I never get a nice Memorial Day weekend (in terms of weather) it always sucks here, and if it doesn't suck here, it's a sure bet that I planned to travel for Memorial Day and you can be it sucks whereever it was that I decided to go.
So this year, we just decided to stay home and not waste $$ and time traveling somewhere when we'd be 100% sure the weather would be gross. Jackpot! The weather is gross, but we're not upset because we HAD NO PLANS. What an idea, I am genius!
May 31, 2004
May 30, 2004
King of Stalling...
Somehow little son has managed to become the King of Stalling. Upon my changing his diaper and pants to prep for the nap, he declares that he needs to potty. Any good mom w/a toddler in potty training MUST immediately take said child to potty. Then we spend 15 minutes going potty. Then there is choosing the reward. Then eating the reward (if it's candy, sometimes it's a toy trinket). THEN water to wash the candy down (I cannot resist this one because I don't want his teeth to rot)...
Then into the crib. Wait, we need our large race cars. 5 minutes later - can I please have 5 trains? 5 minutes pass...can I have a sticker? Can I have Scoop (of Bob the Builder)...it never ends. When he calls for me, I have to at least acknowlege that he's calling... I have not (and do not) intend to master the "goto sleep" call from the other room. I go in there personally to decline the new request and tell him, once again, to lay down and goto sleep.
Judging from the lack of sounds coming from the baby monitor, he's finally asleep! (note that I've been hearing Scoop talk for the past 5 minutes "I'm ready to go!", "Let's go team!")...
ahhh - quiet, or at least only the sounds of the sound machine in his room...
Then into the crib. Wait, we need our large race cars. 5 minutes later - can I please have 5 trains? 5 minutes pass...can I have a sticker? Can I have Scoop (of Bob the Builder)...it never ends. When he calls for me, I have to at least acknowlege that he's calling... I have not (and do not) intend to master the "goto sleep" call from the other room. I go in there personally to decline the new request and tell him, once again, to lay down and goto sleep.
Judging from the lack of sounds coming from the baby monitor, he's finally asleep! (note that I've been hearing Scoop talk for the past 5 minutes "I'm ready to go!", "Let's go team!")...
ahhh - quiet, or at least only the sounds of the sound machine in his room...
100 Things...or until I get bored...
79. I sneak chocolate ALL the time
78. Currently blogging to avoid housework
77. Have 1 brother, 5 years younger
76. Father died of Lung Cancer, so I have no IDEA why anyone would continue to smoke after seeing the horrible pain it caused him and KNOWING the horrible pain it causes children when their parents die like that and because of things that could be prevented
75. My Mom is great!
74. REALLY plan on finding a way to not have to work anymore so I can just stay home w/my children
73. Can't seem to ever have nice fingernails
72. Love Creative Memories, Pampered Chef and Longaberger ( I know, I'm sorry! )
Well...that was a quicker road to boredom than I thought...
78. Currently blogging to avoid housework
77. Have 1 brother, 5 years younger
76. Father died of Lung Cancer, so I have no IDEA why anyone would continue to smoke after seeing the horrible pain it caused him and KNOWING the horrible pain it causes children when their parents die like that and because of things that could be prevented
75. My Mom is great!
74. REALLY plan on finding a way to not have to work anymore so I can just stay home w/my children
73. Can't seem to ever have nice fingernails
72. Love Creative Memories, Pampered Chef and Longaberger ( I know, I'm sorry! )
Well...that was a quicker road to boredom than I thought...
May 28, 2004
Driving School...
I was taught one very important thing by my Dad about driving...his opinion that he made my opinion is that when you want to change lanes in traffic, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find a hole in the desired lane. This means that you don't put on your signal when there's no hole and just move, assuming people will make way for you...you wait and watch for a hole then you signal your intent and move. It is not up to the other drivers to make room for you...the responsibility is yours. I see a TON of drivers in this area that assume if their signal is on, they can do whatever they please and that I will get out of their way. I don't think so...and because I drive a big SUV, they usually don't force the issue ;-)
It just seems to me that the rule my Dad taught me is a more curteous way of driving...what do you think?
It just seems to me that the rule my Dad taught me is a more curteous way of driving...what do you think?
May 26, 2004
thank goodness!
The doc called this morning...it was really just a shadow, not an actual cloudy spot on the lung...
You have no idea how relieved we are.
That is all.
You have no idea how relieved we are.
That is all.
May 25, 2004
Doctors...
I would post...the lack of posting is making me nervous I might lose some of my HUGE fan base...
but I'm back in the same spot I was 3 1/2 years ago - my Mom's doctor found a shadow on her lung while checking her out for something else yesterday. The SAME $^@$!%@% thing happened to my Dad in October of 2000...doc was looking for reasons for the shoulder pain and found a mass in his lung. He was officially diagnosed w/lung cancer on Dec. 27 (Happy New Year and all that jazz) and no longer with us by February 28. Now I'm waiting on the call back from her doc tomorrow.
That is all for today.
but I'm back in the same spot I was 3 1/2 years ago - my Mom's doctor found a shadow on her lung while checking her out for something else yesterday. The SAME $^@$!%@% thing happened to my Dad in October of 2000...doc was looking for reasons for the shoulder pain and found a mass in his lung. He was officially diagnosed w/lung cancer on Dec. 27 (Happy New Year and all that jazz) and no longer with us by February 28. Now I'm waiting on the call back from her doc tomorrow.
That is all for today.
May 21, 2004
100 Things About Me...
Well, seems like all bloggers do this so here goes...
(note, I'm going to do it in portions as I have time though).
100. Drive a big mean looking black Yukon XL Denali
99. Last car was a black Yukon XL
98. First new car was a Camaro Z28, metallic blue
97. Parents car that I drove, 1978 Chevy Imapala, mint green
96. Have 1 child, a son that is so loved, he is an incessantly happy child
95. Married to hubby almost 6 years
94. Anniversary is on Oct. 31 (Halloween)
93. Son's birthday is Dec. 31 (New Year's Eve)
92. Went to Va Tech, heart never left
91. College best friends are still my best friends
90. I am a 'software engineer', one of 2 female engineers at my company
89. Hubby and I are a perfect match, don't like veggies or fruit
88. Spend too much money on my son
87. Spend too much money on hubby
86. Have very bad spring allergies
85. Terrified of bugs
84. Favorite book - Gone With The Wind
83. Love diet coke
82. Love chocolate
81. I love to run and workout at the gym
80. Eat when no one's looking
(note, I'm going to do it in portions as I have time though).
100. Drive a big mean looking black Yukon XL Denali
99. Last car was a black Yukon XL
98. First new car was a Camaro Z28, metallic blue
97. Parents car that I drove, 1978 Chevy Imapala, mint green
96. Have 1 child, a son that is so loved, he is an incessantly happy child
95. Married to hubby almost 6 years
94. Anniversary is on Oct. 31 (Halloween)
93. Son's birthday is Dec. 31 (New Year's Eve)
92. Went to Va Tech, heart never left
91. College best friends are still my best friends
90. I am a 'software engineer', one of 2 female engineers at my company
89. Hubby and I are a perfect match, don't like veggies or fruit
88. Spend too much money on my son
87. Spend too much money on hubby
86. Have very bad spring allergies
85. Terrified of bugs
84. Favorite book - Gone With The Wind
83. Love diet coke
82. Love chocolate
81. I love to run and workout at the gym
80. Eat when no one's looking
Please pick you jaw up off the floor...
I have nothing to complain about today ( oh, I'm sure if I tried really, really hard I could find something - ok, got it - putting a 2 year old down for a nap should NOT take 90 minutes! Ugh...but he's down now and I can post quickly, tour my favorite sites and take a quick shower, yipee!!!! )
Loving Fridays, as that's my day to spend w/the little boy hanging out. Since we're so busy tomorrow, we just hung out here today. We observed that apparently a momma centipede-type thing had babies in the sandbox, so we need to wait for Dad to get home and advise...We rode our tricycle around and little one pedaled ALL BY HIMSELF - now come on, he's got to be advanced for his age ;-)
I have a tough time w/the boy
a. getting him to eat meals
b. getting him to eat anything healthy when he does actually eat
But today was a good day, we had carrot/apple juice and pancakes (with wheat germ and chocolate chips) for bfast and 1/2 an apple, a hot dog, and milk for lunch.
The promise of 2 hershey kisses got him to try a chocolate chip dipped in peanut butter and I SWEAR he almost threw up...that boy REALLY hates to try new things.
Shower time!
Loving Fridays, as that's my day to spend w/the little boy hanging out. Since we're so busy tomorrow, we just hung out here today. We observed that apparently a momma centipede-type thing had babies in the sandbox, so we need to wait for Dad to get home and advise...We rode our tricycle around and little one pedaled ALL BY HIMSELF - now come on, he's got to be advanced for his age ;-)
I have a tough time w/the boy
a. getting him to eat meals
b. getting him to eat anything healthy when he does actually eat
But today was a good day, we had carrot/apple juice and pancakes (with wheat germ and chocolate chips) for bfast and 1/2 an apple, a hot dog, and milk for lunch.
The promise of 2 hershey kisses got him to try a chocolate chip dipped in peanut butter and I SWEAR he almost threw up...that boy REALLY hates to try new things.
Shower time!
May 20, 2004
Come now, really?
At my office there is a parking garage and 2 parking lots. There are LOTS of spaces where one could park a car to ensure no door dings occurred. I, myself, park at the far end of the parking garage, in an end spot, with one side of my truck partially into the painted border ( it's not another parking space, just the painted buffer ). Today, some person parked 1/2 into the endspot across from mine, and 1/2 into the next parking space.
Is this really necessary? There are PLENTY of choice no-ding spaces right in that part of the garage, and usually all the spaces are taken, so why take up an end spot PLUS another spot? With the buffer on the end spot, you can park so that there is no way the other person can door ding you...so why hog 2 spaces? What is the thought process one goes thru as one carefully parks their black sports car exactly on the line between 2 spaces? I know people love their cars ( call me guilty of car-love as well ) but do we need to be asses about it?
This holds up the theory that hubby believes whole-heart-edly...people are inherently jerks. I try not to believe that or think that way about people in general, but darn it, they keep proving him right!
Is this really necessary? There are PLENTY of choice no-ding spaces right in that part of the garage, and usually all the spaces are taken, so why take up an end spot PLUS another spot? With the buffer on the end spot, you can park so that there is no way the other person can door ding you...so why hog 2 spaces? What is the thought process one goes thru as one carefully parks their black sports car exactly on the line between 2 spaces? I know people love their cars ( call me guilty of car-love as well ) but do we need to be asses about it?
This holds up the theory that hubby believes whole-heart-edly...people are inherently jerks. I try not to believe that or think that way about people in general, but darn it, they keep proving him right!
Allstate...
Ok, long story short...NOT!
I handle the car insurance for my mom & little brother. My Mom just sold my Dad's truck so I had to call Allstate to have it removed from the policy and the premium recalculated...
Now it's a bit complicated because she has 3 cars... a Caprice that she drives every day, a Camry that she uses occaisonally, and a Camaro, which my brother drives, but only once in a while. He mainly drives a truck supplied to him by his work. I had to fax Allstate proof of this when he first got the job (in May of 2002) so that they wouldn't list him as primary driver on any of the vehicles since he's really not driving any of the to / from work every day.
So I get the new bill and it's amazingly high. They assumed (of course) that the young male driver must be primary on the newest, most expensive car, the Camry.
I've had 2 conversations w/these people to try and fix it and last time, the guy told me that he had all the info in the computer (even though they lost the orignal fax about my brother not using any of the vehicles for work, he'd take my word for it) and gave me the new total.
Shockingly, the bill that came in the mail was $150 too high and he has YET to return either of my two phone calls to him (it might be possible that I did not sound too friendly on his voice mail).
More to come if I ever get a hold of him...
I handle the car insurance for my mom & little brother. My Mom just sold my Dad's truck so I had to call Allstate to have it removed from the policy and the premium recalculated...
Now it's a bit complicated because she has 3 cars... a Caprice that she drives every day, a Camry that she uses occaisonally, and a Camaro, which my brother drives, but only once in a while. He mainly drives a truck supplied to him by his work. I had to fax Allstate proof of this when he first got the job (in May of 2002) so that they wouldn't list him as primary driver on any of the vehicles since he's really not driving any of the to / from work every day.
So I get the new bill and it's amazingly high. They assumed (of course) that the young male driver must be primary on the newest, most expensive car, the Camry.
I've had 2 conversations w/these people to try and fix it and last time, the guy told me that he had all the info in the computer (even though they lost the orignal fax about my brother not using any of the vehicles for work, he'd take my word for it) and gave me the new total.
Shockingly, the bill that came in the mail was $150 too high and he has YET to return either of my two phone calls to him (it might be possible that I did not sound too friendly on his voice mail).
More to come if I ever get a hold of him...
May 19, 2004
Amazing Housing Update...
Ok - sit down, be ready to be stunned...
Yesterday hubby checked, the starting price of our home had gone up to a total of 65K more than we contracted for on March 5 of this year.
Today, we checked the builder's site again, and in ONE DAY it has gone up yet ANOTHER 15K - the madness has got to stop somewhere! Thank goodness we locked in the price when we signed the contract.
Please resume your previous activities.
Yesterday hubby checked, the starting price of our home had gone up to a total of 65K more than we contracted for on March 5 of this year.
Today, we checked the builder's site again, and in ONE DAY it has gone up yet ANOTHER 15K - the madness has got to stop somewhere! Thank goodness we locked in the price when we signed the contract.
Please resume your previous activities.
Once again, PSA for gym go-ers...
If you MUST apply perfume (and I use the term 'perfume' loosely) at the gym in the locker rooms...
a. please take care to only spritz yourself - please do not spritz the benches/lockers etc. as after you spritz and I touch them or place MY things on them, now I smell like your perfume
b. please take care not to use an entire bottle at once. Not only will this not cause everyone who uses the locker room for the entire next day to smell like you, there is substantial cost savings in not using 75 oz. of perfume each day (though I'm not sure but if the 'perfume' in question came from wal-mart as I think it did, there may not be substantial cost savings involved)...
I realize that not everyone has the same preferences for brand/type of perfume as I do - ( to me the situation I am describing, the perfume in question smells like "ass mixed with Glade's spring flowers ) - but the quantity required to make the locker room STINK like that must've been amazing.
NOT TO MENTION the allergy attack said perfume brought on for me. Now that I'm back at my desk (with MY clothes smelling like butt sprayed with Glade) my eyes are stinging and red and I'm sneezing. Thanks so much, stupid woman.
That is all.
a. please take care to only spritz yourself - please do not spritz the benches/lockers etc. as after you spritz and I touch them or place MY things on them, now I smell like your perfume
b. please take care not to use an entire bottle at once. Not only will this not cause everyone who uses the locker room for the entire next day to smell like you, there is substantial cost savings in not using 75 oz. of perfume each day (though I'm not sure but if the 'perfume' in question came from wal-mart as I think it did, there may not be substantial cost savings involved)...
I realize that not everyone has the same preferences for brand/type of perfume as I do - ( to me the situation I am describing, the perfume in question smells like "ass mixed with Glade's spring flowers ) - but the quantity required to make the locker room STINK like that must've been amazing.
NOT TO MENTION the allergy attack said perfume brought on for me. Now that I'm back at my desk (with MY clothes smelling like butt sprayed with Glade) my eyes are stinging and red and I'm sneezing. Thanks so much, stupid woman.
That is all.
May 18, 2004
Buying a home in Northern VA
This post by the Mighty Geek got me thinking about the home hubby and I are currently having built and the total mess the real estate area is in (in this area)...
For example, hubby and I sold our single family home on .2 acres for $5,000 more than we were asking after being on the market TWO days. We had multiple offers.
The home we put a contract on in March (to be build and finished NEXT MARCH) has increased in base price $65K as of this morning. That does not include the increase in lot premiums said builder is now charging. Said builder started a waiting list the day we signed our contract that is now also 45 people long.
My darling brother and his fiancee have been looking and cannot find anything decent in Fairfax County in their range. They are currently in the process of buying a 20 year old home (newly renovated) on .25 acre with 1 car garage for $300K. They only got that GREAT and unusual price because they found the deal thru a friend and aren't using realtors. 950 square feet. Other homes on that street are currently going for $340K with realtors involved.
Other homes in my old neighborhood are being sold at 75K more than we got for ours.
Decent homes in this area can expect to sell in 2 - 6 HOURS - unless they go the route of accepting contracts for a whole weekend to see how many offers they can get, then choosing one. This is a newly popular way to do it apparently.
One of the neighborhoods hubby & I looked at had a price of X when I went out on a Friday, with a lot premium of Y. When I called back Monday to see if the lot was still available, she said yes, it was but the lot premium was now Y + 75K! Can you believe it???
This is absolutely nuts.
For example, hubby and I sold our single family home on .2 acres for $5,000 more than we were asking after being on the market TWO days. We had multiple offers.
The home we put a contract on in March (to be build and finished NEXT MARCH) has increased in base price $65K as of this morning. That does not include the increase in lot premiums said builder is now charging. Said builder started a waiting list the day we signed our contract that is now also 45 people long.
My darling brother and his fiancee have been looking and cannot find anything decent in Fairfax County in their range. They are currently in the process of buying a 20 year old home (newly renovated) on .25 acre with 1 car garage for $300K. They only got that GREAT and unusual price because they found the deal thru a friend and aren't using realtors. 950 square feet. Other homes on that street are currently going for $340K with realtors involved.
Other homes in my old neighborhood are being sold at 75K more than we got for ours.
Decent homes in this area can expect to sell in 2 - 6 HOURS - unless they go the route of accepting contracts for a whole weekend to see how many offers they can get, then choosing one. This is a newly popular way to do it apparently.
One of the neighborhoods hubby & I looked at had a price of X when I went out on a Friday, with a lot premium of Y. When I called back Monday to see if the lot was still available, she said yes, it was but the lot premium was now Y + 75K! Can you believe it???
This is absolutely nuts.
Picture...
Now that I've added posts since adding the picture post, the picture doesn't appear on the main page? The little black box is clickable, but doesn't show picture?
Ideas?
Ideas?
May 17, 2004
Attention sweaty gym go-ers
If you use a cardio machine next to someone else using a cardio machine...and if you clean it off when you're done sweating all over it (which is much appreciated) please DO NOT spray the machine like a mad man... those of us on the treadmill next to you, breathing heavily, would like to NOT line our lungs w/whatever crap Gold's puts in those spray bottles. You don't need to spray down the bike and a huge radius. Just hold the bottle very close to the areas that need wiping and spray - don't go on a wild spraying rampage.
That is all.
That is all.
May 15, 2004
ahhh...Saturday!
Well today was another lovely day...We bought the son a playground and pool last night...speaking of which...
One would THINK a Yukon XL would be big enough to tote said playground and pool home...well, after some creative thinking, yes! We got this playground - it comes in 2 HUGE boxes, one which takes up the entire back of the XL (with the 3rd seat OUT) and opened the second box and put the individual pieces in the back. Then we had to tie the pool on TOP of the XL (noting that the pools is
A. quite slippery
B. doesn't have anything to attach the rope TO to keep it from blowing off
after 45 minutes of debating, off we drove, back home at 5 under the speed limit for safety reasons ;-)
So today consisted of setting up the pool & playground - then moving the built playground after realizing the first spot was way too sunny...
One would THINK a Yukon XL would be big enough to tote said playground and pool home...well, after some creative thinking, yes! We got this playground - it comes in 2 HUGE boxes, one which takes up the entire back of the XL (with the 3rd seat OUT) and opened the second box and put the individual pieces in the back. Then we had to tie the pool on TOP of the XL (noting that the pools is
A. quite slippery
B. doesn't have anything to attach the rope TO to keep it from blowing off
after 45 minutes of debating, off we drove, back home at 5 under the speed limit for safety reasons ;-)
So today consisted of setting up the pool & playground - then moving the built playground after realizing the first spot was way too sunny...
May 12, 2004
Easy way to get 2 year old to goto sleep?
As I type this, my husband and son are lying in bed in an effort to get the 2 year old son to sleep. I wish we were the parents who could leave him in his room, he'd fuss for a minute or two, then lay down and goto sleep but no such luck. He gets so hysterical he sounds like he's going to throw up. So we wait with him, but some nights, it takes a while. Oh well...that's what we get for having a child that's perfect in every other way... ;-)
Toll Booths...
Ok - in my area, there is a toll road. This is not a new road...
I do not understand why on earth people who, after waiting in line to get TO the #@%@% toll booth, do not have their money ready! It's no great surprise
a. that you have to pay $$ there
b. how much it is (usually the worst offenders are in the exact change lane)
I, however, have SmartTag, which is a payment transponder so it deducts the toll from your account as you drive through. I don't mind waiting in the exact change lane, as many exits don't have SmartTag only lanes, but I don't know why anyone would want to waste their time and MINE digging for change when they are actually at the $%@% booth!
I do not understand why on earth people who, after waiting in line to get TO the #@%@% toll booth, do not have their money ready! It's no great surprise
a. that you have to pay $$ there
b. how much it is (usually the worst offenders are in the exact change lane)
I, however, have SmartTag, which is a payment transponder so it deducts the toll from your account as you drive through. I don't mind waiting in the exact change lane, as many exits don't have SmartTag only lanes, but I don't know why anyone would want to waste their time and MINE digging for change when they are actually at the $%@% booth!
Welcome!
Well - here I am out in cyberspace! Welcome to my corner ;-)
I hope I have something interesting to say, at some point in the future, but these first few posts will probably be quite boring as I get my feet wet.
Bear with me ;-)
I hope I have something interesting to say, at some point in the future, but these first few posts will probably be quite boring as I get my feet wet.
Bear with me ;-)
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