Nope, I don't see it...
...are you SURE you got a splinter?
Monday, October 16, 2006
Sunday, October 15, 2006
1st dates are fun...
... 2nd dates are even better!
*grin*
Thanks to Jason for another fantastic date night.
Lots of smiles.
Lots of laughter.
Great company.
Delicious food.
(courtesy of yours truly)
And as always- the goodnight kiss...
(... or two, I didn't keep track)
*smiles*
And since he's such a good sport, a few silly photos for your enjoyment:
And as if this night wasn't already wonderful... check out how blessed I am:
Little miss 'Cheeks' all twisted like a pretzel in her crib with Bear just behind her head in the back round... and yes, you're seeing that right, her face is SMOOOSHED up against the crib rails!
Too cute... G'night baby girl, see you in the morning!
*hugs*
Momma loves you to the moon & back,
the sun & back,
the stars & back,
and CHINA & BACK!
*grin*
Thanks to Jason for another fantastic date night.
Lots of smiles.
Lots of laughter.
Great company.
Delicious food.
(courtesy of yours truly)
And as always- the goodnight kiss...
(... or two, I didn't keep track)
*smiles*
And since he's such a good sport, a few silly photos for your enjoyment:
And as if this night wasn't already wonderful... check out how blessed I am:
Little miss 'Cheeks' all twisted like a pretzel in her crib with Bear just behind her head in the back round... and yes, you're seeing that right, her face is SMOOOSHED up against the crib rails!
Too cute... G'night baby girl, see you in the morning!
*hugs*
Momma loves you to the moon & back,
the sun & back,
the stars & back,
and CHINA & BACK!
Friday, October 13, 2006
Who Knew?!?
Ok, so this was me tonight, nothing fancy right? Well, I went out with Ruby to Toys R Us to get a gift for my niece's birthday party on Sunday & honestly, I must've looked cute or SOMETHING (perhaps it was the pheromone oil I was wearing...) BUT this REALLY CUTE SINGLE ITALIAN FATHER was seriously flirting with me for quite some time while his son Michael was checking out the many dinosaurs!
If I had known that Toys R Us was the place to be for single parents on a Friday night, WELL HELL, I'd have gone there AGES AGO!
No bars for me, T.R.U. is the new HOT SPOT PEOPLE!
*giggling*
hehehehe It was fun though, AND he not only was completely flirty, but followed me out, went in the same lane as me, followed me to the car with his son and said to him "Now Michael, say goodnight to the nice lady" and I smiled & said " the nice lady has a name, hi, I'm Amy..."
And daddy smiled & said to his son "Michael, say goodnight to Amy..." which he promptly did and the dad smiled a million dollar smile at me & even drove out in the direction I was headed. It was fun... and NO I didn't get his name cuz he didn't offer it & honestly, I know I could've gotten it had I wanted to but really I was more interested to see how brave he'd be... not as much as I'd have liked but it's ok. If you've flirted with one cute single dad in T.R.U. , then clearly the opportunity for another meeting with perhaps an even cuter dad lies ahead.
I AM GONNA LOVE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING THIS YEAR!
*might get started early*
(evilgrin)
HEHEHEHEHE
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
If I had known that Toys R Us was the place to be for single parents on a Friday night, WELL HELL, I'd have gone there AGES AGO!
No bars for me, T.R.U. is the new HOT SPOT PEOPLE!
*giggling*
hehehehe It was fun though, AND he not only was completely flirty, but followed me out, went in the same lane as me, followed me to the car with his son and said to him "Now Michael, say goodnight to the nice lady" and I smiled & said " the nice lady has a name, hi, I'm Amy..."
And daddy smiled & said to his son "Michael, say goodnight to Amy..." which he promptly did and the dad smiled a million dollar smile at me & even drove out in the direction I was headed. It was fun... and NO I didn't get his name cuz he didn't offer it & honestly, I know I could've gotten it had I wanted to but really I was more interested to see how brave he'd be... not as much as I'd have liked but it's ok. If you've flirted with one cute single dad in T.R.U. , then clearly the opportunity for another meeting with perhaps an even cuter dad lies ahead.
I AM GONNA LOVE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING THIS YEAR!
*might get started early*
(evilgrin)
HEHEHEHEHE
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Am I the ONLY one?
OK, so I sign on to get my email & of the thirty or so in my in-box, only TWO are from actual friends & are actual emails. There are about a dozen or so 'junk' mails that I don't even bother reading, and then there's another dozen or so from friends but look like they might be forwards and only after 'clicking' on them do I see that yes, they are indeed forwards, WHICH I HATE!
Listen, I love my friends, I do, all of you very much BUT PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S GOOD & HOLY STOP SENDING ME FORWARDS!
I don't read them, they just piss me off & keep in mind I've been online since I was 18 years old & have already SEEN THEM ALL at least a hundred times over!
Seriously, all day long I have to do baby things with baby toys and baby babbles, and baby bottles, complete with twin babies & one toddler etc...
By the TIME I actually get a minute to get to my computer, I don't want to be bothered with forwards about things I could care less about. What makes me smile & happy to be at the computer are actual emails from friends about every day things, like what they did or are going to do today or what they have planned for this weekend, or a simple "Hey Amy, how are you & Ruby doing? etc..."
Why is it that EVERYONE I know admits to HATING forwards & DELETING them but never has the nuts to just say to everyone in general to just STOP THE INSANITY & omit them from their 'FORWARD' list of recipients?
I'm going on record right now to publicly ask that they stop, today.
I can't stop the ones from strangers, so be it, that's what the delete key is for, but I shouldn't have to constantly delete mail from friends... because after all, if it's a letter from a friend, it's content should be a little more heartfelt than just another ' forward'...
Listen, I love my friends, I do, all of you very much BUT PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S GOOD & HOLY STOP SENDING ME FORWARDS!
I don't read them, they just piss me off & keep in mind I've been online since I was 18 years old & have already SEEN THEM ALL at least a hundred times over!
Seriously, all day long I have to do baby things with baby toys and baby babbles, and baby bottles, complete with twin babies & one toddler etc...
By the TIME I actually get a minute to get to my computer, I don't want to be bothered with forwards about things I could care less about. What makes me smile & happy to be at the computer are actual emails from friends about every day things, like what they did or are going to do today or what they have planned for this weekend, or a simple "Hey Amy, how are you & Ruby doing? etc..."
Why is it that EVERYONE I know admits to HATING forwards & DELETING them but never has the nuts to just say to everyone in general to just STOP THE INSANITY & omit them from their 'FORWARD' list of recipients?
I'm going on record right now to publicly ask that they stop, today.
I can't stop the ones from strangers, so be it, that's what the delete key is for, but I shouldn't have to constantly delete mail from friends... because after all, if it's a letter from a friend, it's content should be a little more heartfelt than just another ' forward'...
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Creepy ass dreams...
... ok, so for the second time last night I had a terrifying horrible nightmare to the point of waking up completely soaked from head to toe in terror sweat & panic mode was on high alert.
What, you may ask, was this terrible dream that scared the bejesus out of me?
Twice now I've dreamt that I've lost Ruby in a crowd. First one she got away from me at the mall & I couldn't find her, period.
And last night's number was us getting off a flight somewhere (who knows where) and she ran ahead of me & as I booked it after her to get her (you can never run as fast as you need to in dreams, PERIOD!) I never manage to get caught up and only pass by her cabbage patch doll underneath a first class seat. In a PANIC I haul ass into the airport where it's just business as usual & nobody seems to know where the 'crazy lunatics' baby has disappeared to. Furthermore, nobody seems to be the least bit sympathetic with me as I'm screaming & crying so much I'm barely able to make sense verbally.
I woke up this morning at @4am from this nightmare & RAN into Ruby's room to find her peacefully sleeping in her crib.
Same thing with the last one as well, ran like a loon into her bedroom & same deal, peacefully sleeping Ruby Cheeks in bed with Bear.
WHY? then am I having such shitty ass dreams/nightmares?
I don't know but I'll tell you one thing, they best stop & SOON cuz it's getting to the point where I don't even want to leave the house with her for fear that she's going to get away from me. (& those of you who KNOW me KNOW THAT THAT IS JUST GARBAGE because I've nannied MULTIPLE children all my life & kept ALL OF THEM in check regardless of where we were & the mall, a restaurant, outside walking down a busy street on a small sidewalk, etc... I always kept ALL CHILDREN safe & accounted for and did so without the use of dog leashes etc...)
I've been known to have dreams that almost always come true eventually (within a month or so) so knowing that makes me ever more cautious of these ugly numbers.
Anyone else out there have those horrible nightmarish type dreams that send you reeling into your child's room?
(please tell me I'm not the only one...)
What, you may ask, was this terrible dream that scared the bejesus out of me?
Twice now I've dreamt that I've lost Ruby in a crowd. First one she got away from me at the mall & I couldn't find her, period.
And last night's number was us getting off a flight somewhere (who knows where) and she ran ahead of me & as I booked it after her to get her (you can never run as fast as you need to in dreams, PERIOD!) I never manage to get caught up and only pass by her cabbage patch doll underneath a first class seat. In a PANIC I haul ass into the airport where it's just business as usual & nobody seems to know where the 'crazy lunatics' baby has disappeared to. Furthermore, nobody seems to be the least bit sympathetic with me as I'm screaming & crying so much I'm barely able to make sense verbally.
I woke up this morning at @4am from this nightmare & RAN into Ruby's room to find her peacefully sleeping in her crib.
Same thing with the last one as well, ran like a loon into her bedroom & same deal, peacefully sleeping Ruby Cheeks in bed with Bear.
WHY? then am I having such shitty ass dreams/nightmares?
I don't know but I'll tell you one thing, they best stop & SOON cuz it's getting to the point where I don't even want to leave the house with her for fear that she's going to get away from me. (& those of you who KNOW me KNOW THAT THAT IS JUST GARBAGE because I've nannied MULTIPLE children all my life & kept ALL OF THEM in check regardless of where we were & the mall, a restaurant, outside walking down a busy street on a small sidewalk, etc... I always kept ALL CHILDREN safe & accounted for and did so without the use of dog leashes etc...)
I've been known to have dreams that almost always come true eventually (within a month or so) so knowing that makes me ever more cautious of these ugly numbers.
Anyone else out there have those horrible nightmarish type dreams that send you reeling into your child's room?
(please tell me I'm not the only one...)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Played my Mom Card... *update*
Today Ruby had her 2 year old checkup at the doctors.
(albeit a month late...)
Everything was going swimmingly... she's 28 lbs, her height is 35 1/4 inches, and she's in all the right percentiles for everything. Great? Great!
Then, comes the phlebotomist...
... not. so. much.
(thought Ruby)
This is when the 'Mom' card comes into play.
I politely told our lovely 'woman holding butterfly needle' that she gets ONE SHOT (literally & figuratively) to get this done. It works, kudos to her.
It doesn't, we're done & Ruby's getting dressed & we're out like trout.
She gave me sort of a 'funny' look & said " well, we really need this blood to run 'a,b,c' tests... blah blah blah."
I smiled back at her & said again: " I understand that & can appreciate that, however, you can then understand & appreciate that my mind is made up & I've told you how I feel. Ruby isn't a pin cushion, period."
(one pin cushion in this house is enough and I'd rather it be ME not my daughter...)
She gets into position, as I have to physically pin my daughter down on the exam table while she's screaming bloody murder. Add to this scene a student nurse there for observation blah blah blah... recipe for disaster, and I know this.
She wipes with alcohol, swabs the area dry & in goes said butterfly, and out comes the most heinous sound from my daughter. She opened her mouth so wide I do believe I saw down to her toes. My right ear was right next to said cavernous opening & the sound was piercing.
I'm sorry, what's that? I can't hear you now as I'm temporarily deaf in my right ear.
One shot, butterfly being moved & jiggled inside my daughter's arm... nurse trying skillfully to 'get it done'...
not working.
Kept wiggling without actually poking her again, which to me, is a deal breaker. One shot, means just that, ONE SHOT.
Don't be wiggling all around inside her poking her INSIDES repeatedly, cuz whether it's topically poking her or internally poking her, IT'S STILL POKING HER & HURTING LIKE HELL!
Both her AND ME at this point!
No mother ever wants to see their child in pain.
So I looked straight into butterfly woman's eyes & said very sternly: "That's enough..."
She tried the, " well let me just try this one little area... blah blah"
I reached over & grabbed her wrist and said
"No. I said that is enough. Pull the needle out, your one shot is more than done."
Dirty looks & screaming snotty sweaty child later & we're out the door & headed home.
As I type this little miss Ruby'cheeks is sound asleep in Momma's bed nose to nose with her beloved Bear. She didn't want her pack & play, she didn't want her crib, she just kept quietly sobbing "momma bed, momma bed..."
so, 'momma bed' it is.
Because 'momma loves her little girl' more than words exist to elaborate on the subject.
And as far as the tests go?
They can wait...
*Ruby is no stranger to having her blood drawn. Upon our arrival home from China, we went into Boston & they took 11 vials of blood... ELEVEN!
Needless to say... she remembers.
(albeit a month late...)
Everything was going swimmingly... she's 28 lbs, her height is 35 1/4 inches, and she's in all the right percentiles for everything. Great? Great!
Then, comes the phlebotomist...
... not. so. much.
(thought Ruby)
This is when the 'Mom' card comes into play.
I politely told our lovely 'woman holding butterfly needle' that she gets ONE SHOT (literally & figuratively) to get this done. It works, kudos to her.
It doesn't, we're done & Ruby's getting dressed & we're out like trout.
She gave me sort of a 'funny' look & said " well, we really need this blood to run 'a,b,c' tests... blah blah blah."
I smiled back at her & said again: " I understand that & can appreciate that, however, you can then understand & appreciate that my mind is made up & I've told you how I feel. Ruby isn't a pin cushion, period."
(one pin cushion in this house is enough and I'd rather it be ME not my daughter...)
She gets into position, as I have to physically pin my daughter down on the exam table while she's screaming bloody murder. Add to this scene a student nurse there for observation blah blah blah... recipe for disaster, and I know this.
She wipes with alcohol, swabs the area dry & in goes said butterfly, and out comes the most heinous sound from my daughter. She opened her mouth so wide I do believe I saw down to her toes. My right ear was right next to said cavernous opening & the sound was piercing.
I'm sorry, what's that? I can't hear you now as I'm temporarily deaf in my right ear.
One shot, butterfly being moved & jiggled inside my daughter's arm... nurse trying skillfully to 'get it done'...
not working.
Kept wiggling without actually poking her again, which to me, is a deal breaker. One shot, means just that, ONE SHOT.
Don't be wiggling all around inside her poking her INSIDES repeatedly, cuz whether it's topically poking her or internally poking her, IT'S STILL POKING HER & HURTING LIKE HELL!
Both her AND ME at this point!
No mother ever wants to see their child in pain.
So I looked straight into butterfly woman's eyes & said very sternly: "That's enough..."
She tried the, " well let me just try this one little area... blah blah"
I reached over & grabbed her wrist and said
"No. I said that is enough. Pull the needle out, your one shot is more than done."
Dirty looks & screaming snotty sweaty child later & we're out the door & headed home.
As I type this little miss Ruby'cheeks is sound asleep in Momma's bed nose to nose with her beloved Bear. She didn't want her pack & play, she didn't want her crib, she just kept quietly sobbing "momma bed, momma bed..."
so, 'momma bed' it is.
Because 'momma loves her little girl' more than words exist to elaborate on the subject.
And as far as the tests go?
They can wait...
*Ruby is no stranger to having her blood drawn. Upon our arrival home from China, we went into Boston & they took 11 vials of blood... ELEVEN!
Needless to say... she remembers.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Mexican chocolate? *UPDATE* (X's 2)
Ok, don't ask but tonight as I was farting around online, I decided to go to google images & see if I could find any pics of my OLD FAVORITE CANDYBAR:
Hershey's BarNone
OMG IT WAS THE BEST!
Layers of chocolate wafer cookies held together with layers of chocolate fudge all drenched in a blanket of more chocolate.
It was a CHOCOHOLICS DREAM!
*a diabetic's nightmare*
LOL
So I come across a few pictures of my beloved MIA treat & one of them took me HERE!
I have no words... I live in the greatest country in the world & all Hershey's has for me is an impromptu' road trip south of the border if I need my chocolate fix?
C'mon hershey... you're gonna have to do better than that!
All the thousands of dollars us americans spend annually on chocolate and not only just chocolate, but specifically from the big 'H' and they can't bring back one simple little candybar?
Not good enough!
And speaking of candybars that are MIA, whatever happened to my CHUNKY bar?
Man, now I want some chocoalte.
PISSAH!
Psst... hey Donna, you mean this little number?
Actually never heard of it but it looks good!
*drool*
Is it bad that I KNOW I have halloween candy in my house & am tempted to get myself one right now?
Nope, can't do it... gotta save it for the little munchkins come the 31st.
UGH!
** Ok, here is what I found out so far:
Sadly I first found a list of all the DISCONTINUED TREATS & your beloved milkyway was among them. *the pic I posted I found through google/images, just was the box for sale on ebay I believe, not actual bars*
I then did more searching on google & found out that your bar was originally produced by a company by the name of "Hollywood Brands".
Here's what I found out about them:
"Hollywood Brands" candy bars made a bar called the Milkshake. Hollywoods Brands sold to Leaf then to Hershey's. The Milkshake is currently discontinued, unfortunately.
-BUT-
Next, I found this site where you can not only take a trip down CANDY MEMORY LANE BUT you can ORDER any of the items they have listed!
Not too shabby even if I couldn't manage to find you your delicious childhood favorite...
I'm sorry, I tried...
(do I at least get an "A" for effort?)
Hershey's BarNone
OMG IT WAS THE BEST!
Layers of chocolate wafer cookies held together with layers of chocolate fudge all drenched in a blanket of more chocolate.
It was a CHOCOHOLICS DREAM!
*a diabetic's nightmare*
LOL
So I come across a few pictures of my beloved MIA treat & one of them took me HERE!
I have no words... I live in the greatest country in the world & all Hershey's has for me is an impromptu' road trip south of the border if I need my chocolate fix?
C'mon hershey... you're gonna have to do better than that!
All the thousands of dollars us americans spend annually on chocolate and not only just chocolate, but specifically from the big 'H' and they can't bring back one simple little candybar?
Not good enough!
And speaking of candybars that are MIA, whatever happened to my CHUNKY bar?
Man, now I want some chocoalte.
PISSAH!
Psst... hey Donna, you mean this little number?
Actually never heard of it but it looks good!*drool*
Is it bad that I KNOW I have halloween candy in my house & am tempted to get myself one right now?
Nope, can't do it... gotta save it for the little munchkins come the 31st.
UGH!
** Ok, here is what I found out so far:
Sadly I first found a list of all the DISCONTINUED TREATS & your beloved milkyway was among them. *the pic I posted I found through google/images, just was the box for sale on ebay I believe, not actual bars*
I then did more searching on google & found out that your bar was originally produced by a company by the name of "Hollywood Brands".
Here's what I found out about them:
"Hollywood Brands" candy bars made a bar called the Milkshake. Hollywoods Brands sold to Leaf then to Hershey's. The Milkshake is currently discontinued, unfortunately.
-BUT-
Next, I found this site where you can not only take a trip down CANDY MEMORY LANE BUT you can ORDER any of the items they have listed!
Not too shabby even if I couldn't manage to find you your delicious childhood favorite...
I'm sorry, I tried...
(do I at least get an "A" for effort?)
Sunday, October 08, 2006
GOOD TIMES! ***UPDATED***
Ruby & I are headed out today to her first visit EVER to one of my favorite places on earth!
THE TOPSFIELD FAIR!
It's america's oldest agricultural fair!
And, despite the fact that I'm sick as a dog with probably the worlds WORST cold & cough ever... WE'RE GOING!
Because I promised my daughter last night that as long as Momma didn't wake up with a fever, we were 'GO' for the FAIR!
So...
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
(pictures later I'm sure...)
This is my girl on the way to the fair. Let's just say the traffic was WORSE THAN IN CHINA.
Nuff said?
But because we drove slow enough, we were free to not only enjoy the scenery, but also to take PICTURES of it!
*evilgrin*
Here we are finally at the fair & wouldn't you know it, my camera is being MOODY!
So, the color on this pic is crap but WE'RE CUTE even in distorted colors!
*grin*
Isn't this hat neat? It's hand knit from Alpaca wool! IT WAS SO TOASTY, but also SO EXPENSIVE! Since I couldn't afford to buy it, I figured I'd take a pic of me IN IT just to remember it. hehehe Yes, I am retarded.
Here are the beautiful clydesdale's... took these pics specifically for Ruby's Aunt Catherine!
*even though she won't see them for a few till her computer gets fixed*
Here's the largest pumpkin on the north shore... this bad boy weighed in at 1,347.5!!
That's one hell of pumpkin pie just WAITING to be made!
Awwww, why is it that all of a sudden I'm craving a burger?
This is 'Tom'.
He's a little pissed off because someone walking by casually mentioned the 'T' word...
Sorry Tom, but you'll look GREAT with some gravy, stuffing & cranberry sauce my friend!
All this talk about food had made my girl a little hungry... how's that popcorn baby?
Ruby points out something to me, and I look up and what do I see?
Dozens of crazy people flying a buck 20 over my HEAD!
Excellent... PLEASE DON'T FALL ON ME!
And after that? CANDY FOR DESSERT!
*not sure if you can make out that one in the front one in from the right,
but it says 'boston baked beans'*
& they're YUMMY TOO!
The bandstand was alive with music and miss Ruby & me danced till our feet hurt!
This is a phenominal site to see, this is ACTUAL SAND and an ACTUAL HAND CRAFTED SAND CASTLE!!! Man, that thing is there every year & ever year it never ceases to amaze the shit out of me! TALENTED PEOPLE THAT'S FOR SURE!
Other things that are there every year... THIS HIDEOUS MANNEQUIN!
Thing SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME EVERY YEAR & you'd think that EVENTUALLY I'd REMEMBER that it's FAKE & NOT REAL!
*not so much*
Jumped a MILE, AGAIN!
*sigh*
My girl's FIRST OFFICIAL Topsfield Fair T-shirt.
*I bought this TWO YEARS AGO knowing that SOMEDAY, \
I'd have a daughter to put it on*
*smile*
This year, I bought her a blue one in the next size up for NEXT YEARS FAIR!
hehehehe
But perhaps I'll have to find her a new pair of specs, this time tinted blue to match!
And last but not least, what better way for miss Ruby to end her first visit to the fair,
then with a spin around the carousel with her favorite uncle Steve!
THE TOPSFIELD FAIR!
It's america's oldest agricultural fair!
And, despite the fact that I'm sick as a dog with probably the worlds WORST cold & cough ever... WE'RE GOING!
Because I promised my daughter last night that as long as Momma didn't wake up with a fever, we were 'GO' for the FAIR!
So...
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
(pictures later I'm sure...)
This is my girl on the way to the fair. Let's just say the traffic was WORSE THAN IN CHINA.Nuff said?
But because we drove slow enough, we were free to not only enjoy the scenery, but also to take PICTURES of it!*evilgrin*
Here we are finally at the fair & wouldn't you know it, my camera is being MOODY!So, the color on this pic is crap but WE'RE CUTE even in distorted colors!
*grin*
Isn't this hat neat? It's hand knit from Alpaca wool! IT WAS SO TOASTY, but also SO EXPENSIVE! Since I couldn't afford to buy it, I figured I'd take a pic of me IN IT just to remember it. hehehe Yes, I am retarded.
Here are the beautiful clydesdale's... took these pics specifically for Ruby's Aunt Catherine!
*even though she won't see them for a few till her computer gets fixed*
Here's the largest pumpkin on the north shore... this bad boy weighed in at 1,347.5!!That's one hell of pumpkin pie just WAITING to be made!
Awwww, why is it that all of a sudden I'm craving a burger?
This is 'Tom'.
He's a little pissed off because someone walking by casually mentioned the 'T' word...
Sorry Tom, but you'll look GREAT with some gravy, stuffing & cranberry sauce my friend!
All this talk about food had made my girl a little hungry... how's that popcorn baby?
Ruby points out something to me, and I look up and what do I see?
Dozens of crazy people flying a buck 20 over my HEAD!
Excellent... PLEASE DON'T FALL ON ME!
And after that? CANDY FOR DESSERT!*not sure if you can make out that one in the front one in from the right,
but it says 'boston baked beans'*
& they're YUMMY TOO!
The bandstand was alive with music and miss Ruby & me danced till our feet hurt!
This is a phenominal site to see, this is ACTUAL SAND and an ACTUAL HAND CRAFTED SAND CASTLE!!! Man, that thing is there every year & ever year it never ceases to amaze the shit out of me! TALENTED PEOPLE THAT'S FOR SURE!
Other things that are there every year... THIS HIDEOUS MANNEQUIN!Thing SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME EVERY YEAR & you'd think that EVENTUALLY I'd REMEMBER that it's FAKE & NOT REAL!
*not so much*
Jumped a MILE, AGAIN!
*sigh*
My girl's FIRST OFFICIAL Topsfield Fair T-shirt.
*I bought this TWO YEARS AGO knowing that SOMEDAY, \
I'd have a daughter to put it on*
*smile*
This year, I bought her a blue one in the next size up for NEXT YEARS FAIR!
hehehehe
But perhaps I'll have to find her a new pair of specs, this time tinted blue to match!
And last but not least, what better way for miss Ruby to end her first visit to the fair,then with a spin around the carousel with her favorite uncle Steve!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Another finished project...
... and just in time to surprise my little Niecie Doo with this for her birthday!
(Oct 11th.)
Happy Birthday my little Niecie Dooney! Auntie LOVES YOU!
(Oct 11th.)
Happy Birthday my little Niecie Dooney! Auntie LOVES YOU!
A what on my head... ?
... a DIAPER?!#$%?
Well how in the HECK did THAT get there?!?#$#$%
Well how in the HECK did THAT get there?!?#$#$%
Ok, that's enough now...
C'mon Ma, gimmie the camera!
QUIT IT!
Ugh, here we go again with more 'together' pics.Momma, I love you but... HONESTLY!
*sigh*
(Wish they had a diaper big enough to fit your large bean! TURN ABOUT'S FAIR PLAY LADY!)
*sigh*
(Wish they had a diaper big enough to fit your large bean! TURN ABOUT'S FAIR PLAY LADY!)
Tazmanian Devil's got NOTHING on my twins!
And this is only after about a 20 minutes... LOL
If I had a tub I'd say this is a 'calgon' moment...
but since I don't, I'll settle for a hot shower & 3 napping children.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Questions to test your limits...
... answer them all, answer none, answer just a few, answer only one, whatever you're comfortable with. Being honest with yourself is brave, being honest with yourself in a shared public forum is heroic. Where are my heros?
What is the single greatest act of kindness you have ever received from a stranger?
What one experience do you most desire that you haven't yet had?
What do you hate most about ambitious people? And like most?
What is your biggest pet peeve?
What experience do you have the greatest fear of?
What part of your day-to-day life requires the most patience?
When were you most and least selfish?
What's the wildest thing you've ever done in public?
What is the thing you're best at?
When was the time that you could least believe your eyes?
What was the biggest bridge you've ever burned?
What makes you most nervous?
What is your biggest contribution to the world?
What are you most greedy for?
What one natural thing would you most like to see?
What is the single most beautiful word in your language?
What's the best hiding place you know?
Whose absence have you felt most in your life?
What was the best wish you ever had come true?
What is the best gift you ever received?
What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?
What's the best thing you've ever tasted?
What experience has made you wisest?
Who is the person you find hardest to please?
Who is the person you are most candid with?
Who is the person you can most easily anger?
Where was the farthest from home that you've ever felt? And actually been?
When were you happiest to come home?
What is the single greatest act of kindness you have ever received from a stranger?
What one experience do you most desire that you haven't yet had?
What do you hate most about ambitious people? And like most?
What is your biggest pet peeve?
What experience do you have the greatest fear of?
What part of your day-to-day life requires the most patience?
When were you most and least selfish?
What's the wildest thing you've ever done in public?
What is the thing you're best at?
When was the time that you could least believe your eyes?
What was the biggest bridge you've ever burned?
What makes you most nervous?
What is your biggest contribution to the world?
What are you most greedy for?
What makes you lose your temper most easily?
What one natural thing would you most like to see?
What is the single most beautiful word in your language?
What's the best hiding place you know?
Whose absence have you felt most in your life?
What was the best wish you ever had come true?
What is the best gift you ever received?
What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?
What's the best thing you've ever tasted?
What experience has made you wisest?
Who is the person you find hardest to please?
Who is the person you are most candid with?
Who is the person you can most easily anger?
Where was the farthest from home that you've ever felt? And actually been?
When were you happiest to come home?
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Telemarketers are Comcastic...
Ok, so weirdest thing yesterday...
My house phone rings, it's 'unknown name, unknown number'
so I thought 'eh, probably a telemarketer' but I answered anyway.
The woman on the phone (henceforth known as S.B. *stupid bitch*) says...
S.B.: "hi, is this Miss Belanger?"
I was like "huh?"
S.B.:"yes, is this Miss Belanger?"
I said "Uh, NO... there's nobody here by that name..."
S.B.:"well, are you sure? I have Lisa Belanger at this number..."
I said "uh, I should hope I'm quite aware of who is & isn't in my own home thank you very much. What is this concerning anyway?"
S.B.: " Oh, she had an appointment for us to come set up her comcast cable & had the appointment cancelled & we just wanted to know why she cancelled..."
I said "well that's very interesting EXCEPT Lisa Belanger does NOT LIVE HERE!" (clearly stupid people work for comcast...)
S.B.: "Well could you check?"
I was like, "I'm sorry? Did you just ask if I could 'check'?"
S.B.: "Yes Maam, that's correct."
I hung up.
I honestly have the patience of a SAINT when it comes to most things... animals, children, family, most neighbors, select strangers etc... but THIS WAS JUST TOO MUCH!
And here's the kicker, I actually HAVE A FRIEND NAMED LISA BELANGER! Well, she was Lisa Belanger but she has since married & she took her wife's last name so she is no longer Lisa Belanger but still, even if she WAS, she's never once lived here in my home.
And let's take this one step further, let's say that at one time she DID live here with me (which she didn't)... if I say to S.B. that "No she does not live here" that should suffice, yes? One would think.
And then you dumb asses at comcast wonder why people cancel their appointments with you for service? Sadly, that should be painfully obvious!
Must've been 'weirdo Wednesday'... good times.
heh
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
A true mixed bag of fun...
... eh, well maybe not really 'fun' but a mixed bag for sure.
What exactly am I talking about, you ask?
MS.
Somedays I wake up with my hands completely all pins & needles, others it's both arms with no feeling at all.
Sometimes I stumble when I try to walk, talk, move etc.
Others I wake up feeling like I could run a marathon in
'make believe fat people can jog too' world.
(and no we don't all wear spandex there...)
It's silly cuz it's shitty & uneventful & frusterating & invisible to the average 'people watcher', but it's here, like it or hate it... it's mine.
Subcutaneous weekly shots & all.
This bad boy's all mine.
Short term memory loss,
constant feeling being overheated,
drinking water so much that I must pee a zillion times a day...
the list goes on.
On days when I actually use my handicapped placard for parking, and people watch me get out of the car without assistance and walk 'somewhat normally' into wherever it is I was headed, I feel their stare upon me. Feel them silently judging me based soley on appearances.
Probably thinking to themselves:
"Ugh, look at her! She isn't handicapped! She's probably just too lazy from being fat so she parks there. I hate those people!"
And then I carefully mount my placard atop the rearview mirror & all their silent judgemental thoughts they so quickly formed of me begin to slowly drip off their guilt ridden faces with a snails pace as they desperately try to avoid my gaze.
Shame on them.
Shame on everone who judges another in haste, just because.
Is their life so perfect that they can stand there & judge mine?
No, it's not.
Did they think for a second that maybe, just maybe, I've made monumental achievments in my 34 years so far? That perhaps maybe this 'fat girl' used to be much heavier but actually got off my ass enough to drop 80lbs?
Probably not.
Because that would require them to use those brain cells
they wasted on the cheap pot their friends sold them.
God forbid.
Nope, people are unfortunately creatures of habit & some things undoubtedly never change.
What does change, however, is my beautiful little girl.
I was watching Ruby play today, as she does every day, by running around the house, giggling, kissing (making out with) Bear, stacking blocks, doing puzzles, bringing me book after book to read, the typical daily moments of a not so typical toddler.
She smiled about a million times, she held my hand on & off just because & without being prompted from me.
She talks a blue streak when she thinks I'm not within ear shot, she loves to have 'white trash onesie time' while wearing only her ladybug rain boots & a smile.
(I love white trash onsie time, someday I'll capture it in a photo...)
She eats salad and meatloaf & loves mashed potatos and pickles...
... and she's my daughter.
All that beautiful, wonderful, amazing person is in this perfectly adorable package otherwise known as Ruby Cate.
I see her play & wonder to myself, "how long before she starts to notice when Momma stumbles on her steps or her words or her movement?
Will it matter to her that other children in the world have two parents instead of just one, like her?
Will it matter to her that her Momma has MS and other childrens Momma's are 'normal' ?
(an ugly little word I hate but we'll use it for now since it's late and I don't have the energy to make clever substitutions at the moment...)
If I teach Ruby nothing else, I hope to God I teach her self love, & acceptance & respect for herself & for others. Regardless of how they appear on the outside.
Everyone has a story to tell.
She'll have hers & I hope one day she'll learn
to sit still long enough to listen to someone else tell theirs.
I want her to know that you never judge a person till you've walked a mile in their shoes, and that to laugh is the best medicine there is.
I'm just afraid for the moment that once I make such a comment, she'll come back with:
"Momma, if laughter is the best medicine, then why isn't your MS going away?
We laugh all the time!"
If it were only that simple baby girl...
Momma would make it so.
This post is to remind everyone to think before you judge, or better yet, don't judge at all.
Life is too short for stupid shit like that... just smile alot,
stop & smell the flowers, do a random act of kindness just because, and treat others the way you want to be treated.
So, tonight, MS is my story... what's yours?
And no chance at saying you don't have one, because I just said, we ALL have a story to tell...
So, be brave because I want to hear some of yours!
So, find your courage, take a deep breath & click that comment button & share a piece of yourself...
(I'll go get the popcorn...)
What exactly am I talking about, you ask?
MS.
Somedays I wake up with my hands completely all pins & needles, others it's both arms with no feeling at all.
Sometimes I stumble when I try to walk, talk, move etc.
Others I wake up feeling like I could run a marathon in
'make believe fat people can jog too' world.
(and no we don't all wear spandex there...)
It's silly cuz it's shitty & uneventful & frusterating & invisible to the average 'people watcher', but it's here, like it or hate it... it's mine.
Subcutaneous weekly shots & all.
This bad boy's all mine.
Short term memory loss,
constant feeling being overheated,
drinking water so much that I must pee a zillion times a day...
the list goes on.
On days when I actually use my handicapped placard for parking, and people watch me get out of the car without assistance and walk 'somewhat normally' into wherever it is I was headed, I feel their stare upon me. Feel them silently judging me based soley on appearances.
Probably thinking to themselves:
"Ugh, look at her! She isn't handicapped! She's probably just too lazy from being fat so she parks there. I hate those people!"
And then I carefully mount my placard atop the rearview mirror & all their silent judgemental thoughts they so quickly formed of me begin to slowly drip off their guilt ridden faces with a snails pace as they desperately try to avoid my gaze.
Shame on them.
Shame on everone who judges another in haste, just because.
Is their life so perfect that they can stand there & judge mine?
No, it's not.
Did they think for a second that maybe, just maybe, I've made monumental achievments in my 34 years so far? That perhaps maybe this 'fat girl' used to be much heavier but actually got off my ass enough to drop 80lbs?
Probably not.
Because that would require them to use those brain cells
they wasted on the cheap pot their friends sold them.
God forbid.
Nope, people are unfortunately creatures of habit & some things undoubtedly never change.
What does change, however, is my beautiful little girl.
I was watching Ruby play today, as she does every day, by running around the house, giggling, kissing (making out with) Bear, stacking blocks, doing puzzles, bringing me book after book to read, the typical daily moments of a not so typical toddler.
She smiled about a million times, she held my hand on & off just because & without being prompted from me.
She talks a blue streak when she thinks I'm not within ear shot, she loves to have 'white trash onesie time' while wearing only her ladybug rain boots & a smile.
(I love white trash onsie time, someday I'll capture it in a photo...)
She eats salad and meatloaf & loves mashed potatos and pickles...
... and she's my daughter.
All that beautiful, wonderful, amazing person is in this perfectly adorable package otherwise known as Ruby Cate.
I see her play & wonder to myself, "how long before she starts to notice when Momma stumbles on her steps or her words or her movement?
Will it matter to her that other children in the world have two parents instead of just one, like her?
Will it matter to her that her Momma has MS and other childrens Momma's are 'normal' ?
(an ugly little word I hate but we'll use it for now since it's late and I don't have the energy to make clever substitutions at the moment...)
If I teach Ruby nothing else, I hope to God I teach her self love, & acceptance & respect for herself & for others. Regardless of how they appear on the outside.
Everyone has a story to tell.
She'll have hers & I hope one day she'll learn
to sit still long enough to listen to someone else tell theirs.
I want her to know that you never judge a person till you've walked a mile in their shoes, and that to laugh is the best medicine there is.
I'm just afraid for the moment that once I make such a comment, she'll come back with:
"Momma, if laughter is the best medicine, then why isn't your MS going away?
We laugh all the time!"
If it were only that simple baby girl...
Momma would make it so.
This post is to remind everyone to think before you judge, or better yet, don't judge at all.
Life is too short for stupid shit like that... just smile alot,
stop & smell the flowers, do a random act of kindness just because, and treat others the way you want to be treated.
So, tonight, MS is my story... what's yours?
And no chance at saying you don't have one, because I just said, we ALL have a story to tell...
So, be brave because I want to hear some of yours!
So, find your courage, take a deep breath & click that comment button & share a piece of yourself...
(I'll go get the popcorn...)
Monday, October 02, 2006
Knitting & Math don't mix!
Ok, so it's come to my attention that several of you admire my knitting technique, which in all honesty, although flattering, is hysterical to me since I a.) only learned to knit last year & b.) ONLY know the knit stitch. LOL
My scarves are pretty yes, but so very simple it's outrageous!
Now, that said, if you like what I can do then hey, yeah me, right?
If people really are interested in buying a scarf for themselves, what else can I do but say... OK!
Just know that I only ever knit with This Yarn and it's obviously an easier faster project if it's one solid color.
If you want a scarf with multiple colors, it takes a tad bit more effort & time.
Also, the colors listed on the lion brand home page, however adorable & plenty, aren't always available at A.C.Moore which is where I go to get them.
The best way to get a truly unique & beautiful scarf is to just give me a few ideas for colors that you'd like together & let me pick the ones that go best with what you've described you'd ultimately like.
Trust me, I'm nothing else if not creative with an eye for what works well together.
As for the 'loopy fringe', I don't always do that... I have done a few scarves with loose end fringe but it tends to 'fray' & fast so it may end up looking messy, which is why I prefer the loopy fringe.
Now, there's the issue of what to charge. Like my post suggests, knitting & math really DON'T mix, but I'll do my best to be honest & fair with this whole thing... let's see:
The yarn is about $5 a skein, so depending on the colors you want & how many skein's I'll have to buy, it could be a cheap scarf but it could get costly if you want multiple colors. It takes about 2 to 3 days for me to crank out a solid color scarf and then the fringe usually takes an evening with some good old fashioned TiVo to go with it.
All in all I'd say that for each hand made solid color scarf, 25 bucks (which would include shipping to you) would be a fair price for material & time.
Multicolor scarves would be 5 dollars more per additional color & so on & so forth.
Make sense?
So, for instance:
1 blue scarf with loopy fringe: $25.
1 scarf with pink and orange with loopy fringe $30.
1 scarf with red, yellow, white & black: $40.
etc...
Fair enough?
If anyone is truly interested, email me & I'll be happy to see what I can do to help you out. After all, winter is right around the corner.
*grin*
I LOVE COLD WEATHER!
Happy happy, joy joy!
My scarves are pretty yes, but so very simple it's outrageous!
Now, that said, if you like what I can do then hey, yeah me, right?
If people really are interested in buying a scarf for themselves, what else can I do but say... OK!
Just know that I only ever knit with This Yarn and it's obviously an easier faster project if it's one solid color.
If you want a scarf with multiple colors, it takes a tad bit more effort & time.
Also, the colors listed on the lion brand home page, however adorable & plenty, aren't always available at A.C.Moore which is where I go to get them.
The best way to get a truly unique & beautiful scarf is to just give me a few ideas for colors that you'd like together & let me pick the ones that go best with what you've described you'd ultimately like.
Trust me, I'm nothing else if not creative with an eye for what works well together.
As for the 'loopy fringe', I don't always do that... I have done a few scarves with loose end fringe but it tends to 'fray' & fast so it may end up looking messy, which is why I prefer the loopy fringe.
Now, there's the issue of what to charge. Like my post suggests, knitting & math really DON'T mix, but I'll do my best to be honest & fair with this whole thing... let's see:
The yarn is about $5 a skein, so depending on the colors you want & how many skein's I'll have to buy, it could be a cheap scarf but it could get costly if you want multiple colors. It takes about 2 to 3 days for me to crank out a solid color scarf and then the fringe usually takes an evening with some good old fashioned TiVo to go with it.
All in all I'd say that for each hand made solid color scarf, 25 bucks (which would include shipping to you) would be a fair price for material & time.
Multicolor scarves would be 5 dollars more per additional color & so on & so forth.
Make sense?
So, for instance:
1 blue scarf with loopy fringe: $25.
1 scarf with pink and orange with loopy fringe $30.
1 scarf with red, yellow, white & black: $40.
etc...
Fair enough?
If anyone is truly interested, email me & I'll be happy to see what I can do to help you out. After all, winter is right around the corner.
*grin*
I LOVE COLD WEATHER!
Happy happy, joy joy!
Coincidence... *update*
... or fate?
I love to knit, always knitting a scarf to keep my hands busy.
(...good for the M.S.)
Recently I knit over a half dozen to be sent to Italy with my parents for family & friends alike... everyone loved them, which was nice to hear.
But, here I am... still knitting. Only, this time, it's just a scarf that- when I saw the colors close together in the store, I just knew they needed to become a soft, toasty winter scarf. I couldn't quite put my finger on WHY I loved them together, just knew that seperately they were begging to become one.
So, tonight... as I'm putting the finishing touches on the scarf (my trademark loopy fringe) I was doing so while enjoying "Discovery Atlas: China revealed" on tv. (God bless TiVo!) And then, as I kept glancing up to see the tv between securing the loops, I realized that China's flag colors were nearly IDENTICAL to the ones I had chosen for this scarf. Can you EVEN? My jaw kinda dropped & I stopped knitting for a bit & it sunk in that this was a China scarf!
*grin*
I was happy as a pig in poop!
(but really, are pigs happy in poop or is that just a silly saying that unfortunately stuck?)
Anyhoo... the scarf is finished & even though I didn't quite get through the entire program *it's 2 hours long*, I did finish the scarf & am so happy at how beautiful it's turned out. Especially now that it has deeper meaning to me than just another 'scarf' ya know?
I think I know just who to give this to... can't reveal just yet on the blog who the lucky recipient is, but they'll know soon enough when it arrives on their doorstep, & just in time too... funny how Halloween is just around the corner, isn't it?
It just happens to be my favorite holiday, you know...
Oh, and as far as that program on Discovery? It's on again, check your local listings because I believe I saw several repeats on it. It's really one you'll want to tape, trust me.
Interesting doesn't even begin to cover it.
Someone asked for the code that was shown during the program...
Here it is:
S979L46
And I haven't ever sold my scarves but I suppose I am not against that if someone is truly interested in one. Shoot me an email if that's the case...
*smile*
(...good for the M.S.)
Recently I knit over a half dozen to be sent to Italy with my parents for family & friends alike... everyone loved them, which was nice to hear.
But, here I am... still knitting. Only, this time, it's just a scarf that- when I saw the colors close together in the store, I just knew they needed to become a soft, toasty winter scarf. I couldn't quite put my finger on WHY I loved them together, just knew that seperately they were begging to become one.
So, tonight... as I'm putting the finishing touches on the scarf (my trademark loopy fringe) I was doing so while enjoying "Discovery Atlas: China revealed" on tv. (God bless TiVo!) And then, as I kept glancing up to see the tv between securing the loops, I realized that China's flag colors were nearly IDENTICAL to the ones I had chosen for this scarf. Can you EVEN? My jaw kinda dropped & I stopped knitting for a bit & it sunk in that this was a China scarf!
*grin*
I was happy as a pig in poop!
(but really, are pigs happy in poop or is that just a silly saying that unfortunately stuck?)
Anyhoo... the scarf is finished & even though I didn't quite get through the entire program *it's 2 hours long*, I did finish the scarf & am so happy at how beautiful it's turned out. Especially now that it has deeper meaning to me than just another 'scarf' ya know?
I think I know just who to give this to... can't reveal just yet on the blog who the lucky recipient is, but they'll know soon enough when it arrives on their doorstep, & just in time too... funny how Halloween is just around the corner, isn't it?
It just happens to be my favorite holiday, you know...
Oh, and as far as that program on Discovery? It's on again, check your local listings because I believe I saw several repeats on it. It's really one you'll want to tape, trust me.
Interesting doesn't even begin to cover it.
Someone asked for the code that was shown during the program...
Here it is:
S979L46
And I haven't ever sold my scarves but I suppose I am not against that if someone is truly interested in one. Shoot me an email if that's the case...
*smile*
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