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Sunday, March 8, 2015

Bring us all your time-change whines

I suspected that some of you may have gotten an hour less sleep last night, and that Wednesday night need to start early this week.

(And I won't even mention the fact that I live in one of those rare places in North America where the clocks don't change. After a long, cold winter, it's the first morning of the year where I wake up and think, "I'm so relieved that I moved back to this frozen wasteland.")  

So bring us your tiredness, and also your regular whines: your albatrossi, your needs for a posse, your Old Skool whines, and your anti-whines too. How are you, friend? 

48 comments:

Liz Miller said...

AW: Best. Shopping. Trip. Ever. Turns out that if you buy quality stuff, the Rack of Doom doesn't automatically mean XXL and size 16.

W: I went from, "I have nothing to wear!" to too many choices.

AW: It is a good whine to have. Some items still need to be altered, tho. Like...hemmed.

And one shirt needs to be taken in in the back.

KLee said...

Another successful show done. The only bad thing is that it's now over. That's the one thing that I hate about this company -- so much buildup for two shows, and then it is just over. I've seen these people at least two nights a week, maybe more for five months, and then nothing. It's a bit of a letdown.

I have to track down all my Girl Scout parents and get them to turn in money today and tomorrow. Not looking forward to that. I've only got a few short days to get it into the bank, and the bank that our Council prefers us to use closes every day at four. Have I mentioned that I don't get off work until 4:15? This entails using my lunch hour to run to the bank, and that's just SO much fun, let me tell you!

At least it's not freezing here anymore. Wait -- it's the South! Wait 15 minutes and it will be!

Queen of West Procrastination said...

*Cheering for KLee* Well done, and I'm glad you had another successful show!

kathy a. said...

Congrats, Liz! I never even think about altering; what a good idea.

Congrats, KLee, on another great show! Is it possible for someone else to run by the bank for you? Or do they have a night deposit slot? (I haven't even looked for those since ATMs became so popular, but a bank with such short hours surely must have an accommodation for people who can't go then.)

Scored some GS cookies at the store! They were down to the last carton of thin mints.

esperanza said...

Yay Liz!

W: exhausted, at the beginning of Spring Break. This does not bode well.

AW: mostly exhausted because I stayed up late visiting with a friend over the weekend. We were roommates at an overnight meeting.

AW: meeting was not as bad as it could have been. Votes largely went my way. Opponents were so absolutely off-the-charts nutballs that they were unpersuasive.

W: so. tired. Headed to grandparents' house tomorrow with the Baboos. Time will tell whether this was a wise decision or not.

kathy a. said...

Esperanza, glad the weekend went well and you got that time with your friend!

It might be a mixed bag, tired-wise, but more adults are better than too few adults when it comes to wrangling baboos on holiday. I think. ;)

Queen of West Procrastination said...

I agree with Kathy: maybe you could even leave the Baboos with your parents for a while, and take a nap! That's what I do. (But it's a long-ish drive to your parents' house, right? That is definitely tiring.)

esperanza said...

5 hour drive.

I think what is most tiring is Baboo Bad Behavior somehow seems worse around my parents. Their behavior isn't necessarily worse; my stress level is higher.

kathy a. said...

Grandparents want to spoil. Parents want the kids to show a good front, lest somebody start talking about how blah was never allowed in their house. Or whatever. So that makes you the referee, in a way.

I think it's OK to lay out anything really important, and step back for a while. Intervene in a crisis, but you don't need to be on patrol all the time. xoxoxo

Sue said...

Yay Liz! A good tailor is your friend. I often have to alter clothing. It's totally worth it to have a professional alteration that makes the clothes look just right.

Applause applause KLee!!

QWP - I lost that hour of sleep plus a few extra. Ugh. I did manage a nap this afternoon though, which was awesome.

I'm glad your meeting went well esperanza. I hope you're able to catch a nap or three at your parents' place.


kathy a. said...

Where is everybody?

AW: Someone made lego figures of the women of Scotus! O'Connor, the notorious RBG, Kagen, and Sotomayor (who has a lot going for her, including appearances on Sesame St.).

AW: Heh. I'm sending my sweetie websites for B&B's in Napa, since the anniversary is coming up, and he won't take an albatross for an answer again. (We actually got married at a B&B in that town, but I think the location went back to civilian life.)

W: Albatrossi.

Sue said...

I saw the Lego Scotus - awesome!

An anniversary at a B&B in Napa - yup, sounds like a slice of heaven. Sorry about the albatrossi though.

W: Work albatrossi here too. Far too much work to fit into this week. Time to make a priority list and stick to it.

Petty W: I know a lot of people in our friendly little town. If I had to guess, I'd say at least 50% of them are presently enjoying warmer temperatures South of the border. With school break next week, that number will rise. I'm happy for them, but dang, if I see one more beach picture on the book of faces, I may toss my computer out the window.

AW: Only six weeks til Scotland!



Queen of West Procrastination said...

Oh Sue, you KNOW I'm right there with you with that petty whine. A few weeks ago, it felt like 50% of this city had taken up residence in Hawaii. And it s the week when we had a BAD snowstorm.

AW: you guys, the weather here is such a relief. The snow is melting at just the right pace (if it melts too quickly, the flooding gets pretty bad here), and it's supposed to get even warmer in the next week. I haven't had to fight with E about mitts for DAYS. We're visiting my parents today, and I packed splash pants and rubber boots for outside play, instead of the snowsuit. Also, I'm sitting in a sunbeam and drinking tea, while my dad does puzzles with my kid.

(You guys, my mom and I are also having fun looking at local real estate listings. We're listing all our pet peeves about real estate photos. My mom hates when the bathroom pictures include a toilet with the lid up. I can't stand when you can't tell how big a room is, because of over-use of the fish-eye lens.)

Sue said...

Yay for sunbeams and no mitts!!

I'm with your mom on the bathroom pics. Ick. I like looking at the photos of the perfectly staged living room and imagining a bursting closet just out of range of the camera where all the owners' stuff is hidden. :)

kathy a. said...

Here's to a well-paced ice melt.

We used to sometimes go to open houses just for entertainment; but nowadays, you can see all the really bad decorating choices right online! (And marvel at how many of them are worth a few lifetimes of one's own salary.) When we bought our house 19 years ago, it looked just perfect -- they stashed everything in the large garage. ;)

My sister's husband just separated from his gall bladder, after a fun night in the ER. It sounds like maybe he was a little too stoic about that "indigestion."

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Another real estate pet peeve: is it just a local thing, where people "upgrade" their house so that one of the three bedrooms (not the master bedroom) has garden doors to the backyard? I keep encountering them, and apparently a bunch of my parents' neighbours have done this too. This would be great is that room is actually an office, or maybe a spare bedroom. But for a kid? A door to the outside, in a bedroom?

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Old Skool: You guys are going to hear this a lot, but let's have a moment of silence, for the House That Is Actually Perfect (More Perfect Than That Other House, And Exactly The Right Price), Which Obviously Will Sell Before We Can Buy. A house that is a few doors away from one of my best friends, and walking distance from Mr.Q's school (and beautifully renovated, and with a massive yard) is for sale, and is priced to sell quickly (they've already moved out). Mr. Q and I keep pretending to weep, preemptively mourning the house the will likely get away.

(Unless the housing market is really as bad as they keep saying it is. But you really don't want a person to not be able to sell a house for more than a year.)

I know, I know. There will be other houses. But this house!

esperanza said...

My real estate whine is that the house flippers who bought my grandmother's home did a half-a$$ed job redoing it. For instance, replacing *some* of the 50 year old windows, but not all. They have it listed for over double what they paid for it. So far, no takers.

kathy a. said...

FWIW, our house was on and off the market for a year before they lowered the price and we bought it.

Liz Miller said...

W: Router has gone wonky. Internet intermittent. This sucks.

Sue said...

Intermittent Internet - bad band name as well as suckage.

W: Office admin trouble continues. It would be a good start if she would put her teeth in. Just sayin...

W: Overwhelmed with all the things.

AW: Taking tomorrow off as a "This Isn't a Good Time of Year for the Minister to Lose It" day.

kathy a. said...

Ack, Liz!

Sue for mullet, for the teeth. No wonder you need a day off...

Daughter is very depressed. She called twice yesterday to yell at me, first about a commute related item, and then at some length about the suckiness of the job since the other employee quit. I was trying to talk her down and made a suggestion about having her boss decide priorities, and boy howdy was that not what she wanted. Looking for strength -- she is a wonderful person, she's in a difficult place -- but I do not do well with the yelling. At.All.

Sue said...

Sending good calming energy your way kathy - for you and your daughter both.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

(((kathy))) Sending strength, and I understand (my sister gets the same way when she's stressed and depressed). And it's not okay for her to yell at you like that, even though she has her reasons.

kathy a. said...

Whining works? Daughter finally finally got the raise, to a liveable wage! (The overseas mothership sat on this for months, no joke.) So, she feels less desperate. And she worked out a printer problem that was the subject of yelling earlier in the week. And she agrees it might be good to go back on the mild antidepressant. And she saw a puppy! Much better today.

kathy a. said...

The raise means a lot. Part of what's been weighing on her is that she's working full time, and she still hasn't been able to afford even a studio apartment. She is looking for other jobs, but this is a boost in the meantime.

KLee said...

Kathy a. -- my brother got married in the Napa Valley (at the Stryker winery) and we stayed at a lovely B&B in Healdsburg -- the Old Crocker Inn. I highly recommend it, if it's within your budget. My aunt rented the whole dang place for us when we went out for the wedding.

Pixies -- I need some prayers of the "It Will Be Nothing" variety. I went for a mammogram last Friday, and they called Monday, saying they want me to return for more scans on the left breast this week. The tech originally said "they may call you for more scans since it's been forever and a day since you have had a mam", but then they called and wanted only the left breast, and said I'd meet with the doctor after the second scans. I am praying that it is Absolutely Nothing, and that when I go in on Friday, the doctor will have just been covering all the bases, and will send me home with a smile.

But, I'm really trying very hard not to freak the fireplace out.

kathy a. said...

((( KLee ))) This is most likely nothing at all. I am of the lumpy boob clan, so I can say that -- it just means there is something they want to check more, and probably that will be an ultrasound (which is much easier than the mam).

My sister had a pretty aggressive breast cancer; she noticed a lump less than a year after her mam. But she's fine, more than 5 years out. All of us are "high risk" now because of that, but none of us has had a problem. This is just going to rule out the fireplacing cancer.

xoxo

esperanza said...

Prayers sent, KLee, both the "it will be nothing" variety, and the "let KLee get some sleep and peace of mind in the meantime" variety. Hugs.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

(((KLee))) Praying that it's nothing, and that you can relax until then.

Anonymous said...

(((KLee)))
Praying for good health, and peaceful thoughts until you hear that.
--Neighbor Lady

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Old Skool misadventure morning: it's a quarter after 7am, and my throat is sore because a stray toddler foot landed on my windpipe this morning. And, right after that, I was melting butter in a pan, accidentally dropped my spatula in the pan, and got a face full of scalding butter.

AW: it's a good thing I wear glasses, since they bore the brunt of the hot butter attack.

Liz Miller said...

Appendages are crossed for you KLee, I've only had one mam where I wasn't called back for another look. It's always stressful. My doc always requests a comprehensive to begin with now, to eliminate the double co-pay.

Sue said...

Lots of prayers and good thoughts to you KLee. My doc has described my breast tissue as "bubble wrap" on manual exam, so I always get the full package testing as well. Also, like kathy, my sister's cancer was aggressive but highly treatable. She is clear and doing really well.

That's great news on the pay raise kathy!! Yay!!

QWP - Ouch on the butter spatter and throat kick! Hopefully the rest of the day will be less treacherous.

kathy a. said...

QWP -- ouchie! No fair!

KLee, let us know. Sending lots of good thoughts.

I remember hearing about your brother's wedding! Ours was small and mostly do-it-yourself -- I made the dress, did the flowers, catered the buffet; my sisters made a mix tape, and a [former] boyfriend of someone played piano. Teh groom's tux was by the notable Goodwill Thrift Shop. The tiny inn was Victorian. My baby cousin (who lives nearby now) was 14, and he caught the garter. :)

kathy a. said...

Me again. This is a cat whine -- lotta barkage this past week, and today was the grand prize: a giganto hairball delivered on the dining room table. I strongly suspect Polly The Shy One, who has been over-grooming, so her fur looks like it went to Spike's Shop of Pointy Furstyles. Sure hope the old girl is feeling better.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

The injuries came in threes today. I hit my head hard on the dryer door, and am now laying down for the rest of the evening. Even I don't know how I managed to do that.

Sue said...

Poor kitteh. It's been a bark-a-riffic week here too. Hm.

Oh QWP, I'm sorry to hear about injury number three. Been there, done that. Take good care of yourself and if you start to feel dizzy, nauseated, or just wonky - get checked out.

Sue said...

kathy, it occurs to me that we may not be selling the non cat owners at the party on the delights of feline companionship. Really folks, they are wonderful pets/supervisors/whatever.... :)

kathy a. said...

Cats are FAR superior to dogs! Much easier than kidlets, but don't quote me on that. What's the odd table cloth to wash?

xoxo

KLee said...

Good news -- apparently, there is a spot in my left breast that is showing up as a pocket of dense tissue or a calcification. Doc says nothing to worry about for now, but we are keeping an eye on it. I have to go back in six months for another scan.

Liz, you were right -- I got another scan and then an ultrasound.

There were a few anxious moments there when the tech left me in a "holding area" while she consulted the doctor. They were in there a long time, and then the tech came out and got ANOTHER doctor and I started sweating bullets. But, the doc that interpreted the ultrasound took the time to reassure me. I guess I was obviously freaked.

So, not COMPLETELY nothing, but nothing really to worry about.

kathy a. said...

Yay, KLee! I'm glad they could do all the interpretation while you were still there -- even though the waiting sucks.

Next time, you'll be the old pro with a good book. ;)

Liz Miller said...

(((KLee))) I'm glad it looks like my old friend, the friendly neighborhood lumpy breast.

Liz Miller said...

QWP, I hope you're feeling better after all your mishaps!

AW: New haircut. Y'all, I look fantastic. I'm not even kidding. But please don't ask what it cost because I about had a heart attack. But she taught me how to care for it and everything.

esperanza said...

Also from the friendly lumpy breast neighborhood here. So glad they could clarify.

Liz, you're on a self-improvement spree! Well, not really, because your self didn't need any improvement. But the outside, I mean. I should stop now. Glad you like the haircut is what I'm saying.

AW: The good news is that Sweet really thrives with the structure and routine of school.
W: the bad news is that it's spring break. Multiple, screaming meltdowns. Hitting, pushing, making her sister cry. Making me cry. She doesn't seem to care about any of that. I'm a bit at a loss as to what is going on. We made a list this morning of everything we were going to do, which helped for a while.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

KLee, I'm sorry that it wasn't absolutely nothing, but I'm glad it's nothing scary. And while I haven't dealt with the lumpy breast stuff yet, I've dealt with far too many scary-seeming ultrasounds (for my fibroids) where the tech has freaked out about something unusual-looking and has made a doctor look at it. It's the worst few minutes.

W/AW: the builder FINALLY came to walk through and see what work is left. We cleared out so that the owners could go over the house with him, and that was a little stressful figuring out where to take a kid at the end of the day. But E miraculously had just the right nap, and we went to my parents' house for supper.

So: the builder has made a list of everything that needs to be finished, but he claims he won't be able to have a crew do this until July. (Okay, I believe him a little: almost all his crew, and his foreman, have quit. Okay, I also have very real concerns that he might be out of business before this happens.) You guys, while witnessing all of this stuff, how am I so eager to become a homeowner myself?

Sue said...

Glad for the news KLee that it's nothing to worry about for now.

Photos Liz! Photos!!

esperanza, school breaks can be so tough. Making lists is a good idea!

(((QWP))) It will be great when all the work is finished. Is the house guaranteed? If so, the developer will need to follow through even if the contractor goes under.

kathy a. said...

Esperanza, hope the weekend has been calmer!

QWP, that's sure taking a long time! Maybe your cousin/landlord can do some leaning to make it happen faster?

New construction is a whole different animal than buying a house. We bought our first house before it was built, and visiting often took care of some problems. But there was still a punch list of things to fix, and that took a while.

With a used house, there are inspections, and part of the deal can be "fix this, or reduce the price." Things will need fixing as time goes by, but not usually all at once, and you can call specialists for the one item.