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Monday, March 14, 2011

The Universe Is On Notice

Hi Pixies -

I am typing this with three dogs under my desk. They add up to 225ish pounds of canine, so we are lucky I can reach the keyboard at this point.

Last week was a busy one at the Whining Carnival, and the Teh Universe is on notice that the Cluestick Posse is saddling up. Hopefully things have mellowed a bit, as we begin this next week.

My no-good-very-bad week was largely redeemed by a good weekend: two great hikes, two German Chocolate Cakes, and a three generation family party at my house that was delightfully a an AW (not the W some may have feared).

What are things like for you this week, Pixies?

37 comments:

Liz Miller said...

Excellent weekend past, horrific work week future.

Birthday on Friday. I will be the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything.

I can't wait!

kathy a. said...

happy birthday in advance, liz!

i've got jury duty.

Sue said...

Yay redzils for chocolate cake!!!!

An early happy Birthday to Liz!

kathy a - ew. Jury duty. Just ew. Are you already a definite juror, or is this the selection process. I'm pretty sure you could get out of by saying you've got an Expert Posse of Cluestick Pixies coming to fix the Universe. Just sayin...

AW: A week from now I'll be having my neck and head filled up with cortisone!!! Yay!!!!

Liz Miller said...

I love jury duty. Time to read, time to knit. But here in VA, you "serve jury duty" by calling the night before and finding out if they need you. Which, ugh. All the obnoxiousness of having to arrange possible time off, with none of the benefits of actually GETTING the time off.

kathy a. said...

i had to go in for jury selection. so far, 2.5 hours of sitting in the ugliest municipal room you ever saw. snuck home for lunch. i'm sure i won't be selected [between my job and my husband's], but need to show up when they tell me to.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Liz!
And maybe some chocolate for you for your birthday, and some for kathy a. to pass the time in the selection pool, and for Sue for her head and for all of the pixies just because....

:)Neighbor Lady

JenR said...

Our condo goes on the market this week. Now that we're done with all the work, I'm impatient. I want to move now. I have a feeling it will drag on for months.

Sue said...

Oh JenR, I hope it moves quickly along.

Not Much of a Whine: School Break. Went to the grocery store to get a few things (I despise grocery stores, so going there was in fact a Herculian task in itself) - only to find that it is SCHOOL BREAK week.

Aaaaaaaaaaackkkk.

So many chocolate bar tempatations at the checkout, so many whining children who want them.

Wah. :)

Days said...

Happy be-earlied birthday, Liz. I have some pre-birthday cake in my kitchen, if you so desire.

Jury duty. Yuck.

JenR - good luck!

W: Kids off school, hubby at work, in-laws on vacation and tomorrow's a chemo day.

AW: Stash of junk food, movies and new books is ready to go for "Operation sit on the couch and do not much of anything all week."

AW: Chemo is (unofficially, until the final pathology report comes in) doing its job, according to my Onc, who says I have the least amount of active cancer since diagnosis, so the feeling like pook all the time is worth it.

W: Feeling like pook all the time makes me miss the Whiner's ball every week.

kathy a. said...

crossing fingers, jenr!

sue for old skool!

YAY, days! not the feeling crappy part, but that it is working!

esperanza said...

whew, pixies.

The Baboos and I, along with Cousin Baboo are at the grandparents' house while our kitchen is getting worked on. Or, technically (W alert) while our kitchen is just sitting there, with its countertops removed. I'm too tired to whine in detail, just suffice it to say that what usually happens with these things happened...not as quickly as promised, not in the way it was promised, etc. Sigh. It *might* have running water hooked up by Friday.

W: I'm already ready to be back home.

W: Cousin Baboo is super high energy. My baboos are not sleeping well, nor enough. I'm sure you can do the math. Esperanza is wiped out.

AW: sprained ankle is better. Sweet is continuing to make amazing progress daily. Mini is talking and walking like crazy. We have a place to camp out during the messy kitchen.

Good to catch up with you all. Days, I'm sorry for the ick and ensuing complications, but yippee that it's working. NL, thanks for the chocolate. We need it around here.

esperanza said...

On top of that, Universe:
I just got a new cell phone. It doesn't work. Like the phone buttons, keyboard, etc. Doesn't work. Do I have time/energy to return the thing? No. Maybe if I took all three baboos with me, they would help me quickly?

kathy a. said...

esperanza, you might also have to yell and get someone's attention, but i promise they will want y'all out of their store.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Esperanza - perhaps you can call the phone company and see if they can mail you one and have you mail back the defective on. When they balk, you could explain the need to take the children with you :) And good luck with the kitchen.

Days - chemo working is terrific news. Stay strong. Or whine a lot - all OK.

Liz - happy birthday soon!

Sue - cortisone shots in your head sound painful, but not as bad as teh headaches.

KathyA - I feel like a scofflaw for never having been picked for jury duty.

JenR - crossing my fingers for fast action on the condo.

AW mostly - my brother, of the ongoing saga with his wife and her cheating and the depression, is getting a divorce on Wednesday. And moving in with a new girlfriend on Saturday. Of cluestick posse universe, ignore my doubt and make this work. May the era of multiple daily phone calls be over.

AW: my daughter was in the school talent show this weekend. And was great. Not nervous. Public speaking was never a trigger for her anxiety, but I think the z**ft was a nice safety.

Liz Miller said...

Days, I'm sorry you're feeling like pook, but so happy that the Chemo is working.

Sue, may the week go quickly.

Esperanza, what Sarah said.

JenR, sending hopeful thoughts out to the condo buying universe.

Sarah, may the relationship gods be with your brother.

Sue said...

Yay Days for the days of feeling like pook being worth it!!! Whine away any chance you get. That's what we're here for.

Sarah at ratat: Sorry to hear about your brother's troubles, but glad to hear that your daughter's anxiety is improving. Like I always say, better living with chemistry - those little tablets are like tow-trucks pulling us out of Anxiety-ville.

esperanza - ick re: the phone and sleep-deprivation. Boo!!! I'm glad the ankle is healing up though.

I will nominate myself for the Most Obnoxious First-world Whine of the week: I left my ipod at home, so if I go to work out after the work day is over, it will be minus tuneage. See? I told you it was lame....

kathy a. said...

sue, we'll be humming along with you. ;)

esperanza said...

Sue, that's tragic.

Sarah gets some sort of award for using the word "scofflaw."

The phone whine just gets looonnnngggerr. I was on their doorstep when they opened this morning (alone), and they quite happily gave me a new phone. Said new phone functioned perfectly for a few hours and then had the very same malfunction as phone #1. I returned to the store, whereupon phone #2 worked perfectly. Argh. As events and sleep deprivation and etc were piling up on my wearied introverted spirit, I elected to return phone #2, get my money back, and just keep the phone I have for the time being. I couldn't cope with anything else.

Also? The haircut person *forgot* my hair appointment.

Nothing but a whiny day around here.

Sue said...

Cluestick for the hairperson who "forgot" an appointment???!!!!

I agree re: "scofflaw" - no question but that this one is award worthy.

W: Got an email from our music director yesterday. She's in Arizona and says the heat wave is so bad she had to come inside to cool off. ~rolls eyes~ Wah. We still have two inches of ugly snow left. (By this time of the year, it is no longer pretty white Xmas snow, it is covered in road-sand and ick and late-fall dog pook left behind by owners who didn't bother to pick it up. (Uh, hey buddy, two words: By. Laws.) Ya. As you can see, her heat wave broke my heart. That would be my cold heart.

W: Breakfast meeting. Two words that ought never be uttered in the same sentence, and yet, here I go.... again.

kathy a. said...

love "scofflaw"! but just to clarify, you are not a scofflaw if you follow the instructions and don't get picked -- that makes you a "patriotic citizen who did her/his duty."

AW: good meeting this morning -- there were some worrisome issues that worked out fine. and ZING, a very weird question from left field, which also worked out, whew.

interesting marital observation: pook patrol is MUCH more important when it is my job, rather than someone else's.

W: my stepsister, whom i do not know well but things are cordial, is losing her battle with a bunch of things and is not expected to last the week. she is supposed to be sending a goodbye email, which hasn't arrived. i don't know what to do.

AW: daughter's finishing up the term today, home tomorrow for a week!

kathy a. said...

ok, for the fast spin-around -- i called my stepsister to say i've been thinking of her, and now she says her tumor markers are great, she's fine. that's an AW, for sure.

Sue said...

Whew, glad to hear of the AW kathy - that's a biggie.

AW: Actually put my "skool-lernin" to use today. Seriously. Someone in our church is taking a world religions course and came in for some basic info. I actually knew a bunch of stuff without having to refer to books. I sort of strutted out to my car, to be honest...

I should add that on an average day, I don't feel very smart about anything. That's just a "family of origin" issue that isn't going anywhere soon. That's why today was unique.

Therapy session over. How much do I owe y'all?

Days said...

Sue - love that feeling of being the Queen of Nerd-dom.

Cluesticks for appointment-forgetters.

Rained all day but we made it to the park when Daddy came home and the sun came out. Hallelujah, the littlest girl has finally learned to pump her legs and can swing by herself. You may have heard her squeals of delight.

kathy a. said...

days, now that you mention it, i can just picture and hear the triumph of delight!

Sue said...

Oh days!! I love the squeaky sound of a good swing! That made my day - spring is just around the corner!

Liz Miller said...

I'm feeling rather ranty. But it's political ranting, and I did it in other places.

I am so glad to read the last few upbeat comments here. I needed that.

amy said...

I am PMSing the worst PMS I have had in years. I am grumpy, prickly, and unpleasant. To make matters worse, I am mad at my washing machine. When I started the week, I owned two pairs of jeans, one dark blue and one gray. My washing machine has a history of randomly and spontaneously putting rust stains on clothing, but it has been on its best behavior for about a year. So, guess what? I now own only one pair of dark blue jeans because the gray ones have rust streaks in four places.

My husband is a wise man, who knows that the key to surviving me and AF is to throw money and/or chocolate at the problem and/or me and promptly duck behind a heavy piece of furniture. His solutions this week? New Jeans and a New Washer.

But Pixies? I FEEL GROSS! I DON'T WANNA SHOP FOR JEANS THIS WEEK! *stomp* *pout*

I am, however, willing to research a new washer. He and I have been talking about this for a while, so fine -- I can research the front-loader of my dreams. So I started that last night, and guess what, Pixies? My laundry room is too small. No front-loader for me. :(

I need more chocolate.

Sarah at ratatat said...

Amy - it might not work for you in other ways, but have you tried those apartment sized vertical ones? We moved the laundry room (back to the basement) rather than had to think about that. Good luck - that process drove me crazy. And in ~2 weeks, jean shopping might be less annoying. Smart DH!

Esperanza - ugh, what a day. Intermittent tech problems are the worst. And your stylist forget your appointment!?!

Liz - I feel beaten down on politics. Glad you got the rant out somewhere.

Sue - we know you're a smartie, good for you to remember it sometimes.

KathyA - good to hear your stepsister is doing well enough to not send that goodbye letter.

And to clarify, The only time I've been requested to even call in for jury was about 2 weeks after we moved out of that county. So I didn't do it then. Legally. And I've never been asked to even call in or serve or participate in the judicial branch of government... Now I wonder how the feds (US) pick juries.

JenR said...

Amy - I don't know if they make them anymore, but I love our Kenm0re Oasis washer/dryer. Not front-load, but high-efficiency. I believe they are the same size as a standard washer & dryer. Perhaps you could get something like that?
Also, my parents have rust problems occasionally and I believe rust-out makes a product that is safe for laundry. You might be able to save those jeans after all.

amy said...

Thanks, JenR! I have tried Rust Out on other rust stains from this washer, and they don't come out. My washer is nothing if not determined.

After researching front-loaders and talking it over with the husband, I think what we'll get is as high-efficiency a top-loader as we can get and get a front-loader next time. The problems with our laundry room are that it is too shallow and there are cupboards directly above the washer and dryer. It was built to be a mud room, but the previous owner wanted a first floor laundry, so she had it converted. In a future life, I will once again have a basement laundry room, and then I can have the laundry chute I long for as well.

Meanwhile, AF's poor timing means I don't go jeans shopping for a week *and* I had to reschedule my annual lady-bits exam, which was on the calendar for tomorrow. Next available appointment? May 5. Hmph. I R GRUMPY.

kathy a. said...

amy, now you have some un-wreckable jeans for painting, yard work, etc.

sarah -- i got a federal jury summons once, but they were looking at a several month trial (!!!) -- filled out a questionnaire, got excused. don't know if i was excused for hardship or because of the work i do. after the questionnaires, the selection process would have gone the same way as in state court -- they basically want to be sure the jurors don't have a bias about that kind of case, will keep an open mind, etc.

so, daughter's coming home today. overnight, we had 2 bark incidents, pook in the tub, and pee on a mat outside a popular litter box. woo. hoo.

amy said...

I'd like to nominate kathy a. for a Silver Lining Award for pointing out the gray jeans are now un-wreckable yard work jeans. Her comment about the various barks, pooks, and pees reminded me that at least I can wear the jeans. If they had been peed on... Well, let's just say I cannot fathom how much more furious I'd have been at the total loss of the jeans. Thanks, kathy!

Sue said...

Definite Silver Lining Nom for kathy a.

Amy, I say a Lightbulb Idea for hubby for not one, but two, good ideas re: the jeans fiasco. Seriously good thinking on his feet. Sorry you're feeling Teh Grumpy.

I'm bringing Teh Dopey to the party today. I had a rough pain night, so I was still tossing around at 5:00 am. So, I left a message for the secretary and stayed home this morning. I'm awake but left with the standard "day after" feeling of hangover minus the party.

Anyway, my point is that amy has invented TWO NEW DWARVES!!!!! I hearby dub thee Prickly and Unpleasant, the lesser known dwarves....lesser known because that annoyingly cheery Snow White had a habit of taking her AF calmly (I'm sure it was the drugs) and with grace.

We hates us some Snow White. Go with the Prickly and Unpleasant. This too shall pass.
Good luck with the new laundry machine! And the new jeans!

kathy a. said...

at great personal sacrifice, i have dealt with the most obvious hygiene problems, laid in supplies, vacuumed, run laundry, and started the corned beef. i've decided that the things i didn't get to are invisible to younger generations, and therefore do not count.

dwarves!

sarah, i forgot to comment earlier about your brother's situation. can we all agree that it is Not A Good Idea to move directly from a disasterous marriage to living with a new lady friend? oy.

Anonymous said...

Amy,
I'm sure I have seen those jeans (gray with rust colored streaks) for sale for an exhorbitant price at the local [pick your place to buy jeans] right next to the ones with the holes pre-installed! (I sound like a curmudgeon, I know, but seriously, are jeans with holes or rust-streaks only fashionable if we don't make them that way ourselves???) Maybe you can get a fortune for them on e-b@y from someone who is into the current trends!
:)

--Neighbor Lady

p.s. really, I'm not as old as I sound, (just curmudgeonly about this topic---and not very fashionable either--though I do occasionally wear jeans with holes I accidentally added myself) :)

kathy a. said...

neighbor lady for fashionista of the week!

kathy a. said...

happy birthday, liz!!!