chatter

I cant have enough lists (oh btw, excuse the fact that I cant make aposthrophies-or spell it- and quotes. Apparently my keyboard has lost its ability. I have been looking for an excuse to get a new keyboard, so there you have it.)

Anyway I now have a system to manage all my lists. Well no I guess I dont have a system, I just try to keep them together in a folder and take that with me so I can put new lists in there. It still remains to be seen on whether I ever refer back to these lists.

What are these lists you ask? They are ideas for photo projects or other creative projects, ideas of what I want to do with the house but mostly it is to do lists. I find if I write it down in a list, I can get it out of my head so it doesnt clutter things up. With the amount of lists I generate you would think I shouldnt have anything left in my head by now. Hey! Stop that.

Jon at work has been bringing me in new music to listen to. He first brought me The Arcade Fire and Peter Bjorn and John. Both of those are all right, nothing too exciting. The third day he brough in some Lily Allen and after the 3rd song I deemed it my favorite album and have only listened to it ever since. Seriously I listened to it all day today and I am listening to it right now, I cant get enough of it. I love it.

For Easter RAW bought me an iPenguin. It is the cutest thing on earth and I cant help but smile when I watch it dance to the Lily stuff.

This weekend is the first weekend in 3 weeks that we are staying home and you cant know how excited that makes me. I am so out of touch with the house and I am having a major spring cleaning thing going. No so much cleaning but getting rid of all the crap. Today I got rid of make up I have been hanging onto for 15 years. I dont wear makeup, what am I holding onto it for? Next I go through the dresser and get rid of the the clothes.

I cant wait until we go through Hollaces room tomorrow. What a disaster!

Today Hollace had a Girls Scout sport and dance thing. I was afraid that was going to be a disaster since she hates that kind of stuff but I guess she survived with only one melt down when she lost her balloon. It is interesting when ever she gets together with her troop, all the girls come running to her saying “kiwi girl is here!” (btw, I am using the quote button on the laptop keyboard since the main keyboard is broke) and do a group hug on her. Hollace just stands there definitely not hugging back with an odd look on her face just waiting it to pass. She doesnt get the hug thing at all. Of course at home she is all about hugging.

I wish Dorothy would hurry up and buy a new car. It is starting to drive me nuts and before RAW has a heart attack . That is all he can talk about, how frustrated he is. Every time he gets on the phone with her about it he starts yelling. She is now open to a shifter on the floor, something she previous was dead set against. It was sounding like she was going to get a PT Cruiser but she tells me tonight that she found her car today and will buy it on Monday, it is a Shivee. I am thinking Chevy? But I guess she was looking at Jeeps today so who the hell knows what she will end up with.

driving in the middle of an April snow storm.

I am a winter weather weenie. When the forecast calls for snow, I arrange to work at home. I am much more productive when I am not worrying about driving home. Still I fret about working from home. I know the boss doesnt really like it but expects it from me. I am afraid I will get resentment from my co-workers who braved the elements to get to work while I don’t. Also sometimes there are a few things that I need to be in the office to take care of and I am always afraid that will be the time and someone will be pissed and revoke my snow day work arrangements.

Wednesday they called for 5″ of snow. I am prepared. Yet I felt espeically brave and decided to go into work even though I know it will be worse later in the day. It really was a recipe for a work at home day but I ignored it.

The drive in isnt too bad. We had a couple inches at this time. My co-workers who come in an hour after me report that it was bad for them but mainly because of the wind knocking out traffic lights and just the increase of cars on the road and not so much because the snow got worse.

I was swampped at work, especially that day. It was a job for the big boss so I couldnt screw up or chance working at home when they really needed face time with me.

It looked like a blizzard out there, just nasty nasty non-April like weather.

Around 1:00 I couldnt take it anymore, I had to go home. With the project I was working on, I was looking at putting some overtime hours and I would rather be in the safety of my own home for any overtime anyway.

So I email the boss and co-workers and leave.

The roads are horrible. My anti-lock breaks sure got a workout. Because of the wind, the snow was horizontal and covered all the traffic lights. I couldnt tell if the light was red or green. Because I left when I did, there wasnt much traffic thankfully because at one of those intersections I couldnt tell if it was red or green, even thought I slowed to a crawl, I couldnt stop the car once I realized that light was red. I did manage to stop a hair before it was too late. I swear I had that brake petal through the floor.

There was one multi car pile up going the other direction but I did eventually get home. It took me an hour when a normal commute during that time is under 30 minutes.

RAW mentions he thinks we had 2″ of snow but I nearly bit his head off. That was no 2″ of snow. When all and said was done, it was more like 5″ but it was hard to tell because of the blowing and the melting.

At around 5:00 I notice all the roads are now clear! It warmed up enough that if I would of stayed at work until my normal time, the roads would of been fine. I apparently drove home at the worst possible time. Just my freaking luck. Next time remind me again that I am a winter weather weanie, please.

At my mother-in-laws tonight. We were watching a movie on Lifetime called “Fat Like Me” where this athletic high-school girl is doing a documentary wearing a fat suit to try and prove that if you have a great personality, being fat should be no excuse for anything.

Well of course she found out immediately how mean people were when you are fat. It was exaggerated for the most part with people passing by with utter looks of disgust.

Anyway, the part that got me thinking was the relationship this girl had with her mom. Apparently her mom at one time, was really obese and got sick. She then lost 80 lbs and was at a more normal weight. The daughter was very angry at her mom and was ashamed that her mom ever got like that and made herself sick because of her weight. That story line was a bit exaggerated as well but it did make me wonder what Hollace might think some day of her obese mom.

And I am now starting to worry about my health. Last time I was this big I was very healthy but I don’t feel so much so this time around. I am a bit of a hypercondriac especially over diabetes and breast cancer. Neither of those fears so far has done anything to help me change my habits. I am not sure what is it going to take. It is like I keep forgetting I have a problem or only remember after I ate the wrong foods. Several months ago I made this inspiration card that I was hoping I would meditate on every morning to help drill it in my head, I never look at the card.

What do I need to do to get it in my head?

Today was mine and RAW’s 14th anniversary. It was pretty much a normal day.

This morning I left the house feeling a little bare but didn’t realize until I was almost at work that forgot my purse. Dang. I left the house with my keys and a piece of paper. I knew something was amiss but I thought it was because I decided to leave the camera at home.

Dorothy, when she was here, bought some purse hooks so you can hang your purse under the table of restraurants. She gave me one and I hung my purse under the counter where I couldn’t see it this morning.

Since I am an early bird at work, it can be a challenge to get in my building without a badge. I noticed Andy’s car in the parking lot which means he is in early so I call him from the lobby and he lets me in.

My lunch time plans today including going out shopping for running shoes (don’t worry, I am not going to be a runner, it is what the podiatrist recommends) but obviously I am not going to be doing that. Then I thought I would maybe go out to the parking lot and clean out my car but then I remembered what a pain it was to get back in the building.

I went to get my ipod for a little music and instantly missed my purse. Rob was making a taco run and I almost took him up on the offer since I was stuck in for lunch when I remembered, no wallet. On the ride home I got to Hunt Club Road where I usually take out a Tootsie Pop, nope I had to go without.

I thought for sure I would get stopped by a cop since I didn’t have my license but the ride was uneventful.

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Tonight was my second yoga class. I didn’t want to go but I did. It was alright.

I got to see if I can add a few features into my photoblog. It has been over 2 years since I played with the templates. I think I am too rusty. I am not sure why to put in the effort because I doubt anyone even looks at my photoblog. Well I guess 7 or 8 people a day do.

I got 7″ cut off my hair yesterday after work. At work today, no one has said anything or seem to have even noticed

Is it because….

1. It sucks and if they don’t have anything nice to say, they won’t say anything.

2. 7″ isn’t really not that much. Like my hair was really down to the floor, so what is 7″s?

3. That people really only look at my bangs and they haven’t really changed.

4. No one looks at me at all

When I get off work at 4:00 I usually just go straight home but this week I tried something novel…setting up appointmets for 4:15.

I have to laugh actually because every single day this week I had something scheduled at 4:15

Monday:
At lunch I was driving around when I decided to stop at this hair place. My hair was way too long and out of control and something needed to be done. I set up an appointment to get a consultation. They always say to do that but I never did before. Anyway, it was for 4:15 Monday. The haircut could follow but it doesn’t. I was now kind of in a hurry (for what I can’t remember now-oh yeah, take the pop up to Joann’s) so I was glad it was only the 15 minute consult. We make the haircut appointment for Thursday, 4:15

Tuesday:
Meet at the credit union to buy Chuck’s camper at 4:15. Only I forgot that not everything is instant and I guess it was expected that I would of got this loan pre-approved. What, I don’t get loans that often.

Wednesday:
Follow up visit with the foot doctor for 4:15. Much improved. While I love the shoe inserts, the doc wants me to check with my insurance for $500 custom jobbies. I go back in one month. I couldn’t get a 4:15 appointment so it is a lunch one instead.

Thursday:
Haircut time! I get 7″ lopped off. RAW likes it, Hollace doesn’t notice. The jury is still out on what I think. I know at the very least, my hair won’t get caught in my armpits any longer.

Friday:
The loan has been approved. RAW calls Chuck to come back to the credit union to finish up the deal. It looks like 4:15 is the best time.

Yesterday Joann at work came over with her husband to look at our pop up camper we are selling. They bought it right then and there. Me and RAW were thrilled cause we weren’t really counting on selling the thing before we bought the new one on Tuesday cause we hadn’t even tried yet. We couldn’t believe the perfect timing.

Today I cashed Joann’s check and we took the camper to Joann’s. Her driveway is long and narrow as is her street. Cars kept trying to pass through and Raleigh drove out of the way. Joann said he could park in the driveway across the street and then back it right in. RAW roared up that driveway before anyone could drive down the street and then SCRAPPPPPPPE. He bottoms out the back of the camper and gets it stuck in the ditch. Shit. Joann puts her hands over her ears and grimaces. Great, lets ruin the damn thing trying to get it to the new owners.

RAW eventually gets it out of the ditch and in their driveway. Then everyone while using the dolly, push the thing up the narrow part of the driveway to their backyard. That wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Of course I didn’t push. RAW thinks they are going to eventually find pushing the camper up the driveway old real fast.

Tomorrow we are suppose to meet at the credit union to buy Chuck K’s camper. They tell us back in October that they will sell it to someone in the camping club for $13.5K we said we will buy it. Chuck said, it is in storage until April so we can buy it then and heck it might even be cheaper by then. Good price.

Last week when the wife, Lori K, called asking us if we are still buying it we said sure. I asked her how much was it again knowing full well how much. She said, she couldn’t remember knowing full well how much. Red flag went up as I am sure a flag of opportunity went up with her.

Tonight I told RAW to call Chuck to confirm our meeting and to get the price for sure. I was feeling suspicious. RAW squabled about calling calling me paranoid. We didn’t have anything in writing and I didn’t want to wait until we got to the bank to find out her number now differed.

Yep, it differed alright. She said it is 16K and she can’t find anything that says otherwise. Then she said we can work it out at the bank. Yeah….no.

RAW calls back and Chuck answers. RAW tell him if it is 16K then the deal is off. Chuck asks Lori again and she is now down to 14.2. RAW tells Chuck in not so a friendly voice that he will leave a message with his answer on that tomorrow.

RAW goes out in the garage. I go to look up the camper dealer who was going to sell us a new one for 16k last fall to see what he can do for us. Then Chuck calls again and asks for RAW. I can’t find him so Chuck tells me we can have it for 13.5, do we still want to meet. It will just be with him as he and his wife have had a disagreement.

We sent some earnest money a while back for $250 I am going to overlook. I feel bad that there is some bad mojo between everyone now.

Stay tuned, we will see what happens at the Credit Union tomorrow.

Got the adjusted gas bill today. It was for $246. Much much better than $651 but still the higest gas bill we have ever seen in this house. I am thinking they really underestimated last month and that has spilled over onto this one or RAW can’t read a gas meter either 😉

Shopping iTunes. You know I didn’t have any old Genesis music in my modern music collection. I had a couple old tapes of Abacab and Invisible Touch on cassette back in the 80s. Though I couldn’t really say that I was a big Genesis fan, they were the first concert I ever went to and all their mid 80s songs were the soundtrack to my college days taking the train to Columbia College hauling around my big old 4×5 view camera and hanging out in the darkroom with my Walkman. Oh those were the days.

All those memories came back tonight when I realized I didn’t have any Genesis in my collection. Now I do, about 27 songs including the complete album of Abacab. The rest are pick and choose from their other albums. And for good measure, one Peter Gabriel fronted song (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway). As for Peter Gabriel I do have a Greatest Hits album from him but looking at my iTunes library I see I only downloaded Shock the Monkey and Games without Frontiers. I should go dig out that old CD and see if there is anything else I might want on the iPod.

While listening to the “new” Genesis stuff I went on Wikipedia to read about Genesis’s history and in true Wikipedia fashion that lead me in all kinds of places finally resting on Adrian Belew listing. I loved Adrian in 1989 around the same time I took these Poloroids that I just dug out and posted on Flickr in honor of ‘Roid Week

Aren’t I cute? 😉

Like I said, I loved Adrian Belew, he was just quirky enough for me and an amazing musician. I didn’t realize he had his fingers in some of my favorite music like Nine Inch Nails and especially Paul Simon’s Graceland which for a long time was my favorite album. So I stopped playing the “new” Genesis and the old Adrian Belew I had and put on Graceland. Now it is time for bed. Good night

I opened the gas bill this week and to my horror it said I owed $651 !!!

Gulp, something is very wrong here.

The highest gas bill we ever had in this tiny house was $239 in 2001.

RAW called the next day and they had him read the meter. They will send an adjusted bill which sounds like it might be around $200.

Sheesh, give a girl a scare.

This week the Kennedy’s called. They are the people from the camping club selling their trailer. On Tuesday it looks like we are buying it. I should be able to afford it now that the gas bill isn’t $651 😉

Joann at work seems very interested in buying our pop up. That would be cool if she did.