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Monday, December 3, 2012

Random bullet points

  • Down, dooby-do, down down.  A third big storm within 5 days blew through this weekend, with wind and 4 inches of rain.  Some trees in my town fell over.  An underground creek (it runs through a culvert) was so swollen that it blew through a metal cover on one street and flooded the vicinity.  Whee!    
  • Then all the clouds left, and it was a glorious sunny afternoon on Sunday.
  •  
  • My stupid internet went out for a good number of hours, and I had to go to the $t@rbuck$ to check my email.  Which is invariably the prompt for the internet to fix itself.
  •  
  • Somebody attempted to trash me and another person in a professional internet setting.  Got supportive emails!  (If that group gave out j@ck@$$ awards, I would not be a nominee; the other target and I were rational, ever so polite, and our comments were generic rather than personal.)  Cheers to the admin, who put the kibosh on the ugly and misguided.
  •  
  •   Stocking project report:  snowman with guitar; dog with santa hat; japanese doll; underwater scene; fox; stars of david falling like snowflakes; jack-o-lanterns arranged like a snowman; cactus; and the flying pig and the owl.  Nobody is going to need a nametag...  We'll make a few more for donations -- got ideas? 
  •  I'm not really a fish person, but had this wild idea for a stocking, so that one is mine.  Maybe I'll add a cat paw dipping in from the top.  ;)
  •  
  • I swear I'm going to cross a dozen things off the to do list today.
What's happening with you?

34 comments:

Liz Miller said...

Seventeen. DOZEN. Chocolates.

kathy a. said...

go, LIZ!!

Liz Miller said...

And Kathy, I'm so proud of you for maintaining your dignity and decorum in the face of being trolled. I know you can't send out a cluestick posse on your own whine, but I can do it for you. My cluestick is on my saddle, and I'm mounted on my pony.

kathy a. said...

Thanks! My comments and those of a colleague were essentially a (polite and professional, and necessary) cluesticking; the trashing was the response. C'est la vie.

esperanza said...

Hooray for being the grownups.

And 17 dozen. That's a lot of candy. I'm going to be a candy making machine this week, but I don't think I'll have that much.

AW: Sweet's appointment went well, traffic was much better than anticipated (hooray for HOV lanes), new braces are good, doctor was pleased, come back in 4 months.

W: Her pee looked a little funky this morning. And at lunchtime. On our way home, it was pretty much bloody. YIKES. Called pediatrician. If we could get there before closing time, bring her in. We managed 5 minutes to spare, but she wouldn't pee in the cup. So we have a spiffy specimen collection cup at home and will take the sample tomorrow. He will see her in the morning. I'm duct taping the computer closed to stay away from Dr. Google. It's kind of freaking me out.

kathy a. said...

if you still have a little potty around (the kind with a pan to collect), this would be a good time to use it! xoxo

esperanza said...

Nope, doc says that's not ok, because little potty basin is not sterile. I've asked before. Dammit. So we're reduced to balancing on the potty, trying not to touch her bottom with the cup, and getting enough pee in it. I don't even care if she pees on me. Ugh.

kathy a. said...

You win the week. xoxo

JenR said...

esperanza - you know those "hats" they have at the hospital that sit on the toilet and cover the whole hole? Maybe your lab has one of those you could use? I imagine they come in sterile packaging.

Sue said...

Hugs for Sweet and esperanza. xoxo

17 dozen chocolates wins something everytime.

Yay kathy for being the grownup and for dealing with difficult people so well.

I love the idea of the fish/cat paw stocking!!

W: One of my favourite matriarchs died on Sunday. She was 90. She was like a grandmother to me and I will miss her terribly, but I'm also glad that she never lost her dignity and lived on her own until just a few months ago.

AW: I had 11 wonderful years of knowing her.

esperanza said...

Pee pee collection went smoothly this morning. UTI. Antibiotics, and drink a lot. That's the hardest part.

kathy a. said...

crossing fingers, esperanza.

hi,jen!

sue, i'm so sorry about the loss of your friend. how amazing that she lived such a full life!

kathy a. said...

Friend of the WW blog, YT, sounded the alert: thanks to the "nay" votes of 38 insane senators, the US has failed to ratify an international treaty to protect the rights of disabled persons. This treaty is based on the US ADA -- something already law in our country. I do not even know how to express my fury and dismay.

Sarah said...

Esperanza - oh poor sweet!

KathyA - sometimes the internet seems too wild west, and sometimes I think it has nice karmic balance. Glad the trolls were sent back under the bridge.

Liz -Wow!

Sue - so sorry. Hugs.

AW: I don't feel horrible. Antibiotics work. My 4 year old got it. And my ex has something, but it keeps running negative on the strep test and poor him. Cause ugh.

W: Sometimes I want things to happen really fast. And they don't.

Kathy those stockings are just making smile =)

kathy a. said...

sarah -- so glad you are feeling better! hard to be patient when you want something right.now.

esperanza said...

My To-Do list is subdivided into Tasks I Can Do While Baboos are Present (laundry, cooking, dishes, cleaning, etc); and Tasks That Must Wait Until They are Absent/Asleep (candy making; crafty business, sermon writing; thinking a complete thought, etc). The current list is too heavily weighted toward the second category. Hmm.

Liz Miller said...

I'm having the horrible feeling that 17 dozen chocolates may not have been enough.

kathy a. said...

i know -- esperanza's rent-a-baboo service, guaranteed to bring a smile to all the pixies who miss the little ones. win-win!

mmmm. more chocolate?

i'm trying to process something that happened. the first part of it is 100% great -- my sister has no signs of the aggressive breast cancer with which she was diagnosed 4 years ago. YAY!

and then she did something astonishing -- apologized to me and the sibs for being so ugly to us. (yes, she truly was. i have not been permitted to so much as ask about the cancer.)

so, this unexpected -- unprecedented -- apology is something. maybe a step? but i am so wary of jumping in with both feet. there was a lot of ugly for many years before the cancer, too -- just horrible nastygrams in the night; a couple years of not speaking to me after an incident with her ex (yeah, this confused me, too); the time she had an unjutified snit and stormed out in front of another sister's new in-laws; etc. ad nauseum.

anyway, i'm full of wonder, a sigh of relief, but still cautious. tigers, stripes; leopards, spots.

debangel said...

Kathy, I'm pretty sure Liz and I can get matching mounts and cluesticks. Just give the word, and we'll ride!!

Great news about your sister's lack-of-cancer, and gaining-of-humility. Maybe she can be one of those "ligers", the lion-and-tiger cross. Proceed with caution, but maybe proceeding at all will be healing for both of you.

Esperanza..I think you need some of those chocolate truffles! Let's stand downwind of Liz and try and get a contact high ;-) Glad Sweet is feeling better, and hope your heart isn't still pounding from seeing bloody pee. (If it is, see: Contact High)

Sue: ((bigsqueezyhugs)) So sorry about your friend.

Sarah- glad you're feeling better! Good things come to those who wait. Unless you're waiting for chocolate. That, you should get immediately. That's my professional opinion ;)

Speaking of professional opinions..I yielded to the Pixies' overwhelming votes of "TAKE CARE OF IT NOW" and scheduled my surgery for 1/17/'13. My SIL/bestie will be out of town, but Moose is flying back home from TX (he's on business there from Jan-Feb, 10 days on, 4 off) for it.

Whine: YIPE YIPE YIPE I hate doctor's visits, I have hospital PTSD from taking care of my mom's end-of-life stuff, and my butt doesn't work the whole backless-gown look.

Antiwhine: I has insurance. GREAT insurance. So should shut up and be grateful! (But, YIPE!)

Whine: I basically have no legal recourse for Arianna to continue contact with her beloved DaddyMoose should I pre-decease my horrible ex. Trying *very* hard not to freak out that I might have uterine cancer and not just innocent benign Penelope Polyp.

Antiwhine: *All* of my family and friends have said that they will fight Ex in court and make his life less than pleasant if he doesn't do the honorable thing and keep Arianna's best interests in mind.

Whine: I am probably making a mountain out of a molehill. Apologies for Teh Drama.

Antiwhine: You really learn who has your back when you're worried and scared and need help. I am a really, really lucky duck.

Off to go make more Elvis Dog Treats (Peanut butter, bacon and honey. They smell gooooood.) Any Pixie pups need treats?

Liz Miller said...

(((DebAngel)))

I have an ultrasound scheduled for my ovaries on Dec 17. to check to see if I'm rockin' something other than peri-men. Getting my mammogram done the same day at the same place. I am nothing if not efficient.

debangel said...

(((Liz))

Srsly, why can't we live closer? We could totally have just made a spa day out of it or something, LOL.

Laydeez, you *do* know how to practice for a mammogram, right? Remove shirt and bar, open refrigerator door. Insert breast, close door, and hold still for 15 seconds. Repeat process for other breast.

Bonus: explain process to your romantic partner and get sympathy chocolates.

kathy a. said...

woof, woof!!! say buddy and cora.

(((((((( debangel )))))))) listen up sister -- this thing is going to be unpleasant, yes it is. but you will be fine. and you know who has your back. xoxo

much love and sympathy on the stupid jerkfaced ex. i hope that he will come to see that it is GOOD for his daughter to be connected to people who love her. we can hope for some grace to befall a person. it IS in little sister's best interests to have contact with her one and only big sis.

meanwhile, the posse is all over it.

kathy a. said...

((( liz )))

kathy a. said...

thankfully, ultrasounds are non-invasive and non-squashing of the delicates. but no downside to having lots of good pixie wishes all around, where this kinda stuff is concerned. xoxo

Liz Miller said...

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be having the lovely and always popular trans-vaginal ultra-sound of recent fame.

AKA the dildo cam.

DebAngel, am I right?

debangel said...

Liz, my Moose referred to it as "the rod ride".

Alas, I am a gently-reared flower, and did not comment. Probably because I was LAUGHING MY BUTT OFF.

Anonymous said...

Debangel,
Are those treats really only for dogs??? They sound pretty yummy to ME! Is that bad?

Hugs to liz and debangel on the lady bits stuff. Never pleasant.

And kudos to everyone making homemade stuff for gifts....hats off to you!

Sorry for shortened hellos, but MIL coming in to town tonight. Must go clean a bit more.
Love to all the pixies!

--Neighbor Lady

kathy a. said...

omg. we need a lot more chocolate around here, stat.

i'm such a doofus that i did not even get that joke before, deb. in its medical context.

it goes without saying that prizes are deferred for a while, while we recover from the vapors. your host has spent too much time thinking about stockings, but the medical maladies one is best left uncrafted.

kathy a. said...

NL! dim lights are key. there is no stopping her if she is set on fixing the silverware drawer, so you may as well leave that a mess. as we say, better the silverware drawer than the underwear drawer!

Sarah said...

Laughing at better the silverware drawer than the underwear....don't you have children's cheeks she can pinch, NL?

Hugs to Debangel and Liz. It'll be OK, it'll be OK, but it's still scary as all can be until it's over. Very efficient Liz! And hard not to think about those worst cases, Deb.

All this talk of chocolate is making me hungry.

AW: I still really like the new guy. I think I might have to talk to my soon-to-be-Ex about having him meet the kids after the holidays. And get on the stick to figuring out how to get divorced for real. (It's the health insurance as a hold up.) I love how things that feel insurmountable feels doable after the next turn in the road.

esperanza said...

In my experienced opinion, Liz, you are correct. It will be the internal version if they want to see the adorable ovaries.

Chocolates that make themselves! for everyone!

W: internet is wonky here. No internet all day, until it mysteriously started working tonight.

AW: Hubby's trading in the modem for a new one in the morning.

Miranda said...

One day I will have all three of of my offspring like me at the same time. In the meantime, Tween Son is sweet enough to compensate for Teen Daughter and Young Adult Son. Who are actually not so bad but my youngest has been exceptionally kind of late.

I had the rod ride a year ago. It was by far not the worst test I underwent before my hysterectomy. It will be okay Liz.

Sarah I too am paralyzed about doing the actual divorce. I resent the time and money that will go into it.

Kathy A I understand feeling wary about apologies of that nature.

Sue said...

kathy - yay for sister's humility and steps toward healing. If I were in your place, I too would tread with some caution, but it's a start, yes?

Hugs, hugs, hugs and (of course) chocolate to all the pixies looking at *ahem* sensitive procedures. Good preventative screening and follow-up is a very good thing.

More hugs for all pixies dealing with either past, present or future ex-es and the hurts that go along with it.

AW: It's been one of those weeks when I'm reminded of why I do this work. Profound moment at one of the local long-term care homes.

W: Not enough hours in the day. Ah, 'twas ever thus.

kathy a. said...

sue -- go, you! i'm glad you are bringing comfort.

my sib occupies roughly the slot in my life that your difficult step-mother does for you. except she has been family virtually my whole life, and we once were close. lotta baggage there. but it is a step, and gotta be grateful for that. (not enough to make her a FB friend. distance remains a good thing.)