Weekend and other random thoughts.

I'm so looking forward to this weekend, I know boo hoo for me since I only work a few days. But I just need some down time, alone time, actually I need to do some productive things at home so I can distract myself from the unfairness of life. Seems the scales of unfairness have been tipped in the wrong direction for myself and my loved ones lately. I wish I knew how to fix it.

On to the distractions.

My plans for the weekend...
Get gravel for the greenhouse floor. This will be a multi trip process, since the trailer can only carry so much weight. I'm going to try and get a load this evening.

Thursday, if I get the gravel do that until theres no more to unload, pass out from exhaustion and back pain.

Friday, the temps for Friday are calling for high 70's but possible rain. I'm going to offer to take Brook and Patrick back to the zoo. I have some free tokens for the carousal that expire this month I'd like to use them.

Sat, Day time is open and I'm leaving it that way in case Terri wants to get together. I'm supposed to go to a Mom's night out dinner, but to be honest I don't want to go I'll end up cancelling. I think Mitch is going to want to go to the movies anyway.

Sun, its open at this point so I'll either work more on the yard, or maybe hook up with Terri if she's free.

Mon/Tues I have to work, I switched my schedule so my coworker could take those days and have 5 days off. She was all thankful but it works out well for me too, I end up with 6 days off since Wed is a holiday.

Weekend report

Friday I met up with Brook and Michelle and their boys at the mall. There is a nice indoor play area with lots of soft climbing things, tunnels and slides. There are lots of benches for Mom and only one way in and out. So we can let the kids go and relax. We had a nice time with the exception of this one boy who kept jumping on Burwell (pronounced beryl). Burwell is only 1 he would go down the slide and then this kid would jump from the top of the slide right onto him, and his Mom was letting him!! Michelle kept trying to get him away from the slide but that's where he wanted to be, we were very glad when that boy left. Logan as usual made several friends to play with. And he even stopped playing to tell me he needed to go pee pee!! After a while we looped the mall once hit the fountain where Logan made his wish then headed upstairs for lunch. The mall people were handing out plastic play construction hats which were a hit. All in all we had a nice time, I really enjoy Brooke and Michelle's company.

Sat, Spent most of the day in the yard. Trimmed the weeping cherry, pulled out a tom more junk plants, dug up a lot of rocks from the yard. I'm planning on using some of these as a floor for the greenhouse. I weeded the garden, mowed the grass, string trimmed, and then watered the grass seed I planted which surprisingly is starting to grow. I'm pleased about this, I filled in a bunch of dead spots in the yard with some of that good dirt we been getting so I have these black spots threw out the yard. It looks a little strange. This is also not the best time of the year to get grass started I've never had any success this time of year but I guess with me being home more and watching to make sure things are not all dried out is really helping. At the end of the day I'm again sore but it was worth it.

Sunday, Mom and I went to visit my Grand mom. I left Logan at home it was so nice to have a day off. I didn't have to chase him at the nursing home, I actually got to eat my lunch before it was stone cold, didn't hurt my back getting him in and out of the car seat, etc. It was nice.

Onto the Logan conspiracy, hehe. Sat was Mitch's day to sleep in. First know that Logan did have me up twice before midnight. I was very mad at Mitch he was coming to bed and heard Logan went in and talked to him for just a second then left. Logan was not comforted and ended up screaming for me, I was already in bed asleep. So I ended up getting up to hold him for a good 20 mins. But them Sat morning he slept in till 8:30!! On Sunday, Mitch's day to get up with Logan, he woke up at 6:50!! LMAO

Grandmom

Mom and I went to visit Grand Mom yesterday. She's in a nursing home now which in it self is depressing. She has over the past year and a half just gone down hill so fast. We were there for about an hour and half in that time she said one word, never opened her eyes we did get her to eat a little but it was almost an automatic response. I have to accept the fact that she's gone.

She is the last of my living Grand parents. I feel lucky to have known them all and to have had them so long. Both my parents were very late in life children so my grandparents were well into their 70's by the time I got to know them. I only wish they were younger when I was old enough to really appreciate them. There is so much more I could have learned.

Quarter Auction

I attended a quarter auction last night. It works like this, when you arrive you get a pattel with a number on it or several if you pay for them. Then each item if put up for auction it cost 1,2,3 or 4 quarters to bid. They tell you this is a 2 quarter big. You toss 2 quarters in the basket then they pull numbers out of a bin. If your number is pulled you win the item. I did fairly well I won the following items.

A TomBoy tools t-shirt

Tastefully simple Beer bread mix and Tastefully simple soup mix

Pampered Chef Breast cancer awareness rubber spatula, measuring cup and knife

TomBoy tools small plant clippers and transplant shovel.

I defiantly spent less then the value of the products so I did well. The woman I went with cleaned up, she got a tool bag filled with lots of nice tools, a pampered chef pitcher, cups and platter, and some dips. It was a good time and nice to get out with some women. Funny thing was on of the Vendors was pleasure parties I bid on on thing and didn't get it, then every other item from them i did not bid on my number was the first to be called. Had I bid on everything I totally would have cleaned up, I also would have won a very ugly purse a few jewelry items and a baby item. They do this every month its safe to say we'll be going back next month.

Perhaps they are not stars in the sky
but windows into heaven
where the love of out lost ones
pours through and shines down
to let us know they are happy

I'm not sure if thats exactly right. I've found much comfort in this poem. I think it's approprate to share it now.

Tuesday...

Mitch decided that he was going to visit the Cumberland office today, Ok so that's 3ish hours from our house. And he decided that he would get up to go at 4 am! First let me ask this question, Why couldn't you go on a day that I don't have to work? It might seem silly but if I have to drop Logan off at the sitters it means I have to get up early, I have to wake Logan early and the sitter has to be up early (on her first day of summer vacation for her kids). I guess I'm just pissy about it but the man never thinks about how he's imposing on everyone else so he can do what he wants when he wants. Oh and another thing his F-ing alarm clock is loud enough to wake the neighbors, and he cant walk out of the bed room with out stepping on every squeaky spot on the floor. Just no consideration for the fact that I'm a light sleeper.

Now on a nicer note it was great to see my little man this morning. He announced that "Your not going to work" to me this morning, told me he loves me a bunch of times. We only had one little tiff when I told him he can't have the tractor toy until he goes poopy on the potty, as I was packing it into his lucnh bag to go to the sitters. There seems to be a general lack of interest in potty pooping at the sitters so I'm hoping that a little reward might intise him. Though the past 2 days at home didn't go well on the potty. He seems to have the peeign thing down, an occasional accident when he just doesn't get there fast enough but that's usually just a dribble not a puddle. But the poop, man hes been stubborn. Like yesterday he was running about saying "There's something in my butt" I know lmao, but he wouldn't poop. So like 2 hours later we go outside, he tells me I dont want to be outside, then heads for his play structure, which is where he goes when he needs to poop. I was in the garden a whole 20 feet away I asked him "Are you pooping?" "No!" he says as he dives threw the hole in the play thing. Buy the time I got to him he had crapped his pants! uggh!

Nothing much more to report.

Ice cream truck...Oh how I hate you!

Remember in years past the ice cream truck would drive threw the neighborhood just ringing bells. Just a few rings and we all came running. Well there is a truck that circles threw my neighborhood for what seems like hours, I meal literally I can hear him for ever. And instead of the nice ringing bells of my childhood he plays very very loudly this very obnoxious repeating song. A song I cant get out of my freaking head! To add to the fun Logan has learned, from where I don't know, what the song means. I just really wish he didn't play that same annoying song over and over.

My new hobbie hideout!!

You've all read all about it's assembly. Suggested your favorate plants to grow. Well here it is in all it's empty glory. Now the fun of filling it begins.

Thomas train recall for lead paint.

This makes me so mad. I work so hard at keeping Logan safe from Lead then some company uses it in paint for kids toys! And of course we have 2 of these things.

http://recalls.rc2.com/recalls_Wood_0607.html

More Greenhouse

I told you so! I told you so ! I told you so!!!
After laying on a sucessful guilt trip, which is no small feat, Mitch joined me to try and finish the greenhouse. We last left it with the base and sides square but the roof was having issues. Now I had pointed out several times that one of the back corners was not level. It was several inches lower then the rest of the corners. I beleived that this was the root cause of the problems, Mitch totally disagreed. I stood my ground and insisted that we not push/pull on the roof to try and square it out but level out the base. Amazingly as soon as we leveled the corner all the windows fell nicely into place. After that we tightened everything up, put the doors on, I put in the rest of the glass that I could reach from the ground. All I have left to do is put in the roof glass a few peices in the back up high and fill dirt in around the foundation. Then the fun starts planting!!! The greenhouse itself came in a box with a big metal frame rack around it, so that will be moved in as a bench. I have 2 other things inthe garage from years past to put plants on. I'm so excited! I think one of the first things I'll plant is some rosemary plants I'd like to grow soem of those and shape them in to toparys for some christmas presents. And I'd like to get some more tomatoes going. What would you plant?

Greenhouse adventure or misadventure

My Christmas present from Mitch was a greenhouse, comes as a kit you have to put it up. Well my husband is the king of procrastination so 6 months later I finally nag, pester, kick in the ass enough times that it’s going to be put up. Sat morning he drags the 400 lbs box from the garage to the yard, and heads of to the dump. I start unpacking the box. There are A LOT of pieces. Noon comes and the guys show up, Mark and Sean, Mitch was already back from the dump. Assembly begins. Side note to Mitch and I doing any projects together, we DON’T work well together. It comes down to both of us wanting to be in charge, both of us thinking we know the best way to do said job and both of us having different ideas on how to get the job done. It leads to lots of un-pleasantries. Knowing this and knowing that he’s doing something for me and that 2 of his friends are there I decided early on to be a set of hands that follow others direction for the day.

That being said the day went like this…. According to the directions it should take 4 people 8 hours to assemble this greenhouse.

Step one, assemble pieces 5 to 6 and 10 to 11, making the foundation frame. CHECK THAT FRAME IS LEVEL AND SQUARE. I pointed out this direction, some additional leveling was done, but with lots of grumbling. I don’t think they checked the foundation for square.

Steps 2… attach pieces 1-20 to the foundation using #65 SHORT bolts
Steps 3-5 attach this and that to this and that. At this point many many hours latter we have walls. CHECK FOR SQUARE. (done and corrected, they think)
Step 6, Go back to pieces 1-20 unbolt the blots and add clip #50!!! WTF!! Why the heck didn’t they tell us to put the clips in at step 2?!! CHECK FOR SQUARE (not done) and I quote “These support pieces will pull it square”
Then we discovered that the short bolts were too short in many places, we were undoing things several times. All in all the direction were really poorly written. By 9:30 we have all the framing done. We pack it in for the night.

Sunday, I start putting the glass in, ok it’s not glass its insolated plastic sheets with air pockets. I get all the sides on, and start on the roof. There are 4 windows in the roof, I go to put the first window in and guess what? It doesn’t even come close to closing. Wonder why?? The building is NOT SQUARE!!! For those of you that don’t know you determine if something it square by measuring across from corner to corner the 2 measurements should be the same. When I finally convinced Mitch that the building is not square and we should measure it they numbers cam out like this, 177 to 185!!! He has yet to admit that he was wrong when I said we need to check for square during constriction. I can file this one away for the next time we’re doing something and I think it should be done differently.

Monday, I did out lots of the dirt we filled in around the greenhouse foundation. Unload the trailer full of dirt and spread it threw the yard. Refill the trailer with more yard waste, mostly wild rose and briers can we say ouch. Mitch got home really early due to a Drs appt. I had promised Logan that we would go get his hair cut after nap. He woke up yelling “Mommy I need a haircut” So we all piled into the truck went to Harbor freight to look at some stuff, stopped at the fish store for Logan, went to the mall got Logan’s haircut, the boys had an orange Julius and cookie, I was bad and had a blizzard sooo good. Then we headed over to Lowes ordered the new front door and casement window, picked up a new microwave. Went home put little man to bed, then worked on squaring up the greenhouse. I had to insist that we measure the inside lengths. Mitch was sitting there with a square putting it on the corner. I was telling him that’s only confirming the corner not the whole building. Finally after a while we got it right. I went to put the windows back in, one side of the roof they are perfect the other their not! UGGHHH. So tonight we’ll work on it again.

Game night.

I've invited all the girls from my local board over this evening for game night. It was really short notice so only 3 are coming. That's ok they happen to be some of the older moms that I enjoy the most. Of course I feel asleep on the sofa last night after putting Logan to bed, i was going to tidy up the house, clean the bathroom and run the Vac but oh well. I guess I'll just be doing a super fast cleaning session when I get home. Luckily the house isn't to messy just lots of toys that need to be put up, and like I said the floors could stand a vac and the bathroom a touch up. Ever since Mitch stopped used the upstairs bathroom I've found it so much easier to keep clean.

Tomorrow morning I'm walking with Brooke in the morning then at 10 we have our passport appts. I've got to mow the grass it's gotten to tall it looks terrible. Would have loved to have done it last night but yet again Mitch didn't get home till late and messed up my plans. Though Logan and I went for a long walk, stopped at a new playground. He had such a good time. There was a break in the bridges with these stool like things to jump across. Well they are a bit to far apart for him so I had to help. Initially I was doing all the work he was just letting me pick him up to go across but by the time we leave he was bunny hopping across them all I was doing was helping to direct him and keep his balance. He threw a minor fit when we left saying he didn't want to go home. I think all said and done I put in somewhere between 2-3 miles with lots of that being up hill.

Weight loss report

Today was the first offical weigh in on the same scale. First let me point out that my scale at home is weighing 6 lbs heavy!! So instead of my first goal being 20 lbs away its only 14! and I've already dropped 4 lbs!! Currently I'm in the lead on the challange, and I'm not the heaviest of the 3, which I totally thought I was.

Back to the grid with random thoughts

Let me just say I love staying home with Logan it's been wonderful to have all this time with him. We have done so much in the past 10 months with all the extra time. When I first started the part time thing I kept saying its the best of both worlds I get lots of time with Logan and I still get some adult time, get to keep my resume fresh, my career going, bla bla bla. Well now with the exception of the money I make I'm ready to be done with working. I want all the time home with Logan. I hate leaving him on the days I work I find my mind wondering to him, we could be doing this right now or that. Is the sitter keeping up on the potty training, is he just sitting in front of the TV all day with her, etc. Mitch has been telling me that Logan's fighting him in the morning, "I don't want to get up, Mommy's not a work shes downstairs" "I don't want to go to Kandra's" So I know Logan's loving being home with me too. I don't really like my job, I don't hate it or anything it just doesn't excite me. It's just a job a paycheck. I guess I'm just babbling a bit.


Passports, we have been talking about getting them forever. Well out old roommate who is stationed in England just told us that he's going to have a big wedding ceremony and reception this fall. He's inviting anyone that wants to come. We're no sure if were going or not but the first step in the process is to get passports. We have an appt on Friday to submit all the paperwork, we might have them back in time to goto England in Sept. I'm kicking myself for letting mine expire would have been lots easier.

Greenhouse, my christmas present thats been in a box a very large box in the garage since Dec. I've been pushing Mitch to get it up, I just can't do it alone it's a multi person job. Not to mention that the box weights about 400 lbs, so theres no way I can even move it out to the yard to get started. Anyway theres been this and that excuse for a while, we did do the digging for the foundation. Well Mitch called Mark to ask for some help and Mark said Ok this Saturday we'll do it. When mark says hes going to do something he does no questions asked it will get done. So if all goes well by late Saturday afternoon I'll have my greenhouse up!! I've got all these great plans on what I want to grow. For the first time in a long time I actually have a really good idea for a christmas present for my Dad, Fresh vine ripppen Maryland tomatoes! It might sound silly but that would rank up there as one of the best gifts ever. I'm looking forward to extending the growing season for myself as well. And next year I wont need to buy and plants for the veggie garden, all start everything from seed. And finally one big thing I'm excited about is being able to hybridize some plants myself. I've always wanted to do this but didnt have the facility now I do. The big question is what do I do it with?

Potty training report.

I don't want to jinx it but I'm just so happy. Logan has been dry for 2 days! In underwear no accidents. Sat he even pooped on the potty with no help from me, I was putting laundry away when I hear he say "Mommy I poo pooed" I'm thinking great, in his underwear. Then he calls again "Mommy I poo pooed on the potty" there he was on the potty, he went in by himself. I was am proud.

Weight Loss challange

Two of my co-workers and I have decided that we all need to lose weight so we have taken on a bet, who ever losses the most weight in 8 weights wins. We are each putting in $20. There will be a weight in at 1, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. We started last Thursday, I have been very good about only eating a meals, small portions no snacking drinking lots of water. And I've been busting my ass in the yard all week. It looks like I'm off to a good start I'm down 4 lbs already!!!I keep thinking my scale is broken lol.