It’s Gotta Go Wednesday

This is dedicated to all of the people out there (and more specifically my friend Sarah) who have moron pet owners as neighbors.

When I was a kid, we shared a fence with a family who owned 2 dogs. They were Scottish terriers (the dogs, not the family), and they barked. A lot. My dad got so fed up with it one night (my parents bedroom window was next to the shared fence) that he took a patio footstool and threw it over the fence that the yappy lil’ suckers. We never did see that footstool again.

Fast forward 20 years…

Shortly after I had my first baby, life at my home became somewhat less than comfortable. Neighbors to the back of us owned a stupid, little, barking piece of canine. And for some odd reason, these neighbors felt that it was OK to leave their dog outside all day and all night. Every day I was filled with anxiety as I put my son down for his afternoon nap because that dog had a bark that was equivalent to that of putting an air horn outside his door. If you’ve had kids, you know that naps are more precious than oxygen. That dog often kept me awake at night. We spoke to these neighbors multiple times and called animal control a few times before there was any improvement.

In that same home, there were neighbors one house away who had a similar stupid dog and similar idiot tendencies. After literally 3 hours of hearing their stupid dog bark, I went over to their house at 2 a.m., knocked on the door, and in a not so super friendly neighborly way, let them know that their dog was barking and had been doing so for the past 3 hours, and I was letting them know because I guess they couldn’t hear the EAR PIERCING noise that was right outside their back door.

Grrr.

I had a similar experience in the next home my ex and I bought.

My friend Sarah is currently experiencing a similar problem, and doesn’t really know what to do about it. I’ve slept at their home and can testify that if you turn the bathroom light on in the middle of the night, their neighbor’s dogs will bark. SO ANNOYING!

I’ve made it pretty clear that I love dogs. I have a dog. Does he bark? Yes… if someone comes to our door and knocks or rings the bell. And then he shuts up. Or he’ll bark for a second if he’s outside and sees a stranger. But we don’t ever just leave him outside, and if he IS outside and we hear him bark, we nix it immediately. That’s what bothers me the most. Yes, some dogs bark. But I don’t think that you should be made aware of your dogs barking by your annoyed neighbor.

That gene is missing in certain people which causes them not to realize that others don’t really enjoy the sound of their barking dog? It’s not cute, and it’s not music to anyone’s ears. There are other serious concerns when it comes to dogs being left outside to live their lives… that’s an entirely different subject. If you’re going to make the commitment to own a dog, and yes, it is a commitment, be a responsible and aware owner.

People who leave their dogs outside all of the time and treat them more like lawn ornaments than living beings, and let these creatures bark incessantly… you’ve gotta go. You, AND YOUR LITTLE DOG TOO!

Movies This Month

Vacations, kids, work (you know, life) this past month ebbed our usual flow of movies we watch. But I’ve got a few to throw your way.

The Lincoln Lawyer – This was one of a few flicks we wanted to see that was crossed off our list. It was witty, well acted, and just plain entertaining without being completely predictable, which is saying something for movies these days. I’m giving it a 3.5 out of 4 stars. It didn’t change my life (except for strengthening my crush on Mr. McConaughey), but I really liked it.

Coco Before Chanel – Yesterday I had a few hours of peace and quiet (aka… I was home alone) and happened upon this movie OnDemand. What seduced me to watch was when I saw my favorite foreign actress, Audrey Tautou, was the star. I LOVE HER! It chronicles the early life of Coco Chanel, before she became a fashion icon. Very interesting story, Audrey Tautou was wonderful. It IS a foreign film, which means that it’s subtitled, which explains why I chose to watch this one on my own :). Anyway, I’m giving it a 3 out of a 4.

Rango – Let me start off by saying that I liked this movie. But I was also a little disappointed. I was blown away by the amazing animation… seriously, the “cartoons” these days look more real than real life does. That being said, there were some spots that were a little slow (OK, a lot slow), and didn’t add much to the story. However, there were some scenes that were hilarious and entertaining. So I’m giving it 3 stars. It wasn’t UP or TOY STORY, but it was good.

Part of the reason we haven’t logged in much movie time is that we have been dedicating some of the free time we have together to catching up on the shows we are into each week.

JUSTIFIED – It’s not Dexter, but what is?! It is, however, the next best thing… we LOVE this show. It’s a mix between a good ole’ classic western, The Sopranos, Law & Order, and other good stuff. This series gets a 4 out of 4 stars from me!

Also worthy of mention are these following shows: Modern Family, Parks and Recreation. If you haven’t been watching them, you should be ashamed of yourself. You can earn forgiveness by sending money to me at my PayPal account.

This Is My Story And I’m Sticking To It

If you were to look through my day planner, you’d see anywhere from 1 to 4 things each day… some busier than others. Last week… Last week was like the day planner fairy opened up my planner and took a big dump on that week, closed the book, and jumped on it. Seriously, it felt like I was running a marathon where I could sleep at night, and then start over again the next morning. I was so ready for the weekend.

What better way to begin our weekend than dinner with friends. Sarah & Dave came over so that Jake & Maggie could entertain each other, and we headed to Trio, a yummy Italian restaurant, and met up with Carla & Jeff. I LOVE these people! Every get together with this group pretty much guarantees a lot of laughs, fun, and wonderful conversation. I’ve mentioned before that Carla is currently battling leukemia, so extra curricular activities in public have been limited for her. She is absolutely beautiful and cancer has definitely not dampened her humor. And Sarah… she very well may be the cutest pregnant woman EVER! It was so great to get to be able to enjoy an evening with amazing friends :).

It was our weekend without the kids, and while I’d like to be able to say that we were able to sleep in a little Saturday morning, kids soccer games prevented it. Ian’s game was at 8:30, and after checking online to make sure it was still on (which it was), I headed out to the field. Pretty much the time I pulled up is the time that the refs canceled the game. Maybe it was the fact that snow was completely covering the field? It would have been nice to know BEFORE I dragged my tired butt out of bed. On the upside, it meant that I could catch Riley’s game a few miles away. Grandma Gina (my mom) also joined us to cheer Riley on.

What great pictures we WOULD have had if I had remembered to put the memory card back in the camera. Hmmm. Well, we’ve got 7 more weeks to capture the moment.

Saturday afternoon we went to lunch at a place that was a first for us both. Pat’s BBQ. OK, I don’t know if I would say that this meal was life changing, but it was pretty damn close. SOOOOOOO good. During the meal, and between finger licks, I kept thinking about all of the people I wanted to bring to this out-of-the-way diner to share a little heaven on earth. If you’ve never eaten at Pat’s, DO!

The rest of the weekend was full of movies, games, and plenty of relaxation. Thanks for a great weekend to those who were a part of it!

Derby & Birthdays

Not roller derby. We’re talking the Pinewood Derby! The highlight of the year for all cub scouts, or so I’m told.

This year we had two boys participating… Ian & Cooper. Luckily their dad volunteered the undertaking of building the car with the boys, and I must say that they turned out pretty cool. Did they take home any trophies? Nope. But they both came in about the middle of the pack, and I’m more than happy with this level of mediocrity :).

Like last year, I realized that maybe the most unorganized humans on earth were running the show, but the boys had fun, and that’s really all that mattered.

Nice job Cooper & Ian!

Yesterday we had Ian’s family b-day party. We decided to just keep it low-key and do presents and eat cake & ice cream. The thing I love about family get togethers is no matter what we’re doing, everyone has fun! Of course there was wrestling with Grandpa Jimbo and also cousins playing the way they do.

Ian was excited by all of the fun and thoughtful gifts. He woke up this morning with a smile thinking about the cool loot. What lucky kids we have! Thanks to our families and all they do for our family :).

 

It’s Gotta Go Wednesday

Yesterday while in the waiting room awaiting my 2nd creepy liquified chicken hood injection into my knee, I looked over and noticed a cute old couple sitting across the room. The woman, who looked at least 80, finished filling out her paperwork and with effort, slowly stood up and shuffled across the floor using her walker.

As the woman approached the desk, she dropped her clipboard and all of the paperwork. I expected her husband, who looked to be the same age, to get up and help her out. Instead, he acted as if she had just kicked him in the balls and scolded her from across the room. “Oh Rose… come on”, and then muttered a few “so stupid” and other kind and encouraging words. Instead of getting up to help out his beloved, he shook his head in disgust and glared at her.

Yeah, because I’m sure YOU could carry a purse and a clipboard full of papers all while supporting your weight with the help of a walker. I wanted to say to hi, “how about you take this Ex-Lax pill, and I’ll spray some PAM on the floor, and then yell at you when you crap your pants as you fall and break your hip”.

This experience proved to me that anyone can be an a-hole, even at the ripe old age of 80.

I know that life is full of jerks, and I’ve even come to terms with the fact that husbands and wives don’t always treat each other with the love and respect that they should. But I cannot stand when a husband OR wife belittles their spouse while in public. It’s not only a crappy thing to do, but it’s also humiliating to your “loved” one. And it is also very uncomfortable for whoever is there to witness you butthead-ness. Isn’t it common knowledge that you’re supposed to keep your emotional abuse at home?!

Being a misogynist and general nimrod – it’s gotta go.

Almost A Man

I won’t say that it seems like it was yesterday, but it sure doesn’t feel like it’s been 11 years since my first born made me a mother.

He was a wonderful baby,

 

An absolute joy as a young boy,

 

And is turning into an amazing young man.

Sniff.

Holy crap, my baby is growing up!

I miss my little guy, but I have to admit that I am enjoying a lot of aspects of him growing older. I can’t wait until I can watch the awesome and scary horror/sci-fi movies, like Predator, Aliens, Terminator, etc, that my dad watched with me (although at 11 I had probably already seen them all. CHILD ABUSE!), or having someone who is almost an adult join us in board and card games. And I would be lying if I the thought of having another “chauffeur” in the house wasn’t seductive (and terrifying).

But I’m getting ahead of myself. While there is much fun ahead of us, I am really enjoying this stage of Ian, and I am trying to savor each day and live in the moment.

Happy Birthday my sweet boy… 11 will be a good year :).

Side note: how appropriate is it that tomorrow is the “Maturation” program at Ian’s school. Hee hee. I am having to use every fiber of mature adultness in me to not totally tease him. OK, so I jokingly made him show me his armpit to check for hair, but hey, if I can’t torture my child a LITTLE, what’s the point of being a parent?!

Chances Increased by .345%

It was shorter than everyone would have liked, but our mini getaway was delightful. The weather was nice (enough), and the kids loved spending time with Grandma & Grandpa. Here are some of the highlights our or trip:

• The temperature may never reach 70, but I’ll still come home with a nice sunburn. I can’t say that I’ll be surprised if I get skin cancer, seeing each trip increases my chances.
• It’s great how kids can turn a simple inflatable slide that is supposed to sit on the edge of the pool into a miniature floating hill in which there can only be one king. It won’t always be true, so I’m really enjoying the years that I am bigger and stronger than the kids, and therefore I. AM. KING!
• I may be king, but that did not protect the back of my hip from Ian’s knee coming in contact with it after jumping onto me from the side of the pool. I have a nice bruise (and probably kidney damage) as a result.
• My dad makes the best ribs.
• For once I feel like I actually got enough sleep while away on vaca.
• This drive was another confirmation that the choice to buy a sweet van for travel was one of the best decisions we’ve made.
• I’m so glad that I am one of those lucky people with awesome parents whose company I actually enjoy  AND that my mom is a game person.
• I am very grateful for my health and properly working senses, but if I could turn my hearing on and off, I would.
• It’s not my fault I’m a bed making nazi… I was trained.
• My dad is the master of all dairy confections. At home, he has earned the title of being Dairy “King”, because he often takes the kids there. In St. George, he has now made a habit out of buying the spray whipped cream and spraying it directly into their mouths. They LOVE IT!
• Our kids ate soooo much sugar that I’m wondering if they are going to go through a psychotic episode from the withdrawals.

There you have it, our weekend in bullet point. I’ve returned home to a pile of “to do’s”, but the time away was well spent, somewhat needed, and definitely enjoyed :).

Fun Times

Getting ready for an appointment with the gynecologist is like getting ready for a date. Shower, shave, make-up, hair, perfume, etc. This is no ordinary “date”.

Except he doesn’t buy you dinner, STILL gets into your pants, and you have to pay him for it.

It’s Gotta Go Wednesday

Sunglasses… they are something I literally do not want to ever live without. Not because I look sooooo cool in them (which undoubtedly I do), but because my eyes are rather sensitive to sunlight. “People with a lighter eye color (mine are blue) may experience more light sensitivity in environments such as bright sunlight, because darker-colored eyes contain more pigment to protect against harsh lighting” – Vance Thompson, MD. See!!! It’s totally scientific and crap!

I am rarely outside without my shades, and I always have a few pairs in my car to make sure I have them on hand while driving. So you see, I am a true fan, lover, and worshiper of sunglasses. But the name, “SUNglasses”, should be the clue that they are meant to wear in times of sunlight.

When I walk indoors, the sunglasses come off and go into the purse. When I see people walking around inside, wearing their stupid sunglasses, I have a strong desire to hit them in the back of their heads with enough force to knock their stupid glasses off of their stupid eyes. And celebrities… is there something that happens genetically when a person reaches a certain social popularity that makes light, even dim lighting like you’d find in a club or bar, painful? Maybe light is a celebrities kryptonite.

Or do they think that they are SO incredibly superior that the general population is not worthy of viewing their god-like peepers?

Unless you have diagnosed Photophobia, are blind, or are really high and trying to hide it from your parents, please, do us all a favor (and really, help yourself by not looking like such a dip SHTICK) and take ’em off. Sunglasses in doors… it’s gotta go.

Cock-a-doodle-do

Today I experienced what is my first of a few (and potentially many) injections of synthetic hyaluronic acid joint lubricant into my left knee. According to the nurse, this “lubricant” is made of “chicken hoods”, which I’m not sure about because I thought it was the rooster that had the hood. Kind of creepy. And AWESOME! I am not typically even the least bit squeamish when it comes to needles or medical procedures, but having a large (much larger than the needle for the cortisone shots) needle plunged into the teeny, tiny, easy to have an error in calculation space between my joints isn’t my idea of a good time. The stupid numbing shot hurt just as much as the injection, which leaves me wondering if it sort of defeats the purpose. Oh well.

Kids are sick again, and my throat was feeling left out and is joining the game. Well, it’s been all of a month, so it’s about time for another round of viruses to hit. Seriously, I’m going to start bathing everyone in rubbing alcohol and getting everyone in our family individual full body bubbles.

Speaking of being sick, I’m trying to get everyone ready to leave town in 2 days. Preparing for a “vacation” makes me miss being a kid. I used to pack my bag, and that was the beginning and end of my trip preparations. I never realized how much work my mom used to do to get everything ready. SO, the next few days I “get” to tackle all of the laundry, get 6 people packed (yes, I make Greg pack his own bag 🙂 ), ready the van, load all of our crap into the van, make sure we have enough movies and entertainment to shut the kids up for the 4 hour trek, and hold on to my sanity.

Last week was parent teacher conferences at school. I typically dedicate an entire post to the subject, but I think I can summarize it in a paragraph. OUR KIDS ARE AWESOME! Their grades were excellent, their citizenship reports were great, and their teachers all had wonderful things to say about them. I’m one proud mama!

I think it hit 55 degrees yesterday, which meant sitting outside in a tank top is appropriate. Today at Costco, which is typically a “get in, get out” trip for me, I slowly walked the isles with the patio furniture. And I seriously thought about dropping $2000+ on outdoor stuff. Of course I would never do it, but it is evidence that I am SO ready for Spring :).