Cliche of the Day

Sleep tight

Before box springs were in use, old bed frames used rope pulled tightly between the frame rails to support a mattress. If the rope loosened, the mattress would sag, making for uncomfortable sleeping. Tightening the ropes would help one get a good nights' sleep.

AV's Whoot!

Last night at the Av's game we had just fantastic seats. A little to the left of the net, and a mere 21 rows off the ice. We were on the side the AV's attack twice on. Let me say this the net there to protect us from stray pucks was annoying to watch a game though, and that is my biggest complaint. The ice was much easier and bigger to watch then the jumbo tron cam which was obviously further off the ice then we were. I watched the Blues goalie throw a bit of a temper tantrum and heard him yell at people on his team, that close to the ice.

The ex-roomie's brother-in-law gets the most awesome hookups as far as these things go. There were 8 of us last night at the game. We took the light rail to downtown and back after the game. We did a stop off at the bar next to the center for a drink. It was also a distraction so we would not to be jammed into a train with everyone else because we stayed to the end. Av's almost blew a 3 -0 lead with less than a minute in the match they allowed the blues to score twice in under 30 seconds.

And on a not as good note, I have been convinced that a trip to the doctor would be a good idea. I have been sick for almost a week now and today sound worse than I have throughout this thing. I have had enough of the coughing and hacking, but more than that I do it for the wee one so that I don't make her sick.

Lucky

** EDITED** I am appearently not allowed to actually say some of the things I said because people have to answer questions that they would rather not. Here is the rewrite I was given and what people would prefer I say:

I have been thinking lately how lucky I am in my life. Sure I went through a divorce in the last year, but even that went better than most people can manage. I could have chosen to be bitter and angry, and I was angry for awhile. I had to learn to forgive myself before I could forgive anyone else. Yes, bad things happened. It just helps you see the writing on the wall that you should have seen years ago. The phrase I have learned that I never plan to forget is -- It is amazing what you can get used to if your not paying attention.


I have a friend who is going through something similar but add to that they seem to have accumulated a vast amount of debt that they are now fighting over. I am so very thankful that my situation was better than that. I feel bad for him but it is the situation he got himself into and will have to get himself out of. The scary part is he had no idea how much debt they had because she always did the bills. This would be why I have one card that has a $500 limit but almost always has a $0 balance. It's just too easy to get too far behind. I did it once, and decided never again and I have held true to that course.

I had friends come over this weekend just because they didn't feel like they had been doing enough to help me move in. I am absolutely horrible at asking for help and will do whatever I can to get around needing too. It was awesome to have them there, and all the things I just hadn't gotten around to doing or couldn't make decisions on got done. So thanks to Dave, Doyce, Margie and Katherine for coming to my rescue when I was being too stubborn to ask for help. I sat around in my place last night thinking for the first time that it finally feels like a home instead of a transition. I am thinking of having the open house sometime the weekend of March 17-18th.

I am lucky to be the mommy of one of the most wonderful girls I know. It isn't just bias, she is fantastic and always has been. She has a sweet disposition and rarely ever cries. She will be a handful but given her parentage that isn't a surprise on either side. She is only 18 months and already picks on people. Her daddy and I are favorite targets. I think she is one of the most active toddlers I know. She is always on the move and always doing something. She is learning to communicate her will and order people around that is very cool to her.

The ex-roomie called last night and despite the fact that she knew I'd have KK or should have she invited me out on Tuesday night because she has Av's tickets. The really cool thing is that a hour before the ex called and offered to take the baby Tuesday night so I am free to go. I should probably stay home and rest, but I know me and if last night is any indication I'd just clean anyway. So I am off to the game tonight. She's an amazing woman, the ex-roomie, and I am lucky to have her looking out for me.

I am lucky in my job. While I could make more money and work closer to home, I would miss the people I work with. To give you and example I am sick and missed bowling last night because I didn't want to push my body too far. I walked by the secured room and one of the people comes out and hands me a candy and says, "I heard you are sick." I grinned looked at him and said, "So you gave me a chocolate egg?" He says, "Chocolate makes everything better." Yes that is logic I can get behind.

Anyway here's hoping you are lucky today and more than that everyday :). Appreciate what you have and don't dwell on what you don't have.

*Steps down off her soap box and kicks it back under the bed.*

Brave Friends

I seem to have caught the cold that has had KK's nose running since she got back from SD. It started with a touch Wednesday morning and me drinking enough water that I thought it was just dehydration and I had beat it, but by Thursday night I knew that was not the case and I was going to in fact be catching something.

I talked to my friends that were supposed to come down for dinner on Friday night and they still wanted to come. I am not coughing so I figured I could probably get away with making dinner as long as I kept washing my hands. I really did want to make chicken vindaloo and I had willing subjects so while it didn't turn out perfect it was still fairly tasty. I got the vindaloo a bit too spicy and it cooked long enough that it didn't really have a sauce. This is the downside to having a toddler who demands mommy's attention.

We ate at the kitchen island as the dining room table is not supposed to be delivered until today. The couch should also be arriving soon. I have gone outside and shoveled the driveway and sidewalk. I can't wait to have the last big pieces of furniture. It would have been really great to have them last night but such is life.

My checklist that I still have to get involves a tv, a coffee table of some fashion. As I have typed this my couch and table have shown up! HAZZAH!

Part Blonde Tip # 104

It was well above 60 yesterday and while I wanted to go out in the back yard and repot some plants with KK, it was a touch too cold by the time she got her dinner ate. So I opened up the patio door blinds to cheers of, "Outside, outside." from an adorable 18 month old. So she had her shoes on, and I pulled the security bar up so that I could get the door open. I was only in my socks but I was only going in the back yard right? See where this is going? As I slide the door closed behind me the helpful bar slipped back into the locked position.

Cellphone? On the kitchen counter. It isn't a stellar place for it given the circumstances. I can't remember the number of the person with my spare key and while I have Doyce and the consortium's numbers memorized they don't have keys yet. Let's not even start on how I don't have a way to call.

Front door? Locked. I always go in through the garage.

I had not gone from the backyard through the gate to the front yard before but I knew there had to be a opening in the fence right? So as I am holding my daughter and fumbling around with the gate, I finally get the thing to give way. I can't imagine scaling a 6 foot fence while trying to hold onto a toddler. I look out and yes I am going to have to go over the 18 inches of snow in my socks because there is no way around it. I am at this time hoping the code I put into the garage really did take and that I can open it with the keypad.

Get to the front and punch in the code - hit enter. Nothing. Punch in the code - hit enter, Nothing. Punch in the code- hit enter. Nothing. Out of frustration I hit the enter key again and the blessed door opens. I stop in the mud room to take my socks off and the toddler is off running to the back door again saying, "outside, outside. I wanna go." Yes I took her back outside again and this time put the bar in its fully upright position and nope I didn't put socks or shoes on.

Things I leared about my backyard yesterday - KK likes playing queen of the snowdrift. The rain gutter spout is a mini slide complete with "WEE" as she moves down it. And my gate is really hard to open.

Doing My Part

Yes I do believe once I get my vehicle clean the it is daring fate to dirty it again! It is a gleaming white beacon right now. So last night on the way home I hit the car wash. If I didn't do it last night then it wouldn't get done until next Wednesday. See the wee one hates the car wash and thinks it is going to come through the car and destroy us and wails loudly so that it knows where to find her. No in all seriousness, it freaks her out and there is no calming her down. My car will never need to be cleaned so badly that it is worth scaring her.

So what's on tap for the weekend:

Friday - I have friends coming down for dinner. I did warn them that I have no real furniture until Saturday but they just want to see me and hang out.

Saturday - Blessed day where the last of the big furniture purchases arrive - sofa and dining set. KK also has a doctor appointment and I think I am going to get my tv finally.

Sunday - To be determined yet. There might be company at the house for something or it might just be the consortium coming over to help me hang wall stuffs.

I bought a new mower yesterday. I determined that based on the size of my lawn that I could get away with an electric mower. I can't wait to fire it up and play with it. I did quite the little run yesterday at Home Depot. I burned my little 10% off coupon and didn't buy anything that I wouldn't really use. I still spent a scary amount but felt like it would be stuff I would use. Maybe I should have gotten a ladder too but oh well.

I am ready for spring and with the temp outside being close to 60 today it feels very springy. It's a bad idea to have a 18 month old help you pot plants right? Yeah ok but it might be really fun.

Quote of the Day

There's a little bit of hooker in every woman. A little bit of hooker and a little bit of God.

-Sarah Miles
 

Where did my weekend go?

Friday night a guy I work with and played softball with, his band was playing at a little dive place up by where I work. I was out until an hour I don't usually see on the clock and not a blessed thing got done on or at my house.

Saturday morningish I went and got 3 oak bookcases that needed to be assembled. I lugged those heavy things up the stairs and needed a break - insert COH for a couple hours. I then started to clean up some boxes around the house and in the garage. I got the laundry done and some dishes. Before it seemed like any time passed Katherine, Dave & Margie showed up and I was happy to see them and show them what progress I had made since last they saw my place. Sadly it wasn't a whole lot. They brought me wine and it was very sweet. *Grumble* I still need to find a wine rack for the crawl space.

I unboxed the first bookcase and started assembly. I was focused on what I was doing and had a heck of a headache to boot. Katherine was being good and I hit a snag where I didn't follow directions and it bit me in the bum, hard. I mumbled and the girl told me, well you should have followed the directions. I pointed out to her this probably wasn't the best time for that kind of helpfulness. I fixed my error and Katherine decided she was hungry. I told her I'd help her when I got the shelves installed. She tried to do a bit of food prep herself and ended up not following the directions. No I didn't do what you think :). She sat down in the kitchen and was distracted lass and I told her I was going back up to the bookshelves and she could join me when she was done. This trip upstairs is when I noticed that there were little bits of styrofoam broken up on my bedroom floor in a pile. When she came upstairs she wanted to sit in the bookcase like I was. I told her she could as soon as she picked up her pile and put it where it belonged. I had a sinus headache and just laid down on the floor staring at the ceiling for a bit. I heard her make three trips to the garbage can and then she said something that made me smile, "I wish I hadn't done this." Thank goodness she couldn't see my face because it was all I could do not to laugh.

Soon after that half bookshelf assembly and Katherine's epiphany it was time for her to go to bed which meant I couldn't pound the back of the bookshelf in which suited me fine. I tucked her into bed and relaxed a bit more as my headache was almost gone. Needless to say I didn't get much else done.

Sunday morning. The clock read 7:30 am and I tried for a hour to convince my body that it really could go back to sleep, but alas my mind wouldn't let it. I got up and put the bookshelf together and then hauled it into my bedroom. Oak meet ash, ash met oak it was a horrible combination and I was displeased. Now that it is assembled what do I do with it, because it so isn't staying in my bedroom. Not in the office, no room. Not in KK's room because it doesn't match there either. No good place downstairs and then it hit me -- the garage! Yes! I needed more storage in there anyway. Excellent. I then had to haul the other 2 boxes of bookcases downstairs and into my car again. I showered and went to exchange them for white. I got home hauled them upstairs and went to work on the first one. I was an expert after the night before and in an hour I had both done. I put them in and they are so much better than the oak! I got 3 boxes of books unpacked and sorted by last name. I then found a box of stuff from the casa and only a small part of it was mine. I got lost going through some of it and before I realized it, it was time for FONDUE!

I packed the car and headed to the Consortium where a fun night of fondue was had. I was glad I had only had a bagel to eat that day because I am not sure I could have eaten another bite. So much food and fun but as I hadn't slept but maybe 11 hours combined in two nights I was beat and was in bed by 10.

My furniture arrives this weekend and I really happy about that! It also means the place where I have been stacking boxes in the kitchen needs to be cleaned because that is where the table is going. No idea how I am going to put the living room together yet, but it will be whatever strikes me at the time!

OH! I found a cool chair at Pier 1 that I have to go pick up after work tonight and I bought a vase that I am going to plant in. Tonight is bowling night, so the house again will not get any love. I will be so happy when everything is bought and in its place.

Almost Perfect

I am not sure what would have made it more perfect but yesterday was a really good day. Ok I take that back, I can think of a thing or two :).

So anyways, it was also a very busy day. I inspired someone to work on something yesterday they needed to do but lacked the desire to get started on, and now they are jazzed about it. I bought both my couch and my dining room set. I paid more than I wanted to but such is life I guess. They will be delivered not this weekend but the following one. I learned a bunch about cooking that I didn't know. I will be the first to say that having said that, the classes are very overpriced.

My developer and I learned to make lemon chicken, which yes while I am partly allergic to it, is also one of my favorite dishes ever. I am very excited to know how to make it. I am also a bit torn now as it gives me a perfect excuse to buy a deep fryer, but I am not sure that is a good thing. Sweet onion rings and cheeseballs ... yeah maybe not a great idea :). I am really wanting to try some of the other dishes that I got recipes for last night but alas the table must arrive first. Soon! soon! I tell you!

My plan is to get my house almost all the way put away this weekend. At a minimum, I will get the bookshelves I need for my room bought, assembled, and loaded with books. That seems like an achievable goal, right? With KK out of town it seems a bit more likely that it will happen. She is often helpful in a way that isn't when it comes to cleaning. I don't want to be one of those parents that is constantly telling her no she can't play with something just because I don't want to have to put it away so my rule is as long as it isn't dangerous then it's fine.

101 Ways to Skin a Chicken

It's the name of the cooking class that my developer and I have signed up for tonight. It should be interesting. She brought me an apron because she knew I wouldn't think of it, how sweet is that?

I have a very busy afternoon ahead of me and I am ever so hopeful that by the time the day is complete I will have a new couch, dining room set and know many more ways of preparing chicken. I'll settle for even two out of three.

Thanks to everyone who sent me kind messages yesterday, it was very sweet.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Lyrics in my head yesterday and today.

I am having one of those days were a song gets stuck in your head. Luckily part of it makes me laugh. Here's the chorus that won't leave me alone:

 

I don't know why you're messed up
I don't know why your whole life is a chore
Just do me a favor
And check your baggage at the door
 

 

More of the Trip Stuff

I didn't want to park at the airport and I have fantastic friends who not only show up at my place at 6:30 in the morning but do so with a smile on their face and a Starbucks mocha in hand for me as well. If I swung that way I'd be in love.

I made the plane in Denver on time switched over in Dulles and only had a 10 minute delay as the weather in Syracuse was snowy. It knew I was coming, and didn't want to make me feel homesick. I spent 3 days there hanging out and having very good food with excellent company. I got to meet someone I have heard talked about a lot, but hadn't met her up until this point. She was as cool as everyone said. I caught a train to Buffalo and though it was an hour delayed, it was the best way to go. I wish it had been on time if only so that I could have seen more of the state. I made friends on the train and they were going close to where I was so we all jumped in the same cab, which as it was 2 other girls it was probably safer for all of us that way.

I then sent my co-workers a text message only to find out they had been routed through Atlanta and were delayed an hour as well so I was the first to arrive. At check in I asked about where I could get Swordfish and there was a steakhouse attached to the Hyatt and he directed me there and gave me $10 off coupons for the three of us. He also made reservations for us for when we thought the other two would arrive. It turns out the steakhouse is rated as one of the 10 best in the US and let me say they earned it. Sadly there was no swordfish on the menu but I had a New York Strip Steak and it was beyond divine. We all agreed that despite the high price it was worth every penny.

So we spent the next day on site training the client and I spent most of the morning on the phone fighting fires while my teammate was tap dancing and the third guy was just taking notes. We had everything up and running by noon thankfully. It was of course snowing and just miserable outside when we were done at almost 6. I tried to talk my co-workers into ice skating in the plaza but they were not having any of it. My teammate and I decided we were braving the cold and blustery conditions for dinner. The guy pointed at the bar and said that was where he was spending his night. The client had given us some recommendations for dinner so my teammate and I went to one of them. It was a few blocks away but it again was just fantastic food. I had a 5 cheese encrusted Haddock that was the best fish I have ever had and it isn't a close contest. At dinner she made me try her artichoke, brie and something else dip. It wasn't bad. We both had some 'special' hot chocolates and during dinner I watched a big plastic trash can bounce down the street. Yes bounce not spin or tumble but bounce due to the extreme winds. After dinner she wanted to hit a scary movie and I needed to go back for an early early flight so we parted ways. My other co-worker was good to his word and at the bar still when I headed up to my room.

I packed up everything and on the way out the night before the bellman told me he would have a cab ready for me at 5:30 which is when I needed to leave for the airport. I went down at 5:20 and the cab was waiting for me, which was really cool. The driver and I chatted the half hour drive to the airport and it was interesting. It took me over an hour to get through security and check in for the airline. I met another girl in the security line and funny enough she was on my same flight so we spent the time chatting. She was quite interesting as a person. She is a dealer at a casino. It sounds like she leads quite an interesting life.

So the plane is all boarded and I can see from my window seat that damn is it snowing out. We are all loaded and we haven't pushed away from the terminal yet. This is when the captain announces that they have just closed down the airport for plowing. Long story short we don't leave until almost 2 hours late, and there is no way I am catching my connection in Philly. I did get on another flight and was only a couple hours later than I should have been.

In Mass and NH I spent another 3 days and got to meet a few more of the Knights and some more people that were all quite fun. I got to do more candle pin bowling and spend the day at the arcade. It was too cold to do much in the way of touristy stuff but we did make it to the wonderful Indian restaurant that I am fond of. It was a nice visit. I was also introduced to WOW. I must resist the temptation for now or I'll never get fully moved in.

The flights home were fairly uneventful and mostly on time. I already wrote about the NYC connection.

Happy Birthday to Doyce

Happy birthday to you. Hope you have a wonderful day.

LGA & NYC

It's no secret that I do a bit of traveling every year. I have never had to make a connection in NYC. That all changed this week, and I must say it was interesting. The flight path we took into LGA was strange. We flew over the water around Manhattan and circled the statue of liberty ( which I had never seen before and um...wow.). I have been to big cities before but never seen anything the equal of NYC. I am not a fan of big cities really but I can admire the view and appreciate it. Just wow on the size of the city....wow.

LGA - Can someone explain why they have chain fences with razor wire at the top of them to me? I thought this was the oddest thing I have seen in quite some time.

I was however quite unfortunate in that I needed to make a connection in LGA from one airline to another. This is really a pain in the bum. I had to ask because all I saw all over were monitors displaying the airline I arrived on and their flights, but not the one I wanted to leave on or any other for that matter. I finally had to ask someone how do I get out of here. It turns out this terminal belonged completely to said airline. So to get out involved a bus and a ride to a different terminal building. I was lucky enough to have an employee of the airport with me and she was kind enough not only to tell me how to get where I was going, but took the extra care to walk me there. Aren't you New Yorkers supposed to be rude? :).

I'm Back.....

It's been a whirlwind day because I am back at work after getting home last evening after a long trip to New England. More posting soon, promise!