Friday, August 29, 2003

"How could it hurt you when it looks so good? ..."

So I watched MTV last night, because I'm a dork. I was hoping since it was the 20th anniversary of the VMA's that I'd get my fill of tributes, old clips, old music, etc. When Madonna appeared at the top of that wedding cake, dressed in black ... after Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera danced around singing "Like A Virgin" ... well, I knew I was in for some fun. I love Madonna ... even the 40-something yogafied Madonna.

If you saw the show, you know what came next. If you missed it, you must click on the link below to what happened just before Missy Elliott joined them on the stage. Heck, even Justin Timberlake was shocked.

That crazy Madonna.

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I spent the past week home alone. I love that husband of mine and everything, but I really like being home alone. I have a sneaky feeling that in that not too distant future I'm going to be whining about spending too much time alone.

He came in from Phoenix last night, a bit past midnight. Lucky for me, he hitched a ride from the airport with a coworker, so I didn't have to leave in the middle of that true crime/forensics show I was watching. (I love those shows.) Just as it always happens with his job, he's sent out of town on a moment's notice, and then has to keep going back and forth for months on end. He'll leave again on Tuesday for Phoenix. After Phoenix is finished, he's off to Puerto Rico.

Maybe the title for my life story should be "Dawn: Home Alone".

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Can someone explain to me how "Fifty Cent" (or whatever his name is) can be considered an "artist"?

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I decided not to do the Friday Five today because the questions are dumb.

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Has everybody planned some fun things to do on this last official weekend of summer? Never one for planning, I'm winging it. :-) I only wish it truly WAS the last weekend of this oppressive heat and humidity. Summer is my least favorite season because of it. Blah.

Speaking of fun this weekend, Clemson football starts TOMORROW! Despite the fact that football weather won't be here for weeks and weeks, I am thrilled that it's all getting underway again. Those University of Georgia Bulldogs should be shaking in their cleats, is all I've got to say. Noon. ABC. I'd go down to join in the festivities if the temps weren't going to be in the high 80's. I'm too old for all that sweating. (Emilie, wear sunscreen! And take money for water!)

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Still no word from CVS.

I'd love to have a job where I talk to people and tell them what's wrong. Like every sentence would start with, "The problem with you is ...". That might very well be the best job ever. OK maybe not the best job, but it would be a hoot for a few weeks.

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I'm hungry so I should go and prepare protein on the stove. I wish I had enough money to employ a chef. Hell, I'd be happy with a cook. Y'all have a wonderful Friday, and pray for an ice storm.

Thought For Today:
"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning." (Calvin & Hobbes)

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

"Where is the love? ..."

Why yes, I have been down in the dumps lately. How could you tell?

I'm doing a bit better these last couple of days though ... thanks mainly to my incredible kids. (I really appreciate the understanding and the kindness.)

And I really don't want to sit here and whine about the mess I made by thinking I had "something to give" as a CNA ... but I would like to list a few of the reasons it was a bad idea, just in case I start to think otherwise. So here goes:

1. 99% of CNA's are low-class, black, and on a power trip because they are "in charge" of helpless people.
2. The pay is lousy for the physical work required.
3. The "CNA of the Year" at NHS ate half of a patient's dinner, explaining that "She never eats all her food anyway."
4. The same CNA talked on her cell phone while giving an elderly woman a shower.
5. I don't understand ebonics.
6. As sad as I feel about people who have to live in nursing homes, it makes me 100 times sadder to see them treated in a rough, matter-of-fact manner by the "professionals" who care for them.

I feel like a huge failure, but I can't go to that job every day and still have happiness in my heart. So. I've wasted time and money. But I've learned a bit about myself. And I've learned a lot about other people. And in the wise, wise words of my kid, Adam ... "Chances are that, unless you're a rock star, you're not going to love everything about your job. The people you work with are what makes a job tolerable, or even enjoyable." That's paraphrasing, but ain't he smart? :-) Thanks Adam. And Emilie and Brandy, too.

So last night, Jimmy called from Phoenix and asked what time my "little job interview" was today. Ouch. Oh well. I guess it IS a little job. But I think I got it. I went to do the drug test late this afternoon, and the manager said he'd call me on Thursday after he gets the results back. It might be sort of fun to be a pharmacy tech at CVS. He told me that they provide the training and the certification ... and that eventually I'd be counting pills and doing data entry on the computers. But of course I'll start by just doing the customer service and cash register part. Anyway, I liked the manager, and the store is 5 minutes from my house.

And there are no CNA's there.

Thought For Today:
"Be more concerned about your character than about your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think of you."

Thursday, August 21, 2003

"I'm not sure where I belong ..."

Got my 2 week schedule yesterday, and I work for the next 4 days. The scheduler told us she tries hard to never give us more than 4 days in a row. So I guess that's good. Another good thing ... (I hope) ... I got switched to another unit. I asked for it, and I think that smelly LPN got perturbed that I did ... there was an opening on the "self-pay" unit, and one of the other black girls in orientation said, "Ohhhh I'll work on Unit 1!". But then I went and actually asked for it. And got it. Oh well. Unit 1 is the unit I've spent the last 3 days on, and seems to have some really sweet old folks living on it. As I told you earlier, I had been assigned to Unit 2 ... which is the rehab unit, where people come for a maximum of 100 days, before they either go back home or to another unit or nursing home. God, I hope I made the right choice.

Most of the time lately, I've been wondering what the hell I was thinking when I signed up for the damn CNA class in the first place. Maybe I should have tried harder for a low-paying office job somewhere.

Anyway, I start today ... I'll be "precepted" by another CNA for at least 4 days. The scheduler said I could ask for another 4 if I felt I needed it. This is so hard for me. Especially with cramps. Grrr.

Jimmy's plane leaves in a bit ... he's headed to Phoenix AZ for a week. So it's just me and Hayley keeping the home fires burning. And Hayley has to handle it on her own, come 3 PM.

Emilie, got Internet? Sure hope so!

Thought For Today:
"Never test the depth of the water with both feet."

Monday, August 18, 2003

"I'll keep a part of you with me, and everywhere I am, there you'll be ..."

What a weekend. A looooong weekend. Parts were good, parts were bad ... and I lived through it.

Brandy's moving day stretched into Brandy's moving dayS, with both Adam and Brandy working themselves near-to-frazzled. Her new place is quite nice, and she bought the prettiest quilt for her bed!

Emilie's moving day on Sunday got off to a very early start, which was a good thing ... since by noon there wasn't a parking space to be found in the 88 degree humidity. By that time we were cool and comfortable, setting up things in her room and watching the poor folks out her window. We got to meet one of Emilie's roommates ... a sweet girl named Kate who transferred to Clemson from Agnes Scott in Atlanta. Talked to Em this afternoon, and she and Karen are having problems with their high-speed internet hookup, but hopefully the tech guy will be around tomorrow to get them all fixed up. She had a broken drawer in her nightstand, and the guy came today to fix it. Hopefully the computer problems will be resolved that quickly.

Don't really know why her moving day was so emotionally hard on me, but man, was it ever. I cried and cried. I think maybe it's because she's in her first "on her own" situation ... before she was always with Adam. Also, I think the stress of starting the job added to the pain of seeing her go. I miss her. :-( But she sounded good this afternoon, and that helps.

The Job. I'm here to tell you I felt really weird being the only white person in orientation today. In fact, during the first couple of hours, I hated everything about everything and I sat there and planned my next step of taking the part-time job offered to me last week at Sunrise Assisted Living. But then we took a walking tour of NHC, and had a break ... and when I walked around and got to look into the patients' (residents') rooms, well, it all began to feel a bit better. I still don't like orienting with 6 black people all under the age of 26, but I'll survive. I have to remember that the job I've chosen is mostly held by minorities. And I imagine that the one and only male who's orienting for his new job in the food service department is feeling a bit "alone" as well. I just wish the LPN who sits next to me didn't smell so horribly of old nasty cigarette smoke. (And I like to smell smoke!) I have to fight the gag reflex when her breath heads my way. On my way out today, I ran into Emilie's 1st grade teacher. She was walking with her father, who lives at NHC ... unfortunately not on the unit I'll be working. So very nice to get a warm hug and see a familiar face at the end of my first day!

Thought For Today:
"Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." (Mark Twain)

Thursday, August 14, 2003

"What I really meant to say is I'm really not that strong ..."

Today is Brandy's moving day. I'm trying not to be a pushy old lady and insist on "helping" (as if I could!) ... but I did tell them a dozen times to call if they needed anything. They told me there's a possibility they will want to sleep here tonight, so of course I'm hoping for that. Also hoping that everything goes smoothly. It's not raining, so they've got that going for them.

I have decided that, as I've aged, it's more and more difficult for me to deal with change. Either that, or menopause is biting my butt hard. The kids all moving, my job about to begin ... seems like small potatoes, huh. It's overwhelming me. My head knows everything is fine, and is going to be fine. Really. But I can't seem to shake "sad" offa me these days. I know that it will pass, but right now I feel like curling up into a little ball.

But I'm not little and I can't curl.

*sigh*

Thought For Today:
"Cherish each moment. These are the good old days you're going to miss in the years ahead."

Wednesday, August 13, 2003

"Crazy, but that’s how it goes ..."

Let me preface this by saying that I'm aware that I might be the only 44-year-old housewife in America who watches "The Osbournes" faithfully. (Yes, I even watch "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" when Bravo repeats it later in the week, so that I won't miss Ozzy and Sharon.) But oh my. Osbourne fans were "Punk'd" last night.

What the hell! That was horrifying. I was so freaked out by Jack the Minnie Ripper that I couldn't close my mouth. Then watching Ozzy's tears fall as he broke the news to Sharon ... well, I was in tears myself. When "the joke" was revealed, it was hard to laugh.

After seeing the final bit with the cue cards, I spent a few minutes wondering if every episode from the beginning had been scripted. I know that certain events are staged to make things funnier, and the editors are constantly patching it all together to show things that never really happened (like Sharon ignoring Ozzy on the phone when he was reading his lyrics about his fear of losing her to cancer). But I really don't believe for a second that what aired in the last minute of the show should be considered proof that Ozzy's been reading cue cards. The whole show last night was a big ole joke, plain and simple. (It damn well better be.) Bet they're going to get a ton of hate mail over it though.

Yes, I'm too old for this.

Thought For Today:
18 more days 'til Clemson football!

3:30 PM
Edited to add (for Brandy!):
MTV just re-ran "The Osbournes", and there was a middle segment that wasn't aired last night. (Bert broke up with Kelly on Valentine's Day. Jack sleepwalked ... he walked to his sofa and slept there, he pulled Lola into his bed and wrestled her, then let her go and said, "Sorry, girl.")

Other things I caught the second time around ...

At the end, Ozzy says, "That's it? It's over? I don't have to say the f-word anymore?" How can I not love him? Also, there was a guy caging the dogs to take away (to seem as if the Osbournes didn't really have a houseful of animals), and Ozzy told them to take away all the fake dog poo. Heh. And that bit at the end where Ozzy seemed to be rehearsing his famous "I love you all more than life itself, but you're all f'ing mad" was edited to look that way.

So after all is said and done, I think they did a pretty good job of poking fun at all the people who criticize them ... and Minnie's alright too. :-)

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

"I see them as babies, I guess that'll never change ..."

Good Lord, Trace Adkins is trying to kill me with this song.



In the early rush of morning
Trying to get the kids to school
One's hanging on my shirttail
Another's locked up in her room
And I'm yelling up the stairs
Stop worrying 'bout your hair
You look fine

Then they're fightin' in the backseat
I'm playing referee
Now someone's gotta go the moment that we leave
And everybody's late
I swear that I can't wait 'til they grow up

Then they do
And that's how it is
It's just quiet in the morning
Can't believe how much you miss all they do and all they did
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true
Then they do

Now the youngest is starting college
She'll be leavin' in the Fall
And Brianna's latest boyfriend
Called to ask if we could talk
And I got the impression
That he's about to pop the question any day

I look over at their pictures sittin' in their frames
I see them as babies
I guess that'll never change
You pray all their lives that someday they will find happiness

Then they do
And that's how it is
It's just quiet in the morning
Can't believe how much you miss all they do and all they did
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true
Then they do

No more Monday PTA's, no carpools or soccer games
Your work is done
Now you've got time that's all your own
You've been waitin' for so long for those days to come

Then they do
And that's how it is
It's just quiet in the morning
Can't believe how much you miss all they do and all they did
You want all the dreams they dreamed of to come true
Then they do



*waaa*

I tell you what ... this "getting a job" crap is CRAP. I went in on Monday so that the nurse could read my PPD skin test. Of course it was inflamed. She called about sending me to the county health department for a chest x-ray, but found out they couldn't even do one until August 23rd. We decided I'd get one through my regular doctor, and hopefully get the results back so that I can still start orientation on the 18th. So that's what I did this morning ... a chest x-ray. Pretty routine, except that the lady in the business office ran out and asked the lady in the next cubicle if she could catch tuberculosis from me. Heh.

The nurse at NHC said that I should never again allow anyone to give me a PPD skin test, that I will always and forever have this allergic reaction. She said a chest x-ray showing no signs of active TB will be good for about 5 years. (Let's all cross our fingers that there actually are no signs of active TB!)

I also stuck my nose back in the door at Teletech, just for kicks ... to see if they'll hire me. Starting pay there is a dollar more an hour than I'll be making at NHC, so what the heck. According to the girl at the desk, "someone" will call me in two days.

I miss Emilie, and she's not even gone yet. :-( She's so ready to go though ... and for that, I'm excited for her. I'm not handling this "empty nest" thing too well. There should be classes or somethin'.

Thought For Today:
"Life is tough, but it's tougher if you're stupid." (John Wayne)

Friday, August 08, 2003

"Wake me up inside ..."

Got myself "drug tested" today, and got a small injection of tuberculosis, just for kicks. Today's test was the first time I've ever had an oral drug test. "Just hold the swab in your mouth in a pool of saliva for 2 minutes." Well, eww. I passed, in case there was any doubt. I'll go back on Monday so that a nurse can read the TB skin test.

Em and I shopped around today for picture frames and various other necessities ... TarJay and Garden Ridge. Spent money, had fun.

I swear, it's time to start thinking of building an ark. It has rained (and rained hard) just about every day since summer began. It's pouring out there right now. We sloshed through such a deluge at Garden Ridge, it felt like I was walking through a creek. I shouldn't complain, I haven't had to water any of the plants in months.


Friday Five
1. What's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country? Last month, I spent some time in Columbus, Georgia. Actually, that is home. Before that, I visited Laura and Melody in West Point, Georgia back in January.

2. What's the most unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling? I drove to New Jersey a couple of years ago, and stopped to get fuel. They pumped it for me! I felt like I had time-traveled. My friend who lives there explained that it's the law there ... no one is allowed to pump their own gas.

3. If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go? I'd love to visit Hawaii or Australia.

4. Do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car? I love the comfort of the car, and flying is scary. I've never traveled by train, but I think I'd really enjoy that. At least, the way it used to be. Seems like there's not as many passenger trains these days.

5. What's the next place on your list to visit? No plans at the moment, since work will start a week from Monday. Unless you count Clemson. In that case, I'll be there next weekend.

Thought For Today:
"Inside me is this really thin woman trying to get out. I can usually shut the bitch up with chocolate."

Wednesday, August 06, 2003

"I put your picture away, I wonder where you've been ..."

Scattered thunderstorms and muggy, with highs in the upper 80s ...
it's still summertime in South Carolina. It looks pretty out my window today, sun through the trees and a little breeze. I know there's no air to breathe out there though. It's August.

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Answering some comments:
Emilie, I love you. Always. And it's me that's the problem lately, there's no doubt in my mind. I worry too much, I stress over things that don't need stressing over, and I can't seem to find much to smile about lately. But it'll pass. And I'm sorry I took it out on you.

Brandy, I was pretty tickled to think that Adam was going to get to "play" with the drummers and get paid for it too ... but I guess it wasn't to be. I had to laugh when he said, "Those kids don't need a teacher, they need a babysitter!"
--------

Hayley the Devil Cat is still chewing/scratching/going bald. Don't know what exactly to do except continue with the pills the vet prescribed.

Yesterday I applied for a job at the last few places I knew about. My friend Judy called to tell me about her first two days of orientation at NHC. (She started on Monday, two weeks before I start.) She said she really liked it, everybody seems really nice, and she feels like it'll be a good place to work. It made me feel a bit better to hear that from her. I still need to set up my PPD and drug screening and get that underway. I called about that yesterday, but never got a call-back. Between that and The Haven, I'm feeling quite phone-rejected.

Today I have the exciting task of buying a new car insurance policy and cancelling the old one. I'm sure I'll feel a little bit of "neener neener" joy when I call Liberty Mutual and cancel the policy we've had with them for at least 20 years. The assholes.

Speaking of cars, Emilie headed out the door yesterday for an appointment and, minutes later, came back in fuming ... her windshield had been demolished by a falling branch during a thunderstorm the night before. Gotta love all the shade these trees provide, right? Anyway, they'll come tomorrow to install another windshield. Ka-ching.

And here's something I played around with yesterday, for lack of anything better to do:

50 Questions (Hey Beth, look! I did a survey!)
1. Your name spelled backwards: Nwad (I love that)

2. Where were your parents born? My dad was born in Watertown, Minnesota and my mother was born in Villa Rica, Georgia.

3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? One of my favorite time-wasting games, "Bejeweled". It doesn't work. And it won't allow me to uninstall it. Grr.

4. What's your favorite restaurant? Right now - Romano's Macaroni Grill.

5. Last time you swam in a pool? Eons ago, about 1996. I used to think that one day we'd have a pool in our own yard. Silly me.

6. Have you ever been in a school play? I can't remember a single one.

7. How many kids do you want? Hindsight is 20/20, and my hindsight tells me I should have had about four. Adam should have had a brother, and Emilie should have had a sister. I wonder what life would have been like!

8. Type of music you dislike most? Well, that's easy. I can't stand jazz that has no rhythm, no beat. It makes my brain swell.

9. What's the last thing you watched on TV? Emilie and I watched "Donnie Darko" on HBO last night.

10. Do you have cable? Yes.

11. Have you ever ridden on a moped? No, and the idea of it now makes me howl with laughter. The poor moped.

12. Ever prank call anybody? God yes. I grew up in the days long before Caller ID.

13. Ever get a parking ticket? Yes, back in the late 80's, at the county library.

14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? No. At least not at this weight. Might change my mind in the future.

15. Furthest place you ever traveled? Hmmmm - I've been west to New Orleans, northwest to Minnesota, east to the coast of South Carolina, north to the coast of New Jersey, and south to Orlando, Florida. Not very far in any direction.

16. Do you have a garden? No - just a plant shelf in the kitchen. It won't be home until I can have flowers and vegetables in the yard. And that'll never happen here.

17. What's your favorite comic strip? "Calvin and Hobbes" is the best. No wait, "The Far Side" is the best. I can't decide.

18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? Yes.

19. Bath or Shower, morning or night? Showers, morning. And sometimes a 2nd one at night. But that's only because the bathtubs in this house suck.

20. Best movie you've seen in the past month? I guess for what I've seen in the past month, "The Good Girl" was the best one.

21. Favorite pizza topping? BBQ chicken.

22. Chips or popcorn? Popcorn, with parmesan cheese and Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt.

23. What color lipstick do you usually wear? Clinique's "Tender Heart".

24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? Um ... huh?

25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? You must be joking.

26. Orange Juice or apple? Orange. Unless you're talking about hot spiced apple cider in November.

27. Who was the last person you went out to dinner with and where did you dine? Adam, Brandy, Emilie and I went to dinner a couple of weeks ago. We ate at a locally-owned place called Stax's Omega.

28. Favorite type chocolate bar? No question, it's Toblerone. *drool*

29. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday. An old friend once told me that I'd cry over an Old Navy ad. It's almost that bad.

30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Two weeks ago. Brandy gave me some from her visit to her grandparents' house. :-)

31. Have you ever won a trophy? No. Unless you count "group trophys", and then, I've won quite a few with the high school band.

32. Are you a good cook? When I have time, yes.

33. Do you know how to pump your own gas? Yes.

34. Ever order an article from an infomercial? Yes.

35. Sprite or 7-up? Neither.

36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work? Yes, I used to work at a nursing home when I was 17. I had to wear all white. I was also a "candy-striper" when I was 16, and wore a red and white striped jumper.

37. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy? Drugs for the cat.

38. Ever throw up in public? Not that I can remember.

39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or to find true love? Find true love.

40. Do you believe in love at first sight? No.

41. Ever call a 1-900 number? No.

42. Can exs be friends? Yes, if both are mature enough.

43. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? I stayed with Emilie in the hospital in 2001. Also stayed with my mother while she recovered from surgery in 1995 or '96 ... but that's not exactly visiting. I guess the last person I actually visited was my Dad. He was in the hospital in February 1994. And then I saw him a month later ... in CCU. I gently touched his forehead as he passed way. :-/

44. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby? I guess it was pretty normal for a baby. But I think I have less hair now than I did then.

45. What message is on your answering machine? It's been so long since I put it there, I don't really know. Some generic "Sorry we missed your call" thing, I'm sure.

46. What's your all time favorite Saturday Night Live Character? I have watched every season of SNL since it started. So I could never come up with just one! Some of the older characters like Gilda Radner's "Roseanne Roseannadanna", John Belushi's "Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, Pepsi" guy, and Dan Ackroyd's "Julia Child" are sentimental favorites. And one must never forget the two of them as "The Blues Brothers". Eddie Murphy doing "Buh-weet" or "Richard Simmons" or "James Brown" or "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" ... he always cracked me up. Newer favorites: just about anything Will Ferrell did, same goes for Chris Farley. My current favorite characters are done by Horatio Sanz ... "Gobi" ... the faculty advisor for Wake Up Wakefield ... and his impersonation of Ozzy Osbourne was hilarious. When Horatio appears in a skit, I know laughter will soon follow.

47. What was the name of your first pet? First cat was "Tico" ... I'm pretty sure my parents named her, since I was only 6 years old and would have picked "Fluffy" or "Kitty".

48. What is in your purse? Wallet with no money; cosmetics bag with powder, lipstick and oily face blotters; a couple of pens; a mini-notebook; my checkbook; my address book; gum; hand lotion; kleenex; my keys; my cellphone; and a couple of "just in case" female things.

49. Favorite thing to do before bedtime? I usually watch TV, but I like to read too.

50. What is one thing you are grateful for today? I woke up.

Thought For Today:
"No matter what anybody tells you, you can never have too much sugar." (John Travolta in "Michael")

Sunday, August 03, 2003

"I want to be the one to walk in the sun! Oh, girls they wanna have fun ..."

Today is my mother-in-law's 63rd birthday. She's still relatively young, huh? Sadly, she looks much older than that. Jimmy is on the phone with her now, trying to hang up. Easier said than done, since she has a gift for talking and talking ... whether anyone is listening or not.

We drove down to Clemson yesterday to take the washer and dryer to its new home. We came back home with a truckload of stuff that no longer fits in Adam's apartment. "Storage R Us". :-) The new place is very cozy and nice. Before his view consisted of a parking lot, and the wall of another building. Now it's a very nice wooded hillside. It's around in the back of the building, and seems to be quiet and private. He was getting all settled in, and trying to rest up from moving everything he owns from one place to the other. Jimmy put some shelves up in his storage room, and helped hook up the washer and dryer. Then we loaded up Emilie's computer chair and Adam's overflow, and headed back to the mansion.

Actually, before we left Clemson, I asked Jimmy to drive me over to Em's new apartment so I could check out where the new place is. (She was reassigned to another building.) Two weeks from today, she'll be unpacking boxes there. *sigh*

It's rainy today, a good Sunday for watching old movies or reading a good book. I'm still inching my way through "Nora, Nora" by Anne Rivers Siddons ... I should commit a good portion of today to finishing that.

Kay, call me ... I wasn't on the computer yesterday, ya silly. I was on the road!

Thought For Today:
"You know, I think I could have the cure to AIDS or cancer in my head, but that brain cell is filled instead with old dialogue from the Brady Bunch." (Mary Newton)

Friday, August 01, 2003

Which TV Mom are you?
June Cleaver:
You are June Cleaver from Leave it
to Beaver. You might not wear pearls while you
do your housework, but you probably like the
idea of being a traditional type of mom who
bakes special treats for your kids when they
come home from school and who sits down to
dinner with them at night. You think of
thoughtful ways to show your kids you care
like making elaborate Halloween costumes or
whipping up chicken noodle soup for sore
throats and you work hard to stay involved in
their lives.

Of course, you teach your children right from wrong
and always hold them to strict standards,
though you may prefer that someone else in the
household do the actual disciplining. That's
just because you are so devoted to your little
ones, you can't stand the thought of missing
out on any time with them behind angry doors or
pouting faces
.


Now that's so right-on it's just downright frightening. I wonder if June Cleaver likes Pearl Jam.

How did it get to be August so fast? The year is flyyyying. I hope that by the end of the month that things will have settled down a bit around here. Between jobs I'd rather not take and rejection by the jobs I want and too small apartments and new roommates who don't communicate and car insurance that has decided to screw us over after 15 years of taking our money ... I think it all calls for a cocktail. Just one. A big one. It is Friday, after all.

Friday Five
1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings?
The alarm clock that's located in my bladder usually rings about 8:00AM. Sometimes I press the snooze alarm until 8:30.

2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late?
I remember sleeping in on weekends, but for some reason that never happens anymore. I'm usually awake and out of bed by 9AM.

3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?
Visit the bathroom, swallow pills, and check my E-mail.

4. How long does it take to get ready for your day?
Less than an hour, more than 30 minutes (from shower to out the door)... but that's only if I concentrate. :-)

5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?
Going out to breakfast is a rarity around here but during football season, I do love to stop at Chick-Fil-A and get chicken biscuits to eat during the "Morning Edition" of our day of tailgating. Emilie's crazy about Waffle House, and I've never even been there!

Thought For Today:
"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams." (Kahlil Gibran)