For those who want to know...
Here is the latest news, and I am sure she would love to know I am posting this on the Internet. However, since she does have a MySpace and has her own blog on there where she tells equally private things and has pictures of herself posted so anyone could actually know who it was about, I don't see where she can say a whole lot.
Not sure what you know, they are officially separated, he moved out earier this month and is living with his parents. They are sharing custody of the girls, they do three days, four days or some such, I have no idea. He worked it out so she has them every weekend in February, I suppose so he can go out with his 22 year old girlfriend and she can't go out at all because she has four children. A few weeks ago Alyssa babysat for her and there was a big commotion that night because Lisa decided to try to catch him lying about where he actually was. They are separated so I am not sure why this matters. I don't know why he even tells her at all. So she tried to call his cell and he didn't answer, then he shut it off because she was being psycho. (you need this background for what happened this past weekend which is the height of crazy, I'll make it short).
She eventually winds up calling the suspected girlfriend and saying "where is my husband?" this 22 year old girl, who is clearly an idiot because why else would she be dating a married, 34 year old man with 4 children under the age of 10; says "I have no idea what you are talking about." and hangs up. So Lisa proceeds to call her repeatedly. Now, if I were this girl, I would run screaming in the other direction from this guy, but I guess I was never that stupid.
Lisa called me this past Saturday and told me that on Friday she went to talk to said girlfriend because "I have been acting like a psycho to her and it's not her fault." Excuse me?! What's not her fault? Is it her fault she is seeing a married man? She works with him and has for a while, it's not like his marital status was a secret. She says, "Well, we're separated." AND? The point? To this I replied that anyone who is seeing a married person, separated or not (and mind you this separation has been for three weeks-and she was totally seeing him before he moved out of the house, this I know because he had her in the house before) takes the risk that the spouse is a raving lunatic. And I informed Lisa that if she wanted to act like a psycho toward this girl, that was just too bad for her. He's MARRIED. Not her fault. Whatever.
Now our grandmother is in the hospital. Lisa's only source of income comes from helping our grandmother during the day. She is not going home. The hospital will not release her to go home, they will only release her to a nursing home. She is saying completely crazy things, she won't feed herself. She's there because she fell again. Lisa is out of a job. She has received no money from her wonderful husband since he left. He is so concerned about his children that he has not paid one dime of support in three weeks and she is so stupid she hasn't gone to file for support.
On Saturday I went to the hosptial with my mother to see my grandmother; Lisa and her mom, my mom's sister, were there. After we were there for about an hour I asked Lisa if she wanted to show me where the cafeteria was because I was starving and wanted something to eat. So as we are walking to the elevator her phone rings. Naturally it is the asshole. He has no name btw, he is just known as asshole. I am listening to her side of the conversation and wondering why it is even being had. I have told her repeatedly that I see no reason for her to speak to him unless it has to do with the children. We get to the elevator and I have had enough so I say "Well, there is no service in elevators, say goodbye." She continues to talk, the elevator comes and I shoot her looks, then I start making comments so she hangs up. She knows I will say whatever I feel like when it comes to him. He is an asshole, he is not worthy of my time or my respect. All I said was "Bye" really loudly and nastily, I guess she didn't want to see where I'd go with it so she hung up.
We wind up having to wander all over the place because the cafeteria is closed and we are looking for a soda machine that has water in it because that is what my mother wants. While we are wandering around she proceeds to tell me how she still loves him, she knows he still loves her and they are meant to be together. I tell her that he is messing with her and she needs to let it go. It's over, let it go. But no, I am wrong of course. Cuz I am the one with four kids, no job, husband moved out and is paying me no support and my house is about to get foreclosed. No wait, that's her. Clearly she is better at making choices than I am. And she's obviously thinking rationally about what is best for her children.
She tells me where there is a machine, I go in search of the water and she goes outside "to smoke a cigarette". I find the soda machine, get the water and go back to wait by the doors, it's cold, I am not going out there. I am waiting and waiting. I know how long it takes to smoke a cigarette and I am getting annoyed. Finally, I called her on her cell phone and said "Are you coming in or are you talking to him?" She replies "Just go up, I'll be there in a minute." I hung up and went up by myself.
Did I mention that there is a prisoner on the same floor as my grandmother? I know this by the two DOC guards sitting in the hallway two doors down. So yeah, I have to walk past there by myself.
When I got back in the room I told my aunt what was going on. She said "She's stupid." I asked her if she told her that and she says that she did. I told her good, so did I. My mother did too. When she came back up to the room she had nothing more to say to me. I am wondering if she's not speaking to me now. Which would be just fine, because I am no longer being nice with my opinions about her, her husband and her idiot choices. So it's probably for the best if she's not speaking to me. I can't make matters worse that way. Since she's not going to listen anyway, what's the point in talking to her?
Tomorrow I can give the updates on another one of my idiot cousins. Let me know which one you want to hear about. Of all my cousins, the only one who isn't an idiot is Stacy. We are still trying to figure out how we are the only responsible ones (this generation) in the entire family.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
University City
Can someone please explain to me why every road in University City is under construction? And has been for the past year? I took my son to an appointment at Children's Hospital today. They have a building at 3440 Market Street, that's where we went, not the main hospital.
So I get off the Schuylkill Expressway at South Street; turn left onto whatever that is, that direction I think it's not South but whatever, construction. I turn onto 33rd Street, construction; turn onto 34th off of Market, construction. The parking lot makes me leave out onto 35th-just to create a headache-that's new-after some other 34th Street construction that's now finished. I have to drive around the block to get back onto 34th because that's what way I want to go. I get over by the main hospital and...you guessed it...that's all the way down that section of the road, and I turn left to head back toward 76, again, more roads I have no clue the name of, but there is more construction there as well. All in all, a nightmare.
So I get off the Schuylkill Expressway at South Street; turn left onto whatever that is, that direction I think it's not South but whatever, construction. I turn onto 33rd Street, construction; turn onto 34th off of Market, construction. The parking lot makes me leave out onto 35th-just to create a headache-that's new-after some other 34th Street construction that's now finished. I have to drive around the block to get back onto 34th because that's what way I want to go. I get over by the main hospital and...you guessed it...that's all the way down that section of the road, and I turn left to head back toward 76, again, more roads I have no clue the name of, but there is more construction there as well. All in all, a nightmare.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Pictures
What do you do with old pictures? Mine are in photo albums, that were made at the time the pictures were developed. (That's right...developed) Not the scrapbook kind that some crazy people put together...that I don't get, but they are in albums. I have photo albums from when I was nine years old.
For some reason, one night my husband said something about one of my ex-boyfriends and Alyssa said, "Oh I saw a picture of him." And my husband said "Where?" Alyssa said, "In one of mommy's photos albums." He says, "You have pictures of your old boyfriends?" with complete disbelief. Now, his old pictures are in shoe boxes somewhere and if anyone bothered to look through them I am sure we'd find some old girlfriends but that's not my point so I won't go there. So I said, "In old photo albums, in the hall closet." He is looking at me like this is the craziest thing he has ever heard! I asked, "Am I supposed to tear apart my photo albums and throw them away?" There was no verbal response but the look I got was a "yes".
What the hell? These are not albums that are sitting out where you can just pick them up and look at them. They are in the hall closet, some are in the basement. One of them is from college with sorority stuff in it. Why would I rip them apart? It's my past and that's what it was. Does getting rid of the pictures somehow change it? It's not like he didn't know about these guys! Should I let my daughter think I only ever had one boyfriend? I think it's better for her to know that I had a few and she should too before she decides to get married.
We have been married for 12 years next month. I don't understand why he would be that insecure to worry about me having a picture of someone I dated 15-20 years ago! I suppose this means I have to get rid of my prom pictures too. Men!
For some reason, one night my husband said something about one of my ex-boyfriends and Alyssa said, "Oh I saw a picture of him." And my husband said "Where?" Alyssa said, "In one of mommy's photos albums." He says, "You have pictures of your old boyfriends?" with complete disbelief. Now, his old pictures are in shoe boxes somewhere and if anyone bothered to look through them I am sure we'd find some old girlfriends but that's not my point so I won't go there. So I said, "In old photo albums, in the hall closet." He is looking at me like this is the craziest thing he has ever heard! I asked, "Am I supposed to tear apart my photo albums and throw them away?" There was no verbal response but the look I got was a "yes".
What the hell? These are not albums that are sitting out where you can just pick them up and look at them. They are in the hall closet, some are in the basement. One of them is from college with sorority stuff in it. Why would I rip them apart? It's my past and that's what it was. Does getting rid of the pictures somehow change it? It's not like he didn't know about these guys! Should I let my daughter think I only ever had one boyfriend? I think it's better for her to know that I had a few and she should too before she decides to get married.
We have been married for 12 years next month. I don't understand why he would be that insecure to worry about me having a picture of someone I dated 15-20 years ago! I suppose this means I have to get rid of my prom pictures too. Men!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
8th Grade " Graduation"
I keep threatening to post my tirade on the 8th grade "graduation" and I haven't done it yet. For those people interested enough to bother reading this, here goes.
First of all, when you are done with 8th grade, you have not actually graduated. Yes, you are moving on from elementary/middle school to high school, although in my area there is at least one school district I know of that has 8th and 9th grade in a junior high so I suppose even that is debatable. However, for the sake of argument, you're moving on to high school. Yes, it is a new phase of your educational life. It is not however, a graduation. You are not permitted by law to stop going to school at this point. And if you were, in the year 2007, what would you do with yourself and your 8th grade education?
But for some reason 8th grade graduation is now some huge deal. I could get started on a whole other tangent as to why I think this kind of nonsense is why "kids these days" get involved in things way too young. They don't have to wait for anything, there is nothing left to look forward to. Been there, done that. But that's a different tirade.
8th grade graduation is some huge deal. My daughter came home last week with a cap and gown. I have to press it before Wednesday when it has to go back to school to be there in time for the graduation pictures that will be taken this Friday, that I will be expected by my child to purchase. My child who will no doubt pose with her "emo face" that she is fond of using these days in her pictures. So I will not want these pictures. She will look ridiculous. She usually looks ridiculous in pictures that are taken when I am not there to say "stop making that dumb face".
Three weeks ago she started with nonsense about these pictures. The first week in January was "Can I have Sheila straighten my hair the day of the pictures?" How is this going to happen "She'll come over before school." Yeah, right, Sheila's bus comes at 7:05, no I do not need her in my house at 6 in the morning so she can straighten your already straight hair! Dry it with a blow dryer and a brush instead of wrapping it up in hair ties like you usually do. This went on for a week. Back and forth about the hair. Apparently the plan now is that Sheila will straighten it the night before. I'll need to remind Alyssa that we are not home on Thursdays due to her brother's counseling appointments.
The second week of January we moved on to nails. "I know you're probably going to say no to this. But can I get fake nails for my graduation pictures?" No, besides, you're not allowed to have painted nails at school. The principal has said that they can for the pictures and they can have them for the rest of the year as an 8th grade privilege. So we had to discuss nails for a week. The result of that was, "If you want nails, stop biting them." And now someone, I don't know who, is supposed to do a French manicure.
I think out of spite, if I do get any pictures, I'll get the ones with the cap on her head so that her nails aren't in the picture and her hair is covered. I am evil.
Last week we moved on to shoes. That's right, SHOES. When was the last time you had a picture taken where your shoes showed? We went through all this stuff with my brother and his family for family pictures for my mom where everyone was wearing the same thing, we had to go buy Rob a new pair of jeans. No ones' pants even show in this picture. And she is worried about SHOES! "Well, they are taking the group pictures too and our feet will show in that." Yeah, and the picture will be far enough back that no one will see your new white kitten heel shoes. That's what she wants, kitten heels. White, in January. Uh-huh.
So finally I called the 8th grade advisor and she said that yes, they are allowed to have the nails as an 8th grade privilege, but they have to be a neutral color. They can't be painted. What is the point of that? She agrees that there is absolutely no reason for new shoes. Then she tells me that the dinner dance is another story, everyone pretty much treats that like it's the prom. I am already annoyed about this whole thing. We are going to kill each other.
We got a letter that all 8th graders will need $500 in their graduation account. $500! What the hell is all that for? Alyssa says "caps and gowns and the dinner dance". Um, I know people who got married at the place they're having the dinner dance. With an open bar it's $57 a person. There won't be an open bar. I paid in the range of $50 last year for my cap and gown for graduation with a Master's degree-that has extra stuff with it, so...I repeat...$500?!
I have informed my daughter that if she thinks she is getting some gown and new shoes and god only knows what else for this dinner dance, she had better start saving her money and find some babysitting gigs. She was asked today to babysit every Saturday in February. I advised her that it would be a good idea for her to do so. She said she would. We'll see how that goes.
My husband thinks that for the dance we should let her get her nails done because this is a big deal to her. My feeling is that she has not done anything spectacular. She is skating through by the skin of her teeth, although she has been tested and I was told that "C"s are not reasonable for her, she should be getting "A"s and "B"s because she has a 120 IQ and a 12th grade reading level. She likes to point out that she did get an "A" on her report card. In what? Religion. That's right. The class that has no homework. One project a year which takes about an hour to do. The main thing they are talking about this year is chastity. So basically, boys-the only thing she IS interested. And I am supposed to be impressed that she got an "A"? She has never NOT gotten an "A" in religion.
How is it that this is the child I raised? I totally don't get it! I was not even a little bit interested in boys when I was 13. 13 year old boys are idiots, and they smell bad. I taught in middle school, trust me, they smell bad. I would not have wanted to bring my report card home if I had one "C", let alone nothing but "C"s. She thinks nothing of bringing home "D"s and "F"s, like "Why are you so freaked out about this?" This is a child who when she was 9 said "I'd rather be pretty than smart." I asked her what was wrong with both, because she could be both. Nope, we don't want to be smart. And she is sticking to it. She's going to be looking at eternal grounding. I see it coming.
Someone is going to have to move out of this house. And I think it may be me.
First of all, when you are done with 8th grade, you have not actually graduated. Yes, you are moving on from elementary/middle school to high school, although in my area there is at least one school district I know of that has 8th and 9th grade in a junior high so I suppose even that is debatable. However, for the sake of argument, you're moving on to high school. Yes, it is a new phase of your educational life. It is not however, a graduation. You are not permitted by law to stop going to school at this point. And if you were, in the year 2007, what would you do with yourself and your 8th grade education?
But for some reason 8th grade graduation is now some huge deal. I could get started on a whole other tangent as to why I think this kind of nonsense is why "kids these days" get involved in things way too young. They don't have to wait for anything, there is nothing left to look forward to. Been there, done that. But that's a different tirade.
8th grade graduation is some huge deal. My daughter came home last week with a cap and gown. I have to press it before Wednesday when it has to go back to school to be there in time for the graduation pictures that will be taken this Friday, that I will be expected by my child to purchase. My child who will no doubt pose with her "emo face" that she is fond of using these days in her pictures. So I will not want these pictures. She will look ridiculous. She usually looks ridiculous in pictures that are taken when I am not there to say "stop making that dumb face".
Three weeks ago she started with nonsense about these pictures. The first week in January was "Can I have Sheila straighten my hair the day of the pictures?" How is this going to happen "She'll come over before school." Yeah, right, Sheila's bus comes at 7:05, no I do not need her in my house at 6 in the morning so she can straighten your already straight hair! Dry it with a blow dryer and a brush instead of wrapping it up in hair ties like you usually do. This went on for a week. Back and forth about the hair. Apparently the plan now is that Sheila will straighten it the night before. I'll need to remind Alyssa that we are not home on Thursdays due to her brother's counseling appointments.
The second week of January we moved on to nails. "I know you're probably going to say no to this. But can I get fake nails for my graduation pictures?" No, besides, you're not allowed to have painted nails at school. The principal has said that they can for the pictures and they can have them for the rest of the year as an 8th grade privilege. So we had to discuss nails for a week. The result of that was, "If you want nails, stop biting them." And now someone, I don't know who, is supposed to do a French manicure.
I think out of spite, if I do get any pictures, I'll get the ones with the cap on her head so that her nails aren't in the picture and her hair is covered. I am evil.
Last week we moved on to shoes. That's right, SHOES. When was the last time you had a picture taken where your shoes showed? We went through all this stuff with my brother and his family for family pictures for my mom where everyone was wearing the same thing, we had to go buy Rob a new pair of jeans. No ones' pants even show in this picture. And she is worried about SHOES! "Well, they are taking the group pictures too and our feet will show in that." Yeah, and the picture will be far enough back that no one will see your new white kitten heel shoes. That's what she wants, kitten heels. White, in January. Uh-huh.
So finally I called the 8th grade advisor and she said that yes, they are allowed to have the nails as an 8th grade privilege, but they have to be a neutral color. They can't be painted. What is the point of that? She agrees that there is absolutely no reason for new shoes. Then she tells me that the dinner dance is another story, everyone pretty much treats that like it's the prom. I am already annoyed about this whole thing. We are going to kill each other.
We got a letter that all 8th graders will need $500 in their graduation account. $500! What the hell is all that for? Alyssa says "caps and gowns and the dinner dance". Um, I know people who got married at the place they're having the dinner dance. With an open bar it's $57 a person. There won't be an open bar. I paid in the range of $50 last year for my cap and gown for graduation with a Master's degree-that has extra stuff with it, so...I repeat...$500?!
I have informed my daughter that if she thinks she is getting some gown and new shoes and god only knows what else for this dinner dance, she had better start saving her money and find some babysitting gigs. She was asked today to babysit every Saturday in February. I advised her that it would be a good idea for her to do so. She said she would. We'll see how that goes.
My husband thinks that for the dance we should let her get her nails done because this is a big deal to her. My feeling is that she has not done anything spectacular. She is skating through by the skin of her teeth, although she has been tested and I was told that "C"s are not reasonable for her, she should be getting "A"s and "B"s because she has a 120 IQ and a 12th grade reading level. She likes to point out that she did get an "A" on her report card. In what? Religion. That's right. The class that has no homework. One project a year which takes about an hour to do. The main thing they are talking about this year is chastity. So basically, boys-the only thing she IS interested. And I am supposed to be impressed that she got an "A"? She has never NOT gotten an "A" in religion.
How is it that this is the child I raised? I totally don't get it! I was not even a little bit interested in boys when I was 13. 13 year old boys are idiots, and they smell bad. I taught in middle school, trust me, they smell bad. I would not have wanted to bring my report card home if I had one "C", let alone nothing but "C"s. She thinks nothing of bringing home "D"s and "F"s, like "Why are you so freaked out about this?" This is a child who when she was 9 said "I'd rather be pretty than smart." I asked her what was wrong with both, because she could be both. Nope, we don't want to be smart. And she is sticking to it. She's going to be looking at eternal grounding. I see it coming.
Someone is going to have to move out of this house. And I think it may be me.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
I hate everyone
You know, some days I wonder why I even bothered to get married. Today is one of those days where I would definitely be happier if I was just by myself. My husband is being a miserable jerk and has decided that I am the one with the issue. Whatever. Asks me something then says "nevermind I don't want to hear it". Charming, I'll just talk to myself this evening.
We get pizza on Tuesdays because it's music lessons, the teacher comes here and he eats with us, so pizza is the easiest thing to do. I tell my husband we need to get bread so he may as well go a few minutes early. Now, to be fair, I asked him to help me copy a CD for Heather because I was having a hard time because some bands (you know who I mean Heather) really know how to work this copyright protection. So he's pissy trying to figure that out and I say "well, I am not going to see Heather until the 20th so it doesn't need to be done immediately. We can figure this out later." No, we have to do it NOW. So he's all worked up about that. I remind him to go get the pizza, he says ok but nothing happens. So I get all ready to go get it and he yells "I'll go". No, I have my coat on, goodbye.
He apologized for being jerky, went to Wawa to get bread and milk and after the music teacher left, went back to being jerky. That was when we went to "I don't want to talk about that." mode. So I am just not talking to him. The best part about it is that he doesn't even notice. I cleaned up the kitchen and now I am writing a tirade.
He's still messing around on the computer. I am going to go to bed in a minute and I am sure that he'll be down here for at least another hour. I am so annoyed. Yes, this is rambling. I am not even going to try to talk to him because now I am pissy.
South Park is really funny tonight though.
We get pizza on Tuesdays because it's music lessons, the teacher comes here and he eats with us, so pizza is the easiest thing to do. I tell my husband we need to get bread so he may as well go a few minutes early. Now, to be fair, I asked him to help me copy a CD for Heather because I was having a hard time because some bands (you know who I mean Heather) really know how to work this copyright protection. So he's pissy trying to figure that out and I say "well, I am not going to see Heather until the 20th so it doesn't need to be done immediately. We can figure this out later." No, we have to do it NOW. So he's all worked up about that. I remind him to go get the pizza, he says ok but nothing happens. So I get all ready to go get it and he yells "I'll go". No, I have my coat on, goodbye.
He apologized for being jerky, went to Wawa to get bread and milk and after the music teacher left, went back to being jerky. That was when we went to "I don't want to talk about that." mode. So I am just not talking to him. The best part about it is that he doesn't even notice. I cleaned up the kitchen and now I am writing a tirade.
He's still messing around on the computer. I am going to go to bed in a minute and I am sure that he'll be down here for at least another hour. I am so annoyed. Yes, this is rambling. I am not even going to try to talk to him because now I am pissy.
South Park is really funny tonight though.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Psychedelic Furs and People Watching
Last night I saw the Psych Furs at the Trocadero in Philly. I went with my husband and sister-in-law, Maribeth. Her husband was supposed to come too but he wussed out. That's another story tho.
The show was great. Richard Butler is starting to look quite a lot like David Bowie. He looked like he was having a great time and really wanted to be there. That's always nice. Unlike when we see Echo and the Bunnymen and Ian McCullough looks like he just wants to go home. Maribeth said she's not even sure he knows where he is. But as usual, I digress.
As I said, the show was great, I am not sure why they are touring, just for something to do I guess. As far as I could tell they don't have a new album. I didn't recognize three songs, but that doesn't mean anything. I don't have all their albums anyway. They played a couple of songs I had forgotten all about but I said "I love this song!" when they started, "Sleep Comes Down" and "Only You and I".
First adventure of the evening was getting there. We couldn't find anywhere to park. We finally found a lot that was close enough, walked over to the Troc and the bouncer says "have your ticket and your ID." Bet left her ID in the car. She is the youngest of the three of us and is 34, so I said "her's is in the car." He says "Well, you better go get it, it's an over 21 show." Rob says "you have got to be kidding." His response was "That's the way it works." I said, "Not normally when you are 35 it doesn't." So we actually had to go back to the car and get it and they actually checked all our IDs. What I want to know is how many under 21 year olds have even heard of the Psych Furs unless their parents are playing them!?
I am not sure if lots of other people who are close to our age just look really bad, or if the crowd was a lot older, because we actually did look younger than at least 3/4 of the people in there. There were some very strange people in this crowd. When we were looking for a place to park we saw a very large man with white hair, huge earrings and a black trench coat getting out of a cab-he went the wrong direction when he got out of the cab, I sort of thought he looked like he may be going, but then he went to opposite way, maybe he needed to stop somewhere else first-he was there. Bet saw him doing a dance, I missed that. The guy behind us, who was about 5 feet tall, got really annoying toward the end and was just shouting. I doubt he could see over me so good-because he pissed me off. By far my favorite person in attendance was some guy who had this total "I think I am Johnny Depp" thing going on. He had shoulder length, dark curly hair, big black-framed glasses, wearing a black hat, he was going all out. And I so wanted to go over to him and say "yeah, this whole look works for Johnny Depp, because HE'S Johnny Depp." Anyone else, you just look ridiculous. I imagine there are some who would say Johnny Depp looks ridiculous-the fuggers don't like it I know!
Some of the fun at concerts of largely 80s bands is watching to crowd. Rob noted that he thinks it's weird that we never run into anyone we know. I suppose that's true. But no one in high school except my immediate circle of friends was listening to anything that wasn't top 40. I guess 'no one' is an exaggeration, but I can think of about 5 people who may have been listening to what we were listening to. There were people in college but it was Philly, so who knows where they came from and where they moved to after college?!
Oh well. We had fun. And today we went to a family party and I got to harass my brother-in-law for being a big pussy. Next concert is Howard Jones, which I understand from Suzy will be completely mellow. Hey Beth, you guys didn't forget about that did you? Although I know next concert for you is Justin. Did sexy go somewhere? That's all I wanna know.
The show was great. Richard Butler is starting to look quite a lot like David Bowie. He looked like he was having a great time and really wanted to be there. That's always nice. Unlike when we see Echo and the Bunnymen and Ian McCullough looks like he just wants to go home. Maribeth said she's not even sure he knows where he is. But as usual, I digress.
As I said, the show was great, I am not sure why they are touring, just for something to do I guess. As far as I could tell they don't have a new album. I didn't recognize three songs, but that doesn't mean anything. I don't have all their albums anyway. They played a couple of songs I had forgotten all about but I said "I love this song!" when they started, "Sleep Comes Down" and "Only You and I".
First adventure of the evening was getting there. We couldn't find anywhere to park. We finally found a lot that was close enough, walked over to the Troc and the bouncer says "have your ticket and your ID." Bet left her ID in the car. She is the youngest of the three of us and is 34, so I said "her's is in the car." He says "Well, you better go get it, it's an over 21 show." Rob says "you have got to be kidding." His response was "That's the way it works." I said, "Not normally when you are 35 it doesn't." So we actually had to go back to the car and get it and they actually checked all our IDs. What I want to know is how many under 21 year olds have even heard of the Psych Furs unless their parents are playing them!?
I am not sure if lots of other people who are close to our age just look really bad, or if the crowd was a lot older, because we actually did look younger than at least 3/4 of the people in there. There were some very strange people in this crowd. When we were looking for a place to park we saw a very large man with white hair, huge earrings and a black trench coat getting out of a cab-he went the wrong direction when he got out of the cab, I sort of thought he looked like he may be going, but then he went to opposite way, maybe he needed to stop somewhere else first-he was there. Bet saw him doing a dance, I missed that. The guy behind us, who was about 5 feet tall, got really annoying toward the end and was just shouting. I doubt he could see over me so good-because he pissed me off. By far my favorite person in attendance was some guy who had this total "I think I am Johnny Depp" thing going on. He had shoulder length, dark curly hair, big black-framed glasses, wearing a black hat, he was going all out. And I so wanted to go over to him and say "yeah, this whole look works for Johnny Depp, because HE'S Johnny Depp." Anyone else, you just look ridiculous. I imagine there are some who would say Johnny Depp looks ridiculous-the fuggers don't like it I know!
Some of the fun at concerts of largely 80s bands is watching to crowd. Rob noted that he thinks it's weird that we never run into anyone we know. I suppose that's true. But no one in high school except my immediate circle of friends was listening to anything that wasn't top 40. I guess 'no one' is an exaggeration, but I can think of about 5 people who may have been listening to what we were listening to. There were people in college but it was Philly, so who knows where they came from and where they moved to after college?!
Oh well. We had fun. And today we went to a family party and I got to harass my brother-in-law for being a big pussy. Next concert is Howard Jones, which I understand from Suzy will be completely mellow. Hey Beth, you guys didn't forget about that did you? Although I know next concert for you is Justin. Did sexy go somewhere? That's all I wanna know.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
My Cousin's Asshole Husband
We always go to dinner at my aunt's house on Christmas. My aunt's house is all on the second floor and my 84 year old grandmother can't go up steps so this year my aunt cooked and took it to her daughter's house. My cousin, Lisa. Lisa and her husband, Wally, are going through a separation, yet again, I won't even get into that. So Lisa's kids were there and her husband was not because they are separating and no one wants to see him. She's moving out in two weeks.
They have four girls. We had dinner at 4:00 I think because my grandmother goes to bed early and so that the girls could be there and then go with Wally, hereafter known as asshole, to his mother's house. At some point or another he called and said he was on his way.
My son was sitting in the playroom watching tv because he has no interest in playing with five girls (including his sister) especially since the cousins are 8, 5, 4 and 3. He comes into the kitchen and says "I think Wally is here." Not sure why he said "I think" because I guess he came in and went in the playroom to look for the girls.
I said I guess he was there to get the girls and I went in the other room to see, Brandon and my husband stayed in the kitchen. So now I am in the living room, my step-father is in there and my daughter. Asshole did not say one word to anyone. Oh wait, he did speak to my grandmother and ask her how she was, I was standing right there and he pretended I wasn't. So anyway, I think he could have at least said something to my 13 year old who was helping the girls get their shoes and coats on. He could have said thank you at least...common courtesy.
Personally, I think if he was going to behave that way, he should have called Lisa when he was on the way and asked her to have the girls ready, then knock on the door and she could just send them out. If you are not going to at least say hello, or Merry Christmas, what with it was Christmas and all, then you should not come in the house. Should I go to his MySpace page and send him a link to here so he can read this and learn about common courtesy?
They have four girls. We had dinner at 4:00 I think because my grandmother goes to bed early and so that the girls could be there and then go with Wally, hereafter known as asshole, to his mother's house. At some point or another he called and said he was on his way.
My son was sitting in the playroom watching tv because he has no interest in playing with five girls (including his sister) especially since the cousins are 8, 5, 4 and 3. He comes into the kitchen and says "I think Wally is here." Not sure why he said "I think" because I guess he came in and went in the playroom to look for the girls.
I said I guess he was there to get the girls and I went in the other room to see, Brandon and my husband stayed in the kitchen. So now I am in the living room, my step-father is in there and my daughter. Asshole did not say one word to anyone. Oh wait, he did speak to my grandmother and ask her how she was, I was standing right there and he pretended I wasn't. So anyway, I think he could have at least said something to my 13 year old who was helping the girls get their shoes and coats on. He could have said thank you at least...common courtesy.
Personally, I think if he was going to behave that way, he should have called Lisa when he was on the way and asked her to have the girls ready, then knock on the door and she could just send them out. If you are not going to at least say hello, or Merry Christmas, what with it was Christmas and all, then you should not come in the house. Should I go to his MySpace page and send him a link to here so he can read this and learn about common courtesy?
My Daughter
I have to rant about my daughter. She is the queen of gross. I don't even know where to start. Since she has been about five, every year at Christmas and in the summer, after her birthday, we would go through all her clothes and toys and do a major cleaning and organizing of her room. Get rid of everything she'd outgrown. Out with the old, in with the new sort of thing. Well, she is now 13. After her last birthday I asked her if we needed to do that, she didn't get a bunch of toys, what she has she's not ready to part with yet, but it hasn't been out in ages. She said we didn't need to do that. I am trying, very hard, to treat her like a teenager instead of like a toddler, so I said ok.
Well, I figured that since she has a ton of new clothes and since every time she has a dress down day at school I send her back to her room to change into something that actually fits, I better get up there and have her go through things with me. I want the clothes that are too small gone so we can not have these fights every time there is a dress down day! So I gave her warning that we were going to do this. I told her to go clean up the mess on the floor.
Oh-and last week we had a conversation about the difference between messy and dirty. I told her she was dirty and it was gross. And I told her that since it is MY house and she's ruining my carpet and making my whole upstairs stink, I do have the right to tell her it's not ok and I do get to decide about those things, even when they are her possessions and it's "her" room.
So I tell her to get all the clothes out of her closet, I don't even want to look in there. All I know is last week she took three bags of trash out of there. Actual trash. Why does a 13 year old have 3 bags of trash in her closet? That was when we had the messy v dirty conversation. She gets the clothes, we go through them. So far, so good.
Then I open one of her dresser drawers, it wasn't awful, we went through it. Next drawer, crammed full of stuff, not folded at all, I am still ok. Then I open the drawer where her socks and underwear are supposed to be. Note I said supposed. There are a few pairs of socks, no underwear at all. Not one pair! Where are this child's underwear!? I don't want to think about it. Also in this drawer are stacks of photos-she has photo albums which are no doubt empty. There is her diary that she is supposed to keep for her counselor, some random papers and about ten candy wrappers. Oh yeah, and a burned out lightbulb. So I have a two year old conversation with her about what we are supposed to do with trash.
Then we get to the nightstand. The nightstand was supposed to be for pajamas and cheerleading/dance/gymnastic stuff and her bathing suits in the summer. She opens the top drawer, it is practically empty, there is one pair of pj pants in there. I just shake my head. Then she tries to open the bottom drawer. It is jammed closed. She gets it open, pulls out all kinds of random clothes, picture frames, and some other crap, I don't even know what.
She moves and when she does it lifts the bedskirt and I see clothes. I then make her pull clothes out from under the bed. There were more clothes shoved under her bed than there were in the closet and three dresser drawers combined. This is when the tirade started. I lit into her about lying to me about putting her clean clothes away. About being dirty and gross. I asked her if her friends did this. She doesn't know. I asked if I should ask them if they do this. No, of course not. Why not? Well, no doubt because they don't and she has to know it's gross and doesn't want her friends to know.
So anyway, she tells me it is clean clothes, that's nice. I already don't fold or put her things away because of this nonsense. The only reason she gets her wash done at all at this point is because I don't want her touching my $1100 washing machine. She breaks everything! In addition to the clean clothes, she pulls out two pairs of pajama bottoms that she had "girl accidents" in. I was just like "you are totally gross". So we threw those out because that's hard enough to wash out anyway, let alone after its been sitting and is all dried in and everything. I told her (again) that when that happens you have to wash it in cold water and put it in the laundry. Maybe this is why she has no panties. May she just threw them all away. I am baffled.
After about an hour I had enough and I assigned her two jobs to finish, one being to match up all the socks she pulled from under her bed and put them away since she says they are clean. Believe me, I don't want to be washing all that stuff-it would be at least two loads of laundry. Then I remembered a large rubbermaid container she has in her room that is for storing stuffed animals in. There are so many stuffed animals on her bed right now that there is barely room for her. And it's a full sized bed. So I went up and said "what's in that box?" Her response, as usually "I don't know". She opened it...clothes. As if you didn't already know that! We'll tackle that tomorrow.
She's a nightmare. From now on she's hanging and folding in the laundry room and I'll watch her put her stuff away. I reminded her that the reason I wasn't doing that was that I was letting her show me she was more responsible and maturing. Yeah, not so much.
I guess that's all for my rant!
Well, I figured that since she has a ton of new clothes and since every time she has a dress down day at school I send her back to her room to change into something that actually fits, I better get up there and have her go through things with me. I want the clothes that are too small gone so we can not have these fights every time there is a dress down day! So I gave her warning that we were going to do this. I told her to go clean up the mess on the floor.
Oh-and last week we had a conversation about the difference between messy and dirty. I told her she was dirty and it was gross. And I told her that since it is MY house and she's ruining my carpet and making my whole upstairs stink, I do have the right to tell her it's not ok and I do get to decide about those things, even when they are her possessions and it's "her" room.
So I tell her to get all the clothes out of her closet, I don't even want to look in there. All I know is last week she took three bags of trash out of there. Actual trash. Why does a 13 year old have 3 bags of trash in her closet? That was when we had the messy v dirty conversation. She gets the clothes, we go through them. So far, so good.
Then I open one of her dresser drawers, it wasn't awful, we went through it. Next drawer, crammed full of stuff, not folded at all, I am still ok. Then I open the drawer where her socks and underwear are supposed to be. Note I said supposed. There are a few pairs of socks, no underwear at all. Not one pair! Where are this child's underwear!? I don't want to think about it. Also in this drawer are stacks of photos-she has photo albums which are no doubt empty. There is her diary that she is supposed to keep for her counselor, some random papers and about ten candy wrappers. Oh yeah, and a burned out lightbulb. So I have a two year old conversation with her about what we are supposed to do with trash.
Then we get to the nightstand. The nightstand was supposed to be for pajamas and cheerleading/dance/gymnastic stuff and her bathing suits in the summer. She opens the top drawer, it is practically empty, there is one pair of pj pants in there. I just shake my head. Then she tries to open the bottom drawer. It is jammed closed. She gets it open, pulls out all kinds of random clothes, picture frames, and some other crap, I don't even know what.
She moves and when she does it lifts the bedskirt and I see clothes. I then make her pull clothes out from under the bed. There were more clothes shoved under her bed than there were in the closet and three dresser drawers combined. This is when the tirade started. I lit into her about lying to me about putting her clean clothes away. About being dirty and gross. I asked her if her friends did this. She doesn't know. I asked if I should ask them if they do this. No, of course not. Why not? Well, no doubt because they don't and she has to know it's gross and doesn't want her friends to know.
So anyway, she tells me it is clean clothes, that's nice. I already don't fold or put her things away because of this nonsense. The only reason she gets her wash done at all at this point is because I don't want her touching my $1100 washing machine. She breaks everything! In addition to the clean clothes, she pulls out two pairs of pajama bottoms that she had "girl accidents" in. I was just like "you are totally gross". So we threw those out because that's hard enough to wash out anyway, let alone after its been sitting and is all dried in and everything. I told her (again) that when that happens you have to wash it in cold water and put it in the laundry. Maybe this is why she has no panties. May she just threw them all away. I am baffled.
After about an hour I had enough and I assigned her two jobs to finish, one being to match up all the socks she pulled from under her bed and put them away since she says they are clean. Believe me, I don't want to be washing all that stuff-it would be at least two loads of laundry. Then I remembered a large rubbermaid container she has in her room that is for storing stuffed animals in. There are so many stuffed animals on her bed right now that there is barely room for her. And it's a full sized bed. So I went up and said "what's in that box?" Her response, as usually "I don't know". She opened it...clothes. As if you didn't already know that! We'll tackle that tomorrow.
She's a nightmare. From now on she's hanging and folding in the laundry room and I'll watch her put her stuff away. I reminded her that the reason I wasn't doing that was that I was letting her show me she was more responsible and maturing. Yeah, not so much.
I guess that's all for my rant!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Favorite Songs
When I was Christmas shopping with Beth, we were in Sharper Image and there was a song playing whose lyrics I recognized and after a minute I figured out that it was Blue Monday. I said to Beth "Listen, awful, annoying remake of Blue Monday" or something along those lines. I'd like to point out I am NOT a fan of remade New Order songs...ever. Every one I have heard sucks, imho. She said something along the lines of "Oh yeah, I couldn't place that." And I said, "It's one of my favorite songs of all time." Her response was "Really?" with complete surprise.
Since that seemed to surprise one of my best and oldest (oldest meaning longest amount of time) friends, and since she is the only one who ever reads this unless someone else is sent here to look at pictures of my awesome Duran Duran purse, I'd like to make a list of my all time favorite songs just for future reference. What this means is, songs that I think "I really need to hear {this song} right now", songs I will listen to, no matter how many times I have already heard them, and I have never been sick of them. In no particular order other than I'll start with my favorite bands first...
Careless Memories...Duran Duran
Come Undone...Duran Duran
Save a Prayer...Duran Duran (yes, really...not sick of it)
Blasphemous Rumours...Depeche Mode
Personal Jesus...Depeche Mode
Just Can't Get Enough...Depeche Mode
Edge of Heaven...Wham!
Father Figure...George Michael
Blue Monday...New Order
Bizarre Love Triangle...New Order
Head Like a Hole...Nine Inch Nails
The Only Time...Nine Inch Nails
Kinda I Want To...Nine Inch Nails
How Soon is Now?...The Smiths
Hit...The Sugarcubes
You Oughtta Know...Allanis Morrissette
How Beautiful You Are...The Cure
Icing Sugar...The Cure
Push...The Cure
Ball of Confusion...Love and Rockets
Troy...Sinead O'Connor
I Will Follow...U2
Dancing Barefoot...U2
What's the Story Morning Glory?...Oasis
Cornflake Girl...Tori Amos
Precious Things...Tori Amos
Jane Says...Jane's Addiction
Cruel Summer...Bananarama
Desperate But Not Serious...Adam Ant
The One Thing...INXS
Nothing after 1999 because that's too recent to be an all-time favorite, I could still get sick of it. That seems like enough, it's all that has easily popped into my head, now I'd just be thinking about it too much. I kept with only three per any one band. But I feel I need to add Do You Believe in Shame and Palomino...also Duran Duran. But five from my all time favorite band seems reasonable anyway.
Next time I'll do movies.
As a P.S. I am not sure whether that remake of Blue Monday or the remake we heard of Come Undone last year in Sephora, also while Christmas shopping, was worse. I think maybe the Come Undone remake because it took me a lot longer to figure out what it was. ::shudder::
Merry Christmas!
Since that seemed to surprise one of my best and oldest (oldest meaning longest amount of time) friends, and since she is the only one who ever reads this unless someone else is sent here to look at pictures of my awesome Duran Duran purse, I'd like to make a list of my all time favorite songs just for future reference. What this means is, songs that I think "I really need to hear {this song} right now", songs I will listen to, no matter how many times I have already heard them, and I have never been sick of them. In no particular order other than I'll start with my favorite bands first...
Careless Memories...Duran Duran
Come Undone...Duran Duran
Save a Prayer...Duran Duran (yes, really...not sick of it)
Blasphemous Rumours...Depeche Mode
Personal Jesus...Depeche Mode
Just Can't Get Enough...Depeche Mode
Edge of Heaven...Wham!
Father Figure...George Michael
Blue Monday...New Order
Bizarre Love Triangle...New Order
Head Like a Hole...Nine Inch Nails
The Only Time...Nine Inch Nails
Kinda I Want To...Nine Inch Nails
How Soon is Now?...The Smiths
Hit...The Sugarcubes
You Oughtta Know...Allanis Morrissette
How Beautiful You Are...The Cure
Icing Sugar...The Cure
Push...The Cure
Ball of Confusion...Love and Rockets
Troy...Sinead O'Connor
I Will Follow...U2
Dancing Barefoot...U2
What's the Story Morning Glory?...Oasis
Cornflake Girl...Tori Amos
Precious Things...Tori Amos
Jane Says...Jane's Addiction
Cruel Summer...Bananarama
Desperate But Not Serious...Adam Ant
The One Thing...INXS
Nothing after 1999 because that's too recent to be an all-time favorite, I could still get sick of it. That seems like enough, it's all that has easily popped into my head, now I'd just be thinking about it too much. I kept with only three per any one band. But I feel I need to add Do You Believe in Shame and Palomino...also Duran Duran. But five from my all time favorite band seems reasonable anyway.
Next time I'll do movies.
As a P.S. I am not sure whether that remake of Blue Monday or the remake we heard of Come Undone last year in Sephora, also while Christmas shopping, was worse. I think maybe the Come Undone remake because it took me a lot longer to figure out what it was. ::shudder::
Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 22, 2006
More Annoying Things About My Job
So at my job that I love so much I get 12 sick days and 5 personal days per year. If those days are not used they accumulate, forever. When you retire the school district pays you for the days, but only up to 100 and the last I heard it was $50 per day, nevermind that it costs them $80 a day for a substitute if you do use them. But that's a different rant.
So, as of the last statement I have 65 days, this is my 9th year. Last year I used, if I recall correctly 42 for an extended sick leave when I was in a car accident and messed up my knee. So, I did all the math earlier today and basically what this means is that I have averaged 6 days per school year. So, when Brandon ran away on November 13, I took a personal day. Well, according to our contract, I am "not allowed" to take a personal day that day because the two school days immediately prior we had off. So now I have to "provide documentation" that I really had an emergency. It is so annoying and ridiculous. The best part of the whole thing, is that if I had not been upset and had been thinking clearly, I could have just called out sick and they wouldn't be bothering me about this. What I am saying is, they have the system set up so that I would be better off to have lied about the reason I wasn't there. Totally stupid.
Today, with our paycheck, we get a letter that says if you are taking a medical leave of absence, you need to provide ten days notice. Huh? Under what circumstances are most people able to provide ten days notice that they are going to need a medical leave? I can think of 2, pregnancy and scheduled surgery. I think I have never received any notice so ridiculous in all my life.
As if this school district doesn't have enough trouble keeping people already, they need to give us even more reason to want to go elsewhere. I can retire after next year. Have I mentioned that? Time to start looking into my next career move.
So, as of the last statement I have 65 days, this is my 9th year. Last year I used, if I recall correctly 42 for an extended sick leave when I was in a car accident and messed up my knee. So, I did all the math earlier today and basically what this means is that I have averaged 6 days per school year. So, when Brandon ran away on November 13, I took a personal day. Well, according to our contract, I am "not allowed" to take a personal day that day because the two school days immediately prior we had off. So now I have to "provide documentation" that I really had an emergency. It is so annoying and ridiculous. The best part of the whole thing, is that if I had not been upset and had been thinking clearly, I could have just called out sick and they wouldn't be bothering me about this. What I am saying is, they have the system set up so that I would be better off to have lied about the reason I wasn't there. Totally stupid.
Today, with our paycheck, we get a letter that says if you are taking a medical leave of absence, you need to provide ten days notice. Huh? Under what circumstances are most people able to provide ten days notice that they are going to need a medical leave? I can think of 2, pregnancy and scheduled surgery. I think I have never received any notice so ridiculous in all my life.
As if this school district doesn't have enough trouble keeping people already, they need to give us even more reason to want to go elsewhere. I can retire after next year. Have I mentioned that? Time to start looking into my next career move.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Almost forgot
I also took more pictures of my leaves. Fun! There is my cat on the deck and the other picture is actually the pool. Can you see the cover??
Photos
This is what happens when you leave an 11 year old and a 13 year old home alone from school when they have a day off and you don't The children got bored and went crazy with the digital camera. These beauties are going with the Christmas cards.
Enjoy!
So it's been a month
but I have good reason. The only people who read this blog entered the Nanowrimo write a novel in a month challenge which inspired me to do the same. So I spent all of my writing time in November doing that. I actually did it too! I have little icons I can post here that verify that-but that would actually involve me figuring out how to do that and I don't want to. I am not really all that big on reading directions on getting anything done on a computer.
I also did not have the best month ever personally. My son ran away and we have been dealing with him and all his "issues". I am not sure how an 11 year old can be that depressed. I am however, completely willing to blame it all on his biological parents. So we have to get him a psychiatrist appointment to rule out bi-polar disorder, which bio-mom has so we may not be ruling it out. I am about talked out on him though.
Work sucks as usual. I have decided I am just bored out of my mind there. You can't really be all that enthusiastic about teaching when you are bored yourself! I told my assistant today, if I wait out my ten years until the pension vests, that means as of today I have 305 days left. But who's counting? I have to work out how to use up my 60+ sick days.
I am working on my Christmas cards. Last year I never sent them because I was in a car accident on December 15 and I hadn't gotten them done prior to that since I was working on my thesis. I guess I have to do it this year. The envelopes are addressed. I have to print out the pictures for the cards. I'll post those. They are a little bit odd but my sister-in-law who is just about my best friend thinks I should go ahead and send them. My kids are weird. Trying to get pictures of an 11 year old boy and a 13 year old girl is a lot of fun anyway.
So that's the update. Nothing exciting.
I also did not have the best month ever personally. My son ran away and we have been dealing with him and all his "issues". I am not sure how an 11 year old can be that depressed. I am however, completely willing to blame it all on his biological parents. So we have to get him a psychiatrist appointment to rule out bi-polar disorder, which bio-mom has so we may not be ruling it out. I am about talked out on him though.
Work sucks as usual. I have decided I am just bored out of my mind there. You can't really be all that enthusiastic about teaching when you are bored yourself! I told my assistant today, if I wait out my ten years until the pension vests, that means as of today I have 305 days left. But who's counting? I have to work out how to use up my 60+ sick days.
I am working on my Christmas cards. Last year I never sent them because I was in a car accident on December 15 and I hadn't gotten them done prior to that since I was working on my thesis. I guess I have to do it this year. The envelopes are addressed. I have to print out the pictures for the cards. I'll post those. They are a little bit odd but my sister-in-law who is just about my best friend thinks I should go ahead and send them. My kids are weird. Trying to get pictures of an 11 year old boy and a 13 year old girl is a lot of fun anyway.
So that's the update. Nothing exciting.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Leaves
Just want you to see my leaves. This is what we did for a few hours today. This is round one of just the front yard.
Duran Duran Show
So on Friday I went to see Duran Duran at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. Lisa and I were wandering around the casino floor so she could smoke. The House of Blue is upstairs so we were heading upstairs. I stepped onto the escalator and saw, coming down the other side, John Taylor and Nick Rhose, I turned around to look at Lisa and then I looked back at them. I was in total shock! Lisa then yells at me for not getting off the escalator when I still had the chance! So I yelled back at her for not pulling me off when I couldn't think straight while staring at John Taylor. There wasn't actual yelling, of course. We got to the top and went right back down but it's a long escalator and I know John knew I recognized him so they were long gone when we got back down there. When we were about halfway up I saw Nick look behind him, seemed like he was checking to see if anyone was back there. I don't know how they walked past all the people we saw standing upstairs. The only reason to be up there is going to the show, and none of them seemed like John and Nick had just walked by. The whole thing was sorta weird.
Hard to believe that two adult women with children are still rendered speechless at the sight of pop stars. Completely ridiculous I admit.
I thought the show was great but the crowd was really strange. There was some guy behind Lisa and I that was complaining about stuff before the show even started. The show was supposed to start at 9, there were road crew on the stage messing with stuff and he was pitching a fit. Like Duran ever comes on before 9:30. Whatever. Then he was complaining about the sound. Between every song we could hear him bitching about something. Beth came to get us when the poor decision to perform House of the Rising Sun was made. I don't get that choice but whatever.
The crowd in the area where everyone else was was no better than the original location where Lisa and I were. A bunch of drunk women who clearly don't get out much. Neither do Lisa and I but Lisa no longer drinks and I can hold my liquor way better than they can-not that I was drinking either! There was some guy who Lisa said smelled real bad-I didn't get close enough after she said that. But he was ramming his tongue down some chick's throat and the whole thing was really gross.
Anyway, they played My Own Way which was really cool! Heather made a comment that there was really no talking about our favorite parts and all after the show. Which is just another part of the strangeness. So I'll do that now. Since the only person who reads this was there and is who I would have been talking about it with anyway! Hi Beth. ;-> What else was cool, Hold Back the Rain, but since they did that the whole last tour, I am sort of over that being really cool, it's cool because it's a good song, but no longer like "Wow they're playing Hold Back the Rain." I thought Some Like it Hot was really awesome. The Internet makes it possible to ruin any surprises whatsoever and I had looked up set lists so I wasn't surprised by hearing those songs. But it was still really cool. I think since there is a fill in guitar player (since 'someone' left again) makes it less likely that there will be changes in the set list from one show to the next.
I didn't really like the changes to Serious, but it was a cool song. Electric Barbarella was a lot of fun. The end of the show could stand to be mixed up a little. Girls on Film and Rio...yeah, we know. And I realized on Saturday that they didn't do Careless Memories, first time ever I didn't hear them do that. My favorite song.
Hopefully the new album will come out soon and we can all go see them again. Heather said it was a weird show and she was really distracted, I agree with that. She wants a 'do over'. I do too, but more because I like going to see them! Maybe one day I will actually see John and say hello instead of just staring at him like I am an idiot!
Hard to believe that two adult women with children are still rendered speechless at the sight of pop stars. Completely ridiculous I admit.
I thought the show was great but the crowd was really strange. There was some guy behind Lisa and I that was complaining about stuff before the show even started. The show was supposed to start at 9, there were road crew on the stage messing with stuff and he was pitching a fit. Like Duran ever comes on before 9:30. Whatever. Then he was complaining about the sound. Between every song we could hear him bitching about something. Beth came to get us when the poor decision to perform House of the Rising Sun was made. I don't get that choice but whatever.
The crowd in the area where everyone else was was no better than the original location where Lisa and I were. A bunch of drunk women who clearly don't get out much. Neither do Lisa and I but Lisa no longer drinks and I can hold my liquor way better than they can-not that I was drinking either! There was some guy who Lisa said smelled real bad-I didn't get close enough after she said that. But he was ramming his tongue down some chick's throat and the whole thing was really gross.
Anyway, they played My Own Way which was really cool! Heather made a comment that there was really no talking about our favorite parts and all after the show. Which is just another part of the strangeness. So I'll do that now. Since the only person who reads this was there and is who I would have been talking about it with anyway! Hi Beth. ;-> What else was cool, Hold Back the Rain, but since they did that the whole last tour, I am sort of over that being really cool, it's cool because it's a good song, but no longer like "Wow they're playing Hold Back the Rain." I thought Some Like it Hot was really awesome. The Internet makes it possible to ruin any surprises whatsoever and I had looked up set lists so I wasn't surprised by hearing those songs. But it was still really cool. I think since there is a fill in guitar player (since 'someone' left again) makes it less likely that there will be changes in the set list from one show to the next.
I didn't really like the changes to Serious, but it was a cool song. Electric Barbarella was a lot of fun. The end of the show could stand to be mixed up a little. Girls on Film and Rio...yeah, we know. And I realized on Saturday that they didn't do Careless Memories, first time ever I didn't hear them do that. My favorite song.
Hopefully the new album will come out soon and we can all go see them again. Heather said it was a weird show and she was really distracted, I agree with that. She wants a 'do over'. I do too, but more because I like going to see them! Maybe one day I will actually see John and say hello instead of just staring at him like I am an idiot!
Monday, October 30, 2006
I Hate Fall
I am in a mood. I have nothing really to say. Just feel like complaining. The time change sucks. Everyone is all out of whack. The weather is crazy.
Work is the usual. However, I found out that another 'specials' teacher has been pulled from her stupid reading buddy day to substitute in classrooms a few times. She came to ask me if I had been pulled a lot. I said no, the real answer is not at all but she doesn't need to know that. Then I found out from one of the classroom teachers that she never shows up for her reading buddies-so maybe that's why the principal pulls her and not me. I am actually doing what I am supposed to be doing. I'd like to know what she is doing with the 80 minutes a week she's not showing up for the one teacher who told me about it. And if she's not showing up for her, she's probably not showing up for anyone else...so what's she doing for three days a week? None of my business I suppose.
All of us got notices that we'll be covering for teachers at some point in the upcoming week while they are at workshops. It's so ridiculous. They were told to call in no sub needed and we have to cover. So several of the specials teachers are calling out sick. However, since my day is Monday and I am calling out Friday so that I can hang out with Stacy who is visiting from Florida and going to see Duran Duran with my Duranie friends...I am not going to turn around and call out again Monday. I figure I'll cause enough trouble calling out Friday to make up for it. There is always a problem with subs on Fridays and since there may be other people calling out to make their point, there could be no one for me, and since I actually have classes Friday, she'll have to do something about it. The art teacher was advised not to call out since she is non-tenured. The whole thing is stupid and has been brought up with the union, but they never do anything about our ridiculous schedules so I have no reason to think it will be any different this time.
I know I am totally in the midst of my PMS because I am so miserable I am sitting here thinking (and you must say this with a whine) "I don't feel like going to a concert Friday." Dammit! I am going to be completely pissed when I get my period on Friday. Totally is a curse. Blegh. I am going to go watch tv for a while. Something completely mindless.
Work is the usual. However, I found out that another 'specials' teacher has been pulled from her stupid reading buddy day to substitute in classrooms a few times. She came to ask me if I had been pulled a lot. I said no, the real answer is not at all but she doesn't need to know that. Then I found out from one of the classroom teachers that she never shows up for her reading buddies-so maybe that's why the principal pulls her and not me. I am actually doing what I am supposed to be doing. I'd like to know what she is doing with the 80 minutes a week she's not showing up for the one teacher who told me about it. And if she's not showing up for her, she's probably not showing up for anyone else...so what's she doing for three days a week? None of my business I suppose.
All of us got notices that we'll be covering for teachers at some point in the upcoming week while they are at workshops. It's so ridiculous. They were told to call in no sub needed and we have to cover. So several of the specials teachers are calling out sick. However, since my day is Monday and I am calling out Friday so that I can hang out with Stacy who is visiting from Florida and going to see Duran Duran with my Duranie friends...I am not going to turn around and call out again Monday. I figure I'll cause enough trouble calling out Friday to make up for it. There is always a problem with subs on Fridays and since there may be other people calling out to make their point, there could be no one for me, and since I actually have classes Friday, she'll have to do something about it. The art teacher was advised not to call out since she is non-tenured. The whole thing is stupid and has been brought up with the union, but they never do anything about our ridiculous schedules so I have no reason to think it will be any different this time.
I know I am totally in the midst of my PMS because I am so miserable I am sitting here thinking (and you must say this with a whine) "I don't feel like going to a concert Friday." Dammit! I am going to be completely pissed when I get my period on Friday. Totally is a curse. Blegh. I am going to go watch tv for a while. Something completely mindless.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Belly Dancing
As I posted earlier, I had a few bad days this week. For whatever reason I was miserable. Well, last week I had talked to Lisa about going to a belly dancing class at this place near where she lives. We decided last week that we were going to go. I am glad that I did. I was definitely cheered up and feeling better after that. Although, Lisa thinks I should go on medication, I think that’s just so she won’t be the only one on meds!
We got scarves to wear around our waists that have beading and coins that jingle. I think we were not shaking hard enough because everyone else had beads and coins flying off but Lisa and I didn’t. In addition to the regular dance, they have a veil dance that we were working on. The veils are 9 feet long. We were doing that and Lisa got tangled up in her veil and almost fell. That was pretty funny.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Work
So for some reason I am suddenly bummed out this morning. If I try to discuss this with my husband than he gets upset so I will leave him alone. Brandon drives me crazy every morning, what else is new? He is the most miserable child I have ever met. I don't think that helps my mood any. This morning I got "I have decided I no longer live here". and when he got dropped off at school and I said have a nice day "you know I am not going to enjoy it." Uh-huh. Then he proceeded to walk into the building like he was walking to the electric chair. I just kept smiling at him and waving until he did finally have no choice but to smile because I was being so ridiculous.
So, I was fine but then as soon as I pulled in the driveway here I just felt like "bleh". Earlier I said that my schedule this year wasn't so bad. Well, on paper I guess it's not but in reality it sucks. I just cannot beleive that the board of education or the taxpayers in this district can possibly be aware that for three out of every seven days I am simply a glorified babysitter. Well, one of those three days I have two classes-80 minutes. The rest of the day, babysitting. I did not go back to school and do all that work, with a family, to get a master's degree and babysit. Why don't I just open a home day care center.
I guess it is time for me to get serious about looking for a new job. Although I am extremely practical and the fact is that ten years vests your pension and this is my ninth. I don't know if I want to continue in the public schools at all, so why should I move to a new school for one year? Then again, maybe I'd like it better in another district or another grade level. I just don't know what to do. I do know that I have to work for 340 more days for my pension to vest. Who's counting? And that is not even a whole year.
Oh well. I think I am just feeling way to sorry for myself right now. So I better not go on.
So, I was fine but then as soon as I pulled in the driveway here I just felt like "bleh". Earlier I said that my schedule this year wasn't so bad. Well, on paper I guess it's not but in reality it sucks. I just cannot beleive that the board of education or the taxpayers in this district can possibly be aware that for three out of every seven days I am simply a glorified babysitter. Well, one of those three days I have two classes-80 minutes. The rest of the day, babysitting. I did not go back to school and do all that work, with a family, to get a master's degree and babysit. Why don't I just open a home day care center.
I guess it is time for me to get serious about looking for a new job. Although I am extremely practical and the fact is that ten years vests your pension and this is my ninth. I don't know if I want to continue in the public schools at all, so why should I move to a new school for one year? Then again, maybe I'd like it better in another district or another grade level. I just don't know what to do. I do know that I have to work for 340 more days for my pension to vest. Who's counting? And that is not even a whole year.
Oh well. I think I am just feeling way to sorry for myself right now. So I better not go on.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Oops!
LatelyI have been spamming my friends which is what I was not supposed to be doing. So I guess I should remember to come here instead.
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