December 30, 2007
I'm home. I'm really tired. Josh did all of the driving. He was probably scared to let me drive the VW. I probably wouldn't have been feeling too confident anyway though. It was pouring out there during half of the trip.
Time for sleep. I've missed my bed.
My Yule/Winter Solstice/Winter Holiday Presents received so far:
Last-Minute Knitted Gifts
Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter
A package should be waiting for me when I get home.
My days have been spent doing the typical family holiday stuff. We had a birthday yesterday, so we had a small family lunch to attend. Otherwise it has been spent visiting friends we haven't seen in some time.
My sinuses have put up a revolt and want to return home. The air is so dry here that my sinuses are hurting a lot. This does not make for a happy camper.
I'm trying to get the Doctor Who special that aired tonight. Unfortunately, we do not get BBC America here, so I am suffering. I will keep trying. I must.
I've taken some medicine for my sinuses. Fair warning. That is probably why this post is scattered.
Today I had lunch with my dad. It was Chinese. It wasn't that bad. The spring roll left something to be desired, but at least it didn't have shrimp in it! I had to hurry up and eat it though because my mom's plane arrived over twenty minutes early and I needed to go get her.
But, before all of that, I went to the post office to pick up a package I missed yesterday (while I was scoring big). Of course I went to the post office that is located about a mile away. I waited in line and when I got up to the counter I handed the woman my slip. She went in back only to come back empty handed. I went to the wrong freaking post office!
Apparently my post office is the one some six miles away. WTF? At least the lines weren't long.
On my way home from my parents' house, I fought sleep. I sang horribly in the car. I had to sing horrible to keep myself awake. It is that bad.
Now I am home with a cup of tea and seriously thinking of taking a nap.
Last night before going to bed, I informed my little cousins where they should go if the weather gets bad. The remnants of Tropical Storm Olga were due to come across the area today and some bad storms were predicted.
At 6:45 am I walked into the spare bedroom and woke up one of my cousins while Josh tried to wake up the other. We went to a spot off of the garage and were really cramped (except the cat who was in her giant carrier). While we were sitting there, my dad called to make sure we were awake and somewhere safe. Oh yeah, there was a tornado taking aim at our little city.
After about ten minutes we realized we could go to the other bathroom and hall which was a much larger area. So we hurried over. We sat there, flipping between NOAA radio and a local TV station. Josh and one of my cousins heard a thump in the yard. That was about it. Fifteen minutes later and our little neighborhood was in the clear. There haven't been any updates about where exactly was hit, though the news/NOAA radio stated that a tornado was in the city.
Josh and I went and checked the yard. It was a manageable mess. Some branches and gardening materials were blown around and two trees fell in the yard. One tree is snagged on some others, but is hanging over our shed. I know we wanted to replace it, but I'd prefer it to do it in a more orderly manner. I guess I get to play with the chain saw this week.
Tomorrow morning we are supposed to be flirting with freezing temperatures. Just a little weird weather around here.
The cat is eating breakfast, Josh got a call from work and is trying to do something. The kids have gone back to sleep. I think I'll take a page from their book.
My mother had an ah-ha moment regarding why I kept forgetting trash bags. It is because Josh and I use so few that we typically use about two boxes in a year. Doh. If we aren't brewing beer, we use two bags a week. We could use one, but the trash tends to smell after a few days, so we take it out.
I'm having phantom twinges of pain along with minor comfortablenesses were the root canal was. /sigh
Josh and I drop our loose change into baskets and occasionally I will use it for things like stamps. I haven't lately though and the change kind of piled up. So today I cashed in all of our change. $32.57 was the grand total. I wanted to get an amazon.com gift certificate, but they couldn't do it for some reason. Instead I was told I would be getting my cash free of the coin counting charge. The point of me getting the amazon.com gift certificate was to force me to use it to get Yule presents for the remaining family members I need(ed) to buy for. So, instead I used it to get groceries. /sigh That totally messes with my books.
I am overly organized as to the books. I can tell you how much we spend on cat healthcare vs. cat litter. I track our spending just to see what we spend our money on. We used to spend it on dining out. Now we spend it on house stuff. I don't know why, but when we lived in NH, we didn't really have the desire to do things with the house. With this house, I'm quite gung-ho about doing things. Josh hasn't quite reached that point yet though. I think my desire has to do with my inability to relax and my obsessive behavior.
I'm going to take something for my pains, both real and phantom. They are weirding me out!
I'm posting this because I am quite frustrated with myself. I have been to three stores and each time I forget to get trash bags. I NEED trash bags. I'm going to kick myself if I forget them again. Must remember trash bags.
My mouth is sore from yesterday. My eye feels weird and I'm still feeling weird from yesterday.
Oh yeah.. I'm gonna be an aunt again! Gabriel is going to have a little sibling. Good thing I didn't give away that baby yarn!
So the Novocaine they gave me 1) didn't kick in fully until they were nearly done 2) managed to travel up the side of my face so much that my eyelid was numb and 3) has been making me feel nauseous. The nausea is normal for me, but the other two were new (and/or sucky).
So that was my day. How was yours?
One of the kittens was killed by a car this morning. It was littlest one. I must say, it was also the most curious one. I cried. They have been quite difficult the catch. They are smart little buggers. I really need to get the other two before anything else happens. Animal control will be coming to get it sometime soon. I couldn't bury it myself. I am not that strong.
Now I am going to go paint the bathroom. I need to get my mind off of the kitten and I need to get it done before the weekend. I am getting a root canal (thanks to my wisdom teeth) tomorrow and who knows how I will feel after that. I need to start a freaking dental/medical donation fund. Between "check ups" and allergies, I'm going to go broke. That's with insurance!
Hrm. Just watched the Golden Compass. I think the compass is broken. Visually, it was wonderful. The actors nailed their roles. My issues are with the script. I have gotten good at separating movies from the books they are based on. But, even with that, I still had issues. I won't get into them just yet. I know others have yet to see it, so I'll refrain.
It isn't even 7:30 in the morning. Please turn your car stereo down. I don't want to hear your Reggaeton now or any other time if you want to be honest. It is the same beat in every song. At least mix it up a bit. Jeez. This would be the down side of living near schools. These kids today and their crazy music. /end old lady voice
Yesterday morning I dropped Josh and one of his co-workers off at the airport. He had to travel to the mother ship this weekend for work. Well, by a stroke of luck (for me), something happened and the purpose for him being there was postponed and they are coming home today. I have to go pick them up, but I'm fine with that. I'm still feeling bad (massive nose and chest congestion with a cough) and I miss my husband.
I kept myself busy yesterday by helping my mom clean out her house. She is a pack rat/hoarder, whatever you want to call it. She's coming to that realization though. She's slowly getting rid of stuff and yesterday was a big day for her. I brought back with me, six large trash bags, packed completely full. They are full of things that can be donated to the hospice shop. My mom also filled their two large trash bins (similar to these). She has enough to fill another, but the city charges $60 if a person has to physically get out of the truck to get your trash.
Speak of the devil. Josh just called and they are heading to the airport. I'm going to park in the cell lot. They have decent free wi-fi there, so I can hang out there and surf. I could knit, but I won't be able to get into my zone. It sucks to have your knitting interrupted like that.
I've been coughing so much I feel like I broke something. OK, maybe not that extreme, but I've definitely caused something to hurt.
I'm not sure what is going on with my cat. She's being very weird lately. She's constantly getting on either my or Josh's desk and gnawing on our papers. If she doesn't find any papers on our desk (highly unlikely) she'll just resort to knocking of anything she has the strength to knock off. She used to do this when she was hungry, but now she just does it whenever she pleases. Maybe it is because it is cold. I haven't turned the heat on yet. It's about 76 in here. She is older and lower to the ground. Maybe I should find the heating pad for her. Crikey, my cat is as bad as an old lady.
My husband informs me that I was a little loopy last night. I remember being very cold and wanting tin-foil for a blanket. Even in my delirium, I'm crafty.
I've come to the conclusion that Alfred is someone's cat. He just acts like someone's cat. Yesterday he smelled like old lady lotion. Not the masking urine smell, but just wearing lotion because I've been doing it for 70 years kind of smell. Know what I mean? I've decided that unless he starts trying to spend the night here, we'll let him be. I'm still trying to get the kittens though. They are crafty little buggers.
Josh is sick now. He is feeling how I felt a couple of weeks ago. Now he knows what I was talking about!
David Tennant and Catherine Tate's Comic Relief 2007 skit (YouTube Link). Good gravy this made me laugh. Josh too. It has some good Dr. Who quips.
For those that don't know, David Tennant is staring as the tenth doctor and Catherine Tate was in 2006 Christmas episode. She will be coming back as the doctor's companion for part of the 2008 season.
Of course we're resentful. How would you feel if for months you researched and took the time to ask questions about current mortgage options, so you would avoid any problems only to find that because others were irresponsible and didn't take the time that the government is bailing them out of their problems.
For the love of Pete, please stop trying to fix everyone's problems. Is everyone so blind that they can't see what is going on? Kids are upset if notes aren't provided for them. Parents call professors if the kid doesn't get an A. Grades are curved that earning an A means you got a 50. People didn't take a second to think and they got mortgages that when you did the addition you'd realize you couldn't afford it.
I'm just irritated that we are "punished" because we are responsible. Where's my help? Where's my help for being smart. My house needs a new hot water heater, a new A/C unit, new kitchen cabinets, the lot cleared. But where is my help in getting them? Oh yeah, I'm responsible, so I don't get any help paying for things. I have to save my money and pray that nothing terrible happens after I spend it.
Dear presidential candidates, here's an idea to get my vote. Find a way to help people like me. People who get their asses in trouble aren't going to be voting anyway. It is people like me, my husband and my family that you want to help. Registered voters that actually vote.
Today is World Aids Day. Take the time to remember and learn. Please.
Links:
Stop Global AIDS
UNAIDS
National AIDS Trust
CDC Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention
In Their Own Words
AEGiS
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