Thursday, July 31, 2008

I just don't know

It was a nice interview and all. She was very personable. Asked a few questions. I asked when she would make a decision and she said that it would be very soon because teachers have to report next Tuesday for inservice. She didn't say because I'd have to report for inservice. And it was a short interview. I don't know. Short interviews are rarely good. I called about 6 positions today and she was the only one who called me back. Maybe I'm being pessimistic.

*sigh* I need to make dinner and I really just want to sit in front of the TV, except Quincy is watching "Stuart Little 3" and I'd have to go in the other room where I'd probably fall asleep. I need to quit staying up late watching "Cold Case," but it's kind of addictive and if I watch the beginning of one, I have to stay awake until it's over or I'll never know what happened. I am the same way with "Without a Trace" and any "C.S.I."

It's all gray and rainy here. I guess that's why I feel all blah.

Since I have nothing else to say, gratuitous Toddler pic:

Interviews Schminterviews

Today might be my lucky day. I made some phone calls this morning about open teaching positions. One of the places I left a message called me back within half an hour to set up an interview for 2:30 this afternoon!! Now, I'm nervous. I forget everything I know in interviews. I have to take a shower and find something to wear and get gas.

My husband, the rock star, has an interview with the Murfreesboro Post today also. I'm guessing it's to promote his band, The Incredible Heat Machine, which has a show at Wall Street on Friday, August 8.

Okay, going to shower and find an appropriate outfit. Perhaps I'll find my brain in the process! Wish me luck!!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

What? I didn't do anything!


This is my dog. His name is Maynard. He is a food stealer, a-take-any-opportunity kind of dog, if you will. If I go outside for five minutes and unwisely leave my sandwich unguarded, it'll be gone when I get back. Last night, I left a tiny bit of taco on a plate at midnight, went to the bathroom, and came back to any empty plate. You'd think I would learn.

I wish I could say he was a good guard dog, but he actually barks just as much at me as he does at a stranger. He freaks out if it rains, whether it thunders or not.

One time, the lights went out after dark and I could hear Maynard crying somewhere. I could not find him because it was dark and I could not find the flashlight. I was not even sure we had a flashlight. So I followed the sound of dog whimpering in the dark and found him in the laundry room. Quincy had shut him in there right before the electricity cut off. Poor dog!

The picture is Maynard looking guilty because he got caught finishing Quincy's lunch. Does anybody else have a pet like this?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Why I need to proofread

Okay, well, I just sent out 6 emails to 6 principals because they have Educational Assistant positions open. There is a glaring typo in at least 3 of them and I spelled the name of one school wrong. Yeah. No wonder I don't have a job yet.

On a positive note, Cass at Cass Just Curious is having her baby now!!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Whew! I dodged a bullet!

I did something stupid, or, rather, said something stupid. Quincy and I saw a baby on TV and I said,"You know, you used to cry a lot like that baby." He asked me why. I said something about babies coming out of mommy's tummies because that's where they come from and not being able to talk. All he asked me was "why can't babies talk?" I explained that they are tiny and have lots of stuff to learn--like how to sleep, how to look around, how to roll over, what the world is like, how to eat their dinner (this was a conversation after a tantrum about not wanting what I fixed for dinner). He just looked at me and asked me something about Thomas. I was shocked there were no more questions. Quincy is the king of questions. Wow. I'm sure there will be questions eventually.

Speaking of little boys not eating their dinner (he did), I told him the story about my dad. My grandmother had a set menu every week so that she bought exactly the same things at the grocery store I guess. It never varied. Wednesdays (if I recall) were liver and onions night. My dad never liked that night. One night, he put his little foot down and refused to eat. My grandmother told him that he had to sit at the table until he ate his dinner. He refused and stayed at the table. Legend has it that he sat there until after midnight and she finally let him go to bed. From that point on, Daddy did not eat on Wednesday nights because she would never make an alternative for him and he would never eat liver and onions. I told the story to Quincy and he said, "Well, I'm sure Granddaddy would like some of my chicken. I would give him some of my chicken." He's a good little sharer sometimes!

My grandmother really stuck to her menu and my dad is stubborn. I probably would have made him a peanut-butter sandwich at least or let him make his own. What about you?

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Party!! Party!!!

My sister's birthday is this week. She'll be 32. I'm sure she'll appreciate my mentioning that.:) Today is her party. Quincy is very excited, except he keeps asking if we're going to have a party for him, too with presents and everything. Every time I say, "No," I get yelled at. Guess he thinks he deserves a party for all the pottying he's been doing lately.

I thought he'd never use the potty. He'll be 4 in November and I thought he'd still be in pull-ups around the clock, but he had other ideas I guess. We just took away his diapers and pull-ups except for at night and he started pottying. Yeah, he forgets sometimes, but he usually gets there in time. We always clap and make a big deal out of it so he thinks we should have a grill-out and cake for him. Oh, and a present, too!

Maybe we should. A Potty Party.:)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Stupid symptoms..argh

Every month my body messes with my mind by developing pseudo-pregnancy symptoms from ovulation onward. I've had breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, sciatic nerve pain, nausea, peeing all the time, and fatigue all in the last 3 months or so. And then I get my period. It's extremely annoying. This month, I had cramping about 4 days after ovulation with a little bleeding that went away by the next day. That's a new symptom. I asked Dr. Google who says it's too early for implantation bleeding. So I have the bloat, the frequent peeing, and the breast pain once again for no reason. Yay!

It's hot here. I am hanging out inside looking for teaching jobs online and making a list of places to call/email in the near future. I've found several, but a few would require moving and I like where we live.

I've got to go get Quincy in. He's digging in the backyard and has been for about an hour. Did I mention it's hot??

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

"Whatever happened to predictability?"

Last night at work was TV theme song night I guess since my manager sang the theme from "Family Matters," "Step by Step" and "Full House." Guess which one my blog title is from?

Other than that, last night was very uneventful. I did manage to stump the same manager with a quote from "Dazed and Confused," which would have been more fun if he hadn't stumped me with a Jack Nicholson quote from "Batman." Oh, and we discussed the Christian Bale arrest. Exciting, I know.

Had a teacher interview this morning. As always, I have no positive or negative feelings on it. I just sit around and wait to hear from it one way or another. Now there's a position open here in town also so I'll pursue that one tomorrow.

Going shopping for training pants soon because I've had to throw out a few pairs. Are they as hard to find other places as they are here?

Monday, July 21, 2008

My child, the shell pusher

Quincy discovered my husband's stash of pistachios this morning. They are not shelled pistachios. He ate the first one shell and all. Then he got caught and I told him that you aren't supposed to eat the shells. All I heard in response was "crunch, crunch, crunch."

I might have told him next that I could no longer get any of the shells off and to go ask his father, who is half asleep. Now I keep hearing, "Daddy, take the shell off this." Over and Over.:)

He's also been pushing shells on the dog, except he kept saying, "No, Maynard, don't eat the shells" while he pushed shells into the dog's mouth. The poor dog ate one and then ran into the kitchen and drank a bunch of water.

On the job front, there are still no teaching jobs here in English, which is what I am certified in. So I called a few schools in Nashville today and emailed some principals. Hopefully, I'll get an interview or two. School starts in two weeks!


I only make this face when I eat pistachio shells!!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Overheard in my living room today

I asked Quincy this morning how old he is. I know he knows the answer to that. We tell him all the time that's he's three for one thing. He should know. He told me that he's 15. I said, "No, you're three." He looked at me and yelled, "NO, I AM NOT! I AM 15!!!" I shut up. No point in arguing with a 3 year old who was apparently hopped up on sugar. Guess that lemonade has more sugar in it than I think!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Memories

It's amazing how the mind forgets so many negatives from the past. I had a boyfriend through most of the first part of college who lived 6 hours away from me. He was younger and still in high school. I saw him maybe three times a year, but he wrote me letters at college and called me. He took me to my first real party one time when I was visiting him in Illinois.

I was such a nerd in high school that I never went to parties. I mostly sat home with a book. But not when I was around this boy. I doubt he ever sat home with a book. He seemed to always be active, at least when I was there. He would take me to this friends house or to the park, push me in the swings. We would go to the college campus and I would watch him skateboard.

He seemed really romantic when I was nineteen. The memories of him seem really romantic now actually and I haven't seen him in 14 years, which is a really long time, even longer than I knew him. Still, he even drove to my boring little town in Tennessee from Illinois to see me (6 hours!). I remember thinking that was the sweetest thing.

Apparently my mind glosses over the fact that he dated other girls the 360 days of the year that I was not around. He even moved in with one before our relationship truly ended. At least, that spelled the end of it for me though. Still, when he came through Tennessee on the way to Georgia later that year, he stopped by my parents house to see me. He even went to the house next door because he couldn't remember for certain which house it was. Awwwwwwwww!!

I thought he was the love of my life until I met my husband. I still wish I knew where he was. His mother is in Illinois, so is his sister. I think his father is in Michigan. I'm putting this out there in the hopes that maybe he uses the Internet. He'd be 32 now. Sean Aljabori, if you read this, please comment.

Abby the evil kitty



My parents have this cat, Abby. Instead of being cuddly and sweet and wanting to be petted, like a cat, she tends to puff up and hiss and bite. She also likes to stalk me if I am dumb enough to walk around their house in the semi-dark. It will be quiet and I'll think I'm safe and then she'll ambush me from out of nowhere and either smack at me or try to bite. She looks really cute though in pictures.



The poor cat had a bad day yesterday though. My parents had a room painted so there were (gasp!) strangers in the house. This scared the cat. She hid. When she finally came out, Quincy was there making noise and bothering her. Then he quieted down a little and a skunk sprayed right outside of their house. The smell came in the house. It was pretty bad, but it was worse outside. I held my breath walking to my car. Ugh.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Playdoh is everywhere!

Seriously. I find it on the floor, on the table, in the living room, on the bottom of my shoe, inside various cooking utensils (the most annoying has been the garlic press, which has tiny, tiny holes). Here's why it's everywhere:



See, it's even coming right at me:

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

We're on our way!!!

I work in a place where the phones ring every once in a while. And thanks to my child, who is a Nickelodeon addict, about half the time when the phone rings a line goes through my head. Want to guess what it is?

Look here and you'll know: http://www.noggin.com/parents/wonderpets.php

"The phone, the phone is ringing!"

Ahhhhh, Wonderpets!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

New Blog address

I spent the last year teaching public school and working at Domino's. I was non-renewed at the end of the school year and have been looking for another job since. I wanted to move out of the area and go somewhere else, but my son likes our neighborhood and his preschool plus he is finally potty-trained. I don't want to jeopardize that!

Just discovered that it's possible to make money doing online editing, which I could do from home so I am looking into that because that would be ideal. If I don't find a teaching job, then I can hopefully find an EA job and make money writing/editing from home.

The boy is huge. He is over 3 feel tall and just amazing. He is rarely still from the time he wakes up until he goes to sleep at night. Makes me tired just watching him.

I am still working food-service part-time. It has been very slow so I'm not working much. Plus I am sick of it. Wonder how much money I could make developing press-kits for musicians or testing products and writing reviews???