Alphabet Soup

Time once again for our Saturday Scavenger Shots. This week's word is LETTERS and it was choosen by the prestigious AlienCG.

You may recall that last week, I was able to show you NUMBERS in the library setting. This week lets just continue with that fascinating theme and take a look at LETTERS in the library! [Note: I will continue to believe with all my heart that everyone finds the library as fascinating at I do.] Fiction books are filed by the LETTERS in the author's last name.

See?
Is this the most original take on LETTERS ever done? I am thinking not. But still, I think you for stopping by and peeping my LETTERS.

Oh, and don't forget to check in with the Alien to see who will be choosing next week's word!

Let's Rock, Man.

Time to play....Choose and Defend! Who's it gonna be? If you had to choose...and you really, really do, who is superior and why?

The Beatles?

Or The Rolling Stones?

Choose and Defend! Please. Thank you.

Quick Catch Up Story

Some of you...possibly most of you...are understandably confused about my situation at home, so I just thought I'd sort of go over the basics.

My ex (WTG) and I split up about seven years ago. We'd been together, at that point, about 17 years. At that point we had five children, ranging in age from 4-16. When this first happened, he moved out and got his own place, but about three years later the landlords of the house that we had lived in for 14 years decided that they were going to renovate and sell the property. It was a very affordable place and I couldn't imagine how I was going to be able to rent another place for six of us. WTG had been wanting to buy a house for years, and this was when all the shady loans were going on. It was the perfect time for someone shady to buy. We talked it over and although it didn't seem like a great idea, it seemed like a solution...he would buy a house, we could all live there. He could really only afford it with another person. He said that if I came in and paid every other bill, aside from the mortgage, he could realize his dream of homeownership and live with the kids again too. The other solution was for us each to get what we could afford, but neither of us could afford somewhere on our own that would house one of us and all five kids. So, for the past three and a half years, we have been staying in his house. There have been times when it has seemed fine and reasonable. But really, many more times when it has been fairly unbearable. He has always made me feel that it isn't really my home and that he wishes I were somehow gone (but could I leave my money, please.)

By now, our oldest son has moved on and has his own family and the next two are legally adults, although they still live at home. WTG claims to be so unhappy just having to live under the same roof at me that he is willing to take in boarders or do whatever he has to do to keep his house if only I would just go. The oldest boys just want to continue living there with the very minimal expenses that they are asked to meet. Neither one is ready financially to go out on their own. My daughter and her dad don't get along at all. She wants out of that house. My youngest son is becoming more unhappy and damaged by the tension. I stayed for probably longer than I should have mainly because I felt like I was doing the right thing for him. It seems less and less likely. He wants to be with his dad now, and I think in my heart that maybe if I am not there making him feel like every second of his life is about making a choice whom to love, he will be better off.

So, final result at this juncture: I am going to get a place for Girlie Girl and I. The places I am looking at are very close to the house. Handsome Lad will be welcome at all times, as will the other kids, of course. But the big guys and HL can live with WTG. Hopefully, he can keep it together like he claims he can. I don't have that much faith in his ability to do so, but at this point I just can't keep having this fight. I figure worst case scenario - he loses the house, the two older boys will have to get a place together or with some of their friends, WTG will have to get a little place for just himself or for him and Handsome Lad if he still wants to live with him.

Um, and that is my situation. Could you follow along? I know I have made probably awful decisions and possibly still am...but can you see my reasoning at least?

Long Weekend, Short Week, That's the Stuff

I wasn't sure what this weekend would be like, given the week I had. It actually turned out to be pretty restful and rejuvenating. It was very quiet for the most part and I was able to spend plenty of time just reading or watching television. Actually, not so much tv, as all my shows are ending and nothing much new is starting, so my tivo is looking pretty sad. I was fortunate in that WTG seemed to make a special point to either be gone or at least shut up in his own lair.

Yesterday was nice, as I got together for lunch with my mom and sister, as well as Girlie Girl, the Kick Back Dude gang, and briefly, my nephew Screamo. He brought his own car and left right after he ate, as he didn't care for the visit-y portion of the event. We just ate at Burger King, so that Miss Personality could play while we talked. It wasn't nice enough to hit the park, although it didn't actually rain much this weekend. It was just overcast and sort of yucky. Fit my mood anyway :-)

I also managed to get a lead on a couple of apartments. Well, phone numbers at least, although no one has yet called me back. At least I feel like I am doing something about my situation. But honestly, I don't know what is going to finally come of all this.

Let me close with a picture of someone very cute. It will help you to forgive me for this rather blah post weekend post!
A basketful of Love Bug...aw!

Magic NUMBERS

The illustrious Evil-E chose this week's Saturday Scavenger Shots word. Because he do what he do do so well he decided to see what we could do with NUMBERS.

This one was easy for me, because in the library NUMBERS are very important. You may have heard of a little thing called the Dewey Decimal system for classifying books? We learn it, live it, love it around the stacks, baby. So I went out into the stacks and took a little photo for you all.Here are some NUMBERS. These particular ones indicate that I was browsing books about chocolate. Anyone surprised? haha!

Thank you so much for coming on by. I was, erm... counting on it. Who will be chosen for next week? Only the Evil One knows for sure.

Deep Breath

This is me attempting not to fall into hatefulness. It would be so easy to do right now, but I'm not interested in becoming a bitter, mean, shriveled soul. It is kinda twee, I know...but I need to believe that Love Wins.

Topsy Turvy

My personal life is all topsy turvy right now, but that is depressing to talk about...so instead I will focus on the world of entertainment as it pertains to me, a simple minded ol' gal.

Two of my favorite relaxing and funny shows have just ended.

On Tuesday, Olympic medalist Kristi Yamaguchi and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, won the giant mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars. Girl power, Kristi! haha!

Last night, David Cook won American Idol. I never really got on board with him, because of his weird combover hair and smug demeanor...but he's a good singer and I prefered him to little David Archuleta, who all season seemed to be The Chosen One.

I would fear some sort of withdrawal, but fortunately tonight is the premiere of....So You Think You Can Dance!

Don't worry, I know most of you think I am a bit retarded for watching these shows...I understand :-) Instead of telling me that, perhaps in comments you could tell me about your favorite show and a little something that you love best about it. Thanks!

....Or Me?

It is Wednesday. Time to choose and to defend your choice, if possible. So, what will it be?

Coffee?


Tea?


Choose and defend! Thank you.

Birthday Reflections (I Suck...Again)

Today is Handsome Lad's 11th birthday. Since he is my baby, his birthdays always seem especially poignant to me. His milestones are always more final feeling than they were with the others. He is almost through with Elementary school and it is a shocking feeling because I have had anywhere from one to three children in attendence at that school for the past 18 years!

On Saturday, while I toiled at mi trabajo, WTG took Handsome Lad and one of his friends to Scandia. It's a little family amusement park with a few rides, miniature golf, go-carts and an arcade. The boys had a great time and stayed all day.

Here they are on their favorite attraction, the go-carts. Handsome Lad in front, his friend right behind him...

On Sunday, as I mentioned, we did the whole family thing.

Now it is his actual birthday. I made him some cupcakes to take to school and we were supposed to have a nice family dinner. Not sure of the status on that, given the most recent melt down. I guess as the day progresses I will find out.

I can't help but take this Handsome Lad post to express my regrets for all that his dad and I have done to him. I really do feel like he got the worst end of the two of us as parents. By the time he came along, we were already becoming quite estranged from each other emotionally. So much had already happened and having another baby (surprise!) didn't provide the magic fix for making us into a committed and loving couple again. He has had to live through the tensions in a more real way than the older kids, who are of course much more involved in their own lives. This isn't to say that they aren't affected, but I really do feel he has suffered in ways that they haven't. I blame myself. I blame WTG, who has taken Handsome Lad's love for him and used it like a weapon against me. There was quite a scene last night, with WTG shouting to HL in the other room that I was going to try and take him away from his father and his home. That was pretty messed up.

So, I'm sorry Handsome Lad. He doesn't deserve any of this. He is a wonderful, sensitive, sweet little boy, who deserves to be having a happy birthday.

I Need a Whole 'Nother Weekend

I was so busy this weekend, that it doesn't feel like I had a weekend.

On Friday, I did have some free time in the morning while the kids were at school, but then in the afternoon, around the time I got home from picking up Girlie Girl and Handsome Lad, I found Princess Diva at the house needing me to babysit while she went to take a test at school. What could I say? Anyway, it was very hot, so Miss Personality had a little swim with GG and HL, while I kept white baby Love Bug in the shade. In the evening, I spent a great deal of time picking up and dropping off the kids and their friends at the Oak Tree Festival (one of those cheesy church carnivals with the scary rides) It was packed and just getting anywhere near it was an adventure.

On Saturday, I worked. And it was a solid workday. One of those Saturdays that just wouldn't quit. The place was crowded all day. I suppose people were coming in out of the heat...and we are thinking there are going to be a lot of people around this summer, as travel is getting to be less and less of an option. When I got home, Kick Back Dude and his crew were at the house just hanging. It's lovely to see the grandbabies so often, but dang! It was a long-ass day!

On Sunday, we had our family party for Handsome Lad's birthday, which is actually tomorrow (Tuesday). My dad and step-mom took us out from brunch...my gang, KBD's gang, the grandmas, my sister. Then we all came back to my house for cake and pie and more visiting. There were people at the house all day and I didn't get much done. The laundry was getting crazy, and every year I forget how much more there is once people start using the pool....
By the time everyone finally left, I was so shot! But I made dinner like a trooper and got a start on the laundry.

This morning after getting the kids to school I did more laundry. It was my late day at work, so I actually had an hour or two of relative quiet. And work hasn't been too bad today either. Unfortunately, I did get a phone call from Girlie Girl around 4:30 with the news that her dad, WTG, was having another one of his sudden weird freak outs. She, my mom, and poor little Miss Personality had to leave the house in a hurry. Fuck. I don't know what to do about him and his unstable behavior. Whenever I think about just getting out of the house permanently, I picture Handsome Lad's face...I know he would want to stay with WTG and I would feel I was deserting him. It is a very messed up situation. And I think I really do need a whole 'nother weekend to just chill.

Ah! Gentle, Soothing Breeze...

Because I am not always the sharpest tool in the shed, when I first read this week's Saturday Scavenger Shots word, ZEPHYR, what popped into my head was the completely wrong thing.

This is, in fact, not a ZEPHYR, but a zither! I remember owning a little one when I was a kid.

Since a ZEPHYR is actually the west wind, a gentle breeze, any of various soft light fabrics, yarns, or garments, or something that is airy, insubstantial, or passing I felt quite challenged. Thanks are owed to NoRegrets for her very creative choice!

It is blazing hot here right now. No breezes, gentle or otherwise. And everything I see seems dully substantial, although no doubt this too shall pass. hee hee! So, I decided to take pictures of a couple of things at my house that could create a breeze if called upon.

This is the ceiling fan in my living room. It stirs the air in a gentle ZEPHYR. Or, um, it would it it were working properly. Yes.


Pictured here is the swamp cooler in Social Animal's room. It is ZEPHYR-tastic! For some reason it looks a bit grimy here, and I am sure it couldn't possibly be that filthy, could it? No, certainly not.

Thank you for joining me in this attempt at a light, airy post! Only I could make it a bit cumbersome and dirty. *sigh* Oh, and NoRegrets has tagged your friend, and mine, Evil-E to chose for next week. Pay him a visit, if you dare.

Libraries and the Mentally Ill

You may or may not know it, but public libraries and the mentally ill go together like peanut butter and jelly. Mentally ill people (especially homeless ones) need somewhere comfortable to go during the long hours of the day and evening. Public libraries are, well, public! The public can come on it. It is cool or warm...there are comfortable chairs, reading materials, computers, restroom facilities. No food or drink? No problem, they don't have any of that anyway! What they do have though, sometimes, are other nasty little issues. Some of them like to talk to themselves. Worse, some of them like to try and engage others in "conversation". Most of them, understandably I suppose, have hygiene issues. This can range from low to moderate body odor issues to the problem that we have had here for the past couple of days.

How shall I put this?

Nothing to do but just tell you that for the past two days this man has been using one particular chair as his own comfy toilet.

It is a brand new chair, upholstered and highly scotch guarded. Still, how much can one chair take? And honestly, does our porter, Gio, really get paid enough to have to clean up this kind of mess? Poor dude, hauling that thing out to the loading dock, wearing a face mask and gloves, to scrub it down. After it happened for the first time (that we know of) yesterday, Admin. was alerted. Today, when this defecator returned, they were alerted to his presence. Bangs & Bun and Scrunchy Face approached him together to ask if he has health or hygiene issue...um, duh! And I guess they told him to call 211 - the county help line or something. In response, he waited until they left and pooped in the chair again! That there is a pretty strong statement.

Now what? No one seems entirely sure of the guidelines. Is he banned? Clearly there is something wrong with him, but does that mean that we literally have to take his shit? Honestly, no one seems to know.

Sorry if this totally grossed you out. It is gross. But, you know how I like to share my issues with you! So thanks for reading...and the restroom is thataway...

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Maybe I'll Do This Every Wednesday!

Choose. And if you can, defend your choice.

The Brady Bunch?
or
The Partridge Family?

Choose and defend! Thank you :-)

What's Your Fortune, Cookie?

Your Fortune Is

Beauty is only a light switch away.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

Hee hee! I like this mean fortune!

Last Friday evening I went out for Chinese food with a couple of friends. We were finished with our meal and going around opening our cookies. By the way, whats the thing with people just crumbling them up? I think fortune cookies taste good! Okay, back to what I was saying. We were playing "in bed" because we're mature like that and for some reason mine struck me as so funny that I couldn't read it aloud for several minutes. Everytime I tried I was overcome with laughter. Then, you know how you start to feel stupid, because it isn't really that funny, but that fact just makes you laugh more...well, I totally had that going on.

What was it?

"Try something new and different. You will like the results...IN BED!"

Maybe it just seemed so highly unlikely that this would happen. Anyway, the price of the meal (which was very good) was made even more worthwhile by a good, if rather overwrought, laugh.

Lucky numbers 05, 15, 23, 36, 41, 7 (That is how they are printed...I don't know why we have 05 and plain old single digit 7) Feeling lucky?

Weekend at Bernie's

Yeah, yeah, they had to prop me up and pretend I was alive! All because they wanted to enjoy my beach house! Or no, wait...that wasn't me....nevermind.

Here was my weekend in pictures. But only a couple, so don't panic.

On Saturday, I babysat Miss Personality and Love Bug for the afternoon so that their mommy could have some time off. They aren't quite professional musicians at this point, but who knows what the future will bring?

On Sunday, everyone went to Kick Back Dude's place for the traditional Mother's Day Barbeque. Here are three moms...Princess Diva, Me, and mí mamá. Note that I am clutching a cupcake and have a tall glass of milk in front of me. Oh, happy day.

I hope all you moms had a wonderful Mother's Day and that everyone did something nice for their own mom. It's okay if you didn't share your cupcake. She understands.

When I'm Feeling Fine...

...I like to say, "I'm in the PINK!" Well, I don't actually say that too often, but it kept popping into my head as I thought about this week's Saturday Scavenger Shot word. PINK comes to us from Not Faint Hearted over at This Journey. As per my usual M.O., I thought about the word, but didn't hop right on it with my camera blazing :-) So, like MacGyver, I have made do with what is available to me here and now.

I give you...PINK!You will recognize this as your classic PINK eraser. Good for everyday pencil based messes.

Here is a collection of PINK things found around my desk area. Mostly little gifts from kids and buddies. I was happy with what I was able to pull together.

I'm not someone who goes around wearing much PINK or anything like that, but I do like the way it sort of represents innocent love in the color world, you know? Hope you are all in the PINK too! Go ask NFH who she is tagging for next week...

What Do We Really Want?

To start, if you haven't already, you should totally read Churlita's post HERE in which she talks about how men and women claim to want the same things....so why do we so often seem to be at odds? The idea tugged at me...what is the problem? I think I may have hit on one possible bit of trickery that is going on here. My thought is, that while men and women DO want the same things, they are completely out of sync about WHEN they want them! And this isn't an original thought...I believe it originated, for me, with another post of Churlita's! Sorry, Churlita. I'm all up in your head! bwahahahaha! Also, this is a gross generality, but bear with me. Women most desire the committed relationship (with the great sex) while they are in their prime childbearing years....their 20's and early to mid 30's. Maybe they get it, maybe they don't. In either case, by the time a woman is of "a certain age", let us say 40's and beyond, she may not be all that concerned with commitment. She's either been there, done that....or she has come to a point where it no longer feels essential. Now we come to men. Again, I am speaking very, very generally, but my thought is that younger men are not comfortable with commitment. They love great sex, but are sort of hoping to have some variety, with maybe a nice, safe standby to go back to...say, a steady girlfriend or wife. It does seem to me though, that as men get older they seem to begin to value commitment more. They see the bonuses attached to faithfulness and trust. And as I understand it, there is no one more into their marriage than older men, whose health and vitality may be on the downslide. So...my thought is that men and women both want great sex within a commited relationship. It is just that women want it when men aren't ready, and men want it when the women are over it. Any thoughts on this? And if my idea has some merit, what are we supposed to do about it? Is that why there are so many May / December romances going both directions? There have traditionally been plenty of older men with younger women, but is this the key to the emergence of the cougar in society, for example? Digame, por favor.

Maybe I'm the One Who Is the Schizophrenic Psycho

WARNING: This is going to be one of my sad little hormonal posts. Continue at your own risk.Let me begin by saying that part of this is just me being tired. I'm just plain tired. It is a busy time at work, there is some family stuff going on, and I stay up too late in order to have some kind of down time that doesn't involve me being unconscious. So, today I saw Team C and it was nice, as always. I needed a little human contact, you know? But now I am just sort of depressed. There is a part of me that thinks this is going to be it forever. This, or something like this, will be the extent of my physical connection to the rest of the world for the rest of my life. I mean, of course it could be a billion times worse. I have people who love me, people to whom I am emotionally attached. But you know...honestly, there is big part of me that truly believes I am going to be alone (as in not a part of couple) always. Is that the worst thing that can befall someone? Of course not. But sometimes, when I am tired and worn down like this, it feels...sad.
I'm sorry. You do know how quickly my moods pass though, and I know that tomorrow I will be thinking and writing of other, more fun things. And lets face it, just about any topic would be more fun than this one...

Wasting Precious Time

What a day. This morning, from 9-12, I had to attend a workshop on "Violence in the Workplace". It isn't that I don't see the value of these workshops, because I really do. We need to be reminded of the most effective methods for defusing angry taxpayers and that it is okay to walk away from a situation that feels bad to you. I was also reminded of the Secret Service hand position. Do you know this? It looks like this ↓ and is supposed to indicate relaxed readiness. This year, there was a brand new little film included which was all about how to best survive if an active shooter enters the building. Seriously. It was supposed to be empowering and help to educate us on a real life skill. Mostly, it was just kind of scary. Who wants to envision that scenario? Again, useful stuff, yet there is never a good time for these things. So I have to grumble a bit each time one of these workshops comes up, and.......done!

Anyway, I am sort of calling this day a loss :-) Because I am a slacker like that. I mean, I do still have a couple hours of public desk time to contend with, but aside from that I have devoted my time to making up a little flyer for Handsome Lad's upcoming birthday party. And that, friends, is my Tuesday!

Another Post About Iron Man

Everyone who went to see Iron Man this weekend is blogging about it. Just here to add to the kudos. I actually only went because Handsome Lad really wanted to see it. So I took him and Girlie Girl, and we met up with Kick Back Dude and Princess Diva. I was not at all against going, mainly because I tend to love Robert Downey Jr's work. He may have had his problems, but the man can act. And here, in Iron Man, I give him mad props. I know next to nothing about any comic book characters, including Iron Man, but I have read from people in the know that he is the perfect Tony Stark. Since I am incredibly shallow, above all else, I just wanted to make sure to acknowledge the fact that not only did RDJ do good work...he looked fabulous! All muscular, but in a totally reasonable way...not all bulky and gross.Save me, Iron Man!

And a very happy Cinco de Mayo to all! Olé!

Land of OPPORTUNITY

Hola, Fellow Bloggers! Time for our Saturday Scavenger Shots once again. This week's word is OPPORTUNITY and comes to us from Churlita. She will also be tagging the next person to chose, so make sure you visit her to find out who's who in the game!

OPPORTUNITY is a word ripe with possibilities. When I say the word, I picture the world opening up before me, something like this...However, this is not MY picture. It is just the closest thing I could find to what pops into my head when I hear OPPORTUNITY :-)

This is the Creative Center at my work. When I come in and look at all of our art supplies I appreciate the OPPORTUNITY to be "creative", even though I am not too terribly artistic.

Here are a couple of people whose lives are just beginning and thus, are filled with OPPORTUNITY! In this picture, they are taking the OPPORTUNITY to get a bit of bowling in.

Thanks for this OPPORTUNITY to share my humble, simple pictures with you once again.

And the Results Are In....

Yesterday, I mentioned that Princess Diva was having her ultrasound. Remember? Well, guess what! Since they have two daughters, both Princess Diva and Kick Back Dude are very excited to be having a son. I can't wait to meet him in September :-)