Lions, and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY!

(Lyrical intro that we are all familiar with.)
We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of ~~~
Hey Poo doo, I don't think we're in Topeka any more!
What are you going to ask the Wize old wizard for?
Why, my sanity, of course!!!

Amazing what lenghts we will go to to get by, eh?
Take last week for example.

Last week was supposed to be my Spring Break. You know, that week off from the turmoils of class? When you can rejuvenate (or kill off as you deem appropriate) tired brain cells, and relaxe? Sounds good in practice, anyway! But the world has a terribly warped sense of humor, or I have SUCKER tatooed on my forehead... probably both. My boss at the food bank where I volunteer for school credit has an unusual view of the world to say the least. He's a pleasant guy, but I envision him working as an early morning DJ at some top-40 station, as opposed to the head of volunteers for a faith-based food distribution organization.
I told him I would take care of the preparations for a party to thank the volunteers. Not too daunting a position to take on my vacation. I did all the good stuff to get the party in gear, phone calls, hauling supplies, decorating, etc. Our party was to be held in the main area of a local family resource center. Only 6 people showed up for the shindig, including my boss and myself. Please imagine 6 adults, all sitting in the middle of a kid's play area, by themselves, blowing kazoos and playing party games a kid would wince at... and eating pizza. Then down to the serious business of reminding everyone of the seriousness of the impending Bird Flu Epidemic (It WILL be here soon, I was promised!) and some of the precautions that we all needed to be taking... Some party, eh? That took up 2 days of my precious vacation.

But it gets better.

I come from the undisputed KING of disfunctional families, and my mother and sister are taking every step possible to keep up with our reputation. They have been fighting for years, but remain living in the same household, where they use each other until they can't stand themselves anymore. Then I get the leftovers of whatever "hits the fan" *because, as I have said, I have sucker tatooed on my forehead.* Actually it is because I am too stupid to move out of the area... Anyway, to make a short story long, they fought, and mom kicked my sister out on the curb yet again. So she moved in uninvited with me. That meant for 3 days I had 4 people, 2 dogs and 10 cats all crammed into the living room of my tiny apartment, while my mother gloated and bragged that is was My turn to take care of her. I won't go into details of why all this transpired, but imagine the fun we had! Until mom needed someone to do her dirty work and told my sister she had to come home.... That took up another 4 days of my vacation all in all with moving.
On the last day, I did laundry and cleaned up my house after the typhoon hit and listened to my daughter whine about why I had let my relatives do that (she refuses to admit they are hers, too.) Want to take her off my hands?

So the next time you think you have had it bad, remember that it could always be My week.

Good nite

I was lonely, so I thought I would tell the world good nite.
I hope you have a lovely evening, and an even better tomorrow.

I added a new link to a very nice blog, the Celtic Lady's Rantings. I hope you take the time to go and read it. I know she will be thrilled if you do....

Good night!

Spring? What's That?

This has been without a doubt, one of the weirdest Winters in a very long time around here. We had snow this past week, on the coast! We were actually snowed into this town, because all the roads out were blocked... we don't have that much of a need for snow plows and I guess they had to borrow one. It has been freeeeeeezzzing!!!!
In the meantime, I have finally succombed to the weather and am sick as the perverbial dog. So I will be going back to bed after I get the kids to school. Good thing I don't have to go to class, but I will be missing the food bank today.
Anyone want to take my place for me? I will really owe you one!

no? Fine!

The Fascinating 4's

I was recently tagged by Celtic Lady, and so I will comply and answer. I was also tagged not too long ago by The Village Idiot, but he just doesn't post for me anymore, so I won't answer his... I don't need to tag anyone else, since I don't really know 4 other people online to tag!

So there :)

4 things that I need to do each morning:
* Get the cat off my head.
* Coffeeeeeeee
* Herd children
* Play trivia on the radio for my monthly supply of coupons (for things like coffee!)

4 things that turn me off:
* Rejection (sniff)
* Suffocation (see above)
* Puberty (my teenagers are making my life jes' plain crazy!)
* Thoughtless people

4 things I believe in:
* The world can't really be as stupid as I see everywhere... (if I keep saying it, maybe it'll be true.)
* Dreams can come true if you work for them hard enough.
* Weekends are for recouping. (again, if I keep saying it, it'll be true! Too bad it isn't true yet.)
* The environment is worth saving!!!!

4 things I am afraid of:
* My kids will not end up happy in the world.
* I will become a senile, loopy old fart.
* Losing my financial aide!
* Not getting grades good grades (and losing my financial aide.)

4 things I do every day:
* Read
* Smile at someone.
* Pray that I can keep my composure, and my tongue.
* Pray that people will forgive me if I don't keep my composure or my tongue.

4 things I want to do before I die:
* Go to see New Zealand.
* Knit something that is used until it wears out.
* Write a Pulitzer-prize winning novel.
* Make a real difference in someone's life.

4 numbers that rule my life.
* 16 weeks in the semester.
* 2 kids
* 12 months a year to pay bills.
* 1 winner per household, per month (to win trivia!)

4 favorite colors:
* Emerald Green
* Lavender
* Turquoise blue
* Pthalo Green

4 favorite songs:
* Words by Barry Gibb
* Songbird by Yanni
* New York Minute by the Eagles
* theme song to Firefly (it means something special to Amanda and I.)

4 favorite hobbies:
* Knitting
* Drawing
* Reading
* Watching movies

4 places I want to visit:
* Wetta workshop in New Zealand
* Ireland's Moors
* Nottingham, England
* The Grand Canyon

4 ways I am unstereotypically female:
* I am NOT a dumb blonde!
* I do not need a man to take care of me.
* I can fix my own faucet.
* I can think for myself.

Friday Night

Well, it is the end of another wondrous week of wet here in the Pacific Northwest. But I am done with class for 2 days, and my son is at Gramma's. So it's girl's night out and we have been watching the greatest movies on the Planet : Pride and Prejudice, and Elizabeththown! I just can't fathom why neither one of them was a big hit at the box office, they are both absolutely WONDERFUL.

Yeah, they are chick flicks, but what am I? Chopped liver? It's Orlando Bloom!!! What's not to like? Or Keira Knightly for those of the manly persuasion. Get the popcorn! And have a movie night with your family. Hug a cat. It will do you good!!!