Welcome Back, Fifi!!

I'd just like to throw a little Welcome Back party for my sister Faith - you should definitely check out her blog at: http://pumpkinhoneypie.blogspot.com/ - we will be duelling - it's good stuff.

Number One Mom

I faltered there for a little bit. I had the eleven year old in door-slamming-you're-ruining-my-life style tears, but I fixed it. Why did I do a thing like that? Well, because I'm the NUMBER ONE MOM. That's right - all you other moms eat your hearts out - Jessy's in town.

The issue was this: back at Thanksgiving, Asrai made plans with her cousins down in Saco to spend New Year's Eve with them - this sounded absolutely perfect - I could meet Shane or Martha halfway on Thursday - then when Dad and I head down for the Annual Brainerd Post Christmas Holiday Party, we could pick her up and everyone would be pleased as punch. Unfortunately - Mother Nature (say it with a grimace, people) had other plans.

We've got a "perfect storm" headed our way - I put perfect storm in quotes to remind you of the movie "the perfect storm" wherein some sailor/fishermen got caught in a "perfect storm" off the coast of Maine, the likes of which has never been seen, you know, until this coming weekend. The forecast of a nonspecific number of feet of snow was enough to make me say - "no, I'm not driving you down there" - hence, the life ruining. I tried to explain that my concern wasn't around driving to Augusta on Thursday (today, the day of cloudy sky and no snow) - it was retrieving her, the trip to Mass. has been cancelled, since we'd most likely spend the entire weekend in a snowbank slowly freezing to death, not participating in a rocking yankee swap and some youtube worthy charades - I didn't really want to drive down and get her on Friday.

But, as usual, I have come up with a delightful solution. I will just drive her all the way to Portland tonight, I'll hang out with the grownups at Shane & Martha's, while Asrai gets in some cousin time, and then we'll head back up north in the morning - hopefully avoiding the storm of the century.

Perfect? Yes, I do think so. I am hoping that the jet-engine sound my car's been rocking lately can be entirely attributed to the snow tires (don't as me how, I'm just going with the idea) - and not something wrong internally. As long as we have some blankets and yummy treats to eat (in case we end up in a snowbank) - I think we'll be fine.

I think my automotive bravery is going to earn me some serious cred for the new decade.

Another year? Seriously??

'Tis that time again. And, since I completely bombed on all of my new year's resolutions for 2009, I'm saying screw it to 2010 - I'll do what I'm going to do, and there's really not much else I can say.

I would like to develop some guidelines for 2010 - here are things I plan on NOT doing:

• starting smoking again
• eating anything stale
• adopting any more cats
• dying my hair

I think that's a pretty good plan, here are some things that I plan on doing (but in no way plan on holding myself to:

• working out occasionally
• finally learning how to make a baked alaska
• taking a real vacation
• take first place in the blueberry pie eating contest

Here is what I KNOW will happen this year:

• have a bilateral mammoplasty reduction (which sounds almost as awesome as it really is)
• write in my blog more often than last year

Maybe I can write all about my super fun scheduled surgery in here. Hell, maybe I'll write it while I'm all effed up from the painkillers (don't you appreciate the way I only insinuated the swear there, and didn't actually say that - for all the kiddies out there reading this).

In completely unrelated news - Asrai received a laptop from Santa this year - VERY cool stuff - and I'm really jealous. Because of it, I set up a Facebook page for her - it's pretty well restricted, and I think she's pretty safe, but it worries me a bit - the fact that she's eleven and is getting to that point where I will - from here on out - know less and less and less about what's happening in her life. Scary stuff. Not that I'm concerned she'll do anything dumb, luckily she's quite a smart kid - but I watch the show intervention - I know how good kids can turn bad bad bad really fast.

I'm waiting to find out more about Faith's blog - apparently we're going to be duelling this year.

Asrai's Letter to Santa

Asrai did a rough draft of her letter to santa, and asked me to type it up for her so it will look nice. She's got a pretty pricey wish list this year, so she wanted to make sure he would remember all of her good qualities - for your reading pleasure:

Dear Santa,

I have been very good this year and I have also been helpful to people who need help. I have kept my room clean and am trying to do that to other rooms. I have good grades in school and I am excited that I am in an advanced math class.

At home, I feed my pets (Fossy, Fishy, Acie, and Gracie) and sometimes I cook for my mom. I even saved my cat Fossy from dying because she put her head in a ham bag and I got the bag off her head while she was running backwards with the bag on her head.

I want a laptop, Sims 3 and 2 with expansion packs, Twilight stuff (like posters, chocolates, thermos, and bookmarks with Jacob & Edward), and I’d also like dark room decorations and a fish aquarium with stuff such as plants and rocks, and a lap desk.

Love,

Asrai

I am a lucky girl

Had a great night last night - made a bunch of truffles to bring to Thanksgiving - did my grocery shopping for the pumpkin cheesecake (my vote's the only one that matters when it comes to my baking, and that's what I want to make) - and the ingredients for my (in?)famous 'pink stuff'. Also - I need to pick up some frozen dough balls to make rolls. I like them waaaaaaaaay better than the pre-cooked kind.

Tomorrow - I have a super fun day planned - going with Mom, Faith, and Azi down to Freeport - doing some shopping at the different outlets & dun dun dun - this is the kicker - going to the LLBean employee store. This is the main reason that it rocks to work at LLBean - granted, I like the job, and being able to get discounted gift cards & items totally rocks - however, the employee store knocks the socks off anything else. I'll be sure to tally up all of my purchases on here after I've made them and mathed them out. On my wish list are: tent poles (probably inside an entire new tent bag, but whatever, it's worth it for $10) - a super fuzzy bathrobe, some more luggage, couch/chair covers, flannel anything, pants for Peter & for dad, and whatever else I can find that is totally awesome & totally cheap.

This will be my first time going without Kathy, which makes me sad, we've always tag-team shopped, and I'm nervous about going by myself. But I'll be okay, I'm sure of it - if there's one thing I'm uncommonly good at - it's buying stuff.

On a completely unrelated topic - my beloved 11-year-old got her report card last week, and got her first C+ - we'd expected it, because she's in the accelerated math class (and apparently, these days, fifth grade accelerated math does fricking algebra, what's up with that??? I have to google how to help her with her homework - which is not making me feel any smarter). So - we knew she'd been working really hard - of course she got all As & Bs in the rest of her classes, but this was her first quarter without getting honor role, and her heart is absolutely broken. It's pretty tragic. This was also the first quarter that I rewarded her by giving her money for her grades - I needed to do something to take the sad little edge off.

Okay. I'm ready for some serious shopping tomorrow - get ready world!!!

Yummmmmmmmmy

I am a big fan of cheesecake. Big surprise, right? In all seriousness - I would probably be a very thin girl if it weren't for all the delicious foods in the world. I'll happily wear my current size if it means I can keep eating yummy stuff though. No objections from me!

I've only ever made a cheesecake once - last Thanksgiving, I made an amazing pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust, and a sour cream glaze - it was one of the most delicious foods in the history of the universe.

I'm pretty sure I want to make that for Thanksgiving this year - because, honestly, how can you beat it??? BUT - I was thinking - and back when Saki & I were dating, we would occasionally go to the Cheesecake factory, and my fave dessert was the carrot cake cheesecake. I went online to one of those restaurant copycat sites and got a recipe for it. Now I have to decide which I want to make. Cheesecake isn't a cheap food to make - it's got a lot of ingredients - and, as much as I'd like to believe that store brands are as good as name brands - you're not going to see me baking with something other than Philadelphia cream cheese - I just don't want to risk it to save twenty cents.

I have a big decision ahead of me.
I'll keep you posted.

Back to Blogging

Here we go - I'm back to working two jobs again (loving the underpaying second job oh so much more than the overstressing first job, but I think that's the nature of life, right?) - and unable to sleep very well - so I think it's time to devote myself to some more casual rantings.

Today, Asrai and I drove to see Dan & Maria in Dover to pick up the mattress & boxspring they were giving her. I'm not a bad mother for having my daughter sleep on a thin, bendy, springs-out-all-over mattress. Faith and I had much much much worse mattresses than that when we were kids - and we've turned out so well, I've always assumed that the worse your mattress was as a child - the more kickass you are as an adult. I admit it, I was simply justifying not buying the kid a new mattress. Do you have any idea how expensive they are???

Back to the story - we were at D&M's house - and they are in the midst of renovations. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera - but I wish I could show you how absolutely gorgeous the paint they've used in the living room is - I think the name was something along the lines of spring green - but that really doesn't tell you how great it is. I'll be sure to put a picture up when I get a chance to take one. The mattress, also, is pretty damn amazing - I'm anxious for the next time Asrai stays at a friend's house overnight - I'm quite sure I'll be crashing in the twin bed.

I also made some beef stew today. I've been calling it "rancid beef stew" - because I wasn't 100% about the beef. It was one of those - how long was it in the fridge debates - it looked a bit un-awesome - but smelled fine, so I decided to go with it. Does that make me a bad mother? Nope, once again - I'm in the clear - it appears to be totally fine. As usual, the beef stew was super delicious - and I even made brownies with the last egg in the house for dessert (a little insurance for the "not a bad mother" decision). Hopefully, neither of us will become terribly ill sometime soon. Fingers are crossed, as I think we're out of pepto.

Tomorrow, I've got LLBean - and the University (of course) - I can't remember if I lined up a babysitter yet though. I'm guessing I did, really, would I be that forgetful? Okay, so there's about a 40% chance that I don't have a babysitter lined up yet. I'm sure everything will work out. I think that's my biggest strength - the way things around me have a tendency to work out in the end. I bet there are a lot of ghosts who wish they had that going for them.

I must sleep eventually. Hopefully some more mundane things will happen tomorrow so I'll have something else to write about!

The truth about being a single parent

Since my one and only child is turning eleven tomorrow, I thought now would be a nice time to reflect upon the situation I've been raising her in.

Since she was about seven months old, it's just been the two of us - granted, I've dated, but there's never been a stepdad or anything like that - no one has ever been allowed that far into the inner sanctum of our lives. And I like it that way. Here are a few of the reasons that being a single parent of an only child rocks:

1. You can always say, with absolute honesty, "yes, you ARE my favorite"
2. You get to be the boss (No, we're not watching ICarly anymore today)
3. Even when they're mad at you, you know that you're their favorite too
4. You have a super strong relationship & understanding (more than you see from other people and their children)
5. You get each other's undivided attention (granted, this one has some serious backlash when you want some time to yourself)
6. Bedtime is yours
7. You make up the house rules
8. It's more affordable to take family trips
9. No one can ever accuse you of playing favorites

There are loads more reasons that it's a great situation - yes, there are drawbacks, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Could I be?

The other night I couldn't sleep. Not one little bit. The introduction of cable into my life has not been a good thing. Granted, I'm learning lots of stuff on the Food Network and Discovery Channel - but when I can't sleep - instead of having to sit there miserable, I can just turn the TV on. I think that when you're entertained, it's easier to not sleep.

Well, some night this week I was watching A&E around 2 am - and I saw this show called Hoarders - maybe you've seen it?

I think I might be a hoarder too.

Granted, it might just be that I'm feeling the way every freshman does when they take Psychology 101 - but it just hit super close to home. There was this woman who wasn't a complete freak (uncannily familiar already!!) and she had her deep dark secret, which was her ridiculously overflowing home. It was like looking into a time machine and seeing what my house will be like when Asrai goes off to college. I think what really worries me is that she ended up just having to move out - couldn't get it all done. Eep.

But, hopefully it was just a combination of insomnia and my messy bedroom making me feel that way.

Hey - maybe I'll get some serious cleaning done this weekend!!

Funny Stuff

Okay - I admit it, I'm one of those people who scans the newspaper for funny little things worthy of late night talkshows and things like that.

When we were driving back from Boston (the scene of my fan-freaking-tastic birthday bash) - I spotted the absolute best sign combo - I'm quite proud of myself for having my camera at the ready!!

I can't be the only person who's ridiculously excited about this, right?

Irish Jig + Booze Cruise = Broken Ankle?

First off, let me state, unequivocally, that I had an absolutely AMAZING 30th Birthday weekend in Boston - it was completely awesome - I got the surprise of a lifetime when Faith showed up at the Blueberry Festival last weekend, and the fact that she was there - with Sarah and Conni - meant all the sisters were there, then we had Mom and Lynn and Jani - so all of the sisters of that generation were there - it's a WOW moment.

Now comes my words of caution: Let's say that you're going on a booze cruise - you're not very intoxicated, but you have a couple of drinks in you - maybe when Dropkick Murphys come on - you should NOT do an irish jig in your 2 1/2 inch heels. This is a suggestion, but I really feel like you should listen to me.

Now I'm rocking the air cast and a pair of sneakers with my stylish skirt. Not as awesome as the heels, I know, but what can a girl do? I'll know within a day or two whether or not it's broken. Whatever - I had an amazing time - that's the important part!

What's harder than giving a cat a bath?

Nothing.

Civil engineers have NOTHING on me.

I had to give my cat Gracie a bath yesterday. She's been suffering from fat-cat-dandruff lately, and all of the websites I could find recommended a bath for her. So - I brought her in the bathroom, and had Asrai come in as my backup.

It was HORRIBLE.

I am covered with scratches, I went through five towels, and ended up with plenty of deep welts all over me, including some really sexy ones on my chest. Gracie, I'm sure, has plenty of mental scars to compete with my physical ones.

Asrai probably has some serious mental scars too, because the last time Gracie clawed her way across my bare back (I had to take my shirt off because it was sopping wet and was hurting all of my injuries) - Asrai laughed, and I flipped out and screamed at her. I apologised when I saw her crying. It was just a bad situation for everyone.

I can't think of a better method. Maybe next time I should find a way to knock Gracie unconscious - that might be the only way to successfully bathe a cat.

I should have taken pictures, but I felt so bad for my little drowned rat-looking cat. This picture is pretty close to the reality that I experienced on Sunday, minus the blood running down my arms, chest, and back.