And what happened to you this weekend?

Usually Mondays are fill-in the blanks for most people. You go to work. Hang out at the coffee-maker and exchange "So what'd you do this weekends" with all who're gathering strength as the caffeine hits their bloodstream. Typical for most people, right?

Alas, I work from home. And my "fill-in the blank" story today comes from daycare.

I was giving my ritualistic good-bye kiss to the Bear when one of the gals in his class came up. Fine.

Classmate: Ya wanna know wha hap'end?
Me: What honey?
Classmate: My Mom ran over my Dad.
Me: Really? Is he okay? [thinking she was exaggerating]
Classmate: There was A LOT of blood!
Me: I hope your Dad is feeling better honey.

I had directed my voice at a teacher who was standing nearby. I looked at her. The teacher nodded. My eyes widened. I walked over to her.

Me: The Mom ran over the Dad?
Teacher: It was actually the Grandma that ran him over.
Me: I thought she was just joking with me.
Teacher: No. She was actually telling the truth. Can you believe it? Makes me appreciate my family.
Me: Wow. Me too.

I can't believe the little girl (who is 4) was just revealed that to me. Something so personal. Family drama. Like it was nothing. Maybe she told me because I'm so familiar to her. This little girl sees me drop the Bear off and pick him up every day.

Now if something like this or any kind of weird drama happened in YOUR family, would your kids tell the adults/friends they know?

It's mine but you can have some

It's mine but you can have some
With you I want to share it
Cause if I share it with you
You'll have some too

That's a bit of a song on a music CD that the kids listen to in the car.It's about sharing. It's about the joy of sharing. Being generous. And enjoying it. I think it's important concept to get into the kids' head. Hearing it through music is a way for me to get that idea across without actually "talking" about it.

The concept of sharing and not being selfish is something that's not happening in the family of someone I know.

One of my family friend's grandfather died a few months ago. The grandfather owned a home in Southern California. I guess the family is selling the house. But there's an issue on how the family will split the proceeds between my friend's dad and his 5 siblings. Apparently there's a division between the older 3 and the younger 3 (which my friend's dad is a part of) ones. And these 6 people are not youngsters. These are adults who are in their 50s and 60s. They're FIGHTING over money. It's so bad that my friend's dad has TOLD HIM that he can't talk to any of the older 3 uncles OR their families. Otherwise, my friend's dad will "disown" him. WTF?

BigSis#2 and I were talking about the situation the other day. And we're both still amazed that there's such a big fight going on. That cousins aren't allowed to talk to each other. That it's such a big deal. That this drama is happening after their parent has died. What would their father say if he was alive and they acted like this? I'm sure he'd bring out a can of whoop-a$$.

Our family friend is glad that he lives on his own. His two younger siblings still live at home. So they have to listen to the drama every day. It's definitely a bad example to show to your kids. This fight over money. Money that's a result of their grandfather's death. I don't know what kind of message it's sending to all the kids in this family.

BigSis#2 and I realize that money does do strange things to people. But in this situation we both agree that the money that's being fought over is actually a gift. A gift from their father. It's money that they didn't earn. It's money that wasn't planned in their 2007 budget. It's a gift. And you shouldn't fight over a gift. You should be thankful for it.

Getting the ears squeaky clean

No. This isn't about sticking a Q-tip down into the delicate area of the ears. Just a tale of someone who needs to open up their ears.

The Hubs has been home as most of you know. He's been seeking out jobs via the web and through local agencies. Today he visited one of those agencies. But last night, he received an email from the agency requesting that he take an on-line evaluation. The Hubs tried to log in but alas to no avail. He'd put in his access code and immediately be kicked back to the main page.

Me: What's wrong hon?
Hubs: This stu#%@ machine!
Me: Did you try....
Hubs: If these people built this site correctly, then we'd be able to access it....

Anyway, he wasn't about to listen to a word I said since he was in such a horrible mood. When he tried (with fresh eyes) this morning to access the site, he had the same results.

Me: Honey. What's it telling you?
Hubs: It's not accepting the code they gave me.
Me: Did you try....
Hubs: If it's not one thing, it's another....

He didn't even let me finish my sentence.

Fast forward to this afternoon. He was back from seeing the people at the agency. But he STILL had to take that on-line evaluation. He tried accessing it.

@#%$^@^

That's all I heard!

I took a break and walked outside for a few minutes. When I came back he was on the phone with some customer service people trying to figure why the Hubs wasn't able to access the site. Back and forth. The Hubs clicking here and there. He hung up the phone. Tried the site. NOTHING.

%^!$^$@^

That's all I heard.

The Hubs walked away. I sat at his computer. I went to to Firewall thingy and modifed the cookie list to include the site he was trying to access. Took me less than a minute to do. The Hubs came back a minute later and sat down.

Me: Try it now.

The Hubs clicked on the site. He entered his access code. TA-DA! It opened up to the next step.

Hubs: What'd you do?
Me: I did exactly what I tried asking you about last night. AND what I tried asking you about this morning.

The Hubs was finally able to finish the test. Took less time to finish it than for him to get INTO the site. And....I don't even remember hearing him say "Thank you" about fixing the issue for him. Cry You'd think he would have but he didn't!

I just have to say...this is another example of how my husband doesn't listen when I'm trying to tell him something. I mean, I totally knew what I was talking about. I knew exactly how to fix the problem. And all I got was a stoney face. That makes me sad.

Another late night

It's 12:30am on Sunday. I got the day right this time. And I'm in a happy mood.

No. I'm not drunk. No. I didn't just have a private moment with the Hubs. I'm finished with that humongous project that I was working on since yesterday. I poked and prodded at this new software that we were using to "help" us to update things more quickly. I had to LEARN this software. And learn it yesterday. But tonight? I figured it out. I realized HOW to get the data in the software and send it onward to another system. [doing my own private in-zone dance]

With this triumphant finish, I was able to send off an email to one of my most favorite co-workers and let him know the joyful news. That I had finished this thing that relates to one of his projects. I'm sure HE is ecstatic about it. Or WILL be ecstatic when he reads my email tomorrow (at some reasonable hour). The issue with me having to get this done quick was because the guy who prepared this document took 2 weeks to get it to us. TWO weeks! I know the guy is swamped. We all are! But I would expect him to put in some longer hours and stuff to get deliverables out. But I don't work at the main office and he doesn't report to me, so I've got NO say in his list of priorities.

Anyway, I'm off to bed now. SLEEP. I need some good sleep. 6 days of working past 11pm has not been fun. That's after putting in an 8-5 hour day. I usually start working again after the kiddos are in bed at 8pm. But I'm so glad that tomorrow night I'll be able to get to bed (with the Hubs) at a reasonable hour. Ahhhh....

What's been going on

It's been another LONG week at work. It's 1:35am on Friday night... oh duh... it's Saturday morning and I'm just loading all the changes I've done into our system. I've been working on the darn updates since 6pm. I actually touched more than 4500 records. So it's taking a million years to load. ARGH! Anyway, enough about my work situation. Onto what's been happening....

My parents left on Sunday for a two week vacation to the town where they both grew up. My Mom will be back on Apr 30th. My Dad will stay longer like he normally does. He should be back by the end of May. And none of us daughters knew about the trip until late last week. Yeah... they do that to us.

I found out that my Mom is definitely planning on retiring by the end of this year. People she's 68 years old. She should have retired a couple years ago! I guess she figures that they'll be in the new house before the end of the year and she'll be able to be more settled. Be able to stay at home in a fresh environment. All of us are wondering how long she'll stay at home before she volunteers part-time at the church or something. We KNOW my Dad will end up driving her batty with his complaining.

My FIL had his gall bladder out on Tuesday. He has 4 little incisions. He had the surgery in the wee early morning hours. He was at home by 6pm that same day. Can you believe that? The Hubs called his dad earlier tonight to check how he was doing. All is well. He's eating solid foods. He's "off" from work for 2 weeks but we think he'll only last this next week before he gets bored.

And my MIL purchased a new car on Sunday. A Honda. An Accord. A white one. JUST like the one that she got into an accident with and REFUSED to ever drive again after it got fixed. She felt it was unlucky. But she purchased one just like it. Anyway, they got rid of the 'accident' Honda as a trade-in for their small truck with an extended cab. She enjoys the truck, especially the fact that she's sitting a little higher but says it's too big a vehicle for her. So, they purchased this new Honda because they sold their old car to their nephew. They sold their FIRST Honda to the Hubs cousin who's 25. Did you catch all that? That's THREE Honda Accords. I myself think she should have purchased a CRV. It's got good gas mileage. You sit higher. It has a ride like a regular car, since it sits on a Civic chassis. But alas.... another Accord!

The Hubs has been at home all week. He's been in and out. He saw a placement agency yesterday. He has an interview scheduled for Monday. He had an interview this morning that looks really promising too. It's one of those job that doesn't sound fashionable or exciting on paper. But as it turns out it's an interesting place to work (according to the Hubs). He felt good about how the interview went. What they discussed. He 'read' their reactions as positive. And these people are going to make a decision to sift through the first round people by the end of next week. Of course, there will be one more interview to go through once the final candidates are selected.

It's been interesting to be home alone with the Hubs. I think he realizes now that I DO SIT HERE ALL DAY plugging away. I'm not going out on errands and eating lunch at restaurants. I sit here and work. Granted, I do take a couple minutes to get some water or a snack. When I'm frustrated I walk over to my puzzle and find homes for a handful of pieces. But mostly I'm glued to my chair and my laptop. I've already had to 'shush' him while I took a couple impromptu conference calls.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Princess' school will having their Spring Presentation. It's actually going to be a dance recital. Each grade is doing a dance. We're going to have an auction for baskets. And we're going to get to buy some baked good. I love school gatherings! Hopefully it'll be a fun time for all inside the auditorium -- as it's supposed to be a windy and chilly day tomorrow (in the low 60's!).

You all know we live in a new housing development. So we get to have things changed out and checked by the builder (depending on what it is). When issues come up, they also pro-actively call the residents and update things. A few months ago, I got a call from this gal that I'd never spoken to. Apparently, she was the new customer service person (CSR) for our development. She called to tell me that she wanted to an appointment so that she could check out our attic light. I guess some of the attic lights were placed too close to some wiring or whatever. Anyway, she came out a the designated time.

CSR: Hi! I'm CSR.
Me: Hi. I'm Grace. Come on in!
CSR: I was wondering if you had a step stool or a small ladder?
Me: [thinking for a moment] Yes. We had a small step ladder.
CSR: Okay. Because our ladder was stolen last night. CSR#2 was supposed to buy one but he hasn't returned.
Me: Okay. [and I left to get the ladder]

I place the step ladder under the attic opening. She gets up on the 2nd step (it's only got two) and tried to push up on the attic opening. She can't quite get it off. So she drops it back into place.

CSR: THIS isn't going to work. [in an annoyed tone]
Me: Okay.
CSR: We're going to have to reschedule this.
Me: Okay.

People? She came to MY house at the scheduled time specifically to check out the attic light situation. And she came to my house without a ladder. AND she had the nerve to give me an annoyed response when the step ladder I gave her wasn't tall enough. She asked for a stool OR a small ladder. I mean, I could have given her the Bear's little plastic stool that he uses to reach the sink, right? But I gave her a two step ladder (that you'd normally use to reach up on the higher shelves in a pantry).

Anyway, the reason I bring her up? Because she was FIRED this week due to poor performance. And I'm not surprised at all. I couldn't believe her attitude to me about the attic ladder. AND the 2nd time she contacted me for something, she called at 7am on a weekday! 7am? That is WAY too early to be contacting customers about scheduling. It's horrible to say...but I'm GLAD she was fired. She was definitely not on the same level as the two previous customer service reps we've had.

As you can see I've been a jumbled bit of news that I'm all a-fluster. Unfocused. Probably because I'm bone tired. But that's all that's been happening over here. What's been going on with YOU?

Now hat happened to that family?

We all have those crazy people in our lives. Most of us have a family member (or two or three) that we'd flat out call CRAZY. There is a family friend of ours (FF) that is going through some crazy stuff right now.

I've known this guy since I was in high school. I met him through my BIL Jello (BigSis#2's hubby). When Jello and BigSis#2 got together, I'd see FF at least twice a year at parties. FF is an extremely intelligent person. Went to one of the best universities in my hometown. Got his master's degree. Then he got married. We thought he would go to law school. We thought he was going to try to be a highway patrol officer. We thought he was going to try to go into the FBI. Well, he ended up having 2 kids. Two boys. One who is now 7 and one who is 1 1/2.

I found out that FF and his wife are now divorced. That FF has left his home in stealth mode. Stealth mode? Yes! He has been moving his stuff out while his wife (now ex-wife) is at work. And the thing that puts tears into my eyes just thinking about it is that he didn't sit down with his boys to talk about the situation. He just moved out. Without a word. That's what he did! I'm still in SHOCK that this is how he's dealing with. What's even MORE shocking is that the two have been divorced for a year and a half....but remained in the same house together as if nothing had changed. They hadn't even discussed their divorce with his family who live near them. WTF?

And what kind of job does FF hold right now? Did he use his degree? His master's? NOPE! He's a dealer at a casino and is adoring his job. I guess he gets 'perks'. Apparently, when FF was talking with Jello, FF made a comment like "It's great. The Hours. The Money. The girls." JJ replied "Hey man. You're married." But NOW we know what FF was getting at. He was divorced and getting easy pickings from the girls who worked at the casino. Gross! Gross! Gross!

I'm still shaking my head just thinking about this entire situation. I'm confused. I'm outraged. That family? It's now broken.

They've found another house!

I got a call from LilSis and she told me that they found a house!

They've already signed a contract and put down some money. AND the house is finished. But not ready to move into. Why? Because they are purchasing the model! They're supposedly going to be able to move in by mid-November. So they'll be spending the holidays in the new place!

My folks will have 2 rooms downstairs. Their bedroom with a bath. And a room that is currently set up as a Media Room. I guess the TV that's in that room is going to STAY! And then there are 3 rooms upstairs. A place for US to stay when we're out there visiting. YEAH! What's great is that their new home will have a park located across the street. So they don't have any homes in front of them. PLUS, the front and backyard is already landscaped. Just less stuff to do when they move in.

I'm really happy for them. It's a smaller home than the other one, but it fits their needs. AND it's a lot more affordable.

Love to see my sister!

I was so busy and trying to juggle everything that I forgot to mention that my sister (BigSis#2) & her family came out this weekend.

Actually, they didn't show up until late Sunday afternoon. They left on Tuesday morning. And they didn't stay with us. They stayed in a hotel just a mile from our house. They like to spread out and they don't get to sleep until late. So they always stay at a hotel when they come out and visit.

We met up for dinner at the newly built Chili's across the street from their hotel. It was an early dinner (5:30pm) but that was so we could all finish eating and get home so the kids could play. Anyway, BigSis#2 and I sat at one end of the table. The kiddos (her 3 and my 2) sat in the middle section. The two youngedst boys sat across from each other. My oldest nephew (now 13) and my BIL sat at the far end. My sister and I had fish. I had the new spicy tilapia dish while she had salmon. She noticed that I had cilantro on mine and asked the waitress for a side. She's too funny. She threw on a bunch of cilantro on her salmon. Three of the kiddos had the SAME entree. The Bear (of course) had pizza. My oldest nephew had a huge burger as did the Hubs. But my BIL had a chicken salad! What's funny is that when our surprise dessert came, there were squeals of delight. We had that chocolate volcano thing. Just a warm chocolate cake with some ice cream on top. It was delish!

We don't see BigSis#2 and her family that often. Maybe two to three times a year. But when the kids get together they have a blast. Just as if no time has past. The girls played quietly together. Coloring. Drawing. Then they'd fly on upstairs and make a ruckus. Of course, all three boys were making tons of noise upstairs. But I didn't mind. The Bear ended up with a big bruise under his left eye. Apparently, he ran into a wall? It didn't phase him at all though. He continued to play.

Anyway, on Monday I kept the kids home. I wanted them to be able to spend quality time with their cousins. We ended up spending the morning here at the house. The painter was scheduled to finish up the Princess' wall. Then someone else was scheduled to come out and pick up the Hubs old truck. But by lunchtime we were out of here. We had lunch at a sandwich shop. I had NO IDEA my oldest nephew had such an appetite. He at a foot-long sandwich. THEN he had another 6-inch sandwich that his sister couldn't finish. The kid is 13 years old! And he is now officially taller than me! Definitely going through a major growth spurt. And eating BigSis#2 & my BIL out of house and home!

We then spent a few hours poolside at the hotel. It was an indoor pool. Small. But adequate. We were the only ones in there as it was a working day. So that was good. The Bear LOVED it! He kept to a certain route too. He'd walk down the steps. Then go in a curve around and then go up the ladder and then walk back to the steps. It was basically a repeating D-shaped pattern. Over and over again. But this kept him out of the way of the older kids. It was too cute watching him. I'll get some photos up sometime this weekend so you can see him in all his cuteness.

And the Princess? She was fine in her vest. She ended up getting cold and tired so she sat at the edge. She's just skin & bones that girl! I don't think she liked the fact that her cousins were getting 'rough' with each other. She didn't complain but she did stay out of their way.

But I love it when I see BigSis#2. We just talk and talk and talk. We do have our quiet moments but we talk about everything and nothing. You know? No holds barred. We talk without thinking. Without guarding what we say. You know how you sometimes have to select your words carefully with family? Not so with BigSis#2. Even if she does say something I don't agree with, I just let it go. No need to forgive her. No need for any of that. I just let it go.

Anyway, I just had to throw out that I LOVE my sister, my BIL, my niece & nephews. LOVE THEM!

The reorg of my space **update**

There's a site I visit on a regular basis and she's selling her house. AND she took photos of her closets to show how spacious the place is. I think it's a great idea. Kitchens sell homes. Master baths sell homes. I think closets also are a big draw for folks too. There are a lot of folks who adore HUGE cathedral size closets. I am amazed that some folks will turn an extra bedroom into a closet. How much clothing do you need people?

But I guess folks need their clothes. Work clothes. Casual clothes. Work-out gear. In my stay-at-home Mom phase of life, I took my stock down to shorts, sweats, jeans and t-shirts. I still have my work clothes. The ones that fit. But what's hanging in my side of the closet takes MUCH less space than what my husband has got hanging. He's got six sections of hanging items. I've got three. THREE! Granted. He does work outside the home. So he's got his button-down shirts. He's got his wool trousers. But he's got TWICE as much stuff in our closet than I do!

What's funny is that I think that my side of the closet is a mess. I can't stand it. So this weekend I'm going to reorganize it. I'm going to put my old work slacks, skirts, shirts, and scarves into some plastic containers. Yes. All that stuff is still hanging up. Taking up space. My shelf at the top of my side of the closet is empty so those containers will fit nicely up top there. I'll also box up my sweaters and jackets since it's averaging 80 degrees out here already.

I don't know what I'm going to end up with. I'm guessing 1 1/2 sections of my closet will be free'd up. That'll mean the hubs will have 3 times as much stuff in the closet as me. How crazy is that? But my spring/summer attire is limited to shorts, loose skirts, capris, tank tops and t-shirts -- with flip-flops. So that stuff shouldn't take that much space, right?

So the spring cleaning of my closet will be done by the end of this weekend. That's my goal. Simple, right? Not so simple because I tend to get side-tracked one way or another. The kids. The Hubs. I'm easily distracted. What can I say? Anything to keep me out of the closet....

--------------------------------------------------------------

I did it folks! I totally got my side of the closet in shape.

I've got the plastic boxes up on the top shelf. All my work related clothing is in the boxes. I've put my sweaters and winter jackets in the boxes. Even some of my lesser used long-sleeve t-shirts are folded away. I did keep a hand-full of them out though because we're still in a transition period for weather.

I even was brave and actually THREW OUT some items. Yes. I have several nice GAP tshirts that got in the way of some bleach. Each of them has a couple tiny spots where the color is missing. But they're nice t-shirts so I kept them. But now? They're gone. I did throw out the few pair of shorts that DEFINITELY will never fit me ever again. They were those traditional high-waisted things, so it was good to get rid of them. Even if I wanted to change my mind?All those items are in the trash outside. They'll be picked up Monday morning. This is a BIG deal for me as I'm kind of like my Mom (but not as attached) about clothes. I tend to hang onto them for as long as possible.

All that's hanging now are those shirts, all my nice short-sleeve t-shirts, my sleeveless tanks & shirts, my skirts, my skorts, and my robes. It's pretty barren. But I like it!

home with me?

Having the Hubs at home with me is..... in transition.

Yesterday he had a bunch of meetings. So he wasn't home most of the day. Fine and dandy.

Today? He was HOME! He walked out of our room while the kids were having breakfast. They were SO surprised to see him. AND then he drove them to school. Apparently, he can't do that again. Because the Bear had a meltdown during dropoff. His hands over his eyes. Bawling really loud. The Hubs could hear the Bear wailing as he walked out the front door.

But when the Hubs got home? I got so irritated with him. Why? Because he started listening to a podcast on the desktop. Listening to it on the speakers. ARGH! It's usually quiet. Quiet. Quiet when I'm home alone working. So his listening to the broadcast was not welcome. When he walked away to do something, I hooked up the headphones. And when he saw the headphones? He got ticked at me!

As the day went on though he realized that I needed it to be quiet. That I got calls. That I had to concentrate. That I sit at my computer all day and work. I wasn't running around taking a nap. Watching tv. Buzzing around doing nothing. That I sit. And work. So I guess he understands now. And that's all that counts.

Pass on this one....let's find another

My family is NOT going to buy that new house. My Mom, Dad, LilSis and her husband.

I guess they're in the last phase of that development and it's been put on hold. The couple of phases ahead of them are just not selling. People were dropping out. And now? My family has dropped out of their contract as well. Mainly because they don't know WHEN the house will be finished. They don't want to wait. They just don't like being put into limbo.

So what are they going to do? Where are they going to live?

I guess LilSis is researching what's for sale in a particular part of town. Homes built by a particular builder. A builder who has good quality and nice floorplans. And they're planning on purchasing a pre-owned home. Something MUCH smaller than the newly built home they were waiting on. I guess my folks re-evaluated their life plans. My Mom has finally decided to retire by the end of this year. She and my Dad have decided that TRAVEL is going to be a big thing for them. That they don't need a big space to live while they are in town. That they'll settle for a smaller place so they have more dinero to fly and visit places.

I'm glad that they've decided to get something smaller. Less of a monthly hit to their budget. LilSis and her husband don't need anything huge. They're newlyweds and they don't have kids.

So when we drive out to visit them for Memorial Weekend, they may be in their current home but most likely they'll be somewhere else. With the housing market like it is, I'm sure they'll find something nice and be able to get a GREAT deal. It's a buyer's market! And even if they purchase something that needs work? That's fine. They're more interested in the neighborhood. They're looking for some good 'bones'. Then they can put their stamp on it!

I'm excited for them. I think this is a more positive step for all of them. That other house was going to be WAY TO BIG. Too much to clear. Too much to maintain. Just too much. You know? I'd rather them purchase something smaller. Something in an established neighborhood. I'm just giddy to hear that they've found a HOUSE!

So the change is happening

Do any of you remember the "positive change" I mentioned in February?

Well, those changes are happening. The Hubs current employer found out about the change and well... Today was the Hubs last day at that job. YES! They asked him to leave. TODAY.

The Hubs new opportunity starts May 1. But it's a 'test' period. So he's not going to be paid. [gulp] The official start of the new project is September 1. SEPTEMBER! The Hubs is going to go out and try to get a temporary job -- like a 6 month deal. I'm thinking a 'contractor' type situation. There are people who go out on Family Leave or Maternity Leave. So I'm sure he'll find something.

But we're a one income family. Right NOW! Thankfully, I had the Hubs fax our medical/dental applications out to MY company person so we won't be without coverage. Our current coverage is good through the end of the month. I could never be without insurance now that we have kids. You know?

Am I nervous? Kind of. But the Hubs is so positive about his new opportunity. All I can be is strong and back him up. He always seems to land on his feet. So I shouldn't get too rattled by our situation. But it's strange. I'm the breadwinner again. Before we had the kids, I was the breadwinner of the family. I didn't feel like I was, but I was. I was traveling like crazy doing consulting work while the Hubs was working and getting his Master's. We rarely saw each other. But we 'grew' a lot in that period of time. I realized I could do MORE than I had ever thought I could. And the Hubs? He was able to fulfill his dream of completing his education to a level no one else in his entire family had yet to achieve.

What's gonna be crazy? The Hubs will be IN BED with me when I wake up in the morning. He won't be gone in the darkness of the morning. He'll be in bed! I just hope he doesn't drive me crazy when he's home while I try to work!

Don't kick me while I'm down

Work is continuing to 'kick my butt'.

Some people might envy me for being able to work from home. But right now? I don't think anyone would envy me. This week I've been working until 11pm. Tuesday night I was up until 1am. Plus I've been getting back on at 6am each day. And it hasn't been just this week. It's been about a month that I've been having to clock WAY more hours than normal.

I've been worrying about getting things done. I've been worrying about letting people down. I've been ticked at people who've been slackers and not providing me with updates on the deliverables they're supposed to give me. I've been worried about getting caught up. I've been worried we'll never get caught up. I've had many moments in the last couple weeks especially that I've felt like banging my head against the wall because I'm SO frustrated. [shaking head about those moments]

So that's why I haven't been jumping on and writing anything fun. My brain has been tired and fuzzy once I log off from work. Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy THIS weekend. Did you know Sis#2 and her family are coming out this Sunday? YES! It's going to be fabulous seeing them. BUT....we will be visiting my ILs on Saturday. [gag]

And ... does anyone have tomorrow off? Good Friday? I've NEVER had that day off from work. I've always had to work. But the Hubs? He always has had that day off. Is this a mid-Western thing? I think it's strange, but that's only because I've never had it off. Even the people who report to me (who live in another country) asked me if I have the day off tomorrow. I'm like "What? Tomorrow?" Then I emailed our vacation days for the company. SEVEN official holidays on our work calendar. How pathetic is that? But then again, I work for a start-up. So that's why work is always kicking me. So be nice?

Laugh out LOUD funny

As we drove home from dinner last night, I noticed a car on the far right lane. Newer. Yellow. Mustang. Convertible. With a LOUD engine. He revved it a couple times at the stoplight.

I didn't think anything of it until he sped up and cut over 2 lanes to get to the left lane. JERK was the word that flamed in my head.

His actions didn't improve at the next light as he continued to rev his engine. Like it was OUR fault (the rest of us drivers on the road) that we kept on catching the lights. The light turned green and he sped off down the road.

But again we caught a light about 3/4 mile down the road. I noticed the JERK car in the left-hand turn lane. We were waiting on the right waiting for the light to turn so we could turn onto the street. I happen to be looking left when the left-hand turn light turned green. And I saw the JERK car make a u-turn.

But it was unlike ANY u-turn I'd ever seen. You see, he peeled out and made the U. His front end was ready to go in the opposite direction. But the back-end of his vehicle? It fishtailed to the right due to the momentum. All of a sudden I didn't hear his engine. I think he purposely stalled it so that he could STOP the vehicle. I didn't see him for a minute as there were cars in the middle lane blocking my view. I didn't see the JERK drive down the opposite side of the street. So...I think he sat there shaken for a minute. But then I finally did see him drive off. And the first car in the middle lane? The driver was BUSTING up laughing and telling his passengers what had happened.

The cool guy in the muscle car. Swerving in a u-turn? NOT. SO. COOL. He looked like a FOOL! I've been chuckling about that in my head since yesterday!