kathy a. said...

esperanza, you're probably right all around. she's overtaxed, and more sensitive because of that.

purple_kangaroo said...

Esperanza, I know a bit (!!) about allergies. Allergic reactions can develop at any time. It could be the amoxicillin (says someone who gets giant hives from anything that ends in "cillin"). I think my allergy developed several days or a week into taking it the first time around.

Unknown said...

Wanna hear another travesty, this one concerning HippAA? iN ORDER TO GET FOOD STAMPS, WHICH WE really NEED, we have to show proof of medical expenses from CVS, our regular pharmacy. Except, CVS refuses to give me proof of payments because:

My current address is not the same as the address they have.

I am homeless and do not have a permanent address.

They are not allowed by law to fax anything anywhere except another CVS.

Even though I ONLY want the amount spent so far this year they would not devulge it to me, saying it was against company policy and the law.

Note, I DO NOT want any medical info, only financial.

They will not release this info without two picture IDs with the address they believe I live, but that house address no longer exists. So I cannot get this information under ANY circumstances.

i HATE CVS. HATE THEM.

esperanza said...

Thanks, p_k, I was hoping you might have some input.

AW: Wednesday is almost over. (yes, I realize this is almost as pathetic as "I haven't barked yet" but I'm grasping for antiwhines here).

esperanza said...

I also meant to say Madeleine should win an Old Skool award for the fly in the office. Too bad you're hosting this week, because that is a darn good one.

kathy a. said...

AW: my cousin's kids are selling campfire girl candy! it's not GS cookies, but i think mint patties are a reasonable winter alternative, don't you?

AW: a few favorite relatives are coming over for "boxing day," a holiday we wretched americans don't usually celebrate, but who doesn't need an extra holiday?

purple_kangaroo said...

Margalit, is there someone at a different CVS who might be willing to help you get the info?

Sarah at ratatat said...

Wow what a week.

Liz - hope you are recovering nicely and the frozen peas helps.

Esperanza - perhaps the wedding can feel like visiting another country - with crazy rich people in it. You'll do great -and so glad the talking is coming easier.

Margalit - oh no. What a mess.

Sue - wow, stepfamily is just amazing. Channel busy busy busy. And get well, so you're reflexes are fast enough to avoid any trickery :)

KathyA - hope the interview/job goes better than the resume writing. And glad your family event wasn't horrid.

Days - how frustrating. And scary. Hope you stay feeling well even if your bank account has taken a beating.

Hugs for Jeni and Flutterbye and Neighbor Lady.

PK - how frustrating.

Madeleine - happy raking. And it is so dark so early. I cannot move any further north.

Whine/Anti-whine: Job interview went OK. Supposed to find out by the end of the week if there will be an offer or another interview or maybe a polite sorry. Suspense is killing me.

Whine: Had three long days of meetings at my current job. My three kids were discombobulated by my absences. Lots of tears in the days after - worries/upsets that had been hidden from their father and grandparents.

AW: At least I not looking for full time right now.

purple_kangaroo said...

Ugh, Margalit! Sounds like a job for the cluestick posse.

Antiwhine: I did some searching around and found a few bloggers, financial advisers, etc. who have been writing extensively about the FDIC back room sweetheart deals and how it's set up so that the investors profit far more from foreclosing than from working with the borrowers. Got in touch with someone who seems quite knowledgeable and is interested in our case and those of other local borrowers.

Antiwhine #2: Pain levels are far lower than they were yesterday, which means my brain actually has some level of functionality today.

Days said...

Oh, wow. So many very worthy whines.

((PK))(And a cluestick for the aggravating parties) and ((margalit)) and ((miniBaboo))

Fingers crossed for positive news for you, Sarah.

Fresh cookies for everyone dealing with the onslaught of family drama.

I've only ever been on the other side of the quadruple marriage situation(ie. a beloved family member marrying someone with 4 ex-spouses, in which case the ceremony was lovely and much better attended by one side of the family), but I'm sure I'd be unchangeably busy that weekend, Sue.

W: Chemo drugs got delivered to my house today for a Sunday start.

AW: Bank drama was non-existent. The branch manager had sorted out the essentials within a matter of minutes. I have one shiny new card and hubby has promised to deal with the rest of it.

Sue said...

(((Days))) - continued good thoughts for the next chemo.

Crossed fingers for you Sarah!!!

Anti-whine: Y'all have convinced me - I am SO very busy that weekend I can hardly describe it! :)

Anti-whine: Feeling much better tonight. No spins. No barks. Just the headache, and even that isn't unbearable. Much better than the past week has been.

esperanza said...

It is 11:47 pm, Central Standard Time, and both Baboos are awake and unhappy. Sweet has been awake for two hours. Mini is quieting, I think/hope. Mr. E keeps asking, "what's wrong?" sleepily.

Esperanza is mighty whiny about the whole situation.

amy said...

I like Sarah's suggestion for esperanza and the wedding. The situation might even be improved by the fact that she won't know anyone. I think if I had to go and take the kids, I'd pretend it was a big fancy dinner date with my little ones. Like a giant tea party. And then I'd spend the whole time with the kids talking about Teh Fancy and dancing on the corner of the dance floor closest to our table. Esperanza, I know it won't be an entirely enjoyable event, but I hope it's not terrible.

I'd like to nominate a Hero award to Days' husband for handling the remainder of the banking issue, because really -- having to start chemo *and* deal with the bank? That's an insult and injury sandwich. (Much love to you, Days. I hope this round of chemo is not too hard on you.)

margalit, I do not even understand how they can restrict that info to you. When tax time comes, don't pharmacies offer a form that tells you how much you've spent on medicine so you can claim it on your taxes? Don't quote me on that, because I really don't know. It just feels like I've seen that kind of thing before, but it might have been my Health Savings Account. Not sure. I'm sure you've already told the office that issues the food stamps about what CVS said, but surely they can confirm that it is not against the law. You should have every right to that info, so if you sign off on it, it should be made available to you. Makes me wonder if the person you spoke to at CVS is seriously confused.

amy said...

Sarah, I'm glad your interview went okay. I hope you get some good news soon!

My interview went decently, too. Well, more or less. I had several goals, and I fairly met all of them. I have Panic Disorder, and the last time I interviewed (four years ago), I had a panic attack so severe that I don't recall most of the details of the interview and the following few days. This time, I wanted to get through it without a panic (I did) and without making an a$$ of myself because I was interviewing with people I currently work with and for as a part-timer (I did, I think). Extra bonus: I got to end with my teaching demo, and they liked it! It was good experience, so even if I don't get the job, I'll be so much more ready for the next time. I should hear back by the start of next week either way, and I'll be sure to bring the info to you, Pixies. You've been so supportive!

I am grateful that we've been able to survive this long without me being full-time, so even though I would love to wait another year before starting to work full-time, I will probably take this as a launching point and start looking for full-time job postings to apply to. Tater is 2 now, and he does not have the issues the Tot had when she was 2, so really he's fine for me to put him in care for more hours. I feel very blessed for this.

I do have one work-related whine, though. I have had to send two students (from my one class of 17 students) to the Chair of the Department for discipline issues. Why does this have to happen right now while they are considering me for a full-time position? I mean, really? *This week*? Oy.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Amy - lots of luck. I hate thinking of job interviews as practices, but at least some good and all that. But I bet you wowed them.

Esperanza - I hope everyone slept late today and sleep is on a better track for tonight. I was one of those "I love being unscheduled" moms the first time and yet when my oldest was awake after ~10, I started to have this twitch. Is this all tied to illness? Get to sleep well soon.

esperanza said...

So if I'm understanding y'all right, we should treat Fancy Pants Wedding similarly to a trip to the zoo? Look at the exotic creatures over there, kids!

And my overnight whine is even whinier. Sweet was awake from 10-12:30; Mini from 12:15 to 2:45. Leaving me with 3 1/2 hours of sleep. No sleeping in, because Sweet had an evaluation at the physical therapy place first thing this morning, in a town an hour away. Ugh.

kathy a. said...

~snort~ esperanza for mullet, for the "zoo" sum-up! hope everybody gets a nap.

sarah and amy -- crossing fingers!

((( days ))) glad the bank stuff is working out. and best with the chemo. xoxo

Liz Miller said...

Esperanza, here's what my husband and I did around MM's sleep stuff when he was younger.

If MM woke up between bedtime and 2:00 AM, my husband got up with him, because he could sleep later than I could.

From 2:00 AM on, I got up with MM, because I could always head into work early.

If MM had woken earlier but was still awake at two, MS would wake me and I would take over.

If that sort of schedule works for you guys, I highly recommend it.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Oh Esperanza. Having been enjoying the absolute wondrous of melatonin on my 9 and 6 year old, if this continue, I would ask the doctor if you could try it on Sweet, at least.
And sort of like the zoo, just in less comfy clothing.

And second interview Monday. Thanks for all of the crossed fingers and such. You must all be so cramped.

purple_kangaroo said...

Epizo0tic r@bbit enterop@thy. We probably picked it up at a show, from what I'm hearing in the community. Three of M&M's special pet's litter died today, and I'm not sure if the rest of the litter or the mom are going to make it.

Plus, the vet prescribed the wrong thing. But she did identify the bacteria involved, so that at least gives us more information.

purple_kangaroo said...

((days))

((pixies))

Liz Miller said...

((PK)) you did not need that on top of everything else.

Liz Miller said...

My head is itchy
A classic sign of healing
I try not to scratch

kathy a. said...

liz for style!

((( PK )))

had a conference call at 8:30 a.m., before the coffee was fully working, even, but it went well. and now i have this powerful urge to call it a day. must.fight.urge.

Madeleine said...

Hi Pixies. Awards eventually. Trying to choose how to spend my afternoon, with choices of important work that's been giving me heartburn all week but that I have yet to really start, or trying to snag a fancy new phone that the store told me they'd probably get a batch of today. The phone will probably win.

Madeleine said...

Overprivileged whine: I was lied to! Lies, lies, lies, I tell you. They have no idea when they will get more fancy phones. I will live.

Madeleine said...

Also, I figured out that the reason I don't want to write the report that is giving me heartburn is that a couple of things to be reported on need doing first. (This is that big project I am so proud of except it isn't just right yet. But it got closer this week, just a few things left to do. Including announce it.) So I fired off a "Final push!" email to the people who can help me. And there's a part I can do over the weekend which is a little less dreadful than writing the report but will help. So. I should be feeling better soonish.

purple_kangaroo said...

((Madeleine))

None of the baby rabbits made it. We're hoping to be able to save the mom at this point.

Madeleine said...

Oh, PK, I'm so sorry. That must be devastating for the kids and for you.

Days said...

((PK)) So sorry to hear that.

Sue said...

((((PK)))))