Thinks By Me

We've been descended upon by the winter germfest and Muh Main Man has had some type of Mongolian Barfing Lung disease. Or something like that. Of course, he took a hit for the home team and suffered through a day trip of snowmobiling up north on Wednesday, but he came home to spend two days in bed hacking up a lung. He went to the doctor who said he has "atypical respiratory infection." Whatever that is, he got an antibiotic for it and has finally started feeling better today. Just in time to pass it on over to Little Chic, I fear. We all are trying to stay away from him, but his endless days at home are making him feel all cuddly and appreciative of the TLC we've offered, so we haven't been too successful on that front. I think I'm going to have to send him back to work tomorrow to infect the ranks at Lockheed and air out our abode. We'll keep you posted and if I suddenly start blogging more regularly, you'll know that I'm down for the count...

.....since I haven't been feeling nearly as motherly toward ya'll faithful readers to let you know each and every mundane detail of my life in real-time fashion.... I am busy and more ambitious than ever, taking full advantage of the fact that I am no longer fully consumed with procrastinating my transcription ;) A few of the blog topics that have been waiting in the wings, and are now completely out of date (but you seriously need to know them) are... 1) I got my Christmas decorations down and put in away in a completely respectable amount of time. That is quite an accomplishment for me. While I was doing that, I snapped a picture of my favorite set of ornaments on the left--the expectant parent bears we got when we were pregnant with Eric. The other shot is the sad realization that Little Chic has a lot more personal ornaments than Brainy Boy has. Not quite sure how that happened since I get each of them one every year, but...I'll be hitting the clearance sales to d...

Friends, I am here! Really, I am. But this new schedule has just turned me into some type of scary superwoman. For this week at least. I have been getting up, getting the Short People out the door, exercising, organizing, laundering, errand going, working my 2 hours and school and going at it again once I get home. I don't know what's happened to me. I'm scaring myself. And my family. They tiptoe up to the garbage dumpster every day when they get home to inspect just who has been the victim of my early spring cleaning. Who knew that eliminating my transcription (which I spent much more time procrastinating than actually doing, by the way) would cause such an uproar in personality. I'm sure it will be short-lived as soon as the routine settles in, but I'm taking full advantage of the unnatural pep for the time being. The only disadvantage to the habit upheaval has been that I've entirely eliminated blogging from my routine for the last week. I gotta ge...

It's been a long time in coming, but as of this morning, I'm no longer a medical transcriptionist. I'm not sure how I feel about that...a little bit relieved, a little bit sad, a lot bit uncertain about whether I'll regret this decision. For the last year or so, I've found that the transcription work isn't fulfilling the need I once had to stay at home with my babies and have an income. I've increasingly felt that I need more interaction and less monotony. I've also felt the pressure of work that constantly needs to be done, with no sense of ever being really "finished." No matter how much work you've done for the day, there's always another note waiting to be transcribed. That goes for sick days, holidays, vacations days or any kind of days. This year, I've dabbled in substituting as a school monitor and office staff, and kind of found my niche in the last few weeks. I'll be working a couple of hours a day in one of the ...

About a year ago, Muh Main Man needed a new alarm clock, so in all my gadgety-wisdom, I bought him one of the atomic models that sets itself by the one somewhere in the nether-regions of the US. The thing is, we've never really learned to properly use it, as Muh Main Man doesn't have the interest and I don't have the wherewithal. Translate brains or gumption. Anyway, Muh Main Man is the genius-sort and has been able to get the thing to alarm when he needs it and shut off when he desires, so it works. Until this morning. Muh Main Man had a big sledding trip scheduled and had the alarm set for 6:30am. On a Saturday morning--can you imagine?! He woke to the light of day, checked the big bad atomic clock and it read 5:30am. He thought it was curious as there's not usually any light at that hour, but he went back to sleep only to wake up to the ringing phone at 7:20am and his buddies wondering where he was. He was to meet them at 7am and for some reason, the big bad ...

Antique Mommy had this meme and I liked reading hers, so I figured I'd take the easy way out this last day of 2007 and do my version. Still amazed : that God blessed me by making me a mom. Still getting used to : the fact that college kids think I'm old. Still loving: my laptop computer. Still proud of : having my employer ask me to take a temporary assignment on a permanent basis. Still not proud of: the way I get grouchy and impatient when my To-Do list gets overwhelming. Still hoping : that I'll start liking my body the way that it is. Still worried: about being enough of a Godly influence on my kids to equip them to handle the world they live in. Still never going to: sky dive. Still pretending: that I'm going to be a competent digital scrapbooker some day. Still reading: my Bible through, which I had hoped to finish by the end of 2007. Still wanting to read: the rest of the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. Still interested in: learning how to u...

I'm well aware that although we're alive and well, Blogdom has not kept you properly updated on all the comings and goings. And coming and going we've been. For one thing, Brainy Boy shot his first deer this week. It was unplanned, downed from the back yard, but thrilling nonetheless. Or so I've been told. I have to say that I've not quite witnessed Muh Main Man be such a proud Papa. Not even on the birth-day of his own offspring. You'd-a-thunk Brainy Boy was proving his manhood. Apparently the guys thought he was. It was a button buck, so all the males in the household are feeling extra test-os-teroney. Although Little Chic has by far been the more enthusiastic of the hunting-champs-in-training, Brainy Boy has a newfound interest in the sport. We'll see how that goes when he spends hour upon cold hour in the tree without seeing anything. That's not generally down his alley. But we'll see. As for my own whereabouts, I started subbing yest...

There just aren't many things that warm the heart of one like me more than when I get invited to a party dedicated entirely to gadgets. And how much better is it when I can legitimately profess that I ne-e-e-e-d to go because it furthers my never-ending and generally unsuccessful quest to become a domestic goddess. Really it does. Now what man can argue with that? Not Muh Main Man. Or perhaps he's just indulging me. So I bounced gleefully off to a Pampered Chef party a couple of weeks ago and have been checking my doorknob each and every day for the delivery of the u-tin-suls that are now gracing my kitchen utensil caddy. I just love it that they have their own caddy. Oh, it makes my heart uh-flutter, it does. Now at this time of the year, many a party-goer is looking for gift items for their loved ones who are all cook-ey and bake-ey and all. That is a bit much to ask of me. I get within catalog-view of the loveliness and my wish list just grows ever longer. Unfor...

Winter has hit us a bit earlier than usual this year, and yesterday we christened the season with the first snow day off school. Since DogSpot is only eight months old, this was her first experience with piles of the stuff and she doesn't seem to mind it one bit. DogSpot has also taken full advantage of Muh Main Man's hunting prowess and has fulfilled her dream of smelling a deer's butt. This is something she has always wanted to do but up to this point, has never gotten up her nerve. It was very considerate of the deer to stay completely still so as not to spook Her Wimpiness. DogSpot is freakishly afraid of everything including her own shadow. Of course, all the cold and activity wears on one's furry energy level, so a snooze with Sissie by the fire is always in order once you come back inside. I have not enjoyed the snow deal as much as the Short People and Muh Main Man. My idea of winter activity is skiing or snowmobiling on the days when your jacket is actua...

I'm feeling indulgent to my readers today ;) This is by popular request. Enjoyment at my expense. I'm nice that way.

Little Chic had a half-day of school today for parent teacher conferences, but since Brainy Boy is classified as middle school, he had to go the full day. This is a new occurrence this year, and one that Brainy Boy isn't taking to so much. Little Chic and I decided to take advantage of the rare few hours together so we had lunch and then made a run to Walmart supplies for an upcoming school project. Little Chic decided to take along her purse, containing a hard-earned $24 that she has been saving. She had her eye on some new Webkinz, so she decided this was the day to shop. We made a stop in to Hallmark and picked up one stuffed animal, then headed on to Walmart for the school supplies. Like many 10-year-olds, Little Chic is not always the most organized, and she plopped her purse, containing her remaining $14 in the cart beside mine. As luck would have it, when I emptied the cart and returned it to the cart park, I didn't realize her purse was still in the shopping cart. ...

Although my local Sam's Club didn't make me feel special in my gift-toting dilemma, Bath & Body Works has come to the rescue. Now, I am not generally a coupon maven. Not that I'm all un-frugal or anything. I'm just allergic to hassle. I tend to forget to clip the coupon, or more likely, once I clip it, I forget to bring it along. Or I get there with the coupon and there are all these limit on it. Limits aren't my thing so I'm not the champion cents saver in that sort of way. I'm more of a sales type of girl. But then. Into my mailbox came a $10 off a $30 purchase from Bath & Body works. The fine print didn't say anything about regular purchases or excluding this-n-that, so I've clutched it to my bosom since the day it fluttered it's paper wings into my mailbox. So I'd have it when I needed it. You know how those needs just pop up sometimes like that. Anyway, I decided I needed it today. For some stocking stuffers for other...

I'm so excited because I won something! I never win anything! But I won the American Pastime Collection from Channel Craft. It came from Patriot over at Made in the USA blog, so I'm psyched!! I should have it in about two weeks, so it'll be here in plenty of time to tuck into some lucky body's stocking for Christmas!

Thanksgiving is in a mere two weeks from today and generally that's not cause for alarm. But this year it is. We are traveling to see family for Thanksgiving and Clever Sister thought it would be a great idea to exchange gifts while we are together. I thought so too when she first suggested it. Two weeks ago. Since then, I've been scrambling to do in a few weeks what usually takes me a few months. Namely, shop for unique and creative gifts for each member of my family. I was a bit smug and self-satisfied last week when I scored gifts for all the little ones in one fell swoop at Target. I was particularly excited to see how the Aqua Dots would work once little niece opens them up. But Plan B has yet again reared its ugly head. A mere 18 hours ago, NextDoorNeighbor emailed me a story about how Aqua Dots were being pulled off the shelves. Being the Snopes hog that I am, I looked at the link and Googled a few articles. Nothing much came up so I figured the informatio...

I found something at Sam's Club that I want to buy for Christmas. It needs to go with me to TX at Thanksgiving time. I tried to order it online but it said you can only get it in club. So I went in club, just like they told me to. Yes I did. The thing turns out to be too big to take on the airplane along with the other myriad items that we'll be taking along for a week long trip. Plus early Christmas. It's also too big to mail at a reasonable rate. So I go to the nice customer service man and ask if I can pay for it but just pick it up at the Sam's Club in TX. He says he's sure I can. He calls his manger who says it's just not possible. Nice Customer Service Guy is looking at me with a perturbed look that says his manager is not cooperating. Of course he isn't. He even suggests to his manager that perhaps a different manager would be able to "make it work." Manager did not appreciate this and Nice Customer Service Guy apologized to me,...

I don't do these very often, but every once in a while, there's a bit of "get to know ya" that can be accomplished, so here ya go... House meme: 1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Equate moisturizing shower soap. 2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No 3. What would you change about your living room? I'd put in hardwoods. 4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Dirty, and waiting to be run. 5. What is in your fridge? Besides food? A package of anti-barf suppositories and a jar of fake cucumbers for your eyes that are over a year old(that I keep contents for both ends of your body in the same place, huh?) 6. White or wheat bread? Usually wheat but Muh Main Man has been begging for Italian so I've been indulging ;) 7. What is on top of your refrigerator? A wicker basket containing our phone book. 8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? Sort of a tan with a purple and green flower motif. 9. How many plants...

We had another near-fatality during church yesterday. I discovered it when I got home and saw the insides of one very precious Ty Beanie Baby strewn all over the floor. DogSpot accomplished a near decapitation and I arrived in the nick of time to save the bear's life. This particular Beanie has been a constant companion to Brainy Boy since he was a baby and we call him Snowy. Snowy would also be precious to collectors if he hadn't been so well-loved since it he is actually a rare polar bear named Chilly. Snowy has a fraternal black brother that we call Soot, whose official Ty name is Blackie. Soot is not nearly as sweet to collectors as he is to us. Snowy has been through many traumas with Brainy Boy, even getting his own x-ray when Brainy Boy broke his arm when he was four years old. Luckily Brainy Boy rode to church with Muh Main Man in the truck so I had time to do a little damage control before he got home and saw the tragedy. I tucked the insides back as best I c...

I bought this little gem monstrosity today and once we got home and were in the middle of devouring it, I noticed this little tip. Which we did not need since the Short People suddenly decided they don't mind nuts all that much .... "...If for some reason you have the will power not to finish the apple in your first sitting, put some lemon juice on the remainder of the raw apple, and wrap the apple tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate." Seriously, People. If for some reason? What, are they being funny because they know their apple is so delicious that you can't resist eating the entire mammoth at once? Or are they being sarcastic because they know the only person who would buy the caramel, chocolate and nut-laden calorie heavyweight and pay $7.95 for it would be somebody who regularly binges on way-to-big-for-one-sitting servings? They could've saved themselves the paper, because No, we did not have the willpower to save any of it.

On a whim, I decided to look at the keyword searches that people do and then come across my blog in the process. You know, for entertainment. I shouldn't be bored--I've got plenty to do, like put in my pot roast for dinner tonight. But well, it's Saturday. Some of the results were typical like looking for "mom medical transcriptionist blogspot" or even "prairie home companion tickets" because we all know I've been a bit obsessed with that particular topic since September. But a few of them were just downright weird. Like "grape smuggling gear" or even "coal boy." Or try this one - "sleeping with a bruised side" and "consolation announcement." But some of them were downright embarrassing that my blog would come up as a result of the particular search. Not just once either. I'm talking about the search that read "CVS model: sudafed tracking and pharmacy." And the other one that said, ...

I had such high hopes for sending my dad to the Garrison Keillor show in Charlotte tomorrow night. But, it's sad, folks. I just didn't succeed in my quest to score 2 tickets. Part was the fault of my shortsightedness in not realizing they'd sell out in a mere 7 minutes. Part too, was at the fault of one very dorky Mr. D who sold two tickets out from under me. But so it goes. As they say, "You snooze, you lose." I'll know better next time and get them on pre-sale.