more woe is me

I'm seriously considering getting a second job.  I mean, we can do it on my income alone normally, but now it's September...the beginning of the cash crunch.  Birthdays (3), birthday parties (2), Christmas, and car registration/inpsection in January.  It's only going to be part-time, just for some extra cash for this time of the year.  Once tax time comes, then we're okay.  As for Joey, he wants to get a job  If he gets one, I'm quitting my job and getting something part time.  But I'm not pressuring him to get one--I mean, if it wasn't for me putting up a fit for my job at Verizon last year, he would have a job.  So that's why I'm stepping up and doing this.  I called my old manager at Krispy Kreme, and hopefully she'll call me within the next few days, since she wasn't there today.  I just hope something happens.

til next time...=)

woe is me

I am not a happy camper today.

I have to take Kikko to the humane society tomorrow.  He somehow broke his leg (he's an outside cat), and I have no way to get him to the vet.  That would cost way too much than what is in my budget ($0).  I called around to see if any vet in the area would take payments from me, and they all said no.  So as a last resort, I called the humane society to see if they knew of any that could help.  They tried, but to no avail.  They told me to surrender him in the morning.  I'm not happy with this decision, but I'm thinking about what's best for him, not me.  When I take him up there, I'm going to ask them if they can let me know how he is, and if I can adopt him once he's better.  I hope they say yes.

til next time...=)

school day!

This is going to be long...lol.

Actually, I was going to post this yesterday, but since my camera was being a bitch (it was the computer, really...it wouldn't upload this pic, or any for that matter), I had to wait until today.  Oh well.  Anyway, it was their first day of school--her in 3rd grade, and him in 1st.  It was especially new to him, since he's going all day now.  For the most part, they had a good day.  So good, in fact, that they went back today...lol.

I had the getting ready part of the day all planned out, and it went perfect.  They got in the tub, ate breakfast, and were all ready to go...early!!!  They were actually pushing me and Joey out the door, they were so excited.  Above was the pic I got right as we were all walking out the door.

Mother Nature changed her mind since my last post, and it was raining all day Tuesday.  Usually, the kids line up outside in their respective classes, and on the first day, the teachers put signs up so you can see where they go.  Not this time--they had ALL the kids go down to the cafeteria, and that's where they lined up.  Bum was okay, since she knew who her teacher was, and she knew some of the kids in her new class.  Dude, on the other hand, had NO IDEA what was going on.  We tried to walk in with him, but the teacher at the door said everything would be sorted out inside.  Oooook...so we left the kids there and went home.

When we picked them up, we had no clue what was going on--Bum came out on the side we thought she would.  With Dude, we asked someone, and they told us on the far end of the building (where he goes in).  So we stood there until all the teachers had dismissed their class.  When we asked where his teacher was, they said,"Oh she lets them out on the other side."  WTF??  So I (actually we--meaning all the other parents, too) run over there, and no one's there.  Go back over to the main entrance, and there's his teacher, along with most of his class, waiting for their parents as well.  Talk about nuts.

Bum told us later that in the morning, Dude had no idea what was going on, and he went up to her crying.  She helped him find his teacher--something that the teachers should have done in the first place.  Also, Dude didn't eat his lunch--PB&J--only because he didn't want to get messy...lol.

til next time...=)

inside day

Since school starts in TWO DAYS (woohoo), we had plans to go to Camelbeach for the day, via getting people from work together and get a group rate.  Since no one wanted to go, that was scrapped.  As an alternative, we had made plans to go to Claws 'n' Paws with the neighbors.  But looking outside this morning...

...it doesn't look like any of that's happening today.  And the funny part?  It was like this yesterday, and supposed to be like this tomorrow, too.  The forecast for Tuesday?  80 and sunny, and staying like that for the rest of the week.  Mother Nature's no fun.

til next time...=)

it's not that interesting...

Your Weekend Assignment #126: What is the most interesting thing about where you live? "Thing" in this case would be a famous landmark, a famous current celebrity or historical personage from your home town or county, a notable celebration or sports event -- basically, anything that makes where you're from interesting an unique.

Extra Credit: Are there any books that feature your home town (or someplace nearby) in any way?

Actually, there's a few little thingies about Scranton. 

It got the "Electric City" name because Scranton was one of the first electrified trolley lines were established here in 1886.   As I've mentioned before, the TV show "The Office" is set here.  Also I have mentioned that there's the Steamtown National Historic Site right in the downtown, with trains that you can go in and ride on.

Another tidbit of info--there's also a coal mine tour right on the outskirts of town, too.  The one and only Houdini Museum is here.  One more thing...actor Jason Miller--you know, the young priest in "The Exorcist"--he was raised here, went to a school in my neighborhood, shot a movie here, and died of a heart attack in one of the local restaurants.

Wanna know more?  Here's a cool link--there's stuff even I didn't know about.

As far as books, well, I have no idea.  I'm researching though, and who knows what I'll find--I'll let you know.

til next time...=)

20 questions

Stole this from Barbara.  She stole it from Dawn who stole it from Bernie who stole from Emily...you get the idea.

1. A month before it happens, you're told you're going to lose your memory so how do you prepare for it and do you attempt to regain what you've lost?

Hmmm...I dunno--I forgot...lol.  Just kidding--I would take LOADS of pics, find old pics, and make everyone aware that they're going to help me regain as much as possible.

2. How do you describe your out look on life?

Right at this moment, it's fairly good.  I take it day by day, since you never know what tomorrow's going to bring.  I mean, other than work.

4. You fall in love with your soulmate, decide to get married and then find out that person is going to die soon, do you marry them anyway?

Of course.  Why not?  You only get one soulmate...make the most of the time you have.

4. What are three of your favorite ice cream toppings?

Hot fudge, whipped cream, and sprinkles.

5. Is there one article of clothing you love to wear no matter how out of style it is?

Jammies.  I wear them everywhere--to the store, to work, to...well, you get the idea.

6. Is there one color you wish would go away in fashion?

Not that I can think of...

7. What's the first department you head to when you go shopping in a department store?

Electronics.  If it's Target, Hello Kitty sections first, then electronics.

8. How far away do you live from your parents?

This one I can't answer.

9. Growing up who was your favorite cartoon character?

Tom and Jerry.  I still like them.

10. You plan a romantic evening and everything goes wrong, including the fancy dinner you made burning, what do you do?

This wouldn't happen to me--I would be eating out in the first place...lol.  That and I would be getting Joey out of the house.

11. What's the last thing you bought at the store?

Coffee, pretzels, and M&Ms.  To munch on while at work.

12. Have you ever walked out in the middle of a movie?

Not that I can remember.  Unless you count the time I got food poisoning while watching Metro...lol.  I fell asleep watching it, and the rest of the time I was in the bathroom.

13. What celebrity do most people say you look like?

No one has ever told me I look like anyone...I'm one of a kind...lol.

14. Is there any piece of jewelry you always wear?

Nope.  I have my engagement ring, but I took it off when I worked at KK, and never put it back on.  Oops.

15. Have you ever tried to pick someone up?

Nope...never had the courage.  But people have tried to pick me up..hahahahaha.

16. What's the one thing you always manage to lose on your way out the door?

My mind...that means I'm going to work.

Of these creatures which one are you most afraid of:

A.) Snakes

B.) Spiders

C.) Rodents

None of them, really.  Snakes look cool, I watch spiders make webs (cool), and rodents aren't that bad...unless they're in your house.  If I had to pick one, I would say snakes.

18. What's the last gift you bought for a friend?

Good question...I honestly can't remember.

19. Do you ever buy people things for no reason?

Sometimes, when I have the funds to do so.

20. What is your favorite way to spend a lazy summer afternoon?

Sitting outside on the swing, watching the kids play nicely (that lasts about 10 minutes).  If they're not home, then just laying around the house, or sitting on the porch, coffee in hand.

til next time...=)

one year in one entry

What a year it's been, both in my life and in J~land.  This time last year, I was writing about Bum and her stitched ear.  Remember?

Since then, so much has happened.  And yes, I went back in the archives to reminisce.  My memory sucks.  Sue me.

In the past year, Dude started school (and was excited about it), Bum started at a new school (and loved it).  In the family, we've had one wedding, two funerals, one communion, and two graduations.  I lost my camera, lost the battle to keep the car running, almost lost my job, and lost some neighbors (which was a good thing).  I won an Vivi, won some praise for food WE made, won an egg decorating contest, and won the music war with our old neighbor...lol.

I went to a pajama party, a Halloween party, a Thanksgiving party, a pool party, a Chuck E. Cheese party, a Christmas show, an Easter party, and an ice cream party.

We painted 2 apartments, moved once, watched 5 other people move out, and did one hell of a clean-up job outside.

I think that's enough reminiscing...my head hurts.

Happy birthday AOL Journals...here's to another year.

til next time...

thai the knot...lol

I thought this was funny, so I just had to share.

Joey was online the other day, and got this IM from someone in Thailand.  He thought AOL and AIM only had members from the US, but I told him "not anymore".  So he talked to her for a while, since she was a chef and wanted to talk about food.  The next day, they talked some more, and she asked to see a picture of him.  I didn't think anything of it, since I talk to people online and share pics...duh--anyone can see me.  So today, he tells me he isn't talking to her anymore--she's psycho.  I ask him why, and he says she sent him an e-mail, asking that if she came to the U.S., would he marry her.  He wrote back, and told her he has a fiance and two kids.  He sarcastically wrote, "Let me think about that....NO."  She doesn't e-mail him anymore...

til next time...=)

flippity floppity

Alright--you twisted my arm enough--I'll give details on one of the stories...for now.  The deal with the flip flops is this--I bought a new pair of them a few weeks back, and I wore them to work.  I saw everyone else wearing them, so why not?  My manager saw them, said "nice shoes...too bad you're not supposed to wear them".  Huh?  Supposedly they're not part of the dress code at my job.  So why was everyone else allowed to, but not me?  I mentioned this to co-workers who had been there longer, and they said that a dress code was really never enforced.  I said it was bullsh*t, but someone twisted what I said, went back to the same manager and told her I said she (the manager) was bullsh*t.  WTF?  Next thing you know, I'm being lectured about the dress code, a copy of it is in all our mailboxes, and threats of write-ups are being thrown around.  A few days later, I'm told that someone called a union steward, and the dress code they're trying to now enforce doesn't even apply to us.  The union is investigating the whole thing...who knows.

What's going on with that now, you ask?  Nothing--it's like all of that drama never happened.  So that's the flip flop story.

til next time...=)

more tidbits

You know, a lot more happened while I was gone other than what I wrote about.  A few things of interest, anyway.  But that would take just too damn long, since there's details with at least 2 of the stories.  Long story short, here's the stories summed up in one sentence each:

--I didn't go to Ashley's graduation party.

--My niece, Stephanie, had her kids taken off of her...again.

--Joey was THISCLOSE to having a job, but turned it down.

--Joey also had an oppotunity to start his own catering biz.  Which is still on the table, by the way.

--I started a big commotion at work...over FLIP FLOPS...lol.

--The house almost caught on fire.  We didn't do it.  Honest.  But if it weren't for me, it might have went up.

Wanna know the details?  Maybe I'll divulge...

til next time...=)

gimme 5

You know the deal--you wanna play, you gotta go see Robin.  My turn...

1. What is your favorite way to eat eggs?

Over easy, with toast and bacon.  At Denny's...lol.

2. Is there someone in JLand you would just love to meet?  Who is it?

Good question...there's so many interesting people here in J~land that it's hard to choose.  There's Brandi, who might be in my area someday.  Then there's Krissy.  I just want to drive to her house (she's about 2 hours away) and give her a HUGE hug.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg...I'd like to meet everyone I talk to and read about.  Damn, that was a long answer...what was I doing again??  Oh yeah...

3.  Who is the one person from your life that you miss the most?

My mom.  I have so much to tell her and so many questions to ask.

4.  If you could be given 1 million dollars and all you had to do to get it was to have a part of your body removed would you do it?  And what part of your body are you willing to give up?

Only if I get to pick the part...hell yeah I would!  Like Robin said, a toe or kidney or some other organ I can do without.

5.  If you had to give up one electrical appliance in your house what would you give up?  This can include radio, computer, toaster, etc...

Now this one's tough.  The computer's definitely out, as well as the fridge, stove, microwave, coffee pot and tv.  How about the blow dryer?

There ya go.  My answers for this week.

til next time...=)

you dirty boy!

Just some pics of Dude making dirt angels.  Yes, he had fun doing this.

He didn't start out this way--he was innocently playing in the dirt with his cars.  Then Joey came out with a bucket of water and soaked him with it.  Got Bum too, but she was grounded for some reason...who knows.

And I didn't mind, since the tub's about 5 feet away from the front door.

Hopefully this doesn't happen again...this year, anyway.

til next time...=)

house tidbits

Just a little something to add as I go off to sleep...my house is being sold!!!  I guess we were too demanding...lol.  Well, actually, it's been on the market for about a month, and my sources (actually, Joey) tells me it has been officially sold.  Just the closing junk to go through, I guess.  And from what I understand, we'll still be building manager/super for the house, with a little more authority.  Yay.

It's hard to believe we've been here for a year now...and to think about all the work WE put into it.  Inside, outside (especially), and the tenants themselves.  What a year it's been.  This house is starting to look up...lol.  And we have sooooooo much pride in what we've accomplished.  Again, yay.

Oh, and you know the apartment we almost took last year?  You know, I wrote about it here and here.  Well, Joey and the kids were taking a walk up to Grandma's the other day, and while walking past that same house, guess what he saw?  The damn thing on fire!!!  Don't worry--no one was hurt in the fire, just a little siding on the side of the house was damaged.  But today while driving past it, we noticed a little sign on the door...CONDEMNED?!?  Must have been something electrical...good thing the guy gave our deposit back...lol.

I'll be updating more tomorrow, since I have off...I no longer have to work Sundays, but more on that tomorrow.  I have to *yawn* get to bed.

til next time...=)

the 4th, part 2

Where did I leave off?  Oh yeah...the playground.  Ashley wanted to see the gorge, so we went on a little nature walk to show her.  I know I showed the gorge here before, but for those of you who weren't here last year, here ya go...

Then we went home and ate some more grill food.  When it got dark, we went up to Montage to see some fireworks.  Our neighbor, Steve, came with us...Joey stayed home this time.  Sorry, no firework pics this year...I did get loads of video of it though.  When I get a faster connection, I'll probably put them up then.  Like last year, the traffic was a bitch afterwards.

Luckily, I learned from that experience.  We got this huge checkerboard rug set for Christmas, and I had put it in the car earlier in the day, along with some blankets to sit on.  So we set it up and played.

We also had a frisbee, so they were playing with that in the parking lot.  We brought snacks and drinks with us too, since we knew we were going to be there for a while.  How long were we there, you ask?  Put it this way--the fireworks were over at about 9:30...we didn't leave there until about 11:55.  Got home in 10 minutes, though.  I would consider that a lesson learned...lol.

So like I said, we had a good day, considering the circumstances.

til next time...=)

our 4th, part one

I guess I should start where I left off...

Our 4th was awesome, despite some setbacks.  We did what we did last year, with some added stuff.  My niece, Ashley, came along too.  We kicked off the day with a little grillin', then went to the pool and did a little chillin'.  Everyone had fun in the pool.  It wasn't that packed, since the nice meteorologists were calling for rain.

Unfortunately, we had to cut it short when after a couple of hours, Bum came out of the pool to show us this:

There were spots like this all over her...we had seen it before (from Grandma's blow-up pool), but nothing like this.  So we rinsed her off, and called it quits there.  (Update about that--she's going to an allergist in about 3 weeks...that's the soonest they could get her in.  In the meantime, she's on Claritin, and it's working fine.)

So we went home, got changed, gave her a bath, then went to another park in the area.  The kids played in the creek, and Ashley caught a (very strong) crawfish/crayfish.

Then we were bored with that park, so back up to Nay Aug we went.  The playground up there is just awesome.

back in a few with part 2.

til next time...=)

baby you can drive my car

What a way to come back...just in time for the weekend assignment!!!

Your Weekend Assignment #124: How did you learn how to drive? How many tries did it take?  What was the first car that you bought?

Extra credit: Got a picture of that first car?

This is an eeeeeeeaaaaaassssssyyyy one.  Since no one in my family wanted to teach me how to drive, my mom paid for driving lessons.  It took me two times to get my permit, but only once to get my license.  What scared me that day was that (1) it was raining and I didn't know how to turn the wipers on, and (2) the girl who went before me hit a curb while parallel parking, and FAILED.  But, nonetheless, I did it.  My first car?  A 1979 Toyota Celica GT.  Hatchback.  Looked like a bumblebee.  Don't believe me?  Take a look.

Extra credit this week, baby.  Paid  $475 for it with my shiny new Discover card.  In other words, I never paid for it...lol.

til next time...=)

yay

As you can see, I'm back.  On my own computer.  All it needed was a new power supply...phew.  The funny thing is, we had another, almost identical, computer sitting in Bum's room...and it took us THIS LONG to figure out that we could take the power supply from one and put it into the other.  DUUUUUUUH.  So, tonight, that's exactly what we did.  Man, that was kind of confusing--figuring out where all the wires go.  I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers when it was all done, and the little light came on!!!  WOOHOO!  So here I am, back with y'all.  And once again, I had to delete all 736 e-mails that were in my mailbox.  Oy.  Remind me next time my computer dies to shut off all journal alerts.  Thanks in advance.  Now on to the fun!

til next time...=)