Pages

Monday, December 2, 2013

Making things brighter

OK, so, my diva cat.  She likes to be right by the heat vent on my laptop, and then walk at will across the keyboard.  Therefore, I found out that there is a button that makes my screen darker; leading to the discovery that there is another button to make it brighter!  Learn something new every day, right?

Our general household level of angst has dropped dramatically, because the fabulous cousin-in-law is helping offload the Giant Mountain of SIL's Clothing and Crap!  With bonus laughter, and bonding with daughter -- they are collaborating on photos for online sale.

If anybody needs a large slightly menacing glazed ceramic rabbit, or unused red patent-leather leopard-print clogs, or every a mug ever sold by St@rborgs, or the world's ugliest a designer neon green jacket and matching purse [originally $168, price tag included], or an entire knick-knack farm, you know who to ask!  There's more where that came from! 

W:  The dish fairy, she needs to come around.  Also, the vacuum fairy.  Your house, too, possibly.

What's new with you?

79 comments:

Miranda said...

RE: The dish fairy

I was on the phone this morning with my friend whose son was staying with us (Note to pixies: Tween boy sleepovers are much, much less dramatic that tween girl sleepovers) and she said that she still had Thanksgiving dishes out. I said I still had Thanksgiving dishes that still needed to be washed. Then I spent the afternoon cleaning my kitchen so I wouldn't be embarrassed with she came over this evening to pick up her son. She laughed and sent me a picture of the giant jenga puzzle of clean dishes on her counter. It was impressive.

AW#1: Positive peer pressure For The Win!

AW#2: Having really great friends with a sense of humor.

The lesson is that the dish fairy works best when you have friends stopping by later in the afternoon. ;)

esperanza said...

That's the only way anything gets clean at our house, Miranda!

W: Sleep-puking. How is this possible? Sweet, who doesn't have a tummy bug, had too much snot drained into her tummy (sorry, gross but true), then added a coughing fit that made her gag. I heard all of that as I was drifting off into a ben@dryl induced stupor. The coughing registered, not the puke. An hour or so later, she woke up, very upset. Puke everywhere. Not a nice way to start the week.

kathy a. said...

Miranda -- that's great! Yay for good friends.

Oy, Esperanza! Sleep-barking is a new one, and award-worthy for sure.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh my: sleep puke. That is certainly award worthy. Sweet is bringing the bodily fluids early this week.

Miranda: positive peer pressure! Such a good idea, and hooray for friends who let you see their messes!

W: the sickness continues here. E doesn't have a fever anymore, but she's clingy and fussy. I had such a bad coughing fit last night that I almost joined Sweet in bringing the night puke. So, our family doctor has fit both of us in for an appointment this afternoon.

AW: I love our family doctor. She saves a few spots per day for same-day urgent calls, and so it's easy to see her, if you call a soon as the office opens. My old doctor was always booked way in advance, and so I always ended up having to go to walk-in clinics.

kathy a. said...

Yay for thoughtful family doctors, ones you can actually see if you are, ya know, sick!

Hope everybody's swiftly on the road to recovery.

Liz said...

Spent the holiday weekend culling things in the playroom, MM's bedroom, and my bedroom. Was RUTHLESS.

MM says I wasn't ruthless enough, that I left it up to him whether or not to keep, say...artwork done on demand at school. "Is it meaningful to you?" was the question I asked him about everything. If the answer was "No. Do you want it?" I answered, "I want to keep the work that you made with your heart. That you made specifically for yourself or for me or for Daddy".
Thus, a ton of really quite well-done artwork went out. Not all the pieces we kept were as well executed, but they mean more.

I pointed out that by not being ruthless myself, I gave him more room to decide what he wanted to keep. What's important to him?

The only thing I held firm on was broken plastic crap.

Liz said...

In my room, I was ruthless about stained clothing no matter how cozy, clothing that almost fits, and anything that only gets worn if everything else is in the wash.

I can now fit my clothes into the chest of drawers and the closet.

Our t-shirts and shorts have been put away in the guest room closet for the winter.

esperanza said...

Liz, you are an inspiration.
QWP, I hope the family doctor can help. I've broken out the nebulizer for myself in hopes of avoiding the bronchitis.

AW: I was struck with a wave of gratitude that I have a washer and dryer in my very own house.

kathy a. said...

Ack, bronchitis be gone!

Liz, amazing and very dedicated culling! We are not so good with that.

Liz said...

It's hard to complain about the condition of an 11-year-old's space(s) when the only thing your space has going for it is a navigable path from the bed to the door. (He didn't have the navigable path).

Liz said...

W: A friend of a friend has to give up her beautiful adult kittehs.

W: My husband and son desperately want a kitteh.

W: I am allergic to kittehs.

I have told them that if we can get the house clean and they can keep it dust-free for 6 months, that we can get a kitteh.

These kittehs are available NOW.

kathy a. said...

Wah! Could you talk to an allergist about living with a cat? This is probably not a solution for the cats who need a home now, though....

Diva cat just outdid herself, somehow stepping on something and opening something like 60 screens. Diva cat just got so banished.

kathy a. said...

I hope your friend's kittehs find a good home soon, though.

Realize that my last message contains mixed thoughts about the joys of a cat adopting one's family. I have always had cats -- the only exceptions were college, law school, and a year when we lived in Japan (and I got busted for illegal cats in two of those places). Can't help it; I'm a cat magnet, and they make me laugh every day.

Liz said...

I love kittehs and always had one or more cats growing up. I developed allergies to them at age 17. Allergies to dogs at age 20. Am totally grumpy about it.

Also, have allergy-induced asthma. Feh.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh Liz, I have so much sympathy. I'm also allergic to the kittehs and love them so. And it's so hard to figure out what to do when some need a home now!

esperanza said...

Breaking News: Sweet is reaching a physical milestone just about smack dab in the middle of normal (unprecedented): loose tooth, age 6 years, 2 months. It's seriously loose, yet today is the first we've heard about it. She is untraumatized at this point. Tooth Fairy discussions underway (we tend not to buy into the imaginary beings).

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oooh! Tooth fairy!

W: E has a throat infection. The doctor took one look at her throat and said "It's a good thing you brought her in right away." She also wrote me a prescription for antibiotics, saying that if my throat continues to worsen, I'm supposed to have it filled. (She looked at my throat and said, "Well, it's not quite as bad as E's, but...")

W: trying to get all the medicine into a stubborn toddler, even though it tastes like vanilla pudding.

AW: is it weird that it's gratifying to have my doctor tell me I did the right thing? I feel like parenting is a task where you rarely have people tell you that.

esperanza said...

Not weird at all. Take gratification wherever you find it. Erm...that sounds not at all like I intended it. Lemme try again. It is definitely rare to get a parenting thumbs up of any kind. So enjoy it when one comes your way. There, that's better.

Miranda said...

We are coming up on the one year anniversary of my kitty's unexpected passing. I miss her snuggling all over me while I tried to "work."

W: My thermostat appears to be broken. Again. It seems to have two settings: arctic and tropics. I am aiming for something more temperate.

esperanza said...

...and the tooth is out. She is completely nonchalant about the whole thing. Didn't even tell me till I asked to see her mouth this morning. Both Mr. E and I are more than a bit dumbfounded at the "normal" timeframe. It's a first for her.

Liz said...

Mazel tov!!!


The tooth fairy 'round these parts gives golden dollar coins. 'Cause they look so purty.

kathy a. said...

QWP, glad you caught the infection. I so appreciated doctors who thought to recognize a parent's good decisions or insights -- think that is a sign of an attentive doctor, actually.

Go, Sweet!

Sue said...

Yay for healthy peer pressure Miranda! And for good a sleepover.

esperanza and QWP - Sorry about sleep-barking, snot in all its icky configurations, bronchitis and general feelings of blah.

QWP - I adore your doc. And yes, take all the accolades you receive.

kathy, I'm so glad your family visit went well and that you have help with the Mountain O Stuff.

Liz, you are indeed an inspiration. Especially with the art work!

I am torn in the same way that kathy mentioned. I don't have allergies so I don't know first-hand how tough it can be to love a kitteh that makes it hard to breathe. I hope the kittehs find forever homes really soon.

W: We are forecast to receive a metric butt load of snow in the next two days. Any other time, I would be delighted. This week, however, I need clear streets while I drive all over Middle Earth Canada trying to fit a week of work into two days. Argh.

AW: The plow comes bright and early to our parking lot at the condo, so it's a start....

Liz said...

Sue, snow is an Act of God. Prioritize the stuff that can't be put off (visiting sick people in the hospital), delegate if you can, and do what you can from home.

kathy a. said...

Miranda, the thermostat that knows only arctic and tropical -- that's award-worthy.

Kudos to the snowplow, and the mighty warriors who run it! (She says from a safe distance, someplace where it never snows....)

It's like cousin-palooza around my place lately. One of my dad + aunt's cousins is only 10 years older than me, and lives in the area. Her adult son has been living in a fairly distant city, off his meds, and is now involuntarily psychiatrically hospitalized for the third time in a month. Third time's a charm? Crossing fingers.

kathy a. said...

OK, so -- 2d cuz J has just been overwhelmed, and that lunch we talk about is not happening now. There is the family no-present rule, but no restrictions on care packages! I happen to have a spare box of thin mints, even, for emergencies. ;)

Sue said...

A care package with thin mints sounds lovely kathy. Fingers crossed that third time is the charm!

Liz said...

Care package. Definitely.

Liz said...

Am feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment (to get an asthma inhaler, because apparently they don't sell those OTC anymore).

And then I am scheduled to go to the grand opening of my friend's campaign office for the special election she's running in to replace my other friend who won a race (probably) for state-wide office.

And then Thursday evening I'm scheduled to go to the grand opening of the office of that pro-choice organization I am on the board of. The office is in Alexandria. The opening is at 6 pm. As in DC rush hour.

And then Friday evening I'm going to the first of two sessions for that organization's strategic planning meeting. Which is at the new offices. At 6 pm.

And then Saturday is the house warming of a friend of mine. In my neighborhood! YAY!

And then SUNDAY is the second of the two sessions. This time in Manassas. Still a 45 minute drive, but at least it's in the right direction.

I am grumpy about the office opening for my organization. All the rest of it feels manageable. But that one feels unreasonable. They could just as easily have held it in January.

kathy a. said...

That's a LOT, Liz! But the asthma inhaler will make you feel better, and there will be refills.

And your organization is a non-profit, right? They are all looking for a donations boost, and an event is a good booster. But still, hear the grumbles, since every single organization to which I have ever donated is hitting me up right now, before the end of the individual tax year and during the "we shall be jolly" season...

Liz said...

Yes. But we all did say, really? you want the 7 of us on the C3 board that live (and work) out in the 'burbs to drive in to Alexadria two days in a row at rush hour? And they said, "We don't have any other time we can do it, and this is the best day for the (larger) C4 board (who mostly live in or near Alexandria) to do it."

Now it appears that, of the C3 board, 5 of the 6 of us who live in the 'burbs won't be attending (all for very good reasons), and so I'm going to join my one board mate who lives in town as the token C3ers.

Liz said...

Sorry, I meant 6 of the 7.

kathy a. said...

Two days is definitely too much. And short notice, holiday season, rush hours -- asking really a lot even for one day. Phooey.

AW: the cousinly photo shoot of my SIL's mountain is continuing swimmingly, and hilariously.

Liz said...

We need to see some of those pix!

kathy a. said...

Will see if I can wrangle some. Cousin-in-law has easily taken 1500 shots, what with the quantity, different angles, labels, etc. I just killed the battery on my camera trying to get a shot of the shoot. ;)

kathy a. said...

Lentil soup with carrots, kale, some nicely chopped leftovers? Soup is hitting the spot for me.

esperanza said...

yes, please, kathy a!

W: had to whine to get appointment today. Called at 7:59 am for "same day sick" appointment, as instructed yesterday. They supposedly start answering phones at 8:00. The morning appointment was already taken, which was the only one I could make. Person on phone said she would "check availability" and call me back. Which she did, with a magically new 11:15 appointment. It makes me wonder if (a) she checked to see if I was "important"--such things matter here in Small Town USA; (b) she checked to see if I was a Medicaid or private insurance patient; (c) or something else. In any case, I took the appointment.

W: talking with the doctor was hardly necessary, as my bronchitis diagnosis was correct, as were my prescription choices.

kathy a. said...

LOL! Pixie diagnosis for the win, again. They probably had a cancellation; what with scheduling everything up in advance, some people are bound to feel better eventually. Glad you are on the road to recovery, Esperanza.

I swear I got all y'all's cold all of a sudden. bleah.

Sue said...

Oh boo, Liz! That amount of stressful driving is really unfair. Glad you could get the inhaler though.

I'm glad you got the appointment esperanza - both you and QWP need to get on the road to good health, and quick!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

AW: antibiotics have done wonders for E! By mid-morning she was back on her feet and able to go to her physical therapist appointment.

W: the appointment messed up naptime, and I didn't get much of a break today. And hauling around a toddler through the snow: my arms and back are dying.

AW: My cough is improving. Slowly, but definitely improving. I think I'll be able to sleep in my own bed tonight (the bedrooms in our apartment are so tiny and close together that, whenever I have a coughing fit, it wakes the baby.)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

W: you guys, E's birthday party is this weekend, and we just lost a lot of days to sickness.

kathy a. said...

Elf report: My husband's best friend keeps saying, "can you imagine how good this would taste on a backpacking trip?" What elf can resist a challenge like that? A vast, lightweight selection of individual-sized spices and condiments arrived for the Backpacking Gourmet's stocking, along with cute-as-a-button items for the other stockings. (This elf loves stockings and the feast.)

kathy a. said...

QWP -- nobody remembers their 1st bd party. It is fine to go with cupcakes, maybe some light snacks, and a party tablecloth. If there are other wee guests, you might consider serving on a sheet spread on the floor -- their parents will get it. Do not stress this one! xoxo

kathy a. said...

Also, sending the cleaning fairy!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I'm foolish, and this party is going to involve family members in addition to children, and so we're going to have nearly 30 people, and it got moved from my in-laws' house to the church basement, because my MIL was stressed about having room for the kids to run around. (Their house is huge!)

Also, I need to run around to get party supplies, cake supplies, snacks and favours, and it's minus a billion degrees outside, and I physically can't and shouldn't haul the baby around for the next few days...

I need to figure out how to delegate the tasks for this party.

kathy a. said...

YES! Delegate!! MIL should be good for one list and also some babysitting while you do what makes the most sense to you.

The lists are: party supplies [round up on plates napkins cups]; decorations; cake supplies; snacks; beverages; and whatever you have in mind for favors. Could be that you can round up volunteers! When someone asks if they can help or bring something, say yes.

Liz said...

Ask your MIL to do it.

Here are the only things you need: cupcakes.

Pish tush on the favors front. This is for a 1 year old's b'day.

Paper goods are available at the same grocery store that has the cupcakes. So are balloons. Have your MIL blow 'em up and use them for party games (keep away! pop 'em! pass 'em to a partner without using your hands!) Or don't.

Bring some games from home. Or don't.

It'll all be okay.

Liz said...

Kathy A. JINX!!!

Liz said...

QWP, remember, everyone just wants to see the baby eat cake and talk about how fast they grow up.

The kids just want to run as fast as they can from one end of the room to the other. After eating cake.

esperanza said...

Balloons: yes. Favors: if you must, books are my favorite.

W: we have reached the ribs hurt from coughing/cough all night/should have bought the cough medicine portion of the bronchitis story. A nap this morning has helped.

AW: inheriting an antique bookcase from my grandmother that has been painted. It is ugly. But beautiful underneath, if the paint were gone. Just got an estimate WAY less than I had imagined for stripping the paint off. I can probably do the finishing, as that was the $$$ part of the estimate. Stripping paint = yuck all over.

kathy a. said...

JINX! Agreed that favors are not necessary.

((( Esperanza ))) bronch be gone. But the bookcase sounds grand!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Is it weird that I find stripping paint off of antique furniture to be really satisfying? But only if I'm using chemical stripper? We're in the process of sanding the old paint off of my childhood table and chair set, and it's the dusty WORST.

Party: I already have the supplies for a cake, and actually like baking them. If rather frost a cake than cupcakes, and so I'll do that. That'll be my main task. I'm doing favours, because most of the attending kids are in the 4-10 years old range, and I just need to send Mr. Q to get some inexpensive paint brushes and tiny watercolours (dollar store?), and then we'll put them in cellophane.

Activities (I wanted to organize something because two of the eight kids don't know any of the rest of them): drawing on a giant sheet of paper (art supplies being brought by the mother of 4 of the 8 kids), and a science demonstration by Mr. Q in the church basement kitchen.

I'll have my MIL pick up the other party supplies, and she already said she's make food. I'll have everyone else also bring food, and we're done.

I think this is workable. We MIGHT do balloons, but I might just skip decorating entirely.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oy, the autocorrect makes my grammar funny.

kathy a. said...

QWP, excellent party planning and delegation! And it's a science party!!

Sue said...

Science party!!! Yay!!

Bronch Be Gone for sure esperanza. I've never stripped furniture, but I can see where it might be messy.

W: Hubby's surgery is tomorrow. He's pretty anxious. Poor guy. Positive pixie energy appreciated!

W: The Christmas Tea People have been busy getting ready for the Big Day on Saturday. Oh, the drama.

AW: They needed my office today for set-up, so I worked from home. :)

AW: I told the Master and Commander of the Tea that I may not get there on Saturday and she was totally okay with it. "You just look after yourselves and don't worry about us."

esperanza said...

Well, finally, Sue. Kudos to Master & Commander for seeing that you are a real human being!

Prayers and positive vibes sent to you and hubby for the duration.

QWP, if you were closer, I would invite you over for a paint stripping party. You might change your mind--this thing is 8 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Painted, inside and out, in 1965 or so.

kathy a. said...

Victory, Sue!

Hugs to you and your sweetie. xxoxo

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Eight feet tall? That's even bigger than the highboy my sister and I refinished fifteen years ago. (Well, I guess it would have been about the same size with the mirror, but I don't know if that counts.) But that was stain instead of paint that we are stripping, and so that wasn't as stressful.

Sue: I'll be thinking of Hubby with his surgery tomorrow. And it's about time that someone told you that they're not expecting you to attend something.

W: my back is really giving out after I pulled something yesterday. I was just at the chiropractor on Monday and hope I don't have to have a second appointment in one week.

esperanza said...

Oh, ignore my math. It's 80", which is close to 7 feet tall. In any case, too darn big to do myself. Second estimate in the same ballpark, so hooray!

AW: The Baboos helped decorate the Christmas tree. It is adorably unevenly ornamented. I'm not changing a thing, unless that one branch breaks off because it's holding 4 ornaments.

kathy a. said...

QWP, a heating pad wrapped in a towel can do wonders for complaints of the season.

Esperanza -- that's a big bookcase. Good on you for outsourcing the stripping.

Very industrious, too, getting the tree up and decorated! We don't have small decorating elves any more, but we still have a lot of ornaments they made and/or love. No style prizes at my house. ;)

kathy a. said...

We have to decorate with attacks on the tree in mind, even though there are no small humans. Anything within reach of a cat paw has to be unbreakable -- that includes the side next to a chair. Due to Diva Cat's issues with wrapped boxes, none can go under the tree. Fortunately, we do not currently have any climbers in residence, although that is always entertaining. Cheers!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Ahh! Baboo-decorated tree! Adorable.

And I would outsource the bookcase, too, by the way. I'm beginning to regret that we didn't outsource the table and chairs, since it's difficult to find the time and energy to do these tasks when small people are involved. (I was just being wistful about how satisfying that kind of task can be.)

AW: after Mr. Q got home, I got to rest on the couch while he and E made supper.

AW: a few more hours until E's first birthday! You guys, we made it through the first year.

esperanza said...

W: can't. sleep.
Dr. Google tells me it's a possible side effect of the antibiotic. Which aligns with when I started taking it.

Happy Birthday to Lil E!

Liz said...

Happy birthday, baby E!!

Miranda said...

Happy Birthday, baby E (and QWP, you are tomorrow, IIRC)!!!

Liz, I hope the kittehs find good homes. I know how it feels to be the mean one wrt pets. Tween Son wants a pet very, very badly. He is the Pet Whisperer and they give him the love and affection his peers do not. He would take care of a pet but I can not handle the thought of more responsibility right now.

Sue, hope Beloved is doing well. xoxoxo

esperanza, sending you lots of tea and brothy soups. xoxoxoxo

W: I am trying to keep my cool over a barky work situation that outside my control but affects me greatly. I keep reminding myself that it isn't personal and that the decision maker(s) have to answer to others if stuff is becomes pooky.

AW: The womens group at church is hosting a Christmas party tonight complete with beautiful music. I can't wait. It will take my mind off whatever nonsense work dishes out today.

kathy a. said...

Happy birthday, big girl E!

Need the Posse, Miranda? We're ready. Hope tonight is wonderful.

Sue, thoughts for your beloved and you today. xoxo

kathy a. said...

AW: Daughter's best college friend got married recently on the extreme opposite coast -- and this weekend is the reception nearby! (The college is also in another state, but the friend's parents live 2 miles from us.) T'will be joyful!

Miranda said...

Tempt me not with the promise of Ralph and the posse today....

Queen of West Procrastination said...

You know that Ralph and the posse are available for situations like this...

But this evening sounds lovely!

Thinking about Sue and Hubby!

W: while the Birthday Girl has had her best, least clingy day in a while, she's having moments of the almost-better-but-not-quite grumpies. Right now, she needs an afternoon nap, even though she had a big morning nap, but she won't settle down and sleep, but is also too much of a mess to be awake.

I'm having fantasies of someone else showing up, telling me to take a nap, and magically putting the baby to sleep. I'm just done.

Liz said...

What sometimes worked for us was for me to tell MM that I needed a nap and ask him to keep me company.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh goodness, does that ever not work with E. I think we've only ever managed to sleep in the same place once since she was a newborn. (Well, she and her father accidentally fall asleep together on the recliner all the time. But she will not sleep in the same room S her mother! She just stays awake and tries to maul me.)

AW: but she is asleep, finally! And now I will stretch out on this couch and try to recharge.

Liz said...

QWP! Whatever works!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I honestly started repeating that myself this afternoon.

kathy a. said...

There, there, birthday girl...

W: the family room is now embellished with dog bark on the carpet.

AW: the photo shoot continues, for the 3d afternoon. Today's glamorous specials include: DangerouslyHotPink floral skirt and top; several leopard-print hoodies; and a long red/black reversible blanket-like poncho thing. Wear them together for a special look!

Sue said...

(((Miranda))) Ralph is at the ready!

Liz, is this one of your "driving hither and yon" days? Hope the traffic isn't too awful.

QWP - whatever works is a seriously good motto, mantra, way of life.

kathy a - bringing the bark! Nice. That ensemble sounds *ahem* lovely. :)

AW: hubby is out of recovery room and on the ward now. He scored a private room! Yay! Our extended health coverage pays for all but $50 a night - SO worth it.

W: In the "sad moment of the day" category.... I came home to feed the cat, get the mail etc.. and I'll head back over in an hour or so. When I arrived home, kitteh came to the door looking most puzzled because apparently I forgot "dad." She sat by the door for about ten minutes, now she's all clingy.

Sue said...

The surgery went well. Hubby is in pain but is receiving good drugs, which helps.
He's glad that part is done.

kathy a. said...

Go, Hubby! Total score on the private room. Hope his recovery is swift!

Poor kitteh... Diva cat sends condolences.

esperanza said...

Poor kitty. So glad the surgery is over and done. Prayers for the recovery.

Anonymous said...

Sue--so glad hubby is done with surgery. Best thoughts and prayers for quick recovery.

Yay science parties.

--Neighbor Lady