sunflower735

Over the last few months, I've lost my passion for journaling. Things in my life have been sorta dramatic, and I just don't want to post all those icky details. I know I don't have to tell everything about myself, but those personal problems have just got me to feeling rather unmotivated to write anything at all. I am hanging with my best bud Anastasia, and she helps me get through the garbage and keep my spirits up. Not to mention I love my kids with every fiber of my being, and they always make me happy.

I mentioned before that I needed to get a job to solve one of my problems. Well, I got one. I got a job at our local middle school as the Registrar. I worked at a high school for 3 years, and I find the work enjoyable for the most part. I'm sure it will be a fun job and the pay is really, really good for this area. Not to mention the benefits and summers off. I will also get home at a decent time to still have late afternoons and evenings home with the boys.

Needless to say, I'm going through a major adjustment from being home full-time to working full-time. I think that I may take this opportunity to sign off from LiveJournal and focus on getting my life corrected. Not that I've been online much lately anyway, but it will be even more infrequent now that I'm working and then trying to have "quality" time with the boys when I get home.

I appreciate all the people here that I've met and will still peek in from time to time to read what you are all up to. Thank you all so much for your comments when things were good and unconditional support when I was feeling down. :)

Okay. This is totally weird. It rarely snows here, maybe once a year, if at all. Today, just days before Spring, Mother Nature chose to blanket my little town with snow! They even closed the schools. Which cracks me up because it's barely ankle deep, and the roads are mostly clear. Up north and back east, they would laugh at us for closing the schools for so little snow. I suppose we just aren't used to it. Or they are looking for an excuse to give teachers a day off.

It's cool though, I'm gonna bundle up the kids and take our little snow "disk" and find a good hill to fly down.

The week was pretty uneventful, just anxiously awaiting Spring. Now it looks like it's never going to arrive. Grrr. My flowers are gonna die. Well, I'll try to cheer up here, and get the kids out. Maybe if I pelt someone with some snowballs I'll feel better. >:)

Tennis is getting better. I've been practicing a couple of times a week on the backboard at the park while the boys are in school. I really, really want to be above the level of that annoying 10-year old brat, so I don't have to be paired with him. It worked. I didn't even have to play with the kid that sighs when I miss, groans when we're paired up, and argues with me about whether the ball is "in" or "out". Best lesson ever yesterday. Look out for me at the next US Open.

We had a lovely week of sunshine. I did some "Spring Cleaning" early, and holy crap, my curtains were dusty. Something tells me I should wash them more than once every 2 years? Whadya think? I was also wrong about the color of my blinds until I dusted them. I thought they were gray, apparently they are white. I'm a clean person, it's just that the detail cleaning gets ignored.

My neighbor Jessie, drove up to Portland to see Bon Jovi. She's very silly, I hear Twisted Sister, Warrant, Def Leppard, and other various 80's hair bands blasting from her house every weekend. Forgive me but, who still likes these bands? If you do, please explain. She gave me a "Power Rock" mix CD for my trip to California a couple weeks ago. Anastasia and I played it (mostly so we wouldn't be lying when we said we listened to it) and honestly, I don't know why I ever liked the stuff.

This is a pretty boring post, this is what happens when you have a pretty uneventful life. I suppose I'd rather have uneventful than drama. I can live with that :)

I'm staring out the window and my neighbors across the street are finally taking down their Christmas lights. ha. I guess March is that magical month for them.

We had a nice day until now, clouds came rolling in, but before that we had sun. Damn Oregon weather. I'll be praising it in just a couple of months. When the sun was out, I planted all my seeds in starter pots for my garden. Hoo-ha! Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Oh, and some peppers. Hope my garden does better than last year.

I'm reading The Pillars of the Earth again. I've raved about it before, so I won't bore you. I will say, that Ken Follett is writing a sequel. So, if you love it like me, read it again before he publishes #2.

Ah crap, the kids just ran out back and it's threatening to rain. Gotta run and round up the two psychos. I swear, I'm gonna be better with my updates. :)

I can't believe I haven't posted before now. Sorry. I'm a flake. :(

Anastasia and I hit the road to California two Fridays ago. We drove to San Francisco in a rental car and yakked all the way. We found my brother's new apartment (not new to him, but new to me) with no problems. It was a bitchin' place. A two-story loft immaculately decorated. Sigh. If only I could afford Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn. My decor comes from Target. Such is life.

We went out to a gay bar (sorry if I offend, that's his lifestyle, if you don't like it, delete me), and had a great time catching up and having a few cocktails. Afterwards, we got sushi, which I haven't had in centuries and looooved it!!

The next day, we hit the shopping district of SF and I got a few items including some new tennis shoes that I was way overdue for.

Saturday afternoon, we went to Santa Cruz. It rained the whole way. I thought I left the rain in Oregon dammit. Anyway, we met up with her cousin, and hit the town. We hit a few clubs, got hit on by some weirdos, and I drank waaaay too much. I puked. Nice.

The next day we did the Santa Cruz shopping thing. I also got the cartilage in my ear pierced in a tattoo shop. I love it. Oooh, I should take a pic and post it. I always say I'm going to post piccies, and never do. Please forgive a mom who has to chase little ones and never gets around to everything I say.

We drove halfway home that Sunday, spent the night in a gross Super 8 Motel in Northern Cal, and finished the drive on Monday. I was soooo ready to see my kids. They gave me the warmest greeting. My three-year-old was actually shaking with anticipation when he saw me. It was so cute. It's nice to go away, but really nice to come back. :)

More updates later :)

I didn't get the job. However, on the bright side, they called me personally to tell me that it was really close between me and some other girl. The other girl had more experience working in a big school district and handled a job like this before. Then she told me that they would like me to consider interviewing for another job that's coming open in a couple of months. I said "of course!". They said they really wanted me working for them, and wanted to find a better fit. Cool.

( Longer update behind cut )

Okay, the sun has been uncharacteristically shining, so I haven't played on the computer in ages and ages. Sorry to be a stranger!

I had a job interview yesterday. With the school district. It's a really good job, actually, I felt underqualified. I went in with the notion that it was an "Assistant" job, just like every single job I've ever had. So, I answered all their questions accordingly. Then, they told me that maybe I didn't understand that this was a "Supervisory" job! Holy crap. I switched gears and talked about my college training, and the (very few, honestly) people I've supervised. I don't know. Maybe they will see my potential and hire me, but maybe they'll think I'm not ready for a job with this much responsibility. Hmmmm....*ponder* I'll find out next week.

We had a Texas Hold 'Em party last weekend. The kids were at the in-laws. I had a decent turnout, but as usual, drinks were flowing and the husband and I had a row. Ugh. We don't do well at parties together, I think from now on we'll flip a coin to see who will attend the next party. I won some money, though, and afterwards my girlfriends and I turned on some dance music and we did the macarena. Don't laugh, okay laugh, it was fun anyway :P

I did a little shopping for Spring/Summer. Got a new bathing suit. *shudders* Why the hell do they set the lighting in dressing rooms so you look like hell?! Don't ya think they should make the lighting flattering, instead of showing every little flaw in your body? Just more motivation to tone up before summer. I'm not really "overweight" exactly, but I need to firm up for sure! Bleah. *dusts off treadmill*

Well, that's a good update for now. Gotta get out there, that sunshine is calling my name!! :)

I figured out why I was feeling so moody yesterday. I came down with a monster cold last night that hit me like a freight train. I was asleep by 8:15. And for someone that suffers from chronic insomnia, that's unheard of! But after sleeping for 11 hours, I feel a little better today and less grouchy and fatigued.

By the way, did anyone see "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"? I loved it. Kinda rude, but I like that sort of humor. Sue me :) Anyway, I just love Steve Carell. "The Office" has totally grown on me, and I thought he was hilarious when he was on "The Daily Show". So my pick for rising star of the year 2005 is.....(drum roll)...STEVE CARELL! Anyone else concur? Oh and his wife (Nancy Walls) is funny too. I'd love to be at a dinner party with those two.

Not much else goin' on, except the gloom has returned to my neck of Oregon. Sigh. At least we had those 2 glorious days......

Okay, I read yesterday's post and think: "How can I be so happy one day, and feel so depressed the next?" Is it PMS? No, that's not until the 5th? Is it being a woman? Maybe. Do you think women are more moody than men? I tend to think so, we are complicated, and most men are simpler than that. Not all men (don't get offended, my male readers), just the ones I've known. Although, my husband can change his mood on the drop of a dime. But he doesn't dwell and overanalyze like I do.

Maybe when the sun pops out from behind the fog, my spirits will lift. I hope so, because I feel like crying for no real reason.

lalala....I get so giddy when the sun is shining. It's been so glooooooomy for...well...forever it seems. It's crystal clear outside and I'm going to pull weeds in the backyard. I'm only sitting here at the computer because my kitchen floor is wet (I mopped, exciting huh?) and I have to pass through there to get to the backyard.
( Finally an update.... )

Holy heck, it's been raining for about 3 weeks. We had a little sunbreak yesterday, but I tell you, it does a real number on everyone's mood. Of course, mine included. Most everyone I know feels blue. At least it's not just me. I've heard that the depression rate here in Oregon skyrockets this time of year and I know why. The body needs sun!! If you live in a sunny state, thank your lucky stars! One day I'll be rich, get a little cottage (complete with white picket fence) in Southern California within walking distance to the beach and I'll be happy as a clam.

Still on the job search. There was a job advertised for the School District as an Admin Asst., and since I did a similar job at a High School, I applied first thing last Monday. I won't know if they will interview me until after Jan. 20th (the closing date), so I'm crossing all fingers, toes, and hair. It's perfect for me! Love the hours.

One of my favorite shows 24 started it's new season last night. And I missed it! Damn. Kids were hard to get into bed and I didn't settle in bed 'til over halfway through. I didn't tune in, since sometimes they show and "Encore" of the epy and I want to see it all the way through! If you watch and know when the encore is, let me know!! I know I have at least 2 faithful 24-ers here, you know who you are ;)

A little late, but here it is. My New Year's Party was a success. Most people I invited showed up and seemed to have a good time. My house was spotless, but since there were some smokers, I cleared out the garage for them to smoke in there instead of out in the cold. The party pretty much stayed in the garage, and someone brought a portable heater so we were toasty. Consequently, my house remained spotless the next day. I liked that!

Still no job prospects, I should link you to our pathetic classified ads so you can see how sad our job market is. I will. Here it is: http://www.cgsentinel.com/classifieds/index.inn?loc=detail&main=Employment&sub=Help%20Wanted

I have to cut this short, my friend is coming over. But I have to tell you the weirdest thing. I may have some silly celebrity crushes, but the following are NOT ones I happen to personally find attractive. For two nights I had dreams that I was dating a celebrity. First, it was Ashton Kutcher. Last night, it was Brad Pitt. And both dreams were super vivid. What's up with that? Why can't I have one of my lovely Viggo dreams? :D dangit.

More later :)

My crush on Kiefer Sutherland may have fizzled out. You may guess why after reading this....


http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/archive/archive/tm_objectid=16536094%26method=full%26siteid=62484-name_page.html

Oh, and the job hasn't called. They said they were going to make their decision last Friday. Must not have been meant to be. I'm gonna keep looking!!!

The job interview went well. It's a really easygoing, casual office with a small office staff of 11 or so. I think the interviewer and I hit it off pretty well. I think she liked me. I have alot of experience in professional offices in big cities. She seemed impressed by that, since Creswell (where the job is) is pretty redneck (no offense to rednecks, I know too many to be against them).

The cool thing is that I can set my own hours and wear what I want. I have always had to dress in professional attire, and it can be exhausting having to dryclean and press my clothes all the time.

It just feels scary to go from being a full-time mom to a full-time employee again. I think Bradley will be able to cope with the change pretty well, but again it's WES. I feel like it's such a huge adjustment all at once. If it were only 30 hours or something, I would be happy :( It kind of gives me nervous butterflies just thinking of leaving him for so long!

I know that eventually, it will be normal for him to be in a babysitter's care. But in a perfect world, I wish I could just ease him into it. However, it's not a perfect world and if they offer the job, I should probably take it. I think I will like it, but my heart may be broken from missing my kids.

I'm thinking out loud here, if you read this far, thanks ;) It may not matter however, the way it's been pouring rain here for 6 days, Oregon may slide into the ocean anyway ;P

I have a job interview tomorrow! I sent in a resume last week for a job as Accounts Payable in a neighboring town. Only about 10 miles away. That's better than Eugene, which is 23. My town is so small, jobs are very few and far between, so I was hoping for something like this. It doesn't really pay much, but it has benefits, which will be nice since my husband pays out the you-know-what for me and the kids to have insurance. And it's crappy insurance anyway.

The lady seemed really nice on the phone, I hope this is something!!

So, I haven't been posting. Bad me. Christmas was a whirlwind. All kinds of interesting developments occurred. Most are pretty dramatic and personal, so I won't bore you here. Let's just say that the hubby and I are hitting some rocky points again, and I have been doing some serious soul searching. The bottom line? I need a job. Hopefully, with the new year, companies will be ready for the "extra employee" they added to their budget for 2006 and the classifieds will look much more promising then it does now.

The hardest part for me is the Wes factor. As most of you know, I've been a stay-at-home mom for years and Wes is kind of a momma's boy. Who can blame him? ;) He likes preschool, but doesn't want to go all the time. If he goes to preschool in the morning, I NOW know a babysitter for the afternoons. I met this girl, Kim, through my buddy Anastasia. She's super-nice and she and her mom run a small daycare out of her house. That could work for him. He's met Kim and seems to like her. We'll see what happens. I really think I'm ready to return to work.

I'll write more about the holiday later. I made out like a bandit, and so did the kids. I got a webcam, so beware, I may post some pics. If I can figure the thing out!

The tree is down and gone. Whew. It was pretty crispy. So, I'm feeling pretty good. I've revamped the house so it no longer screams "Christmas!". Now, I have planning to do, I may have a New Year's party (the kids are at the in-laws that night).

Best wishes to one of my first LJ friends kookygrrl!!! You've been so good at reading and commenting on my babblings, whinings, and otherwise boring posts :) Thanks! Hope your birthday is great!!

I finished most of my Christmas shopping! Yaaay! My mother-in-law and I hit Target first thing yesterday morning whilst the boys were in school, and finally there was room in the toy aisle for me! I love spoiling the boys, but I don't usually because they take things for granted. But, since it Christmas, I'm allowed!

I also hit the doctor yesterday afternoon. For me, for once. Nothing's wrong with me really, but I met my super-expensive deductible for the year and thought I should get a flu shot and exam before the new year and the stupid deductible goes back to $500 again. I talked to the doc about my insomnia. I told him I don't want to be dependent on pills, but need sleep. I asked if there was a mild, non-narcotic, non-addictive sleep aid? He gave me something called...shoot, I don't know-it starts with a T. Anyway, I took the smallest dose last night, and sleep came to me. However, I woke at about 2 am in a coughing fit (I have a slight cold), and had a hard time going back to sleep. This morning I had a headache and feel hungover. This is why I hate sleep aids. Why can't I just SLEEP???? Grrr....

It's really cold here. As I look out my window, ice is covering the rooftops and blades of grass. I miss summer. Plus, it's still dark at 7:00 when I get up. It feels like I'm getting up in the middle of the night. I'm totally not a morning person! Off to the shower I go, maybe it will wash my headache and tiredness away....

I took Brad (my 5 year-old) to Narnia yesterday. I read the books as a kid, and read them again as an adult. It was so awesome to share the story and the magic with my son. I was choked up when I looked over at his face as he saw the majestic Aslan walk into the picture. He loved it. I loved it. It was like Lord of the Rings for little kids (I thought LotR was too scary for him). We talked about it on the way home, and I thought how awesome is it that I have a movie buddy to take to fantasy movies that my husband will never go to. Love that kid. He's the best :)

So, lately I've been posting once a week. That just seems to work for me. Here's my update for the week.

Friday night, Wes decided to leap off the couch and plant his teeth into Bradley's head. Bradley's head is fine, I don't know how, he must have a hard head (like me). But Wes was screaming, and upon examination, he had bloodied his mouth and his front tooth was hanging down as if it was coming out. I gave it a tug, and it seemed like it was still slightly attached. Not knowing what to do, and all the blood kind of rattled me, I took him to the ER. My husband said "I'll just use the pliers". Screw that!! The ER Doc said to "leave it alone", sometimes these teeth creep back up and heal (if it's still attached). Then he told me to take him to the dentist in 2-4 weeks. He's nuts. I took him first thing Monday morning.

After the x-ray, we discovered he completely broke the tooth beneath the gums. The only thing holding it in his mouth was the gums. My dentist said we needed a Pediatric dental specialist to yank the thing, because it might get infected. Ah, crap. Tuesday, we visited the specialist and he said just what the ER said "leave it alone". Whew. No yanking. But if it looks like it's getting infected he WILL have to pull it and my 3-year old will be a toothless wonder for 3-4 years. Sigh.

I'm telling you, that kid's going to make me gray before my time. Why won't he just mellow out!!