Too Much Running

There’s been a lot of talk about the difficulty in leaving comments since Blogger changed its format. If you want to make things easier on your followers and still have control over what is said on your blog you can…..
(from your dashboard)
1. click on settings
2. click on comments
3. scroll down and check “no” on ‘word verification’.

I suggest you still have comments sent to your email for approval so you can chose what is posted. Since taking off the word verification I've gotten a lot of spam, but at least none of it is posted (some of it isn't so nice). At least this way your followers won’t have to struggle with the two-word verification system that many of us are having a hard time reading and you just have to hit delete a few times.

This is the purging I am talking about. There are jackets that don’t fit anyone. Jackets that haven’t been worn. Ever. Jackets that no one would wear. Ever. Why? I don’t know…I hang on to stuff…just in case we need it. Or one of the kids’ friends need it. It is time for this to go. (Along with the 8 hockey practice jersey’s in the cupboards above the washer….we haven’t played hockey in years).

We don’t need ballet clothes either. I cleaned out 25 drawers throughout all the bedrooms and filled two more bags to give away. Some of the things I get all sentimental about…this was Emily’s. It’s on a pillow…. do you get the idea how small it is? Time to let it go. Keeping it won’t give me my tiny 4-year old back. (There were about 8 more just like this….ug!).

What the hell? Yes. This is the bathroom cupboard. Almost all of it was trash. I emptied it (along with the ones in the laundry room), but didn’t get a chance to wipe them down and reorganize. It was time to go to town and get Lucas.

Nick went with me and we had lunch at Sam’s Sourdough. Nick had a cheese steak, I had a Clubhouse and Lucas had fries. It was nice, quiet and relaxing. After lunch we went to Sam’s Club and then Wal-Mart. Ran Nick and the new fish home and then it was back to town to get Olivia from Girl Scouts.

We went to Fred Meyer to kill an hour rather than spend it in the car driving home just to turn around and drive back to practice. A couple sodas and some mac ‘n cheese, $4.85. Going all the way home and back again…. a gallon of gas. Yep. Same price.

His eyes captured my attention across the table. Homer’s other kids all have brown eyes, four of mine have my blue eyes…Lucas is the only one that got some of his dad’s green. (I took Olivia’s photo, too, but she made me pinky promise I wouldn’t put it on my blog because she was wearing her eye patch. Thankfully, she “grew up” one day last week and isn’t fighting me anymore. She’s even wearing it to school!!).

I want Spring. Instead we got a few more inches of snow. Winter can head on out any time now.

Lucas had basketball practice on the far side of town tonight. Afterwards we picked up Elijah and headed home. I spent from 12:50-8:00pm either in the truck or in town so I didn’t get near as much done today as I wanted to.

I did add two more bags of trash to go with the two donation bags though. Maybe more progress will be made tomorrow.
We got a new shower curtain. I hate it, but was out voted. I need to photograph the new fish as well. Emily made it safely back to Alaska. She called me at 10:47pm to let me know. I was so relieved. She has a sore throat so she isn’t going to school in the morning. Maybe at noon. She should probably just sleep all day so she doesn’t get really, really sick. I can’t wait to see her!!
Boooo! Just heard the weather on the news…. down to –20 over the next few days. I am so not in the mood for that. When it gets cold something always goes wrong and my man isn’t here to help me.

Keeping Busy

There are things growing in the plant room. You can check out my progress in photos here. Today I mixed up a little more potting soil and planted one flat, but really couldn’t get into it. There are so many other things bugging me it was hard to relax (you have to enjoy gardening to do it).

Look who has hair long enough for a pony! Still debating on whether or not I should trim the hair on top of her nose or wait until it grows down into a beard.

So our electric bill finally dropped to $450 from $600. I’d like to think it is because I have been hang drying the clothes, but really one has to factor in the absence of Christmas lights. Also, I run around shutting everything off behind everyone obsessively. I’m really doubting the pain of hanging in the house is saving me much money compared to the trouble it is. And trust me….it’s a pain with seven of us. I did six loads today. Blah!

I also went hog wild purging. These 10 bags of out grown clothes and toys are headed to Grandma’s. She can keep, give away, have a garage sale or toss….but it will be out of my house. Maybe the day will come that I’ll wish we still had 10 back packs to go with the 8 duffle bags stored in the laundry room, but at this point in my life…I’m willing to take that chance and spare a few! :)

Maybe this is some oh-my-God-I’m-old–and-I’m-freaking-out-over-it, but I woke up fed up. (More fed up than usual).  I spent 12 years with my HEX living primitively with all my stuff packed in boxes. And now I’ve spent 8 years living primitively with all my stuff packed in boxes. *sigh* I have things I would like to use/do, but if I haven’t been able to for 20 years what is the point of keeping it any longer? In fact, some of it has been packed since I left home…so that’s been 27 years. It’s rather depressing…like this weight on my back I can’t shake. Maybe I’m selfish for wanting my home to be a bit nicer and more done, but it seems to me that is what most people wish for at some point in their lives.

 

Okay….that pity party is over. Feeling sorry for myself never changes anything so I just like to whine every few months and then I just accept that this is my life. What other choice do I have?

The little people are asleep, the boys in their rooms and Emily is still gone. I miss her so much. Homer is still working out-of-town, too. I’m feeling pretty energetic lately so I’ll be back to purging/packing tomorrow….although I have had a slight headache for the last couple of days. Sinus stuff.  Back to school tomorrow….and what did I say the other day…about Olivia being bright? The last couple of months she’s been difficult to get out the door in the morning. Tonight she threw a fit….tells me she hates school because it is boring. Great. Now what?

Okay…I’m outta here.

Lovin’ The Weekend

Emily and Homer are gone so I think I’ve said about two words…. after a long week of school where they don’t get much time together the little ones are off playing. Just leaves me and the animals. It’s pretty quiet.

My Friday night date was cleaning cages. Thrilling.

Trixie…

Sarafina….

Charlie….

Flower….

Saturday morning Lucas had team photos at 9am. Wouldn’t you know we went out the door without his jersey. Good thing the coach had an extra and brought it. We also forgot snack so we ran home to pick it up just making it to the 10am game.

He’s smiling at one of the boys on the other team who is from his class like he’s getting ready to make some killer move. Boys are so funny.

Note the fingers: This was after he scored his first goal. He must be saying it is 2-0.

Such a little go-getter full of energy.

He played goalie the second half. Sometimes, when you are 5 and the goalie, you get a little bored.

Other times you have to be on your toes….

…to make the big save.

And sometimes you just sit down and take a rest.

No matter what my Little Man is doing he’s just darned adorable.

After the game we bundled up and went downtown for the finish of the Iron Dog and to watch some of the Tired Iron.

The lady holding the start flag…. she is 96-years old.

I think this guy was 85. Look at that old machine!

We were down on the river, but decided to move to the bridge for a better view. This is when they were still happy. It was about +10*, but it felt like –10* just standing around. By the time we left (after an hour) we were all pretty cold.

That’s where we started out…

This is the finish shoot for the racers of the Iron Dog, the World’s Longest Toughest Snowmobile Race.

Under the other bridge there were free dog sled rides and human bowling, but the Little Ones were too cold to go check it out.

This guy is 93. Just amazing!

NOS energy drinks were one of the many sponsors of the race and people were walking around giving them out free. It was really good!

There was a helicopter and a couple of planes following the first team in.

There they are…the winners. Dusty Van Meter and Marc McKenna. Homer used to race years ago and I’m quite sure he’d still be out there hanging with the young guns had he not broken his back. Cody is heading out to Nome tomorrow for the Nome-Golovin Race that his dad won many years ago. Maybe some day we’ll be cheering for him in the Iron Dog.

The planes buzzed right over us!

A depressing end to the day… that’s for diesel. It think Unleaded was around $3.90.

Last night I looked through some old photo albums and posted photos from high school to Facebook. I really miss those days… I had the honor of growing up with some really wonderful people in a special small town so long ago….

Just Some Words

I love this little man like nobody’s business. I am so glad he is enjoying basketball and didn’t get upset when the Asshat sat him out longer than any of the other players on the team just because he doesn’t like me. It takes a real Coward to pick on a 5-year old.

This summer will be all about the left hand.

I do not like my husband being gone. During dinner Olivia said she wished Daddy never had to leave. And she wondered what would happen if he didn’t come home.

I don’t like conversations like that either.

I imagine dipping fried chicken in gravy is not conducive to weight loss. I should probably stop.

Why do kids drink the last of the juice and put the container back in the fridge empty? One of life’s great mysteries.

My eyes ache to see Emily. My heart is sad. Today is the day she usually comes home. I’m glad she’s spending time with her Grandma, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss her.

I should take a vitamin. Or exercise. Or something. I have zero motivation. Zero.

I planted a few more seeds and I’ll update my gardening blog. Soon.

I’m glad it’s Wednesday. I have Survivor to look forward to.

How many trips up and down the stairs does it take to burn off two pieces of fried chicken and some gravy anyhow? I’d better start now.