Spring

Both because Cele said "show me your flowers" or something along those lines and because I'm going to start posting pics of the house as we get it closer to Housewarming, here's a picture of our backyard, well, part of it anyway.

The person who owned this house before us did a great job of landscaping and planting bulbs. I've never been patient enough to plant bulbs so this may be the last year the yard looks like this. But we'll see.

We're off to the Pinewood Derby tonight, Little Bit is fully prepared for his 2nd annual run for the money. Or the trophy. Whatever. As my sister Ms. Hyde says, "It's that time of year and we're all burned out on Scouts". I know I am, I will be glad when Little Bit shuts down for the Summer. This may cause a fainting spell, but other than the weird Mormon prayers, I kind of like how the Ward did it compared to how disorganized things are here. But no, we're not going to the local Ward Scout troop. I've heard enough Mormon prayers for a lifetime, thankyouverymuch.

Have a great weekend!

Dilemma...or, I've done it to myself again

I started Facebooking a couple of weeks ago (as most of you know, since most of you are my family and you're about the only people who speak to me. Kidding.)

I've connected with Cele there as well as here, and family, some friends from the old Mothership as well as my beloved niece (well, The Husband's niece but I claim her too), who due to some rather undefined family strains (not between her and us) we haven't seen in a couple of years and have only talked to on the phone a couple of times.



And now, the dilemma. Someone's found me through Facebook. It's someone who at another time in my life I'd have be delighted to accept as a friend, if our situation and relationship was as I would imagine it would be. This person isn't family, in the sense that we're blood related and it isn't any of YOU, because you're reading this blog so I've had a relationship with you in some way or another (even if it's only via Internet). This person has made it clear we're certainly not friends, in a really passive aggressive way, for a lot of years now but due to circumstances we had to be in the same place at the same time for years but not lately.

It may open up my true opinion on some things to this person and then I might get TH in trouble with his family because I might reveal how he feels about certain things that he would share with this person if he felt so inclined. But he doesn't. And it's not my place to share it with anyone (other than I do vent to my sainted mother).

So, I guess I'm going to accept this person as a friend, be myself and see what happens. Maybe, ultimately, some fences will be mended. My opinions may creep out. If it does, I'm ready to stand by my right to have opinions. In this respect, I have nothing to be but myself.

If you're on Facebook with me and you figure out who I'm writing about, please keep it off that forum. The person in question obviously does not read my blog.

Rant over.

Why Am I So Tired?

I know why I'm so tired. I keep cramming everything in to a too-short time period then being exhausted from all the effort.


Case in point - I tried to take down the border of wallpaper in Little Bit's bathroom today. I know that a true fiend put up this wallpaper, because Little Bit's room was horrendous. However, I bravely attempted it, thinking, "Oh, it's just a border". A border put up by Satan himself, my friends. It's mostly down now but it really took up most of the day.


A day in which I needed to catch up on laundry, housework, try to get my profile set on the new Wii Fit (I know, just what the boys needed, more electronics but Mom went along with it because she got a Fit), go to a meeting at Little Bit's school (he is doing TREMENDOUSLY well here, it's a true blessing that we got the school we got), grocery shopping, dinner cooked and get ready for Scouts. Like I said, I know why I'm tired.


As well, we were out of town most of the weekend because TH, Big Bit and Little Bit had all never been to Yellowstone. I figured that the Bits were understandable but who has ever heard of a 45 year old man who lived all of his life 6 hours from Yellowstone who'd never been there? So we went, and it was beautiful. Lots of snow still, but we saw some animals - no bears, boo!







The boys enjoyed it, overall, even with being in the car for hours. I was impressed with how well they got along.

Pictures to come of more, but this is what I could get out for now - time to go have a glass of wine and a deep breath before dealing with thirteen 10-11 year olds at Scouts. Whew.

And Now For a More Serious Message

I'm feeling kind of melancholy. I think it was brought on by going to this college for a campus visit with Big Bit yesterday. He seemed to like it, and the fact we were there on a campus visit was probably enough to inspire melancholy.

I went to this fine institution my first semester of college, but I was socially inept at 16 (I know, I know, I was 16, what did I expect?) and when the first set of friends I made didn't work out, I didn't know how to go make new ones. They were a close knit bunch, it's a very small college and I hadn't met enough people in classes to make new friends easily, plus I lived off campus so I didn't know as many people as I might have otherwise. I left at semester and headed back to my hometown and to the junior college there, where I ended up meeting the EHFH and...there you go.

So it was weird to be strolling around that campus yesterday for the first time in, oh, about 25 years (have I mentioned lately that I'm old?) and remembering how excited I was to be there and how stupid I was to leave. How the last time I remember walking into that cafeteria was to tell a guy I'd gone to junior high with that his good friend (my cousin, who Big Bit is named for) had died the previous night. Some of the buildings looked much different. Unfortunately that one didn't look different enough. I could still see him sitting there and the look on his face when I told him the news as I surveyed that room.

Life goes how it goes, and as Frank Sinatra says "I did it My Way" so I don't have a lot to complain about - I was a smart kid who made some dumb choices along the way, no one made them for me. Sometimes I forget to give myself credit for overcoming those bad decisions to live in a house I like, in a town I love, with a husband and two sons who love me, even if I could be or have been a better wife and mother along the way.

Okay, enough heavy thoughts. I don't get like this often, thankfully. For you, dear readers, as well as myself.

Yeah!

Take that, Utah! One vehicle down, one to go...

A busy week at work and it should be a busy weekend at home but today I'm going skiing with friend Ra, then Little Bit has a party to attend. After that, I'll probably buckle down to some home related things and getting ready for the Easter Bunny to come tomorrow. I'm going to be really sad when the Easter Bunny doesn't come anymore. Hopefully he'll stick around for a while.

Big Bit comes tomorrow for his Spring Break. His prom is tonight (who in the hell schedules Prom the first day of Spring Break?). I bought him a boutonniere (probably spelled wrong) from the florist in Reno who did my wedding bouquet for the 2nd wedding. He said it turned out great. I guess it's hard to screw that up eh?

Ta ta for now - have a great weekend!

Dear States of Utah and Idaho

Dear Utah,

Please don't send me nasty letters because you can't figure out that my car is now insured in Idaho and therefore you believe I have no insurance. I have lived in more than one state and Big Brother didn't operate in any of them - until now. I signed my registration saying I'd provide insurance, and I do. I hope to get my license plates out of your state as soon as possible, believe me. I don't want people to think I actually live there. You suck.


Dear Idaho,

When you put information out on your DMV website, please make sure it's accurate! Don't tell me to simply bring the name and address of the bank I have my Ford financed through and I can license my vehicle - when, in fact, all you're going to do is HAND ME A DAMN FORM I HAVE TO SEND TO THE BANK SO THAT YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON THE TITLE before I can license my car. I love you, but your website sucks. Had I known this, I would have brought the OTHER car, the one I DO have a title to and gotten it taken care of while simply picking up the form for the Ford. Now, I had to come all the way home and need to go all the way back. And I'm really not in the mood for you to waste another hour of my day.

That is all.

Friday Roundup

Let's see...what's going on around here....

• We have finally set a date for our housewarming - May 9. That is way too close if you look at what we still have to do, but I figure it will make us get it done. Invitations are coming soon (Yvette, here comes that chance to see Boise!)
• Our old employer, the "Mothership" as I used to call it, seems to be in real trouble if you look at their NON-earnings announcement this week. I'm hoping and praying they can pull out of the death spiral but I am really worried for all of our good friends that still depend on it for their livlihood, both here and in Utah. I saw the CEO the other night (while enjoying a great glass of wine and great jazz here) and it really took everything I had not to go scream at him for screwing up a really fine company and good employer for many thousands of people. Yes, for those of you in Idaho or around, you know exactly who I'm talking about. I think I'm going to sell the stock I bought for $45 while I can still get $3 out of it. Sigh.


• TH and I got to see Tom & Joe aka "The Fool Squad" last night at the Fettucine Forum which is something Boise State has periodically for free. The Rose Room, a huge room where they have wedding receptions, huge parties etc. was PACKED. The boys were their usual sparkling, funny selves with lots of Tom Luna (Superintendent of Education for Idaho who seems hell bent on screwing our schools as badly as possible) and Butch Otter (Governer of Idaho, ditto) jokes. I heart them.

• It looks like my Mom is moving to Boise! She has been here all week and found a place she likes, and has made an offer on it. She won't be moving for a couple of months, but unless something totally unravels, she will be near us very soon. It will be nice to have her closer, I hope she likes living here as much as we do. And, no, I didn't talk her into it. The Bits, and Little Bit in particular, are very excited about this development.
• Speaking of Little Bit, he won a pizza party for selling the most cookie dough and magazine subscriptions in his class for the PTO fundraiser. And he only sold $91 (well, I did, anyway at work). That is both cool for him and sad to note for his school. It's in the poorest area in Boise and money is quite dear to most of the parents and families. It makes me feel fortunate indeed.
• I am sick to death of clouds, rain, and snow. Come on spring, get your happy humps over here to Idaho!
• Jay Cutler got traded to the Chicago Bears. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Whew.
• Big Bit has a DATE to the PROM. *Sob**Sniff*
• My Grandmother, who hasn't been doing well, appears to be doing much better. I don't care if she's 91, she's still my Grandma and I still need a Grandma, so she'd better stick around!
• The Idaho Steelheads made the playoffs. Yay!

I think that is a pretty good roundup of developments. Have a good weekend!