Ugh. So I haven't posted in for evah. Partly because I have been busy, partly because it is hard work to maintain and partly because I basically whine about the same things over and over any way.
To whit: L is gone, B is your basic adolescent a-hole, L is at grandma's, D is outside playing dodge the kickball and M is the biggest spoiled baby of them all.
The breakdown: Dodge the kickball is played when you do not have enough players to play a real game of kick ball. The players take turns kicking the ball and trying to run to the other base and back while the other players try to nail them with the ball before they get back home. My kids and the neighbor kids play this game often. No one has gotten hurt...yet.
L is at grandma's house because her cousin is in town for the week. She didn't really want to spend the night but I talked her into it because Lily is here for the whole week at the last minute, and grandma needs help entertaining her. Never mind that I have already paid for the week of camp and that we already had plans. I compromised and said if she would spend the night tonight she could come home tomorrow for swimming and the zoo.
D has practice starting tomorrow night for the all-star team. He will miss the tournament this weekend because we are going to OK, but he'll be back for division tourney and state if they make it that far. He prefers playing catcher but does pretty well in the outfield too. I kind of wish he had been able to do the travel team, but am also kind of glad we didn't go for it.
B will be home from her house at any time. He was mowing their lawn, which is cool. He will need to mow a bunch since he hasn't had much success finding another job and he has about a month to come up with enough to pay a ticket.
In the latest battle of wills between M and me: she probably thinks she "won" because she got her article exactly as written. I prefer to think of it as making her work for it. More in a separate post.
Oh yeah, and I got another Miata. It is red with black stripes. It has both a hard and a soft top. The body is a bit rough, and it has a few things wrong with it, but it I look awesome in it while driving a stick and getting 30 mpg.
June 6, 2016
February 19, 2016
General Update
I keep thinking I am going to get back to posting on a regular basis, but it feels like i never have time. I spent my two days off this week sleeping and feeling like crud. I think it is just sinus/allergy related, nothing contagious, but I am almost wishing it was the 24-hour bug and already over instead of this lingering junk. I can clear my sinuses if I want to, but the medicine that works makes me dopey and unable to focus, so not really ideal for days I work.
Work is OK. I finally made a label with "TPANYF - JDYFJ" and stuck it inside my desk. Anyone who sees it will probably think it's a password or something, when in fact it is a reminder that this is just work, nothing more. It helps.
Kids are just finishing basketball. D is playing point guard, which is interesting. He plays there because he is short and a bit cocky, but he will need to improve his skills considerably to play beyond peewee ball. L has already said that she will probably not play again next year, which is fine. One of her coaches runs cross country, and L is very excited to try anything that involves running. In fact, when her softball team fell apart, she went back to soccer because it was more running. I hate that she doesn't want to stick with softball, it being my favorite and all, but I think she liked it for the social aspects as much as for the sport. Unfortunate, as she was beginning to practice batting both directions, and she is a pretty good batter, but she is more competitive with herself than with others, so maybe running is a good thing for her. Just hope she doesn't ask me to practice with her!!! Baseball for D and soccer for L will start just as soon as basketball is over, so same busy schedule as far as activities go.
B and L are still a thing, but I think some of the new is finally wearing off. She is a nice kid, but a bit manipulative. I don't want to see him trying to change for someone else, but most of the time it justs makes him behave better :) He turns 16 soon, and provided the drug tests keep coming back clean, he can get his license. He has been giving some thought to jobs he is interested in, although choices for someone his age in our town are not great. He is hoping to start putting in applications soon, then following up with them after his birthday. Maybe he will have something before school is out and all of the other kids start looking too. I don't need him to work a lot, but enough to have some spending money and responsibility would be good. I can't find enough for him to do around our house.
Not that we don't have plenty to do, but I am back to looking for a new contractor. The guy we had doing things last fall completely flaked and disappeared. I can pick up business cards all day long, but would rather get a referral from someone who has seen their work. We have a contractor lined up for the garage, but I still have some things I need help with, like the second-story trim, framing a window, painting, and building steps. It is an ongoing project, but hopefully we can stay ahead of the next big disaster, which is a leak in the bathroom. Ugh.
On a positive note, the long weekend in Chattanooga/Nashville was fun. I am not as interested in Chattanooga as L is, but would definitely take the kids to Nashville for a weekend sometime. We did have a long talk about staying where we are vs. moving, and will probably stay where we are for the foreseeable future. I can live with that, as long as we are not just living in the same dump, doing the same things, with no change at all, until it is too late to do anything else.
How come the good change is always slow to come and takes work but the bad change is usually quick and unavoidable?
Work is OK. I finally made a label with "TPANYF - JDYFJ" and stuck it inside my desk. Anyone who sees it will probably think it's a password or something, when in fact it is a reminder that this is just work, nothing more. It helps.
Kids are just finishing basketball. D is playing point guard, which is interesting. He plays there because he is short and a bit cocky, but he will need to improve his skills considerably to play beyond peewee ball. L has already said that she will probably not play again next year, which is fine. One of her coaches runs cross country, and L is very excited to try anything that involves running. In fact, when her softball team fell apart, she went back to soccer because it was more running. I hate that she doesn't want to stick with softball, it being my favorite and all, but I think she liked it for the social aspects as much as for the sport. Unfortunate, as she was beginning to practice batting both directions, and she is a pretty good batter, but she is more competitive with herself than with others, so maybe running is a good thing for her. Just hope she doesn't ask me to practice with her!!! Baseball for D and soccer for L will start just as soon as basketball is over, so same busy schedule as far as activities go.
B and L are still a thing, but I think some of the new is finally wearing off. She is a nice kid, but a bit manipulative. I don't want to see him trying to change for someone else, but most of the time it justs makes him behave better :) He turns 16 soon, and provided the drug tests keep coming back clean, he can get his license. He has been giving some thought to jobs he is interested in, although choices for someone his age in our town are not great. He is hoping to start putting in applications soon, then following up with them after his birthday. Maybe he will have something before school is out and all of the other kids start looking too. I don't need him to work a lot, but enough to have some spending money and responsibility would be good. I can't find enough for him to do around our house.
Not that we don't have plenty to do, but I am back to looking for a new contractor. The guy we had doing things last fall completely flaked and disappeared. I can pick up business cards all day long, but would rather get a referral from someone who has seen their work. We have a contractor lined up for the garage, but I still have some things I need help with, like the second-story trim, framing a window, painting, and building steps. It is an ongoing project, but hopefully we can stay ahead of the next big disaster, which is a leak in the bathroom. Ugh.
On a positive note, the long weekend in Chattanooga/Nashville was fun. I am not as interested in Chattanooga as L is, but would definitely take the kids to Nashville for a weekend sometime. We did have a long talk about staying where we are vs. moving, and will probably stay where we are for the foreseeable future. I can live with that, as long as we are not just living in the same dump, doing the same things, with no change at all, until it is too late to do anything else.
How come the good change is always slow to come and takes work but the bad change is usually quick and unavoidable?
January 15, 2016
Goodbye 2015
Wow, so much has happened since I posted last. For the purpose of clearing my thoughts so I can get back to work, I am just going to make a list of possible topics that I have thought about in the last year:
1. B - Where to start? He is 15, he has a girlfriend, he took the truck without permission and blew the transmission, his friends are all idiots and I don't think he has smoked pot again since he got caught. He is home from school today with a sprained ankle.
2. The twins - both mostly amazing, occasionally challenging.
3. L - still driving a truck. Life without him home is different than with. Not sure which I handle better. On a positive note, we are going to Nashville for the weekend in a couple of weeks. Hopefully good weather and a good time.
4. Work - I pretty much don't speak to M. After more than a year, I can't decide if D is brilliant or completely ignorant.
5. Football - the Broncos are in the playoffs, baby!!! Already arranging my weekend so that I can watch them play Pittsburgh on Sunday. Hoping for the best but will not be surprised if they blow it.
6. Family - K suddenly married to some random guy. T expected to be released next month. My brother engaged, no date set that I know of.
7. The 'hood - the house next door burned down right after Thanksgiving. No one was living there, and some question about whether they still own or the bank does, but clean up crew came this week and started to remove everything.
Speaking of removal, our garage is down to just a slab. We still need to haul off shingles, but hope to flag where new utility lines and outer walls are to go this weekend, if it will ever stop raining.
Have had to put painting off until spring, as weather has been either constant rain or freezing cold since November. Thankfully not both at the same time, although we are getting to that particular season.
Not much else is going on, just needed to vent a bit as I try to finish out my Friday afternoon. May come back and elaborate on some of these if I get a chance. If not, it's not like anyone will notice anyway.
1. B - Where to start? He is 15, he has a girlfriend, he took the truck without permission and blew the transmission, his friends are all idiots and I don't think he has smoked pot again since he got caught. He is home from school today with a sprained ankle.
2. The twins - both mostly amazing, occasionally challenging.
3. L - still driving a truck. Life without him home is different than with. Not sure which I handle better. On a positive note, we are going to Nashville for the weekend in a couple of weeks. Hopefully good weather and a good time.
4. Work - I pretty much don't speak to M. After more than a year, I can't decide if D is brilliant or completely ignorant.
5. Football - the Broncos are in the playoffs, baby!!! Already arranging my weekend so that I can watch them play Pittsburgh on Sunday. Hoping for the best but will not be surprised if they blow it.
6. Family - K suddenly married to some random guy. T expected to be released next month. My brother engaged, no date set that I know of.
7. The 'hood - the house next door burned down right after Thanksgiving. No one was living there, and some question about whether they still own or the bank does, but clean up crew came this week and started to remove everything.
Speaking of removal, our garage is down to just a slab. We still need to haul off shingles, but hope to flag where new utility lines and outer walls are to go this weekend, if it will ever stop raining.
Have had to put painting off until spring, as weather has been either constant rain or freezing cold since November. Thankfully not both at the same time, although we are getting to that particular season.
Not much else is going on, just needed to vent a bit as I try to finish out my Friday afternoon. May come back and elaborate on some of these if I get a chance. If not, it's not like anyone will notice anyway.
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