Thursday, September 21, 2006

"My heart going boom-boom-boom ..."

It's not really my heart ... it's the blasting being done behind our house. For many days now, I hear the warning siren, and I tense ... waiting for the ceiling to fall. BOOM. Today I heard the windows rattle, but no damage seen yet. BOOM.

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So I got this new job. I applied on a whim, and got an interview the next day. Then I got hired, and started before I realized what I was doing. I'm such an idiot. It's "part-time", but it's all squished up into 3 days ... two 8-hour days, and one 6-hour day. At least that's the way it's gone for 3 weeks now. Probably wouldn't be a big deal, if I was sitting for some or most of those hours. But it's all standing. Let me just get my groaning out of the way now:

Arrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhh.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Arrrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I'm a fr0nt-end team member (cashier, in the real world) for Wh0le F00dz Church ... uh, I mean Market. (Spelled that way so I can't be googled by the Man) I'm here to tell you, I don't adapt well to change, people. I am pretty much set in my ways of "housewife extraordinaire" after spending 98% of my life at home since 1978. So add that to the whole "standing for 8 hours" thing, and maybe you will understand why I'm calling myself an idiot.

Then add how I have to memorize all the codes for the produce.

THEN add how I have to miss ALL the Clemson football games, since I work on the weekends.

Arrrrrrrghhh, again.

I get a 20% discount on groceries, so last week I bought $100 worth, for ONLY $80. It must be a side effect of growing up on McDonald's cheeseburgers and Piggly Wiggly groceries, but can I say? ... I'm not impressed. The prepared foods I bought ... some salsa, some layered Mexican dip, some roasted veggies, and some macaroni salad ... were "eh" in taste. And everything else is just plain overpriced. Organic and natural, yes. Tasty and affordable, not so much. The majority of shoppers who come through my line are ... pardon my judgemental attitude ... snobby yuppies who shop there because it's trendy, NOT because they care a hoot about preservatives. It must be good, because it costs so damn much ... right?

Back to Publix with my grocery money, 20% discount or not. Maybe I'll use the discount for red wine on sale, and the occasional bowl of chili for my lunch at work.

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Sunday will mark 4 months since my surgery. (I was thinking I had lost enough weight that the job might not be a very big deal ... but my feet and ankles say otherwise.) It looks like I'll be right around the "60 pounds lost since May 24th" mark on Sunday ... 81 pounds since I started the whole thing in March. Can't really wrap my head around those numbers. I still feel exactly as I've always felt, physically and mentally. I wonder how long it takes for your brain to catch up.

I've been eating more carbs than the nutritionist at Dr. Bour's would like me to be eating. Still not getting in as much protein as I should, either. My hair is thinning like you wouldn't believe. Every day, after I wash it, I am horrified at the number of strands that come out onto my hands. I'm surprised I don't have huge bald spots. It's reallllly thin on top. The doctor said it will likely continue until about 8 months post-op. YIKES! I'll be wearing a wig for the holidays.

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I love you too, Beth!

Amy, I'm glad y'all had such a great vacation at the beach ... we should plan an "all girls" trip one of these days! I wish I could take credit for the way Adam turned out, but I'm pretty sure that's just the way he was made. Doesn't keep me from being terribly proud of him, though!

Somehow, both my children survived my immature parenting and went on to become fine human beings.

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I miss my kids.

I miss my weekends.

Call 1-800-Waa Waa Waa-Waa Waa Waa Waa.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

"Go shorty, it's your birthday ..."

Today is my only son's birthday. He's 26 years old.

He lives in Simpsonville. He has a college education and a good job. The one-year anniversary of his marriage to Brandy is in less than a month. He dreams of learning to pilot airplanes. He also wants very badly to build his own plane. He has brown hair and freckles ... and a scar on his left elbow from having it wired back together after he shattered it in a biking accident.

Those are the facts.

Here are a few lesser-known facts about Adam J. Ford:

~ His name is Adam. Most people know him as "AJ", a nickname that got stuck when he was 10 or 11.

~ He was born 2 weeks early.

~ He had jaundice when he came home from the hospital. The doctor told me to lay him in a sunny spot (with no clothes or diaper on) to make it better.

~ As a baby, he couldn't turn himself from his back to his stomach until WELL after all the books said he should have.

~ His favorite food, as an infant, was mashed banana.

~ He had a doll named "Josh" when he was two years old.

~ When we made car trips, he would sing "On The Road Again" by Willie Nelson. I can still hear it in my head. :-)

~ He did a killer PeeWee Herman impression when he was in the 1st grade.

~ He took horseback riding lessons in the 2nd grade.

~ He was on the Tinikling Team in the 5th grade. (An explanation of tinikling can be found here.)

~ He loved taking Martial Arts lessons in middle school. He stopped before he earned that black belt though.

~ My favorite thing about him is the way his face lights up when he talks about things he's interested in ... whether it's Tool or Kevin Smith, computers or airplanes.

~ My other favorite thing about him is his levelheadedness ... a trait he obviously did NOT get from his Mama.

~ My other favorite thing about him is his ability to make me laugh.

~ He was unconditionally adored by his Grandpa (my dad), until the day he died in 1994. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that majority of Daddy's time in Heaven is spent watching over his "A'm James".

~ He is a truly talented percussionist.

~ He likes to cook, and he does it well.

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Happy Birthday, Adam. I'm so glad you're my son. You are a young man of good character, good humor, and good heart. I am proud of the man you've become.
May your "Year of 26" be the BEST one so far!
I love you ... always!
xoxo Mom