AW: The Baboos still think it's fun to ride the bus. I (a person who rode the bus throughout junior high and into high school), know that it will not always be fun. So I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
AW: It saves me so much time sitting in the car line. Hooray, bus!
W: There was still lots of whining and prodding and nagging this morning, in order to make it to the bus stop on time.
How are things going in your world, pixies?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
79 comments:
MM is off to high school!! Also on the bus!
Happy first day of school (or second week)!
AW: MM won an anole lizard at a carnival yesterday. His new pet is home and resting comfortably in the tank that formerly held gerbils.
W: Anoles eat crickets. Live crickets. Crickets that you need to keep alive and not let starve to death. We have not yet gotten said crickets.
TLDR: Why do carnivals give out live animals as prizes?
Live animal prizes are utter nonsense, Liz. Especially ones that eat live food!
I'm so happy that the baboos like the bus, esperanza! We're spending this week practicing getting E ready in time to get to preschool for 8:45. (We'll need to be out the door and walking by 8:30, even though it's only a five minute walk for us adults. I need to allow time for short legs, potential delays at the stoplight, and a distractible preschooler!)
I dunno about why live prizes at a fair, but remember getting many a goldfish that way. A long time ago.
OK, so -- my son talked me into getting a tarantula, which spent most of its many 9 years as a Very Popular classroom pet. We had 2 cricket sources: the odd shop where we found the tarantula, and another odd shop specializing in reptiles. You need a small cage for the crickets, and just toss in a slice of fruit. It is not so hard putting a cricket into the cage of the hungry pet -- that was an actual classroom job, with the tarantuala.
Our tarantula went to her reward a long time ago. I was just looking for crickets, and apparently they are sold online, in huge batches! Do not buy 250+ crickets at one time! That, my friend, is a household infestation waiting to happen. Look for a pet store or something, where you can buy just a few.
Young person got a job offer -- f/t, perm! Great benefits! They liked YP so well, they upped the hourly! Great location! Happy times in Petunia-ville.
THank you!!! THat is information I can totally use.
W: Closest pet shop (bicycling distance) seems to have gone defunct. Closest shop that sells live bait (also bicycling distance), doesn't sell crickets. We will be taking a trip to Big Box Pet Shop this afternoon.
Meal worms (not super-worms) are also OK for anoles -- and they don't jump, so there's that.
QWP, excellent planning on getting things moving earlier in the a.m.!
Congrats, young person!
Meal worms are controversial. Different websites say different things. Bait shop was out of them. They did have another controversial food, however, wax worms.
I had no idea anoles were suitable as pets. They live in our yard. Bright green, but can change colors? Orange thingie under their chins? All over the place.
QWP, you are doing it right. Cold turkey is not the way to make that adjustment. Ask me how I know.
Hooray for a better position with hopefully clue-full employers!
AW: Coffee with a new friend this morning
W: cavity
W? AW? possibility of part time job for me. It's probably 10 hrs/week, 45 minutes away or so. The Sunday morning timing is unfortunate for Baboo coordination. Mr. E and I will have to discuss.
Esperanza: hooray for the possibility of the PT job! Hopefully you and Mr. E can coordinate the logistics.
And hooray for the young person's job! Especially good news that it's full time, permanent, and pays more than expected!
Esperanza: the practice isn't entirely intentional. Blessedly, preschool doesn't start for another two weeks (orientation is in a week and a half), and so we have two weeks of adjustment time after Beloved Daddy starts getting up early (and inadvertently waking up the rest of the house earlier than we've been sleeping all summer).
Yay for the Petunia family and the job offer!!!
:)
congrats to esperanza on possibilities!
W: I am already drowning in back to school stuff.
AW: helped nephew move in to nearby college yesterday! yay!
--Neighbor Lady
I think anoles fall into the "exotic pet" category for people who don't live where they live. Like tarantulas, and (ick) snakes.
Yay about the job possibility, Esperanza!
Hooray, NL, for getting your nephew landed nearby!! And best with the prep and everything.
Hooray, aunt p!
Hooray, NL!
Hooray, Esperanza!
Anoles supposedly make good pets, but they carry salmonella, so wash your hands well. Also, they're harder than expected to care for because crickets. Yeesh
It's all Old Skool whines in here: Aunt Flo decided to arrive two days early, because that's definitely what this week needed, and I barely slept last night. And a really gross bug that looks like a massive wasp touched my foot, and I don't have the reserves to be brave and get rid of it myself, and so I trapped it under two bowls, so that Mr. Q can get rid of it when he gets home from work. And E, who was good for most of the day, just had a meltdown because she used the regular toilet and then realised that she had wanted to use her little potty and she forgot. And I'm feeling irrational right now: my sister offered to bring over supper tonight, and right now it just feels like it'll be extra fuss to have a person over tonight. (And I promised to make cornbread muffins, and I just want to curl up and read a book.)
AW: my copy of Hidden Figures arrived a week before its release date!
QWP-- I just looked up that book, and it sounds fabulous! I just ordered it, too!
:) Neighbor Lady
QWP, it sounds to me like both you and E could do with some chocolate.
Speaking of which, my upper endoscopy is scheduled for the morning of the 7th. I'm hoping that I'll be told I can eat chocolate and tomatoes and drink coffee again afterwards. I'm constantly surprised that I miss tomatoes and coffee more than I miss chocolate.
Chocolate all around!
QWP, may Aunt Flo and gross bugs and sleeplessness give you a break, already. And may Ms. E decide that the big toilet is overall a good thing!
While I feel Liz' sorrow at the endoscopy, they had REALLY BETTER clear you for decent basic food groups, or the Posse might need to ride. (You can keep the tomatoes, but really. No coffee?)
AW: Doing the wifely duty of picking up repaired pants and dry cleaning, I got to see the owner's new grandbaby -- such cuteness! -- and Mr. I.Want.Grandkids missed that.
AW: After almost full month of mostly fog, we're getting sunbeams, before noon! Without the bad temps, but still enough heat that I should probably crank up the fans about now.
W: Neighbor Boy got a bad sunburn at the beach with friends. Blisters. oof.
--NL
OUCH! Aloe for NB.
Oh, Neighbor Boy, I've been there. Drink lots of water, too. Ouch.
Liz, remind us again about the endoscopy. I would miss tomatoes, too, though not as much as chocolate. I don't drink coffee, so that's no big deal.
QWP, sorry for so many award-worthy whines while you've not got enough energy to deal with them.
W: My real-life friend that I thought was going to move nearby? She's moving to Oregon instead.
Well. Oregon... Sorry, Esperanza. There are probably flights, if you can find a good work or something excuse to go to Oregon. Also, lots cooler there.
Poor NB!
I really hope that the endoscopy yields good results for you, Liz!
esperanza: boo!
W: Mr. Q read through the fine print regarding the pay scale classifications, regarding his upcoming MEd, and it turns out that he isn't going to bump up as many pay brackets as he thought he would (their definition of "one year of graduate studies" is 30 credit hours, which is actually two years of graduate studies). (Apparently, they set the standards according to how the other big university works, because they did their definitions decades ago, when it was the only Ed program. And they refuse to redefine it because then a bunch of people would get raises. Allegedly, there are a bunch of administrators in this area of the province who are livid, because their MEd isn't worth as much as others' MEds are.) It'll still be cost-effective, and did enable him to get this admin position, but we're both re-adjusting our expectations.
Wow. Those flights are more expensive than I thought -- but special fares if you can book a good while in advance. (Not that I've ever heard of you taking a getaway, but it could happen...) Or, if your friend might be coming back sometime, a side-trip to visit you might work. xoxo
Oh, that's kinda yuck, QWP, about the pay scale and the not understanding of graduate studies.
Yuck QWP.
Could he take an online class toget more graduate hours (maybe not at the same time as the MEd, but the next year or something)? Here in many states online courses can add to the hours and are sometimes easier to manage logistically. Many require pre-approval etc., but can be used to boost up the pay steps.
Just a thought....
Sorry for having to deal with that!
--Neighbor Lady
NL: I tried to figure out a way for him to do that, and apparently they wouldn't count that? His options would be: get his second Bachelor's degree (which would require him to take a year and a half off from work -- not worth it), get a certificate (none of which options are relevant to his specialization), or do half of a PhD (nope). They're really picky about what counts, and apparently they wouldn't let him just take ten more courses of whatever. So frustrating!
QWP, it sounds like a good path anyway, and something he can do while also teaching.
Your family is at a place where things can change in unanticipated ways, and for the better. A lot was going on when my kids were around E's age. Very good times, overall!
xoxo
I'm on everybody's fundraising email and call list. EVERYBODY's. And, the last while has been ugly, because somehow I'm supposed to donate a dozen times daily because some campaign has a reporting deadline, or because the apocalypse is upon us. (This, on top of dealing with my ISP this week, which interrogated me about WHY I do not want cable TV.)
A group I support just called, and when I said I support their work but can't give right now, they wanted to know WHY, and "I do not currently have an income" was not a good enough answer. We absolutely have to get all this money out of politics. It is freakin' insane.
Kathy: the conclusion we reached was "he'll still get a raise in pay at the end of the MEd, and starting the MEd enabled him to get this promotion, which means another raise, and so grad school is clearly a good thing for us. It's just the tiniest bit disappointing that he won't get quite as much as we expected, but seriously, that's a minor thing in the grand scheme of things."
Kathy: I didn't see you last whine, and that's just annoying! That's awful that they wouldn't take "I do not currently have an income" as a good enough answer.
Not to mention "none of your business, pushy person"
AW: Y'all. This school. I got special ed paperwork IN ADVANCE of the meeting, enough advance so I can schedule it easily. Sweet arrives home happy and energetic, rather than sapped. Special ed people worked with her so that she finished her MATH homework before she even got home. (Math was the dreaded dreadful dreadful thing last year).
W: All things that should/could have happened last year but didn't. And it's not fair, and our school funding system in this state is deeply unfair, and it all needs to change so that everyone gets this kind of care and treatment.
Esperanza, I'm so very glad that things are better set up to support Sweet in her new school. (I also very much hear you about that W.) I'm particularly glad, because I remember that you and she were worried about leaving behind the supports she had in the old town, and you were't sure how things would go at the new place. I'm SO glad that it's better than before.
Yes, there were wonderful people in a not-well-supported system in the old town. And now there are wonderful people in a well-supported system. It's amazing how much difference that makes.
It's really wrong for things to be so different for students, one place to another. Glad Sweet has landed in a well-supported system.
A funny for you. We are discussing the word "fib" at supper.
Me: Have you ever told a fib?
Mini: Well, only about burping and tooting
Woot! Mini deserves a prize for that.
That's adorable, esperanza.
A bunch of men from a church we don't even currently attend showed up here tonight to help with yard work and some maintenance and repairs here. Feeling very thankful and encouraged.
Wow, PK. xoxo
Good morning Pixies! I'll read through whines later today - it's my first day back in the office after vacation and I have a small mountain of mail/email/calls to attend to.
It was a great vacation! It's also good to be back in the saddle. I love this time of year - September is so full of new beginnings.
That's so lovely, PK!!
I went to a thing last night that should have been better attended. There were about 7 of us there, including the two organizers. And two of the folks who attended hate my guts, but we were all as sweet as pie to each other.
I paid for it later (and am still paying) in a TMJ headache. Forgot how much it hurts to smile while grinding your teeth
Ouchy, Liz.
Oof to the TMJ headache, and to having to be sweet to people who hate you. And to low attendance!
Welcome back, Sue! I hope that your return to work goes well.
PK: what a lovely thing, in the midst of such awfulness.
W: a headache has been bothering me all day, in spite of all pain meds and effort. I think it's exhaustion from the beginning of the school year (we're all adjusting back to the new sleep schedule).
AW: bless the inventor of the TV. E got more than enough screen time today.
Big believer in screen time during stress time!
I have complained ever so much about stupid marketers calling me, despite being on the do not call list. Today's special item insisted that I am NOT on the do not call list, and I told her she was wrong and I had recently checked, and I told her I knew it was her job, not her, but they should please never call again.
So then I had to check again, and yes, I am in fact still on the do not call list, on all the 3 numbers that they call. Seems to me there's an uptick in unwanted callers who are extremely pushy, lately. Not a good mix with my general grumpitude.
Kathy: don't you guys have a way of reporting companies that call you, in spite of your do not call registration? Companies here get in trouble for defying the DNCL. (The trouble here is that now 95% of my telemarketer calls are from fraudsters, and I get a LOT of fraudulent phone calls. People have alleged that fraudsters actually target people on the list.) (The other 5% of my calls are from newspapers and politicians, who are on the exempt list.)
There are two problems with reporting the the FTC (federal trade commission). The first is that I have to take down the number and time and yadda, and then report them. Separately. Which eats even more of my time and patience.
The second is that the FTC can't actually do much about it. A lot of these calls come from spoofed numbers, use fake names on caller ID, and/or they don't give good identifying info about the company, etc. And trying to get better info means more wasted time on my end.
I should probably just turn off all the phone ringers, let everything go to voice mail. Except we have the phones so we can get calls we need. GRR.
Oh, so you have the same problem that I do: any call that comes from a spoofed number, etc, is a scammer. Let's be honest here. I've hit the point where (and this helps that I have both caller ID and phones that say the name or number out loud during the ringing) I let it go to answering machine if it's any toll free number (unless it has a specific company name in the caller ID, and it's a company that I know). I ignore pretty much all long distance calls as well, especially from area codes that aren't my own. It's really rare that I miss an important call that way.
We're going to be in Paris in a week! I'm pretty sure everything will fall together nicely; but now I'm thinking up loose ends (spare keys; emergency info; travel toothpaste; stock up on cat food). Yay!
This AW may seem at odds with the earlier W that I can't afford to give to everybody for everything. But, never been to Europe; and mostly my beloved is paying.
AW: Antibacterial soaps have just (finally) been banned by the FDA! This doesn't affect alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel; just all those many soaps and body washes with extra chemicals that might have contributed to the rise of super-germs.
Social Media Whines:
a) Twitter yesterday. All of a sudden Trumpers were replying to a post of mine from back in December where I said, "At my annual well-woman appointment. Trump on news in the waiting room. I am literally shaking with rage. Normally bp 110/70. Today, 118/84".
I don't know why they thought that one was the one to go full force at, but they did. Funny and scary at the same time.
b) Two days ago, an IRL progressive activist white male acquaintance of mine posted this about Kaepernick:
"A simple rule for being effective in politics is to fuel your passion to spread HOPE not Anger..... Barack Obama and MLK have led by showing us how far FORWARD we can go and the actions of Colin Kaepernick only show how BACKWARD we can be.
If you want to move your cause FORWARD you need to decide whether you want to bring people together with HOPE or split them apart with Anger....just because you are an "activist" doesn't give you a pass on this rule."
I replied that if he didn't think MLK and PBO haven't ever publicly expressed anger, he hasn't heard or read any of their speeches. It's two days later, and dude hasn't budged, despite not having ANYONE in his comment stream agree with him. Dude says MLK would condemn what CK did, that his speech at Lincoln Memorial was all about hope. I finally posted both the letter from Birmingham Jail and cut and pasted all the angry parts of the speech at Lincoln Memorial.
That's right, I'm a one-woman cluestick posse.
Kathy a: I'd like to see the same ban in Canada. Health Canada has spent the past year considering the same thing, but so far they haven't done anything about it. The FDA ban will likely put a fire under Canada to do the same.
I'm so excited that you're on your way to Paris, Kathy! I went once, 13 years ago, and it was so lovely.
AW: so far, E has been having a really good day. She's really proud of herself because she has done all her pooping in the potty, instead of in a pullup at night (or her pants during quiet time), for the past few days. She finally earned a candy reward that I promised her a while ago, and I also let her watch her favourite show on Netflix in the morning (instead of my usual rule: if we watch anything in the morning, it's on public TV), both of which gave her the impression that we're having a party now. And now, for her quiet time, she's quietly playing with blocks on her bed. I needed to make note of all of this, because some days I despair about her preparedness for preschool (ten more days!).
YAY E!!!
Liz, well done being the one-woman cluestick! Seriously: brava.
Go, LIZ! Freedom of speech means: somebody else does not get to dictate your non-violent means of expression. To me, love of country includes trying to make it better (fairer, more equal and just) for everyone. Whozits needed a cluesticking.
Also, wtf about this jackass appropriating MLK?
YAY, E! Big strides, sister! There may be some backsliding -- it happens -- but very lovely steps forward.
QWP, I'm just glad to hear that, for once, the U.S. is ahead of Canada on something that needs to be done. I'm sure it will get accomplished soon for y'all, too
Go, Liz! Cluestick away!
Go, E! Big girl!
AW: I met my Oregon-bound friend yesterday for hiking and exploring at a nearby state park. It was fun! And we ended up hiking 7-8 miles, I think. My legs are telling me all about it today. All of our recent rain made things very lush and full of water, which was great.
W: Some misjudgement on our part (um, we're older than we used to be, and it was HOT and getting hotter, and how fast we can actually walk) led me to be about 30 minutes late to meet the school bus. And poor cell phone reception led me to not know for sure until almost too late if Mr. E was going to be home. He was. But I do not care to repeat that experience! I have no idea what the bus driver does if no one is there to meet the bus. I know exactly what that Baboos would have done: major freak out.
So glad you had a good hike with your friend! So VERY glad Mr. E was home and it didn't turn into a disaster.
Esperanza, what a great time with your friend! Um, that's a lotta miles. In heat. The bad thing didn't happen, so you get to have no regrets. xoxo
Yeah, it was 94 by the time we left. Mr. E has really filled in a lot of gaps this week, so I'm feeling like a real and independent person.
AW: We were smart enough to have plenty of water with us. I think I drank well over a gallon yesterday and was still thirsty when I got up this morning. I've been drinking a lot today too.
Good about the water. And, very dedicated exercise!
I have outsmarted the cat who likes clawing the wind on my window screen, with a clever arrangement of flat boxes along the southern border! She has moved on to sunbeams in another room. (I'm so going to lose this window screen, though, in the long run.)
Oh, please tell me I'm not building a wall... /faint/ This cat is really happy as a housecat, but she is not that bright, and if she got out, she couldn't get back in. I'm trying to reinforce that she can claw the living heck out of the back of my desk chair, which appears to be indestructible.
Esperanza: I'm so glad that Mr. E was able to go and get the Baboos! And that you had such a lovely time with your friend.
Been busy but:
Daughter has no cancer!!!
Dad really wants a relationship. Trying to apologize for 40 years of poor relationship. Not being patient about it. Daughter doesn't want to see him. Older son doesn't want to see him. Younger son is mainly trying to keep me from dealing with dad on my own.
Let's hope today is a day with some good memories. We are visiting my aunt (my dads younger brothers second or third ex wife) today and she is amazing!!
Go big girl, E!!!!
Hooray for a good hike with a good friend, Esperanza.
Kathy, I'm so excited to hear all about gay Paris upon your return.
Welcome back Sue!
Hope back to school is going as smoothly as it can NL.
Liz, I admire your fortitude online.
PK you are always in my prayers.
Miranda: what a relief! I'm so glad to hear that your daughter is cancer-free. I hope that your day with your aunt goes well, and that your dad behaves himself.
W: I was about to anti-whine about how E had pretty much the perfect day yesterday, but now she's making up for that today. She didn't sleep enough last night, and I think she has a bit of a headache from when she bumped her head yesterday (but no concussion symptoms, thankfully), and she's CRABBY. Screamed right in my ear because I helped her not to lose a lego piece. (She got a timeout for that one, and that particular set of lego is going away for a while again, since it's an out-of-print board game, and she started throwing the irreplaceable pieces in her tantrum. Nope.)
WHEW, Miranda. That is a big relief. And negotiating--I don't even know what to call it--with your dad...seems big. Prayers for wisdom.
QWP, after a week of excellent sleep by Sweet, last night was terrible. She fell asleep an hour late (she was in bed but not able to sleep), then woke up at 4, then at 5 (I'm not sure she even was asleep in between there), then at 6. UGH. So I say it's normal for E to not progress in a linear manner :)
Miranda, such great news about your daughter!!
Hope the visit with your aunt goes well today. Wish your father would back off on the urgency -- he's been gone a long time, and is virtually a stranger. This can't be more than a first or second step toward building a relationship. The caution your kids are displaying makes sense, and won't change on a dime. xoxo
Hope everybody gets better sleep tonight, and that tomorrow is less crabby.
Heh. My beloved, mr. world traveler, said we can just use our credit and ATM cards overseas, and lo, euros appear. I found out you need to register the overseas prospects with The Bank, or else you'll be overseas and up a creek. So, now he's taking care of that for his cards. Score one for me, in the grand marital adventure. ;)
Think this means we're pretty much ready, except that I've only spent maybe an hour on the guide books. It's a long flight. We already got tickets to 2 museums and for the train between cities; those are the biggies.
I'm glad that you caught that before you went over there, kathy! Exciting times ahead!
You guys, I figured out why I've been in such a weepy funk today. Last night, I had a dream that my grandma suddenly died (the one who actually died a year and a half ago), and my subconscious decided to play out the entire grieving process (and the entire worrying about Grandpa process -- again, the grandpa who died a few months ago), and I spent a lot of this dream sobbing uncontrollably. And then I woke up and it was morning, and I haven't been able to shake it all day. This was a new one: I've had plenty of dreams where dead loved ones have come back, but not ones where I replay my grief, but intensified.
((( QWP ))) You lost them both, and not too far apart. Grief is a hard process; and it happens in different ways; but it never happens as fast or as completely as is popularly believed.
I'm glad you figured out what was going on. Maybe you just needed to remember them right now. Sending love. xoxo
It works this way sometimes -- I don't always remember dates, but my body does. Just remembered my dad died on Sept. 6. It was 13 years ago; and, he had suffered enough; and all his kids were there. On the up side, I can still remember his laugh and his voice; my kids remember the funniest, most interesting grandpa anybody could have. Oh, did he have a lot of stories. xoxo
Yay Miranda!!! No cancer!!! I am glad you are going slow with your dad despite his impatience
(((QWP)))
Yay paree!!!
Hung out with my grandma today. She's 97, and suddenly looking her age, and maybe feeling it too. I need to visit again soon.
Old Skool alert: the dishwasher in the new house is very good at getting the dishes clean. But. It will not dry anything that is plastic!
There, there. Lay the plastic things out on a dishtowel to dry; keep a corner up, so the underside can dry. Shake 'em first, to get the wet spots out of those foldy spots.
Everybody'd better bop me if I become insufferable, because I'm starting to get excited about the trip next week!
Esperanza: you open the dishwasher door as soon as it's finished, so that the condensation doesn't build up, right?
Canadian whine: it's still technically summer, and I just turned on the furnace.
Post a Comment