They still shock me

I've known my husband for 12 years now.

What amazes me is that learning stuff about his family still shocks and/or surprises me.

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I guess about half of my MILs siblings have used/abused drugs and/or alcohol.

There's this one crazy married in aunt (CMIA) that is very loud. She is the one who introduced my MILs younger sister (MILYS) to the guy she ended up living with for 20 years. She also ended up having a son with him. The guy? He was the family drug supplier.

Way back in the day, my FIL was a cop (along with 3 of his brothers). So did he & his brothers ignore the drug use in my MILs family?

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My Hubs godmother (HG) doesn't like CMIA. HG thinks CMIA is a rude & loud person. HG also thinks that CMIA stalks her. I guess CMIA has called a couple times & talked about stuff she'd only know if she'd driven by HG's house (which is a couple miles away from CMIAs house).

A couple weeks ago HG got into a fender bender. She took her car to the shop to get fixed. She got a rental. Later that day she got a call from CMIA.

CMIA: "Hey, it's CMIA!"

HG: "Oh...hi!"

CMIA: "What's that car doing in your driveway?"

HG: "What?"

CMIA: "There's some strange car in your driveway. I know that's not your car."

HG: "It's a rental."

CMIA: "Oh. Okay."

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One of the Hubs cousins got married this weekend. At the rehearsal at the church his Grandma had one of her rude moments. She and my SIL were sitting at the back of the church. A 50-ish year old woman walked in.

Grandma: "Who is that?" [to my SIL]

SIL: "I don't know Grandma." [my SIL flew in for the wedding so she doesn't know who everyone is]

Grandma: "Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?" [She's yelling over to the woman]

The 50-ish year old woman (50W) walks over to Grandma and extends her hand.

50W: "Hi there!" [Speaking in a very pleasant, cordial voice]

Grandma: "Hi." [Sounding suspicious]

50W: "I'm Mrs. So-n-so, the mother of the groom. We've met before at this-that-n-the-ther function. It's nice to see you again."

She smiles and then walks towards the front of the church.

The Hubs' Grandma? She didn't apologize for her behavior. I guess that's where my MIL gets it from!

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There's not only friction between the older generation. There's friction amongst the cousins too.

At the wedding rehearsal on Friday night, one of the female cousins (FC#1) was overheard saying "I bet Grandpa paid for most of this" in a nasty tone.

FC#1 got married a couple years ago. I guess she had informed the family that she only wanted people 18 years and older at the reception. Somehow, the one uncle from out of town ahdn't heard this information. He flew into town with his 16-year-old daughter. He ended up having to make arrangements for her while he attended the reception. I guess the Grandpa wasn't happy with FC#1's rule of 18+. The Grandpa ended up not making the 'welcome' speech he's made at all of his grandkids' wedding receptions.

So the female cousin (FC#2) that was getting married this weekend told her Grandpa that he could do whatever at her wedding. Therefore, that's why FC#1 reacted the way she did. FC#1 got no monetary help from the Grandpa. I guess she was a little miffed at the treatment she received a couple years before.

Now I'm married into this family. And even I know that FC#2 is very close with her Grandpa. I mean, she was the only grandkid who was constantly at the hospital when the Grandpa was admitted last winter. She was the one who called us all up with the news and with updates. So I would not be surprised that the Grandpa paid for stuff at FC#2's wedding.

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And the friction doesn't stop at friction. There are actual fights!

Turns out the last time my BIL was visiting, he got into a fistfight with his uncle. I guess they were both drunk. The uncle and my BIL were arguing about some topic. The uncle takes the first swing and all heck breaks loose. I guess the uncle is a "surly drunk" and it doesn't take much to get him started.

MIL: "I hope your brother stays away from boy cousin #1 (BC#1)."

Hubs: "What're you talking about?"

MIL: "I heard that BC#1 is a surly drunk too. With what happened last time...."

Hubs: "If your son stays sober, then there shouldn't be a problem."

Can you believe they actually have fights? Between the older and younger generation? And what is with getting drunk at gatherings? Is that a must? Oh gosh!

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There was this conversation this past weekend. Talk about no tact!

Uncle: "What's going on with your father?"

Boy Cousin#2: "I don't know." [BC#2 starts to tear up]

Uncle: "Well, what's he going to do?"

BC#2: "All I know is that he and my Mom are going to lose the house November 1st." [BC#2 walks away]

BC#2's Dad hasn't been able to hold a job for a few years now. Because of his lack of income, the bank will be foreclosing on the house November 1st. This is what confuses me. If I couldn't hold a job and I knew I couldn't sustain a home, I would sell it. That way I could still make a profit on it. Now that they're at the bottom of the pit? BC#2's Dad will be moving in with Grandpa and Grandma. BC#2's Mom will be moving in with her sister.

BC#2? He's getting married next year. This should be a happy time for him. Getting ready for the wedding and stuff. Instead? It's a sad time.

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Hubs' Grandma & Grandpa's house? There are going to be a few of their kids residing there. The one aunt has never moved out. She's a really nice lady. Very generous and kind. BC#2's Dad will be moving in November 1st. And my MILs youngest brother (MILYB) will be moving back any time now. MILYB just lost his government job. We don't know why he lost it but he did. MILYB has a history of alcoholism. That's one of the contributing factors that led to his divorce 5 years ago. MILYB's oldest daughter was the flower girl at the Hubs' and my wedding. Since YS lost his job, he will not be able to afford his apartment. So he will be moving back to his parents' home any time now.

Now how sad is that? Hubs' grandparents will have 3 of their 8 children back in their house. All of the kids are over 50 years old too. By the time most people are in their 50's they're thinking about their retirement, right? Thinking about what they'll do with their lives when they no longer need to work. That's not the case here.

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It saddens me. It's amazing really. All this...STUFF. I should be grateful that the Hubs turned out so normal, eh?

Now does your family or your husband's family have crazy stuff like this happening????

What the tastebuds will accept

The most fun show caught my attention this afternoon.

It about the 25th anniversary Spamarama festival in Austin, TX. **

That's right folks. It was a food festival all centering around Spam. It was fabulous!

They had a sports event! Teams of two would toss a full-size piece of spam at a specified distance. Teams who successfully tossed & caught the spam would continue to the next round.

Then there was the cook-off. The THINGS they came up with were amazing.

There was one dish that had Spam mixed with lobster (some sort of parfait). It seriously looked like a French dish with all the layers and the pretty presentation. There was the Spam sausage. It was 40% spam & 60% pork butt with herbs, onions, and other seasons mixed in. There was Spam on a stick. It was sliced long and thin. Dipped in jalapeno pancake batter. Deep fried. Toped with some sauce.

It was great when they rolled clips of people recalling Spam in their lives.

"Oh yeah. My Mom used to make it 2 to 3 times a week. We'd have it with potato flakes. Spam & mashed potatoes!"

"My grandpa used to fry it up on Sunday mornings. Us grandkids would eat it up."

"My Mom used to fry it up and also do up some eggs. Spam and eggs. Ummm..."

What I found interesting is how Spam made its way into homes across America. Did you know that World War II soldiers had canned Spam as a part of their rations? Yes. Turns out that Spam was the only meat that a lot of soldiers were able to eat on a regular basis. So after the soldiers came home? They incorporated Spam into their civilian lives. Through these soldiers, Spam received national acceptance.

I grew up with the stuff. Oh yeah. On weekend mornings, my Mom would cut it up into square shaped the pieces and fry them up in a pan. Then she'd scramble some eggs. Then she'd throw some cooked white rice in. Yes, Spam fried rice! We'd even have Spam for dinner sometimes too. We'd have it cut into rectangles and fried it up in a pan. We had it with white rice and diced tomatoes. Yummy!

The Hubs? He can't seem to wrap his head around Spam. Meat in a can. Can't seem to get over that concept. But doesn't tuna come in a can? He has no problems eating that. Yes. I am aware that Spam is processed WAY more than tuna, but it's still in a can the same way.

Maybe it's because he didn't grow up eating Spam. That's my only conclusion. His Mom never made it for them as kids. So none of them have an appreciation or desire to eat Spam. I don't even bring it up. I know I'll hear sounds of disgust at the thought of eating this American icon. To me, eating Spam is like eating food from McDonald's. It's a classic.

Now did you grow up with Spam?

** They actually had the 27th festival in April 2005

Isn't it pretty

I totally forgot to show you guys my sister's wedding dress. I can safely post it here since my family doesn't know I have a blog. Ha-ha!

What do you think? To tell you the truth I'm surprised she selected this dress. It's not something I would picture her in. Especially for her wedding.

As you can see it's a strapless piece with a snug bodice. Then it has a flowing skirt section with a train. A train that'll need to be bustled after the wedding ceremony. Now WHO will get underneath the back there and do it for her is a guess. I certainly will be busy with my two kidlings (who are both in the wedding). I'm already going to be sweating trying to keep the Bear settled and happy. LilSis is going to have to recruit one of her maids of honor -- since she has three of them. Can you just hear the sarcasm?

From the close-up, you can see that the bodice has lots of detailing on it. The bottom front of the skirt has the same beading/sequins along with the back part of the veil that'll skim the train. It's pretty detailed. I have no idea how much the dress costs either. I didn't want to ask. I didn't want to throw up. It's beautiful. But I'm sure it's pricey.

I'm glad I was able to see it early on. At the store, the saleslady was anticipating me crying. I guess most ladies do cry when they see their daughters, sisters, friends in their wedding gowns.

"I'm not a crier. I don't need any kleenex."

True to my word. I didn't. I just looked at it and took photos. I was so detached. It was weird. But truthfully? Even my Mom didn't cry when she saw it the week before. She just looked at LilSis and nodded. No a glimmer of a tear in her eyes. Now...how I'll be at the wedding? I don't know. I don't anticipate shedding any tears. But who knows?

Here she is!

Here's the new Mommy-mobile!

Ain't she pretty?

I'm loving the back air vents. I'm able to cool the kids down quickly since they've each got a vent above their heads. No more blasting the air from the front to get them to cool off. And even though it's going to get dirty more quickly with the kiddos...I do adore my beige (pebble) interior. I've had enough of that dark grey (charcoal).

For me?

I really dislike shopping for clothes. That's why I live in items that I've had for years. T-shirts that I purchased before I had children. Shorts that are too baggy or too small. Shoes that have seen better days.

But today? I went shopping. For clothes. For me!

I went to a clothing store close to my house. They were having some sort of sale today (and tomorrow). The Bear and I went together. Yes. I brought my feisty little guy with me. To buy clothes!

I went to the petite section (only because I'm short -- not tiny in size) and found some slacks that were nice & simple. Streamlined. No pockets. Flat front style. I grabbed a couple different kinds. In a couple different sizes. That's right. I don't know what size I actually am. As an afterthought I grabbed a couple shirts on the way to the dressing room. More to figure out size than anything.

We got to the dressing room. The Bear sat happily on the bench with the big mirror in front of him. And yes. We did go into the extra large and roomy handicapped fitting room. I put on the largest size slacks and found them to be...too big! Yeah! I then put on the next largest size and these fit. They fit really well. I sat down on the bench next to Bear and grabbed a Teddygram from Bear's bag as I checked the fit. These were winners! Just to test myself I tried on the smallest size. And even though I could zip these puppies up? I would definitely not be comfortable in them.

We left the dressing room and made our way back to the petite section. I got a pair of black and dark brown slacks. These are pants that Clint & Stacy (from What Not To Wear) would approve of. Like I said. Simple front. Straight leg all the way down. The waistband hits just below the waist so it's not cutting in. The length was just right. The slacks will look smashing in 1 1/2 to 2 inch shoes. These are the first "nice" pants I've purchased for myself in ages. The last pants I purchased were khaki tapering in ones. Yes. Fashion faux pas. But these new slacks? I feel so much like an adult in them.

Now WHY did I buy these pants? Because I have no work wardrobe. Some of my shirts will still work but I definitely needed new bottoms. All my stuff is too small for me. My waist is much thicker now than 5 years ago. My final purchase? The two pants and two shirts! A rose colored suede long-sleeve button down and a blue/black/white vertical striped 3/4 length sleeve stretch button down.

But I do need to get some new shoes too. Since having kids I haven't worn heeled shoes for longer than a few hours. Now I need comfy shoes that'll take me through at least 6 hours. I still have my old work shoes but they are no longer comfortable. My feet are now wide. No longer comfortable in the basic medium width. Any recommendations on comfy casual work shoes?

Now that I've got a couple pair of slacks, I'm more comfortable about getting a job. I've got the start of a basic wardrobe. Pieces that'll get me through dressy offices and more casual offices. Once I land a job? I'll be off to buy a few more pieces. I do dislike shopping. But today? I had a good time. Go figure!

The end of September [update]

I can't believe that there are only THREE months left in 2005!

Tomorrow is October. Meaning Halloween is just weeks away. Which will turn into November. Which means Thanksgiving. Which will turn into December. Which means Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa (or whatever holiday you celebrate in December).

Once we hit October, the rest of the year seems like a blur.

But today? It's still September. In another hour or so, I'll be headed out to the Prin's school. The kindergarten and kindergarten/1st grade classes will be celebrating all the September birthdays. Turns out there are SIX kids that had a birthday this month.

Before going to school this morning, the kidlings and I dropped by the grocery store and picked up...CUPCAKES! We purchased 3 containers with 12 in each. There are 33 kids in total. The cupcakes are decorated in a generic fall design. No specific girly or boy theme.

The Princess was so excited about the day. I think she's happy to be able to have one more chance to celebrate her birthday. She's also excited to have all our leftover grab bag items in the classroom Treasure Chest. I'm sure the girls that attended the party will know that the stuff came from our house. Of course, the boys will be oblivious (since we did not invite them per Daddy's order - chuckle chuckle).

But I'll be headed over so I can be at the school when they start their 'party' at 2:30pm. I am not going to leave those two teachers to handle 33 kids with cookies, cupcakes, and juices alone! No way! Even though that'll mean the Bear will be in the mix....an extra set of hands is always helpful. I'll be on-guard with a containers of baby wipes to clean up those messy hands and faces.

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Oh my word!

We're back from school. I don't know what to say about kids these days. I guess I didn't realize how lucky I am to have the Princess. Some of the kids in her age group need to seriously develop their 'listening ears' and general manners.

"Kids. Sit down."

How many times did I hear the teacher say that?

"You guys need to sit down quietly so we know who needs drinks and treats."

Now when I said that? They sat down lickety-split. I couldn't believe that the Bear (who will be 3 in January) had the ability to sit on a bench longer than some of these kindergarten age kids. AMAZING!

But the kids all were sweet. I was squating/sitting next to the kiddy-size picnic table that I had the Bear sit down on. It was a located one foot from the garbage can. I had the wipes out. And they came in handy. Once they realized I was there, the kids stood in a small line in front of me. I'd wipe down each mouth/cheek/chin, let them wipe their hands down, and then let them throw the wipe away.

I hope the Princess remembers this birthday month. That she had an awesome party at our new house. That I was able to help out at her class celebration. I hope the kids in her class feel comfortable with me too. They're all sweet. I just know I could not handle being a teacher. The patience that one must possess to be able to handle the mood swings these young kids go through.

MORE POWER TO THE TEACHERS!

Don't be a monkey unless you've got the skills...

Yesterday was a good day. Busy. But good.

When the Bear ended up not napping, I had to go up and get him. Actually, I was in a full tilt RUN to him. There was the normal talking that I heard through the monitor for a long time. Then...

"MOMMY! MOMMY!"

It was in that scared voice. The voice every Mom dreads. I took off in a sprint.

"I'm COMING!"

I wanted him to know I was on my way. That I'd heard him calling for me. Needing me.

The kid? He had managed to get himself hung up. He was in the corner of the crib. He had poked both his feet between the vertical crib rails so that he didn't have anything to push up against. His arms were on the horizontal top sections of the crib. He was holding himself up by his armpits with his arms as support. He was STUCK. And he couldn't get himself free.

Oh that kid!

He ended up falling asleep 3 minutes into the drive over to pick up his sister from school. Thankfully, I was able to park in a good spot (in the shade) and leave the car & the AC running. The kindergarten gate was already open and I was able to get the Princess out of school and into the car in under 2 minutes. The little guy stayed asleep until I had to get him out of the car.

As for my interview? I felt that it went well. I felt like I was able to convey my desire for the job without being too needy. I feel that I refined what my work experience actually entailed. Reading what a person has done versus hearing what a person has done are two different things. I think I was able to convery my enthusiasm to get back to work. Back to a job that'll challenge me while still giving me the ability to drop-off and pick-up the Princess from school. The gal who interviewed me is the wife of the guy who I'll actually be working for. Yes. She works in the office but she's screening all the interviewees and taking lots of notes. I'm really hoping I'll get called in next week for a 2nd interview.

The reason I want it so much? It's in a new industry for me. It'll be a nice challenge. It's a small office so no gossiping and internal conflict to deal with. The hours are 9 to 2, so it sounds like they'll be paying me for my lunchbreak (something I'm not used to). It's an actually full-time payrate job at part-time hours. That's what I've found. Seems that employers pay less for people working part-time. It's amazing. I've read a bunch of ads and they want a person to have a bunch of tasks and responsibility...and then they pay them a low hourly rate. Ugh. If I were to ever own a business I wouldn't pay any part-time worker an hourly rate lower than what I'd pay a full-timer. That's just wrong!

Then dinner? It was fantastic. A huge slab of prime rib cooked just the way I like it (medium rare). A baked potato with EVERYTHING on it. A nice little salad with crunchy croutons. And two kids who actually colored and ate their food. Yeah!

The Amazing Race - Family

Okay, who else watched this 2-hour episode?

Sorry to say that the Black Family was eliminated last night. But they tried hard. I found it most endearing when the little guy went to fetch water and he ended up almost falling into the puddle. His Dad came to his rescue and pulled him up by the back of his jacket. Didn't embarrass the little guy either. He told him he did a good job.

Aiello Family - This old guy with his 3 sons-in-law? Whoa! The old guy reminds me of Frank from Trading Spaces.

Godlewski Family - These sisters are a crack up! What did one of the other teams call them? "Desperate Housewives!"

Weaver Family - Strong family. No internal bickering. The Mom is strong. They are all holding up after the loss of their father/husband. They did a great job. I just felt bad when their cart's brakes failed and it ran over the Mom. I'm sure it scared those 3 kids.

Bransen Family - This man with his three daughters? Seems like the girls get along. I wonder if when he looks at his daughters he just sees them when they were little or as they are now?

Linz Family - You'd think this group of 3 brothers and their sister would have placed in the top 3, but no! They overshot their 'strength' and ended up on the tail end of this leg.

Schroeder & Rogers Family - 2 parents and a girl and a boy. I really couldn't tell the difference between them.

Gaghan Family - These two parents with their two little kids...ROCK! Where the Linz family failed, these two parents hauled with no problems. It was priceless when these parents stoicly pulled their cart past the Aiello Family while the two kidlings sang "She'll be coming 'round the mountain". But those two kids can run!

Paolo Family - What can I say about this group? I'm embarrassed for them. To have the sons yelling at their Mom. And they do it all the time. It's like they think it's okay. How rude is that? Why doesn't the Dad step in and set down the law? Anyway...I guess that's how their family dynamic works. I just can't imagine if it was me. One thing I did disagree with was when the Mom said "Can we hurry this up?" when some guys were folding the American Flag. Now THAT was disrespectful.