happy halloween 2007

The kids are asleep in a sugary coma. The baby has determined that Halloween is a great holiday. He rode around in the wagon during trick or treating eating lollipops. He never moved or tried to get out of the moving wagon as he is apt to do. I think he didn't want to break the sneaky sweet snack fest.

I want to be on record here....
I FINALLY picked a green for my bathroom. It really has been worth the hunt. It is restful green "Gentle Dill" by Martin Senour. I feel at peace when I look at it.
I painted the bathroom walls and liked it so much that i decided to make an accent wall at the top of my stairs with it. Of course I ran out. So tomorrow I will find more.

There is only ONE place in town that carries this green color. Of course it was like an Indiana Jones unlocking the crypt adventure for me to finally track down the holy grail of greens.

At this place, there lives a magical woman that people wait hours to consult with on paint colors. People walk in with a swatch of fabric, a chip of paint or an idea in their heads and she walks in front of the spectrum of colors pulling, cutting and pasting until she has a gorgeous collection of coordinating colors.

pictures to follow after I paint trim, ceiling, install new sink base (or someone I'm married to does that)
Fights have erupted if anyone attempts to cut in the line or butt in "can I just ask one question".....

two!

what ticks you off

so we talked about anger in our Sunday School class this week.
We started out by posing the question ...what makes us mad. Right away, people came up with numerous traffic or shopping check out scenerios that really steam them.
I sat quietly and listened thinking, hm this is strange, none of that really bugs me. I really am so calm and laid back. huh?
wait this isn't me....there's gotta be something.
Oh yeah there's those people that speed past my house while our family is in the front yard.
and what about these jokers that own a jewelery store and hire a truck to drive around with a billboard on the back to advertise.
And then there is more waste and polluters and litterers and child molesters and ....
wait....ah there we go. the rage is back. all better.

PLEASE DO NOT INTENTIONALLY....

There are a bunch of crazies that live in my neighborhood.

I have to tell you beforehand that I live in part of the 'hood where the drivers speed by...and one guy had the nerve to post this on our community message board......

Subject line: "PLEASE DO NOT INTENTIONALLY WALK INTO THE PATH OF MY MOVING VEHICLE.

> Last night about 8:50pm (dusk), I experienced an emergency and was transporting my daughter to the ER while talking with her physician (on bluetooth so both hands could be free to drive). Yes, I was exceeding 25 MPH (IT WAS AN EMERGENCY), but I was not going over 35 and was EXTREMELY watchful for other cars and (typical ly) children who dart into the street unexpectedly. However, I was not expecting an adult resident to place their live, the life of their pet, and the potential catastrophic impact to me and my family had I actually hit this person as they deliberately stepped from in front of a parked car DIRECTLY INTO THE PATH OF MY VEHICLE and STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!!! While I appreciate the fervor with which we all try to encourage each other to SLOW DOWN through the subdivision, it is UNACCEPTABLE for anyone to place themselves and the driver in peril by this reckless behavior. Yell from the sidewalk, wave your arms, ... whatever.... JUST DON'T DO THIS AGAIN, PLEASE! I am sending this message to the subdivision as an alert to ALL DRIVERS to be aware of this type behavior.

What a knuckle head. Suffice it to say, this started a flurry of back and forth posts. The majority of which said, "ahm let's see...
1) you were speeding through the neighborhood
2) talking on your cell phone
3) you had an emergency, but didn't call an ambulance.
4) thank God it wasn't my kid that intentionally placed himself in front of your speeding, distracted vehicle.

imagine a life

Imagine you are at work.
The boss tells you things are just too crazy, and there is no one else who can come in to cover the next shift. So you stay and work.
By the 15th hour, you start to get a little bleary eyed and cotton mouthed, but you are allowed to have the occasional break, snack or meal in the breakroom. You are permitted to use the toilet facilities, but it is only for a limited amount of time. Someone will usually come looking for you and leaving the floor will back up the work or cause an accident.
And since your workplace is a 24 hour operation like most newsrooms, hospitals or 7-11's are you still can't leave come the third shift.
And so it continues, you really should be represented by a workers' union for what you know is a clear violation of US legal code.
You work with the same handful of people and while they are a fine group of people, they get on your nerves. Afterall, you are around them all the time.
Day after day, night after night.
Oh and did I mention? -- they can't pay you.
Slave labor, you say. Although if you haven't caught on by now...
This is my life.
My workplace is my house.
I cannot leave.
When I was younger and covered more breaking news shorties from the field. I thought I'd pass out from the exhaustion. I operated on very little or no sleep and ate rice crackers for meals.
That is what the initial months with a newborn felt like.
I know the whole thing about the crashing airplane and how you are supposed to give yourself oxygen first before aiding those smaller or weaker than you.
My airplane has been losing altitude for about eight years now. I feel guilty and selfish when I feel like I have to get away, but I do.
An occasional girls night out should do, but I need it EVERYDAY.
I have heavy-duty guilt when I feel like I need to escape the people that I love the most.

baby at "school"