PLACE HOLDER

Today's my birthday. I'm thirty-ten. I don't have time to post much now, but will update later. Just didn't want to miss a day so early on in NaBloPoMo.

DAY TWO

Catchy, no?

No.

Yesterday was a very busy day. At work, I spent part of the day processing new items into the database, part of the day on the phone dealing with customers checking on how much money is in their accounts "because it's November now" (Side note: The system is updated on the SEVENTH, people! The 7th! Every month, same thing! Calling on the 1st will get you nowhere, as I explained last month - and the month before. And don't argue with me - what I'm telling you is all spelled out in the contract you signed, too.), and part of the day dealing with personnel issues.

Personnel issues...sigh.

This time, it's Jay. Jay has been employed at the store for about two weeks. He came highly recommended - honor student, teacher-praised, Eagle Scout, even. He went through a week of intense training with his peers, the assistant manager, and me. He's made a bunch of mistakes, but I'm pretty liberal with the learning curve and don't expect perfection right off the bat.

Day before yesterday (Halloween), he was supposed to be at work at 3:45. He came by the day before and said he'd be late because he got a callback for a school play. He said he'd be at work by 4:30. Well, five o'clock came and went and he didn't show up. I called his cell phone and got no answer, so I left a message. About sixty seconds later he called back and said he'd "just finished" and would be at work within 10 minutes.

He showed up 18 minutes later and I gave him two easy chores to complete before closing - organizing the large stack of empty boxes we keep stored in the back, and inputting some items into the database. I'd already coded and priced the items, so this particular chore was one of the easiest I could have given him.

Jay does not have a key to the store, so I told him to call me when he was closing and I'd come back to lock up. Then I left to get home for my kids' Halloween (much of which I was dreadfully behind on because I'd had to put in over 9 hours in the store that day thanks to Jay). The store closes at 7:00, so when I didn't hear from him by 6:50 I went ahead and drove back up there. I got there at 6:58 to find the lights off and the sign already flipped to "Closed." Jay had already balanced the till and taken out the trash, too.

I have to interject here that one of the owner's pet peeves is people closing the store early. Even a few minutes early bugs him, which I can understand because how frustrating is it to run to the store to find that they've closed up early...

I asked Jay if the evening was busy, to which he replied no, that there had only been one person in the store the whole 1.75 hours he'd worked. He set the alarm, I locked up, and we both left.

Fast forward to yesterday morning. I got to work and found that he had done absolutely nothing the night before - the boxes were still a mess, and the items I'd left to be entered were still sitting there. Even the till was not balanced correctly. Jay had had time, however, to change the radio from easy listening (which it is supposed to remain on all the time, since customers can hear it) to an urban rap station. The owner has a large sticker affixed to the radio - "Do Not Change Station" - which apparently went ignored, much like my instructions the night before.

Jay was supposed to work again yesterday afternoon, beginning at 3:45. When he hadn't shown by 4:05, I called his cell phone again. He said he'd gotten sick at school but would be at work in ten minutes (what's with the ten minutes thing, anyway?). Forty minutes later, he shows up and says he'd been throwing up. Gary immediately sent him home, but not before letting him know that he still had a responsibility to the store and must CALL if he ever can't be there.

Gary and I both doubt Jay is actually sick. But even so, he can't keep up this M.O. We depend on him, just like we do on every employee, to be there when scheduled. This is not Jay's first job, so I'm stumped as to why he thinks he can just not show up without letting anyone know.

He's under a 30-day contract - signed by both Jay and his parents - and honey, the countdown's on!

This afternoon I'm interviewing a potential new employee. If she gets hired, I'll add her to yesterday's list of players. Wish me luck!

KICKOFF!

So today is the first of November, eh? I'd like to know what the heck happened to September and October. This year has just flown, and I am not appreciating the accelerated speed at which my life is passing by.

Anyway, welcome back, NaBloPoMo. This year I shall endeavor to write wittier, more clever, and maybe even more sarcastic posts. I do not know if the latter is even possible, as I'm already pretty sarcastic, but that's why it's called an "endeavor" and not a "guarantee."

Maybe I'll start off the month with a list of the players in my life. Just to set the stage for my millions of readers. You know.

M (aka "DH") - my husband; best friend; shall I go on?
Kane - eldest son; started high school this year; loves ROTC; great kid; wants his own room
Ry - middle son; started junior high this year; incredibly smart; always ready with a joke and a laugh. Oh, and he knows Star Wars trivia better than George Lucas himself. Oh yes he does.
Pey - youngest and only daughter; in the Gifted program at school; beautiful and talented; loves to sing; wants a puppy of her own
Bailey - damn dog

Dad - actually my stepfather, but since my real father is below slime, I consider myself fortunate to be able to call this guy Dad
Jude - Dad's live-in girlfriend (they're both over 50, but that's still "girlfriend," right?); love her love her love her
Nony - younger brother; lives in Oklahoma; divorced from the best thing that ever happened to him; I love him more than pie but damn he's stupid
Tree - youngest brother; is a cop; love him to death but cannot stand his girlfriend (wish he'd taken a clue from Dad in the girlfriend department)
Clueless Beyotch - said brother's girlfiend (that's not a typo); couldn't stop running her mouth if her life depended on it; no one in the family can stand her
EMTsis - sister (one of the twins); fantastic medic; love her but we don't agree on parenting styles, and that causes drama sometimes (*I* believe in discipline and the idea that kids don't get to run things; EMTsis defers to every.single.thing her 11-year-old daughter says)
Tnk - sister (other twin); got married last weekend; is a cop; nearly killed by a drunk driver in March 2006; have more in common with her than with EMTsis, but not as close to her as I am to Jen...
Jen - best friend since we were kids; love her better than a sister
Mary - very good friend since we were kids; lost her son at age 4

Gary - store owner and my boss; friend; major co-irker
Watson - 18-year-old co-worker; super personality; love him; he says he's "part of my family now"
Zac - 17-year-old co-worker; likes soccer; semi-weird; won't be a frequent character in my blog posts
Jay - 17-year-old co-worker; loves singing and acting; may be gay; nice kid but not the best worker in the world - but he's new, so we'll see
Pho - 17-year-old "assistant manager" at the store due to her longevity (one year - working two days a week, woohoo); does NOT deserve that title; other kids at work hate her and are coming to me about it; Gary and I don't agree on what to do about her; more drama to follow, I'm sure

That's all I've got for now, as I need to get off here and get to work. Tomorrow is when the juicy stuff starts! No, really! Okay, maybe!

GOIN' TO THE CHAPEL

Let's get straight to the bullets, shall we?

• Tnk's wedding is tomorrow. Tomorrow. Ohmigosh, we're never going to be ready. So much already done; so much left to do.
• I have completed almost all the decorations for the wedding. All that's left is what we need to do to the actual location tomorrow - set the tables, start the coffee, hang sheets on the walls, etc.
• Yes, I said hang sheets on the walls. The wedding is going to be held at my neighborhood's clubhouse, and while the building is new and clean and has a lovely view, it is also ... functional. Meaning, unless we want to see bright red EXIT signs in the wedding photos, we've got to cover those walls.
• We're not allowed to use tacks or nails to cover said walls. That leaves us heavily relying on the brilliant minds at 3M. I am praying with all that I am and all that I have that those "holds 100 pounds; leaves no mark!" gummy-backed hooks will actually live up to their hype.
• My refrigerator and freezer and ice chest, even, are stuffed with wedding consumables. We've got three pans full of roast pork, eight bottles of champagne, two bottles of sparkling cider, three vats of potato salad, and two gallons of sherbet chilling as I write this. In addition, I've got five bottles of sprite, two Sam's Club-size packages of rolls, and a large bag of butter mints, not to mention the five gallons of tea I'll soon be brewing. Fortunately, my stepmom is making the green beans. Woo, dodged that bullet! [eyeroll]
  
• That's just part of the food.
• Oh, we're also doing the music. DH actually needs the computer right now in order to burn the ceremony CD and the reception CD. Uh oh.
  
• My guest room overfloweth with wedding flowers and other decor. I have an eight-foot arch and two three-feet-tall urns, all complete with greenery, three bouquets, six boutonnieres, a guest book (that I made myself) and pen, forty punch cups and two punch bowls, forty champagne flutes, a dozen vases with flowers, and too much more to mention, really.
• I am running completely on adrenaline right now. My job keeps me "on" and on my feet for 10 hours a day lately; my family needs me before and after work; my sister needs me to help with ... well, everything; and I have zero time for myself. Sadly, I'm at the point where I literally want to start crying when someone asks me to do something.
• What I need right now is a big bed, TIME, and no one around to wake me or ask me for anything.
• I am looking forward to tomorrow, though. We have to be at the clubhouse to begin decorating at 9:00 a.m. We'll take a break sometime in order to come home and get dressed. Then the wedding is at 4:00. This will mark the sixth day in a row (seventh, practically) that I've been on my feet from sunup to sundown, and tomorrow I get to do half of it in heels!
• To Do List Before Bed Tonight: My eyebrows need to be plucked, my nails need to be done, and my hair needs to be washed.
• Whew, I feel myself about to cry again. I need some rest. Maybe after tomorrow.

Keep us in your prayers, send good wishes to Tnk & D, and have a good weekend. And thanks! :)

WARMIN' UP FOR NaBloPoMo

Much has happened of late, but alas, I have been remiss in blogging about it. Stupid of me, as I consider this blog my life journal.

So in typical Me fashion, let's get to the bullets.

• DH is in southern California again on another driving business trip. I went on the last trip with him, and I do not envy what he has to do while on them. First you sit down in the car. Then you drive, park, write, drive, park, write, lather, rinse, repeat. Occasionally you step out of the car to grab fast food, but the vast majority of the trip is spent sitting on your rear, and that quickly gets tiring. And painful, believe it or not - I actually came home sore from the last trip.
• I've been promoted to manager of the store. Go me. It included no pay raise and only a slight shift in responsibilities. However, all the teenagers who work there immediately stopped talking to me. Instead, they've mysteriously bonded with each other (guess I'm the focus of their negativity now) and are apparently telling each other that I'm a bitch! Score!
• I just remembered that I actually did hate high school. It's all bullshit.

Oops, time got away from me - I have to get Pey to school now. More later!

DRIVERS: PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PAY ATTENTION

This is just happening too damned often: http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5178185.html

Jason worked at the same precinct as my sister, Tnk. Jason's brother Ty, mentioned near the end of the article, is Tnk's fiance's best friend.

We're all very saddened by this, particularly since Tnk's accident last year could very easily have ended up the same way. We are so blessed that she survived, yet can't help but feel extreme sadness at the realization that we could just have easily have had to bury her as to help her recuperate.

Jason's family will not have that choice.

Please pray for the family and friends of this dear man, and also for Tnk. She is struggling with feelings of guilt for having survived her accident. No one can really explain it, but at the same time, her feelings are understandable.

Thanks. Again. And please - hang up and drive.

AS THE TILL BALANCES

Fish, the till did balance - once I got there and adjusted it, that is. The new girl had paid out about $30 that she did not notate, so I just had to put that under Expenditures and Voila! Balance was restored.

Last night we went to hubby's sister's house so that the kids could play Halo 3 with my brother-in-law's XBox 360. They had a blast. That said, however, I absolutely refuse to get a 360 - the kids just bought a Wii this week (with their own money ... wow), and that brings our game system total up to around forty-seven. Let's see, we have the original Atari, two Nintendos, a Nintendo 64, a GameCube, an XBox (sans the 360), and now the Wii. Pey has a GameBoy Advance, Ry has a Nintendo DS, and Kane has both the GBA and the DS. If you toss in all the PC games we have, well, it gets kinda pathetic.

We do actually get out of the house sometimes, I promise.

Today has been fairly uneventful - among the five of us, at least one went to the grocery store and Office Depot, and did lawn mowing and tree planting and laundry. We also went out to lunch (Mexican food!) at Los Compadres - yummy, but gawd am I ever full. Bleh.

Tomorrow is back to the grind for all of us - hubby and me back to work; kids back to school. Next weekend should be doubly-good: it's a three-day weekend, and Saturday marks seventeen years that dh and I have been married. We've got some big plans which include an overnight at the beach while the kids spend the night at the grandparents' house. Heh, I can't wait... ;>

FRIDAY

Today hubby took the day off and stayed home playing video games this morning while I went to work. I know that sounds weird, but the truth is that we both really enjoyed it. I liked the feeling that he was just a couple of minutes away, and he liked...well, not being at work.

I came home early and we went out to lunch at a local place called Puffabelly's. They have good burgers and very good chicken fried steak. I got the burger and was only able to eat about half of it. It was huge.

After that, our car was blocked in by an 18-wheeler, so we couldn't leave. No biggie; we went for a walk around Old Town Spring, where I got a mint chocolate chip milkshake. I've never had one before, and it was delicious.

I got two phone calls from work while I was out to lunch. The new girl we hired has been "in training" all week, yet she seems to lack the ability to complete even the simplest of tasks. I'm going to go back to the store this evening and check her work. I suspect the cash register till will be quite a bit off.

Anyway, overall it's been a good day. Fridays usually are.

DIDN'T MEAN TO OMIT ANYONE

In my last post, I thanked, by name, the people who'd commented on my Appearances post. I just wanted to add here that I am also deeply attached to several other online friends, including but not limited to:

• EvilAmy, who sent me flowers last year when I was on the verge of a breakdown. She may have saved me with that gesture, and I'm betting she doesn't even know it.
• Fish, who I met at a Steve Burns concert and instantly connected with. I'll always treasure the memory of her calling me at 6:00 a.m. to pray for Kane when he had surgery last year.
• Katie, who has no idea how much I admire her - not only for her strength in raising a large family, but also for her raw honesty. Knowing I'm not the only mom who sometimes just wants to be left the hell alone is strangely comforting.
• Shelly, who I really REALLY wanted to meet when I was in SoCal, and who has always been very supportive of me, no matter how whack I got.

I know I'm forgetting someone, and I apologize in advance. Just know that you all mean the world to me, and I love you more than muffins.

YOU GUYS ROCK

You know, I've had some good friends in my life. I've even had great ones - tell-all-your-secrets-to, commiserate-with, closer-than-sisters great. But I must say that I never thought I'd feel that way about people I've never met.

Yesterday was a very hard day for me, and all of you were right there when I needed you. So to Robin, Pez, Kim, and Beth, I say this:

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

My world is a better place with you in it, and I love you all.

And hubby, for all you've done for me and for all the support you gave me yesterday through my umpteen desperate phone calls, I also thank you. You're my rock, and I can't imagine life without you.

APPEARANCES

Why do all the hairdressers I've ever met feel the need to comment on everyone's appearance? And what makes them think that their clients want to hear negative things about themselves? Because I've never once heard one of them say "oh, nice highlights!" or "what a pretty color your hair is!" Or anything positive for that matter.

My 11-year-old son, Ry, has beautiful light green eyes and jet black hair. He also has patches of gray hair on his head. He is not self-conscious about it right now, but puberty is approaching and I know that he probably will be sometime soon. You'd think that someone meeting a preteen with any kind of obvious physical issue would not speak of it. I mean, WHY bring it up? Because basically what you're doing is saying, "Hey, look how not normal you are!"

This happens to Ry every.single.time we take him for a haircut. And it's done L-O-U-D-L-Y.

Today it was my turn.

One of the store's "regulars" came in today. She is a hairdresser. She is also a pain in the ass, because she thinks she's the only customer in the world and we should bend all the rules for her. But I digress.

Let me paint a picture: I'm standing at the cash register. One of my co-workers is standing at the end of the counter. My boss is to my left. Three other customers are in line around the counter. This is the moment this person chooses to ask me what kind of shampoo I use. Thinking, wow, I am having a good hair day! (I thought I was), I answer "Pantene." She says, "I have this forty-dollar bottle of shampoo I can sell to you because I see that you're losing your hair. It's really falling out, isn't it?"

I was shocked into silence.

She kept on talking, and I finally looked her in the eye and said, "Stop. Stop it. Stop talking right now." She finally did shut up, paid for her purchases, and left.

I checked out the rest of the customers with a pasted-on smile on my face, and when they all left, I broke down and cried.

How dare she - or anyone - point out something like that in a crowded store? I don't think I've ever been so humiliated. My mother had thin hair, so I may have a predisposition for it. I didn't think it was all that bad, but now, of course, I'm upset and freaking out. I feel like everyone's looking at me and thinking the same thing.

Damn, sometimes I hate people.

SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS

On my feet today. It's not a record - that currently stands at 11.45 hours - but it's long enough. I listed only one thing on eBay, then spent the rest of the day managing the shop. I do enjoy my job; I really do. I am just so wiped at the end of the day that all I want to do is come home, take a bath, and go to bed. I'm exhausted.

But it's a "good" exhaustion, you know? I mean, I like being productive and making sales and meeting new people and even dealing with irritated customers. In fact, I think I may actually be pretty good at dealing with grouches - I've noticed lately that the madder they get, the calmer I get. That is totally not my personality, LOL, so I don't know what's going on, but I am thankful for it.

Today I had the following going on at one time:

• One annoyed customer on the phone
• One annoyed customer near the register
• Me trying to ring up another customer's items
  
• A child pulling over a large mirror
• Three customers trying to get my attention for "just one quick question"
  

(Truly, the latter are the most annoying of all. Dammit, wait your turn like everyone else!)

Somehow I handled it all. All by myself. And without losing my cool. I'm kinda proud of that.

In other news, Ry's bus came ten minutes early this morning. Naturally he was not out yet, so he missed it. I swear, I think I have bus driver issues EVERY year. I'm just waiting for the fun day when I get to deal with the bitches in the front office.

Dang, thinking about them killed my good mood. I think I'll go soak my feet now and revel in the warm bubbly water.

Toodles!

WAFFLING

I need to go back to work after K gets home from school. I don't particularly want to, but I *need* to. I'm feeling unproductive because the afternoon dragged - a lot - and so I did not get much done. Except that I did get a lot done this morning. But the afternoon is more recent, so the "did not get much done" feeling is what I've got going on.

Does that even make sense?

I have several eBay auctions to post, but this morning all I did was Craigslist (then hours of store-minding, which is torturous when I need to do my online stuff).

I suppose the world wouldn't end if I waited until tomorrow morning.

Sorry for the rambling. That is all.

AUCTIONEER EXTRAORDINAIRE

That's what they ought to call me. This morning alone I posted fourteen eBay auctions, one Craigslist posting, and helped out in the store. It was a VERY productive day, due in no small part to the fact that most of the customers did not interfere with me while I was working. My desk is at the back of the store, and most people don't really see me back there. And I don't advertise. ;) I guess what usually happens is that they usually follow the sound of the pounding keyboard.

Today was not like that, and I am not complaining. It's nice to be able to get your job done in the time allotted.

Oh, and in other tiny little baby Jesus news - the kids started school today. Yawn.

I am KIDDING! It was a big morning - K had to catch the school bus at 6:45 a.m.; Pey's bus came at 7:45; Ry's at 8:15. The biggest shocker (so far) was that all the buses were within ten minutes of their "due" time - typically, first days of school they run a lot later.

We'll see what happens this afternoon. Wish us luck!

MMMMMMojitos!

Contrary to what you might think, it turns out that I'm not hung over. I did have one drink at the game last night, then dh opened a mojito for me when we got home. That second one went right into the fridge, though, as I was sweaty and tired and really not in the mood for a drink at the time (gasp!).

However, as it is now fourteen hours later and I've cooled off ... ! :-D

The Dynamo tied the Crew last night. The Crew was even down one man to red cards, yet we still couldn't pull it out. I guess I should be thankful for the tie, as Columbus was up 1-0 for most of the game. At least we scored a goal.

This morning I went to my personal hairstylist (a'la "Supercuts" - and btw, I also shop at a fancy little boutique called "Tarjay") for a trim and a straightening. I was hoping for uber-straight - meaning, this suckass Houston humidity wouldn't have its usual fun frizzing my hair - but the stylist said that the flat iron was not necessary. Granted, my hair does look and feel pretty good, but it's not STRAIGHT straight FLAT flat. This picture from last year is what I was wanting:














Instead, I got soft but not stick-straight. It's okay, I guess, but I paid for the styling because I want it to last for several days with no touchups - if I have to work on my hair tomorrow morning, I'm going to be pissed.


















Okay, that's enough gritching. The kids head back to school tomorrow, so we're going to hang out as a family today. I'm thinking lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings, then hours of game playing - XBox, Phase 10, and UNO.

But first, let me get that mojito.

BLOGGING WHILE TIPSY

Woo! Y'all, this is totally fun, and you should totally try it! Whee!

I have inadvertently combined two Sudafed with one (so far, lol) Bacardi Mojito, and it's a wild ride. In fact, it's all I can do to form a cohesive sentence - even harder to form one with non-misspelled words. Yowza. (Took me three tries and a one-finger hunt-&-peck to stop spelling that word "Ywoolza" - ha!)

Yes, I do realize that everything is funny to me, and none of this is eliciting laughter from you. Unless you've also been drinking, which I doubt, as it's only 1:42 p.m. CST right now. It's five o'clock somewhere, I've heard, so I have no qualms about my condition at the moment.

Qualms is a funny word.

I spent the morning (pre-drunkenness; don't worry) trying to round up school supplies for Ry & Pey. I went to Target, whose remaining selection was lacking, then to Wal-Mart, which I hate with the red hot passion of a thousand suns, and whose selection was also terribly pathetic ("Notebook paper? No, we're out. Rulers? No, we're out of those, too.") Who runs out of rulers?

Office Depot was my saving grace. I shall forevermore start and finish my school supply shopping there. Unless I don't. But for this year at least, they were good to me. Hey, maybe I should buy Office Depot a mojito and share the love.

Tonight we're going to the Houston Dynamo vs. Columbus Crew soccer game. I don't really feel like going, as it's hotter than Hades and I'm sick; however, I'm also working on a good buzz, so maybe I won't notice the heat and my clogged nasal passages. (Bonus!) Plus, the games are almost always enjoyable, so I know I'll be glad I went.

SUMMERTIME COLDS SUCK, AND OTHER BREAKING NEWS

I abhor summertime colds; I really do. This one is a mystery, too, as no one else I know is sick. I do work around the general public every day, so I'm sure I caught this from one of them. I'd love to know who, though, so I can send them a big fat "thank-you."

This morning I got the tire fixed on the van, then dh and I took Pey to meet her teachers. She is not happy about her assigned class, as she's apparently heard that her main teacher is "mean." We're trying to tell her to give the teacher a chance and make that determination for herself, and I hope she's listening. I have learned many times over that it's better to judge for yourself than to follow the pack. If only I'd figured that out when *I* was nine...

DH took Ry and Pey to the Houston Aquarium this afternoon. I begged off because I don't really feel well enough to walk that much. Kane begged off because...I don't know why, but I do wish he'd gone with his dad. They don't get much time together, and I'm afraid he'll have regrets. I already regret not going with them, although I know that I'm better off resting as much as possible while I can - Monday I go back to work, and I want to be well by then.

Tonight's plans include watching a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" movie (I forget which one) and eating lots of junk food. Natch, I have no sense of smell or taste right now, so this will suck for me. Or maybe I'll load up on spicy stuff and clear my sinuses...yeah, let's go with that!

I AM HERE, AND I AM SICK

Summer colds suck.

Well, next Monday marks the first time I'll have three kids in three different schools. I am not sure just when my baby Kane got old enough to go to HIGH school, but there he is. I just know it will be like next week when he heads off to college. I am constantly getting teary-eyed about that, and the time hasn't even come yet.

Ry is starting junior high (here it's called "middle school" or "intermediate school" - grades 6 through 8) next week. Tonight the kids got to pick up their schedules and walk the building to get a feel for where they'll need to go when school starts. They also got their lockers, which I think was the most exciting part of all for Ry. It's good that he's a tall kid, by the way, as he has a top locker - and they're in columns of three high. When I was in 6th grade, giving me a top locker would have been a waste. Fortunately, my kids seem to have inherited their dad's normal height, as opposed to their mom's diminutive stature. Whew.

Pey will be in 4th grade at the elementary school. She was tested for the Gifted & Talented program last spring, and she scored a 93! So now we're the proud parents of a GT kid, which thrills us to no end. I mean, all our kids are smart, but I think Pey has something really special - she is the most creative little girl I've ever met. Sometime I'll post one of the songs she's written. You'd never believe what comes out of this 9-year-old's mind.

DH is doing well at work - keeping busy, as usual. A couple of weeks ago, his company sent him to L.A. for a week, and I got to tag along. Man, does that part of California have some beautiful scenery AND weather. No wonder the real estate values are out of this world. Daaaaang. I've decided that when we retire, hubby and I need to move to San Clemente for awhile. Absolutely.breathtakingly.gorgeous.

I'm also doing well at work. I sold over a thousand dollars worth of items on eBay just this week! The boss is happy, and we all know how good that is. I'm going to be auctioning off a bunch more stuff in the coming week, so check out my listings: my seller id is "discjones" and here is one of the neat-o items I've got listed right now.

Tomorrow dh and I both took off work so we could spend one last summer day with the kids. We have "meet the teacher" at Pey's school in the morning, but had planned to do lots of fun stuff after that. Naturally, I left work today to find a very flat tire on the van, so I guess "Go to Discount Tire" has made the "fun" list. That, and "Buy more Sudafed." Woohoo.

I need to upload a bunch of pictures and videos for your viewing pleasure, but right now what I really need is some Sudafed and a hot bath. Then beddie-bye.

Have I mentioned that I hate being sick?

BIG NEWS

DH's sister graced us with the news last week that she is pregnant with her first child. She and her husband are pretty excited. I'm so pleased for them, and can't wait to have a new baby in the family!

MORE BIG NEWS

Tnk is getting married! Y'all, I am beyond thrilled. Finally she will have a man in her life who worships the ground she walks on - and it's about damn time. Her first husband used to hit her, lock her in their spare bedroom (and then he would f'ing GO TO WORK and leave her there!), and cheated on her constantly. He'd go out to bars and come home at 3:00 a.m. with marks on his neck. When she asked him what was on his neck, he'd nonchalantly say, "Hickeys." As IF, asshole.

So.

Tnk gave me the good news about her and D last week, and the very next day we went shopping for bridesmaids dresses and flowers and invitations, oh my! It is SO much fun to be able to do all this stuff with and for her, and welcoming a good guy into the family is just a bonus.

D, by the way, used to be Tnk's partner at the precinct they both worked for. He was off the night she was hit by the drunk driver, and I think still blames himself to some extent for not being there. Of course, he could not have prevented the wreck, but I guess he thinks that he's superhuman and could have prevented four tons of metal plowing right into her at 63 miles an hour. He's a great guy and all that, but I doubt even he could have made a difference that night.

What IS important is that he was there for her from the start of her hospital stay and throughout her recovery. He even left the precinct last fall when he was told that he could not be with her because they were partners. He got a better job with another precinct so that he could propose to Tnk. This whole process took well over a year, but throughout it all, his intentions have been clear: he wants to make her happy.

I want that, too.

GOOD HEAVENS, IT'S ALMOST JULY

Did I really last post on June 20th? Wow.

So, updates...

Work is going well. I'm probably going to jinx myself by saying this, but work is going really well. Gary (my boss) has been on vacation for the past three days, and the shop has exceeded it's daily sales goals every one of those days. I'm sure that has nothing at all to do with his absence, as he's actually a beneficial presence, but it's great that the store thrives even when he's gone. He was very stressed about leaving because the last time he did, the woman who he left in charge actually closed the store because she "needed a nap." A three-day nap, apparently. The store took a huge financial hit, and Gary's been extremely nervous about leaving town ever since. So I'm really happy that things are going well this time - maybe he'll relax a bit.

I've been doing well with the eBay sales, too. Oh, and by the way, Craigslist rocks! I listed a Coach purse that we had in the shop, and a lady in Virginia emailed me about it. She actually paid for the purse and shipping that very day! I didn't think you could get to other towns' Craigslists, but I guess I've been proven wrong.

Craigslist is actually my favorite selling site - it's free, and usually doesn't involve shipping (that purse was the only exception so far). I just give people our address and they come to the store and buy what they saw online. Much less work than eBay, which means I get more done, which means more money for the store, which means a happy boss and likewise happy employees. Whee!

Hi, I'm Pley, your friendly neighborhood Craigslist cheerleader. Give me a C!...
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DH is back home from a week-long trip to southern California. The kids and I are very happy to have him back, and he's glad to be home, too. Right now he's playing XBox with the boys, which I find strangely cozy and comforting. I think the boys are giving him advice on his game. That's a strange situation to find yourself in - your kids giving YOU advice. I'm still getting used to it.
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Right now I'm listening to "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" by Def Leppard. It's on my iTunes list, which I'm playing through the computer. I used to listen to Yahoo radio, but it doesn't seem to work very well with either Windows XP or Mozilla or Yahoo beta mail (likely the latter). Those are the only things that have been updated on this computer since I used to listen to Yahoo radio, so if it's not those, then I'm just lost.

Last song played - "Independent Woman" by Destiny's Child. Next up - "February Song" by Josh Groban. MAN I love JG's voice.

I just realized that I've got a weird lineup on iTunes. I guess I'm just a diverse girl.
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Earlier this afternoon I printed out my Grocery Game list for Kroger. Not as many good deals this week as last (all of which I missed out on because my coupons are not organized! wah!), but I can still work with it. I'm particularly looking forward to getting more Softsoap for a buck, as we are all but out.
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Fish looks exactly the same as she did twenty years ago. We should all be so lucky. On that note, I love blogs with pictures. I should post more of my own.
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Kimmer - I want to reiterate here, where my loyal readers (all three of them) can see - I'd be glad to help you with eBay stuff, if you need me. :)
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Okay, I talked myself into it. Here's my senior picture, circa nineteen eighty-something:














And here's me at the Alan Parsons concert last year in Florida:














And with that, I'm out! Have a great weekend!