Stupid jerks on eBay

A few months ago, once my daughter got into the wonderful world of Webkinz, I bought her a couple I knew she'd LOVE off eBay. The reason for eBay is that they are retired. I bought her the unicorn and the pegasus. I gave her the unicorn right away, and she has been so happy with it. I saved the pegasus for later. Dumb move. I FINALLY opened it, and as I went to fish out the tag, I could tell it'd been tampered with. I knew that meant it had been used. Jackass. And, of course, I waited too long to attempt to use it, so I can't complain - and my feedback was already positive. Doh! I should've known better! Good news is that jackass is no longer on eBay - at least not under that name. ;-) (I'm not dumb enough to think he/she didn't come back with a different name/e-mail address.) I'm kicking myself - if I'd opened it right away and attempted to use it right away, I'd likely get my money back. Lesson learned. So, I contacted Webkinz (following the prompt to do so in their "Adoption Center"). Hopefully they'll give me the benefit of the doubt and give me a new code or just give me the pet! I'm not holding my breath, but since it's actually under my son's account, maybe they'll have pity on him - afterall, he's not quite three yet! ;-) Stay tuned for an update when I finally hear back! ;-)

Oh FFS

I'm feeling a pull to Facebook. As if I need one more thing to be unable to keep up with online! GAAAAAH! But, I have so many friends who are there and NOT MySpace. Or are on both but never go to MySpace anymore b/c they have Facebook. Sigh.

I know, this is a petty vent, but hey. What are you gonna do?

One more vent. I can't believe I haven't mentioned this here before - I'm sure the lack of power last week is to blame! ;-) Anyway, we have recently had an issue on FROGs, and I'm shaken to the core by it! I can't believe how much it's affecting me. If I think on it too much, I get sick to my stomach, my throat feels tight, and I can feel my heart racing. So not good.

What happened? How did I know you'd ask? Here goes.

We have a member who recently returned to the board after being away for a while. After her return, she sent me a private message to explain her absence. At risk of pissing her off and chasing her away from FROGs for good, here's her message:

Hey Heather. I didn't want to post this on the board and make a issue of it, but I want you to know the main reason I haven't been around and the same reason I am kinda worried about coming back. One of my last posts was about how I felt like I was having a hard time connecting here and that I felt lost sometimes. Well...I recieived a email from someone and I was hurt to say the least. Basically they said that it was God's way of letting me know that FROGS wasn't to be my home and that maybe I would feel more comfortable somewhere else.At first I was just kinbda stunned and was trying to figure out what exactly that meant. But as time went on, I just got mad and decided to stay away for awhile.

I am not telling you this for any other reason than just to let you know why I disappeared. On a different note, it looks like there have been a lot of changes here in the past few months...it looks nice and you are doing a wonderful job!

I read this and INSTANTLY was angry beyond belief and grieved more than I'd have thought possible. How DARE someone on FROGs do that to a sister in Christ? HOW DARE SHE? Despite our best efforts, we could not get the individual who contacted me to reveal the offender. That ticks me off to no end. I understand that she wants it over and done with. She wants to move on. I get that. I also get that she has extended forgiveness and wants to walk in forgiveness. OK. But, why tell us if you don't want something made out of it? Seriously. This is a HUGE deal. So far as I'm concerned - so far, at least - it's the WORST offence to have occurred on FROGs!

And, in addition to being angry and disappointed that it happened, I feel betrayed - by both the offender and the sister who shared this with me. I don't think I should feel that way, but I do. I'm also afraid we'll never find out exactly what happened, and that worries me. I want to know who so I can talk with her and make sure she understands that it is NEVER to happen again. It's not about punishment or revenge or anything like that - it's trying to make sure EVERYONE on FROGs is safe! My biggest fear is that this individual will do this again.

I have so many thoughts and feelings on this, but I'm spent. I can't think clearly or find a way to write it out. So, I'm going to end this post for now. I just had to get some things off my chest.

Apparently I was wrong

Around 9:30 p.m. our power was restored! WOOHOO! PRAISE GOD! Everything is working properly, and we're back into normal life - FINALLY! :-D DH, Abby, and I all just GRINNED real big when the lights came on, and Abby was bouncing around! LOL The other two were asleep, but they will be thrilled in the morning - well, at least Grant will! ;-) Anyway, I just wanted to say YAY! Thanks, everyone, for the prayers! It's so nice to be back in the 21st century! ;-)

Day Two

Wow. We're finishing up Day 2 with no power. Well, minimal power. I will start by saying that this is the longest I've EVER been involuntarily without power. It sucks. I'm just happy that my home and my family are all OK. I can only imagine how much worse it would be otherwise. Scary thought, actually. But, I digress...

Today started with DH getting up at 4 a.m. to turn off the generator. It runs for approximately 10 hours before needing a refill. Prior to adding more gas, however, it is highly recommended that the generator is allowed to cool for 2 hours. So, DH got up at 4 to allow us to get it back up and running before WE had to be up and running. I slept rather well - and the kids seemed to, too. Natalie woke at about 6:30 to nurse, which started our day. Grant got up then, too. DH got Abby up about 7-ish, because she had a dentist appointment this morning. (And all is well with her teeth. :) )

Most of the morning we just spent time together. Had breakfast, played, etc. DH took the day off - and would've had to anyway, because the Corps still has no power, too. Apparently they had yesterday off, too - but he was out of the office so he didn't know. And, honestly, if he wasn't in Coralville, we likely wouldn't have the generator. God knew what he was doing! ;-)

Late morning, Natalie was napping. (She's napped poorly today, which I'll blame on it being too warm in her room.) DH took the other two to the park, which was much needed. He encouraged me to lie down upstairs in the a/c while I had the chance. No sooner had I begun to relax when Natalie decided her nap was over. *sigh* We all had lunch - more peanut butter. Then the kids and I napped. We miraculously had ALL THREE kids asleep simultaneously. There was no way I was going to miss this opportunity! LOL I got a good nap in, too.

DH needed to turn off the generator about 4- 4:30 p.m., so we planned to go out to eat while the generator cooled. We ended up at Carlos O'Kelley's at Abby's request - she thought the building was pretty! LOL After we swung by a park on the way home. It's cooled off nicely and is really nice outside now. The kids enjoyed getting some time to run and play.

On our way home, we knew the power wasn't on yet b/c our neighborhood is still pretty dark and full of debris. But, we saw an encouraging site - the first crew from the power company a block away from our house! WOOT! Praise God! That means we're FINALLY getting somewhere. Afterall, they gotta clean before they can fix! ;-) No worries, I'm not expecting power in the near future. I know how bad it is by us - and not too far from us. I know that we still could wait up to three more days. I am constantly praying that's not the case, but I am prepared for it. But, it is so NICE to see a crew. I don't care if they're just loitering - they're HERE! LOL (And, no, they weren't loitering - we saw them actively working to get a downed tree off someone's home. I just had to express just HOW wonderful it is to see them! LOL)

One more positive I realized: Our power bill should be noticeably lower this month! LMAO

Oh, and Sawyer just HATES the generator - I'm guessing it's just too loud for him. He is a dog, afterall, and has much more sensitive hearing than we.

I had more I wanted to say, but it's gone. Once again, fatigue sets in. If I think of it later, I'll share in a separate post. Otherwise, hopefully my next post will be praising God for the restoration of our electrical service!

What a Day

Cue Jack's Big Music Show! LMAO

Seriously. It has been one heck of a day. Wow. I feel like it's been a week! I'll start at the beginning.

Natalie woke about 6 this morning to nurse. I got up to use the restroom while DH got her diaper changed. When I came back into the room, I noticed that it looked SUPER foggy outside. You could hardly see anything. I commented to DH about it, then went about my business nursing Natalie. About five minutes pass when the wind picks up and the storm sirens go off. So, I whisk Natalie up, and DH gets the other two and we all head down to the basement. I felt bad having to wake them up like that, but we knew we had to. Just before the sirens went off, I could FEEL the wind shaking my house as I lie in bed nursing Natalie! It was no surprise when the sirens were activated! On our way down the stairs, we were able to witness the kids' easel blow across the porch from one side of the house to the other, passing the front door. It was wild. We tried to get Sawyer to come downstairs with us, but he was too freaked, so he stayed in the kitchen. We were down there 5-10 minutes when the sirens went silent, so back upstairs we went. I finished nursing Natalie, and DH got the other two settled when the sirens went off again. Another 5-10 minutes went by before silence was heard. Then, DH got ready for work and the kids and I started our day. (Well, except that DH put Natalie down for a nap before he got ready for work.) Oh, and the power went out shortly after Natalie waking up. I don't remember exactly when - but I think it was while I was nursing her. I know for sure it was before the first siren went off.

So, we (the kids and I) spent the day trying to stay occupied. We played in the morning, and read some books. I found 8 C batteries to power a portable radio we have, so I was able to keep up on the weather and news. First estimates, around 9:30, were that most people should have power back within 72 hours of when power was lost. At first I thought that wasn't so bad, but then I did the math - that's THREE DAYS! Yikes! I was hoping we'd be on the early end of that, but so far no good.

According to the news, it was a storm that involved straight line wind. Here's text of the story from KWQC, our local NBC affiliate:

Severe storms ripped through the Quad Cities on Monday morning, leaving significant damage and nearly 180,000 homes and businesses without power in the QCA.

Meteorologists from TV-6 and the National Weather Service agree that the damage was a result of straight line winds. A 94 mph wind gust was reported at the Quad city Airport in Moline.

The National Weather Service surveyed the storm damage and confirmed the wind estimate of 90-100 mph. While the damage was not a result of tornadoes, the winds woudl be equivalent to an EF-1 tornado.

Meteorologists stress this is an example of why it is so critical to take severe thunderstorm warnings seriously. "It doesn't matter if it is a 100 mph wind from a tornado or a 100 mph wind from a straight line wind." says KWQC Chief Meteorologist Ryan Burchett. "The damage is going to be the same. If anything, the damage may be more widespread from the straight line wind event. The big difference is the structure of the storm. And that doesn't matter much to the people whose homes are struck by the storms."

The National Weather Service has posted more information about their storm survey on their website.

We are fortunate. No damage to our home or anything - just the loss of power. While an inconvenience, it's trivial as it could be so much worse. A few houses down, a tree fell on the house - can't tell if it damaged the house, but I'm sure it at least scratched it up a bit. We had a tree removed from out front last fall. Man are we glad that happened - as it was DEAD and likely would've damaged the house if it was still here! The worst news out of today was of a campsite that had trees downed, and a 4-year-old boy was killed! :-( The tree fell on the tent in which he was sleeping. Two other kids, a 9-year-old and a 9-month-old, were injured. One was sent to Peoria. Please say a prayer for the family.

There are tree limbs and power lines down EVERYWHERE here in Moline. Our mayor called a state of emergency and asked that everyone stay home as much as possible. No problems there. the garage door opener is out - I'm not going anywhere! LMAO John Deere Road, a MAIN road here in the Illinois side of the Q-C, is closed. There are several power lines down along the road, as well as the poles holding said lines. So not good. The kids and I have made do. There's not much choice - nothing nearby is open. No one has power. I did my best to avoid opening the fridge, until 1 p.m. rolled around. I decided at that point that most of what's in the fridge likely has spoiled already, so I'm having my Dr Pepper! LOL (The local Red Cross is saying 2-4 hours is the longest you should go with stuff in the fridge.) We had crappy breakfast and lunch - crackers, dry cereal, canned fruit, bananas, peanut butter, etc. But, hey, at least we have something we can eat.

So, where was DH in all of this? Coralville, Iowa, for work. He had some water sampling to do at the "lake" there. It was kinda rough not having him around, but it also ended up being a good thing. He was able to go to a Lowe's there and get a generator. (I am sure there are NONE to be found here in the Q-C!) So, now we have minimal power. We have the fridge hooked up, the chest freezer in the basement, the wireless router (of course LOL), a fan in the living room, and a window a/c unit in our bedroom. And, praise God, that flooding in Iowa last month left us with LOTS of money from the OT he put in. So, we were able to pay cash for the generator. Bad news, though, is that it's gone - all of that OT pay is gone. Oh, well. At least we can wait out the power loss somewhat more comfortably - and eat, too! LOL

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

You know, the biggest praise is that we hadn't spent that money yet! We can be a bit less frugal than we should - but by some amazing miracle, we had not spent it yet! Praise God! Of course, this all happens as we begin reading Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Figures it would work out that way, huh? At least we were able to avoid going any further into debt than we had been prior to starting the book, and likely the TMM! :-) Although, I had been hoping to use the OT for Baby Step 1 - the $1,000 emergency fund. Oh, well. God will provide. And, hey, had we not had the OT, it'd be that much harder, right?

When DH got home, he got the generator going. (I have a minor vent there, but will save it for a time when I have less-limited resources!) Then we swung by McDonald's (in Iowa, as no where anywhere near us has power yet) and got some dinner, which we brought home. The kids are now in bed, and DH is out buying more gas for the generator and another power strip to allow us to have the fan running AND the laptops charging simultaneously! :-) God is always faithful.

As for the power, the last I've heard is that MidAmerican (our power company here) is still in the assessment part of things. That means they STILL have no real idea how long it'll take to get everyone's power up and running. *sigh* They are still saying that most people should have power back within 72 hours. BUT, and this is HUGE - IMO - it could be as late as Thursday or Friday! YIKES! We live in part of the hardest-hit area, so I'm nervous that maybe that'll be us waiting ALL WEEK! Eek! So, do we stay or do we go? We could head to Winfield to stay with my parents for a few days while power is nowhere near restored. Or we could just hang out with the generator for a week. I did check, and our vet could board Sawyer until Friday. So, we can leave if we want to - after Abby's dentist appointment tomorrow morning. We shall see - DH and I will discuss when he gets back, which I hope will be SOON!

Well, I've run out of brain power right now, so I'm going to go. Plus, I probably should check in at FROGs and let them know I'm OK.

I'm at a loss for words

Someone on FROGs posted this blog, and I thought I'd share it here.

ConnorWatch

An absolutely amazing journey. That poor 18-year-old child and his poor parents. If you're not familiar with the story, an 18-year-old boy had a diving accident and ended up with a spinal injury. He has made astounding strides in recovery, but still has a long way to go. The family is Christian, and are asking for as much prayer support as anyone can spare. Even if you aren't Christian, I think it's worth following this story. I have added this blog to my blogroll for easy location in the future. My heart and prayers go out to Connor and his family and friends.

Frustrated

I'm frustrated beyond belief. And burned out. And tired. And lonely. And trying desperately not to slip into depression - b/c I know that if I do I'm on my own. I know my friends will say I'm not alone and I have them - but not one of them is someone I've met IRL. (Well, almost none - and definitely none of my absolute closest friends.) It's not the same thing as having someone who can hug me, be here with me, literally help me through this. No one. And, no, DH isn't availible for me.

Where's DH? At work. Again - or is it still? I don't know. I know it's not his fault. With the MAJOR flooding in Iowa, he needs to work. His job requires it. And, generally speaking, this isn't something that happens all the time. So, generally speaking, this isn't an issue. (He's still not 100% there for me, but that's another post for another day.) This royally sucks. More than I'd ever expected it to. Much more. He's been deployed to Louisiana twice now, and those were easier. They really were. Sure, I was 100% on my own 24/7, and it was more work overall. But, this is so much worse. I don't know from one day to the next whether he's working late - and if so just how late. So, I don't know if I absolutely HAVE to do it all on my own or if he'll be around to help. And, I'll be horribly - or perhaps embarrassingly - honest here. I can be - or perhaps just AM - a bit on the lazy side. (I hate that about myself, but here's yet another post for yet another day.) I don't WANT to do it all, so I don't if I know there's a chance that he'll be able to help me. I do what I absolutely HAVE to and save the rest for later - when either he can watch the kids so I can do it without interruption or he can do it. So, things get let go - for instance, a sippy cup ended up with NASTY mold in it. And the mold didn't come out in the dishwasher, despite a HIGH TEMP wash, rinse, and dry. (I was able to scrub it all out/off this afternoon. Although I'm still unsure as to whether I should just throw it out ...) That's not counting the laundry that gets done when we run out of something - typically shorts and/or PJs for at least one of the kids. Oh, yes, and there's a TON of clean clothes, but not a chance to put it away without DH around. (Most of it's the kids' stuff.)

Add to all of this that during these extended hours, there is little to no contact EVERY day - most days NONE, except to call when he's on his way home. The days he does call during the day he usually either wants something or is responding to an e-mail I sent him - or he's returning a call after I left a message. And this, my friends, is why I'm feeling so lonely and just blah. (Well, the blah is a combination of it all, but I hope I'm being clear.) I see him for maybe 5 minutes every morning before he zips out the door. Before all of this flooding, he'd come home for lunch a couple of times per week - now he doesn't, unless there's something going on. (Example: Abby's b-day party at preschool was in the morning, after which she had a parent-teacher conference. DH came home so I could attend both without the other two kids in tow.) And NO phone calls during the day. We hardly have any time to be together, talk, or whatever during the very brief moments we're home together. I've always known I'm not much of a priority to him, and this just hammers that home a little bit more.

To complicate matters, I have been having some minor aches and pains that I've considered seeing my doctor about. But, well, I'm not about to take all three kids to the doctor's office with me. I don't feel like I can make an appointment right now b/c it would be an inconvenience to DH.

OK. I'm exhausted. It's still an hour or so before he's expected home, but I've little to no energy left to continue this. (It's amazing the expenditure of energy when dealing with emotional issues - is that the depression?)

Five years ago today

My precious baby girl was born. It's crazy. How on earth has it been FIVE years already? It seems like just yesterday she was born - and I just couldn't imagine life without her. What a wonderful blessing she is. She is so sweet, wonderful, kind, loving. I'm amazed. When I tell her I can't believe she's growing up so fast, she hugs me and says "I'll always be your baby." And I tell her that's for sure! My sweet, sweet Abigail!

Abby,

I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. Whatever happens, wherever we are, I will ALWAYS love you more than anything. ALWAYS. There is NOTHING that could EVER change that. I can promise you that because I KNOW it's a promise that won't ever be broken.

Thank you for being you. I am so blessed and grateful to get to share every day with you. God has blessed me beyond my best dreams. Daily I thank Him for you.

Your birth was one of the best moments of my life. Having you was one of the best things I've ever done with my life. I only hope that I can do right by you in all things. Please don't ever doubt how much I love you. Words just cannot express it.

As you prepare to start kindergarten in a few short months I face a flood of emotions: pride, sadness, excitement, nervousness, and many others. It's bittersweet. Bitter because it means my baby is growing up. Before I know it you'll be off to college! (Scary, scary thought!) Sweet because I'm enjoying every moment I get with you.

Pride ~ I am so proud of you. You are a wonderful, sweet, loving, intelligent, caring, beautiful girl. I look forward to seeing more of who you are destined to be.

Sad ~ Well, because as you grow, you gain independence. The more you gain, the sooner you'll leave the nest! What will I do without you?

Excitement ~ I'm excited as I see you develop new skills, learn new things, and grow into your personality. I'm excited for you because I know you have great potential and can't wait to see you realize that. May God bless you in all that you do!

Nervousness ~ Well, I'm just nervous about letting you go off into the world of school. Those were rough years for me, and I'm afraid of seeing you get hurt. I pray that God protect you from as much of the meanness and cruelty of children as is possible to be shielded from. I'm also nervous to see what kind of influence your friends will have on you. I pray God direct you to the right friends and guide you every day. I'm also nervous about being the mom you need as you move though this rite of passage.

I love you. I always will. I know I'm repeating myself, but I want to make sure you ALWAYS know and never doubt. I'm praying God guide you and lead you and bless you.

Love always and forever and ever,
Mom

Happy birthday, my sweet, sweet Abigail!

Week 3, Day 1: What is it?

This week's theme is Guess That Object. So, what is it?


I have discovered one problem with the macro setting - you can see something you'd MUCH rather not see - all that dust! I am EXTREMELY embarrassed. But, I'm also lazy - and the laziness won out. No taking a new pic! So, please pardon my dust. (And, yes, I'm cleaning it once I'm done posting here!) And, tell me if you dare - what is it?

Week 2, Day 7

Taken Saturday, my subject was a Webkinz Lil' Kinz elephant named Peanut. The first shot is a standard shot, and the others are using the macro setting. Ironically, I think the last one is probably one of my better shots all week! LOL Figures - a stuffed animal. Apparently I was looking in the wrong place when trying to do plants and flowers! LMAO

I also tried taking pics of my wedding set (rings), but my hands were too shaky. So, I'm going to spare you all the pics! ;-)

Week 2, Day 6

Taken Friday, these are some hosta leaves from out front. Again, the first shot is with our standard settings - and the auto focus sucks! I thought DH had turned it off, but apparently not. I'll have to look into that. The other two are with the macro setting. A little too blurry, unfortunately. If you look carefully on the bottom one, you can see that it was starting to rain - there are small droplets of water on the leaf!

Week 2, Day 5

FINALLY! It took me all afternoon to upload these for some strange reason! These are flowers (what I cannot remember) from our front flower garden - next to our porch. The top one is a shot with our standard camera settings. I believe both of the others were using the macro setting.

Week 2, Day 4

I attempted to use Natalie's feet for Wednesday's pics. This is the only shot that wasn't blurry! And, I think this was just the normal setting. Like I said before, I suck at this! LOL

Week 2, Day 3

Tuesday's subject was a flowery pen. The first shot is another standard shot, and the second is the macro setting (again, I think). This actually turned out OK, too.

Week 2, Day 2

These were taken Monday. The subject is one of our hydrangeas. Abby brought it in a few days before, and I decided that would be perfect. The first is just a standard shot, and the second I think is the macro setting. That turned out MUCH better than Sunday's pics. I've looked at my others, and it might be the best of my macro shots. You can judge in a bit, once I get everything uploaded.

Week 2, Day 1

This is from the first day of the second week, during which our focus was on depth of field. I'm not sure I really get what I'm doing, but it was fun trying new things. Unfortunately, the pics from last Sunday look horrible, at least in my opinion. I can't remember what setting was used for each, but I do know that I started with a normal setting, then tried the digital macro setting. Without further ado, here they are.

Sunday's subject was a feather on top of a pen.




I think the first two were using our normal setting, and the last was the macro setting. But, I'm not 100% sure. I'm not happy with how blurry it is. Unfortunately, I seem to SUCK with using the macro setting!

This week's pictures

Remember, the goal was just to work on a watermark. So, I just took pics of my kids - always attractive and VERY willing subjects - and added the watermark. So, they are below, in chronological order.


I couldn't decide on one from June 11, so I picked two. Natalie (above) and Grant (below) both hammed it up for the camera!


Here are all three of my sweeties! That's as close to all three smiling as I could get! LOL It was taken June 12.

Here is my sweet, sleepy princess, Abby - in her nightgown with her wand! I think that's a gorgeous smile! Taken June 13.

And taken this afternoon (June 14), Abby shows off part of her snack. She looks silly, so I decided it would be fun to share!

Males! Need I say more?

That sums it up perfectly! Doesn't matter what the penis is attached to. To hell with it! Anything - man, child, cat, dog, etc. - with a penis is on my shit list today! (Good thing my dentist is a woman, as I have an appointment today.)

I should've known that it wouldn't be a good morning - I got to sleep in after all! Can't have my cake and eat it, too, you know! Anyway, Grant got up shortly after 7 - it's a MIRACLE! LMAO

After DH left for work, I noticed he neglected to take the trash out - something he had promised to do LAST NIGHT. Am I surprised? Not really. While everyone else in the world seems to think he's wonderful, reliable, dependable, etc., I know better. He's rarely been any of those for me. Well, I take that back - he's good at being wonderful, if you ignore the fact that I can't depend on him for much of anything. He's NOT a man of his word - at least, not for me. I'm willing to bet that at work and elsewhere he is, but not here. Don't get me started. I'll save all of that for another time. Let's just say the trash STINKS to high heaven, and it irks me to no end that he neglected to take it out - especially when I see that he added some old food from our fridge to the mess! OK, onto the rest of my morning ...

Natalie woke about when I fed Grant, so I loaded him up with cereal, fruit, and milk and let him watch TV while eating so I could get - and nurse Natalie. And what do I come back downstairs to about 20 minutes later? Kix ALL OVER THE FLOOR. He must've dumped at least half of what I gave him over the side of his tray! This is NOT the first time this has happened, nor (I am sure) will it be the last. Thank God for the Dust Buster!

Shortly after that, I get Grant down, hands washed, etc. And I go to let the dog in. I call for him. Whistle, etc. Nothing. I step farther outside and see him two yards over! So, I slip on my flip-flops, grab the leash, and head outside. And the dog is so excited to see his leash he comes no problem! LOL Stupid dog! I bring him inside, swearing to kill his sorry ass, only to find my sweet son has made his way upstairs into my bedroom. He LOVES to play with DH's alarm-clock radio! So, I get him back downstairs (crying all the way) and finally get him dressed. Kid pooped and - of course - wants to grab himself. Throws a fit because I won't let him. YOU HAVE SHIT ON YOUR BUTT, BOY! Oh, and he gets one of his feet in it. Thanks, kid! Thankfully, it was a tiny amount, and easily cleaned up. But, now he's whining for his boo-boo (more commonly known as a pacifier).

Oh, and our two cats are male - one pukes so much it's amazing he isn't emaciated and half dead! The other whines and complains constantly, despite having a bowl full of food and fresh water. Ingrate!

This just in: DH is going to have to work late AGAIN tonight. Damn flooding in Iowa! This is the third night in a row. *sigh*

Add to all of that, it's humid as heck here. So humid, I can feel my asthma acting up, and you probably could cut the air with a knife and take a bite out of it. So, I've closed all of the windows and cranked up the a/c. I don't DO humidity.

I don't particularly like how this post came out. I thought about it for a while before having an opportunity to sit and write it out. And, of course, it went much better as I rehearsed it in my head. It was much more witty and entertaining. But, of course, duty kept me from writing it out until now.

Tweaked the Watermark

I decided that I wanted the year in my Watermark, too. So, here's the same photo with the new watermark.

First Post

Our first assignment is to make our watermark for our pics. So, here is mine: