This Musical Message is For Forgetting How Conviction Fits

Friday 5 - Comparisons

This week has been a bit crazed, but at least it has gone quickly!  And here we are at Friday once again.  Friday 5 anyone?  I have to say, "Sure, why not?"  Can you follow along with that mindset?  Just say yes and do it. :-)

1.What’s something you do more quickly than most people?  Put together something in writing.  I wouldn't say I am quick on my feet or anything, but I can pretty quickly string together words that make some sort of sense.  See?  haha!


2.What’s something you do more carelessly than most people? I don't know...maybe raise children?  I hesitate to say that I have been careless about it, yet I know that I have taken a more casual attitude than a lot of people I know.  I have counted a great deal on my kids being able to get their ideas on right and wrong through example and common sense rather than spelling every little thing out in a lesson plan.  I will say it seems to have worked out fairly well thus far.

3.What’s something you do more slowly than most people?  Eat.  I like my food, but somehow have never developed a knack for rushing through a meal. 

4.What’s something you do more carefully than most people? I would say that I am pretty careful about giving advice.   I think I am a good listener, but unless you ask me specifically for advice I don't just offer it up.  And if you do ask, I will try, but with all sorts of cautions and caveats about how I really know nothing.

5.In what contexts are you more patient than most people?  In most contexts!  I am a pretty patient person.  Some of that has to do with my grand ability to block things out.  Some of that has to do with my natural born empathy.  Some of it has to do with my rather lethargic nature.  It is harder to upset or annoy someone who is so wifty.

Here is Tiger waiting patiently for Little Prince to wake up.

Thanks for participating, and have an even better weekend than most people!

Oh, Just Play Along!

Well, looky here.  We have made it all the way around to Wednesday once again.  You know what that means, right?  That's right!  Choose and Defend Wednesday!  I believe I have mentioned several hundred times that I am not much of a game player.  However, I am open to the many possibilities.  Because this is Choose and Defend, there won't be many possibilities...just the usual two possibilities.  And we gonna keep it all low tech up in here.  Time to play a game...what will it be?

Card Game

 

OR

Board Game

 

 

Of course, in your defense, you may elaborate further on your choice.  Elaboration is welcomed!  So, come on and name your game.  Choose and Defend!

We Sacrifice Ourselves on the Alter of Pizza and Noise

Yesterday was my oldest grandchild's 5th birthday.  And that would be the royal "we" in the title above.  Probably no one else felt it was a sacrifice to spend an afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese.   And I can understand the impulse to have a party there.  The pros are: instant entertainment for the kids, relatively safe environment (you barely need to pay attention), and the mess isn't yours.  The cons are: it is kind of expensive (especially adding on food for the grown ups who come), you are on their schedule, and it is so noisy and crowded that it feels sort of like drowning just sitting there.  But after all it was about my darling Miss Personality and she had a wonderful time. 

Before the party, Auntie Girlie Girl took her out for a new outfit and manicure.  Here she is having her nails done, like a fancy lady :-)

So, between working Saturday and sacrificial Sunday, it was a very short weekend.   But I do it all for the smiles.  And the money.  And because it is what you do.  How was your weekend?

This Musical Message is for Calling Me Her Name

How I Spent My Friday Evening :-)

Total Randomness Survey from Quizopolis.com

Hola como estas? - Bien
What are you obsessed with? - Facebook, apparently
What do you dip your chicken nuggets in? - Sweet n sour sauce
What was the last road trip you went on? - Glendale....wooooo!
When's the last time you danced with someone? - Last week at work during my birthday dance party celebration with Milly.
What's your favorite show? - Modern Family

If you could visit anywhere, where would you visit? - Australia
What's your ringtone? - Build Me Up Buttercup
What's the wallpaper on your cell phone? - A photo I took of the foothills on a pretty day.
Who is the 6th text message in your inbox from? - Facebook
Go to your pictures...what is the 33rd pic of? - Two of my work friends wearing matching shirts
Who's your 78th contact in your phone? - I only have...61
Who's your favorite character from The Office? - Dwight
Have you seen every episode starting from Season 1? - Yes.
What color is your hair? - Dark brown
Favorite quote? - These go to eleven.
What kind of car do you have? - Chevy Cavalier
What makes you laugh? - Penguins who are jerks.
Whats the last movie you saw in theatres? - The Lovely Bones
If you could co-star in a movie with any actor/actress you would it be? - Jack Black
Whats your favorite article of clothing? -One of  my bear t-shirts, but it is hard to pick which one....
What were you doing on New Years? - Watching tv with DR.
GASP! LOOK! WHAT'S BEHIND YOU?! - OMG, my bed!
What are you looking forward too? - Next weekend
Are you the life of the party? - Ha!  Not even close.
Finish this sentence...You are______ - a miracle and wonderment :-)
If you could meet Barack Obama, what would you ask him? - What happened to our fabulous hopes and dreams, Barack?  How you gonna do us like this?
Pop Tarts or Toaster Struddles? - Pop Tarts
Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate? - Dark Chocolate
Truth or Dare? - Truth
Do you kiss your mom with that mouth? - Sure do.
Your getting chased by the Easter Bunny! What do you do?! - Call my friend Elmer Fudd for assistance.
Whats in your junk drawer? - Useful junk.
Whats something about you that no one knows? - I'm not sure that with Facebook and blogging there is anything about me that no one knows.
What kinda phone do you have? - Blackberry
Whats the wallpaper on your computer? - L is for levitate by Sebastien
Do you dance when nobody's watching? - Of course!
What's your race? - The 2K fun fun.
Who's your loudest friend? - Miss Personality, my oldest grandchild :-)
When you're having a party, who definitely has to be there? - Everyone simply must be there.
Whats the best food combo? - Cheese and crackers
When you need someone to talk to, who do you go to? - DR or Milly
Whats your favorite band(s)? - Steely Dan
What song do you want played at your funeral? - Any Major Dude
Your mom goes to college! - Really?  Nuh-uh!

Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com
http://www.quizopolis.com/survey/6891/Total-Randomness-Survey/

Friday 5 - Rules

It is Friday again, already!   This was a short week for me, having Monday off and today being a day off as well.  I'm sure tomorrow in the library will make up for all that short week-y goodness though :-)  So, hows about a little Friday 5?   This is a tough one!

1. Be honest: what are some rules you have for yourself that don’t really make much sense?  Most of my rules for myself probably involve really practical things like food or what time I should be asleep.  And they aren't so much rules as vague ideas about what makes sense.  And then I do whatever anyway.

2. What rules of questionable sense did your parents have for you when you were young?  I grew up in the 60s & 70s, a time noted for the lack of rules.  I had a very free reign, I'd say.  Maybe that is a bit of questionable sense right there.

3. What’s a rule most people (if not all people) seem never to obey?  Silence is golden.  Is that a rule?  If not, it should be...and more people should obey it!

4. There are no rules governing the giving and receiving of Valentine’s Day gifts, but what rules should there be?  There should be like...a mercy rule.  This one is for the boys -  If your girl says she doesn't care about that day, she probably really doesn't.  But you should get her a little something anyway, just for kicks. 

5. If the Golden Rule says you should do unto others as you’d have others do unto you, what would the Silver and Bronze rules say?  Let's see...the Silver Rule would say you should do unto others as you'd have others do unto someone you cared about marginally.  The Bronze Rule would say you should do unto others as you'd have others do unto someone you rather disliked.  So, like, same basic rule...just become less precious as you slide down the scale, see?  Um, okay...I had no idea how to answer this one :-)

Feel free to play some Friday 5 too.  It is fun and completely wholesome, unlike so much of what you'll no doubt end up doing this weekend.  bwahahahaha! 


Thanks for participating, and may your weekend rule!

All For a Cuddle and a Peck on the Cheek

Welcome to Choose and Defend Wednesday here at Fresh Hell!  I've been giving some thought to the growing "love to hate it" sentiment towards Valentine's Day.  Apparently, we don't like to be romantic by mandate.  I thought I'd give you this choice...

What floats your boat?

Realism

OR

Romance

Now.  I know the two aren't mutually exclusive.  And I'm not even sure if these are the terms I want...especially realism.  But I think you know what I mean.  Which wins out with you in the end?  Your heart or your head?  Are you romantic or practical?  Tell us aaaallll about it in your defense!   Choose and Defend! 

So, Got Through Yet Another...

I made it.  Another year older and...wiser?  Anyway, just thought I'd clear my head with a quick dispersal of weekend information.  Quick...yes, I hear you snorting in disbelief.    Let's begin...

Friday:  I woke up feeling a little off, but figured I'd get moving.  I did my morning stuff and went off to work, but by noon I felt truly awful...achy, nauseous, and I could barely keep my eyes open.  And I'm thinking - Of course I'd be sick for this long weekend!  Naturally!   I went on home and directly to bed.  DR came over as he planned to.  I warned him about my illness, but was really glad he wanted to come over anyway.  It was sort of comforting to hear him moving around quietly while I slept it off.  He brought me ginger ale and checked on me and let me sleep like the dead.  When I got up for a bit in the evening, he told me about his afternoon adventures in cake making.  How awesome is it to have someone make you a cake?  Pretty awesome :-)

Saturday: When I first woke up, I still felt kind of shredded.  I went off to lay on the couch and as the morning progressed I began feeling better.  Yay!   By the afternoon, I felt well enough so that DR and I could go to the movies as we'd planned.  We went to the Alex Theatre, where The Stooge Fest was back in November.  Saturday, they were showing Psycho.  We met my friend Milly and another friend of her's there.  It was fun seeing it on the big screen and I like going out to a movie that feels like a special event.   Afterward we headed home.  I was able to eat for the first time since Thursday evening and we even decided to break into the cake. 

Here is the cake DR made me.  Sorry that I can't seem to show you a cake

that hasn't already been brutalized :-) 

Sunday:  My birthday and Valentine's Day.  Some of the family was getting together for brunch, but I had declined.  My dad and I are in the middle of a bit of an issue at the moment and I decided not to engage with him on MY day.  haha!  Well, as close to a MY day as anyone gets, right?  Anyway, I had a lovely, quiet, sweet day.  There was some weirdness, as WTG had everyone a little flurried that I wasn't at their beck and call.  He hates my dad, but made sure to be at this brunch, since I wasn't.  But I don't need to worry with his shenanigans nowadays.  Aside from all of that, it was actually the exact birthday I would have wished for.  Girlie Girl was in and out during the course of the day.  Kick Back Dude, Princess Diva, and Little Prince dropped by for a few in the evening, and I spoke to the rest of the kids.  But otherwise I got to just hang with DR and say hello to 47.  Damn.  

Monday:  DR had to get back home, so off he went Monday morning.  Everyone else had the day off, so we went out to lunch together.  All the kids were there, except Secret Agent Man, who is hardly ever anywhere :-)  Also, Miss Personality was off with her other, scary Grandpa...well, he's not scary to her, she adores him.  Scary to me...I have a whole story about that and will tell you some time.  Anyway, my mom and sister were there too.  It was a lot of fun and we came back to my place for more cake.  Social Animal gave me a Macy's gift card and my mom got me a massage, gratuity included.  That's kind of exciting.  I've never gotten a professional massage...so now I am both looking forward to it and slightly intimidated by it.   Later, everyone went off to do their things and I meant to catch up on laundry.  Unfortunately, I got behind someone else and never did get to it.  Girlie Girl and I ended up having dinner over at Kick Back Dude's house and that was the end of the long weekend.  

Now, here I am, back to the salt mines.  Was that quick enough?  It was the best I could do...sometimes things that happen to me are even more real when I get to write them down.  Thanks for reading.  I hope all had a great long weekend too...or at least a great regular length weekend :-D

This Musical Message is For...Laura

Friday 5 - Warmth

This week's Friday 5 comes to us filled with a fuzzy glow of warmth.  Seems like a good idea and I invite you to play along with me.  It's more fun than that creepy Snuggles bear!

1.What is your favorite blanket like?  It is the maroon comforter that is on my bed.  It is super warm, but not too heavy.  It is really not fit for human companionship at this point.  It is kind of starting to fall apart and needs to be replaced.  I can't imagine how I'll do it.  haha!


2.What was the last thing you baked?  Oh my.  It's been awhile.  The last thing I baked was a cake for DR's birthday back in November.  Don't judge me!

3.What television personality gets you most hot and bothered?  Tough call, but I am going to go with Jon Stewart.  Cute, funny, smart, liberal...I'm in love.

4.When did you last burn yourself?  I think it was a few weeks ago when I was removing a (no longer) frozen pizza from the oven.  I am good at clipping my hands on the racks when doing simple things like that....der.

5.What are your feelings about hot sauce?  I adore hot sauce.  I don't mind it really, really hot...but I also don't want to be the extreme heat the only thing I notice about it. 

Thanks for participating, and keep warm this weekend!

Getting the Party Started

I'm happy to report that the celebration of my illustrious birth has officially begun.  They gave me a little surprise party here at work yesterday...and it was a genuine surprise!  We were supposed to start a departmental meeting at 4:00 and I was waiting on the desk for someone to come relieve me.  By 4:15 I was impatient, so I was going to stick my head in the back to tell them to start without me, as I was stranded up front....surprise!!!   It was very cool.  Thanks to my bbf Milly,  they had gotten me all of my favorite party foods :-)  There was the obligatory vegetable platter (with ranch!), but there was also crackers and hummus (mmmm), salt & vinegar chips (oooohhhh), brownie bites (sweet!), Dr. Pepper (aaaaahhhhh), and a chocolate fudge cake - here are the remains of that:

Mmmmmm....oooooohhhhhh.....sweet.....aaaaaahhhhhhh!

Also, thanks for Milly's insider knowlege, they had a Steely Dan cd playing for my listening pleasure.  It was a lot of fun and I felt very cared for by my friends/co-workers.  My department people, Mrs R, GCPS, and Camper gave me a very soft teddy bear, as they know of my bearness.  They also gave me a couple of cans of Pringles and a dark chocolate bar.  *sigh*  Milly gave me her presents too!  Season 2 of Mad Men,  a daily notepad calendar that is "All About Me",  and  what she called her cheapy Chinese gift, of magnets featuring all of the Beatles albums.  All there gifts were exceptionally thoughtful and appreciated.   Really made my day, week, month!

After that most excellent ending to my work day I went out to dinner with Girlie Girl, Handsome Lad, Kick Back Dude and his gang of thugees.  We ate at my favorite Chinese food place, Golden Dragon.   Ate delicious food, the kids made a mess, played the fortune cookie game...awesome.  I took Handsome Lad to the evil W store after dinner to get him some running clothes.  On the way home we sang Kokomo together.  I know, I know...we are just incredibly cool and it can't be helped.   What a great day it turned out to be.

Hey, now that you know some of my favorite snack foods, why not tell me what some of yours are?  What would your best friend put out for you at a gathering to make you happy? 

You Want Paradise

Today's Choose and Defend Wednesday is going out to you in honor of those faced with huge piles of snow.  Are you one of the snow people?  If so, this one's for you!  The rest of us can play along too, though.  This is a fully integrated Choose and Defend.  Remember to make a choice and then to defend that choice using your greatest powers of persuasion.  Okay then....

Which animal of the ice and snow is your favorite?

Penguin

OR

Polar Bear

Okay, maybe these animals are not your favorite arctic animal.  But you know the rules!  These are your choices today.  However, you should always feel free to elaborate in comments.  I adore elaboration.  

Ready?  All warm and cozy?  Okay!  Choose and Defend! 

Now We're Cooking!

Today's Eclectic Taraday involves sharing a recipe.  I wouldn't call myself much of a cook, but I can do it if pressed.  It is funny, too.  When my kids were younger and I only worked part time, I cooked just about every night.  WTG used to think eating out was the devil.  But by the time Handsome Lad, the youngest, was about four years old, I had to go to work full time.  Our marriage was ending, but we were still doing our family thing and WTG had a much more flexible schedule, so he began doing more of the cooking.   Somehow, I gained this reputation as being unable to cook!  It felt so unfair.  When I did cook (or do, to this day) the kids tend to act sort of flummoxed, like wondering how I pulled it off.   And truthfully, for the past couple of years especially, I really don't cook all that much.  When I do, it is often a crock pot meal, because of my work schedule.  I usually leave the house around 8am and don't return until close to 7pm, so the crock pot is really my best option.  So...after that expansive back story, I give you....

Crock Pot Chicken Stroganoff

Not mine, but looks yummy.

Take four boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cube them, and put them in the crock pot with about 1/8 cup of butter (margarine, whatever), and a package of  Italian style salad dressing mix  stirred in.   Cook on low for at least 5 or 6 hours.  

As you leave work, call your kid or whoever is home and ask them to stir in an 8 oz package of cream cheese and a can of cream of chicken soup.  Worst case scenario, no one is home and you have to do it yourself when you get there...but it only needs another half hour or so on high once you add the cheese and soup. 

Your can serve this delicious mixture over rice or noodles.  Sometimes I cook those when I get home, but most often I do it in the morning and just heat whatever it is up in the microwave with a little water to refresh it.   So,  hot rice or noodles, topped with yummy creamy chicken. 

Make a little salad or zap some frozen edamame or whatever you might want to add to the meal to make it vegilicious.  You can even just put out the bag of baby carrots in a pinch, right?  Right.

Hope you enjoyed Cooking with Lazy Mom!  Bon Appetit!    

Monday Randomness

Hey, back to the salt mines already!  The library is hopping, but I am feeling better than I did last week.  All that is left is a kind of stuffy nose and ears that keep needing to be popped.    I think the fact that I did virtually nothing yesterday (Sunday) was helpful.  We slept in late and sat around watching tv all day.  We mostly watched the reruns of My Name is Earl and The Office that I record all week long on TBS.  See, I get them all lined up there over the week and then we can have little marathons.  Our other obsession is Hoarders.  Such craziness, but it is a little too easy to imagine how it happens! 

Handsome Lad was with his dad on Sunday.  Well, he is mostly with his dad, but they were all busy, so I didn't really hear from him.  Girlie Girl went off to a Super Bowl party.  To them it was just a contest between Kendra's man and Kim Kardashian's man.  Their activities made it that much easier for DR and I to just veg.  We even watch a little bit of the Super Bowl.  I think DR wanted to watch a bit so if questioned he wouldn't loose his Man Card or something.  We saw the half-time thing with what is left of The Who.  Pete Townsend just looks weird and when he rocked it out his little shirt was unbuttoned at the bottom and his belly was flopping out a bit.  It was kind of funny.  I think Roger Daltry is still in fine voice though.  The commercials that I happened to catch weren't all that.  Aren't Super Bowl commercials supposed to be amazing?  Maybe I just missed those.  Anyway...my favorite thing about the Super Bowl?

Tight, shiny football pants.  Yeah.

Hope you all had a good weekend and are planning for a great week ahead.  Now, go put on those tight, shiny pants and show the world whachoo gots!   

  

This Musical Message is For a Gift Beyond Price, Almost Free

Peace Tea and Rain

Yesterday and today have been rainy.  Don't be mad, I'm not complaining!  I hear what's going on elsewhere with y'all's big snows and stuff.  What's a little rain?  I'd be into it if my car wasn't leaky.  I just remind myself of how much I love my car when the weather is good and get on with it.  And complain.  But not too much, I hope. 

Anyway, at first I thought today was going to be quiet here at the library, but after lunch it picked right up.  In theory, time goes faster when it is busy.  In theory.  But today is actually going fine.  Milly and I had some nice pad Thai for lunch.  It was delicious.  And when I stopped off at 7-Eleven this morning for my gucci coffee I saw this iced tea.  I thought the can was cute so I bought it...23 oz for 99 cents.  Who wouldn't love Peace Tea?  I actually don't know if I love it yet, because I haven't broken into it yet.  I like to have something to look forward to.  Pop it open on some special occasion.  Like...hm.  Well, maybe Monday will be special enough. 

Last night I sat with the kidlets while their parents went out to dinner.  Those three are such fun and interesting little people.  They sure require a lot of energy, which of course I remember from when my own kids were small.  Miss Personality, though, she is surely more of a handful than anyone I've ever known.  She lives up to her name completely.  After mom and pop came home I went off and took Handsome Lad out to Barnes and Nobel, his new favorite destination.  He chose a book about the Zodiac Killer and another sketch pad.  Talk about an interesting person :-)

This evening DR is coming over.  We plan to spend the rest of the weekend ignoring the Super Bowl and keeping warm and cozy.  I hope you are all staying warm and cozy this weekend.  And...Go *insert your team's name here*!!!

 

Friday 5 - Fried Day 5

Here I am, at home on a rainy Friday afternoon.  In the middle of laundry, of course.  (Sidenote: laundry is kind of a constant for me.  I used to do it for 7, now I'm only doing it for 2 or 3.  It is less contant than it used to be, but still seems to play a big role in my life.  I try to think of it as a little hobby to make it seem more "fun".  Hm)   Anyway, seems only natural that Friday 5 would put my mind on fried foods!  What better way to spend a quiet day than with something that has been all fried up for you delectation?  Check it out. 

1.  When you come home from a long day of whatever it is you do and your brain is totally fried, what therapy do you normally seek?  My first therapy is some family time, if anyone is around.  I also enjoy television therapy, reading therapy, hot bath therapy, and food therapy.  Yeah, it's true.  I'm just a go-getter!

2.  Of the myriad of desserts made primarily of fried dough, what is your favorite?   Did you know Wikipedia has a whole article about fried dough foods?  Sure, and why wouldn't they?  Still, I guess I am going to have to go with the doughnut as my favorite fried dough dessert.  Yes, could I have a couple of those chocolate bars?  Oh, just make it a dozen assorted...someone will eat them. 

3.  Most fried foods are best right out of the fryer, but what’s a fried food that you enjoy cold?  I can't think of anything besides fried chicken, which is tasty cold.   Most other cold fried foods are an abomination.  If you can think of something else, let me know!

4.  What’s the most unusual deep-fried food you’ve ever tried?  You know, there are so many deep-fried foods I just haven't had the opportunity to try, given how I don't hang out at the County Fair all that often.  There was an episode of Andy Richter Controls the Universe, where  the office got their own deep fryer and the handsome Keith tries just about everything deep fried...even pencils were delicious.  Clearly I need to expand my deep-fried world!

5.  Where can you get really good French fries?  I like Burger King fries.  People either like them or don't, as they are coated before frying.  I like how crispy that makes them...essential in a french fry, for me.  Very hot and very crispy or I will pass on the fries, thank you very much. 

I hope you enjoyed this look into my fried brain.  I know at least a couple of you are doing Friday 5 now as well and I can't wait to go around and read your insights.  Feel free to play along in comments...or to just comment, even if it is to tell me that my fried food problem may be getting out of hand.  I can take it, man. 

Laura B. es Mas Macho

The Library Hamster in his/her latest incarnation.  It's a good life for a stuffed hamster, isn't it?

I will try to make today's post short and sweet...that'd be different, eh?  I've read some really remarkable and deeply felt posts on other people's blogs over the past couple of days.  My mind is fuzzy right now...I can't create that kind of beauty.  But even fuzzy, I can appreciate it.   So I'm just using this post to thank the bloggers for blogging and the readers of the blogs for reading and the commenters of the blogs for commenting.  You people rock my socks off.

PS- I was going to use a Village People song for my post title, but Macho Man made me think of that old SNL sketch...Quien es Mas Macho?  Yo, claro.  Si, es verdad.  Um.  Okay!  Short and sweet!   Stay macho, man!     

Oh Feel It

If you read my last post, you can see that I clearly need to r-e-l-a-x.  There are many ways to relax, but since it is Choose and Defend Wednesday, we're only going to have two options.  Tell me which method of relaxation you'd prefer if there was nothing standing in the way of either one.  Choose.  And let's hear why you made that choice.  Defend.  Alright!   How are you going to relax?

Laughter

 

 OR

Massage

                               

Yeah, I am feeling a little more relaxed already!  Now it is your turn.  Choose and Defend!

Well, Darn It!

Daffy sent me this picture and it amuses me.

Okay, not to be a Negative Nelly, but this week is not behaving as fabulously as I was hoping.  Although in fairness to the week it really isn't that bad :-)   I'm just a bit under the weather...a little bit of an allergy issue is bringing me down and making small things seems bigger than they are.  I mean, I can think of certain situations where that might be a good thing, but you know...not in general.....

It is very busy at work.  I know that is a good thing.  We are all just a little overwhelmed right now, with lots of patrons to help, lots of programming going on.  Today, one of my co-workers called in sick.  Part of me wishes I had too!  Another small snag in my week involves the storytelling room (we call it the Imagination Theater, oooohhhh) being unexpectedly out of commission.  They were to lay down new carpet yesterday morning.  It was supposed to be done in a snap.  But somehow they didn't have enough carpet squares to complete the job.  How does this happen in a professional installation?  Hrumph!  Anyway, they had to order more and they MAY be back to finish on Thursday.  Meanwhile, we can't use the space.  So, this I have to do my Toddler Storytime in the picture book area.  Their parents will just have to keep them corraled I guess.  I really like having a room where they can walk around, but be confined.  Plus, it is fine if other people are nearby and feel compelled to join in on most of the elements.  I don't have extra crafts though, so hopefully people will understand that I can't hand them out to the room at large.  I also ususually show a little 5 minute video and we can't do that.  So, as you can see, there is nothing majorly wrong or even majorly difficult about this change.  Maybe I am just being rigid...and I do think if I felt more energetic it would help.   Anyway, then two more storytimes tomorrow morning and a class visit on Thursday morning...all a little discombobulated, but surely they will be fine in the end. 

Oh, AND I had to go to the DMV this morning to renew my license.  I had an appointment and was in and out of there, but I felt quite put out at having to do it.  Someone probably needs to smack me upside my head and soon.  Here's to a better attitude tomorrow.  I will try to think of a fun Choose and Defend :-D

This is MY Month, Suckas!

Welcome to Monday and the first day of February.  Because my birthday falls this month, I like to think of the whole month as belonging pretty exclusively to me.  I mean, I will share if anyone insists, but really...it's mine. :-D 

Last week felt long and sort of rough.  This week, by default, will be better.  Almost certainly.  Really!

Here is some good stuff:

On Thursday, when I got home from work, I found my newest Sebastien tee awaiting me.  I wore it to work on Friday, to much aclaim.  Here it is...

 

This weekend turned out to be much quieter than last weekend.  DR was at my place when I got home from work on Friday.  He is in the middle of doing an online course to be pre-certified to sell insurance, so his plan was to spend most of the weekend online getting though the course.  So, he spent Friday evening, all day Saturday, and the first half of Sunday doing that.  I went about doing my things, a little.  Like I had to do a buttload of wash on Saturday morning, because the dryer at our apt. building had been out of order all week  Hanging out at the laudromat is quite a treat.  But aside from that and a food run or two, I used DR's business online to justify laying around on the bed with a book and keeping him company.  He might not have needed company, but didn't object, and I got some rest that I apparently needed.

Today, Monday, is my little bear friend Milly's birthday.  Happy Birthday, Milly!  Here is a lovely portrait of her taken a few days ago in the Children's Services office.  How much can I really complain about my job when there is a cardboard cactus and a Wall of Twins....and you can't even see the Wall of Simian Oddities from here.

                                    

So, I am filled with optimism for a fine week.  We all are good enough, and smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like us!