Another Entry in the Babybook

Today as my sister was pulling her car out of the driveway, my four year old was walking in front of her car when she honked the horn and startled her. Phoenix's reaction:

"AHHH!!! You scared the FUCK out of me!!!"

I Love You Brandon Flowers!

I cannot count on two hands how many times I heard that sentence last night at the show.

You know, going to a concert in a venue that is a little over an hour away, on a Tuesday night that doesn't even start until 9 pm really takes a toll the next morning at work. Overall it was great-Tegan and Sara opened and are currently my new favorite band. The Killers rocked it as expected (boy, this post is really starting to sound like its written by a high schooler). I would have to say the only bad things to come out of the trip was the fact that the theater has no AC and rubbing up to sweaty strangers for a couple hours is not my most favorite thing in the world. A run-in with the pot heads standing in front of us was a bit exciting as well.

To top the evening off, we waited for about an hour and a half after the show was over and met the band and got autographs--that's always the most fun.

So now it's back to the real world--I woke up to find blue and red crayon all over every single one of my white kitchen cabinet doors, my refridgerator, and my stove. Motherhood is a wonderful thing.

Wipee Ass

Shitty, rainy, overcast Friday + lots and lots of work to do = no motivation and a short post. I should be looking forward to the KU vs. KSU baseball game that we got free tickets to, but the weather doesn’t look promising. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE watching guys in tight pants run around slapping each other on the ass, but not when I am soaked to the bone.

On a funny note: my four year old called me a “wipee-ass” yesterday. It took me a minute to figure out that she meant ‘ass-wipe’, and then I started cracking up. Then, while making cupcakes, my one year old climbed up on a chair when I was out of the room, grabbed an unfrosted cupcake, slid off the chair and ran out of the room with a huge smile on her face. Again, I had to laugh and call her my most favorite term of endearment: "you little shit!"

You know, I’m really going to start paying for my laid-back approach to parenting much sooner than I thought.

No, I've Not Been Kidnapped, or Shot Dead in an Alley

I have been a busy mo-fo this past month, with several major projects and events going on, all of which I would be insane to try and list in one post on this meek blog. I am not even close to being the most witty person in a mile radius around myself, much less in my circle of friends, so even if I were to try and catch you up on all the shit that has been stirring, I doubt you'd be able to stay awake for the entire ride. But because I love, love, love nosing into other peoples' lives and live vicariously through their blogs, I will make jot down a few things I've been keeping busy with and maybe, just maybe I'll make someone's day by this update.

Here goes it: The major project of the month was Stephanie's wedding. To most of you this is old news, so I will say only this: I was freaking out about finishing the flower girls' dresses, but did so with a day to spare and I think they turned out mighty fine, thank you very much. Oh, and one more thing: I did not realize how much I missed my friends from CAPD/KSU, until I saw most of them that weekend. I did not get near the amount of face time to catch up with each of them in the way that I really wanted to. When I left on Sunday, I felt like I was in the season finale of the Real World, and had to say one last goodbye. To all of you, it was so great seeing you and I hope that we get the chance again.

Next is work. I have been extremely confused, frustrated, aggravated, stressed, busy, and bored all at the same time. One day I feel like I have the absolute best job in the entire world, the next I feel like I want to pack up my belongings and move to a new place of employment. I did however, have one of the most fun days at work I've ever had this past Monday. We are currently working on a stream bank stabilization project where we are placing willow and cottonwood stakes into the bank along with other various bareroot shrubs that will magically hold the soil in place through their extraordinary natural processes. Crazy huh? Anyway, while working in the mud and rain, I slipped into the creek, got pulled several times face first into the stream bank, was impaled in the boob by a willow stake, and was a sight to see when I got back to the plant. All before lunch. What a great day!

April is also the busiest month for my family and friends and their many birthdays. During the wedding weekend, my brother turned 20 (when did he get past his teens!?!?), the twins grew a year older, and the Tuesday after, I turned "half-way to fifty" and then celebrated my dad's birthday the day after. Not so much a big deal to most, but for me, I am never in such a bad mood as I am the day I celebrate my coming into this world. It's hard to explain, but for a few years I had some really bad things happen always on the 19th of April. The last couple years haven't been so bad, but it's almost like I want something horrible to happen so I can say "See--I told you so!" I did go out about three times that week and had one hangover, but I did get some very nice cards and gifts from some great friends and family, which leads me to my next topic: music.

I have always loved music, and one friend calls me a music snob. I don't know too much about music history, music in general, I have no musical talents, but I do know what sounds good and what I like to sing along with my girls to, so when I got an iPod for my b-day, I was really excited. Then, my excitement came crashing to a halt when my hubby and I discovered about forty of our best CD's were stolen from our Jeep, most likely while parked in our driveway. And, to top it off, the pesky thief stole our ash tray. What in the hell do you steal an ashtray holding about twenty four pennies for? Oh well, I guess you live and you learn. I don't live in Alma anymore, so it's high time I start practicing the art of locking the doors.

Alright, that's enough for now. I am vowing to post on a bi-daily basis, but if anyone knows me, they know I'm the biggest procrastinator in NE Kansas, and I never get around to following a schedule. Until then, I have some cupcakes to finish baking and frosting, and an iPod that I've had for a week and hasn't moved from the package that needs to be toyed with.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

It's a dreary, gloomy, overcast, wet day outside and that means I am stuck in the office trying to clean my desk and figure out what needs to be done in the near future.

I thought I'd check in and post about my aggravation with blogging. While it may seem that I don't update often, the problem is that I try and without fail, every other time, after hitting the Publish Post button, the screen switches to the "Page cannot be read" mode and when I try to refresh, I lose everything.

So instead of seeing a cute picture of the girls with the Easter bunny, you get these ramblings. Suck it up.

Tonight I shall be driving to the bustling town of Alma (that was a sarcastic "bustling") to attend a gathering for a friend's birthday. This gathering will be held at the local bar, which does not have a liquor license, so they only sell beer. I am picturing Natural light, Busch and Busch light, and of course, Budweiser. So while I am sitting amongst my peers, trying to catch up and make the evening somewhat enjoyable, I will craving Boulevard Wheat, Red Stripe, Amber Bock, and Vodka cranberries, (and Tequila Sunrises with Stephanie!!)

Other than that, life here has been somewhat laid back. I miss my friends and would post individual messages to all of you, but my fear of forgetting someone and hurting their feelings is preventing me from doing so. I hope to go buy a new digital camera today, to capture all of life's moments and share them with whomever is even remotely interested. As of now, all of life's moments are on rolls of film scattered throughout the house and car and various purses and diaper bags.

Have an enjoyable weekend, a Happy Easter, and a great Friday!

Stoked

I just returned from a trip to Best Buy (a place that I secretly hate) where I purchased the newest Interpol CD. I know, everyone has had this CD for a long time now, but I have been on hiatus from purchasing music and have recently been trying to catch up.

My next purchases will include the new Queens of the Stone Age (Little Sister is awesome and regardless if they have only one of the original band members I still love and adore them) and the new Garbage CD.

Not too exciting, but its what I'm thinking about right now.

What is NOT Funny:

The fact that I had a nice post under this title and when I went to publish it, it disappeared. That is NOT FUNNY!

Happy Hangover Day to Me!

So yesterday was St. Patrick's Day and I was in a foul mood for most of the day. Against my better judgment I left work and headed to the bar with friends in tow to celebrate the holiday I've never celebrated before.

What a mistake. Oh it was fun, yes. But the repercussions have hit hard this morning. Why is it that green beer goes down so well? And why is it that once I put a few of them back, I feel the need to tell my life story to anyone and everyone?

Overall, a fun evening was spent by all. I saw some friends I hadn't seen in quite a while, I hung out with my girls' babysitter (weird, but fun) and had a nice conversation in the bathroom with three ladies about the ugliness of the male genitals. You can't beat that!

A post for my newly married/soon to be married friends

You know the feeling that you get when you see someone you think is really cute and they look at you and smile. And the feeling you had when you first started flirting/dating/falling in love with your spouse/fiance? Well, that is the feeling that makes a girl feel like they are the most important person in the world. That is the feeling that sometimes fades once a marriage starts to get too comfortable or predictable. That, my male friends, is the feeling you need to constantly instill in your loved one. It doesn't take much-a single flower here, a note there, just a nice chat on the phone. That is my advice for not just soon to be married or newlywed couples; that is my advice to everyone. You want someone, you want them to stay with you-just try to make them feel like they are the most beautiful, most important, most satisfying person in your life, in your town, in the universe. A little goes a very long way. I wish each and everyone of you the best of luck--don't let the hard times get you down. "...and in the end, three things remain; hope, faith, and love. And the greatest of these is love..."

Black Tie Dynasty II

So it is almost midnight on Tuesday and I just got home from seeing the Black Tie Dynasty and Daryl performances. In case you are interested, here is how it went:

7 :30: dig through all my -clean- clothes to see if there is anything worth wearing to a rock concert in a small Topeka bar later that night.

8:30: after trying on several outfits, I realize that it doesn't matter whatsoever, so I throw on jeans, a white t-shirt, a torn up Rhino sweatshirt, and a pair of Nike's and head out.

8:45: since we have come to understand that the show starts at 10:00, we don't want to seem to anxious, so my friend and I go to a bar down the street to have a pitcher of Bud before the show.

9:35: my friend and I decide that it's time to leave and we get escorted out by the VERY friendly bartender who just wants to make sure we are safe in this extremely shady neighborhood.

9:40: we show up in the middle of the band's performance and I try to casually walk past the fat lady checking ID's and taking the cover charge. She grabs my arm and makes me pay to have her fondle me while marking my hand with a giant red X.

Sometime after the show: I get the courage to go up and introduce myself to Brian, the brother of a dear friend of mine (see last post). I have a nice chat, then head back to the wall to watch Daryl play their set. I meet some other band members, buy a CD, manage to get their autographs and chat awhile. I feel welcomed, and nerdy at the same time.

Sometime close to the end of the last set: my friend spills her beer on the floor and we decide it is time to head home. I desperately want to ask these poor fellows if they need a clean, nice, quiet place to sleep for a night, but seeing as I had just met them I didn't want to seem like a stalker. Overall, it was a fantastic evening. I truly enjoyed the type of music that I love (although I think Daryl should have opened for BTD!) and hanging out with people my own age (even if "hanging out" means watching them from a back stool).

Something that did bother me: even though out of the forty-some people there, most of them being my age, I really felt out of place. I was trying to figure out why and when I returned home I found my answer. Instead of being able to have facial piercings, died black hair, a rail-thin body all decked out in black, and tattoos covering a majority of my body, I was a parent of two small children, who worked for the city, who was married and had to face the reality of every-day life. I came home to two crying children who woke up the minute I came in and realized that no matter what seemed cool, I would probably never have a band stay over at my house. Growing up really sucks, you know.

For now, I'll settle for the fact that I once had my nose pierced (which is now against company policy), have two tattoos (of which I plan to add once in the very near future), I feel I am somewhat up to speed in the latest music/ art/film scene, and I have, in fact, experimented with ______ (fill in the blank-I won't admit to it--ever!).

So, here's to my friend Dave, whom I've known for, I think, five years now: thanks for giving me a head's up on tonight's performance. And here's to all my other friends who are so anxious to grow up, get married, buy a house and have children: be careful what you wish for. While I would NEVER give up what I have, it does, in fact seem that the grass is always greener on the other side. Once children come into the picture, the world is never the same. It is the most rewarding, most frustrating, most satisfying and most challenging things you will ever be faced with. And there is NO turning back.

Man, I really made that sound bad. Truthfully, its not. Having a night out like this was great--I wish BTD the best of luck. They really seem like great guys. Maybe they need another groupie!?!? At this point in time, I am going to throw the CD into my radio, put Phoenix, my daughter who is sleeping in my lap, to bed, brush my teeth, and drift off to sleep, dreaming of college friends, guys with long hair, music, drinking, and just fun times in general.

Black Tie Dynasty

I am writing this post late Monday night, b/c I've gotten sidetracked yet again from my homework and I have class tomorrow (thanks Brian for teaching me how to spell that) so I cannot post in the A.M.

So, humor me, and pretend it is Tuesday morning...okay, so tonight I am going to see a little gig at this local bar. The band is from the great state of Texas and my friend Dave's brother plays keyboards for them. I have only heard some clips from their songs off the 'net, but I'm intrigued. Plus Dave ordered me to go and you know what they say: "Don't mess with Texas!!"

I'll fill you in on how it goes. That is, if I make it through the show. The bar is not known for top-notch security and has a lot of nasty rumors circulating about it--but, what do you expect from a place called "The Boobie Trap"?

Now, its back to homework for me.

I'm Back

So, it's been a week, and no new posts. But I'm back, and I have some 'xplanin' to do.
Last week my one year old was sick. For two days she had a temperature of 102-15 degrees. The next three days she spent vomiting. I was thrown up on five times. The baby sitter got it once, and my husband was so incredibly lucky that he didn't get any at all (even though he stayed home with her two out of five days). We changed close to forty of the most disgusting diapers we have seen in the four years of parenting we have under our belts. Saturday, she woke up with mild hypothermia. But after a warm shower and some cozy clothes, she returned to her normal, bubbly, ornery self.

I was so relieved when it all passed. However, I slept most of the day yesterday, and am sitting at work feeling extremely crappy today. Such is life. I'm sorry I didn't call SV, maybe this weekend.

I have a busy week ahead of me, more details to come. Other than that, life is a bit on the mild side at this exact moment in time. I did manage to get out a few times this weekend, including a late night casino run (my first time ever, and man is that a weird place!), a shopping trip in Lawrence, and our high school boy's basketball state finals game. We lost, but it was a great game.

One last thought: I need to find some people my own age to hang out with-I have made some great friends that I frequently hang out with here in T-town, but I miss my college friends and I really need a twenty-something fix.

It's Friday

Well, indeed it is Friday, and boy am I ready for the weekend. Nothing big going on, I just need a little break. I don't feel all that well, and it will be me and the girls for most of the weekend, but I do have a lot to get done in the next month and I plan on starting it all tomorrow.

Last night I finally got around to taking some pictures of our new house. I promise pictures will be up by Monday. I had hoped to show you some before and after, but it all depends on how much time I end up spending on the whole thing. I do have homework to do, flower girl dresses to make, pictures to hang, and a garage filled with boxes of stuff I still need to go through.

On another note, these last couple days have been productive. I finished a bunch of stuff at work, worked out extensively, got out of jury duty (yea!!), paid off a large amount of bills, and caught up with some very special friends from school. And the most exciting thing: the Killers tickets I ordered arrived yesterday. A sold out show in KC awaits and I am soooo looking forward to it. The last concert I went to was the Distillers show in Lawrence on my birthday last year. I got to meet the band and get pictures and autographs, so that one will be hard to beat.

And, on a funny and not-so funny note, my four year old, Phoenix is getting pretty sassy. We were in the store yesterday and she asked for marshmallows. I was trying to avoid buying anything made solely of sugar, so I said "No, Phoenix, I'm not buying them...I don't even know where they are in this store." In the most sarcastic, junior high girl voice she replied, "HELLOOOO, we just past them back there!!" A lady who was several feet behind me laughed out loud. The incident was not near as embarrassing as when we got to the check out line behind an elderly woman in one of those motorized chairs. She was digging through a bunch of coupons and crap in her purse and was taking a while getting her stuff sorted. Phoenix said loudly, "Mom, what is taking that grandma so long?!?" This girl and her sister are going to cause me major grief from now until eternity.............

The First Political Post

I am not sure how many of my two or three readers have heard the latest of what is going on in the big city of Topeka (yes, indeed, the capitol of Kansas). Yesterday, the city voted on whether homosexuals should be considered a protected class or not. The issue has been highly publicized over the past month or two, and I believe we have come leaps and bounds with the outcome of the election. More on the subject can be found here.

I could go on and on about this and other political issues, but I'm a bit tired this morning and would hate to leave you snoring in your chair. And, because everyone loves a good picture, I will experiment with placing one in my post. Here goes....

Okay, I hate to get your hopes up and then smash them to bits, but I cannot post photos (at least from work) as the hosting site is blocked. Shucks. I'll just have to try at home tonight.

Later!

The Verdict Is....

Today I got home to another terrifying piece of mail in my mailbox. No, it wasn't another send me half of your paycheck bill, but a summons for Jury Duty. First of all, I've never been "called up." Second of all, this summons was sent to my old address from the court of the county I just moved from. So here's my question: can't I get out of this since I no longer live there? I have been putting off getting registered in my new county, but I guess I'll have to now. If I do hurry and register, will that get me off the hook? If not, will I really have to be available from April 1st. to July 7th? Help me, I'm freaking out here!!!!

Please Mr. Postman

This posting thing is tough stuff. I have to wonder, is it worth it? Do I have avid readers, like I am to so many other bloggers? Are my posts even remotely interesting? Feel free to let me know your thoughts-good and bad. Until then, I will try to post regularly, but don't hate me if I fall a bit behind.

A Call for Donations

I was coming home from a pretty good day yesterday, I had the girls in tow, had plans for dinner lined out, and was enjoying the first three songs from Love, Angel, Music, Baby (those are really the only ones we like). I get home, unload the girlies, and check the mail. A Stuff Magazine, A Redbook Magazine, a Dillard's flyer, junk mail, and the gas bill. That's when I got smacked in the face.

I have been anxiously awaiting this bill, as it was the first full month of gas for the new house and I wanted to compare it to our bill from the extremely inefficient house we just moved from. $500. Yes, that is a FIVE followed by two zeros!!! After picking my mouth up off the floor and choking back a few tears, I called the company (which is located out of Oklahoma for some reason, even though the bill comes from Kansas) and after the longest this of electronic options I've ever had to wade through, finally spoke to a representative.

Apparently, when we moved, we had two bills that were combined into one totaling $355.00. I did in fact, receive this bill, which was followed by a bill stating that we had been credited $355.00 and our final bill was $0. I assumed this was because they had charged us twice, and had indeed received our payment and after all the math, we were settled. Well, that was definitely not the case. You see (I did not know this) the gas company credits your account when you move and moves all your charges to your new account (it sure would be nice if they would inform their customers about this). So, after this past month's $150.00 bill (which I could definitely have handled) we now owe $500.

All donations can be made to my name or Westar.

There's Going to be a Wedding!

So, my dear friend Stephanie is getting married in April. To prepare, I need to sew some dresses for a couple of cute flower girls and get in shape to fit into a lovely bridesmaid dress.

The other task: send out bridal shower invitations. Now, Stephanie's sister Nicole and I have been trying to work this whole thing out for a couple months now. We cannot give out details, but I think we have finally figured it out. So last night I was addressing invitations. I have never and will probably never again have to write the following words that gave me a complex trying to spell them correctly:

Hornickel
Sheboygan
Kenosha
Wallerstedt
Geele
Ostrowski
Dorber

Too Much Pressure

I can feel the pressure already. I hate it when my daily reads are not updated, so I don't want to dissapoint. Trying to keep up with this will be a challenge. Anyway, I am working on trying to figure this all out, so bear with me. My blogging mentor is one Miss Steph V., so with her help I hope to satisfy all your wants and needs. (you should probably let me know what those are so that I can fulfill them).

Another side note: I am still cleaning up from the big birthday bash that was this past weekend. Once that is done, I plan on posting pics from my new house. That should be exciting, right?

The Greatest of Intentions

I typically pride myself on being an individual, not one to conform to a norm. I have fought very hard to resist the urge to wear a certain bracelete that has the words "live strong" imprinted on it. I have removed the ribbon magnet that boasts "support our troops" from my vehicle. And up to this point I have resisted the temptation to be enveloped by the world of blogging.

I am not a horrible, cynical person, but I feel like much of the meaning behind many of these things has been stripped by the media and marketing world that dictates everything we see and hear on a daily basis. I want to make decisions based on what I want or how I feel, not on how someone tells me I should feel. But this world of blogging that I have entered into....it has consumed me. I spend at least an hour of my day in my ritual of reading blog, after blog, after blog. I have determined that this is the wave of the future of communication.

I have never met these people, yet I am constantly thinking of what is going on in their "post" life. I miss those who first introduced me to this world. Those who don't post every day. I have succomed to the temptation. And I have the greatest of intentions with this blog. I feel this will replace my emails, my phone calls, and I dare say, my letters that I so rarely write.

So, for all of you already attached to this machine, I hope this becomes one of your daily reads. And for those of you who I hold near and dear, I hope this cements our various relationships. A funny, serious, not-so-serious, tuned into the current world, outlet for conversation and interaction. I am so looking forward to this.....I hope I won't dissapoint.

On a lighter note......if I drive clear across town to drink at your bar, and go out of my way to make sure the ladies I'm with are nice to you and make your job as a waiter easier, then I sure as hell don't want to give you a bill and expect no change in return. I may be tipsy, but I did in fact notice the 75 cents you forgot to return to me. Rest assured, that is the reason you received such a lousy tip.