Friday, February 27, 2009

There was one!

There was an episode of The City!
They went to Miami! God! I love Miami.
It is so sunny...
And warm, and the water is pretty.
This morning at work my head was in a fog.
I think I needed more coffee.
All I could think was, I wish I were one of those people who take the tropical resort vacation in the dead of winter.
That would be cool.
Once I babysat for a woman who took me to babysit her children when her family took the tropical dead of winter vacation.
It was --wonderful.
Bahamas.
Sun.
We had some kind of rum and coconut milk drink on the beach..
We went parasailing over glassy water...
Shit y'all!--It might snow AGAIN here on Monday!
Okay I am off to read some chick lit. book.
;).
If I were a responsible blogger, I would post some cool Miami picture here.
But, no. I'm too tired.
hee hee

You can't go home again

Has anyone read that book?
Well, in this book the title character goes home. He has been living elsewhere being a bachelor in a bigger place etc, and he goes back to his quaint little hometown. The book is set in the roaring (down) 20s, and when the guy goes home he is shocked to find that all the people in the town are selling their homes for crazy amounts, the guy wonders who in the hell is going to buy these houses in this small town, when are the people who are selling the homes going to actually see their money, and where are they going to live when they sell their homes, and they cannot afford to buy another in their own town.
Look forward to 2006. Andy and I sold our house in Durham. We made a bit of money, so we went looking for another house in Graham. I was approved for a big a$$ loan from the credit union based on 60% of my state salary (my alarm bells were ringing). Of course, I have the wherewithall to understand, that although the bank might want to loan me that much, I would never want to pay 100% of my after-taxes salary every month to pay a house payment hmm hmm.
So we started looking for a house in the 150,000 dollar range. The amount is important or I would not put it in here. That is the amount Andy and I could afford to finance and have a decent house payment. The realtor started taking us all around the back woods of Alamance county showing us MODULAR HOMES with the kind of cabinets apartments have, and eat-in kitchens. I was ill, astounded, shocked, disappointed, all bad feelings. I could not help but wonder--this is how much Andy and I can afford, we both have decent salaries--who is buying all these 200,000 dollar houses? Who can afford these? I was sickened, I also knew that I would not buy any of the stuff we were being shown--I would not finance particle board cabinets or an eat-in kitchen, no thanks, I could just rent that. :)
So....I started asking--who buys these houses that were selling like hot cakes and were severly over-priced in my opinion.???? who???
Who could afford to finance 200,000? Answer: firemen, secretaries, store clerks, on and on...those people also could not afford the houses.
So, I started to think about the book, you can't go home again...the houses "selling" for so much money etc.--when really the town had no economy and people did not have jobs etc.
Then I stared thinking--we are screwed.
We are going to have another Great Depression--by this time it was the fall of 2006 into 2007..
Then in the fall of 2007 I sort of panicked. I thought, if we do have another Great Depression were would I want to be???--Answer: where my Daddy is. He 1. cuts wood, 2. grows food, 3. can make anything work 4. collects appliances and old stuff no one wants and always has --or his buddy has-something you might need.
So, we speedily made plans that we would move home..
And here we go spiraling into the Great Depression numero dos.
Yes. I think too much.
I swear all of this is true.

But I have to disagree with Thomas Wolfe--If you are from here you actually can go home again. We are glad to be back. It is relaxing to go to the grocery store and see people you know, and to let your kids run around and not have to worry so much.
People recognize me b/c I look like my Daddy, that is fun. :)
I recognize kids at school b/c they look just like their parents. Today at the grocery store I saw three people I went to school with. :)

Okay--enough nerdy I told you so ..
Ojala que haya un episodio nuevo de The city en H^lu. :)

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Does this shirt make me look??...

At supper:
Andy: So, is that shirt the new style?
Susan: What in the hell are you talking about?
It is old as hell Andy --it was free..how could it be new style, you know I have not bought any maternity clothes.
Andy: Damn, you don't have to get so defensive, I did not know it was old, I swear, it looks like it's never even been washed to me.
Susan: Well, it is old, Andy and it came out of that giant tub of clothes that the teacher at school gave me.
Why, do you like it?
Andy: Well, no--I don't--(sly grin).

Frumpy as hell?
Yes.
Did I care today? no. Did I convince myself that wearing make-up and fixing my hair could compensate for the ugly shirt? yes.
Did I even talk myself into being excited about it b/c it matched my black leg-squeezers? yes.
Will I wear it again? the jury's out--that depends on how much longer I have to wear the black leg-squeezers, and that depends on how much longer it stays cold.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Catalogs

There are some catalogs that I get because I have directly pedir(ed) them. For example, J.J!ll, and G@rnet H!ll. These two are ones that I get clothes from occasionally. Sometimes, though, your name ends up on a catalog list and you really wonder what you did to get one that one.
The other night E. and I sat down to do some catalog shopping (looking) and here are two funny things I found:
a t-shirt that says, "I used to care, but I take a pill for that now."
and a pillow that says, "I'll have a cafe mocha vodka valium latte please"
That one just cracked me up! :)
E laughed just as hard as me even though she did know why the pillow was funny.
So, the mystery catalog came last Friday.
It is called B0$ton Pr0p3r. The stuff in it costs a fortune--98$ for a crocheted tank top--and all the women in it look JUST ALIKE.
No matter their ethnicity...no matter their age.
They all have the following:
Big Breast implants
Tons of collagen in their lips --like that Rina person or like hunter tyl0.
Chicken stick legs.
Shoulder length hair
Big tall cheeks (maybe implants, not sure)
It is truly freaky to look through this catalog.
How did I end up becoming a part of this target audience?
Why do women do this to themselves and make themselves look this way. They all just look like a bunch of dumba$$es to me, of course. Is this, maybe, a rich man's mistress catalog? (that came to me as I am typing).
Gross--BTW--one day people are going to look back and this whole big lipped thing is going to be what giant wall bangs were for the late 80s, all but hair is free to grow, and the hairspray was relatively cheap. Or, maybe like when it was in style among some make-up circles to line the lips--outside of the actual red part --with a dark lip pencil and then paint the inside in with a lighter color. btw i never got this one either...I guess those same people who lamented the lack of lips just decided instead of painting them on, they would stuff them????

Happy shopping! :)

Sunday, February 22, 2009

weekend recap

too tired to use capitals--or complete sentences? we'll see.
Durham was great!--forgot the camera, so no fotos.
**Went to the MALL! (rediscovered that andy is the worst mall buddy ever as he points out that everything is over-priced) :) He quickly re-learned that my sanford and son genes basically only allow me to gain INSPIRATION at the mall (unless the shirt is on sale for something like 3.99). 3.99 also happens to be the price i will pay for a spiced chai ice storm from the nordstrom's cafe every time i am in that mall!!! they just make me remember e as a baby and strolling with her feeling on top of the world.
YAY mall!
**Went to the federal to eat and sit outside in the best company with some sips of guiness and a big ole cheeseburger (yes, i am sure it was feed-lot cattle) ugh...but a good burger, and a good little bit of guiness.
**Went shopping at my old haunts around our old house. :)super great!
**went to our old house in durham and dug up my baby's daffodils. this one was too embarrassing for andy (my connection to daffodil bulbs?) so he stayed at the bar and jennifer was my partner in crime. e's daffodils are now happily transplanted to the bird bath in our yard. ;). my mama has always done stuff like this. i question that it is really strange, and the people who live in the house now were like, "sure, whatver, we'll get you a shovel."
**went to a funnnnn!! party and talked and watched people get buzzed. and got to see a singing elvis guy.
**stayed at the marriot where we used to go and get drinks sometimes when we went to shows at the carolina th3@tre. staying in a hotel is a big deal for me, as we never stayed in them growing up. we always stayed at our beach cottage...we only ever went to the beach and this is no exageration. i can remember most of the hotels i have ever stayed in. ;). ha! so the marriot was super fun. 15 pillows on the bed and a big ole down comforter on a king size bed.
**ate a good breakfast at Madhatt3r's bakery.

It was just really fun.
now i procrastinate getting a bit of work done before tomorrow, which i think i am not going to do.

happy monday!

Friday, February 20, 2009

XX

YAY! We are so excited! :)
Elena is so excited! :)


I think this picnik job is not so good.
BUT once I picked out the background color, I could not change it. :)
Have a great weekend!
Andy and I are completely excited to be going to Durham!! :)
We are going to do all of our favorite durham stuff.
:)

Thursday, February 19, 2009

It's a....

ughh...
I am too tired to do a proper post, and an announcement like this deserves the best!
you will find out when I have time.
ahhhh...

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

commentary--the C!ty

Okay, so Whitney needs to stay the hell away from that socialite girl who is all in her business.
who the hell asks someone about their new boyfriend right out loud while they are eating supper?
and who the hell asks someone she just met about a new boyfriend?
why doesn't whitney just blow this socialite girl off?
this is from epidode one btw..
then, the socialite girl just looks completely jealous of whitney the whole time
also, all the men at the dinner party seemed gay to me...
yes. i am used to men who only get dressed up when they absolutely must. they would NEVER wear colone. Andy wears his clothes until i have to sneak and throw them away.
so, seeing prissy men, is ...different. they all also speak in a very feminine way.
is this a city thing?
or does the socialite girl just hang out with all gay men? (you aren't gonna get any that way sweetie)
Socialite girl also seems to be after Whitney's man...

Episode 2: well, when boys almost get into fights at bars...that is just a big turn off. yuck. so i am not thinking whitney's boy is too cute right now.

Reality MT>

Yes, I still like ONE reality tv show that comes on MT>. I was really happy when, all of a sudden, one day, The re@l world did not appeal to me anymore--I was getting a bit worried that I might never reach that milestone. That happened about three years ago.
The hi!!s? Liked it.
The C!ty? LOVE IT!
Remember, we don't have cable here. So when I got a sneak peak at this show on the internet I was bummed to realize that I would not be able to watch it.
The girl, Whitney, from the H!lls, is the star (is that what you call it?).
She has moved to NYC to pursue her fashion career, and she has fallen in love...ahhh...she is 20 or something....ahhh...
her boyfriend is do daggone cute--swoon...
So, this afternoon --on Andy's suggestion, I checked on hulu to see if I could watch this gem of a reality show on the internet, and wala! bam! YES I COULD!
There it was! I watched one episode immediately, now, I am off to watch another.
Now, Melissa, I am certainly not trying to tell you how to entertain youself...but this one seems like you would like it.
It is very fun to watch. :)

bueno...i am off to wh!tney world for 22 minutes.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

"Das me, mama"

This is what Victor says when he wants to be the character we are reading about or watching or playing with.
Tonight we were watching "mater and the ghostlight" it is a cartoon short on the C@rs dvd which he will watch vez tras vez.
He pointed to mightnin keen (lightning mCQUeen) and said, "das me, mama" and then when sally wheeled around beside of "mightnin" he said, "das you, mama"
awww....dat was soo sweet.
Elena is, and always has been such a Daddy's girl. Andy has always gotten that affection from her...
now, it's my turn.
Also: The thing Victor picks to say in Spanish? "ES mio!"--he is going on two you know, so EVERYTHING is his, or could easily become his when Elena is not looking.

on a grimmer note: I have finished my book! It did not last like I wanted it to! I started to read more and more chapters every night, and like sands through the hour glass, it slipped away...alas it is back to the library for me to try to find another worthy book...
If anyone who reads my blog likes to read hmm hmm Melissa :)
you need to get this book! It is on my book list. :)
Oh! my sister brought me another book--it has some flip flops and tropical drinkson the front, maybe I will go and start that one.

On baby news:
We are going on Thursday for the big ultrasound. The last time we had this done we were at Women's hospital in G-boro. This time we will be in the Dr.'s office here is WAshington. I am betting the experience will be different.
Now, I am not too into the drugs from dr.s but i love ultrasounds! :) I am hoping this one reveals good things.

That's it!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Couldn't fight the urge...


to make something with picn!k...
ha!

Misc. y Valentine's Day

Here are some pictures of the past week or so:







I cannot remember their order right now so here are the explanations--out of order.
We flew kites in the field last week b/c it was windy.
My mama and I took Elena to a baby shower last weekend on Sunday--fun. I love to watch people get lots of baby stuff--with first babies. The girl is a dear friend of my family, so it was extra special. :).
My sister came to visit this past weekend. She enjoyed fish tacos with vegetables in them (they are picky around her house so they mostly stick with the kits) Here I make what I think is yummy, vamos, if I am cooking, and if any one person does not like it--well they can have the classic cucumbers dipped in ranch dressing. :)
Andy got tulips for me for vAlentine's day--which is what he has been getting for me for years now. So sweet! :)
I got Elena and my nieces a little, cute box, (una cajita) with a ballerina on it y a little satin pillow inside.
I think that might be all the pictures that I posted.
It would have been fun to picn!k or something to make these cute, but I am tooooo tired! :)

good days...

Saturday, February 14, 2009

A new blog to read

I found out about a new blog on NPR yesterday.
It is added to my list.
Yippie!
A linguistics nerd like me!
It's called 37 languages--

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Some things

Here is a Friday round (oh--darn it's only Thursday!) up of some things.
I cannot give a number, I'll know when I am done typing.

*I do not like the Opr@h $how. I actually figured this out a while ago--years.
For some reason every now and then I still turn it on. It seems like I always happen to catch re-runs.
Today's? Gwyn#th P@ltrow--one of my least favorite celebrities. Andy and i agree on this. She was going on and on about her night nanny and her day nanny, and her wonderful workout that keeps her body looking like a dancer's and her great musician rock star husband..and her show (which sucks btw) on PB$ in which she travels all over spain being--super-fabulous self. This show sucks a**, and I cannot stress it enough. Yes. I am jealous of her being able to do this show. I can promise that I would be better at it...she is so...cinder blockish?
Then the advertisement for tom...a show featuring hero!n addicts--a whole family of em --well besides their BABY! apparently this is a huge problem in some places where hero!n is cheaper and easier to get than oxycontin...oh, that's why, i get it!
wth, ms. O? do I want to come home from work and watch that depressing shit?

*This week has been bad for me for meetings. People do not show up,and I do not have the patient receptionist gene/personality trait to put up with re-making appt. times that I have set up. I ALWAYS accomodate the parent. Then, others do not show up. WTF? Technically it is illegal in some ways to have the meeting anyway, but guess who ignores this?--ME! I cannot stand to have to re-do things, or ask people to come back b/c i cannot find such and such or the teacher has strep throat!! (I really like this teacher by the way, and i was sympathetic) Yesterday the asst. principal had to administer a fire drill. When did they pick to do it? RIGHT WHEN MY PARENT SHOWED UP FOR A DAMN MEETING! ;).

*i am going to start bribing my problem children with candy. this is something that i have never done. i believe children should just find reward in doing their work. intrinsic value..where is your treat? well you just made it my friend --a glitter heart! don't you love it?
but this week, in contemplating some of the behaviors--i have decided that one of my students will only respond to candy.

*today i went to elena's school to do her valentine's day party. fun! i discovered that all this time her teacher has been calling her eleena--ahhhh!!! but you know that my child has not corrected her. one of my friends told me that her little girl was coming home calling elena , "eleena" and we were wondering why...now I know.
should i have picked the 'mercan" way to spell her name? does anyone know it?

*I guess that is all....after I typed all of this I realized that tomorrow is friday, not today.:) Happy friday tom. :)

Monday, February 9, 2009

Cousins

This year, in my new job, I am lucky enough to be working with one of my cousins across the sidewalk. She is my peer buddy (b/c I am new), and she answers all my questions about EC stuff (Exceptional children) in my county etc.
She is my Daddy's first cousin from his Daddy's side. Her mama was a Pilgreen before she got married. She is younger than my Daddy but she remembers him from when she was little.
So the other day I told her that one night my Daddy and I found on the internet our family tree traced back to the Revolutionary war and the lady's name who had done all the research.
She apparently got excited, and went home to check it out.
Today she brought it in printed out and we looked at it and talked about all of my Grandaddy's siblings (I never knew my Grandaddy).
My Grandaddy was notoriously mean and I asked her if her Mama was...
We talked about a car wreck that happened in which one of my Daddy's uncles got killed and my Grandaddy was driving the car.
She knew about that. Her Daddy's brother was also in the car.
Next we are going to find an old cemetery.
One reason this is all so cool is that before my DAddy and I found this, he knew nothing much about his family history.
He told me that they wrote down all the births in a bible and that it had gotten burned up in a house fire (I guess there were court records too?)
Anyway this lady in Greenville who is somehow related to me has found all of this information.
My cousin/co-worker and I had a great conversation about it today. :)

The one mystery is --before the revolutionary war..where did these Pilgreens come from.
I have told people before that I think my rednecks just crawled up, out of the dirt in Eastern NC (in a science fiction sort of way)--b/c we have no boat records. These people were more than likely mostly illiterate-- I do not think they were journaling. I would be willing to bet that they came into a port in Wilmington--but that is speculation.

Of course, we talked about all of this too. :)

It is cool to be working with a cousin.
Now, I am off to find that website again. The first time my daddy and I looked at it the lady had all of the family updated--up until my sister and me.
Now, I can never find that part.

Update: Found it! ;). My sister and I are listed as "living" under the children of my Daddy.
BUT, I printed out all of the information as far back as four generations before my daddy.
The one guy--the first one--was Enoch Pilgreen, he is listed as being born in Pitt county in 1795--but his father was unknown. His mother was listed--

Whatever. I will take this in tomorrow and we will continue to dig....

Saturday, February 7, 2009

New Book

The new book I am reading is called The Po!sonwood B!ble by B@rbara K!ngsolver.
It is so good so far!
She is just an excellent author.
It is about the Baptist Family who goes to Africa to convert the natives.
They have four daughters.
One of the daughters does not speak--she has complications from being a twin.
BUT she reads and writes and is very smart.
She also likes Palindromes, and B@rbara K!ngsolver has written some excellent ones in the book.
Palindromes are words or sentences that are read the same whether they are read backwards or forwards. HAH! is one.
This book is huge and I am trying to read it one chapter at the time.
So, I should be able to enjoy it for a while.
(Usually I become obsessed with whatever I am reading and ignore everyone and everything until I have finished it.)
B@rbara K!ngsolver is the best!

Friday, February 6, 2009

YAY Friday!

*Tamales were waiting at the babysitter's house when Andy picked the kids up.

*It was Cl!n!que Bonus time when I went to get make-up to replace my all gone B@re M!ner@ls--which I love. But Cl!nique had something that was comparable, and I was able to buy it at B$lk IN WASHINGTON! :)

*I actually/finally won something on EB@y. I guess there were no pregnant eb@y nerds after my size 12 levis..hee hee.
7.00 I paid for them. ;).

*The girl I wanted to win the contest on Seriou$ly so Blessed...won! check out her makeover. :) She looks good.

Flashback to last night:
While Andy and I decided to watch the news the children...




Played with a lipstick. We just let them b/c we wanted to watch the news.
:)
FUN.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Update:

I guess the powers that be knew exactly what they were doing today. :)
YAY.
The snow has melted and we did not miss a day of school :).
I did freeze all day though.
Okay old man winter...time for you to go...
BTW the daffodils are peeking out of the snow around here, and I had some paperwhites come up in the yard the other week.
YAY!

snowing at school

It is snowing.
I am at school, working!
This is unheard of.
When I woke up this morning and saw the snow I was fully expecting for school to be cancelled.
Nope.
We waited and waited, checked the internet, waited for the automated phone call.
Nothing.
So here we all are in the snow, which is still falling.
Later, when I have gotten home, I will post a picture of this snow.
:)
I guess a snow day at work can be exciting?
?
Andy is at home and he gets to dress the kids in snow suits and play outside with them.
hee hee.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Sexist Parents



"Victor, sit in my wap, I will help you pway DS."

Another bone to pick:
I was just reading another blog and the person was writing 25 things about herself.
One of them was, something like, "I think it is so much easier to have boys/raise boys than girls."
This person had a daughter.
Does anyone else find this incredibly offensive?
How could a WOMAN say this?
I feel sorry for her daughter.
God winked at me and Andy and I have one of each, and I must say that any differences in parenting them have to do with their PERSONALITIES not their genitalia.
She said something about--girls are just too emotional and young girls are mean and catty....
EXcuse me very much...speak for your own offspring. My daughter is loving and nurturing and adventurous! (Maybe her daughter needs a bit more time with her dad? Maybe she is not a well-adjusted child?).
WEll, having your mother say things like that certainly would not help much either.
I wonder if she tells her to not even attempt her math homework b/c girls can't do math?
What a shame to have such a negative attitude towards one's own child.

Now, don't get me wrong --people often say, "i hope I have a ..."
They have a preference for whatever reason...that's one's business.
But if you have a daughter --it is a shame to be a woman hater!
Does this woman hate herself? When she was a little girl was she catty?
Was she whiny and overly-emotional?
There is a solution to catty--my mama did not allow anyone in her presence to gossip or say mean things about anyone else (and she did not care whose kid you were in the backseat, either, she would tell you), and she raised a daughter who was not catty.

I happen to hang out with mostly other women who are not catty...WTH?

nuff bone pickin...

I am off to make my WONDERFULLY GREAT AND EASY-TO-RAISE daughter come to the table and eat her supper. :)

Spot on!

Spot is our family's chihuahua.  He is what we call, "an evil dictator/stuffed animal come to life".  Sometimes, after he has ...