Saturday, December 31, 2005

OOPS!

So, it was a nice weekend last weekend...had company from out of town that I had a great time with. I even wore the nose ring. Drank WAY too much wine and stayed up late all weekend.

Went back to work Mon. morning, a bit tired and groggy. Now, I work in an office with a bunch of veterinarians. They were nice enough to give me some space, but I have nothing to do with their program and they are not remotely near my chain of command. I don't use their equipment; I can't "talk shop" with them. It's a great, cordial relationship between me and them. Thus, I was surprised when a vet asked me about a large print file involving vets this morning. ???!!!

While I'm trying to figure that conversation out, the vet I used to share an office with stopped to chat. Before she left, she did the "You may want to check a mirror before too long..." BING BING BING, flashing lights. I won the dork jackpot! I had left the nose ring in!

Thursday, December 29, 2005

FODDER for Crows

So disappointed.

Long ago, I made it a policy to NOT start a series until ALL of the books are finished.

(Harry Potter was an execption--I didn't think it was going to be "adult enough" to hook me. It is pure torment. The only joy is re-reading the series right before the new one comes out. The ending is always bittersweet because you know the next one won't arrive anytime soon.)

So, when a friend recommended George R R Martin's series, the hubster bit. He was extolling the virtues of the first book when I stole it. I assumed from the jacket it was a 3 book series and it was finished. I WAS WRONG. I zoomed through the series, realizing --with an ever growing horror--as I neared the end of the 3rd, that the series was in no way going to be finished by the end of this book. Oh, well. They were good. It would be worth it.

So we waited for the 4th--and supposedly final--book. We got each other a copy for Christmas. (My first EVER Christmas return!) We had heard before the release that it was going to turn into a 5 book series, because he just couldn't fit it all in. I expected the same "whirlwind" read, but at least some closure. What I got was fodder and filler. Vast introduction of new characters that don't seem to have much of a point. A mere mention of the passing of characters who looked to be REALLY interesting. Worse, I'm not sure that 50% of what did happen is even going to be relevant to the next book. Leaves me to suspect that he's drawing things out in a bid for more money. (If the book were worth the $30 I desperately paid for it, I wouldn't even begrudge him this...)

AND I'm really frustrated because the Hubster reads so slowly that I'm going to forget what even happened before he ever finishes!! I can't even talk to him about it. GRR.

It was like eating iceberg lettuce. I'm not satisfied. No nutritional value.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Those parenting books are WRONG

I clicker train my dog. It has worked wonders. It's a wonderful system of positive reinforcement. Sure, it involves treats, but the only time that he consistently gets one is during the introduction of a new concept. Then it's pats, "good dogs", and a treat occasionally.

So I've been applying many of the same positive reinforcement to the kids. Zeke has been adamently AGAINST potty training. Wouldn't go near the potty. "I HATE the potty!" Despite the fact that ALL the parenting books warning on giving candy as a reward, I decided to give it a try.

Well, thanks to positive reinforcement and candy, he toilet-trained himself. IN ONE DAY. He was ready, finally. After a week of him pulling off every diaper--or coming to get changed the second he was finished, I told him that if he went potty on the potty, he would get candy.

Last night he ran around all night without pants. At least twice an hour, he ran to the potty, climbed up so that he was on hands and knees over the bowl, and went potty (or tried). Each time he came running to me, "I went potty. I want candy." Sure he had a sugar high and ran around like a maniac all night, but he crashed eventually.

Today he has mastered the pulling on and off of the pants. He is even phasing himself out of the candy phase. I am looking at the end of diapers--FOREVER!! (If I am ever lucky enough to be a grandparent, I will HAND THE BABY BACK!!!!)

Screw you Dr. Spock!

Saturday, December 17, 2005

PMS was easier when I was 20.

It was a crappy day. Just those things that SEEM big when you are ragingly premenstrual.

I opened my email at work to find that I had blown a deadline. I don’t know how important it actually was (it was for a draft of a draft…) but it was still a deadline. I really have no idea how it didn’t even MAKE my radar to slip off it…THAT may be the worst part about it—aside from looking like an ass.

Then I spent 2 hours wasting my time learning about my EEO rights—online with a few morons that didn’t get that this was a “this is just training, contact the appropriate people if you have specific situations to ask about” thing.

It was the last day for the woman I have the most in common with in my new office. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy here (unlike the previous office…) but she is great! I’ll really miss her. Good Luck, Sherolyn!!!

I had to do business with a company owner I don’t like—and I had to be professional about it. He signed the agreement this time and was cordial, even.

I miss being spiritual. The ceremony of Christianity, Wicca, whatever…I just DOUBT everything. I have no faith.

Well, this one may be big…
And the most disturbing of all: I realized I'm not looking forward to seeing the Hubster at the end of the day today. I don’t know when it went away. I have a few ideas why. He seems to dismiss them when I bring them up. It’s gotten so that I can’t bring them up because then I’m the bitch who can’t let things go—and therefore to blame…but there has been no resolution. It’s obviously affecting things. If it weren’t for the kids, I suspect I’d work late a lot.

AND, while I like that the Teenager is involved with a sport, and doesn’t have time for the thug friends he HAD been hanging with…I REALLY don’t love spending an hour with unitard-wearing teens—to watch my kid for like 3 mins! Yup, wrestling. I always said he’d be my opposite, but I predicted football.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

SICK SICK SICK

I don't remember the last time I was this ill. The night before last I came down with something that hit me in a projectile way at 4 am. Wasn't surprised--the youngest kids had it, it was inevitiable. What did surprise me was how far it took me. They bounced back within 12 hrs or so. By 4pm that same day, with the hubster groaning and laying on the bathroom floor, I was making sure that the 5yr old knew our address and how to dial 911.

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Here's to management acumen of a fly!

I know I complain about my state gov. often. They deserve it. I can't put into print how inadequate and incompetent one dept. of that government is. It would involve too many obscenities.

Currently, I am watching them implement policies that will lead to the EXTINCTION of a species in North America. AND THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT! Fucking idiots! All they want is money so they can squander it on expensive technology and create their own departmental welfare program. Then those ancient, obsolete farts with their draconic management policies can brag how many people they manage and what big budgets they have.

LET ME CLUE YOU IN HERE! YOU ARE INCOMPETENT! It doesn't matter how many people you have or how much money your dept. has--you have effectively proven you don't know how to use it!!

Gods, if MY program managers and supervisors here in the Fed. gov. weren't so darn good, I'd move today.

For everyone else: MOVE away! YOU ARE DOOMED! Pay taxes somewhere where they care.