Name That Dog!

Look what we got from freecycle.org!

Last week, a lady wrote in that her friend had died, leaving several dogs behind. The dogs were lonely and had no shelter other than crawling under the mobile home.

I wrote to her and told her that we had a dog, 2 cats, and 2 small kids. If she had one that would fit in with us, we would love to have one!

Lucky is a FAT black lab. My grandpa used to raise labs, so he reminds me of my grandpa who died a few years ago.

We are looking for a new name for Lucky. Lucky seems too...ordinary. Anyone have any suggestions? Being media-junkies, we tend to name our pets (and kids for that matter) after famous people or characters. Our other dog is named Scully. I'm considering Fox or Maulder, but I think it might be a bit much. Our cats are named Orson (Orson Wells) and Wanda (Fairly Odd Parents). We just aren't feeling too inspired with Lucky yet, though.

He was pretty skittish when they first brought him home. The lady that gave him to us said that the last time he went anywhere, he was taken to the pound. He has a bit of a limp, seems to be favoring his front legs. As soon as I find out whether or not I'm going to get paid on Friday, I'm going to set up a vet appointment. Hopefully our free dog won't cost us a fortune! We are already in love with him, though!!

Any suggestions??

Last Time, I Promise...Probably

(back story available under "dental stories" category)

Okay, I know I said I'd stop talking about work, but I did state this exception: unless I didn't get my paycheck...

I just couldn't help myself-I have to give ya'll another example of how crazy he is!

Well, I guess you know where this story is going! Even though I was the only one who worked at the office, Dr. had his payroll done professionally. Knowing that the delivery person would show up at 11:55 like usual, I showed up in the parking lot at...11:52. I waited one minute after he left and walked into the office.

Dr. was at the front desk (ha ha he hasn't found anyone to replace me yet). I told him I was there to pick up my paycheck. He told me that he didn't have it because he called the payroll and told them that I wasn't working there anymore; the payroll said it would be ready by Friday. (The check is actually dated for Friday-it is just delivered on Wednesday.) He told me that my check would've been for 2 weeks even though I only worked for one week and one day. I told him that the check was a week behind, so the check today should've been fine, set for two weeks. He then argued with me and told me that it wasn't, and that everything would be ready for me on Friday. I told him I'd be in at noon on Friday.

Dr. then told me that he had taken a message for me. He handed me a piece of paper that he had written that had the name of an elementary school, the secretary, and the phone number. I had an interview with that principal today at 11:00, leaving there to go straight to Dr's office to pick up my check. The school had called me on my cell phone Monday (when I still worked at the office), and I had returned the call from the office. Unless the school used caller id from that call, I'm not sure how the school got the number for the Dr's office. I never gave it to them...

I asked the Dr. if he talked to her (the secretary)? Did he know how long ago she called? I didn't tell him, but I had just left the school, so I don't know why they would need to call me back so soon. He told me that the call came in about 1/2 hour before. That would have been the exact time that I was leaving the school. Well, maybe I left something behind or something and that is why she called...

I left the Dr's office. On the way home, I told Josh what happened and said that the Dr. wasn't very clear about it, but that I would be getting my paycheck on Friday. Thinking I was going to get screwed out of a week's pay, Josh convinced me to go back and get better clarification. By this time, I had found my paycheck stub from two weeks ago, showing that I was indeed correct: they paycheck was one week behind, so I SHOULD be getting a full paycheck, plus one day on the next payroll.

When I got back to the office, it was locked. He always has it locked for the lunch hour, so this wasn't unusual, but it was annoying because I knew he was inside; I just couldn't get to him. I decided to wait until 1:00 and talk to him then, when I knew the door would be open.

I wasted time at K-mart then came back at 12:55. I waited in the parking lot, right in front of the door. After waiting 7 minutes, I didn't see him come to the door to unlock it. I went up to see if maybe he had unlocked it before I got there. Nope. I went back and waited until ten after. I then got out in the freezing cold again and went to the door. I called him on my cell phone and said, "It's Mari. Can you please come unlock the door? There is something I want to ask you."
"Like what, Mari?"
"It is about my paycheck."
He then rattles off about how it would be ready for me on Friday. I told him that I wanted to make sure I was getting paid for two weeks and that I had my paycheck stub showing that it is indeed set up one week behind.
He goes on to tell me that he can't do anything about it until the lady from the payroll contacts him, so it is pointless for him to even look at anything right now. He tells me not to worry about it because it would be taken care of. I told him that I WAS worried about it because it is my rent check that he is messing with, and I really don't want to get kicked out of our house because he is wrong.

He then made a comment about my knowing him and that if it weren't taken care of on Friday, he would take care of it. More than likely, the payroll was going to add my last day on the check and be done with it.

I felt like saying that I DID know him, which is why I was worried. The fact that he has no idea what is going on is reason enough to be worried.

Since I was still standing outside in the cold at this point, and he obviously wasn't going to let me in (what, am I going to hit him over the head with my cell phone and run away WITHOUT my check?), I just thanked him for letting me in during such cold weather. I really appreciated the gesture. Then I hung up.

As for the message from the school that he gave me? THE SECRETARY NEVER CALLED HIM. I called her while I was waiting for him to get back from lunch. She said she hadn't called, and maybe I was getting it mixed up with the message she had left to schedule the interview. WTF? Now, I look like an unorganized idiot for no reason, just what I want to do after an interview!! The only thing I can think of is that I left the note that I scribbled with the school name, secretary's name, and phone number on it on my desk when I was "fired," so maybe he gave me that information. But the message he gave me was in his own handwriting.

So, does this crazy man think that he talked to her? It is just crazy. That is the only way to describe it. He never talked to the secretary, let alone doing so half an hour prior to giving me the message. Was he just trying to give me a message in error-to what end? So weird. I don't even know what to think about it.

So, the saga continues, I guess...

What do you think is going on?!

WFMW-Peruse Blogs

Tino Buntic is making a blog with 2000 pictures/links of bloggers on it. It is amazing to look at. I've had lots of fun clicking on the different pictures and reading a variety of blogs. I submitted my two blogs; see if you can see my pictures (they are near the end).

Why don't you go take a look and add yourself as well!!

Another fun site is Top Momma (click on Keira!!). There are lots of fun "mommy blogs" to check out!

For other Works for Me hints, visit Rocks in My Dryer!

Gilmore Girls Is Back

Okay. Okay. I know that GG has sucked this season, so if you've given up on them, I can't say that I blame you; however, tonight's episode was excellent!

I'm not into recapping or anything like that, so if you didn't see it and wish you did (you should wish you did), this isn't the place to get caught up. There might be spoilers-I'm not sure yet!!

They had a little hiatus and revamped the show, closer to the way it used to be. And, they took away those stupid girls who talked after the show. That in itself deserves an award.

As far as this episode, here are my comments, which will probably only make sense if you saw it.

• I would've reacted the same way that Suki did! Whoa. Another baby? More diapers? Just when they were on the verge of getting some rest!!
• The letter from Loralie was so sweet! I liked how they had Christopher reading it at the same time. Until now, I hadn't really decided Christopher vs. Luke. Since they married, I just assumed they'd stay that way.
  
• I'm glad Lucy forgave Rory.
• WHAT AN ENDING!!!

Oh. I am so glad to see the improvements. Last week was pretty good, but not good enough for me to be too excited about tonight. This week, however, makes me ecstatic about next week because I feel my girls are back! I'm glad I stuck it out.

Happiness

Know what makes me happy?

My super soft socks. My new ($3) fleece pajama pants from Target, straight out of the dryer. The yummy coffee I'm drinking. The baby napping. The boys playing video games, in the other room. My being all by myself, away from the mean Dr, sitting at this computer looking at all the fun things on the internet. The best part? It all started WITHOUT an alarm this morning.

I think I like being fired (if that is what you call it since I quit first), but I've vowed not to talk about him anymore (unless he doesn't give me my paycheck, then you can bet there'll be some posting going on).

Valentines Treat

Local Girl from An Island Life is sponsoring a Valentines Goody Swap. Go sign up! It ends Wednesday, though, so hurry!! I'm sending some treats to Aussie Ray. Boy, is he in for some yummy yankee candies!

She has a little questionnaire so everyone can get to know us better, so here's mine!!

• What is your idea of a romantic Valentine’s Day?
• In reality, what is your Valentine’s Day really like?
• If you could have a lifetime supply of your favorite sweet indulgence, what would it be?
• Is there any sweet treat you absolutely do not like?
• If you fell into a pool of chocolate, how would you get out?

My idea of a romantic Valentine's Day? Um, having the kids not around would be a nice start! Just being with Josh is romantic, but I am inclined to think of when we first met-those times were most romantic. I'll have to dedicate a post about when we fell in love. Superbowl Sunday is coming up, which would be the perfect time! (I'm rambling and not answering the question...sorry) I can't really say what my idea of a romantic day would be-I would want Josh to remind me why he fell in love with me. I would also like it to involve sushi.

What is my Valentine's Day really like? It varies-sometimes it is just another day; other times we get a little more sappy. This year, Night is old enough to celebrate. We've hung up some decorations. I would like to get something for the kids. Last year, I made a homemade Valentines Day card. That was fun.

Sweets? I like em all! Ice cream is my favorite. I also LOVE ferrero rocher. Yummy. I'm not a fan of chocolate flavored stuff-like cake or ice cream, but I like real chocolate, like candy bars.

If I fell in, I'd just swim out. I don't really think I'd want to eat or drink my way out. If I could fall in, chances are other people could too, and that'd be gross. What if they peed?

Gimme Some Clicky Clicky

I'm in the top 5!
Top Momma has a Hall of Fame for whoever receives the most clicks. Kiera's picture has been up since January 13th. Please help her stay up!
Go here and click on her screaming beautiful face!

New Haircut!

New Haircut!
Originally uploaded by mari_ickes.

It actually looks fairly good in this picture. I cut it myself. It reminds me of when I cut my barbie's hair so she would have bangs. I was about 8. I think Barbie's hair looked a little better. You would think 20 + years would bring me a little more...talent. Nope.

J

More Drama

Originally, I was going to post again about how weird it is to give someone two weeks notice that you are quitting, when the reason given in the letter of resignation is personality differences (meaning the boss is crazy). I was going to say that he was really mean right after I told him, then he was really nice last week. I was going to say that tomorrow is my last day so it looked like I was going to make it the full two weeks without any drama.

Nope.


This morning, Dr. was okay; he even bought me a donut. He didn't seem to be in a bad mood, and we had NO patients, so I didn't really see very much of him. He was waiting for a fax, so he kept checking on that. No fax. At lunchtime, I did mention to Josh that Dr. kept listening in on all my phone calls today. It didn't bother me that he was listening because none of the calls were personal, or interesting for that matter. It was just weird because the phone showed that he picked up and I could hear him on the line, so it was...odd.

After lunch, I was sitting at my desk reading my book (what else to do when you've already quit and there are no patients, right?) and Dr. comes up to me.
"Mari, I want to ask you something." Uh oh.

He then tells me that the company he was supposed to receive a fax from had given him a confirmation number that it was sent: date, time, and the phone number it was sent to. The phone number he rattled off to me was our regular phone number, not the fax number. As I started to point this out, he rudely says, "Let me finish."

Me "Okay."

He then says that one of the patients complained about how I was with them; that people were calling for him and he wasn't getting messages; and that a patient told him that she paid and there is no record of it. (that's just a nice little summary for ya'll) He had been monitoring my calls to see how I was treating the patients.

As far as the complaint, I have no idea what he is talking about. I am actually too nice to people, but he didn't go into detail so I don't even know who he is talking about. As far as messages? He said that people he was contacting to work for him had been calling and I hadn't given him any messages. Someone called today, and I gave him the message (as he was yelling at me) that I had set on the "to give to Dr." pile. The other call was from someone following up on the ad we placed 3 months ago, they had originally called after Dr. decided not to hire an additional person until after the new year. As we weren't going to hire anytime soon I had pretty much disregarded the call, who is going to wait a couple months to be an assistant to and assistant? The patient paying? I don't know. He wouldn't give me any details or even the chance to look up their file, Dr. is not horribly proficient with the billing system and his not finding the correct file is not an uncommon occurrence.

I just looked at him dumb-founded. Where is this coming from, I wondered? Is he psycho or something? He just kept repeating, "Do you have a problem getting messages to me?"

I told him no and tried to understand what he was talking about. His response to my trying to figure out what he was accusing me of was even more confusing, "I had hoped that you wouldn't damage yourself, because you know you can't hurt me. You are only hurting yourself"

So, I asked him if he just wanted me to leave right then. As he is walking away, he says, "I don't care when you leave, Mari. Just leave the key on my desk." Okay. I begin gathering my belongings. He walks back and says, "In fact, I DO want you to leave now. Give me the key." Okay.

I had a hard time getting the key off the keyring; I was a little bit upset... I then said,"I guess I'll be in on Wednesday to get my check." His reply?
"If you have a check."

Me, moving past dumbfounded-ness into flabbergasted-land, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I have someone coming in to check on the computer to go over the records."

"What are you talking about? (this is when I realized that apparently his statement earlier regarding the patient who claimed they paid was really a backhanded way of accusing me of embezzlement -I'm quick) I didn't steal from you."

Then he said something about checking it out for himself. Okay. Check it out. I didn't take anything. I better get my check, though.

So, this guy has to be crazy. He was so nice when I first started-go look at my posts; I loved him, until about a month ago; then he just went crazy. I don't understand what happened. I honestly didn't do anything wrong, but it feels like this man hates me and thinks that I did horrible things. It is just so out of nowhere that I don't even know how to react.

I do, however, have an extra day off now. :) What to do; what to do?

My Vice

I like to rub my eyes. It feels nice, especially when I am tired, which is right now...

I Did It!

Does anyone like looking at pictures of themselves? I don't. The one with Keira is cute, though! The hair cut doesn't look exactly like the photo, but pretty close!

I'm Getting my Haircut

I'm going to get my hair cut this afternoon. Here's what I'm shooting for:



What do you think?

Here's what Josh and my's text messaging consisted of today:
me: check your email
(I sent him a link)
him: meh
me: oh. I like it. Sorry, Charlie. ull have to put up with a meh wife.
him: it'll look hot on u tho
me: nice save.

Ramble about TV

It seems like there are a lot of shows that have running plot lines from show to show rather than wrapping them up in 30/60 minutes. It just seems that if you don't catch the beginning of a series, you miss out on the whole thing because you are lost (Lost being a good example!).

I enjoy the suspense from one episode to the next. I am definitely a 24 junkie. I just feel like I'm missing out on a lot of good shows because I'm afraid to join them mid-season. The Office looks like a great show, but I missed it. Same with Heroes and Jericho.

Maybe if they had a mid season marathon or something I could feel like I belong. Otherwise, I just have to wait until they come out on DVD. This isn't a bad option, though since I really enjoy TV on DVD.

I'm not sure if this is a rant or just an observation. I like the set up. I just missed out. I should've been more proactive at the beginning of the season, that's all.

Like Father Like Son

Today we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch and let Night play in the playland. He met a girl. He is just like his dad. Nerdy (What other 3 year old can recite all of the characters of all of the Star-Wars movies?) and easily influenced by women. As the two of them were climbing to the top of the slide, Night touched the girl's butt. Josh quickly defending him saying, "I'm sure it was an accident."
Sure.

WFMW-Photos

*Sorry if this takes a long time to load, I put in a lot more photos than I normally would in one post!!

Last night, I was working on a photo project for my photoblog and wanted to display the photos that I had taken during my "lesson." Since there were so many of them, I decided that it would be neat to make one of those flickr badges that so many people have in their sidebar. Since it was a project-specific collage, I wanted to put the badge in my post.

You can't put those flickr badges in your posts. Did you know that? I didn't! I spent a good 20 minutes making it perfect, just to get an error that said something about not supporting javascript or something like that. WHAT?! After doing a search on "help", I found out that indeed, there is no way to put it in the post itself; it has to be in the template.

Well, that didn't help me with my project! Since I had taken about 10 photos, I tried to figure out a way to display them without having to put each one in separately. Then I remembered photobucket.

I have used photobucket in the past-when my free flickr account was full or when I wanted to make videos for my blog. I don't know why-I just never really looked into it very closely.
Whoa! They have some of the coolest slideshows available! FOR FREE! It only took me about 3 minutes, and I had it all set up. This morning, before work, I put these samples together. It took me less than 5 minutes for all of it; I'm not even exaggerating!!

These photos are of Christmas at my in-law's hotel room (cat allergies-they can't come over to the house-ever!!). Take a look at the site for yourself. There are a lot of options that I didn't put in this post.

Does anyone else have any thoughts about photobucket vs. flickr? Experiences? I feel like I've found a new toy, even though I've had it all along. I still love flickr, but now I can use more options for photo sharing!

So, photobucket Works For Me! For more helpful hints, check out Shannon's blog!

Anyone Want to Come Play?

Enjoy the kids. I'll be in bed.

Coffee?

Why does coffee taste sooo good when it is hot, yet so horrible when it is cold?

Speaking of coffee, my husband has to let it cool down quite a bit before he drinks it. I call him a pansy. I drink it straight out of the coffee maker. I dreamt last night that Josh and I were at a restaurant with some guy. This was before we were married. The waitress brought us all coffee. The other guy and I drank our coffee right away and Josh waited. It was kind of like there was a competition between which of the two I liked better and the guy thought he had won because he drank his coffee first. I winked at Josh to let him know he was the winner.

Weird.

Bathtime Fun

Warning. This post will be about poop (again. I'm not obsessed, really).

Keira pooped. It was gross. No, this is not a new revelation, but it is the beginning of a fun evening in the bathtub. Lately, she's been hitting her butt with her hand as we change her diaper. It is really fun: a race to see who is faster-Keira with her exploring fingers or me with the wet wipes.

Well, Keira won tonight (second shitty diaper today, by the way, so I thought I was safe). Not only did she beat me to her butt, but I couldn't get to her fingers before she got her tummy as well. Who knows what else she had planned, so I quickly checked the time-yep. I still had a little over an hour before Jack would come on, not that I would let my baby sit in her poop while I watch tv. That'd be ridiculous. It was off to the tub for us.

I get Keira into the bathroom, stripped down to nothing but her socks. I go to turn on the water and see that there is bathtub cleaner (the powder kind) all over the tub. Oh! How wonderful (that isn't even sacrasm!) that Josh put cleaner in the tub. It is all nice and shiny from when he scrubbed it a few days ago, and now he's gonna keep it that way; however, it was very bad timing.

There I am, trying feverishly to keep Keira from running all over the house, naked, with poop on her hands while cleaning the tub at the same time. I managed to keep her in one place-in front of the tub. She did take this opportunity of nakedness to pee, though. Luckily, she was standing on a towel, so that really was the least of my worries. I also had Night yelling at me from the other side of the baby-gate-he wanted to take a bath too. Of course.

The actual bathtub time went well. I got Keira out first, as usual. Then I hear yelling from the bathroom, "My butt hurts!"
Me: "Do you have to poop?"
Him: "No, but I don't want to get out."
Uh. Oh.
Me: "Well, you can't poop in the tub!"
Him: "Why?"
Of course.
Me: "Because that is just gross. Do you want to go poop then get back in the tub?"
Him: "Yes."
So, he gets out and I dry him off; somehow, Keira has been diapered by this time. I'm not sure how that worked out.
Him: (as he's sitting on his tiny little toilet) "I don't want to be naked."
Me: "Do you want to get back in the tub after you poop?"
Him: "No."
My mistake.
Me: "Okay. I'll go get you some underwear."
I leave the bathroom for what, 30 seconds? Their bedroom is right next to the bathroom.
Him: "I don't want to go poop."
Me: "Huh?"
I walk in to see Keira trying to poke Night in his boy parts.

Anyone needing my address to send those Mother Of the Year Awards, just let me know...

Um, Maybe He Forgot

Dr. has been SO nice to me today that I'm beginning to think he forgot that I quit. He is almost 70 years old after all... He's even moved past small talk and started conversations about his grandparents and his family. He then made a comment about it being slow around here (none of the businesses are very busy), but that we'll pick up soon. We won't be... Should I remind him, or as Josh suggested, should I ask for a raise?!

Bad Day

Kathy T from "Where's the Mute Button?" (I LOVE that title!) wrote an interesting post about today being a bad day, actually it is January 24th, but it is due to the circumstances and weather etc. that a British scientist deemed this a bad day.

It is kind of refreshing, though, if this is the lowest point, it can only get better, right?!

As far as people dying, my sister sent me this forward to my email today. I hate forwards, so I erased it (luckily it was still in my "trash" folder!), but I actually read this one first. It was very sweet:


She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come
> > out of the operating room. She said: "How is my
> > little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can
> > I see him?"
> >
> > The surgeon said, "I'm sorry. We did all we
> > could, but your boy didn't make it."
> >
> > Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer?
> > Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God,
> > when my son needed you?"
> >
> > The surgeon asked, "Would you like some time alone
> > with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a
> > few minutes, before he's transported to the
> > university."
> >
> > Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she
> > said good bye to son. She ran her fingers lovingly
> > through his thick red curly hair. "Would you like a
> > lock of his hair?" the nurse asked.
> >
> > Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the
> > boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to
> > Sally.
> >
> > The mother said, "It was Jimmy's idea to donate
> > his body to the University for Study. He said it
> > might help somebody else. "I said no at first, but
> > Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die.
> > Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one
> > more day with his Mom." She went on, "My Jimmy had
> > a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else.
> > Always wanting to help others if he could."
> >
> > Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for
> > the last time, after spending most of the last six
> > months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's
> > belongings on the seat beside her in the car.
> >
> > The drive home was difficult. It was even harder
> > to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's
> > belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his
> > hair to her son's room.
> >
> > She started placing the model cars and other
> > personal things back in his room exactly where he
> > had always kept them. She laid down across his bed
> > and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.
> >
> > It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying
> > beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The
> > letter said:
> >
> > "Dear Mom, I know you're going to miss me; but
> > don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop
> > loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say "I
> > Love You". I will always love you, Mom, even more
> > with each day. Someday we will see each other again.
> > Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so
> > you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can
> > have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if
> > you decide to get a girl instead, she probably
> > wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll
> > have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you
> > know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really
> > is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon
> > as I got here and showed me around some, but it will
> > take a long time to see everything. The angels are
> > so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know
> > what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures.
> > Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus
> > himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I
> > got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was
> > somebody important. That's when I told Him that I
> > wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye
> > and everything. But I already knew that wasn't
> > allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me
> > some paper and His own personal pen to write you
> > this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the
> > angel who is going to drop this letter off to you.
> > God said for me to give you the answer to one of the
> > questions you asked Him 'Where was He when I needed
> > him?' "God said He was in the same place with me,
> > as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was
> > right there, as He always is with all His children.
> > Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've
> > written except you. To everyone else this is just a
> > blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to
> > give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some
> > more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to
> > sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure
> > the food will be great.
> >
> > Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt
> > anymore. The cancer is all gone. I'm glad because
> > I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't
> > stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when
> > He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The
> > Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about
> > that?
> >
> > Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.



Now, I'm not saying I believe that the kid wrote the letter from heaven and it is invisible to all other eyes. That's a bit crazy, but it is a very sweet sentiment that the boy would be thinking about his mother and write that note for her before he died. I also think it is comforting that he would say he is happier now; at least he isn't in pain anymore.

On Being Fired

Okay, I wasn't really fired, but I was on my way to being booted. I should let you read the letter...

Anyway, it is weird still working here even though I told him I was quitting. I told him I was quitting because we have personality conflicts. I told him I was quitting because I don't like him. It isn't like working for a large corporation then quitting. It is weird.

All last week, he barely spoke to me. I barely spoke to him. There was tension in the air. Today, he has been really nice to me. He bought me coffee and a donut, just like he used to do every day. (He didn't last week.) He is kind of talking to me like nothing is wrong. I swear he has PMS sometimes... He is even making small talk with me now. Maybe it has something to do with the pile of resumes on his desk. Not three weeks ago, we both agreed most of the applicants were crap. Now he has to come up with someone to not only replace me but to take over the position he was originally planning to lessen my load.

As for me, I still haven't heard about the school. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though. I have applied for some other positions-call centers mainly. I really WAS NOT looking forward to that kind of work, but then I thought about the fact that it is temporary-I will get a teaching job for next school year, so that makes it easier.

I just filed our tax return, so we are expecting $4,000 within the next month. This lessens my burden a bit as well. As long as I can stay here until Friday (I told him I'd stay until next Tuesday), our rent will be paid. If, for some unforeseen but not unlikely reason, I do leave before then, I still have work at the restaurant, so I'm not too worried about rent. All our other bills should be covered as well. So, we'll be okay.

It is just a weird situation. Have I mentioned that?

Smart Habit Saturday-Biphasic Sleeping

The Lazy Organizer has started SMS in which you choose a new habit to start. I just stumbled across is today, which is Sunday, but I don't think she'll mind if I join!!

I've decided to get back into my biphasic sleeping schedule. I know that it is good for me, and I enjoy it once I get the schedule down pat, but those first few days just suck. I got off the schedule when Josh started going to school, but I can't let that deter me. I just need to tweak it a little!

Biphasic sleeping gives me more energy. It gives me more alone time with Josh (assuming Keira goes to sleep-ever). It enables me to get more housework done without taking time away from the kids. It makes me happy. It gives me the chance to exercise. Biphasic sleeping lets me have some alone-time, which helps keeps me sane.

So there you have it. I'm getting back into biphasic sleeping.

Want to join the club or get some inspiration for motivation? Check out The Lazy Organizer!

Conversations with Josh

"Do you remember that Robert broke up with his wife?" (Yes, he is known by his first name in our household. He is an awesome director.)
"Yes."
"Well, guess who he took to the Golden Globes!"
"His son."
"Rose McGowan."
"Wow. So when you become a famous director and if we break up, maybe you can have a hot girl too."
"Maybe I could have Rose McGowan."
"She's taken, honey."
"Holly Marie Combs?"
"I think she's taken too. I'm pretty sure she's had two kids, so someone's taken her."
"Alyssa Milano?"
"No! If we break up, Alyssa Milano is MINE."
"Doh. I don't want Shannen Doherty."
"Guess we'll have to stay together then."
"You can still hook up with Alyssa Milano if you want."

What's A Girl To Do?

When she is about to lose her job? Take the day off work and go shopping!!

I was supposed to work at the restaurant today. I really enjoy working at the restaurant, but I was feeling a bit tired today. I'm not sure why-I slept a lot. Anyway, I called in, then went back to bed. Night came in this morning-around 9:30, and started talking to Josh (who didn't go to bed until after 6:30 this morning. Keira's been having some sleep issues...). I rolled over, and Night smiled a HUGE smile. That makes my heart smile.

I had a great time with Night. We went to Target and cleaned out the clearance aisles. I love Clearance. He's one of my best friends. Then we went to Kroger and found lots of good deals there too-I love getting marked down meat. It is marked down because it is supposed to be sold by today. I just pop the food in the freezer. It is great. Also, every Saturday, our Kroger has a kid's project. We made a snowman. Very fun.

Now we're off to spend more money. If we're going to be in poverty in a few weeks, might as well make it bottom of the barrel poverty, right? (Calm down, we're only going to the other Target to check out their clearance. We bought mostly food anyway.)

Here's a photo of the snowman we made. He has three eyes so he can see us better!

Kroger, originally uploaded by mari_ickes.

Send Good Thoughts

Well, yesterday was my day off. In less than 2 weeks, Thursdays will cease to be my day off since I won't be working for Dr. anymore (yay!), so I am left to wonder: Will I have a day off? If I work a 5 day work week, I won't since I still want to work at the restaurant. Or, will I have 5 days off? Wonder if I'll have a job...

Since Thursdays are my only day off, it is usually a running around day, unless I rebel and refuse to get dressed and make Josh do all the running. I've been known to do this, but usually it is a family event. Anyway, when we were finally getting around-say 11:00 ish, my cell phone rings. I never answer my phone. I don't like it, especially since we don't have very good reception at home. So, Josh answers my phone for me. He gave the lady the standard, "She's not available right now." But this was different-I had a call from a school, wanting to interview me! Wow. That was quick, and extremely good timing since I wouldn't be able to interview any other day.

So, I rushed to get my resume together and find some clothes that were presentable. (I will miss wearing scrubs everyday-never having to decide what to wear.) I then read over my "why I want to teach" and "philosophy of education" and the like. I was almost in tears- re-reading my journals from when I was teaching, thinking about all the students, getting excited about lesson plans.

I think the interview went quite well. I can never tell, though. It is for a 2nd grade class, which is a lot younger than I've ever full-time taught. It'll be interesting. I am excited that I got so excited when I was preparing. I hope I get the job, not because I need a job (even though I really do!), but because I was excited about it. I haven't been excited about any of the other jobs for which I've applied (such as sales and call center etc).

So, anyway, send your good thoughts my way and the way of the principal. It would be just too perfect if it worked out, and that would be a good thing.

Speechless

I don't even know what to say about this! I can't remove my hand from my mouth! If I were male, my hand probably wouldn't be on my mouth...

Adorable

Steve Irwin's daughter was on Good Morning America today. She was so gorgeous! I couldn't hear the whole interview since I'm at work (obviously working very hard), but Robin Roberts asked Bindi, "You are so upbeat and easy-going. How do you do it?" She replied, "I'm just being myself. That is all I have really." They had kids from the audience asking questions, and just like a little adult she said, "Oh. That is a good question," before answering-as if buying time. So cute. She kind of reminded me of Dakota Fanning... In fact, that is who I thought it was at first. What gave it away? Nope-I didn't look at the tv. It was the Aussie accent, the one I picked up on about 5 minutes into the story...

Coffee Coffee Coffee

I'm a little addicted to coffee. I think it is one of the most wonderful beverages in the world. This being said, my husband and I go through at least one pot of coffee a day, usually 23. To be more prepared for the next pot of coffee, once the first pot is finished brewing, I take out the used filter, put in a new one, and add the coffee. If I know we will be having another pot soon, I will also fill it up with water-that way all I have to do is push the button.

A simple hint to make your coffee special? Add just a little bit of cinnamon to the coffee grounds before brewing. Yummy!

For more hints to make life just a little bit easier, visit Rocks in My Dryer for the weekly get-together of Works for Me Wednesday!

Reactions After Quitting

Oh Josh Anna, why do you say that I hated teaching?! Fine. I hated it, but I keep thinking about all the planning and the fun stuff, not the stupid, mean criminals kids that I would be keeping out of prison helping. Maybe I should give it another shot?

As for the letter, he didn't say ANYTHING. I don't know if he was thanking me for giving him 2 weeks notice or if he was thanking me for saving him from firing me. I just think it was one of those situations where he has totally written me off for some reason, so there is nothing I could've done to please him. The letter he wrote to me also said something about my performance as a manager as being poor. I was the only one in the office besides him; therefore, I really didn't have anyone to manage...

Now that I look back, I see that he was treating the girl that quit (about 2 weeks after I was hired...) just like he is treating me. Weird pattern.

I feel SUCH a sense of relief that it is over, though. I am hoping that knowing that I am leaving will keep him off my back for the remainder of my time there. He hardly talked to me at all today, so I guess that is a good sign!

I Did It

This morning, I came into work with my letter in hand. I HATE conflict. I like drama-when I get to watch it-I like me a good fight then (I know that I am a horrible person), but I hate and AVOID being in the middle of situations where there will be a fight. I'm the peacemaker, or averter, however you want to look at it.

Anyway, I came in and there was a bunch of junk on my desk. He had been in over the weekend and found a typo on one of my memos. It was circled in red and TAPED up on the ledge of my desk. He had also put up a sign saying we were closed for MLK day. I should've done that, but I didn't think of it-during the close-to-tears state I was in when I left on Friday.

I set up everything in the office before he came, including the work in the back that he has recently asked me to do as well. I was sitting at my desk when he came in. He bought me a cappuccino from Starbucks, so I thought maybe he'd be in a good mood. This did not deter my decision to quit, though, because I have been thinking a lot about going back to teaching, and it excites me. Also, I can't handle having another near breakdown then quitting. It is just too much to handle.

After printing off some paperwork that I need to take to him and making sure he was sitting down at his desk (I could just picture myself going back at the wrong time and having to give it to him while he is gloved up and in the operatory!), I walked back with the paperwork in one hand and the letter in the other, rehearsing it in my head, "I'm quitting. I need to quit. I won't be working here after two weeks..."

I get back to his office and see a letter to me in my "out-box" on his desk. I decide not to give him my letter until I see what is in that letter. We exchange slight pleasantries, and I leave. 2 minutes later, I walk back to him and tell him I have a letter for him as well.

He reads it, saying, "Ok....Ok....Ok." I just stand there. He then says, "Thank you." I say, "You're welcome," and I come back up front, shaking even though it was a very UNdrama like moment.

What was in his letter? He said that I wasn't keeping up with book keeping like he expects me to do and that I need to take my job more seriously. WHAT? Okay. There is this file, called "The Red Book" in which I put a copy of all outgoing correspondence-to keep a record of everything and to be able to reference next year at this time. Although I AM putting all of the letters in the red book, he wrote that I am not keeping up with it properly. I even reorganized it and showed it to him, receiving the response, "Oh, okay that looks good." I am really not sure what he is talking about, but I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Next issue, anyone know someone who wants to give me a job?

Quitting Time

Well, I've decided to quit working at the dentist's office. I don't think I deserve to feel the way that he is making me feel! However, I am the queen of avoidance, so I am having a hard time with the actual quitting process. I want to write a letter of resignation and I want to quit tomorrow (I didn't work today). I'm currently looking for other employment, but I want to give him 2 weeks notice because I am the only other person that works in the office with him. He can't really run the office without my help at this point.
Anyone know where I can get a good job?! I went to a job fair today, but it was dumb. All of the employers handed me information then told me to apply on-line. What a waste of time and gas money! I already knew I could apply on-line!
Wish me luck!

www.digg.com

Wow. I showed this to Night this morning, and he asked what the kids were doing. I told him that they got into the paint and ruined the tv and the couch and the floor and everything. I asked him, "Is that horrible."
As he giggles manically he says, "Yep. That's horrible."

Uh oh.

Ever Wondered? Part Two

And, when you do pick up babies, why do they think it is funny if you pretend you are going to drop them?! Go ahead-try it. They think it is hilarious! Warning. Don't really drop them. they probably wouldn't be laughing then. I wouldn't suggest trying it with a cat, though. Somehow I don't think they'd be laughing; you'd be crying from the claw SLASHES!

Top Momma

Will you do me a favor? Go here and click on Keira's picture! It is a cool new website that ranks you by how many people click on your picture. It also links to quite a few different mom blogs, which are interesting to read, but click on mine first, okay?! Go ahead and sign up yourself while you are there-the only requirement is that you are a mom.
*Update: It should be fixed now; the site is up for your perusing pleasure!

I Don't Need No Stinkin Job

I'm just going to exploit my daughter. She's going to be the next American Idol! She is singing "Manamana" by Cake from the For The Kids compilation CD.

It's a really cool CD. It has popular adult bands like Barenaked Ladies and Tom Waits. I highly recommend it for parents because you don't have to listen to stupid kids singing all the time, but they are still songs that kids like.

That's just my opinion, though. You can do whatever you want.

They Even Stole the Son's Train Set!

Have you ever watched It Takes a Thief? It is addictive! Last week, we were watching one guy who had invested thousands and thousands of dollars to make his home safe from thieves. He called himself a guru and had video cameras set up all over the house. He wrote in to the show and challenged them to try to rob him (Can you believe that people make this challenge?!). They accepted the challenge, and they won. I felt so bad for that man. He had invested so much of his time and effort, only to be shown that he should've used a professional service.
How'd they do it, you ask? Well, they hired an actress to pretend she was a pregnant lady who was new to the neighborhood. Being nice people, they invited the lady in (even invited her over for dinner). They used her to figure out the inner workings of the house. Then, the thieves broke in and stole EVERYTHING, even a professional massage table! They literally backed up a moving truck to the door and cleaned them out.
He should have used a professional, such as Orlando Home Security System because their downfall ended up being the equipment. Even though it was set up with motion sensors, they didn't work properly. The thieves even ended up stealing the security equipment! He said he learned his lesson, though.
I don't think I would want to be a part of the show. The people got their stuff back, but then they had to help the people put everything back. Plus, they knew that someone was at their house, snooping around and getting into everything. They said it made them feel violated, especially because they went through the kids' room and stole stuff. The parents said they didn't know how to explain to the kids what happened without scaring them.
It makes you think about how safe your home is, doesn't it?

Skullup

Night just called me a skullup. I don't know whether to be impressed or insulted!

Synopsis of the Day

Anyone know how to write a good letter of resignation?

Need Advice

I've tried to write this post several times, and I just can't get through it. I get started and get more and more angry, so I want to write more and more. I just end up with a senseless ramble! So, I'm going to try to get to the point. Sorry if I leave out important details! (UPDATE-It is NOT as short as I had planned!!)

Okay, as I've said here , here, here, here, here, and here, Dr has been having some crazy mood swings lately. Click on "dental stories" category for a full overview. Well, Monday, we had a meeting. As you will recall, the last meeting did not go so well. Monday's meeting, however, went very well. In fact, he apologized, kind of, for the previous week. He said he didn't remember hurting my feelings but that he didn't mean to-he was just trying to make me stretch. Well, not remembering that you hurt someone's feelings is a reflection of your personality, if you ask me...

I was going to post that things were going well again, but I'm glad I didn't because he was worse than EVER on Wednesday.

Let me give you a little background. I have only been a dental assistant for about a year. This Dr is the only one that I've worked for other than my internship (she was a crazy crazy dentist!). When I first interviewed with Dr, I told him that I wanted to work in the back of the office-you know, hands-on, but that I hadn't had much experience. He hired me on the pretense that I would start off in the front-paperwork, insurance info etc. and then he would train me to be in the back. Perfect.

A few months later (after the other dental assistant in the office quit), Dr. told me that he would like to see me as an office manager. He loved that I was such a competent hard worker and had various talents. He was planning on hiring a person to work up front for me to oversee, then I would work in the back with him. Great!

So, here I am working mostly in the front, getting to go in the back about 3 times a week to help with extractions and sometimes help with fillings. (He's old school, so he does most of the work himself, including getting his own instruments from the tray and clean up.)

Wednesday, Dr. went crazy again. He had a patient in the back that was supposed to have an exam and a cleaning at 9:00. He should've been finished by 9:45. He didn't finish until 10:30, which is when the next patient was scheduled for a cleaning and fillings. I go back after the 1st patient left and ask if he is ready for the next one. He says no and then goes off about how I should prioritize my things at the front and not be working on paperwork when I could be helping him in the back. Because of the way he likes to work, I only go in the back when he asks for me. And, he did ask for me. When I went back, he said he wasn't quite ready (he hadn't given the numbing medicine yet) and he would call for me when I was needed. He never called for me.

So, after he mouthed off to me, I start to set the room up for the next patient, "She has to go in here?" Well, yes because it is a cleaning, and all of the stuff is in that operatory. He then tells me that I shouldn't schedule them back to back because he only has one prophy (cleaning) instrument and that he's told me that numerous times. I tell him that they weren't back to back, there had been a gap of 45 minutes scheduled in and that he had been with the last patient longer than normal, and that as far as I knew he had 2 prophy set ups (he had told me before that he can't do three in the morning because he only has 2 set ups). He says, "Now, no you didn't think that. We've gone over this." I said, "Well, I didn't just lie to you." and I walked away.

After a few minutes, I went back and asked him what he wanted me to do, and he said that I should just go sit down because we have to wait for the instruments. He then mumbles about how I should've been back there getting things ready.

He says that he gives me paperwork that I don't return for 3 months, so he knows I'm not doing paperwork. He often forgets or doesn't realize that I've set it on his desk (he is in his late 60's), thats if he gives it to me to begin with. He then complains that I'm not in the back helping him.

I tell him that I TOLD HIM YESTERDAY that I didn't feel comfortable in the back. He told me to come back then because that is the only way to learn. "Because, it is evident that you don't know what you are doing." He walked away.

Ouch. I TOLD him from the beginning that I needed to be trained. (During my internship my main duties were getting coffee and walking the Dr's dog. Seriously.) His idea of training is making me find out on my own. I told him at the meeting on Monday that I don't work that way-I learn by being told, not by blindly finding my way.

About five minutes later, I took some paperwork back to him. I asked him if there was anything else that he needed from me. He points to his desk where he has the paperwork for some patients who haven't paid-that is somehow my fault as well. He said, "No, I think you've already unloaded it all on me."
"I don't know what you expect me to do!" was all I could think to say.
He replied, "It's apparent that you don't know. I've already told you!" his plan for patients who don't pay is for me to not schedule the appointment to finish their procedure until after we receive all the funds from them and their insurance company, which normally takes months AFTER you finish the work. "I'm not going into it right now with you."

This is when I told him that he was making me feel stupid and he replies with, "SO! Look at all this on my desk." Once again, Ouch.

My dilemma is should I quit or not?

I deserve better than this. I am NOT stupid. I am a hard worker (and he's told me this many times). I HATE coming to work. I get stressed out about coming to work on my days off-just because I'm thinking about coming to work.
On the other hand, he pays me well. The schedule works out well with my other job and Josh's school. I won't be able to go to another dental office and get paid as well as I do. (because I have no experience!) After experiencing this and the other dentist and hearing stories, I'm not sure I WANT to be a dental assistant.
We are kind of looking into getting a house. I've only worked here 9 months. That doesn't look good on an application. (of course, I've worked at the restaurant for 2 1/2 yrs so that helps)
If I do leave, he won't have anyone in the office at all. I feel bad about that.
I can't put up with his mood swings, though. When he talks to me that way, I replay it in my head and then start to doubt myself and think I'm dumb or something, even though I know it is not true. It is even filtering into other aspects of my life. I just want to sleep all the time. I haven't been exercising. Sound familiar??

So, help me out. What would you do?

Question about Water

After writing my post for WFMW, I was told that sparkling water isn't as good for you as "flat" water. Does anyone know for sure? I can't find any real information about it. Just wondering!

Ever Wondered?

What would it be like to be a cat or a little kid or little dog or something? You are just walking along or laying down when all the sudden some big person just picks you up and moves you! My one cat (Orson) reacts with purring. The other? Wanda meows and jumps away. I think I might be inclined to react like Wanda. I don't think I'd like someone just taking me somewhere without telling me what is going on first!

Actual Conversation

This morning, I was getting ready in the bathroom while Night was playing in the living room. Suddenly I hear a bang and, "Um, I fell down and I can't reach the stuff on the coffee table!"
Very calmly, I asked, "Did you try standing up?"
As if he had been given an epiphany, he said, "That's better. Thank you!"

State Your Name

Sheryl from Paper Napkin has claimed this week as de-lurking week (she also made the cute button above). She is encouraging everyone to leave a comment on all the blogs you visit. It is easier said than done, I know! So, here's your chance-leave a comment then move on. How many blogs can you de-lurk yourself from? Introduce yourself to the person who has been providing you knowledge and entertainment. Let them know how you found them and what you think of their blog. We are promoting the blogosphere or some shit like that.

Franklin Foto

I decided it would be easier to put all my 365 day project photos on their own blog, so I've moved 'em! Come check them out and visit the other Photo a Day bloggers to see all the creativity overflowing on the net!

In the future, I plan on putting up some other photo projects and whatnot. I am interested in photography and would like to learn more about it, so I'll share my knowledge there---if I find any!

Text Message

From me to Josh (around 11ish this morning):
I'm hungry. My eggs are in my coat.


It didn't seem funny to me at the time. I usually have a hard-boiled egg or two for breakfast, but I was running late for work this morning. I just popped the eggs in my coat pocket, thinking I'd either peel them on the way or quickly eat them at work. I just never got around to it, then I got really hungry but couldn't do anything about it at that point. I couldn't eat-we had patients in the waiting room. How funny would that be if the receptionist started eating a hard boiled egg?

Works For Me Wednesday-Diet Edition

This week, WFMW has a diet theme. I think I'm supposed to post a healthy recipe, but I'm going to post about water instead. I love having my own blog-I can make up my own rules!

Anyway, we all know that we are supposed to drink water, but I really don't like drinking it. At all. Here are three things that help make it more bearable.

• 1. I buy the sparkling flavored water, drink one, then fill it up again with water. The flavor is still there for the second and third bottles, which makes 6 of the 8oz much easier to drink!
• 2. Here's a recipe from a Rachael Ray magazine: To a gallon of water, add slices of orange and a sliced vanilla bean. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, your water will taste like a creamsicle! You can garnish it with fresh mint if you are feeling fancy!
• 3. When I am at work (the restaurant), I put a lemon slice on the bottom of my cup and then fill it up with soda water. For some reason, water with lemon is no where near as yummy as soda water with lemon.

By the way, I've moved my photos for the 365 day project to a new blog:
Franklin Foto
Anyone interested in being on my blogroll, let me know, I'd love to add you!

Seeker

The other day at the restaurant, one of the other servers was doing a crossword puzzle. Yes, we were very slow. I really don't like doing crossword puzzles. I don't like that the answers aren't already there.

I like word searches, and I LOVE Sudoku. The answers are there-I just have to find them. I hate playing video games that just make you wander around all willy-nilly. I like Super Mario Brothers and the like, where there is a goal: get to the end. There are bonuses if you find them, but you don't have to make something up. The game is 2 dimensional so I can't get lost. I like that.

I guess that is how I live life too. I am kind of unoriginal-I don't like open-ended questions that don't necessarily have an answer. I like to have my plan laid out-tell me what to do, and I will do it. Tell me that the answer is there, and I will find it.

Showerer

Are you a morning showerer or a night showerer? I am most definetly a morning girl myself. It not only helps wake me up, but it keeps my hair from getting greasy before the end of the day. I took a shower last night, so this morning, I thought I could get away without one. I was wrong. I have felt gross all day and haven't been able to do a damn thing about it. So, if you are a night showerer, how do you do it?

Photo A Day #3

Josh goes to School
Originally uploaded by mari_ickes.

Josh has decided to become a paralegal. He is taking night classes-3 nights a week. Today was his first day of school. I'm so excited for him-he loves to learn stuff.

How Fun!

Hey, I'm the most popular outgoing link on Nashville is Talking! I hope I don't disappoint... Sista did an awesome job of building suspense. How many of ya'll thought you'd be clicking through to see an ugly picture of a blister?
I want the shirt, by the way, mainly because it reminds me of John Travolta (#99)... There is nothing wrong with that.

Guilt

I've been feeling guilty lately about going to work. I know that part if my guilt stems from my desire not to be at work (convenience guilt?), but Night has been more and more adamant about my staying home, so that makes going to work even more difficult.Before we had children, I told Josh that I didn't want to stay home with the kids. I guess my reasoning stemmed from the fact that my mom stayed home, and I honestly felt that she could've done more with her life. (that sounds bad-there I go feeling guilty again-guilty for talking bad about my mom...) I now realize that my mom could have done more with her life-but it didn't really have anything to do with being a stay at home mom.

After my brief (but oh so long) bout as a day care teacher, we both decided that there was NO WAY that our children would be staying in daycare. I always felt so bad for the kids who got shuffled from one parent, to the teacher, and then to the other parent, never really getting to bond with any of them; not to mention all the GERMS.

Having more than one day off a week (Christmas, New Years) has made Night realize that it is good when I'm home, so then he asks me just about every day: "What are you doing tomorrow?" Since it is usually either, "Going to work with Dr. or Going to work at the restaurant (which he compares to The Krusty Krab)" he then says, "No! Why do you have to go to work?" Although a very touching sentiment, it is also heart-wrenching. I want to stay home with my babies. I don't want to miss out on fun activities with the kids. I want my house to be organized and clean. I want to plan learning experiences for Night and Keira. On the flip side, I enjoy working (well-usually...). I shouldn't feel guilty. Without my working so much, we couldn't pay bills and have nice things. I need to work. It is a part of life. Could I even handle being a stay at home mom? I'm not sure. I took Keira to Barnes and Noble last night and I felt like a horrible mom-I was the one that everyone stares at and gets all annoyed with because the kid is either screaming or getting into everything. Maybe I COULDN'T handle being the one at home.

See here? Now I feel guilty for maybe not being woman enough to stay home with the kids? What is it about guilt, and how do I get away from it?!

Biggest Fear

Although currently my biggest fear is that a bat will be anywhere near me, when I was younger, I had a very strange fear.
When sleeping, I would find it most comfortable to put my arms behind my head, exposing my armpits to the world. Once in this comfortable position, I would start to panic: what if someone broke into the house and cut out my armpits?! (hey-it could happen)
So then I would spend the next 10 minutes trying to find a different, less dangerous, position in which to sleep. I am over my fear now, but I don't find that way of sleeping comfortable anymore, probably because I trained myself to sleep in different positions. My children do, however, sleep in that position, and EVERY TIME I see a pair of tiny armpits exposed, the thought runs through my mind, "Put your arms down, quick!"

Weirdo Dream

I've been having some crazy dreams lately. I think that it is the biphasic sleeping-it makes my dreams more intense. Last night, I dreamt that I lived in an apartment by myself, and there was a guy who lived in the same complex. He had two best friends that were both girls. He kept coming over to my house and talking to me, but he never really said anything about being attracted to me. I wasn't attracted to him, but I did wonder if he was attracted to me but shy because he never really had a reason to come over, yet he was over at least once a day.

I then noticed that he had made copies of something I had written to him and both of his friends had written stuff (as if judging or grading what I was saying) in red beside my comments. When I asked him about it, he gave me a typewritten form letter telling me that he has decided that we can't be involved because he is really in love with one of his best friends. He apologized that nothing could come of our relationship. There were boxes on the form letter with check marks in them. Other options were: Will you marry me? and I want to ask you out. I don't know if it had occurred to him to give me the form letter previously or not, but apparently we were breaking up even though I didn't even know we were dating.

I talked to his other best friend about it-not the one who "stole" him from me. She told me that he had consulted both his friends as well as his parents about it. I said something about not really knowing that there was anything going on, and the friend said that she wasn't surprised because he was a little odd. She then told me that he sent out "Beware-I'll be joining you" cards to every member of the local gym before he joined it.

What does it mean?!!

Photo A Day #2- revised

So I was feeling guilty for my first post this morning because I didn't take it. It wasn't even taken this morning, BUT in my defense, it was an accurate depiction of this morning, so it would've been a good picture of the day!
I took this picture
on my way home from work today-a blister from carrying all those hot plates. Be nice to your servers: when she says it is a hot plate, MOVE.

Photo a Day #2

trying to do pilates
Originally uploaded by mari_ickes.

Another productive morning...

The Details

Ever since Josh read about the 365 project on Lifehacker, he has been after me to do it. He is all about my finding my niche and developing (and defining) myself outside work and motherhood, blah blah blah... So, I've finally decided to do it. I love taking pictures and looking at pictures, so this is the perfect project for me. I think it might be hard to take just one, actually. I have my lomography camera, which isn't digital, so if you don't see a photo everyday, it isn't necessarily because I didn't take one!
I'm going to make a blogroll. I know of quite a few local bloggers who are also doing a photo a day, so I will post them. Anyone else want to be listed? Just let me know!
I've joined two flicker groups: Fotojojo and Project 365. Some of the photos there are amazing, so check them out!

Photo A Day #1

I've decided to join the club and post a photo a day. More details to come, but here's my photo for today. The boys are putting together the wagon that Josh's parents got for the kids for Christmas. If they ever get it together, we are going for a walk in downtown Franklin. It is a warm winter day that I'm not working, so we're going to take advantage of it!

Too Much Jack?

Okay, so I've been spending a fair bit of time watching 24, so maybe that is why I have been seeing so much international drama in the news-maybe it has always been there...

Watch out, Anna!
The radioactive chemical that is thought to have killed the Russian spy has been found in several London restaurants. A radioactive chemical is one of the major plot points of Season 5's 24, so if you need to know anything about escaping it, just ask me. I'm an expert now, or at least I will be in 6 more episodes...

Seven rocket launchers were stolen from the Australian military last year (yes-last year). They've arrested a man who they believe sold 5 of them; they believe that they have recovered one; and the whereabouts of the last one is unknown (not that the 5 are known...or the 1 for that matter). This was also part of the plot for a previous season, so let me know if you need to know how to find these rocket launchers, but I'll leave it up to the Aussie government until they ask.

Also in the news, though not international, I saw in The Tennessean (couldn't find the direct link to it) that When William Rehnquist was Chief Justice-both times, he was addicted to drugs. Okay, not DRUGS, but A drug- a sedative he took for back pain. Apparently, he became so dependent on in that he once tried to escape from a hospital during a delusional episode. 24 is filled with drug abusers. Jack became one when he went undercover-anything to protect our country! So, although I've never been addicted to drugs, I can point you to the episodes that he is trying to deal with his problem!

Christmas Review

As far as presents go, this Christmas was one of the best ones I've had in a long time!

Polly!
Really nice bath salts-4 different "flavors!"
A yummy smelling amaretto candle.
Two great books from Josh-both in order to help develop my personality-stretch my mind.
He's a nice boy!



24-season 5...only 9 days until the season 6 premiere!
2 seasons of THE SHIELD.
TWELVE PAIRS of the world's softest socks!
Two Fingers (a brand of Tequila-very smooth)
some pretty clothes and jewelry


Taking inventory, I think my Christmas (as far as being shallow and only looking at presents) was the best one ever!

So, how did I spend my 2 days off work? (Besides trying to avoid my parents...) laying in bed, drinking frozen margaritas, watching JACK, while being illuminated by my amaretto candle. It was heaven, and No. I'm not an alcoholic. I don't think. I wouldn't know, though, would I?

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Well, I came back to the office today, very nervous about our "meeting," but it never took place. I don't know if I'm relieved or more stressed out about it. Tomorrow is another day off, and the office will be fairly busy on Friday, so I guess the meeting will be on Monday.

Today, he's been...still kind of weird, but he's been in the back, so I haven't really had to deal with him. I'm just ready for things to either go back the way they were or become some big drama so I can leave... (did I just say that? I don't really want to leave-I love having job security and all, but I don't like DREADING going to work). Sitting here at 4:15, I am leaning towards sticking it out, so I guess that is a good sign. Of course, I am also perusing the internet for "work from home" jobs...

Welcome Back to Normal

Exhausted
Originally uploaded by mari_ickes.

I hope the holidays didn't wear you out like they did us! That is "little dog" lying beside Keira. She (the baby!) has been sick with a cold for 2 days and has had problems (more than normal!) going to sleep, so when she fell asleep in my arms, I was afraid to put her in bed-for the 3rd time! She slept there for about 3 hours. Not bad!

She's Back!

The "little dog" (that's her name-we can't get attached, just in case) has returned. Brother has let her out twice, trying to get rid of her. She just does her thing and comes back to the door. She then barks or scratches on the door, as if she has lived here her whole life. Actually, she comes back sooo much better than Scully does, and Scully actually belongs here.
Nobody has called about her, but I only put up two signs, and it is a holiday, so maybe the owners aren't around.

I'm annoyed at my brother (I know-shock). What does he care that she is here? He is leaving tonight anyway (keep your fingers crossed). He doesn't like the new dog and uses every opportunity to let me know. Jerk.

We are already keeping Scully, Orson, and Wanda locked up in half of the house so that his little dogs can run around. Now, we have Little Dog baby-gated up in the den so his dogs have the library (den-we don't have a table, just lots of books), kitchen, and the living room. Scully and the cats get the hallway, both bedrooms, and the bathroom.