The fruit salad of chemistry.

So one of my favorite shows now is on BBC, How Clean Is Your House? It makes me feel like Martha freaking Stewart compared to these blokes. They just showed how to clean with a grapefruit, salt and a Dobie. They took a tub and sink that hadn't been cleaned in nearly 15 years and made it shine like Telly Savalas head. If grapefruit weren't so expensive around here I would definately use that on a regular basis. Now my Mom & Dad, they have a grapefruit tree in their backyard. Of course, they did say that any citrus will work but grapefruit have a larger surface area. They also showed how to unclog a drain with baking soda and vinegar. I knew I should have payed attention in chemistry.

Ride Bike Please?

Gryffin's bike seat arrived today. We had just enough time to eat dinner, install it and for the guys to take a spin round the back yard before a haircut appointment. I did mention to Mike that we used to make fun of the neighbor for riding his motorcycle in his back yard but I guess a bike is a lot different. This is the most unique seat we have seen. It just seems so much safer with him riding infront. That and he can't kick Mike in the butt. Thats my job!
Oh and did I mention that someone went in the potty! We bought him a Royal Throne. It has sensors in the bottom and when he does his thing music goes off. I want to get one for our toilet. Just in case you didn't figure it out, Gryffin was the one to go potty in the throne. Hee hee hee.




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Could an asparagus spear through the heart kill a politician? Nope, they don't have hearts.

Yesterday was really nice and low key in comparison to Saturday. We all made a morning trip to the grocery after a gourmet breakfast of frozen waffles. Then a little lunch and nap for Gryffin while Mike mowed the yards and I worked a bit next door- after a bike ride of course. Then some play time and on to dinner. We had bratwurst, salad and asparagus. Not just asparagus, grilled asparagus. Not just grilled asparagus but bacon wrapped grilled asparagus. I could have just had that for dinner it was so good. Here's what I did: I bundled the trimmed asparagus spears in about 1" bundles and wrapped each in a slice of bacon, securing with a couple toothpicks. Then Mike put them on the grill until the asparagus was tender but still had a little crunch, nothing worse than mushy veggies. This time I used thick cut bacon, next time I think I will use the thinner stuff so it will get a little more crispy. That and its a heck of a lot cheaper. Speaking of, I think Mike got sticker shock at the grocery. I've challenged myself to $50 grocery trips for the week but I don't think that is a realistic goal anymore. Between milk and produce we spent more than that. And those aren't things you can (or should) cut back on. I guess I'm just going to have to start dragging myself out of bed early on Saturdays and heading out to the farmer's market http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/soulardmarket/. When I lived in the city and was a vegetarian I could eat for about $10 a week from here. They have awsome selection and great prices. Its probably the only place around here where you can buy just the amount you need, in just the size you need while listening to street musicians and having a beer and a fresh doughnut. Mmmm, love those midwest breakfasts! Unfortunately its just too cold to go there in the winter. I'm not a cold weather person- at all!
Mike thinks that with the cost of healthy food versus cheap fill your gullet food the government is secretly hoping to kill off a bunch of baby boomers from heart attacks and high blood pressure. He read a study that gave you the cost per calorie of various foods. It found that you could only buy a third of the calories if you ate healthy than what you could buy of cheap preprocessed, fat laden crap. Maybe the government is trying to kill off the population so that only politicians will be left. The flaw in their theory- who will pay their salary and retirement? Ok ok, I won't get started on politics. The weather is too nice to get pissy. Besides, my coffee is getting cold anyway.
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Can I rest now?

Today was an unexpectedly busy day. Here's the quick rundown:
Fixed breakfast
Went to four different places looking at bikes
Bought two at the last joint- I think our Discover card is going to explode
Came home fed Gryffin, put him down for a nap then Mike and I took turns riding our bikes
Went next door to start bagging up clothes
SIX HOURS LATER Mike finally called an end to the marathon of memories
Currently Mike is outside with Gryffin and I am here wishing I had some wine left. Although, Mike did inform me that Jack Daniels and Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper is awesome so I think I may have to try that tonight.
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Today was Gryffin's 2 year checkup. No surprise, he is as healthy as a horse. The doctor declared him normal- makes me question the doctor- but I guess for a two year old he's right. I think the appointment wiped him out though. He actually asked for his lunch and nap today. Hmmm, maybe we should do that more often. Ok, maybe not considering the cost of a doctor appointment today. Don't get me wrong, I think the people that should be paid the most are healthcare workers, teachers and law enforcement. Lets face it, they are the ones that make life better. Especially teachers. Its a shame this country can't recognize that they guide our future. Instead they put these silly parameters on them that if their class doesn't score a certain number on standardized tests that they don't get money. Without parental support, a teacher can only do so much. The classes are overcrowded, one bad kid ruins the whole class and oh my gosh if they give a kid a hug they are slapped with a charge of sexual assault. Hugging is inappropriate after a certain age but through grad school is fine. It may be the only positive attention a kid gets these days. I worry for this countries future, thank goodness there is a cap on presidential terms. Ok ok, I won't start stirring that pot.
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Sticky situation...

Root beer is sticky. Really sticky. We had some cans of soda left from the party. We don't drink a lot of soda around here but I didn't want to throw it away. Until now. Mike and I were finishing eating while Gryffin was playing with his balloons when he picked up a can of root beer and threw it to the ground. It popped open and sprayed everywhere. Mike and Gryffin were covered, I was from my knees down. Mike and I laughed, it was all we could do. Also covered were the ceiling, walls, table, chairs, floors, cabinets, stove, counters, window, you get the idea. We cleaned up as much as we could but there is still a lot left. Tomorrow I guess its Kitchen day. We will just have to deal with sticky floors until then because after chasing Gryffin around the backyard this afternoon I'm done for.
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Back to normal

As normal as it gets around here anyway. Mike is at work, Gryffin is napping and I am enjoying the 20 minutes I give myself for lunch and surfing.

This week I start clearing out the house next door in preparation for us to move there. There is a lot of stuff to be donated. We had debated a yard sale but that is just too much work for the money. Heck, I don't really want to go through effort of packing things up for donation pick ups. I can't just point to a room and tell the guys that everything in there can go. There are some family members that would like a few things. Yeah, less for me to do. I am hoping I my MIL will help on her days off . I imagine it will become a weekend project for both Mike and I as well. I feel for Mike. There are so many memories for him to go through and a lot of emotion that will be hard as well. He's a tough guy but he has a big heart. So big that he has given up his Sunday naps to visit Pa and take him out to lunch. Naps around here are like gold. Rarely found and priceless.

May 8th is THE day. The day I get to pick up my hearing aides. I am so excited and nervous. I really hope they work for me. It will take some getting used to I'm sure. Its weird but after my hearing test I am more aware of my hearing problem. I can't hear most of the higher pitches like women's and children's voices. The deeper and lower tones I hear but can't understand with background noise. My right ear has moderate hearing loss while my left is on the line between moderate and severe. No wonder I usually make it to where my muther is on my left side. hee hee hee.

Well, my time is up. Today is Master Bedroom Day. And it needs it too.
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Chaos, carnage and cake...

This is Gryffin before birthday cake.

















This is my living room after.








We survived another birthday party, barely. I think Mike and I have just enough energy to catch Gryffin, wrestle him to bed and pick up the carnage. Oh yeah, and this was just some of it. Good thing I didn't invite everyone I wanted to. But all in all it was a wonderful time and the most important thing was that Gryffin had a blast.

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Doin' the dog funk scramble...

Ok, so now that I have Gryffin in Day Out with some store bought cookies that I'm passing off as my own (bad bad mommy) I am going to clean. Not la-de-dah I'll pick up this and that and feather dust. I'm mean down on my hands and knees, break a sweat scrubbing. Heck even if my house were already spotless I would do this anyway. I just can't entertain without doing this right before. I'm still trying to come up with a way to get rid of the old, dirty, stale dog smell. I love Mojo and Java but sheeewie, they're stinky. That is why we have leather furniture- it doesn't absorb smells. Anyway, I did most of the kitchen and the bathroom last night so I'm in pretty good shape but its the fine tuning and dust bunny hunting thats left.
If anyone has any good tips on getting rid of dog funk PLEASE let me know! Other than getting rid of the dogs people, that is not an option.

From here.......

...........to there in the blink of an eye.

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY GRYFFIN!!!!

I have been fighting this day for the past two years. You are always told that your children grow up too fast. Its true. Just a couple years ago he was a helpless, tiny newborn that I loved to look upon and hold, even when I was too tired to keep my eyes open. I remember the first time he ate babyfood, his first clumsy steps and first words. But now they are only memories. Now he tells me what he wants to eat, I chase him around and he is learning to string words together. Of course, I am loving watching him grow and learn and become a big boy. I cherish every day because I know I won't get a second chance to.

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First guns and now cheese

Last night we had "School Lunch Night". If you ever went to public school and ate cafeteria food you will remember that every Friday was the same. Fish sticks, macaroni and cheese and lima beans. I fix this regularly but not always on Friday. For the past couple years I have refused to use the Velveeta Shells and Cheese that we loved so much because I made the mistake of reading the ingredient list. Anyway, I have been searching up and down for a good, easy and fast recipe for mac-n-cheese. I have tried several from various on-line recipe sites and gagged on all of them. Last night was different. I made Alton Brown's stove top mac-n-cheese. Quick, easy, inexpensive and yummy. I didn't add the hot sauce or mustard- ooooey and the only thing I would change is the kind of cheese. He calls for sharp cheddar but it turned out too sharp so next time I think I will use mild and maybe some mozzarella. Check out www.foodnetwork.com for the full recipe as my fingers are tired and I'm procrastinating putting the groceries away.
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Bone to pick...

With recent events at VTech, if you don't know what I'm talking about I envy you, I just wanted to express some of my opinions.
Gun control is not the issue. Mental health is. This kid was troubled and needed help. Now, I'm not saying he was a victim, he was a murderer. However, students and teachers were continually bringing attention to the fact that this kid needed help. He had stalked two female students, he was taking questionable pictures of females while in class and two of his teachers were distrubed by his graphic and violent writings. It was quite evident and documented that he was suicidal. If a person wants to kill themselves they have no concern for life- period. How about we stop talking about the tool he used and start talking about what made him use it. Hind sight is 20/20, so lets look to the future and improve this country and the issues that really matter.
Also, the media are Satan's minions. They show images that no one should want to view. They make this kid out to be some kind of hero to all those other kids out there that feel like outcasts. They bombard us with their propaganda. Yes, terrible things happen in this world but do we need to concentrate so heavily on the bad but not the good? I need to be informed of world events not drowned in them. State the facts. If they want to ramble and try for higher ratings how about bringing the focus on what can be done now. Why don't they point out the fact that current governments, national and local, waste millions of dollars that could be put into health care, including mental health. How about they provide the common folk with names and address of who in government to petition for changes. Why don't they have any concern for the victim's and their families? Leave these poor people alone. Haven't they been through enough without being harrassed by reporters?
Another point and then my ramble will be over. This should teach us that being a parent should be job #1. Not the job being number one and being a parent number two. Society needs to stop spending on the status symbols of fancy cars, homes and designer clothes and start investing in their family. You constantly hear that you should invest in your future, why not invest in your childs. Not with money, but with what really matters to children- your time and love. This government spends a lot of money on teaching inmates how to be more productive to society- even ones that will never again be part of it. Why don't they spend money on providing parenting skills, child psychology and communication classes to those who aren't draining the economy? Why not take everyone on welfare and teach them the skills they need to contribute to society? Why don't we change this world now! One person at a time, starting with ourselves.
(this rant is the opinion of the writer and is not necessarily shared by everyone. take it for what it is and don't get your panties in a bunch. whether or not you agree you are welcome to comment- if you are nice! meanies will be deleted and added to my voodoo doll collection as well as put on my naughtly list for Chirstmas.)


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High-tech hippies of the future.

Morning came long before I was ready for it. That just means that I will make another cup of coffee and pry my eyelids open with duct tape. Isn't the shiny eye look back in style?
Anyway, I was glad to learn that my friend Catherine over at http://www.angelfoodcakeisntacandle.blogspot.com/ isn't a sock & Birkenstock hippy. Just an enviornmently conscience mom. Not that I don't think you would look bad in hippy dresses, Catherine. Afterall, I'm sitting here in one of my old Greatful Dead t-shirts wondering where I put that old Simon & Garfunkle album. I may have to try that dishwasher detergent recipe. I haven't found one yet that can get the gunk scraped off without scratching up my glasses. And I refuse to rinse dishes first, if I do that I might as well just wash them by hand. (check out her site for the recipe)
Mike was reading the brochure for my new ears when he looked up and asked, "Did you know that these were Bluetooth compatible?". Me being the highly intelligent and technologically advanced person that I am said, "Yes... what is Bluetooth?". While he explained it to me all I could think is that I don't want anything that will make my teeth blue. I don't know if I will ever use that feature but I sure am excited about being able to hear what people are saying behind my back. Hee hee hee.
Allright, butts growing roots and the coffee is not empty but too cold soooooo... to quote my fave movie- "I'm off like a prom dress!"
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What did you say?

Just got back from the hearing center. Shor-nuff, I'm going deaf. It will get progressively worse unless I do something now. Something about some nerve that if not used goes dormant- blah blah doctor babble. Anyway, in about 2 weeks I get to pick up my new car. I mean, hearing aides. I got confused since they cost about the same. But it will be worth it to be able to hear my son and husband. Other people too but I'm still going to use selective hearing on certain people. Hey, now when someone I don't want to hear comes around I'll just switch them off! They did throw in some pretty cool upgrades for free (yeah right). They will have settings for special environments. So I can hear over distance, like when Gryffin is playing at the park, or extreme noise, for the Police concert coming up all with a push of a button. The worst part, other than the bill, was getting the impressions taken. I hope they got that right the first time because I may need to be sedated for the next one. Or maybe I could just get sedated for the heck of it!
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Today while Gryffin is in Day Out I am getting tested for hearing aides. I have been trying not to get my hopes up too much but... I really (really, really, really, reeeeeaaaaaalllllllllyyyyy) want to qualify for this trial of a new model made for people like me, can't hear what someone is saying if there is any background noise or the person isn't looking at you. In social situations everyone sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher. Whah whah wa waaa. I'm even to the point where if they work I won't even ask the price. Ok, I'll ask but I won't let the price be the determining factor. That is why I need to qualify for the trial. If I do I will get them at a 'substantial' discount, at least thats what the hearing place tells me. But hey, anything will help.
Yesterday I ordered the birthday cake. Still having guilt about buying one but I did have less than two weeks to prepare for this shindig. Ah, there is always next year. I also bought all the stuff for the goodie bags for the other kids in attendance. Not an easy task when Gryffin was with me. You try picking out toys, gadgets and candy for OTHER kids and explain to yours that they aren't for him. Lets just say, he did get a few but total they only cost about $2 and I didn't bribe him, I just gave them before he started to act up. Kind of a 'nip the bull in the buds' thing. I still need more streamer and some balloons. Then its all fun, decorating and wrapping presents. And the weather looks like it might hold out.
I also tamed the wild laundry beast yesterday. Yeah I know, I was going to do that Sunday but the glass of wine and a bubble bath won out. But it is done now. For now anyway. I can't believe how long it takes me to get back into my routine after I vacation or slack off. Luckily, God keeps giving me time to try and straighten myself out.
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And the winner is...

I finally figured out whether or not it is cheaper to buy my meat at Sam's or the grocery store. The winner is... Sam's! Even packaging using my Foodsaver, on average it was $2.50 per pound of meat. That's 10 lbs of chicken breasts, 6 lbs of ground beef, 7.5 lbs of pork that gave me a dozen thick cut chops and a big roast. The chicken will last about six to eight weeks, the rest lasts 8 weeks. Besides, I don't like meat sitting in the fridge for fear of contamination so I would have to repackage and freeze whatever wasn't going to be used within a couple days anyway. And it only takes about 30 minutes to get it all cut up and packaged.
Not bad for a college dropout, actually kicked out but that is another story.
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Monday cometh...

Another weekend, gone too fast. Today was nice, peaceful, quiet, during Gryffin's nap. The rest of the day was evenly divided between toddler tantrums and toy trashing. He got ALL of his toys out. The toys covered the floor, all of them. Thats ok, he had a good time.
Tonight for dinner I made fried chicken, cole slaw, tomatoes and masked taters. Mike was quite pleased at the spred. I don't think I will ever be able to fry chicken and not think of Granny. Several years ago Mike and I went to Ohio to visit, and to steal her fried chicken recipe. First she taught us how to cut up a chicken, can we say HACKSAW. We didn't do too good. She kept telling me I was going to cut a finger off. Today her prediction almost came true. While parting out the chicken I sliced into my middle finger pretty bad. It just wouldn't stop bleeding, but it finally did and is now bandaged. Mike in the mean time finished my chop job of the chicken. He did really well.
He also helped me divide all the meat I bought at Sam's. He is such a good kid, I think I will up his contract in June. He is currently ironing work shirts for the week while I sit here trying to ignore that big pile of laundry on the kitchen table. Its taunting me. I can hear that little voice whispering "Fold me, fold me". I guess I really should, hey maybe a glass of wine will help me enjoy it. If I make the glass big enough it will make me not care that I'm doing something I really hate.
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You know he's going to turn out ok when...

Yesterday we all made the haul out to Target. I got a new dry erase board for the fridge since Gryffin has taken my other one for his aspiring art career. We picked up gift wrap and a couple of CD's. What were they you ask? Oh, you didn't ask. Tuff! One was a CD of lullabyes that Mike and I felt compeled to buy, and not just because it was only $3.50. No, this was all Metallica songs turned into instrumental lullabyes. You know it sucks when 'Enter Sandman' is calm and relaxing. It was worth $3.50 for the funny factor. The other was Johnny Cash's 16 biggest hits. We are big Johnny Cash fans, that was when country music was still good and well, country. So after yanking out the Metallica before our ears rebelled and fell off our heads we put in 'The Man in Black'. All of a sudden someone is singing along with 'Ring of Fire'. It wasn't Mike, or me. Yup, Gryffin. He's in the back seat singing the song in toddler speak but when the chorus of 'Down, down, down' came he was right on it with the 'downs'. Yeah, I think the kid won't be scared too much from the Metallica fiasco. Looks like his music taste will turn out ok. Especially since when he was a baby in need of lullabyes his favorite was Foo Fighters and the other day he was singing along with The Clash's 'I Fought The Law'.
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Rain, rain go away and don't come back next Saturday

The sky outside is almost as murky as the Mississippi river. There is a drizzle coming down and its cold. Hmm, sounds like a day to stay inside and take a nap. I need to do a little laundry, ok- a lot of laundry and finish unpacking. Other than that my house is in good shape thanks to my mother-in-law. She has a heart of gold. The day after we got back from Arizona she surprised me at 9 am by showing up at my door ready to clean. She knows how the condition of my home directly effects my mood and that I would be too exhausted from the trip to do much to improve it. She was right. She stayed until about 1 pm and took time out to play with Gryffin, get him to eat his lunch and put him down for a nap. The whole time she was here, I went through the mail and cleaned up the kitchen. Thinking about it, the house wasn't in that bad of condition since it had been inhabited by a batchelor and four dogs for a week. But thanks to Mom, my floors were scrubbed for the first time in a long time.
Having a relatively clean house is going to be of great help considering I have 1 week to plan for, shop for and decorate for Gryffin's 2nd Birthday party. We have to keep it smaller than last year due to the short time frame (and lack of space). I did get the invitations out already. Since they had a dinosaur theme, I will stick with that for the party. I hate to admit this but I am buying a cake this year. Out of neccessity, not want. I've got the plates, forks and napkins but still need cups, decorations and beverages. I guess I'm not in as bad a shape as I thought!
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Currently taking donations...

Found our dream house. Worst one in the best neighborhood on three, yes three, acres. If you would like to donate to the "Hard working, pays the bills on time and never wins nothing fund" please contact me for further instructions.

Can't you just see us infront of the fireplace with some irish coffee and books on a cold night? Or how about actually having enough room to entertain? Ah, this place just makes me want to talk with a British accent.

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Must check this out!!!

Hit my link to the Mamalogues and check out the video: Mom My Ride. I was rolling!
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Mission Accomplished

Thanks to a $10 off coupon at the grocery, I came in at a little over $60. I needed quite a bit too since the cupboards were bare. Now today I'm off to Sam's which could totally blow the budget. We need everything-butt wrappers for Gryffin, carcas parts like ground beef, chicken and a pork loin. These are not my favorites as they require work. The ground beef has to be separated into 1lb packs, the chickens have to be parted out like and old chevy and the loin has to be sliced into chops and roasts. I will have to figure out what it actually costs me today. Never know, once I figure in the packaging costs and time spent I may be better off buying from the butcher.
Other than that Gryffin is settling back into the regular routine, sort of. Its been hard since we got back from vacation. And not just for him. I won't go into details since there are some readers that personally know how hard it is for us to leave the desert.
Oh yeah, if you have procrastinated until the last millisecond you may want to think of an exciting weekend of crunching numbers and figuring out how to steal back what the taxman stole from you. Just keep a few things in mind... you cannot deduct your pets as dependants (even though they are), you cannot consider time spent with really irritating people as charitable work (even though it is) and even if you are a stay-at-home mom you can't deduct cleaning supplies, food, crayons and diapers as work related expenses (even though they are).
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I'm taking a lesson from my friend Catherine at www.angelfoodcakeisntacandle.blogspot.com and getting back to my grocery budget challenge. I don't have a per meal, per person breakdown. Believe it or not, I'm not that neurotic (yet). I do have my weekly grocery budget amount of $70, not including meat which I usually get from Sam's. This amount is definately do-able since Mike has cut back on the toilet cleaner. Did you know that Diet Coke makes toilets sparkle? Good battery connector cleaner too. Anyway, that stuff is expensive. Unfortunately, so are fresh fruits and veggies. This really hit me when I was in Arizona last week. Produce there is actually affordable and comes in a wide variety. I'm so jealous. Produce and milk kill our budget but we can't give those up or cut back so other areas will have to feel the pinch. I wish I had better gardening skills and could grow some green beans, broccoli, carrots and baby cucumbers for pickling.
I'll let you know how I do.

Back to freezing...

We returned from Cactus Land to cold and rain. That is ok because we also returned to a couple of very happy to see us dogs and a clean house. (Thanks Chris, you rock!) Since we had some pretty yucky weather while we were gone all of our flowers and hanging plants outside died of hypothermia and will need to be replaced but the grass loved it. Its a vibrant green and thick, Good Luck Jones's!

Vacation was wonderful! Eating Pop's cooking for a week, soaking up sun and watching Gryffin get dirtier than he's ever been all while loving the company of my parents and family. I think the only bad thing about going out there is that I have to come back. Gryffin really, really, really liked it too.

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Airports and flying and lost baggage- Oh my!

Off to follow the yellow security tape road to the Land of Sand. Hopefully I won't run into check-in attendant with a witchy attitude. Although I do plan on hearing, "Pay no attention to the man behind the screener!". Flying monkeys on the other hand, well, I think they're cool. Maybe they could fly my luggage to the plane and Gryffin and I to our gate. But the red slippers, skipping and dancing are definately out of the question. I tripped while carrying Gryffin to bed last night and we both took a tumble through the poppy field. He was over it faster than I was. I'll make it as long as I don't use any bones or muscles connected to my left little toe.
Little boy Gryffin- check
Courage- check
Heart- check
Brain- half a check
Non-ruby but ultra comfy shoes- check
We're off to see the Family, the wonderful Family of AZ!
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Opted for something cheaper...

No Catherine, I didn't get the coffee. Seems I don't have any cash, same ol' same ol'. But I did find a suitable replacement... Sirius 29 Vintage & Now Punk. When you have Social Distortion, Iggy Pop & The Stooges and Misfits cranked so loud even our gaybors with their club hoppin' thump-thump music would be deafend, along with some milk and chocolate chip cookies my mood is much improved. Hey, good thing I have an appointment for hearing aids next week. Might as well get my moneys worth.
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Can you say Grumblewumpus?

That's going to be my name today. I didn't just wake up on the wrong side of the bed, I woke up on the wrong side of the house. There are many contributing factors. The largest being Gryffin waking up at 6:30, 7 I can do but any time before this and I won't wake up human. Another would be that I didn't get as much done yesterday as I needed to. There are other factors but I'm trying not to get too b*tchy.
Thank goodness today is Day Out. On the way home I may stop by The Abbey for a good strong latte with an extra shot. Preferably whiskey, but they don't have a liquer licsense so I'll settle for esspresso. Maybe that will improve my mood and energy level, at least temporarily. Hey, fake it till it feels real, right?

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Appologies, just can't shut my pie hole.

T minus 48 and some odd hours until takeoff. I don't like flying. Correction, I don't like the taking off and landing part. I've had some pretty bad flights in the past. One in particular was filled with turbulance and lightning storms. Lets just say that was the longest prayer session I've ever had. Then there was the one where the guy next to me not only took up his seat but half of mine and smelled like he just came from an all you can eat bean burrito buffet. P-U. But then there have been those wonderful uneventful ones where I can quietly read for three hours. I've learned over the years to wear headphones- even when I'm not listening to music. It keeps the friendly chit chatters next to me from interupting my reading. I figured that out after a flight filled with looking at pictures of some old lady's grandkids. The way she told it they were to be sainted before they even died. Yeah,, yeah, I brag on my kid too but if you don't like it you can always quit reading. You can't just say to some one, 'Please shut your pie hole. Your kids are bratts and I really could care less about hearing of every time they sank a Cheerio'.
This flight I'm a little apprehensive about. You see, last time when Gryffin and I went to Arizona Mike was with us. We could tag team Gryffin. One could rest while the other ran him around in the hopes he would sleep on the plane. Now its just up to me. He has become so independant lately and wants to do everything by himself- including running off. I've seen those lazy, terrible monsters of parents put their kids on leashes and shook my head in disgust at them. That was long before I became a mother. Now I know why they did that and I hate to say it but I have joined their little club. This weekend we all went to Target in search of shorts for me. (Thats another story in and of itself) We came across this little teddy bear back pack that has a leash on the back. Mike and I debated and finally realized this would make my time at the airport less stressful. Hey, it was either that or get the pet cage/carrier. We took Gryffin for a walk yesterday with it on to get him used to it, he actually liked it. That eased my conscience a little.
Today is going to be filled with laundry and packing. Then tomorrow while Gryffin is in Day Out I'm going to try and scrub the house and get groceries for our friend Chris who has been so kind to watch our house and dogs for a week. He is a life saver, at least a furniture and floor saver.
Since Gryffin is cooperating so well by feeding his dinosaurs his breakfast I will tell you of my experience of shorts shopping. Between shoes and shorts, I think I would rather shop for a bikini. It might be less depressing. I'm a curvy girl, at least from the navel down. Clothes for the bottom half have always been a problem. Over the winter I decided that skirts would be a good option for me this summer so I scanned Ebay and bought three. I loved them and they fit perfect- then. Mike told me this weekend that I'm probably the only person in the world that complains about losing weight. Its not the weight loss that bothers me, its the fact that I have to go shopping for clothes that fit. I hate, abhoar, loathe, whatever you want to call it, I don't like shopping. Yesterday Mike made me promise to buy at least two pairs of shorts. He mentioned something about the desert being close to if not over 100 degrees this time of year but all I could hear was the crash landing of our checkbook balance. I gave in. We hit Target. They had some really cute ones that weren't too expensive. Yeah, they were cute alright. Cute on the hanger. I hate when girls wear pants that are so low on the waist when they bend down they look like plumbers. Makes me want to walk up behind them, drop a quarter down their crack and see if music comes out their butt. I've always been of the opinion that hip huggers were not created for people with hips. That was a bust. We then went to Khol's. I also have the problem that I'm too old for Junior and too young for Women's. They really should make clothes for In Betweener's. Mike and Gryffin helped me scan for possibilites. (I never shop for clothes without Mike, he has good taste and consoles me when they don't fit) We found a couple possibilities and low and behold, thanks to their belts, they didn't make my butt look like a jukebox! My seamstress will be dissappointed but I'm happy. Now I have a total of three pairs of shorts for this summer. Looks like I'm going to be a lot of laundry. I would rather do that than go shopping again.
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