Do these shoes match this purse?

Crummy movie scores

2012-02-11T06:29:00.000-05:00

Okay while I'm throwing fits about crap this week, I want to complain about Rotten Tomatoes, a movie web site that is very popular and is sort of thought to be the "in the know" place to get movie reviews.

The thing I dislike the most is that they seem to hate everything that's popular. They gave low ratings to THE HELP- it wasn't a Rotten Tomato but the score was low. Seriously?!? If people like it then Rotten Tomatoes doesn't seem to favor it.

They seem very elitist. If it's an arty film, foreign, something no one's heard of, then gee Rotten Tomatoes will give it a GREAT review and recommendation. I hate that they just bash stuff that the every day, average Joe seems to like.

Mac has a friend who looks at Rotten Tomatoes before he goes to the movie theater. If a movie got a rotten tomato score then he refuses to see the movie. There have been times when Mac and a bunch of his friends head out to see something and end up seeing something different because of this kid. Arsehat.

I know how it works. I know it's a combo score of a bunch of critics, and there's also a people/ audience score but I hate that everyone seems to think this web site is the do all, be all, end all for movie ratings.

I'm to the point that if Rotten Tomatoes hates it, then I'm sure I'm going to love it.

Maggie

All the villiage idiots were gathered at Wal Mart last night

2012-02-10T05:59:00.002-05:00

I should love Wally World because they give me blog fodder but my feelings still haven't changed. I still hate Wal-Mart. I just can't help it. Well, I guess I could help it if I didn't go there anymore but we have no place in my hometown to shop otherwise.

Tonight all the people at Wally World- the other shoppers- were gross. Don't these people bathe? They had soap in their carts so why did they all stink? They had body soap and laundry soap so why the BO smell? And these weren't all people in the same family, either, but different people all over the store. They just stank of nasty!

And why are people coming to Wal-Mart in the pajama pants? What the hell is that? I still don't understand that. Was there a convention of pajama pants wearer? Do these people not care? I hate life right now but I haven't given up all sense of fashion and basic decorum.

Tonight there was a ton of shoppers, too. And of course there were only about 3 of the 40 check out lanes open and the lines were all backed up into the clothes. And do you know what I saw? Three managers (CSMs????????) all standing and chatting about the impending snow storm. They weren't running registers or calling for more cashiers or providing any sort of customer service.

Finally, the other thing that pissed me off is the parking lot stalker. I did not have a good parking space. I was not anywhere near a door. As a matter of fact, I was 11 spaces from the front of the store and I was in that weird part in between the pharmacy doors and the outside section doors. I was basically where no one wants to be in the winter. So why in the hell was someone sharking me? I swear a woman in an SUV followed me all the way and then waited for me to pull out so she could have my crappy space. She even honked at me!! (And no I didn't know who she was!) It was cold and the wind was blowing and I wasn't near anything. It was just stupid.

Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!

Maggie

More Nookie... does that make me a book slut?

2012-02-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

Back in December, remember I bought a Nook but had to return it because of all the car repairs I had to make? I also had to return some Christmas gifts that were Nook accessories. I was sad.

But now I'm happy! Elated! Excited! Stunned! And completely wowed!

Mac got some money back from school and from his first paycheck. And in the mail I received.... yes, you guessed it... a Nook! Not just any Nook but...

A NOOK COLOR!!!!

Yes, Mac bought me a Nook color. I'm just stunned. I can't believe it. He used his money and bought it for me. Park of me thinks I should've made Mac return it but I didn't. Here's why:

He said he hasn't gotten me a good Christmas gift in his entire life. He said I had an important birthday last year and didn't get me anything. He also said I was the best mom ever and he thanked me for always be there for him and never giving up on him. He thanked me for being patient with him and always standing by him, no matter what. I was crying my eyes out by the time he was done and there's no way I could return it after all that. Thank you Mac for the Nook, even though I know you'll never see this post!

I was blown away. I couldn't believe he would give me such an awesome gift. And one that meant so much. He also told me that he felt so terrible that I had to return it and it was the least he could do. We've been having a great time playing with it! It's completely amazing. I don't know enough about it yet to share the details but it's phenomenal. I love it already!

And, I happen to tell a friend of mine what Mac did and he got me a gift:

So now I have this fabulous, brand new Color Nook and this totally fabulous pink, leather Nook cover, with a fabulously funny quote by one of my favorite Irish authors!!! (and the quote, in case you can't see it is, "Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood."~ Oscar Wilde)

I feel so special! And overwhelmed and just... wow. It's wonderful. I can't wait to start reading and playing with the Nook and downloading!

It's my second Nook in 3 months. Does that make me a Nook Book slut?

Mac's mom,
Maggie

It's a phone. Not a toy... right?

2012-02-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

I know I've written about my cell phone apps before but I keep changing my favorites and different things keep happening so this could actually be a never ending blog post topic. Well, that is, until there are no longer apps because they're considered passe or "old school."

My new favorite app is the one for the Goodreads website. I use my Goodreads account just about daily. This is a great place for me to keep track of books I'm reading, want to read, want to buy or books I've already read. I used to have to actually access the web page but now there's a handy little app- which was FREE!!!- and it's so much easier and quicker. I LOVE it. The greatest part of this app is the scanner. Oh yes, a scanner. I can pick up any book and scan the bar code with this feature and then mark it as something I want to read or have read! This is AWESOME!

I also like my Nook feature because I can do Nook stuff with it (even though I don't have a Nook of my own) and can create a list of ebooks I want to buy/ share if I ever get one again.

I've discovered the wonderful world of Uno and Gin as apps. And apparently I can play alone or I can play live, which is crazy. I haven't done that yet but I like knowing it's a possibility.

I use the weather app, the GPS, the alarm clock, and the calendar apps ALL THE TIME. I don't have a paper calendar anymore. It's all in my phone. That has me freaked out but I'm trying it.

The Post-it note app is amazing as well. It even can be shared so I can make a list of books or movies or groceries and send it to Daddy-O or Mac or anyone, really. I like that it lets me check things off, too. I love to tick things off a list (though I still use paper most of the time.)

IMDB is a fun app- I love to see movies times, summaries and it's shareable, too!

It really is a phone. I talk on it. And plays games, check my email and search the web. And listen to music. But it's a phone! I swear!

Maggie

Anger Management needed

2012-02-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

I am so angry lately. I have no idea why. I just can't seem to find my inner peace and get in tough with my Zen.

I'm not usually an angry person. I'm usually generally a pretty happy one but lately I'm just so pissed off at the world about everything.

How do I find that inner peace again?

Yes, I've tried thinking of happy and positive things. I've tried doing some exercises. I've tried petting the puppies, which usually makes me happy. (I have to say that tonight I found FREE puppies at the pet store because they're technically mutts: Jack Russell, Dalmatian, and Husky mixes. These are so cute!) I've tried breathing and sleeping and listening to happy music. I just can't seem to find my "sunshine".

EVERYTHING is making me mad; it's the sublime to the ridiculous.

The up side is that I'm not taking it out on anyone. I'm a little bit short on patience with my students but I'm not downright crabby or mean to them.

But I'm so mad. About everything. And I've never been like this and it scares me.

Any suggestions on how to shake this?

Mad Maggie

Relive my Superbowl Tweets

2012-02-06T05:35:00.001-05:00

Last night I was watching the Superbowl and I used my Twitter account and Tweeted about almost every single commercial that was debuted! No, I have no life. Yes, I was bored.

Information about Twitter for those of you who don't Tweet. Each Tweet is only able to be 160 characters each unless the tweeter (me, in this case) wants it to run into more than 1 Tweet. I like mine to fit into one tweet so pardon all the grammar and spelling errors. With only 160 characters I have to commit grammar sins.

The # sign indicates a hashtag which means that other people use this phrase on Twitter. If you put a # sign before a word and then search Twitter for that phrase, it will show ALL the people who used the same phrase in their tweets. It also automatically hyperlinks my hashtag so the search is easier. I don't know if the hyperlinks in Twitter will work through blogger. If not, who cares?

Because I just cut and pasted my Tweets then are the last ones I did first so scroll all the way to the bottom of this post and read upwards if you want them in order the order in which I posted them. I numbered them to make it easier to follow the order in which I Tweeted.

So, here's my view of last night's Superbowl...

25) This concludes my coverage of 2012 #SuperbowlAds. I didn't manage to break Twitter&I watched the whole game. My next twit spree: the #Oscars!

1) Score one for the 1st #SuperBowlAd. Loved the 'employees singing the theme from #ROCKY #Hyundai' ad! Smart, creative, and fun!

Sunday random musings and thoughts

2012-02-05T10:20:00.009-05:00

I love it when the bread store has a sale. It's a bread outlet store and it had a sale. I love that I got a loaf of whole grain Aunt Millie's for 89 cents!!!!!

When I'm alone in my car singing along with Adele on the radio, I totally sound just like NOT Adele.

I'm going to get a mini pot bellied pet pig and name her Princess. Don't judge. (And yes father, I'm gonna have her wear a tutu...)

I love aerials city shots in either still photography or movies/ TV.

I hate Olive Garden's new deal of a great 3 course meal because it's totally fake and false. They claim a great deal for $12.95: unlimited salad OR soup, an entree from a special list and a dessert. This isn't that great because ALL entrees come with unlimited soup or salad. All you get here is a dessert. Big whoop.

Has anyone seen The Artist? I just don't think I could sit through a silent movie. Does that mean I'm not as smart or classy or sophisticated as I think I am?

I want to lose 30 pounds before the end of May so I can wear flippy skirts and summer dresses without thigh burns.

Tonight is the Superbowl and I'm gonna watch, even if just for the commercials. And so I can make sure I hit the DVR button when SMASH starts, which I think looks like an interesting and fun show.

Mac said A&E is going to make a show all about me, called Magazine Hoarders.

My goal is to find a job in a city big enough that I can use public transportation instead of driving.

I wonder if I could get paid to sit and watch Criminal Minds?

Speaking of Criminal Minds, Shemar Moore is the best looking man on the face of the planet:

pink lipsticky kissies,
Mags

Home on the range... an oven's tale

2012-02-04T19:53:00.005-05:00

Warning: this post contains lots of CAPITAL LETTERS, usually to represent my anger.

Our oven stopped working. It would act like it was going to heat and try to heat and then just not heat. This sucks. Of course this happens while Daddy-O is in Texas. I swear we weren't doing anything but trying to make frozen pizza!

I decided I was going to see if I could fix it before he got home because I didn't want to worry him if it was no big deal. I called the place where my parents bought the range (this is what we call the stove and oven unit as one big appliance) about 20 years ago. I was told that 1) it's probably dead because of the age and will have to get a whole new range; 2) I could try and throw the breakers and shut it down for 20 minutes so the electronic panel has a chance to reset; 3) they could see if they could order parts and not have to buy a whole new range. We shut down the breakers and that did not resurrect it. The range is dead. The burners work- sorta (I'll get to that) but the oven is dead.

So I thought I'd call and see how much parts were and if it could be replaced. I also told Daddy-O, who was not mad at us for killing the oven.

Oh, and the oven in question is an electric, ceramic, flattop Jenn Air.

So last Monday morning I called to see if THE STOVE COMPANY still had my parent's records and could order a part. Mr. Asshole who owns THE STOVE COMPANY told me they don't sell ranges any more and didn't have the records and the part would be so expensive a new range would be cheaper- he didn't even let me tell him WHAT PART I NEEDED!!!!!!!!!! I said I would at least like to know how much the part is going to cost and he said I would have to call Earl (he does outsourced range service work apparently) to make a house call to see what was wrong with it. I told him again what the error message was flashing on the electric panel and what it needed and he said I could be wrong and he didn't want to look for a part without Earl's say-so, and he said by the time Earl came to see what was wrong and the part was bought and then installed it, a new range was cheaper. He did NOT want to help me. And he was rude and snotty to me the entire time. I was so pissed.

After I hung up I decided I would figure this out myself. I went online to find out what the name of the part was and I found it. I also called Jenn Air customer service and they told me good news and bad news. The good news is that if that's the error message then 99.9% of the time, that is the part I need. The bad news is that because that range is so old, the don't have that part but for them to be accurate they needed a make and model number, and told me where on the range I could find it. Well, I hunted that thing over and couldn't find it. Stumped.

So, not to be a woman to be undone...

The next day I called another business in town that sells ranges. I got a salesman named Dave THE OTHER OVEN STORE and told him what Mr. Asshole at THE STOVE COMPANY said and Dave said if the part is available there is no way it's going to cost $1400 since to replace the range is about $1500!!! He said it won't be anywhere near that much for a part. He also said if the error message is matching the book and the web site online, then that's correct. Furthermore, Dave said since I can't find the number myself, he'll run up to the house and look really quickly and will NOT charge me a service call to find a model number! He said if he can get the part in, they will come and install it (a service call is $80) so it will be $80 plus the cost of the part. AND he was NICE! AND not rude!!!! And I told him the story of dealing with Mr. Asshole who was a jerk and rude and I would NEVER do business there again until he died. Maybe. Dave at THE OTHER OVEN STORE laughed a lot.

So Dave came to the house and found the number and then hunted for the parts because the error message says 2 different parts are in need of replacing and these 2 parts work in tandem but because the range is old, there are no parts at part stores, or wherever they look for parts (I called Jenn Air myself and they told me the same thing). He said if I wanted to find one somewhere on the Internet I can and he can give me the part number. Dave also said if I find one, they will put it in for me. The extra bad news is that while Dave said they could come put in the parts, they're usually non-returnable/ non-refundable so if they parts don't work I can't send them back so Daddy-O would be out the parts and labor money and still have the cost of the new range he'd would need to get since the parts didn't work. Dave wouldn't fathom a guess on whether or not the replacement parts would work because of the age of the range. He said he was sorry he didn't have better news and wishes he could help.

He was really helpful and nice and sorry!!!!! Mr. Asshole should take customer service lessons from Dave!!!!

So I tell all this to Daddy-O who decides he's going to see if he can buy a new range in Texas at a chain store we have hear. Ya'll might've hear of a little appliance place called Sears. He felt he should buy from Dave but Daddy-O isn't home for 10 more days and thought he could get one new and have it installed and stuff before he got home. Uhhhh, not! He bought a replacement and it won't be here until 2/27-- YIKES!

In the meantime, I have to cook using the George Foreman Party Time Grill, the toaster oven and the microwave. (With this nice weather I might lug out the gas grill and make up some burgers and dogs!!!). You might be wondering why I don't use the burners since, technically the stove works. Wellllllllllllll.... because......... it BEEPS!!!!!!!

For no reason at all, when we use the burner, the oven senors feels "heat" and it beeps. An beeps and beeps and beeps and beeps and will not stop for hours on end. I can stand there and press the button to make it stop and it will just start up again. Over and over and over again. For HOURS.

The other day the stove and oven had been off 3 days and I walked through the kitchen and it started beeping FOR NO REASON. I am so freaked out. I actually left the house for 2 hours because the beeping will not stop. Then suddenly Mac or I can hit the button and it stops. But it's random and worse than Chinese water torture. I think Daddy-O should sell the defective range to the CIA and they can use it to torture prisoners, if they did that sort of thing (yes, I snorted).

So from now until Feb. 27 we have no oven and for all intrinsic purposes, no stove top either. This is a good time to start my diet: yogurt, salad, microwaved chicken boobs, rice, oatmeal, cereal.

But the new range is gonna ROCK (these are good caps!)!!! I'm gonna bake and casserole my butt off when it gets here!

No longer looking for an excuse to not cook,
Maggie

I don't want to sub as a career even if I am good at it

2012-02-03T19:39:00.000-05:00

I am a good substitute teacher and I wish that kids would be given a memo ahead of time to not give me crap like they do other subs.

I spend about 10 minutes of each class the first half of the day dealing with typical "sub" nonsense and then they settle down and realize I'm cool and they shouldn't be stupid. The afternoon classes are usually much smoother because the words gets around that I'm a good sub.

I maintain classroom control and I will implement the rules of the regular classroom teacher if they leave me their list of norms. If they don't, then I do my own thing.

I'm only available to sub on Fridays. Now, I realize that kids are kids and they have to push it with a sub and since they have a sub AND on a Friday to boot, they are usually wild. Or try to be. I have a lot of tolerance and patience because I know this is the case. I'm realistic and I don't try to have some lofty expectations of how kids will behave with a sub. I know they want to pull stuff. I KNOW this and I am so flexible, as long as the kids basically follow the rules and don't act like idiots. I also work with kids every day so I know what's what.

One advantage I do have is that I've subbed enough that when the kids see me, they "know" how I operate and usually come into class without the "torture the sub" attitude. And kids who haven't had me before are usually in classes with kids I've had so they're set straight pretty quickly.

I always try and do the lesson plan 100%. If the teacher doesn't leave specifics I always tell the kids if they're quiet and work hard as a unit, then they can have the last 10 minutes of the period to talk, as long as they keep it to a dull roar. Sometimes I let the kids work in groups for half the period. And unless the teacher says otherwise, I tell the kids their assignment is due at the end of the period and I'll collect it and it will be graded and if they're "good" I reward them with making is homework- it's a good bribe and 99% of the time ensures that the kids work diligently.

I do have some of my own rules. If a kid doesn't have the supplies s/he needs for a class I will NEVER let him/her go to a locker for that. Extra homework to do in another class because they got the assignment finished, yes, but because of being ill prepared- NEVER!. They can't go to the bathroom unless practically doing the pee-pee dance. No passes to go get an ipod or to a class to see another teacher nor to the school library. I tell the kids they're in with me for better or for worse for 50 minutes. I don't let the kids sleep. I prefer they really don't talk much until the time I give them to talk. I will let the kids listen to an ipod if they are to be doing silent work or if it's non-disruptive- if I hear it then I consider it DISRUPTIVE! Other then these, and the teacher's rules, I'm easy going. They can sit next to friends after I take attendance. I expect them to not swear but they can quietly talk. It's a Friday. I'm a sub. Let's be real. I'm a glorified babysitter paid to keep order, make sure no one kills each other, nor runs away. That's it. If I can get work out of them, even better.

I subbed yesterday and one kid was a total dork. First he came to class late and I didn't mark him tardy. It's too much of a pain in the ass for a sub to mark tardies and I don't care enough to do that much paperwork, so it's a gift to the students from the subbing gods. Then he said he didn't have his chemistry book and wanted to go to his locker. I said no because he knew he was supposed to have it so he found an extra on a shelf. Then he proceeded to unwrap cough drops and then have to pass them around to his friends. Then he laid his head down and proceeded to do nothing but fall asleep. When he snored, I woke him up and told him to get busy. I'd already written down the sleeping, the no book and the being late because now I was pissed and felt taken advantage of.

He looked around and saw others listening to ipods and he asked if he could. I told "Mikey" no because he hadn't done anything all period long and ipods were a reward. Another kid asked me for help and after I helped her I walked by Mikey's desk and that little shit had his ipod out. I took it away from him and told him to see me after school. He said he thought I was kidding when I said no and I said I wasn't.

At the end of the period I gave the ipod to the science department chair who said he would turn it in to the office. He found me later and told me that Mikey was busted with his ipod earlier in the day and now his father would have to come get it and have a meeting with the assistant principal since he was in trouble for this once already. So Mikey came to me and I sent him to the other science teacher (as instructed). Dumb kid!

What was so funny is that the other kids gave Mikey grief because I told him no and he's stupid because I'm "the cool sub". They were mad at HIM because they thought I might get mad at them because of him (nice pronoun usage there, eh?)! Kids are so funny.

After I sub for a day, though, I feel exhausted. I feel like I was hyper vigilant all day long, watching for evil and wrong doing. I have to pretend like I care they have their cell phones out or are passing notes. I pretend I don't see as much of it as I can until they do something stupid.

Which is at least once a day in my presence. Gee, I just love subbing.

Maggie

More winter?!?

2012-02-02T18:54:00.002-05:00

What is it about a Ground Hog that makes up intrigued enough to listen to him for the weather when in any other situation we'd whack him on the head with a shovel to rid him, since Ground Hogs are such pesky rodents. Even on the Beverly Hillbillies, Jethro would've eaten Punxsutawney Phil for a snack.

He saw his shadow so we get 6 more weeks of winter, which hasn't been such a big deal because the winter is so mild. BUT WHY DO WE CARE? Yes, it's fun to talk about. Yes, it's silly and harmless. Yes, I know I'll say "6 more weeks of winter". But I still wonder why Phil got to be the lucky guy, and why a Groundhog? And a shadow?

Why don't we have 6 more weeks of winter if a cow moos 11 times before sun up?

I actually like the movie Ground Hog Day that stars Billy Murray who plays an asshole reporter sent to cover Ground Hogs Day and he's forced to relive that day over and over again, until he becomes "good".

And it's just not a Ground Hog in Pennsylvania, though he's definitely the most famous. There's Potomac Phil in DC, Buckeye Chuck in Ohio, Smith Lake Jake (Alabama), Shubenacadie Sam (Canada), Sir Walter Wally (North Carolina), General Beauregard Lee (Georgia), Peewee the Woodchuck and Staten Island Chuck (New York). I have no idea if these rodents saw shadows or not. I'm just floored that the idea of ground Hogs and shadows are so popular that every state wants their own versions!

I think it's interesting that we take our weather prediction from a rodent but we no longer have faith in a weatherman if he's silly by wearing huge glasses, an umbrella hat or a yellow slicker.

So, six more weeks of winter! Thanks Phil!
Maggie

Book Struggles

2012-02-01T06:20:00.003-05:00

I can't seem to get my read on. This is a first time my entire life. I've had "readers block" before but it usually only last for a few days, or a week at most. This is bad this time. Proof: in the month of January I read 1 book. Yes, one whole book, and only 1. If that doesn't seem like a big deal, let me point out that in January 2011 I read 6, January 2010 I read 5 books, and in January 2009 I read 9 books. See, the numbers never lie!

I just can't seem to find anything that really attracts my attention right now.

Also, I can't seem to focus on words on the page either. I find I read the same line or paragraph over and over again. I think my life is stressful that I just cant concentrate. It's so much easier to stare at the tv and not move.

Another issue could be my eyes. They are so sore and feel "tired" by the end of a day. I haven't had an eye exam or new glasses since summer of 2007 and I can feel it each day. I can't see jack far way and doing small work like reading, quilting, paper crafting, all seem to cause eye strain and give me headaches. I know staring at my computer screen each day doesn't seem to help either.

Whatever the reason I just can't seem to get myself into reading.

So, I'm begging for some good suggestions from you, my readers. You can go to my old books blogs ( 2009 and 2010-2011) of past to get some ideas of what I like, if you want. Or just go out on a limb and give a suggestion. I need something that's going to engage and grab me from the first few pages, please!

need to get my that readin' feelin',
Mags

Heat wave, not of the tropical sort

2012-01-31T21:32:00.002-05:00

I'm tired of things overheating:

emotions- mine, others, students
my body- hot flashes, over weight, whatever
the oven- long post coming about how the oven went to Hell... (I *heart puns*)
tempers- mine, others, students
computers- mine runs for about 30 minutes then shuts off from lack of fan running
the weather- it's the Midwest in January and we should be up to our asses in snow yet it was 58 degrees today and sunny and breezy

Too hot,

Mags

Simple, easy, quiet, low-key- what I want out of a marriage

2012-01-30T05:39:00.003-05:00

I think we all go through different stages in our lives and want different things and right now I want to either be completely alone or I want a boyfriend ~~husband~~ who will agree with ~~comply~~ to my ~~demands~~ OCDs.

And I want to point out to everyone, including Daddy-O (especially Daddy-O), that I'm not talking to or about Daddy-O. He has nothing to do with this. NOT dad!!!!!! Now...

When I get married again (okay, if I get married again though after this many years the odds aren't good but...) I think the poor man is going to think I'm nuts. But I am so sick of cleaning up after... well, Mac. I love him and he is getting better. He really is but I'm just tired. I think this is why at age 18 years the kids are adults because we, as parents, are tired of cleaning up after them. Age 18 is the limit and I've hit it.

I also think part of my issue is that I've made all the decisions for Mac and me all alone, for the last 16 years. Until moving in with Daddy-O I had to do every single thing myself from cooking, cleaning, errands, phone calls, arrangements for anything, and make all the decisions. I am so tired of doing that.

And it's more than just that. If I buy food, I want it to be there when I go to eat it. I'm so sick of getting in the cupboard or freezer and stuff is gone or I take out the container and it's empty or almost so empty there's not hardly anything left (really, why put the box of crackers back with 3 crackers in it??? Seriously.) I don't want to have to cook a meal if I don't feel like it. If I want popcorn for dinner, I'll eat that. If I want summer sausage, cheese, bread and wine for dinner, I'll have that. If I don't want to eat, then I won't. If I get married, he is going to just have to understand and accept this. I do like to cook but I'm sick of it. And Future Husband Guy better have a wide range of tastes in foods because I'm tired of fixing the same stuff all the time. I cook to cater to Mac most of the time and I want different foods.Future Husband Guy should know his way around a kitchen and realize that if he wants something and I don't, then he can go have it.

I'm a person who keeps stuff. I'm not ready for the show hoarders nor could I even be called a pack-rat, I don't think, but I do keep things. But when Future Husband Guy and I get together there is going to be no clutter. Everything will have a place in a drawer, cupboard, closet, basket, or even in a Rubbermaid container stacked. If something won't fit in those places, then I'm throwing it out. I will not stack shit around. His stuff too. DOWN WITH CLUTTER!

I don't want to hear rap music ever again in my house.

I want things left where I put them! I don't want to hunt for the remote control or a magazine.

I hate cords and they will NOT be strung around my house.

If I'm going to have a full time job and Future Husband Guy has a full time job, I am not going to be a full time wife, either. He can help with the cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping, paying bills, chores and all that other shit. I will not do it alone any more.

Seriously I dream of having someone come and clean my apartment once a week, when I'm living on my own with Future Husband Guy. I'd keep my weekend receptionist job to pay for that alone. I am NOT kidding! There would never be dust or cobwebs. There would always be clean sheets! I wouldn't have to touch the vacuum cleaner!

I will compromise and communicate but let me clear up front, I'm going to be fanatical about this stuff and I will live alone if I have to because this is the stuff I'm not willing to bend on. And no, I don't need medication.

Maybe I'm just a little stressed....
Maggie

Birthday month

2012-01-29T16:17:00.003-05:00

Since I had the worst 40th birthday in history and since so much bad stuff is around my birthday and I've decided to move it officially to Feb, 26, (you can read about that HERE!) my best gal pal Curley said the entire month of February should be my birthday. I like that idea!

I don't know what that means exactly but I like the concept. Sorta like Hanuka but for my birthday, like Maggieuka.

Start planning now for the celebration will commence in 3 days.

Let the countdown begin,
Maggie

FOUND!

2012-01-28T16:35:00.003-05:00

So after the wallet has been missing officially for 9 days, it was found this afternoon!!!!! In Levi's car!

This was after, of course, I cleaned my car (which didn't hurt anything) and Mac called his college to see if it was turned in. And we called the video store to see if it was turned it.

I was so glad we didn't cancel his ATM card and pay the $20 fee and then freeze the account for 30 days to make sure there was no attempted activity.

I hugged Levi.

Mac jumped up and down and screamed and whooped and hollered in the middle of the parking lot. He hugged Levi.

I told Mac if he ever loses his wallet again, he'll be in deep crappola.

I'm glad it wasn't stolen. I'm glad Mac wasn't a victim of identity theft. Who'd wanna be him anyway?

Mags

LOST! And it has nothing to do with islands-- and the BMV is just stupid

2012-01-28T09:31:00.003-05:00

Mac has lost his wallet. We did the whole "think back" where he was when he had it last, which was a chore in and of it's self. Teenagers go weird places and do weird things. And they're in cars with lots of people. Could it be in Nick's car? Levi's? Justin's? Even's? Could it be in the yard where they played in the snow in the middle of the night? The garage at Nick's where they were hunting for a cord? In Nick's mom's car? Stolen from work? Blah, blah, blah!

We finally determined where he had it last and where he thinks it has to be... either Nick's house, Nick's mom's car, Nick's backyard or stolen from work. That's what Mac thinks. We still have been checking out the entire house, top to bottom. We've gone through all his laundry, his room, his bed, around the TV, the bathroom, the kitchen, the porch, under all the furniture,IN all the furniture, his school bag, my car, his coat.... we have seriously looked everywhere. (And yes Daddy-O we looked behind the bookcase where it fell before.) We even checked the laundry room itself. It just isn't here.

Personally, in all honesty, I think one of three things happened:
1- one of Nick's sketchy friends found Mac's wallet and stole it (I REALLY think this happened!)
2-it's somewhere in Levi's car or Nick's mom's car (these are the last 2 vehicles he rode in while he was thinking of where he saw it last)
3- he left it in his coat pocket at work and someone lifted it from there (least likely but a possibility based in the information I have

So what this means is that he has lost his driver's license, his social security card, and his brand new ATM card (there' no money in that account and won't be until Monday- thank God!)

Can anyone think of a better situation for identity theft than this? And Nick knows some sleazy people and it wouldn't surprise me if one of those people sold it off. UGH!

I told him to cancel that card ASAP. His entire school loan is going to be deposited in there on Monday and he doesn't want that amount stolen! He's freaking out because it's a $20 fee to replace the card and 10 days before the card will be here. I could care less about either of these things but he's freaking out over it.

What I'M more concerned about is replacing his driver's license and his social security card. I went to the SS web site and according to the FAQ it's not horrible to replace- can you believe that???? Because he knows the number and because his place of employment has a copy of it, his place of employment can provide a copy and sign a gov. form that it's really Mac's card. Mac will also need to show his driver's license and fill out a form and he'll have it in about 10 days. Cool. Not a big deal, right?

Sounds like all we have to do is replace his driver's license, which shouldn't be a big deal, right? I mean, replacing the Social Security card is so easy and that's the federal government so getting a state issued document should be a snap, right?

Fuck no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mac needs to prove his identity and proof of his residence. He actually has the 2 documents he needs to prove his residence but he doesn't have anywhere near what he needs to be able to prove his identity because one of the things he needs is a SOCIAL SECURITY CARD!!!!

So, according to the BMV web site, an residence of this state can go with him and vouch for his identity, but I would have to bring in documents. Now, remember, we are REPLACING a license that the state has already given him once. We aren't starting from scratch. So I have to have a valid driver's license from this state (I do); I have to provide 2 of the following: passport, birth certificate, social security card (I have all three); and I need to have 2 of the following: a utility bill with my name and current address that matches my Driver's license, a doc bill with my name and current address which must be issued within the last 60 days, a pay stub with current name and address issued within the last 60 days, and a bank statement issued within the last 60 days with my current address and name. Yes, I need all of that stuff to vouch that Mac is Mac.

How does anyone do this??? This is so stupid. I've had a run in with the BMV before and it just keeps pissing me off. Why did people go postal, and not BMVal? Makes me so mad because this is bureaucracy in action and we are helpless cogs in this particular government wheel. And all this has changed under the auspice of our current governor- I've done research and he's the asshat who changed all this. $%*)(&%(@#*! (<--- I want to swear a LOT, as you can tell) This is another reason I hate him and I swear if he run for POTUS in 2016 as is rumored then I will move anywhere for the time he's in office because he's a total menace.

Daddy-O and I have reminded Mac to put his wallet in the same place over and over again and he never does, whether it's at home or in his pocket. He's so freaked out about it. He's mad at himself, too. Yes, this is a hard life lesson, I know. And yes maybe in the future it will teach him to be more responsible but this is such a huge pain in the ass and a huge stressor. And he doesn't deal with with stress and he doesn't need any more of it in his life right now.

I wish the wallet fairy would pop up. Hell I wish we would just find it, even if it's just there in front of our faces.

Ugh!
Maggie

Public school -vs- prison school

2012-01-27T23:41:00.001-05:00

I subbed today and it was great. The teacher I subbed for teaches Spanish, French and Math- and I can't speak any of these. (Yes, I include math as a foreign language, thank you very much). She has great classes and it reminded me of things I miss about teaching in a public high school:

I don't have to worry if I lay a ball point pen down that it will be stolen so a student can use it for a homemade tattoo. Or I may let students use scissors and not have to count each pair because someone might decide to smuggle them out of the classroom to cut him/herself later.
If I ask them to get quiet, the generally do and without swearing at me or calling a bit**
99% of them attempt to follow directions, and 100% of them do without throwing things at me
Heard one student say to a few others: "I'm a black belt in yoga and I'm I'm not afraid to use it" and the other kids GOT THE JOKE and laughed with him, not at him
I let a student to go her locker to get a book. She actually came back with the book, and in less than 10 seconds so she probably didn't do "bad stuff"
kids actually studied in study hall
no meetings were called during prep period to go over new policies about whether certain colors of girls' headbands are symbolic gang colors

Public school wasn't so bad... at least not today!

Mags

Favorite pictures I've taken

2012-01-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

Feel free to caption these! Maybe a prize for the funniest?

Mags

Random Wednesday thoughts

2012-01-25T21:28:00.002-05:00

Better living through medication.

My feet are cold and I think they won't warm up until July.

My under-wire snapped today; I'm pissed because it's an expensive bra, and not even a year old.

I want Cracker Barrel biscuits.

2.5 Men is funnier with Charlie Sheen. I said it before and I'll say it again. Ashton is cute, but Charlie is funny.

Mac called me a Word Ninja. He was thinking it was an insult but I sorta like it and wished he would've told me that before I created a Twitter account because that so would've been my moniker.

In the span of the last 24 hours we had snow, sleet, ice, rain, more sleet.... oh hell it was the apocalypse.

My nephew is the cutest little boy on earth and he gave me such good kissies the other day! Usually Fab Finn runs the other way screaming when he sees me (and he could when I see him again) but the other night he was all full of the lovin' for his Auntie.

I'm subbing on Friday for a French/ Spanish teacher. The only thing I can say in Spanish is "water" and "green shoes." My French is a bit more useful; I can say "shit" and "will you sleep with me tonight, please?"

I love Grape Soda. I do. There. I said it. So sue me.

On Saturday night I've been invited for a late supper with an old friend and I'm going. It also means I don't have to be home with Mac.

She did NOT say that?! Oh yes she did!

2012-01-24T19:28:00.003-05:00

I've decided I hate teenagers--- at least I do today.

I wrote a demerit on a kid today. Writing a demerit is about the worst punishment any teacher can dole out. While this doesn't seem like a big deal, it really is. As I've mentioned in the past, I work in a school that's like a reform school so the kids have to earn privileges. Getting demerits causes them to lose privileges. And won't let them participate in extra- curricular activities. And if they get enough demerits then they can end up in "Friday school" which is an extra 3 hours of school instead of having free time off. So, it really is a big deal. And if a kid is a brat or has a bad day or is a brat (did I mention if a kid is a brat?) then s/he can get a bunch of demerits during the day from various teachers for various things.

In the building there are teachers who are known to give out about 5-10 a DAY. I think that's stupid and to me it shows the teachers have either given up or, more likely, have ZERO classroom management skills. There are 4 steps a teacher can take before handing out a demerit and I think a demerit is the lazy way of disciplining a student. The other 4 things involve TIME and PATIENCE while a demerit is easy.

Because I'm the librarian I don't have 4 ways to discipline a kid because our discipline program is set up for teachers. And, frankly, it's really a non-issue because I very VERY rarely have issues with kids in a negative way.

I'm supposed to give demerits for overdue books but I usually do something different and use this as a last resort. I have overdue books at my public library and that doesn't usually ruin my entire week so I hate to do that to the students. I find if I have to give a demerit for an overdue book it's because I've asked the kids for the book about 3-4 times, I've given them written "reminders", I've asked their fellow housemates to help them find the book, I've done a locker search, and I've talked to the adults who oversee the house where the kids live. After all this, if the kid doesn't give me the book, then I will write a demerit. In the year I've done this job, I've given 7 demerits for overdue books. I will also give a demerit if kids behave in a shitty way toward me about their overdue books- I wrote 1 for this. So in one year and 2 months, I've given 8 demerits for overdue books and each kid knew it was coming.

Now, as far as writing a demerit because of a discipline problem... well. I've done it one other time. Yes, one. And today made twice.

The girl student was pissy with her classroom teacher and brought her crummy attitude into my library. And she was snippy to me and I let it go. "Feh" I thought. She got a book. She sat down. She read (or stared at the book, pretending to read). Her teacher gathered the class and girl student made some nasty comment under her breath (that I didn't hear) to her classroom teacher. She smacked her library book on the counter. I picked the book up and handed it back to her and said something like, "hey be nice to the books. They didn't do anything to you." And she proceeded to throw the book AT me (I ducked) and she yelled at me, "SUCK IT!!!" and she flounced out of the library.

Oh yeah, she said that.

Oh yeah, I wrote a demerit.

Guess who now has Friday school? She can suck that.

Mean Maggie

What the dead know

2012-01-23T06:27:00.000-05:00

I have a great recipe of my late mother's for a sour cream coffee cake. I've waxed poetic about this coffee cake on multiple occasions over the last 5+years I've been blogging. This is some seriously good food.

I've made this cake several times over the years. I don't usually make it on just Christmas like my mother always did; I make just about any time I get a craving for it. It's an easy recipe to make and not super time consuming either so I don't struggle too much.

The worst part of making this is taking it out of the pan. I make it in an angel food cake pan. My mother's recipe suggests this pan or a Bundt. It also says that after about 15 minutes to slide a butter knife around the edge, and I do. And around the thingy in the center and I do that, too. And it says to flip it on a small drinking glass... I do not do that. I usually just flip it on a cooling rack and then turn it onto a fancy cake plate. I want it to drop perfectly onto the rack. I don't want it to break, crumble or crack. In all the times I've made this cake the last several years, it's come out PERFECTLY. Never have I messed it up. Ever. It's been picture perfect every time- like photograph it for a magazine perfect.

The last time I made it, I even commented to Daddy-O that I couldn't understand why my late mother always complained about hard it was to make. It's easy, I thought. I also said I couldn't understand why she always had it fall apart, more times than not, when mine always came out perfectly. He and I snickered about it, not in a mean way, and ate the picture looking cake I managed to always bake.

Until yesterday... damn it!

I made it for breakfast yesterday morning. I used the same ingredients that I always use. I'm not kidding on the 'same ingredients' thing either. I buy the same name brands all the time. I use the same bowls and measuring utensils. I measure every single item, every single time. I use the same mixer. I do the recipe steps in the same order. I use the same oven. I even use the same CAKE PLATE! I never deviate. I even have a special weird way of greasing the pan and I do it the same way. This is almost OCD/ ritualistic in the making of the sour cream coffee cake. I want to make it clear that I didn't buy different sour cream, or use old flour or eyeball an amount rather than measure or mix longer or shorter. I did it all the same as I always do.

Because I live in the Midwest, weather/ climate/ altitude doesn't really matter. And, to error on the side of over-explanation, I've made this all times of the day- morning, afternoon and evening. I've made it in all seasons: winter, summer, spring, fall. I've made it when it's been raining or snowing or hot or cold or humid. I've run the gambit and it's never, EVER been an issue.

So WTF happened today?

If I did it all the same way, with nothing amiss, then why did it crumble, split, crack and fall out in chunks? I'll tell you why:

My other!

She heard me brag on myself, and gently razz her memory about it, and then she sabotaged it.

Stop laughing! I'm serious! I didn't see a ghost or apparition or anything of the supernatural sort, but I think she 'heard' me say what I said about it being perfect and then decided to wreck it the next time I made it. Which she did. She never did like to be teased about her cooking...

Teach me to be all full of myself!!!

Hey, it's the only logical and plausible explanation of the wrecked sour cream coffee cake because until yesterday, I always made it perfectly. Every good streak comes to an end... but not usually by virtue of my dead mother!

Seriously!
Maggie

Kitchen Essentials

2012-01-22T09:56:00.004-05:00

I like cooking. Actually I love cooking. I wish I had more money so I could get more creative, and I wished in a bigger city so I had access to a larger pool of funky ingredients. But regardless of foodstuffs or location, there are certain things I need in my kitchen no matter what. I've found that if I live here, the Wild West or just anyplace where I've had a kitchen, I find I want the same things over and over again.

Every single kitchen must have aluminum foil. I use this all the time- in the oven and out. I cover cooking casseroles or tent it over stuff. Or wrap up left overs- whatever. I find if I'm doing something in the kitchen and am out of foil, I'm at a loss. And thankfully I can buy rolls of it for a $1 at Dollar Tree!!!

I think every kitchen needs 4-5 mixing bowls in various sizes, and at least one should be glass so it can go in the microwave. I find when I bake I need one for dry ingredients and one for wet and then always one to whisk the eggs in before I add to the rest of the recipe. Mixing bowls are a must- and lots of them. I like to stack them, too, like the Russian Matryoshka dolls.

Every kitchen needs multiple amounts of 9x13 pans, preferably glass ones with lids. I like to make a pan of brownies and a casserole at the same time so I need at least 2 pans. I like to have a few extra just to be on the safe side. I like the Pyrex Portables the best. And they stack nicely, too.

Wooden spoons and rubber spatulas are necessary. I like LOTS of wooden spoons. I used them for everything. I like that they can be used with any sort of pan- glass, non stick, plastic. The wooden spoon doesn't scratch anything. (And it's good to smack your kids with, too, or so my mom believed!!)

Tupperware containers are a must for every kitchen. And it doesn't have to be the Tupperware name brand; I like the disposable Glad containers or even Rubbermaid or Ziploc. It doesn't matter but I like those to store leftovers or use them to carry my lunch. And they're also good for things like paperclips, rubberbands, and other desk/ office supplies. Or for sewing or scrapbook stuff.

Non-stick spray like Pam. No kidding. Love it. I've been cooking and been out of it and I've stopped in the middle of meal prep to go and buy some.

I'm a firm believer in bottle scrub brushes. I clean everything with these.

I like lots of towels because I believe in kitchen cooties so I like to use a different one to dry dishes and another one to dray hands and another to wipe counters and another... well, you catch my drift. I also have several sets of measuring spoons and measuring cups.

The best thing of all, that I think every kitchen needs, is a Kitchen Aid Mixer. I do not have one of these but Daddy-O has one. I use it all the time. I have no idea how I lived all these years without one. OMG- it makes everything easier. I never want to use a hand held mixer again. It's an amazing "gadget". I might never move out of Daddy-O's house because of the Kitchen Aid Mixer. And allegedly there are attachments like a pasta maker! And the best part of all- these suckers come in PINK! Once, a long time ago, Curly said she'd buy me a pink one for a wedding gift if I ever married again. I often date a man and wonder if he's worth a mixer. Seriously. And the bowl has a handle! I have to say that other mixers are study like this and are pink but in this case, I honestly believe that the Kitchen Aid name brand/ product is necessary- no generic or knock offs. I love this thing.

So, other than food, I think these are the essentials that make cooking easier and fun. I think I'm gonna go and make something.... I'm hungry!

Chef Maggie

The boob-tube

2012-01-21T14:04:00.002-05:00

I'm such a complete and total slug and part of this is making me a TV junkie. We are 21 days into the new year and I've NOT read A SINGLE BOOK but I'm totally killing on my TV viewing.

I'm a total Criminal Minds junkie. I love Derek Morgan. I want to grow up and be Penelope Garcia. And I have a thing of Dr. Spencer Reid. I DVR this show on a regular basis and watch them all the time. My goal is to watch every episode but I'm doing it the poor woman's way: on cable rather than renting the whole series. (Damn Netflix for not having this!) Thank goodness that A&E has CM marathons on daily.

I've been watching a House marathon, too. And I found that the canceled TV show Without a Trace is on sometimes so I also DVR that. Mondays is 2 Broke Girls and Mike and Molly. Tuesdays is Glee and New Girl. Wednesday is Criminal Minds. Thursdays is Big Bang Theory. I also DVR Once Upon a Time- I have no idea when it's on each week because I DVR it- so why bother (wow, DVR has made me even a MORE lazy tv watcher. Ironic? Pathetic.) Lately I've been home on Friday nights so I watch CSI:NY and Blue Bloods. I watch Big Bang reruns And if I can find 2.5 Men with Sheen I'll watch that. And reruns of West Wing- oh I LOVE West Wing!!!

And if I'm totally honest I just figured out we have Starz and Encore. Oh, holy shit. And we have Netflix. I am officially a TV junkie. What's a book, again??

I think my back hurts from sitting (okay so I don't really sit. I sort of Cleopatra lay across the couch) so long. Is that even possible?

At least I haven't caved to reality television. I haven't sunk that low. Yet.

Mags

Puppy Love

2012-01-20T11:30:00.003-05:00

Sometimes when I feel sad I like to go to the pet store and pet puppies. I used to go read Hallmark cards to laugh but the Hallmark store in my town closed so now I go to a pet store and I pet puppies. Now, I don't mean 'pet the puppies' as a euphemism for masturbate. And I don't mean "pet the puppies" like Lennie in Of Mice and Men. I mean I just like to go to a nearby pet store and pet puppies.

Research says that people with a pet live longer than non-pet owners. Dogs are brought to nursing homes because petting the dogs is supposed to be good for the residents. Petting a dog is supposed to relieve stress and give feelings of comfort. I believe that.

And yes, I understand the irony that I'm not really a dog lover. (No I'm not a dog hater either but I'm not really a 'pet' person. Or a baby person. But that's a different story of another post, another day). But when I feel sad I like to go and pet the puppies because usually it does make me feel better. (I have to make sure I don't let my mind wonder to the idea that the puppies are in cages and I can't set them free or take one home because that would defeat the purpose.)

Yesterday I went and pet a boxer. OMG she was the cutest thing and had the sweetest temperament. She was in her cage and was all shaking and trembling and I held her for about 2 minutes and she was calm and nestled up against me and gave little puppy kisses on my chin. She had the saddest and cutest face I've ever seen. I had to laugh to myself because I think she looked like me. They say people look like their pets... Ah, well no. I didn't get the puppy (Daddy-O would make me homeless because he has a NO DOG rule and because the dog was AKC registered which made her cost $249 plus tax). She was a blonde dog with very little black markings. And her face was really wrinkly and saggy. Okay, so I'm not blonde or wrinkly (yet) or saggy (well, my face isn't saggy yet, but all other parts are questionable). She was so sweet and the clerk said she's been like that, such a sweet, quiet dog.

I think when I move into my own place (again! someday!) I'm going to get a dog. Part of me thinks I should do a basset hound rescue dog. I want to rescue a dog and I like bassets, especially their size, coloring and floppy ears. And I like that usually they're unable to get on the furniture. I have a soft spot for Bernese Mountains dogs because a friend has one and she is the sweetest, nicest dog I've ever met in my life, and everything I've ever read says that's the nature of that breed. I like chocolate labs but a Lab is a high energy dog and I'm not sure I could keep up with, but they're so sweet. And I love English setters; my great-aunt & great-uncle had one and I LOVED that dog. And the Wild West made me a Bluetick Coonhound lover. Who knows what breed I'll end up with?

I do know that I want a dog that's going to be medium to large in size, none of those little yippee things or something so small I might step on it and squash it. It will have to be a dog that can be in a crate while I'm gone during the day. It can't need a huge yard. I want a lap dog. No biting, easy to train. And I think I'm weird because I don't want a puppy. I'd be good with an older dog.

When the time comes, I'll do my research to find a dog breed that fits my lifestyle and environment. And then I'll go shopping and of course, I gotta let the dog pick me. Until then I'll just keep going to the pet store and pettin' the puppies.

Maggie

Getting the books on the shelf

2012-01-19T21:22:00.000-05:00

I ordered 66 new books and have been working on processing them because my kids LOVE new books. I have to keep the new books hidden during processing or the kids will come in between every period, asking if they're ready. I love that they love new books. I love new books, too, so I totally understand!

Processing these new books is time consuming and tedious. Because I'm in a school library and I'm lucky to even have money to buy books so I won't complain, but none of the programs I use even "talk" to each other so I have to do repeated steps.

After unpacking the books, I have to enter them all into our computer system so I have an inventory of my collection, and so they're able to circulate (I have to enter all the data like author, title, ISBN number, a bar code number, the price, and subject)
print the bar code labels and apply them to call the correct books
place a spine sticker to delineate between fiction and non
place a spine sticker for genre
stamp with our "property" stamp in three places and also place a "date due" slip in each
cover all the books with either laminate or slip covers
check a different database to see if the books are part of the Reading Counts programs; If they are then I have to sticker the spine AND print a point code label AND affix each label to the correct book

That's just to get them all circulation ready!! I have a student helper for 3 hours a day but she can't do anything on the computer so I do that work while she does all the other steps. I'm happy to say that the only thing she and I have left to do is cover them. I'd like to have them all shelf ready by Tuesday morning since that's "library day."

When I order new books, I need to focus on what the kids want or would like. This is an interesting process. I've talked to different librarians and there doesn't seem to be any perfect way to order books for a high school library.

I always make sure I order books that are part of a series.We have some series that aren't popular and we have the first couple books but others are HUGE so I make sure I stay on top of when the "next one" comes out. I order what's popular among teens and there are publisher magazines to help with that. I watch a couple best seller lists. There's a good list for librarians that's called "adult books for young adults" so I buy from there. Of course I take student recommendations!!! They give me a title and 99% of the time I can order that book. I want to keep a collection of books that the kids WANT to read. Because we're a prison type of school and our students live here, there's LOTS of time to read so I want to have things they're interested in.

Also because we're a prison school my students want to read about things they know. And that's sad. My biggest requests are books about drugs, gangs, rape, sexual abuse, killing, abuse, booze, cutting and suicide. Yeah. And what's really scary and sad, is that I have a large collection of fiction in all these subject areas. Sadly enough, authors are writing it because it sells. My kids also like "normal" teen stuff like sports, romance, vampires, sci-fi, Stephen King (he seems to be his own genre).

Three things frustrate me about teen lit:

everything seems to be a series. There are more series for teens than stand alone novels and that's a financial nightmare for librarians
vampires are all the rage and kids seems to hear about these books and want to read them. Gee thanks Twilight. There's Morganvillie Vampires, Vampire Academy, Vladamir Tod, Blue Bloods, Immortals, and House of Night series. This is just what I can think of off the top of my head. And this is what I have in MY library!!!
It's hard for me to find stuff that boys want to read. I do LOTS of research for them.

I always have to remember that I can't order books for ME. Okay, that seems like a nobrainer but as a bibliophile, it's easy to sit and read a hundred book reviews in a month and suddenly have a list of books "I" want to read. I have to make sure that every book that comes in is something the KIDS will want.

I have to say that I think I ordered books for "me" once. I ordered the Steve Jobs bio. I do want to read it and I've had 3 kids ask for it. I know it has about 700 pages so I probably won't have a lot of kids actually read it but I will. The other book I bought is The Night Circus. I started this book at our public library and didn't get it finished and WANT to finish it so I ordered it. There are a lot of things in that novel that will appeal to my students but I really got it for me. I'm bad. I won't make it a habit and I am sorry and I'll probably buy $25 worth of books out of my own pocket to make up for it at some point, but for now.... well, yeah. Shame on me.

The other thing that I found that was funny is that a kid asked me if we had the Ranger's Apprentice (by John Flanagan) books. We didn't. I did some research and decided to order the series. I had them on the counter and hadn't gotten them hidden for processing yet. I am NOT kidding- I had 9 boys say they read those and they were AWESOME. WHAT?!? NINE?!? I told all those guys that they need to think of things they've read and keep the recommendations coming. Those 9 guys told other guys and now that series has a wait list. I feel like I should order 2 copies of each of the first two books to get them circulating before they lose interest. There are 11 of these so far so they should keep busy for awhile. And volume 3 is on back-order! Ack!

So Monday I'll be a book covering maniac!

your bibliophile,

Maggie

What's new in the world of art?

2012-01-18T17:38:00.002-05:00

After Christmas break we're back at school and I'm ready to get the Art Club going and I know the kids are because they ask me every day "when's art club?" I've sort of put them off because I've been trying to get a meeting with my principal to see how much money I have left in my budget. I finally said 'screw it' and planned a bunch of stuff and "cc-ed" him on the email and figure if there's no money to spend, he'll let me know. Right?

In this day and age where art programs are cut (ours was hence an ART CLUB) and music is cut and hell, at a school in Ohio lunch was cut, I'm not complaining but it would be nice to know if I have any money or if I need to be... more creative. I know we have a grant but it requires matching funds. I know we have a second grant that can be the 1st grants matching funds but I've yet to see any of these numbers. I just keep on spending. Guess he'll stop me if I blow it?

So the art club agenda:

Duct tape wallets- can be for guys or girls.
Finger paint replicas of Van Gogh's Starry Starry Night, which is one of my favorite activities to do with kids (this is my after school tomorrow idea)
use Shrinky-Dinks to make jewelry
jewelry making with beading, felting and metal working
'professional' looking valentines (think card workshop from Archiver's type of stuff)
Necktie Purses
paperbag scrapbooks
make trivet coasters
pottery- using the wheel, paint, the kiln, etc...
design a bulletin board

The above are things I want to do before spring break. I think it's all doable. I'm able to do everything on the list except 2 and the pottery and jewelry making will require a guest speaker which is fun for the kids. They need to be exposed to others and it's always nice to have someone else come do the work!

One thing I am doing is pulling 4 boys who are "artists" and giving them a special project. I'm going to give them each a ceiling tile and then see if they can reproduce a famous book cover on it. If this is successful, then they will go in the ceiling of the library and it can be an ongoing project. (I picked 4 boys who've shown some extra talent and want to really push them to see how well they can do...)

If I get ambitious I'm thinking I might show the kids how to make a quilt square. Then they can either make a pillow or a purse out of them. OR!!!!!!!!!!!! I could see if they would make a quilt square, donate the square back to the school and then we could make a quilt (lap, full or even a wall hanging) and then give it to a charity or donate it silent auction style to raise MORE money for the art club... I'm not sure if I'm ready to bite that off, though.

So, I'm getting my 'art' back on so all should be fun. I can't wait to see what creations the kids come up with! I'll be posting pictures!

Maggie

This weather sucks

2012-01-17T21:27:00.002-05:00

Sunny, cloudy, snow, rain, thunderstorms complete with lightening, wind, 58 degrees, 21 degrees... this is all the weather I've experienced. Today. Since I got up this morning at 5:20am, being awakened by lightening and rolling thunder, it's been a weather roller coaster. And frankly, I am so sick of this.

I wish it would either get cold and stay that way, or stay warm. This up and down crap sucks. And I have no idea how to dress each day. One day I leave in trousers with a turtleneck and a jacket and by the afternoon I'm sweaty and can wear short sleeves. Or I leave in the morning, like today, in a tank with a matching cardigan, trousers, and heels and it's storming- NOT the snow sort- and 59 degrees- and I was wearing a raincoat. Then when I leave work it's spitting snow and about 29 degrees. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!

I throw my hands in the air and bellow a barbaric yowl!

It's this weather that causes people to get colds. And to be crabby.

And who can set an inside temperature? Heat high or low? 68 is good in the morning and we're freezing in the afternoon so have to turn it up to 72 (not at home, Daddy-O! it's still 60 in the house just because I'm pissy and angry with Mac) and by the time it gets warm, it's time to go home. My feet have been cold for 11 days.

And if it can thunderstorm and then snow in the same day... well, anyone who doesn't believe in global warming can kiss my ass!

And as I type this blog post, it's snowing and blowing. And all the rain is icy so the roads are slick. I think the only thing good about this is a possible snow day or a 2 hour delay tomorrow.

Really, that even pisses me off. I lived in the Wild West and we didn't have snow days. First, I could know my car would be cleared off, as well as my drive way because my students made sure that happened. The road crews started in as soon as the first flake flew. I could wear practical, warm clothes to work like jeans and boots and be comfortable all day long- no cold feet. We didn't have this "wait for the phone call" moment every morning, and there was no making up the days in June and bitching about the DOE and moving graduation day.

Okay so the weather is making me cranky. (Actually Mac being an asshole is making me cranky and I'm taking it out on the weather.) I live in the Midwest and winter is winter and it needs to act like it, damn it!

Weather, schmeather,
Maggie

Who sang that? Who starred in what?

2012-01-16T20:42:00.004-05:00

Sometimes when I watch movies, TV or listen to music I start to think I have one foot in the Old Camp, and I don't really like it.

I hate it when I see a "famous" actress or actor and I have no idea who this person is, what they starred in or why they're even considered talented. My students mention an album or artist and I have no idea who it is.

I'm not firmly living in Old Camp yet though, because usually I can figure out who these people are if they kids keep talking and explaining. I think the fact there's so much I don't like to watch or listen to so I know it excludes me. My students keep me in the loop and I read Entertainment Weekly which helps me. I think.

It just makes me feel old. I was watching the Golden Globes last night and so many actresses and actors of my generation are now playing parts that are usually for older people. Yes, that means the people of my generation are old. Instead of being the hot leading ladies they're moms. Hey, hot moms, but still moms. Or grandmothers. That's the things that sucks; when my idols are playing grandma. Ick. (Yes and I know that technically I am old enough to be a grandmother because Mac is 18...). And there were a bunch of kids I didn't know at all- Mac explained and then it "clicked" but.... well, yeah.

As far as music goes... well, I find I say things like "that's noise not music" or "turn that crap off" or "Turn it down; it's too loud" or "who????????????????"

I just hate anything that makes me feel old. I really do. And right now I feel like I'm entering the world of strangeness and... possible Old Camp.

Mags

I love the Christmas Tree!

2012-01-15T15:27:00.003-05:00

The Christmas tree is still up and it's all my fault. I LOVE Christmas trees. I do. Daddy-O was going to take it down before he left 'on vacation'. He was going to take it down on Christmas day or the day after and I couldn't bear it so I promised I could take care of it. Then he left a few weeks later and he was going to take it down and again, I got him to leave it and promised it would be down before he comes home- bwahahahahahahaha- and he believed me!

I'm notorious for leaving my tree up for.... well, for long after Christmas is come and gone. And Chinese New Year is over. And often Valentine's Day is over and my tree is still up. I think Christmas trees are so pretty and just magical. They make beautiful nightlights. The world seems kinder when I can sit in a room with no other lights than those on the Christmas tree. The ornaments are usually reminders of fun times from the past. I just like a Christmas Tree.

One time, when I lived in Northern Civilization, I had my tree up. It was beautiful that year. My condo had a fireplace and my whole house was perfect the whole holiday season. I even had a holiday open house that year. Things were good and like I said, I'm a fan of the Christmas tree. So, one day, many weeks after Christmas, there was a knock at my door and three girlfriends showed up with food and drinks! They said we were having a party. O thought that sounded great! I was game for a party! They said it was a tree "untrimming" party. Well. Ok. They said it was time. So we undecorated the tree and had a party... with a St. Patrick's Day theme since it was March 17...

The other time I think my tree might have been up too long was.... well... I almost hate to admit this. Let's see... I moved from the Wild West back here to Civilization in December 2008. As a welcome home gift and surprise, Daddy-O and Curley put up a beautiful pink Christmas tree for me. I finally took that down... in September 2011. Hey don't judge! It was pink! With high heel shoes as decorations! And it had a tiara as a tree topper! And it was pink! It made me feel happy!

So... the tree is still up. I should probably find out when Daddy-O is coming back. I hope he gives me a couple weeks of a heads up.

I've never had the chance to hide Easter Eggs in the Christmas tree, though...

Mags

21. Subscribe to a new magazine and read it before the next one arrives

2012-01-14T06:54:00.001-05:00

This is also a boring post. Warning!

I've subscribed to a new magazine and have read it before the next one arrived. Back in Sept. I subscribed to Harper's Bazaar and I haven't had any problem reading the next issue before the new one gets here.

This used to be a problem for me so when I made this goal I thought it would be a big deal. But of late, meaning for the last several months, I've been rather scattered so it's been very easy to read magazines... even easier than reading a book, sad to say. I like to buy 50cent magazines when I go to Half price books and they have a tendency to pile up around here (Mac said when I finally move out and live in my own place and since I'm single I won't be the crazy cat lady, but I'll be the crazy magazine and he'll find my dead body buried under a stack of Elles, Vogues, In Styles, and Ws. He said they should have a special edition of Hoarders for people who are magazine freaks...like me). I get them in huge stacks and can't always get them read in a timely manner. This was another reason I thought I would set this goal.

As a matter of fact, I can take it one step further. I subscribed to a bunch of magazine for the school library and I've taken to reading these during my lunch hour. So, while I read my one I get at home, I also manage to read Entertainment Weekly each week as well as the monthly copy of In Style.

So I met this goal with my own magazine plus 2 extra! As Charlie Sheen would say, "I Win!"

Mags

19. Leave a couple books around with inscriptions that they're free to those who find them

2012-01-14T06:26:00.000-05:00

I left a few books for strangers. What I didn't think through was that I might not see people take these books. That didn't really matter to me, but I thought other than writing "I left books" there would be nothing else I could say.

I wrote on the inside cover of the first one, something like, "This is a free book. I read it and thought it was great. Take it with you and I hope you enjoy it, too!" Then I signed it "Maggie the Bibliophile."

I left one in a Starbucks and no one touched it for the 2 hours I was there. I have no idea what finally happened to it. I hope someone finally took it. I left One Day, which was recently made into a movie but it didn't have the movie cover so I hope someone took it. I looked on the shared shelf when I last time I was getting coffee and it wasn't there.

Another book I left on a bench in the mall. I sat for 45 minutes and a few people looked at it when they walked by but no one took it, at least not while I was there. It was an Anita Shreve book. I, again, have no idea what finally happened. I hope the janitor didn't throw it in the trash.

On the Shreve book, I stuck a sticky note on the cover that said "FREE BOOK" but it still just laid there for 45 minutes or longer.

Well, I did it. Gee, this wasn't a very exciting "40 before 40" entry... I need to get better at these.

Maggie

Online education

2012-01-13T14:46:00.003-05:00

Mac is taking online classes at a local community college and it's been an interesting experience, and it's only week 1!!! Right now he has 2 classes online and one will end at the 8 week mark and another will start at the 8 week mark. (He's also taking 3 face to face classes at the local campus).

Online is interesting. This is his first time with anything like this, and I've never taken an online course either. I'm curious about learning how it all works and Mac has just given me his username and password so I can log in and poke around and see stuff.

He did all the assignments for the first week for both classes. He emailed his online instructors, too, telling them it's his first online experience and he wanted to make sure he did everything and was understanding everything so it will be interesting to see how they respond. He doesn't plan to do this weekly or anything, but he's trying to be safe rather than sorry (and I hope he has instructors who will understand and consider this a conscientious student rather than a stupid one).

Now that being said, I think the structure of the courses are interesting. He's taking Econ 101 and an Intro to College 101, which is required.

The Econ 101 is awesome. This instructor has it laid out beautifully and easily. Things are straightforward and simple. All explanations make sense and all the assignments are clear. The folders and tabs are all labeled in a way that makes complete sense. There's not a lot of extraneous information to sort through to get to the assignments, quizzes, presentations, projects and tests. It's blunt and ORGANIZED.

Then there's the Intro to College class, which is completely OPPOSITE of Econ. Ugh! This class even LOOKS like a nightmare. The instructor blathers and has "explanations" in the middle of an assignment. It's like train of consciousness thought. And that train derails. She rambles and it's unorganized. The folder labels don't coincide with what she calls them; for example she refers to the current assignments will be found in Week 1 folder and then it's actually labeled Session 1. I realize this might not be a big deal but for someone who has never taken an online class, it's a little confusing when everything else is all new and feels confusing. She highlights in colors, but to me what she highlights doesn't make sense. She also says "cut and paste blah blah blah" and that information is not "cut and pasteable" because of a security site. Everything is scattered. I think this class could be a nightmare just because she isn't organized.

I think I would like an online class if it's organized. Otherwise, I think it would be horrible. When I look at his Intro class I want to print everything and check stuff off. It makes me nervous. The Econ class, on the other hand, is just how an online class should be, so I think!

I hope Mac does well and I plan on keeping a close eye on this process for his sake, and for my own peace of mind...

Mags

Help! I can't read!

2012-01-12T18:57:00.003-05:00

I'm struggling here folks, with the reading. It's already Jan. 12 and I haven't read even one book this year.I just can't seem to focus and that's a first for me. I've never been able to NOT read. I have a whole shelf of books that I'm excited about but my brain just won't cooperate. It's not that I haven't been trying...

I have one book by one of my fav author, Christopher Moore, that I never read: Dirty Job. And I've picked it up to read several times and just can't get interested.

I tried 2 different books by Anita Shreve and neither could hold my attention and one I gave away because it's a time period piece and I know I will NEVER read it. The other I just put back on the shelf: The Last Time They Met.

I tried a book called Between, Georgia was I wasn't ready to focus on mother/daughter relationships with the Southern drama twist, but it's a "good" sounding book and I know I will read it. No focus for The Sound and the Fury. I know I want to read Loving Frank and it's supposed to be wonderful so I stopped it because again, I know I'll read it sometime and I want to at least to try to enjoy it. Ditto Peace Like a River.

Then I discovered that the Harlan Coben book I have is an ongoing character and I've never read any in the series so I donated it to the school library.

So right now I'm "read"-less. I'm watching a lot of television. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't think it's the type of books I'm trying since I've tried genres all over the place. I think it's just me.

Scary,
Maggie

2012- the year of the JOB

2012-01-11T16:30:00.003-05:00

I've started job hunting with a vengeance. I just cannot financially, mentally, emotionally do this any more, and I need a full time job with benefits and some serious cash. I can't keep working 4-6 jobs and still not have it all come together- even though I'll probably still need a part time job after I get a full time to just get myself out of this financial hole I've dug.

I stayed at Alcatraz because I love it and I honestly thought it would lead to something full time but it just isn't. I thought this is where God led me but I think not. Guess if I can think He brought me there I can think He's telling me to heck with it. I also thought ITSam and I might get married and I could still work there and be on his insurance and financially we would've been fine. That plan obviously didn't work. So, I've kicked job hunting into gear.

Between last Friday night and Monday afternoon I applied for 17 jobs, all of which I found on Career Builder. These are all over my home state, except for one and it was in Nashville. Of these 17, they are all things I am qualified to do, and all but one are outside of education. I've decided I want full time, out of education, with health benefits, NOT sales, and I have a minimum salary requirement. I will work any shift and I don't mind weekends or evenings.

Since I did this, I got 2 flat out rejection letters. One was pretty generic and the other told me they had some better qualified of the 500+ applicants they received. WTF?!? 500 PLUS applicants? Who said the economy was looking up???? Wow...

I heard from 2 people. One hiring director said the position was just part time, even though the ad was for full time. Crossed that one off. One lady said my salary requirement was hiring than what the position offered but she was passing my resume to her area manager who would have an opening next week. So... just a hurry up and wait there.

I haven't heard from any of the others yet.

As I apply for jobs, I see one company might have 3 or 4 positions I'm interested in but I have to fill out a separate application for every job. UGH! I'm doing it but it sure would be nice if there was a button to click to apply for them in bulk.

I also wish I was an engineer, in the medical field, knew something about online marketing strategies, truck driving, or knew something about computers because after I sort out the crappy jobs ("work from home!", " online full time now!", " get paid to work from home!") and then toss out the military positions and the part time positions, the bulk of what's left is in one of those fields. And I am so not qualified for any of that.

Africa is off the table right now. I got an email from my cousin who worked for the FBI who suggested that because of "internal strife" and "unstable government structures" and "US military predictions" that I stay out of there... while I combed the international news looking for headlines regarding these things in the specific areas I was looking at I came up short. I emailed her back and she "knows things" the rest of us don't. Guess I'm crossing Africa off the list for now!

So far, I've stayed here in my home state but AlaskaSam suggested I apply for a job in Anchorage. I am. I will. I'm going to. Tonight, I think. That could be... interesting.

I really, REALLY want to work in Ireland or England but I have no idea how to go about that. It's on my list to learn.

Operation JOB is in full swing. If any of you have any connections to anything that I might be able to do, email me with specifics please!!!

It's time to move on.
Mags

Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you

2012-01-10T23:20:00.005-05:00

I was thinking about the Wild West again together for several reason. One, the huge snow storm that's headed toward us on Thursday or Friday reminds me of weather in the Wild West. And I loved all the cold and snow there. Something about that was just perfect and didn't seem so inconveniencing. The other reason I was thinking about it was because AlaskaSam sent me some pictures of all the snow in his yard and told me about more that's coming and it seems appealing. The last reason I was thinking about the Wild West is because Daddy-O changed his desktop picture to a horse drawn sleigh in the snow.

When I lived there one of the cool things that happened was my horse drawn sleigh ride experience. There was a really OLD sled outside of town in a field and I went out there and had some pictures taken my first Christmas. I was wearing my pink boots and a pink cowboy hat. My intent was to use them as a Christmas card but I never did. Anyway, I told some of my students I did that and they saw the pictures and thought how cool they were because that was stuff they never thought about. A sled to them is typical winter transportation and didn't think I would think of it as a novelty.

With that in mind, when we had a huge snow a few weeks before Christmas, I suddenly had banging on my front door on Sunday evening. When I opened it, there were about 7 kids standing on the stoop giggling, They "caroled" and then told me there was a surprise. They stepped aside and there was a horse drawn sleigh. They were going around town with hay in flatbeds of pickup trucks and riding there and they took turns riding in the horse drawn sleigh. They were with a youth group from a local church and they were also my students. It was my turn to ride in a REAL horse drawn sleigh, not some old abandoned one outside of town. So I got dressed and the bundled me up in warm blankets and then we rode around town singing carols for about 30 minutes.

The horse clip-clopped and the owner/ driver had tied sleigh-bells to the reins and so we jingled all the way. It was exhilarating and magical. It was a complete Currier and Ives experience. They even let me sip hot chocolate out of their thermos. We laughed and giggled and sang. It was cold and the smell of crisp air, and the horse whinnied, and I couldn't have experienced anything better than that moment.

When they dropped me off, all the kids shouted "Marry Christmas" as they rode out of sight.

We haven't had any significant snow yet this year but I have hope. I'm sure I won't be going on a horse drawn sleigh ride when and if we do, but I think I'll always remember this night when the snow falls (or when it's supposed to).

One my best memories ever...
Maggie

About time things look up for him

2012-01-09T23:12:00.001-05:00

So mac is making some better choices and good things are happening. After the rough fall of school, the bit of trouble that did not result anything legal- than you God- and then the quitting of school and the miserable time trying to find a job, he seems to have it together... as of now.

He enrolled in a local community college and is taking 16 hours. He's got three classes online and 3 classes in person. These classes started this week and he's already done all the work for all three online classes.

He also finally got a job at Taco Bell and his first day is Wednesday. He'll probably get around 20 hours a week. That's a very good thing.

He's seeing an awesome counselor and several of his friends that he's now spending time with seem to have their collective shit together, so that seems to help him make better choices.

HE wants to make good grades. HE wants to buy a car. HE wants to pen a savings account. This is all awesome and are his choices; nothing that I threatened him with or told him he has to do.

After the entire hellish autumn we went through with him, it's good to see such positive steps forward that are HIS steps. I'm being supportive and shutting up.

All good steps...
Mac's Mom,
Mags

The Shop Teacher

2012-01-08T13:32:00.003-05:00

We hired a new English teacher on a one year contract because we had one go on a year long maternity leave. Well, this woman we hired is totally and completely wonderful, awesome and amazing. And she just took a new job and is leaving us.

Our teaching staff is very close minded and conservative and sorta angry. I don't really have a bond with any teacher except with the one who is living. I'm very close to one of the secretaries but otherwise I'm pretty disjointed from the teaching staff. So I am REALLY going to miss the departing teacher.

I've been missing the Wild West lately, a lot. I've missed different things about the area and people, but I miss many of the people I taught with. My best Wild West friend was the Science teacher (she's since moved away, too) and we had a wonderful time in and out of work, even if we spend a lot of time kvetching about the students. I really liked our librarian, the Business teacher and the history teacher. Our home ex teacher was pretty nice, and I like several of the elementary school teachers. And I just adored our shop teacher. Even if he was an alcoholic.

Yes, the shop teacher was an alcoholic. He was this short, loud, dirty old man, actually. Never a dirty old man with the students, but he was with the adult females. I don't think he'd ever follow through with anything, but he liked to leer and talk. I liked him, anyway. He had great stories to tell- fictitious or real we never really knew- and he had a good sense of humor. He wasn't afraid to stand up to our boss, either.

On Wednesday nights we had "Fine art Meetings" and any teacher who wanted to attend was welcome, which involved eating dinner and drinking at the bar. I'm not sure how "art" it was but it sure was fine. He was a real hoot! If he had enough scotch in him, he would tell everyone to watch out because he was on hour 42 of his 36 hour Cialis.

He was a good shop teacher. He let the kids make anything they wanted and he made sure they were safe and knew how to use the equipment. Yes he was lose with rules and policies and well... everything, but the kids who came out of his classes could build a house if they had to. One girl made a solid cherry wood roll top desk for her father. Kids used the lathe and made bowls and other dishes. Seriously, he let the kids make anything, even if meant he was standing in the shop room with a cigarette dangling from his mouth showing them how to use a scroll saw..

He also had a HUGE heart. He would do anything for anyone. He made all the sets for our school plays and never charged the drama department anything. He made stuff for folks all over town, including kitchen cabinets. He let the kids make me a solid oak bookcase and then delivered it to my house. It's not his fault the kids stole the wood from the Catholic church construction project. It's his fault that when he learned they did that he didn't make them take it back... *ahem* He made shelves for my classroom and a cool wooden bowl for me. When my mom died and I ended up being gone for 2 weeks, he went to the Superintendent and told her I could have as many of his sick days as I needed so I could get paid for every day off I needed, whether it was two weeks or 2 months.

I think he liked me because I didn't judge him. I let him be and liked him and went to fine arts meetings most Wednesday. I didn't care that he was drunk by 7pm most nights and a few of those the bartender called me to help Shop Teacher home. He was a funny old guy, with a big heart, and some sad past life stuff. His wife was a sprite and she didn't take gruff from anyone- she was a hoot, too! I'd write his lesson plans for him each week because he didn't know how to turn on a computer and didn't even know the DOE had state shop standards. He'd write down what he was going to teach the kids that week and I'd type it up, so it looked all nice and formal. Oh, and he'd usually write a couple words on a block of wood, give it to a kid to give to me. That's his "rough" draft.

I'm missing him along with the rest of the Wild West, and I hope he's doing great and enjoying retirement!

Maggie

Things that totally irritate me

2012-01-07T06:13:00.002-05:00

Our Internet at work is running about like old fashioned dial-up. This makes doing anything slow, arduous and just down right frustrating
Mac got a job 4 weeks ago at Taco Bell. He was told to fill out paperwork online and that took about a week because the URL didn't work and then one day it did. After he got it done, the manager was on vacation for a week. When she came back she said the corporate computers crashed and it would take a week to find all his paperwork. He called back a week later and she said it was all found and he was good to go so he had to call their General Manager. He called her and she said she would be contact with him in a week because she was going on vacation. For Goodness Sake, this is not brain surgery!
Working 4 jobs and I still have no money, no health insurance and feel like shit about myself all the time
Bill collectors. I realize I'm overdue on a bill and they said I had to pay a million dollars a month and so we negotiated down to a payment I could afford. EXCEPT they wanted 1 full payment up front, today, which I couldn't do. I had agreed to pay them 1/2 million$ a month starting in February and they were willing to cancel the whole thing and tell the company they were working with that I couldn't do it. Now, they were willing to throw out guaranteed money because they they couldn't wait until 1/16 for the first payment; it had to be today. Stoooopid arsehats. The late bill is totally my fault but I am WILLING to pay it but I need a few days to get the payment. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
having to return my Nook to pay for my car repairs
The university Mac quit last October didn't withdraw him; it's a paperwork glitch, I guess. He's trying to start classes at a community college on Monday but they can't give him financial aid until that happens.
having a period
health care in the US
Mac's bad attitude. He created this mess he's dealing with so he doesn't need to be cranky with me if he's so unhappy.
pantyhose
when networks cancel a tv show and the viewers don't know; it just never turns up on the appoint time and day, and I have to go Google it to see if it will be returning. Yes, Prime Suspect is cancelled.
when networks take a show I LOVE and split it into 2 seasons, giving it a stupid hiatus, like what happens with Glee and House
that the nearest Starbucks is 20 minutes away and the nearest Diary Queen is 15 minutes. I want both. Now.
dating

cranky Maggie

Ended the year with a date, started the year with a date...

2012-01-06T05:54:00.002-05:00

Since the 2008, I've averaged 2 dates a year. Some of those dates turned into temporary long term relationships but those started with dates nonetheless and if I go back, I seriously average 2 dates a year.

In 2011 I dated ITSam for the first 10 months and then had the okay date on New Year's Eve day so I count that as 2 dates in 2011, even though I had a whole bunch of them with ITSam. Then I had another date on New Years Day, so one of my dates for the year is already over and done with. I have about 11 months and 3 weeks to have another one so I don't break my streak (though this is one streak I could break and live happily.).

I've been thinking about dating and it's weird.

I don't think I'm good at it and I don't like all the "get to know you stuff" over and over again because I just wait for it to fall apart and then when I do get comfortable and let my guard down and have fun, then it falls apart. I hate being judged and that's what dating is- people judging and sizing each other up. I hate that I feel like I can't be myself because I think I'm weird so others will. Someone once told me that if I found a guy who liked the things I did he would only be gay. Gee, there's a promising thought.

I also have no idea where to meet age appropriate men. No do not suggest the Internet. No, do not suggest bars. And we have already established that anyone with half a brain will NOT date at work; ever heard the expression "don't shit where ya eat"? I think it was made up for this instance specifically, no matter how gross of a saying it is. But I don't know where to meet people.

I don't feel like I MUST date but after spending a year with ITSam and I sorta liked having someone to spend time with and hang out with and someone who, for the most part, cared about my comings and goings and wanted to help me and see me and just loved me. So I guess I feel a little lonely, and sometimes out of sorts.

And now I know that sometime in the next 11 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days I'll be stuck having another date, unless I break the streak.

Debating it,
Maggie

2 dates, 1 guy: Part II

2012-01-05T05:16:00.004-05:00

What follows is my accounting of the second date with the "meet cute" guy. I told Lilith about it and I thought she was going to insight a riot with this... well, about him. So in an attempt at being fun, I wrote the post and Lilith added her editorial comments- these are found in red italics. I have to say it's like telling her this story in person and getting her response...

So I said I would go to dinner with this guy on Sunday night. I had plans to see a matinee with XRayGirl so I told him I couldn't meet until 6pm; that plan changed so I let him know I was free earlier... so he wanted to meet at 4pm. For dinner? Uh, okay. Ok, I must say 4pm for a dinner usually means one of two things: 1.) he lives at home with mommy and wants to get back before dark OR 2.) he's hoping he can turn an early dinner into a booty call!

Then we had a 20 minute discussion about where. Now, I'm sort of old school in some ways. I feel cornered if a guy wants me to pick the place so I've made it a habit to give 2 or 3 suggestions that I like and usually a guy picks one of those. I don't like it if a guy says "we're eating here" and I can safely say no man has ever done that. I also don't mind if a guy offers suggestions or says "do you like Italian (or insert ethnicity here)" and then suggestions a place. But this guy made me give suggestions and then pick one. He wouldn't commit to any place at all. So after that we decided on a cute local pizza place here in my town, where I could meet him, even though he did offer to pick me up (I'm not comfortable with that idea.). Wise choice! And why ask for suggestions if he wasn't going to pick?

I also want to say he thinks he super macho. He's about 6'3" and overweight but he has a "fu manchu" goatee thing and is into all sorts of "manly" things like NASCAR, hunting, fishing, guns, gun collecting, making his own ammo (HUGE RED FLAG if he makes his own ammo!), Harleys. He thinks sports are stupid and isn't "into" that but when he "bulks up" he's going to give UFC a try (it's Ultimate Fighting Championship), like cage matches or something. He thinks THAT's a sport yet NFL players are pussies. Are you understanding what I'm trying to say here? This guy thinks he is hot shit but is a total redneck- and I feel like I'm insulting rednecks everywhere. That would be a correct assumption! LOL

And he swears A LOT. I know that sounds like pot calling the kettle black but he used the F-word ALL the time, as all 8 parts of speech. I was taken aback. I was just surprised.

I like this... he has a 3 year old daughter and he named her "Tyme." I said i thought that was unusual and asked if it was a family name or if there was a story behind it. He said yeah and proceeded to tell me he always like the actress Tyne Daily from Cagney and Lacy, who reminded him of his mom. Well, he said he always thought her name was Tyme Daily... ooops. He didn't realize his mistake until it was already on her birth certificate. O-kay! Isn't that something you should make sure of before you make it official?

He also said, at some point in a relationship everyone needs to compromise. I said I agreed. He said he might want me to go see a UFC fight. And I just smiled. I then said I might want him to go shoe shopping with me and he snorted and said, "not a fucking chance. that's what you have girlfriends for." What happened to compromise? It's called, you'll do what I want and like it (that's his definition of compromise)! What an asshat!

He also talked about how much he wants to go to Fan Fest in Nashville next summer and ride his Harley (a Harley he hasn't bought yet either!) down there. He asked me if I would like to do something like that. I told him that frankly, no I wouldn't because I don't like the heat, I don't like country music, and I don't think I would like to ride that far on a Harley. He said that I would suck it up and go and like it and I didn't know anything. Holy shit, where did this ass-backwards jackass come from? Is he gonna drag you by your hair and throw you on his imaginary Harley? Did he even know how to use utensils when you went to dinner?

He also makes jokes about his weight but he also made comment about MINE. OH NO HE DIDN'T! Uh, yeah. He said something about people looking at the fat guy and thinks he'll be jolly but I should understand that because I probably get that too....... oh yes, he did say that. He also bluntly said he liked that my boobs looked jiggly but fat girls usually had that going and he was a man usually liked girls with small perky ones but mine looked nice. They are nice boobs! Thank God he said that after we were given our check and were leaving or I would've got up and left.

Let's see.... oh and I must tell you that everything I said, all night long, was just some giant sexual innuendo. I could say "Did you come down highway 2 to get here?" and he would chuckle and say "no, I didn't COME down there but I drove- heehee". Really? Really? It went on like that all night with everything. (Wait a second, I just lost a contact from rolling my eyes so much) And he bragged that he could make anything about sex. And he did. Even if it didn't make sense. Oh great just what the world needs another sexual innuendo douchebag!

So we met. First, he looked like an idiot. It's the coldest damn day of the year. It's about 10 degrees outside and the wind is blowing so it's around -18 or some such nonsense and we had gusting winds up to 40 mph. And it was snowing. He wore a Harley t-shirt with a short sleeve SNAP up Harley shirt over it. And he's very heavy set so the snaps strained- keep this in mind, please. And he claimed he wasn't cold and NEVER wears a winter coat. I lived in the Wild West in part of the coldest section of the country where some of the manliest men live and they would admit it to it being cold and would dress accordingly. There is nothing macho about frost bite. So when he said he wasn't cold, he was lying and that's just stupid. Didn't you know that Harley clothing makes the wearer impervious to cold!

He told me liked to read to his daughter and I said I thought that was really awesome! And he said he's more than just a dumb truck driver and I quote him "Duh, I do know how to read." Look, I'm an English teacher and lover of books so any time anyone says they read to their kids, I get excited!!!! I was not thinking he couldn't read. I'm beginning to think he was lying! It's not reading if it's a book on tape!

We don't like the same things: not the same music or movies (he doesn't even really like movies) or hobbies. He has a 3 year old kid and we all know I don't like kids. And we have some seriously divergent beliefs.

He also said he believes every single person in the United States should be armed as much as then can because at some point citizens are going to invade DC and stage "one of those things"- I filled in the word "coup" and he said "yeah one of those" and over throw the government and that citizens should be armed and ready to protect themselves when it's all marshal law and he wants to be able to lead his own militia. Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......... RUN, RUN FA FA AWAY!!

Oh let's see what other little gems he had... he went back to the teachers are snobs idea and he said he thought I was a snob but I was trying hard to not be because I used lots of big words and I claim to like opera and ballet. But I DO like ballet and opera and I do have a big vocabulary. And he said, and I quote him, "I hate it when people stereotype others. Like me, some people think I'm just a stupid fucking truck driver and i ain't." Umm, hello dumbass you (him, not you) just stereotyped teachers. What a fracking asshat!

He also had no manners. I'm not kidding. He didn't say thanks or please to anyone. He didn't pull out my chair. And best of all, went out the door ahead of me while I was struggling to get my coat on and he let the door swing close in my face. I pushed it open and he looked back and said, "Uh thought you had it." Not a sorry, or anything and he kept on going.

Did I mention he spent 45 minutes talking about his ex? He even noticed he did and said 'well, I guess that's attractive." Well not any more than any of this other shit...

And after he ate and leaned back in the booth and exhaled, all the snaps on his shirt popped open. LOL, how did you not pee yourself laughing?

I think there could be more but I think this is enough... And this is why I am NOT going on a third date. I don't really think there's a need now, do you? We really need to find you a nice, normal guy! I can't say it enough, what a fricken douchbag!

Thanking God I dodged that bullet,
Maggie and Lilith

2 dates, 1 guy: Part I

2012-01-04T06:07:00.001-05:00

I told you about my meet cute experience and then texting and then agreeing to meet for coffee.

Well, I did meet for coffee and it was okay. The problem was that it was neither this amazing date nor was it super crappy-- it was just okay. He was okay.

A few things stand out in my mind about it:

1- he asked me if I wanted to meet for coffee at a Starbucks. I didn't suggest that or ask him or even hinted about it. He asked me. We met for coffee and as we went inside he said he's never been to Starbucks before. We talked about different types of drinks. Then as we waited in line he said he wasn't really a coffee drinker. Well. I asked if he would rather go somewhere else and he said no. I also pointed out they had other drinks there if he didn't want coffee. He said not it was fine and asked me if I would just order something for him. So I did. Then he paid (I offered and he said no). We had to wait a few minutes and it was a fairly busy Starbucks and he complained about the crowd. He also complained because we had to wait- he felt it was poor customer service- even though we waited only about 5 minutes, which I didn't think was a big deal. And then the piece de resistance as we walked out the door was that he bitched about the cost of the coffee; he doesn't understand why anyone would pay $5 for a cup of coffee.

Now HE asked me there, not the other way around. And then have the nerve to complain about it? Like it was my idea or fault?

2- he said he thought that teachers were snobby and thought they were better than other people. I said I wasn't like that and he felt like he wanted to impress me. Uhhhh, I didn't even know how to respond to that.

So we got coffee and then sat in the mall food court and talked for awhile. At the end of the conversation my big determination was that we didn't seem to have much in common but he was nervous and it was okay. He did ask me if I wanted to turn coffee into dinner but I had plans and said no. (If I didn't have plans I would've probably said 'no' anyway while I was thinking about it.)

This was Saturday. Then Saturday night he called me to see if I wanted to have dinner on Sunday. He said he would be working for the next 10 days (he's a truck driver) and then he would have his daughter then be on the road again for 5 days, so it looked like it would be 3 weeks before we could go out, so I agreed to date #2 with this guy.

And that's information for another post!
Maggie

I don't know why I'm so tired

2012-01-03T18:27:00.002-05:00

I am soooooooooooo tired. OMG, I am so tired. Every muscle in my body hurts. I'm often pretty tired on Mondays but not this exhausted. And yeah, I know this isn't a Monday but it might as well be MY Monday since yesterday we didn't have any school with students.

Back when I was teaching in the Wild West I would actually fall asleep sitting straight on my couch, usually with a book in one hand and the remote control in the other. Just awake watching TV or reading one moment and then next my head bobs and it's been 3 hours. I would feel like I had run a marathon or something exhausting.

I feel like that again today, even though it's been awhile since I've felt that wiped out but today is that day. It's the sort of tired that just seeps into my bones. I rolled my shoulders and everything popped and cracked. I laid my head back on the couch and could feel the muscles stretch out.

Part of it, I think, is the deep deep cold we had today. It was about 20 degrees today and really windy. We are also not heating the hallways at school so it just gets cold and stays that way. I am just so very cold and so tired.

Here's the kicker--- I didn't do a damn thing all day today that could be deemed exhausting or that tiring. I sat at my computer and I did bunch of paperwork. I handled a bunch of phone calls and did some research. I had to 'babysit' a group of new boy students this morning and test them, and then I had the new group of girls in the afternoon but that isn't what I would call strenuous. So in all honesty I can believe I'm this bone tired.

Maybe because it's the first day back to school after a 17 day Christmas vacation? Of having to be "on" for the kids?

And unfortunately I can't crash like I used to back in the Wild West. I would go go go all week long and then on Friday I'd be asleep by 5pm and do nothing by cat nap and watch TV and then hit it again on Monday. I can't be a lounging bum this weekend because it's my weekend to work my OTHER job.

But tonight I'm giving serious thought to going to sleep around 8pm... I could get about 10 hours of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs that way.........

Maggie

What would you do for a concert ticket?

2012-01-02T22:10:00.004-05:00

I'm not really a huge fan of country music. I know some, and like a little but when I lived in the Wild West it was country music overkill and I just have not been a huge fan ever since because I think I ODed.

That being said, I *heart* Tim McGraw. Yes, I do listen to him and buy his CDs and have him loaded on my defunk iPod and will even stop the radio on a country station if he's on.

He's the only country music singer I would pay to see in concert. And even better I don't have to "pay"... cold hard cash, anyway. But I do have to do something... grade papers. Yes, I feel like I should be holding a sign card that reads: "Will grade for Tim McGraw."

He's going to be in the capital of my home state this summer, with some guy called Kenny Chesney (something about a sexy tractor?????), live in concert. And my friend Photographer LOVES him. She and 4 of her friends are going and invited me along. I said I'd love to go. Tickets are $135 and I never mentioned money being an issue but since she KNOWS my life, her proposal is that I could grade in exchange for tickets.

I've graded for her before; she's a high school English teacher and our teaching styles and methods are very similar. As is the way we grade so I've graded for her in the past and she pays me. This time, I get Tim instead of cash!!!

Over the Christmas break, I agreed to grade some HUGE Scarlet Letter projects (technology meets Hester Prynne meets essays) for her AP kids because her father-in-law died. These huge ass assignments would've garnered me $75 in cash so I'm almost there!!!!!

The lengths I will go to for Tim McGraw....

Maggie Mae

What did I actually do on New Year's Eve?

2012-01-01T15:29:00.003-05:00

I had several plans over the last few weeks of what I was going to do or NOT going to do on New Year's Eve:

Plan A:
Daddy-O was going to be in Texas and Mac was going to a party so I was going to rent a stack of movies and stay home alone and watch those and get drunk. Alone. Then go to bed after the ball dropped unless I had already passed out.

Plan B:
Go with XRayGirl and a bunch of her peeps to a couples only bowling thing. Now, I'm no longer part of a couple so she was going to just find a warm male body so I could go whether it was a date or not, just so I could spend NYEve with her!

Plan C:
Go see the movie New Year's Eve alone and then come home to watch the ball drop and then go to bed. (Mac said this was ultra sad and depressing to go to a movie alone on New Year's Eve to watch other people celebrating New Year's Eve... He might've had a point!)

Plan D:
ITSam wanted to see me and do anything. Can we say "ugh!"?

Then actually on New Year's Eve day, XRayGirl was still scrambling to find a guy to bowl with me and Mac's friends canceled on him so I decided to bail on the bowling and go with Plan E:
take Mac to dinner and a movie. (We toyed with having Mac be my bowling partner but it's for ages 21 and up so he wasn't old enough AND he didn't want to go bowling with his mom and her old friends.... that could be a Plan F but we didn't give it serious thought because of the age issues)

But about 20 minutes before we were going to leave, one of Mac's friends called him and asked him to go to COLLEGE FRAT party, and what 18 year old boy in his right mind would turn that down? And on New Year's Eve, to boot?!? So I set him free of his mom commitment.

And it was too late to go bowling...

And I had turned down a Sam for dinner because I was going to eat with Mac...

So I went with Plan G:
Daddy-O and I went to Bob Evans for dinner, then we watched Burlesque. I graded papers for Photographer. Daddy-O went to bed before the ball dropped but I watched that for about 2 minutes, texted friends a 'happy new year' and then watched stuff I had been DVR-ing for a few weeks. Finally I went to bed around 1:30am... I didn't drink. It wasn't a big deal and I didn't feel all depressed or sad. It really was just another night...

New Year's Eve is really a night for couples or really young people, I've decided. I sound jaded but I'm not. It really is such. And all my friends are "couples" and so unless next year I just hold a big bash for everyone, I'm going to just hide or volunteer to work somewhere...

But it's a new year and that's good.

Welcome 2012,
Mags

New Day, New Year!

2012-01-01T11:33:00.001-05:00

Love, Maggie

My own personal 'meet cute'

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

This is so weird. It really is. But full of irony.

A few weeks ago, a funny thing happened to me in Meijer (and I want to say I hardly EVER go to Meijer. Ever. I just don't- too expensive) in Southern Civilization. I was walking into the store and a guy in the parking lot walked into me. He stepped out from between 2 pick up trucks and bumped into me. He apologized all over the place and his buddy admonished him and we all laughed and walked inside together.

And we all headed in the same direction. And down the same aisle. You know that weird thing when you keep seeing the same person/ people in the store and you keep nodding or something? Well, finally these guys and I just kept laughing so hard and we all introduced ourselves, shaking hands. We finally parted ways BUT we all ended up in the check out together and in the same line. So we started making stalked jokes with each other, and we all walked back out together.

One of the Sam's was cute and nice and he flirted with me the most and he wasn't wearing a ring. It was just weird and funny.

I got in the car and told Daddy-O and he and I laughed about it.

The next day XRay Girl and I were chatting and I told her about it an she gave me hell for not getting this guy's number. She said most people just don't have the chance to meet a cute guy and hit it off and then leave. She said if it's meant to be then he and I would run into each other again. I have to admit that while I wasn't in cruising the Meijer story rows looking for him, I would just check out my surroundings when I was in Southern Civilization, at the mall or Starbucks, or at Applebees. I never saw him.

So last night, Photographer and I were in that same Meijer- she was doing her weekly shopping and as we pulled in the parking lot, I told her about those guys. When she and I were going through the check out, there he was. He looked at me and smiled in recognition and waved me over to where he stood. Photographer went to the car and I walked over to him and he said, "[Maggie!!!] You're here! Finally!" He remembered my name...! (Okay I remembered his as well.)

Then he introduced me to... his 3 year old daughter. Yup. In the short span of conversation, he said he wasn't married, his ex worked at the Meijer and on his custody weekend, they would go in so she could see her mom, he'd thought about me often and asked for my number.

And I gave it to him.

Yeah, I gave a man in Meijer, a total stranger, my cell number. Good idea or bad? Dunno.

I did, however, call XRayGirl as soon as I got home and told her about it and she said if I hadn't given him my number she would kick my ass. She also said she would go along and act like a stranger to keep an eye on me, just in case he did call and ask me out. She said it was a total "Maggie" thing because shit like that doesn't happen to real people, only in the movies.

And then later last night, oh around 9pm, he sent me a text and we texted back and forth for a bit and he asked if I wanted to meet him at Starbucks for coffee.

He said he didn't believe in the 3 day rule.

Is meeting for coffee, in the middle of the afternoon, when we have both established we had other plans for later, a date?

Do I want a date?

Am I over ITSam?

Is it too soon?

Am I crazy??? (Okay, this one I can answer: yes!)

This sort of stuff doesn't usually happen to me so I guess I'm going... Updates will be forthcoming.

She who is a girl with a... coffee thing,
Mags

My life as the sequel to the Scott Pilgrim movie

2011-12-30T12:25:00.004-05:00

Mac thinks it would be great if my life could be like the Scott Pilgrim movie. In the movie, Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, and to be with her he has to defeat all her evil ex-boyfriends. This is now one of Mac's favorite movies; he even got it for Christmas on Blu-Ray. He thinks it would be cool if I met my soul mate who then had to battle and kill all my evil ex-boyfriends.

He said all my exes are fat so they don't need physical prowess--- well, the Gay Cowboy was skinny but the rest are on the heavier side.

The Soul Mate has certain challenges per ex-BF, according to Mac:

The Canadian is Canadian so there's the challenge right there
ITSam would try to sue the Soul Mate and probably stalk me for the rest of my life so the battle would be to kill him without leaving a paper trail
The Gay Cowboy (a guy I dated when I lived in the Wild West) is tricky because he was a cowboy, a construction worker, a fireman and, it turned out, gay. Soul Mate must call out the Village People for help. And Soul Mate must win because if he loses there will sodomy. Lots and lots of sodomy. Yuck!
The former BF who was alcoholic-druggie-unemployed-poet... well, he's all cleaned up and Mac thinks he shouldn't be offed any more so he can just be a friend of Soul Mate...
Sperm Donor is the most evil of all. He thinks that blogging, according to Mac, is for whining liberals who control the media so he wouldn't even know about Soul Mate to begin with since he's a closed minded, small minded, Republican. Unless, that is, my blog shows up on the FOX News Website, which he only watched to criticize

What I find to be the funniest of Mac's diatribe is that he thinks I'll find a Soul Mate!

Mac's mom,

Maggie

If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck

2011-12-29T23:04:00.003-05:00

It was the starter.

It cost $263.

The Nook is going back. And all the accessories.

I will sell Mac, if anyone wants him...

Fucking car.

Mags

My life is a comedy of errors

2011-12-28T18:56:00.004-05:00

Part I:
I decided to take the day and just relax. I went to the public library and read books and visited with some of my favorite staff people. It was nice to just be in a different atmosphere.

Then I decided to go to Starbucks and sit and read. Hey, don't judge me- I have a good book and was just tired of being home. So I drove to the nearest Starbucks, which is the next town over, about 25 minutes away. I got my favorite Venti Peppermint Mocha and sat there and read for a few hours. Then I decided to drive home. I went to the car and it wouldn't start. The head lights came on and the dashboard lights and the radio but the car wouldn't start. It didn't click or grind or anything. Just no noise at all, just lights. Weird.

I looked under the hood and jiggled wires and it still wouldn't start. I went inside to see if anyone had jumper cables and no one did.

I was standing in the parking lot, contemplating a 1 block walk to Auto Zone when a redneck guy pulled up in a big 'ol pick up. I asked him for help and he had the jumper cables. Of course he did since he wore camo pants, 3 flannel shirts, an orange day-glo hunting had, three days of beard growth on his grizzly face, and no teeth. But hell, he had jumper cables! And that didn't work.

Part II:
After the bourbon breath guy couldn't get my car started I decided to walk to the Auto Zone. I crossed the parking lot and saw an open garage. I went there and told the mechanic what was going on. He was closing the shop so he drove over with some tools and he tinkered around and it wouldn't start.

He said it was either the badly corroded wires or the starter. If it's badly corroded, then he'll fix it tomorrow for free. If it's the starter, I'm screwed for the tune of $175 UP FRONT.

And, here's a weird thing. I got the guy's business card and then just handed hi m the keys to my car. A perfect stranger. I just handed them over.

Now, let us pray for corrosion. Or that the car gets stolen (isn't that what insurance is for?).

Part III:
Now I'm stranded about 25 minutes away so what else can I do other than I call father. Who agrees to be my hero and come get me. As I hang up and get ready to go in Starbucks to sit and wait, friends of mine come out! They live in my town! They will give me a ride! Hallelujah! (<---- appropriate verbiage since the friend is a minister!)

I call dad back to tell him I don't need the ride, run inside to tell Starbucks about my car so it doesn't get towed, take a quick trip to the ladies room and then hitch it home.

Part IV:
Because if I didn't have bad luck, I would have no luck so I'm pretty sure my car will not be stolen overnight and it won't be just corrosion, I have to figure out how to come up with money. I decided the option that makes most sense is to return the Nook I bought myself (yes, I bought a Nook and have yet to blog about it! But I thought I was od-ing on the book/ reading posts so I was giving it some time. Anyway, I digress...)

I decide I'll return the Nook and Daddy-O gave me a leather cover and some other accessories. If I return all of that, I'll almost have the cost of the car. I have my Nook receipt and the box, and even the original bag.

What I don't have is the box the leather cover came in. I thought I threw it in a trash bag with the Christmas wrapping paper. Which was already taken to the trash, to the curb. Uh-Oh! No, but wait!!! Good news- tomorrow is trash day! Uh wait! Bad news- Daddy-O cleaned the garage trash out and just chucked it into the car, not in a bag.

So with a flashlight and extra garbage bags, father and I go out into the dark to dig through the trash at the curb. We do. It is gross. I wanted to puke. The box is not there.

And something wet and sticky and indescribable got on my hand. I probably have dysentery and gangrene and pneumonia and tyrotoxism! And I have no box for the leather case.

I'll call the garage tomorrow and see what the damage is.

Gee, things are always eventful here.

This is what I get for taking a day off.

Maggie

More on books...TBR this time!

2011-12-26T12:08:00.004-05:00

I've decided I'm going to participate in a TBR- To Be Read challenge.

The general idea of TBR challenge is to only read books you own.... for a period of time. I've read about a bunch of these so I'm making my own rules here. Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to have reading goals but this isn't really a goal but more of... cleaning my house, starting with the book cases.

I have about 30 boxes of books out in Daddy-O's garage and since I moved back here to Civilization I've filled an ENTIRE book case with books and have a couple piles on the floor. These are always my "back up books" like if the library runs out???? No, not that exactly. More like if I get stranded at home with nothing to read. And it could happen, right?

But I keep laying in bed and staring at that case, thinking of all the cool stuff on there I want to read. And I keep thinking if I read it, then I could donate books to my own school library or the community library or gift them on. And I would have more space for more books.

So, I've decided in 2012 I want to read some. And at the beginning of the year is as good a time as any. And for me right now is really good because I have home 2- count 'em TWO- library books only! Many of the challenges I've read about online encourage people to read from their TBR piles from January 1 until Tax Day- April 15. I think that sounds like a good range. I know I have enough there to carry me that far. I have enough there to carry me until July 15 if I wanted but I know I couldn't stand it that long.

So here are my own personal reading rules for TBR: I will read stuff on my shelves from January 1- April 15. There are a couple of exceptions I'm going to make from this, though and since it's my challenge I can do that:

I belong to a book club so I will read the selections for the book club whether or not I own them already or not
I have 2 books on hold at the library- one Patterson and one Grafton. The reserve list is really long (like 44 people waiting for the Grafton and 23 waiting for the Patterson) so if I get called for these books during this 3.5 months, I will read them rather than put my name BACK on the list for a few more months
I will finish the books I currently have home from the library, even if it spills into 2012. I'm not leaving a book half unread for 3.5 months just because... duh!
I have a book loaned to my by my SisIL and that counts as "on my shelf" because I want to read it NOW; it's number 18 of Steph Plum so it's a must!
I've started a literary club for students at school and I will also read those selections

So, other than the aforementioned selections, I will only read from my personal shelves. I've photographed 4 of the shelves that have books on them that I will select from (the other 2 shelves have cookbooks. I am NOT committing to reading cookbooks!)

If you see any books here that you would like to read, please let me know and I can read those first and then mail them off to you! See, it's something for all of us! And each shelf is alphabetical, except One Day is out of order cuz I just tossed it in there for the picture. (and the holes on the shelves where a book obviously was are books I've already read but am keeping because I love them...)

I still plan on letting my "wish list" at Barnes & Noble grow and I still plan on reading reviews and adding to my "to read" list on Goodreads.com while I take this challenge. But it's a good time to clean off the shelves. And maybe I'll have fewer books to move, should I ever move from the attic...

If anyone would like to join the TBR challenge with me, please feel free! We could even start a joint blog, if we wanted...? Just a thought!

Happy Reading to me, and to you, next year!

Maggie

Christmas Giggles

2011-12-25T12:03:00.002-05:00

From my house to yours, Happy Christmas!

Peace and joy to you all this season!

Pink lipsticky kisses to you all,
Maggie

Christmas eats

2011-12-24T17:49:00.004-05:00

We had our family Christmas a few days ago since my brother drew the short straw and work on Christmas day. This isn't really a big, ugly deal or anything and it was a wonderful day.

My niece and nephew just crack me up with their silly antics and they must've known about Santa's naughty and nice list because they were extra nice and so sweet. I got lots of hugs and kisses and cuddles and smiles and even some high 5's from Fab Finn (who isn't much for kisses for anyone but hi mommy!).

We opened awesome presents and then went out for dinner at a steak house. I loved that I didn't have to cook!

Though today I decided I would cook stuff for the next few days so I could keep on relaxing. I didn't want to spend all of tomorrow cooking even though we're only going to see a movie. I have to work my weekend receptionist job- which I am doing right now!- so my brain was in work mode already. So I got up this morning, and none too early mind you, and tackled cleaning the kitchen first so I could cook.

I boiled and deboned chicken for a chicken casserole, which I stirred up after said chicken was cooked and... de-boneable (I know that's not a word and it even sounds sorta dirty...). I also fired 2 pounds of bacon and made 2 breakfast casseroles. I fried up hamburger for tomorrows chili, then I made 2 dips/ spreads: cheese dip for crackers or veggies, and a dill dip which we put on small slices of pumpernickel bread. I didn't get the brownies baked or the sour cream coffee cake made so those are on tomorrow's agenda. And the corn muffins (those are better hot so they had to wait, in my personal opinion. But it's not that hard to open a box, add eggs and pour! Right?)

By the time I got to work (and I volunteered to work so no pity parties!) and I put up all the mail here and then I got things situated for the rest of the night, I was wiped out! Who knew that pre-working could take so much time?

And you know when you cook lots of stuff and you think you have everything? Well, I thought I was out of eggs but found a dozen had been shoved to the back of the fridge. I ran out of bread but Daddy-O had hid an extra loaf. I had just enough milk plus a glass. The only thing that was messed up with dill weed. We have a shelf in the pantry that has about 50 different types of spices on it. NO DILL WEED! I went through them several times and made Daddy-O look because I could be blind and there was no dill for the DILL DIP. I said screw it but Daddy-O ventured out to Wally World in search of said spice. And he found the LAST ONE in all of town (he called to see if dill seed would work. I had to call my friend with the recipe who said that would no be an acceptable substitution and had to text him back. He prevailed and found one anyway!) You know me and holiday food- it's almost the point for ANY holiday!

So, it's Christmas eve and almost all the food is prepared and stockings are hung and the children are gonna be snug in beds... and I don't have to cook on Christmas. Unless I want coffee cake. And brownies. And corn muffins...

Happy Christmas,
Maggie!

A book is a gift you can open again and again

2011-12-20T12:11:00.004-05:00

As I've been reading book blogs this holiday season trolling for 2012 reads since this year's selection was pitiful (but another post about that later!), I found a wonderful idea that I too am going to take part in: Bochus Yule.

Bochus Yule (Library Christmas) is the idea of donating books to your local library during this holiday season and is such a wonderfully simple idea that I read about on Shelf Love, that I can't believe I never thought of it myself (there's even a place to use a Mr. Linky to show your support at the Literary Omnivore).

So, this week I plan to take a bag of books to my local library.

Libraries have had such a huge influence on my. I always wonder if I hadn't grown up a mere block from the public library, would I have been such an avid reader. I've written about my love of libraries here before.

I've also taken the liberty of reprinting a post I wrote a few years ago about my love of books and reading... such wonderful childhood memories.

Because I am bibliophile, one of my favorite things in the whole wide world to do is spend a day in a used book store, listening to the rain outside and drinking Starbucks coffee while just browsing. I love that. I always check out a library when I go on vacation as part of my sight seeing excursions. I love Barnes and Noble- this is one of my favorite places in the world. I usually have three or four books going at one time. I can't name a favorite book because there are too many to choose from, same with trying to list a favorite author.

I grew up living 1 block from the public library and by the time I was age five I would walk to the library alone, with my mom standing on the side walk in front of our house watching me the whole way. The librarian would walk outside and watch me cross the street and I was then entering my own childhood version of heaven.

I would read anything and everything I could get my hands on. When I was in junior high school I got a job working at used book store for 4 hours on Saturday mornings. Then when I was in high school, I landed what was then my dream job- working in the children's department of the local library. I loved that job and worked there for 6 years. I then worked at a public library in the town where I went to college for 2 years and I worked in the campus library for a year. Yes, total nerd.

But my love of books has continued. I still love children's books. My son had the biggest collection of books of any child, enough to start our own library, and I started reading to him while he was womb residing. Bedtime would take an hour at night because we had to read a stack of bedtime stories. Whenever I feel down and sad, I love to read kids' books- they make me smile no matter what. Some favorites I think complete every child's library are The Napping House, Where the Wild things Are, Good Night Moon, The Giving Tree, Amelia Bedlia, The Day Jimmy's Boa ate the Wash, King Bidgood's in the Bathtub and He won't get Out, Green Eggs and Ham, Max's Chocolate Chicken, Hegedy Peg, Christina Katrina and the Box, Angelina Ballerina, Alexander and the terrible-no good-very bad day, and A pocket for Corduroy. Obviously, this list can go on and on and on. And these are just my picture book favorites.

My own personal book collection is quite extensive, even with all the books I sold for cash when I first moved back here to Civilization. Friends told me they are not helping me move my books again- I had 48 boxes when I got back here from the Wild West. One time when I moved everyone was so sick of moving these boxes they wrote messages on the boxes. Where I had written "books" friends add "Another box of *books*" or "more fucking *books*" or "another damn box of *books*"... uh, yeah.

So... in this season of giving, I'm going to give the gift of reading and donate some some books, and hope many of you will as well!

Your bibliophile,
Maggie

Change, age... feh....I do what I want!

2011-12-16T06:25:00.000-05:00

As my wonderfully faithful readers know, I have huge issues surrounding my birthday. Some of them are my own issues (OMG I'm getting old) and some issues aren't exactly mine but still affect me.

So, like those who have gone before me, I am now joining the ranks of the great ones like George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and all US Postal holidays that don't fall on a Monday- I am changing the day I will observe my birthday! Yes, you heard it here first, I will no long celebrate my birthday on 9/26. My NEW day of Observation, the day we will now CELEBRATE my birth, my new "Birthday", the day I want presents and cake and cards and forced familial celebrations... that new day is...

FEBRUARY 26!!!!!!!!!!!

The reason I picked February, you may be wondering, has a nice, rational, Maggie-like logic. First, not January because it's too close to Christmas. No March since that's would be poaching on SisILaw's birthday. Not April because that's the month of Mac's birthday and my mom's birthday was in April as well. Can pick May because I can't poach dad's birthday AND because it's Mother's Day- and I have hope that some day Mac will actually recognize that Hallmark hallmark. June is a possibility but I like winter better. Bro's birthday is July.

Then that brings us to Aug- Dec, which is a little more complicated. My folks lost a baby in August and that happens to be their wedding anniversary. My mom died a few days before my original birthday in Sept. and then there was her funeral, which was also in Sept, and so from around Aug 1 to the end of the year my dad is in a funk with missing my mom. Take the personal stuff in Aug. and Sept. and then the holidays--- well, those are baaaaaad months. No one is cheerful and feels like celebrating my birthday in Sept. My birthday has not always been a great thing but since 2007 when my mom died, my birthday just sucks. No one is happy. And who can blame them? I understand!

So, I've decided since it's my birthday, I can totally change it, right? I can change my hair color and style, I can change my weight, I can change my shoes, and I can change my mind, so why can't I just change my birthday? If people ask, I can say my birthday is in Sept but we always celebrate in February. See, that sounds just fine, right?

And since I'm changing the day we can call "The Day to celebrates Maggie's Life" I'm also going to be 38 on February 26, 2012. And if you think I turned 40 last Sept... well, you're right (but it was the worst birthday in the history of my life & not because I didn't want to celebrate it but because everyone around me were "poopieheads"). But I don't care if I was supposed to be 40 last Sept. If I'm changing my birth date then I can change my age- and I am and I will.

So, in case you missed it, on February 26, 2012 I'm going to be 38 years old.

Feel free to start planning the party now.

Maggie

Ah, the sweetness!

2011-12-15T16:55:00.004-05:00

I organized a cookie swap at work. I have no idea what got into me but 2 weeks ago I started pummeling our faculty with emails to see who wanted to be involved. By the deadline, there were 8 of us, which includes me.

The general concept is that each person in the swap would bake 1 sort of cookie. And they would bake 1 dozen of that type and give 1 dozen to each person... for those of you who don't know how a swap works. Then we all bring them together and we each get to leave with 1 dozen of seven types of cookies, in my case 7 since there were seven other people other than me.

So today was the big day for the cookie swap.

Well, I have to have that one secretary bowed out at the last minute, with good reason. Last night she went home to bake ans discovered her husband had dumped all her wheat flour and her white flour together in ONE CONTAINER. She lives in the country, about 20 minutes from a grocery store but her son lives in his own house on their farm property and her daughter lives 2 miles away down the road. So she called her daughter and borrowed the flour from her. Her next hurdle was that her husband also froze ALL their eggs. So she called her kids and managed to get enough eggs except for 2 and she had to use frozen ones. While she keeps running to her kids homes, she discovers her house is getting hotter and hotter.l Well, he husband was messing with their wood stove settings and by the time she could actually start baking it was 90 degrees in her house. And the butter she had in a bowl had completely melted. So the dough wouldn't hold together. She decided to just put the dough in the fridge overnight and got up at 4am this morning to bake. And when she did all cookies crumbled and couldn't rise- they were flat as pancakes. Then she decided screw it and she would buy cookies at the store. She had no cash on her except for a 100 dollar bill that her husband didn't have the bank teller break smaller. The grocery store she went to this morning at 7am didn't have change for a $100. So she said to hell with the cookie swap. And after all that we all felt sorry for her- wouldn't you????- and gave her cookies anyway!

Other than that mess and that one teacher made her grandmother's cookies and was up until 1 am (though she said baking is much more fun since she was drinking Blue Moon Winter ale) and that I ran out of butter in the middle and had to go to Wal-Mart in the middle of baking, at 8pm, in a deluge, all went smoothly. (Oh, I made Tea Cake Surprises- a dough cookie with a Hershey Kiss inside of it and then rolled in powdered sugar!)

So, we swapped cookies. I came home with a dozen of each of the following: Black Forest Cookies (cherry and chocolate cookies), cut out sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles, Peanut Butter Blossoms (peanut butter cookies with a Hershey Kiss on the top), haystacks (Chow Mein Noodles covered in dark chocolate), fudge, and Pretzel turtles (pretzels with a Rolo Candy melted on the top and then a pecan set on it as the Rolo melted).

If you read my Twitter feed then you know that none of us here at home liked the haystacks and Daddy-O actually took them out for the birds. Everything else is YUMMERS!!!!!!

Here's the loot:

Wonder if I could convince people to do a cookie swap once a quarter????

Settling in for a sugar high,
Maggie

A holiday story of Polyurethane

2011-12-14T06:34:00.001-05:00

I bought a spray can of Polyurethane to spray on rocks that kids painted in art club last week. I've never used such a product before. It comes in a can like spray paint, an aerosol can.

I read the back of the can and it says to remove the safety seal before spraying. I take off the lid and see there's a red dot on the nozzle area so I thought that was the safety thing. In trying to take that off, I sprayed myself: my sleeve and my hand and my fingers. Shit. Well, upon further inspection, the red dot is where the Polyurethane comes out and the safety seal was the plastic wrap on the can which I had to take off to even read the instructions. Go figure.

I sprayed the rocks and then went to the lady's room to wash my hands. I used hot water and soap and dried my hands. My hands were a little tacky and a little shiny but I didn't think anything about it.

When I got to my desk, I worked on my computer for about 20 minutes and when a student came in to hand me a book, I reached out to take it from him and... wait for it... the mouse stuck to my hand. And not just stuck and then plunk to the desk but STUCK to the point where I had to PEEL it from my hand and left sticky residue and skin on the MOUSE!! Holy shit, I polyurethaned the mouse to my HAND!!!!

That was not good.

I went to see our janitor and she gave me a bottle of chemical that we use to wash a dry erase board. So I sprayed it on my hand and it dried and my hand was no longer sticky or tacky BUT it burned like hell. I practically ran to the bathroom and washed my hands with water as hot as I could stand it and more soap. I washed and scrubbed.

When I was done, my hand was white. I mean, really white like notebook paper. Bloodless, all Edward Cullen like.

I put on hand lotion and pretty soon my flesh color came back but it was weird. I was also sans- polyurethane, and I remembered to clean my mouse, too.

Oh.... the rocks looked awesome.

Reason #243 why I shouldn't be allowed to do art projects,
Maggie

Reading should be fun, damn it!

2011-12-13T16:30:00.001-05:00

As the 2011 is winding down, I was looking at my reading goals I set for myself and I failed miserably. Last year I said I wasn't going to really make any reading goals but I did somehow- they just seemed to evolve- and I didn't achieve them and I feel like I let myself down.

I was reading around on some book blogs and found a wonderful blog called Shelf Love. I have no idea how I've never discovered this blogger before but she writes and reviews like I want to when I grow up. There are some amazing things on here other than just book reviews. She blogs about what I think of as essay style posts, all things about reading, books, writers, book news or just stuff about the literary world. All that being said, i stumbled on a post about reading and goals and fun. This inspired me to write my own post because I completely agree with her!

Reading should be fun. Period. I have no idea why this strikes me in epiphany fashion but it does. I tell my students all the time that reading should be fun and that reading is fun. I tell them that even though they might have to read a novel or a book for class, they should find things to read that the like otherwise. I don't' care if they read fiction or non, magazines, newspapers, comics, graphic novels.... as long as they read something they like and it should be fun. So why in the world can't I follow my own advice and why did I have to read it on a random blog before I had my "Ah- HA!" moment?

Reading SHOULD be fun, damn it! And when I make reading goals for myself it's not fun. I just want to read for fun, regardless of how many books I read. Or what genres. Or what style. I just want to read for the sake of reading.

There are several book clubs online that I could join and I was thinking about it until I decided I didn't want to be locked into reading any specific. There's one that encourages readers to get through all their "I own these books" pile. I can't remember the specifics but the deal was to read nothing except the books you bought to help decrease that stack since most of us bibliophiles own more books than we can ever get through. Another book club is to concentrate on new release books, reading books that only come out in 2012. Another book club that appealed to me was the "read all the books I bought in 2011." I like both of these ideas but again, it puts some constraints on my reading which is going to turn it into a "job" rather than something for fun. Of course, there's the traditional way of having reading goals like targeting a certain number of books to read (which I've done before) or a certain number of a specific genre (which I've done before).

Last year I finally gave myself permission to not finish a book if I don't like it. I was usually invested in completing what i started and I just finally said, "Maggie, it's okay if you don't read the whole book if you hate it." It's really hard for me but I do now abandon a book if I don't like it. That doesn't happen very often but I average about 10 books a year that I don't finish. That's not so bad. So that was my first step in lessening my reading stress, and allowing myself to have fun- and I didn't even know it!

So this year my reading goal is to have fun. I guess I'm allowing 2 small goals: 1) the first is that I want to joining a Read-a- thon on April 21, 2012. I can read anything i want but the whole day is devoted to reading. I want to do this. And it's reading for charity! The other goal, #2, is that I'm going to continue my membership in my book club with my friend Photographer. I have the list of books we're reading in January, February, and March. I will attempt to read the book for book club each month but if I don't like it, I'll not read it and skip the meeting that month, or go and admit I didn't like it an why.

Other than those 2 LITTLE things, my reading goal for 2012 is to have FUN! Fun is defined differently for everyone. I often read stuff that my dad calls "smart people books"; I think that's a compliment. And to me that's fun reading. I'm also going to ready just about anything I want from cotton candy for the brain to chick lit to beach reads to the smart stuff. Anything I want to read and I'm not setting any goals. Even if I did read 117 books in 2010 and I feel I should be able to do that annually. But that is not going to sway me! No numbers! Just reading fun!

Maggie

And that's all the randomness that's fit to print

2011-12-11T06:45:00.000-05:00

I should've done posts called "25 days of Christmas socks" since I have enough to wear a pair for 25 days.

I think the new Chocolate diamonds are ugly. There. I said it. I think they look brown, dirty and cheap rather than elegant. Nasty.

I'm obsessed with the TV show Criminal Minds. I can kill you in about 50 ways and never get caught. Other than the fact blood is icky. I wish Cold Case and Without a Trace reruns were on here.

How lazy am I that I bought a fudge making kit rather than all the separate ingredients? All the stuff came in one box, with a pan. It's supposed to make 1.5 pounds. I thought a kit to allow me to make that much fudge at once is a good thing.

There's a student, a young man, who works with me in the library in the mornings. I want to give him a little Christmas gift. Any ideas? We have so many regulations I'm at a loss. I might just email his case worker to see if he has any suggestions. Cologne?

I organized a cookie swap at work. Seven people other than me agreed so I'll come home on Thursday with 7 dozen different types of cookies. I think I'm going to make 'Snowball Surprises.' These are a mildly sweet dough cookie with a Hershey kiss inside. YUM!

Speaking of cookies, the first week of my Christmas break I'm going to bake- cut out cookies are first on the list. And I'm going to try cranberry bread. And maybe make some mini whoopie pies.

Speaking of Christmas break, I have some serious shopping left--- but that's for a different post!

I had nothing to do this whole weekend. No solid plans where I was expected to be anywhere. I didn't even get called to sub on Friday so I basically slept and watched TV for the last 2 days. I haven't the concentration or patience to read or craft so I just camped in front of the TV and watched a bunch of TV. I haven't even tried to focus on a movie.

It was cold today. It never got above 25 degrees. Since I lived in the Wild West, I could say that's really not a big deal but it felt cold to me. The house was warm and comfy but I just felt cold which seems silly.

Mac saw the commercial for wateraid.org and he associated it with bad water in Africa. And he's decided I'm going to get dysentery if I go to Africa, and die, unless of course I get kidnapped, raped and killed by the freedom fighters first. Ugh!

Maggie

Mac the man

2011-12-10T17:07:00.003-05:00

I love love love Mac. I would do anything for him. That's how it is for our kids; it is that we would do anything for them, even if it isn't in our own best interest, no matter how much of a turd he can be, good or bad, as a mom I feel like it's life or death for my kid, should it come to that. All that drama being said... on a more down to Earth note...

Even though the last few months have been especially stressful since he quit school and he's not sure what he wants out of life now, I still love him. Even when I want to kick his ass I still love him.

Even yesterday when I Tweeted not nice things about him, I still love him. (I feel bad about my smarmy, smartass Tweets actually...)

He's cracked me up the last two days because Mac has given up all drinks except for water for about 3 years now. He quit drinking soda cold turkey and the kid lives on water. Lately, with the cold weather, he's been drinking hot chocolate. He's become the "at home chocolatier" and seems to have mastered the right blend of milk and cocoa with the right drinkable temperature. Which makes him all jacked up on caffeine. Which means he NEVER SHUTS UP!!!!!

Now those of you who know me in person might think his incessant speaking would be heredity. But this is talking without breathing, I think. No pauses. Just rapid fire, bullet words. It lasts about 15-20 minutes and then the caffeine and sugar high crash him.

I also feel bad for him because he is sick. The poor kiddo. He has one of those nasty winter colds with chest congestion with rattling breathing and nasty coughing and a runny nose. (He offered to show me his snot. While that's really gross, it also tells us all how sick he is if he thinks his snot is an interesting color enough to share with others...) I'm pumping him full of Day-quil and Ny-quil. He's just laying on his bedroom floor, playing video games. I'm going to offer him soup for dinner and see if he wants Jell0 and 7-Up.

No matter how old he is, he's still my little kid when he gets sick.

I guess that no matter how old he is, he is still my kid, sick or not.

Mac's Mom,
Mags

Twitter conflict

2011-12-05T17:53:00.001-05:00

Well, I was laying in bed last night and I wrote an entire blog post in my head. Usually I jot down a few words or ideas when that happens but i wrote the entire post in my head and it never dawned on me that I'd forget an ENTIRE POST. WTH?!? I can't for the life of me remember what it was at all. I hate that!!! I feel like I'm losing my mind when I do things like that. So, this is not what I was going to blog about but it's better than nothing. And maybe my 'brain fart' will recover and I'll remember what I wanted to say.

So I follow someone on Twitter who's called 'nachosarah'. I don't know anything about her (or even him?) but she's funny. She says these one liners that make me giggle. Last night she Tweeted the following: "I bet Dalmatians are just thrilled about being the dog breed that has to fight fires." My first thought was to Tweet back at her: "Talk about a hot dog..." or my alternative Tweet back to her was "Better than being the dog breed that is associated with hot dogs."

Okay, I thought both of my responses were funny. And I think that while they aren't outwardly guffaw worthy, I think they at least merited a chuckle with an eye roll. I think people who know me probably would've at least smiled. But I didn't respond to her because she doesn't know me. And because she doesn't know me I wasn't sure she'd get my sense of humor and would think I was being a smartass. And I do not want to be in a Twitter war because my attempt at humor fell flat. I don't want her to think I was stupid, either.

Now, I thought I could Retweet her comment with my comment but again, i didn't want her to pick on me if she thought I wasn't funny. Big problem I often have when I write is that I'm trying to be funny or wittily sarcastic and it comes across more as mean or smarmy. There are tons of blog posts I've written and tossed because I was afraid no one would laugh.

I like to make people smile and giggle. I thought if I had any talent I'd do stand up but I can't imagine being up there and doing my thing and getting to the end and no one cracks a smile. And I'm not really a 'joke' person- as a matter of fact, I HATE to be told jokes- but I like to tell funny stories. I finally even made a label for some of my blog posts called "funny stuff" so people might realize it was supposed to be HUMOROUS. Now, I knew I was pushing it with the bellybutton post, walking a fine line between funny and gross and I think most people weighed in on gross (sorry about that!) and sometimes that happens in the world of writing funny. But there are times I think "hahahahahahahahaha" and no one else does.

And that's why I didn't write about about hot dogs to 'nachosarah'.

And the post I wrote in my head last night was much better than this one.

Maggie

Friday random musings

2011-12-02T19:21:00.003-05:00

I hate the tv show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I think it's stupid, but also because all they do is yell at each other, and shriek, and scream and it's a loud, ear piercing show. I hate it.

More garlic break!

I should move to Seattle and become a grunge band manager. Hey, it can't be much worse than what I already do.

I fixed spaghetti for dinner tonight- sauce out of a jar, pasta out of a box, and pre-made garlic bread from the freezer section- and it was REALLY good.

I want penny loafers, black ones. Please

Why do the contestants on Wheel of Fortune always yell, AND hit the last syllabus of each hard?

Where exactly are the slow boats to China and how do I get Mac on one?

Just my random thoughts for the day...
Mags

Damn, Jack Frost!

2011-11-30T06:01:00.001-05:00

Holy Freakin' Snow Storm, Batman!!!!

Yesterday morning when I got up it was pouring down rain, cats and dogs type of rain. It was outrageous and just buckets falling. It was about 45 degrees outside. The weather was really for shit. It was still raining at noon.

Around 1pm several of us were in the hallway during passing period and it had turned to snow. We were all laughing that it would never stick because it was so warm that morning and just too wet to stick.

Boy, were we wrong. The following pictures all happened between 4-5pm.

These three were taken on the way home, out the windshield of the car.

These are pictures I took on campus before I drove home:

And these are of my backyard:

Wind was gusting around 30 mph. Everything in the county was cancelled or closed early. We're supposed to have about 8 inches by this morning. (I have no idea how much there is because we have a 2 hour snow delay and this will post before I get out of bed!) It snowed and snowed and snowed, allegedly all night. I can usually drive home in about 15 minutes (10 minutes if I don't hit all the lights red.). Yesterday it took me about 45 minutes. Plows had not run; it involved me being on county, state and city roads- not one single plow at all. Ugh! Traffic was at a stand still. One road in town is a steep hill and the police cars were all over the place directing cars away from it as those of us at the bottom of the hill watched cars slide down it backwards. I was really happy that I left the house in my rubber muck boots because of the rain this morning because I was ankle deep in slush this afternoon. Not kidding- ankle deep! Can we say mess?????

Winter arrived here in Civilization with a vengeance. Wonder how long it will stay?

Making Christmas cards

2011-11-29T06:02:00.000-05:00

For art club this week- on Wednesday, the kids and I are going to make Christmas cards. Here are three samples. I was inspired by Achiever's, with all their make and take freebies, and their card workshops. So I came up with these three ideas and we made these examples.

Then last night I cut all the paper to the correct size after shopping for all the supplies. Daddy-O cut out the shiny trees, the snow flakes and the J-O-Y letters on his Cricut. Then on Wednesday night the kids will rotate in stations and make these cards.

I'm pretty proud of it how they came out! I hope the kids' are as happy with theirs as I am mine- I'll show their pix, too!

The not so novel navel

2011-11-28T06:56:00.001-05:00

The word belly button is even gross. I don't like the actual body part, nor it's name. If I have to refer to it as all, I call it a navel. Though the word 'navel' is awkward to me as well. Navel makes me think of the military, like a navel base, but it also conjures up images of giant bell buttons walking around in uniforms. I know. I can barely bring myself to eat a navel orange.

I understand why we humans have belly buttons but I'm just not a fan. You know how some people are totally anti- feet? Repulsed by feet? Freaked out by feet? Well, I'm that way about navels. Innies and outies are equally repulsive to me.

Navels on skinny people are even icky. I know some folks think a guy with six pack abs has a sexy bellybutton but I am not one of those. I like the abs and the way a guy's hip bones are cut, but I don't like the belly button.

In a movie if a guy or girl licks another person's navel I get all creeped out! Or licks a shots or eats a cherry or whatever.... just.... ewwwww!

I also think innies are gross. Since I've gained weight I don't even look at my own belly button. I just make sure I wash and rinse it well. But here's a semi- gross story! (I'm obviously desperate for blog fodder if I'm telling this story) My navel hurt the other day. Actually was in pain so I itched the inside of my navel and my finger came away with pus and blood. Oh yeah. I had a pimple in my navel. GROSS!! And I was completely freaked out. I wanted to run and flee but like a shadow, the belly button would be coming with me. So I cleaned it well, with peroxide watching it bubble, and with alcohol (OMG PAIN!). Then a few days later it itched again. After an internal struggle of to itch or not to itch, I finally caved to the comparable to water torture and itched it! And... more repulsion- a scab the size of a small stone fell out. More alcohol and more bubbling with peroxide. More wanting to flee from my own body. And I've never gone back.

But my navel zit is not as disgusting as ITSam's belly button was (maybe it still is... I'm going to write about him in the first person since he's not dead, that I know of. I'll treat him like literature). His belly button is huge- you could practically stick your whole fist in it!!! And he's really hairy, so it's just beyond gross. He has globs of lint in there, every day. All the hair catches his shirt fuzz- it's like a lint trap in the dryer, and it gathers huge clumps. Revolting.He showers and washes but it just gets all... lint-y.

I have no idea why, but I was thinking about a day he and I were watching television and he was messing with his navel cave- I don't know why. He plucked the lint and then was turning his navel inside-out and he asked me to look at it. He said he could see a spot and wanted to know if his belly button was bruised or if there was a freckle in it. Seriously?!? But I looked. I said I would look but wouldn't touch it. And it was black. HIS BELLY BUTTON WAS BLACK ON THE INSIDE!!!!!!!!!!! I was slightly freaked out. So, I took his keys from the table and poked and scraped the black gunk from the creases and it CAME OFF!! OMG!!! the deep, dark creases of his navel had mold in it!!!! I threw up in the back of my mouth a little bit, and then went home.

(In all fairness, it wasn't mold. It was just wet lint from a dark colored shirt, post shower)

But his belly button smells. It smells so gross I can't even come up with a description- 4 week old sweat socks and molding cheese? Maybe it smells like the color brown. Ya know? Yuck.

He's a very, very clean guy, obsessively showering and never wearing dirty clothes. He has (had?) good hygiene. But the whole navel thing had me freaked out as if I wasn't revolted by navels before, but then to add his?

The human body is necessary but it's really pretty gross.

Maggie

Video game review by guest blogger, Mac& his mommy's commentary

2011-11-27T06:36:00.001-05:00

Well, this is a first on "shoes/ purses": the first ever video game review. I asked Mac for a blog idea- I was just being silly and he starts spouting this so I wrote it all down. I was going to aim for something about bellybutton lint so I guess this is about as interesting. I know I haven't played the game but Mac has- obviously waaaaaaay too many hours: 62 hours , 28 minutes and 55 seconds. Uh, yeah. I've watched him play the game for about 15 of those minutes and I can say:
1) it has an epic sound track
2) it's very violent
3) there's sex in it [not porn style but seriously, sex in this game!!!]
4) the time period is cool, like the era of Knights
5) and, you can kill giant spiders in a swamp.

Without further ado, here's Mac's review:

The video game Elder Scrolls V: Sky Rim is absolutely amazing. The game starts as every Elder Scroll games starts: you're a nameless, raceless prisoner. After a dragon invasion allows your character an opportune time to escape, you go through the tutorial and make a character. After a very exciting and practically cinematic tutorial that shows the different styles of combat like sneak attack, blades, and magic, you quickly escape the dragon and are left in the open world of Sky Rim.

Like the previous game, Oblivion, the main focus of Sky Rim is exploration. As you explore the various towns and dungeons, one quickly realizes that every town and dungeon are different and have completely different feels to them. One dungeon might have you fighting through booby traps of ancient dwarfs and another might have you fighting a bunch of blood thirsty bandits. There are plenty of quests to do almost everywhere. Towns serve as huge social hubs to pick up quests and gear. In doing quests and exploring, the game play and its mechanics are quickly revealed. Simply put, how one plays the game determines how the character levels up. If you run around blasting people with fire balls, your magic ability will level up. However, if you prefer a more close combat, and use melee weapons to combat skills. There are also various abilities like alchemy to make potions, smithing to make weapons, pick pocketing to increase your chances of thieving, and many more.

After going through ten straight hours, I've only scratched the surface. The next 20 hours I delved in more to the mechanics of the game and figured out a lot of things. but there's always still more to do. After playing the game for a total of 50 hours I still have many more things to accomplish, as well as over half of my skills to level up. Sky Rim is an amazing RPG and will attract anyone who loves the open world, western-style RPG.

~Mac, Maggie's son

I'm really impressed with the laying of the story here. As a reader and a lover of movies, the "deepness" of the video game stories are pretty impressive. There's actually some character development, too. I can see how the argument could be made that a video game is alike a book come to life, to a certain extent.

I know lots of people are pro and con video games and I understand a respect both sides. I have to say this is just one impressive game. The graphics and story are very impressive, regardless of my over all opinion of video games.

Changin' it up a bit,
Maggie (and Mac)

I don't want to be as outrageous as Lady Gaga but...

2011-11-26T06:12:00.000-05:00

I want an Elf costume. Not a slutty one but a fun one, with red and white striped tights and the curly shoes with bells on the toes. I don't know why but I do. I think it would be fun to wear to work once in awhile. Or to go out shopping.

Occasionally I get this weird urge to dress funny. I always liked teaching because I would dress in costume to introduce different type of literature: as a flapper for Gatsby, in a toga for Julius Caesar, and once like a pirate when we did a short version of Moby Dick.

When I taught college I would sometimes wear wigs. At first I did it because I would over sleep from too much drinking the night before and would have bed head but not time to shower so a quick sink bath and a wig and off I would go. I had a red one, a blonde one and a black bob. It would flip my students out at first and then they just sort of became accustom. Now, I can't do this at the high school level because it's considered a "distraction" to the learning process. Yeah, right, whatever.

I like to put together an outfit that would be outrageous but because I live back in my small town I feel like I shouldn't be "too outrageous" because my dad has to deal with the gossip, whereas I could care less. A plaid skirt and combat boots and a wig would be awesome, in my opinion. I want to pierce my nose (Daddy-O said I would be kicked out and could NOT stay here if I did that. But I would like to point out that my dear late mother told HIM if he pierced his ear she'd divorce him. He pierced and they stayed married. Though he did spend a night or two on the couch.) and dye a streak of pink in my air. I have a Holly Golightly outfit, of sorts that I want to wear around town. Sometimes I dress like a Junior Leaguer or a Republican and wear trousers with a matching sweater set and a string of pearls.

When I moved to the Wild West I wore a tiara as I drove across North Dakota and my Native American name was "She who drives with tiara". Daddy-O named me. I forgot I had it on and wondered by people kept looking at me funny when I would get out of the car to site see or pump fuel.

I'm sure there's some sort of psychological reasoning behind all this, but I don't really care. I just like to look a little different, to try on a different look. I don't think it changes who I am, when it happens, but I like to "feel" different. I don't act so much on it now, but I wish I could. Changing my look is "my look."

And today I'm really rather hum-drum in my jeans and a red peasant blouse, and loafers. A nice diamond nose stud would really set this outfit off...

Who's that girl,
Maggie

I prefer a PINK Friday, thank you very much!

2011-11-25T06:12:00.002-05:00

As I said earlier this week: I am NOT Black Friday shopping today. I don't want to participant in the rampant commercialism and embark on a capitalistic materialistic journey to Christmas. I hate crowds and I'm broke, too.

I'm going to make today a PINK Friday. I'm going to wear pink, drink something pink, and eat something pink. I'm going to lay around the house and be lazy. My biggest adventure might be to go to the Diary Queen for a Pink Blizzard and drive thru the cemetery to see if my cousin's headstone as been laid (Um, this isn't as morbid as it sounds.) I might read, or craft. I might watch all the DVRed tv I've stored up, which includes about 4 episodes of Prime Suspect (I love Maria Bello but I hate that stupid hat) and 3 of Once Upon a Time (which was also my idea for a TV show). I might write. I just plan on enjoying the day. I might cook a little something... who knows?

I even have a bag of Cherry Cordial Hershey kisses which come in pink wrappers. I am soooo ready. I'm gonna sleep in and wear pink jammies.

But I plan for it to be relaxing and fun. And relaxing and fun can be pink.

I say "Down with Black Friday" and brighten up the day with YOUR favorite color!

Mags

Food is the point, right?

2011-11-24T06:15:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is all about food. Look yeah, we all know about Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock and Squanto and Maze and shit, but really, it's about food and family (and football). But mostly food.

I was fixin' dinner last might and Daddy-O and I were talking about food. Food and "dishes". I mean the glassware sort, not a synonym for meal.

We have a yellow dish with a pattern that looks like cross stitch on it which my Grandma F ALWAYS made corn casserole in. We have a ceramic plate shaped like an apple that my mom always made Waldorf Salad in. We have a crystal pedestal cake plate that the famous sour cream coffee cake is served upon. The food is associated with dishes.

There's a matching blue basket weave stoneware piece that my Grandma F always served applesauce with cinnamon on the top. I was thinking we needed to get out the solid white soup tureen because my same Grandma F served hot, spiced apple cider in it, topped with floating cinnamon sticks.

We have a pink Depression glass candy dish that always held butterscotches in it when my dad was a kid and HE went to HIS grandma's.

I commented that I wanted to make Grandma F's banana pudding and Daddy-O said she used a nut grinder and covered the top with freshly ground peanuts, and she didn't mess it up with Nilla wafers- just yummy from scratch pudding with pieces of banana- the trick was green bananas so they weren't brown or mushy when the pudding was stirred. Daddy-O said that was his Uncle's favorite dish that his mother made- and yes, we have a special bowl for the banana pudding.

Did I mention she also "made" a kick ass ham loaf? Yeah, she cheated and bought it pre-made from the butcher BUT she did make her own pineapple topping to pour of the top! Delish!

I realize these memories are connected with family on the F side of the family but they're the one's who left these pieces to Daddy-O or to me (I didn't get anything like that when the other grandmother died). So many of my memories are all tied up like that: with food and dishes and the moments. It seems silly but they are.

For example, if we get out the tureen for hot cider then I have to get pimento cheese spread and wheat crackers because Grandma F always had those together. It is what it is.

It think this was memory food week, actually. I made an escalloped chicken casserole that was my Great Aunt Zen's recipe and my Grandma F made it and I managed to NAIL it just like hers! Oh yeah! Then last night I made canned chicken and dumplings and grilled peanutbutter sandwiches. Now my Daddy-O made us that as a meal when we were kids and my mom had to work late. That didn't happen often but when it did, that was one of his famous staples.

Today is Thanksgiving and I give thanks for my family and friends and food. And today we're going somewhere new for Thanksgiving. We've not nailed down a new Turkey Day tradition since my mom died so I look forward to the annual adventure to see what happens- will I cook, will we go to relatives, will I have a man friend with whom I will celebrate, etc. And this year we're going to a cousin's house down in the Southern part of the state and there's gonna be about 30 people. I'm bringing pies. I don't know if there'll be any traditional foods or not. But there will be food and family.

For which I'm exceptionally thankful for both.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Maggie Mae

Gimme a classroom, anywhere

2011-11-23T05:14:00.000-05:00

I've missed teaching and I decided I'm not good at in between. What I mean by this is that if I'm going to work in a school I need to be a teacher, in my own classroom. Working in the library is AWESOME and I love it, but I love teaching more. Working the school library is like being a diabetic in charge of a bakery.

I had to laugh because a good friend of mine spent a day at a conference and one of the workshops she went to was all about teaching literature. As I listened to all the cool ideas she learned, I thought,"Ive done that" or "I do that" or "Hmmm, I've always done it that way." And the one workshop she attended that I could most relate to was taught by a 35 year veteran teacher who's been in AP classes since the beginning. And I did all the same things she did. SHE gets to be a conference leader and lauded for her awesome ideas and I can't set foot in a classroom because I don't have the right, damn license, which is so NOT fair. (And as we all know that I know, life isn't fair but it still sucks.)

So I've been looking around for teaching jobs again wondering where I can go. And I found a very credible source and company that puts Americans, Brits and Aussies in international schools to teach English. And I found that I qualify to work for this organization. And I learned of several openings, the one I am most interested in is located in Kenya. Yes, as in Africa. And no I don't care about heat or lack of air conditioning or bugs.

This is an amazing opportunity. This is chance to teach as well as have an adventure. This is what I always wanted- to save the world and this might be my way to finally do it. This is a way to give back. It's a way to be in a classroom. It's a way to help others, to share the love of language and words and books. It's a way to deal with some of my political ideology and thoughts on American Greed Mentality (uhhh, I'm gonna try to NOT get on a 1% soap box). This is something I want to do.

It does pay. It does provide health insurance.

I applied. Now I wait. Who knows- it might or mightn't happen but either way I had the guts to toss my name in the ring and we'll see what happens.

This time next year I might be blogging from Africa. Hmmmm, I might have to come up with a new blog name...

Maggie

I give thanks for 4 days out of school

2011-11-22T17:24:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty psyched about Thanksgiving because I don't have to cook. I don't mind cooking a big meal for a lot of people. It doesn't stress me out.

I remember whenever my mom was going to cook she would freak out because my evil grandmother would drive her nuts. She freaked about the food and the cleanliness of the house. And about how us kids were dressed. And and and---- the list goes on.

Now, me, I don't care. I can cook for a big group and what happens happens. I burn a turkey, then we eat all the other stuff. The spaghetti sticks, add more sauce. Something turns out gross, order a pizza. It doesn't throw me for a loop.

This year I'm happy because I am lazy. I don't feel like cooking one more friggin' meal, and I don't feel like cleaning up. I'm more than content to make the 3 hour drive to my cousin's house for Thanksgiving lunch and then drive back. I wish I knew someone here who invited me for supper that was having Thanksgiving meal, around 6:30pm, because I'd be home in time and go eat there, too.

I'm declaring it MY break. I don't have to work at all. Not any of my part time jobs. NONE of them! Can you believe it?!? I traded with a guy so he could be home with his grandbabies on Christmas eve and he's working my Thanksgiving- win/ win for us all! (This year my Bro works on Xmas Eve so I sure don't mind working for a guy so he can see his grandkids!).

I'm also NOT going shopping on Black Friday. I toyed with the idea and then last night I had to visit 2 grocery stores and I think the entire population of my whole county was split between those 2 places and that cured my Black Friday idea. Not a bloomin' chance! I think people who go out on that day are crazy. Brave but just slightly crazy. It's like a version of sky diving or something, and I am not willing to take my life into my own hands for a $25 discount on a shirt. (Maybe on shoes......)

I'm gonna read. Maybe see a few movies. Maybe drink Starbucks. I'm gonna sleep in. I might make some cards. Who knows?

I just know that I am NOT making Thanksgiving Dinner and I am NOT Black Friday shopping.

And you can't make me!

Maggie Mae

And now we return to your regularly scheduled program

2011-11-21T19:23:00.002-05:00

ITSam and I broke up, he quit his job and he moved to the state capital.

Mac quit school and is back at home, looking for a new job and a new school.

I'm going crazy.

I need to tell you about bellybuttons, a couple of road trips, some excellent homemade hard cider, cherry cordial Kisses, work, a winter Prom, and quite possibly an upcoming journey to Nairobi, Kenya.

Otherwise, it's been pretty quiet here.

How are things with you?

Baby, I'm back!
Maggie

Pants

2011-10-22T11:10:00.005-04:00

So, I'm going pants shopping. This may not seems like a big deal to some but to me it's a huge issue. I need dress pants. I found jeans that work for me and I'm good at buying jeans, but dress trousers are a whole other kettle of fish.

I have a tiny waist, broad hips, junk in the trunk, and heavy thighs. I have long legs but am short waisted. Buying pants is a nightmare. I have to buy pants at a Plus Size clothing store so the price is always higher, too.

I can't wear the wide leg trousers because I feel like my legs look like stumps- because of my thighs. I usually need to get my pants in a "tall". There's usually a huge gap in the back because of my waist. UGH!

But I NEED dress slacks for work. That's all there is too it. I had a pair of black and brown pants that I've had for about 10 years and the butt is shiny on one pair- from all the use- and the other pair now has holes. My other pair of blank pants accidentally got dried and shank so they look like I'm waiting for a flood. (These I'm going to shorten to Capris and wear with boots this winter, though.) I have 3 pair of cotton pants but I really hate the way the look and the way they fit. I wear them because I have nothing else. They also have cargo pockets and I don't think that looks dressy.

I have lots of skirts but it does get cold and I like pants. I love the look of skirts and tights but I have to be honest here: I've gained some weight and some skirts don't fit right. AND almost every skirt I own is a summer, flouncy, twirly skirt. So, if I have to invest in some bottom wear clothing, I'm going with pants because of the need for "warmth in a Midwest Winter" factor.

Usually I'm a bit of a bohemian when I dress but my friend Photographer is not. And she's lost around 50+ pounds with Weight Watchers and has gifted me her clothes, as I've previously mentioned in other posts. And only the tops have fit. And these are NICE things. Many with price tags still on. And they look nice on me. But nothing is very bohemian.

I do have this pair of trousers that are a lovely shade of gray and look nice on me. But when I wear those, I always pair them with a lovely blouse and a cardigan sweater. And pearls. I feel like I'm in a costume, ready to go trick-or-treating as Junior League Member. Or a Daughter of the Young Republicans. Or Daughter of the Revolution.... you get my drift. I look very.... conservative, sorta like Sarah Palin but without the guns and the stupid.

Now don't get me wrong. I look nice. Really nice. I get very complimented the days I dress like that. I even make sure I coif my hair and I demure. It's totally a part I play. And now with all of Photographer's "conservative" clothes, I feel like I should buy more "grown up" trousers.

So, I need pants, I have a little bit of money to buy some clothes, I have a coupon at my favorite Plus Size store, AND I have a plan. I just hope I can FIND something. But FINDING is for another blog post.

Or I can do what I always do when I can't find pants.... buy shoes.

Mags

Random thoughts, and a conversation

2011-10-18T06:10:00.005-04:00

I signed up for three months of yoga class and I still haven't made it to one yet. Thank goodness there are 2.5 months left.

I hope Zi-Cam saves me from a cold because kids are coughing and sneezing all over the place.

Channel locks and vice grips are NOT the same thing.

I miss the Wild West... their winters and their sunsets.

I've had it planned for 2 weeks for the Art Club kids to carve pumpkins next week. A fellow teacher came in today with a GREAT IDEA for Art Club. Gee, she said I should have them carve pumpkins. Gee, I already have the pumpkins ordered and a "Pimp Your Pumpkin" flier already printed.

I'm making a new collection... of pints of and Ben and Jerry's ice cream in my freezer. They have my name on them. In my freezer.

Conversation I had with a student:
student: I hate taking communion.
me: really?
student: Yeah. I bet the disciples went hungry.
me: uhhh, why's that?
student: well, if all you ate for a meal was a crumb of bread and a shot of grape juice you'd be hungry too.
me: well, it's not supposed to be a meal... and what does it have to do with disciples, exactly?
student: well, the bread and booze was the Last Supper. Is that why prisoners on death row get a good meal? Because Jesus's last one sucked?
me: *blink, blink*
Me: uhh, I think you're a little confused. The Bread and wine was not served as the Last Supper.
Student: are you sure?
me: uhhhh, yeah, I'm pretty sure.
student: then why do we eat bread and wine at church?
me: because it's a symbol of Christ, of His sacrifice for mankind. the bread represents his body and the wine his blood.
student: oh. Well, what did they eat at the Last Supper?
me: I don't know.
student: tacos. Jesus is a Mexican name so it was probably tacos.
At this point, I didn't say a word. Sometimes it pays to just be quiet.

Maggie

40. Watch a classic Christmas movie I've never watched

2011-10-17T06:12:00.002-04:00

I watched White Christmas and it's cute. I have no idea how I made it 40 years without seeing this wonderful, quaint and funny musical.

In summary:
Bob and Phil team up to become a song-and-dance act (think vaudeville) after they leave the Army, post WWII. They meet a team of beautiful sisters, Betty and Judy, who also have a song-and-dance act. Betty and Judy go to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, the guys follow. There they find their former Army General, Gen. Waverly to be the owner of the financially failing lodge. They all stay to help to try to rejuvenate the business and in the midst of all that romance and comedy ensue.

I love when the guys help the girls out of a situation and end up doing the girls' song and dance routine: "Sisters." It was hilarious! Of course, the costumes were lush and the music is to die for. The dancing is fantastic. And who doesn't love Irving Berlin's famous Bing Crosby crooning "White Christmas"?

This was worth watching and I might have to just watch it again, when it's actually part of the Christmas season. Who knows- I could start a new tradition and watch it each year, I liked it so much!

Mags

New out look on '40 before 40'

2011-10-16T15:02:00.002-04:00

Some of you might have noticed that I've changed the title of the 40 things to do before I was 40. Yes, now they are things to do in my 40th year instead.

I didn't get them all done before I turned 40 but I'm just not ready to give up on all 40 items. So I'm giving myself until I turn 41 to do them.

And I've been editing the list as I go along. I discovered I've never driven a go-cart. I live in the frickin' Midwest where we have as many go-carts as cars and I've never been on one. So, I added that to the list. I've also never been to a drive-in movie on a date. I might add that next summer, if I'm feeling like it. Or if I'm dating. I don't want to add any MORE pressure to myself!

So. I'm sticking to it. I plan on working a bit harder at these things this winter. We shall see what I can do.

The cool thing: so far I've done some things more than once like take a scrapbook class and more yoga. See, I did something for the first time and enjoyed it enough and will keep doing it! Now how awesome, for me!

And if all goes according to plan, I'll be crossing off something else this week: seeing a live show of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

This list can only make me like age 40 better because I've been 40 years old for about 3 weeks and these have been some of the crappiest weeks of my life so I am unimpressed with my foray into the forties. Feh. It can only look up.

People say being Forty is: Fun! Fabulous! Fantastic! So, being Forty is supposed to be some big F-ing deal?

Maggie

A little fall colour...

2011-10-15T05:28:00.000-04:00

I do this every year, go out and take pictures of autumn leaves & then post them here. Enjoy our Midwest Fall Rainbow!

Maggie

I'm so busy my head is spinning

2011-10-14T09:09:00.002-04:00

Months can go by and I have nothing on my calendar other than "movie" or "pick up Mac" or "grocery store". But this month my social calendar is full, as is work.

I have a ticket to see My Fair Lady, a touring Broadway show here in my local theater. I might also be seeing our local theater groups production of The Music Man. I'm going to a Halloween showing of The Rockey Horror Picture Show, which I've never done before so I guess I'm in for a real 'experience.'

Tomorrow is the annual chili cook off festival and a craft fair that's the largest in our tri-state area; I love to go to that with friends and family and won't miss it! I also took a card making class at Archivers- which was FUN even though one of my cards looks like my Wise Men's camels had teats rather than fringe- did I mention I hate using heat embossing? (Pictures will be forth coming)

I'm helping Photographer make 100 ghost cake pops for something she got roped into at school. I'm also co-hosting a book club meeting with her on Tuesday, at MY library. It's a 2-fold thing: book club and maybe get some donors. I have a yoga class. I'm meeting Lilith next week for an evening of girlfriend fun! Mac is home this weekend for his fall break and he, Princess and I are going to the orchard on Sunday, to pick our own pumpkins and then come to the house to grill out and watch a movie.

Not to mention I have to work my part time receptionist job this weekend, I'm co-chairing our Prom which we have next month so I have lots of prom meetings, art club meeting since I'm sponsoring that, gathering items and editing the literary club magazine (yes I am chairing that, too), substitute teaching on Fridays, AND I work in the library, too. Oh yeah, I almost forgot my regular job in there.

And Halloween.

Yes, this is all just in October.

I was supposed to attend a family member's memorial service but that was postponed, and I was supposed to go to a re-enactment festival but Curley and I bailed on that due to traffic, bees, heat, and nothing new that we haven't seen before. And that's only what was crossed off the list!

Somewhere in here I have to do laundry. And I have a BF who likes lots of attention.

I like a busy schedule but to me, this even feels a little ridiculous; I wish it could've been stretched out over a few months but I'm looking into November and it doesn't seem much better, in all honesty.

At least I'll have lots to blog about!

Head above water so far,
Mags

Stop and smell the flowers

2011-10-10T08:26:00.002-04:00

I actually wrote 3 blog posts by hand, on paper, over the weekend but haven't had a moment to sit down and type them up, so you get some of these "last of the summer flowers" pictures.

Happy Monday!
Maggie

Love some 'new' clothes! And I didn't even have to shop.

2011-10-04T22:52:00.003-04:00

My friend the Photographer is on Weight Watchers and is doing a great job. She was wearing size 22 and is now a 14/16, depending on how the clothes fit her.

I've been really blessed because as she looses the weight, she gives me her clothes. She and I carry our weight completely differently. She has no butt and skinny legs and I have a BOOTY and have some weight in my thighs. We both have it in the belly. I have broad shoulders and large boobs and she had to have a breast reduction several years ago for medical reasons, one being that she has narrow shoulders.

Anyway, I can wear most of her tops. And almost all her skirts. It's wonderful- my wardrobe has grown exponentially.

So SHE has a friend who is also on Weight Watchers and that friend went from a 24 to a 12. This friend gave Photographer all her clothes- 8 trash bags of clothes! It was like Christmas came early tonight.

I went to Photographer's house and we went through all the bags and I took what I liked that fit me, and she took what she liked and fit her. I got a 30 gallon bag, overstuffed with clothes... all tops. Because not a single pair of jeans or trousers fit me. I have tons of sweaters, shirts, t-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, dressy, casual... tops of all kinds and not a single pair of pants. Photographer, on the other hand, found all pants that fit her.None of the tops. We decided her friend had my upper body and her lower body. Well.... had because she's now a 12. And we reaped the benefits of her weight loss.

It's pretty awesome, too, because all her clothes are nice! Now, I own nice clothes from a boutique but I do not have a problem with wearing stuff from Wally World or Big K or Meijer. All these clothes came from exclusive boutiques, nice department stores, and are all well known name brands. Nice stuff. Not kidding- I probably got about $1500 on clothes today, for free.

I love it! I hate that I'm overweight but it's really nice to have some "new" clothes! My friends and I always laugh that when one of us is losing weight another one gains- this time I'm gaining a wardrobe!

The clothes horse,
Mags

No Havest Party for this girl!

2011-10-03T18:28:00.003-04:00

I think changing Halloween celebrations in schools to Harvest parties is stupid. There. I said it. It infuriates me that some closed minded dorks can't cope with the idea of Halloween. Oh, I think if little Johnny in 1st grade came home and told his mom that at the school Halloween party they sacrificed a live virgin, held a seance to contact a dead principal and drank the blood of a goat, I might raise my eyebrows--- and realize this had nothing to do with Halloween. But kids in ghost costumes are forbidden? No skull decorations because they're the sign of the devil? Plu-eeze!

What got me thinking about this is I'm decorating the school library for Halloween. Now, I work at facility for youth where they've been court ordered. We're just one step away from prison/ jail. We are also a very CHRISTIAN facility. I work in the PUBLIC school library. I have to consider I'm in a public school that's strictly for highly at risk youth in a Christian setting. Oh yeah, don't I just fit so well there?

Anyway! I'm trying to decorate and someone mentioned that I couldn't have Halloween decorations because it's "not Christian." I seriously bit my tongue and summoned all my will power to keep my mouth shut. And I wished I could've channeled Lilith!

Normally when faced with a comment like that, the first thing I want to do is buck the system. Of course. I know, I'm officially 40 years old and I still want to rebel at the first sign of being pushed- you'd think I'd outgrow it but still to no avail. And normally I think it's far easier to ask for, or even beg for, forgiveness rather than to ask for permission. But since I had already pissed off people about Banned Book Week (this will be an upcoming post!), I just thought, "Screw it" and I asked my principal.

And he didn't care if I decorated for Halloween, he didn't care what sort of decorations as long as they weren't "gross" and were "tasteful", and he didn't care if I called it Halloween. He asked me to not use skulls because that's a campus wide rule. So, HA!

I've been making Halloween happen. I have jack-o-lantern window clings, and spider webs, with spider rings. I have a bulletin board dedicated to our authors of the month: Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King. I have a pumpkin full of candy. We have a scarecrow and tombstones. I'm working on table top lanterns with battery operated candles. We have a Raven, a'la Poe. I'm even planning a Poe presentation and a little bit of information about All Hallow's Eve.

So I'm gonna Halloween it up! And I plan on going in costume on the appropriate day! I thought about wearing a costume a day, or least a variety of masks and hats daily but I think I'll wait and do that the week before and on the Big Day. I think I'm even going to see if I can host a Halloween Library Party on Oct. 31.

Any chance to eat candy, wear a tiara in public, and rebel against Big Brother!

Nothing mild mannered about this librarian,
Maggie

The "How Girlie Are You" Quiz

2011-10-02T21:38:00.005-04:00

Last night I went shopping, by accident. I think only a woman would ever do that. I went to Wal-Mart for one thing: silver crackle nail polish. And they were out. I knew the Wally World in the next town over had about 40 bottles of the stuff, so ITSam and I took a brief road trip. The purpose was to get the polish, a cheese danish, a new house key, and then a de-caf Peppermint Mocha with whip from Starbucks.

The plan went awry.

We went the 22 miles to the next town and their Wally World was now out of Crackle, even though 5 nights ago they had about 40 bottles. I was pissed. I drove all that way for nothing. I was no upset I thought I might not be able to enjoy my Starbucks. I wondered back to the keys and found a Pink House Key with a Silver Tiara on it, surrounded by Silver Rhinestones. This was my dream key. And since Daddy-O and I keep locking ourselves out and Booknut has to keep unlocking the house for us, I decided to get a Pink Key cut for me and then hide the boring one.* I paid for my cut dream key** and left, still fuming over the nail polish.

Until I remembered there was a Meijer next door. And I went there. And they had about 40 bottles of Crackle polish, of which I purchased a silver one. And I got ASSORTED mini danishes, which are far superior to those plain cheese kind, AND I got a new travel mug covered in PINK HIGH HEELS!!! So, I accidentally shopped.

ITSam said only a girlie girl could accidentally shop, which led him to say I was such a girlie girl and that I took normal girl things to the next level. Now, I don't think that's quite fair. I'm not THAT girlie girlie, so I wrote and took my own "How Girlie Are you" Quiz, and I determined I'm just a perfect girlie girl. Here, you can take it your own-selves! Pick one answer per number:

1) a-If you've had a man in our own home or in our own apartment building come over for the soul purpose of killing a spider, give yourself 1 point.
b- If you had a man operate a motor vehicle to come over and kill your spider, give yourself 2 points
c- If you moved to get away from the spider, give yourself 3 points

2) a- If shopping is daily exercise, 2 points
b- If shopping is your hobby, 1 point
c- If you can name your favorite QVC hostess's dog's name, give yourself 3 points

3) a- If you have more than four shades of lipstick you wear on a weekly basis, 2 points
b- Less than four shades, 1 point

4) a- If you need to call someone to change your tire, 1 point
b- If you refuse to pump your own gasoline, 2 points

5) a- If you refuse to use a public bathroom unless it's located in a 5 star hotel, restaurant or in an exclusive department store, 2 points
b- If you'll pee indoors anywhere, 1 point
c- if you've used an outhouse or peed outside, subtract 1 point

6) a- if you have 5 or more pairs of shoes that have matching handbags, 2 points
b- if you have less than five, then 1 point
c- give yourself 1 more point if you own at least 10 pairs of shoes or 10 purses, even if they don't match each other! (Heaven forbid!)

7) a- if all of your jeans are designer or your don't own jeans, give yourself 2 points
b- take away a point if you're willing to leave the house in sweatpants

8) a- If you might say something like this "Drinking Water only grows in bottles and is called Evian" then give yourself 2 points
b- If you prefer bottle water but will drink tap water out of an act of desperation, give yourself 1 point

9) a- if you spend more than 20 minutes styling your hair (washing and blow dryer do not count in the allotted time period) each day, 2 points
b- if your hair is a fire hazard due to the amount of product you use, give yourself 3 points
c- if you can't remember your natural hair color, you get 4 points

10) a- if your favorite color is pink, 1 point
b- if you're asked your favorite color and you say a specific shade of pink, 2 points

11) a- if you dog fits in your handbag, you get 2 points
b- if your dog also has a stylist, give yourself 3 points
c- if using the pooper-scooper doesn't freak you out, then subtract 2 points

12) a- if your life long dream is to be Miss America or be on Project Runaway or be besties with Snookie, 2 points
b- if your default TV channel is CNN or the History channel, subtract 1 point

Bonus question: if your biggest problem with the Bill Clinton/ Monica Lewinsky scandal was that she would wear that blue dress in public, give yourself an extra 2 points

Now, add and subtract all your points. Results are as follows:
0-6 points= are you sure you don't have a penis?
7-25= Just Girlie enough!
26 or more= You rival Paris Hilton!

I had 14 points. So, see.... just perfect!

And I can't help it if I accidentally shopped. For nail polish and a shoe coffee mug. Things like that are just bound to happen to us all at some point in life...

pink lipsticky kisses,
Mags

* the boring one is silver and nice, but it's a plain silver, albeit sparkly, key.

** The stooopid girl working at the key cut took 2 tries to get it right and when I got home, it didn't work. I marched out to my own local Wally World and got my money back. Then I determinedly headed back to our local key cutter and it was closed for the night- because why would Wally World have someone cutting keys at 10:37pm on a Saturday night, right? The keys were located in the Automotive department, which was closed. Only "closed" meant a sign was set up that said "do not enter." Well, I entered, went to the key rack, found a replacement key, and went up front and paid for it- uncut. I am taking it to the locally owned and operated hardware store to see if they can cut they key in a capable fashion... this will be the third attempt.

I have succumbed

2011-10-01T08:52:00.005-04:00

I have decided to rededicate myself to blogging and even when I think I have nothing to say, I'm going to make you all suffer and write anyway.

And in an effort to help me with this process, I've started a Twitter account. Please follow me! I'd make the icon be linked to something so you could just click it to follow me but I'm not sure to what I should link it... what URL or code. So you can just click the sidebar. (Evil Pixie- you Twitter. How did you link your pix to your follow? Can you email me please, or leave directions in comments for my technology impaired self, please?)

Sometimes I'll Tweet (or is it twit?) just random observations, thoughts, and.... wait for it... potential blog ideas. About 2 or a million times a day I think of a great blog idea and then when I sit down to write it.... bam- it's gone! Sometimes those thoughts could translate into blog fodder and other times they could just be a Twit (Okay I have no idea if the lingo is correct but I'm totally using Twit because I like how it sounds!)

Also, if you Twitter, let me know your Twitter name and I'll follow you!

So, after a week of being gone, I know this is lame to just announce that suddenly I'm using Twitter, but that's the huge announcement for the week. Steve Jobs can retire, Facebook can re-tool itself (so appropriate since I think Zuckerberg is a tool), Obama can campaign for whatever he feels the need to campaign for, but the real news is that I now Twitter.

Oh, help us all!

Don't take my Twitter name in vain,
MaggieMaeOS
aka Maggie Mae O'Sullivan

Desired book genres

2011-09-26T22:30:00.003-04:00

I love it when an author takes characters from a classic book and makes reference to them- and does it well, I might add; this is a must- and a new, modern novel is written using these characters or the idea of them.

I like it when the idea is fresh and not just a re-hashing of the old novel because if it's just a re-hash then I would read the classic.

It can't be done in chick lit style or that will make me gag so most anything to do with Jane Austin is not what I am talking about. (Have any of you noticed that anytime anyone writes a novel that has to do with Austin it's usually chick lit, and bad?)

And it must be well written, and clever. I like clever.

Now, taking all the into account, I love to read fiction based on real people. I love that! Again, it must meet the criteria that it's well written, clever, smart, and not chick lit, and must be fresh.

All of this being said, I really enjoyed a book I read called Gatsby's Girl, where it took the idea of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a real author of The Great Gatsby and gave his life a twist. I loved this book! And in the same vain, I also read a historical fiction about Hemingway and it was well written but made me really hate Hemingway, called The Paris Wife. Another one I loved was Lucy which is again historical fiction about FDR and his life long love Lucy Mercer. Again, wonderful

And since I'm such a Gatsby lover, I also loved The Double Bind (sorry Bragger, I know it wasn't your fav and I am so sorry you didn't like it, and that I recommended something you didn't!). It's a psychological thriller that treats Gatsby characters like they are real life people, and it's awesome!!!!!

I just checked out a book from the library called The Little Women Letters. It sounds good, bringing back the March girls through their great-granddaughters and through letters that Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth wrote to each other. I also have a copy of Loving about Frank Lloyd Wright I want to read, and Sunflowers about VanGogh- all historical fiction!

Something about this just makes me a happy reader. If anyone has any suggestions along these lines, I'd love to hear, especially bringing book characters to life, living in our modern world!

Mags

Facebook .vs. Google+

2011-09-23T08:52:00.007-04:00

Okay we all know I don't Facebook. I don't need to be social networking, I hate Mark Zuckerberg, I don't want to say something or have a picture that will get me fired, I don't want to deal with the fear of being unfriended, I don't want to play the Farm Game, I already socialize via phone and in person and via email all the people I want to socialize with, I don't want to have a war and have haters write on my wall, I can't keep up with my real time life and my blog let alone add another thing to do online especially since my computer is still taking a dump....

However... am I missing something? Should I be social networking in some way?

I don't want to come late to a party. I hate that. All the good booze is gone.

And I still feel all my reasons are valid.

What brings this to the forefront of my mind and my blog today is that I've been invited to join Google+. I've been invited many times and deleted my first several invites because I didn't know what it was and I was pissed that Google was sending me spam. Then I came out from under the rock I've been living and realized that Google+ is now a new Social Networking site that wishes to rise up and challenge the mighty giant Facebook mogul- Facebook that has 700 million users world wide and just rolled out a bunch of changes this week with more to come over the next several?

Yeah... right. Google + is so gonna win that fight. Not.

I've been reading about Google+ and it sounds like what Facebook is already doing so why would current Facebook users defect? Just because of the name Google? I don't think so.

So why would I join Google +? Google + doesn't change my reasons: I don't need to be social networking even if it's on Google +, I still don't want to say something or have a picture that will get me fired even if it's on Goggle +, I still don't want to deal with the fear of being unfriended or whatever version of this is on Google+, I already socialize via phone and in person and via email all the people I want to socialize with and still don't need Google+ to do that, I don't want to have a war and have haters write on my Google +, I can't keep up with my real time life and my blog let alone add another thing to do online especially since my computer is still taking a dump unless Google + wants to give me a computer but I don't think their marketing campaign involves giving people computers to join works.

Reasons I would join: Well, there is no Mark Zuckerberg, for one. BUT the other thing is.... there are no people. Or not many that I know. That's a valid reason for my interest in Google +.

And I get the irony of what I'm saying: I like the idea of joining Google + because it's not so crowded like at Facebook and there aren't that many people to deal with at Google +.

Yes, my friends, ... less people is my reason to join? Defeating the whole purpose, of course. I think I answered my own questions.

I am so NOT cut out for social networking...

Maggie

Return

2011-09-22T21:50:00.002-04:00

As you all know I've been missing X-Ray Girl like crazy since the horrid fight back in June. Brief refresher, ITSam and I got into a fight, he brought her into it and threatened to call the cops on her and she ended our friendship, and hasn't talked to me since then. I've called and left messages, sent USPS letters, texted... I was sort of a stalker for awhile and then I just knew she was done since she never responded. I walked away but I've hurt over this for a long time.

In addition to missing her, I've just been ... lost for awhile. I've even prayed about it. Like prayed to God.

Here's a story...
As you all know I hate Wal-Mart. I went there tonight to get my Daddy-O ice cream. ITSam and I just decided, spur of the moment, to buy him some as a surprise. There was no other reason to go other than I got a whim to get him some, just because he's my dad and I love him.

It was cold and raining and iTSam dropped me at the doors and went to park. I walked in with my head down, just no even paying attention and I get just inside the second set of doors and there she was.

We made eye contact, she held her arms open and said "I am so sorry." We just came together in the Wal-Mart lobby and stood there hugging and crying and saying we were so sorry. We hugged and cried some more and made plans to get together, and hugged and said sorry some more, and cried more and hugged and said how much we missed each other. Yes, we made a spectacle of ourselves right there in Wally World.

I think she and are I going to be alright again. We made tentative plans for Sunday evening (depending on her kids' schedules with their dad).

And, as I left Wal-Mart and drove away, it stopped raining. And right in front of me was a huge rainbow.

Do I need to state the obvious here?

Maggie

Knifty Knitting

2011-09-21T21:29:00.004-04:00

Today was a good activity day at school. We had our first Art and Lecture series speaker of the 2011-2012 school year- Curley!!!

She talked to the kids about knitting, crocheting and other types of yarn work. She showed them examples and THEN she demonstrated how to knit on a loom. All of the kids in attendance had a chance to make a sock hat or a scarf. Here are looms:

We had 2 kids make scarves and 6 make hats; thanks to my cousin R, Daddy-O and Curley for all their extra yarn and spare looms so there was enough to go around! Of course they didn't have time to finish their projects today so they can come in and work after school every day until their all done. I'm going to take pictures and will show their work when everyone is finished, next week of course!

It was a really nice group of kids; I couldn't have hand picked a better bunch. AND we had 2 girls and all the rest were boys! For knitting! How cool is that?

Now they all want to make blankets. And two boys asked me if Curley would please come back and teach them how to crochet an afghan.

She was a huge hit (they all thought she was my mom!) and want her to help with art club!

I try and hold a luncheon each month and have a speaker come in and talk to the kids while they eat and then the speaker lets the kids do something "artsy". Last school year we had jewelry making, cake decorating and card making. I plan on expanding this year- we have a potter coming in, and a professional artist who will teach something with watercolor (I have a visual image of something like this happening:)

Should be a fun year! I like it when a plan comes together! Who knows what next month will bring!?

Maggie

Weird dream Tuesday

2011-09-20T19:18:00.002-04:00

Before I tell you the dream, you need some back ground information here.

I work with a super nice couple at school, R and T. They have a 6 year old son, their only child. They live away from campus but have worked for this company in several capacities for about 20 years. I just love them both!

We have two young guys, in their mid 20s- that I like to call the Goon Squad. They work second shift and take care of all the issues on campus that happen during typical second shift hours. K is married with 3 kids and his dad-in-law is VP of our company. I guess he's a cutie but I've never thought about him like that before. The other guy, D, is a hottie and he's a flirt, even though he's married. I might have had a sinful thought or 2 about D but never acted on it!!!! D is the boss of the Goon Squad so while I have some interaction with K, it is very limited and I have more interaction with D, through all of the jobs I hold on campus. D doesn't smoke.

Back in the 80's we had a department store in our town that has long since gone out of business, but it was mostly a store that catered to women and children's clothing, and a little bit of men's clothes. That store chain finally went bankrupt so it doesn't even exist, and has been gone from our town for almost 20 years.

Now for the dream:

I'm babysitting for R and T's 3 year old daughter. (Refer to facts above- they don't even have a daughter!). In my dream their daughter is my niece. I'm at their house, (but in my dream they live in a campus house that belongs to the H's) and I'm watching their daughter. I walk by the den and R is assembling something red- I can't see what he's putting together. But he's putting together something red and he accidentally kicks over a glass of water. I see him do it but I don't offer to clean it up; I just go to the kitchen. Their daughter comes in and I give her a glass of water and she runs away with it. I go after her, armed with paper towel because I know she spilled it in the living room.

I get in the living room and she did spill it. I was cleaning it up when the doorbell rang. I answered the door and it was The Goon Squad. I invite them in and we all sit down. K gives me a present, in a red gift bag, and I open it and say thanks and hug him. Then he gives me two greeting cards and they are 1x1 inch each and I open and read them and am VERY excited. I go to thank him for the cards and when I look up from reading them,. the house is full of people. It's a huge party.

The party isn't FOR me but I'm just there and music is playing and everyone is having fun and eating and drinking out of red cups. I find K and give him a hug and thank him for the cards. As I hug him, he whispers in my ear "I know you'll love living at the lake. I love living at the lake." At that point I think it might be Valentine's Day- maybe because the color red has come up three times?

And as the party goes on I think I need to speak to D. I MUST speak to D. I go out a door (in reality, the door in the kitchen I went out of is really a window but in my dream it's a door) and when I close it behind me, I'm standing in the Department Store.

D is standing in the middle of the women's clothing with his arms full of women's clothes. And he's smoking a cigarette. I say, "You can't smoke in here! Everything is going to stink!" He says, "Don't worry about it. I have a hand held water filtration system" and he holds up a small water container with tubes and stuff. I shrug and he walks away toward the women's changing rooms.

I ask D "where are you going? You gonna try all that on?"

D says wickedly, "No I just want to lay it all out and look at it" and he walks into a dressing room and slams the door and giggling.

I woke up.

Moral of the story? Do not eat chili for dinner, before going to bed.

Hoping I sleep better tonight,
Maggie

I'm too lame to even title this post

2011-09-19T08:02:00.002-04:00

I should be blogging. I want to blog. I need to blog. But I have nothing to blog about.

Well, I might have stuff but it's depressing and sad, and... well, who wants to read crap like that?

And I hate it when I resort to memes or even just a "here's what I did today" post and right now, that's about all I have. I don't really have any funny or quirky moments. I don't really go anywhere or do anything. I don't hang out with anyone but ITSam or Daddy-O. Mac went to college so I don't even have any funny Mac moments. Work is just the norm.

Boring.

In the evenings, I'm so tired/ depressed/ bored/ whatever, that I just don't do anything. I cook- sometimes- and watch TV or movies and sometimes I read. I don't even feel like doing crafts or hobbies. I don't know what's wrong with me.

I've lost my muse. I can't seem to summon my mojo. Maybe my Muse ran away with Mojo?

I can say I watched the Emmy's last night and they were boring. I'm excited about Monday night TV line up, including the new Two and a Half Men. I'm also excited that Daddy-O now has DVR and if I miss something, we can "DVR" it (I don't understand how this works or what it is but it's sort of like a VCR concept, I guess. What it means to me that if I miss Glee, I can watch it later!)

Yeah, I'm a never ending ball of excitement.

Lame, lame, lame,
Maggie

Week from Hell, and it's only Tuesday

2011-09-13T14:15:00.004-04:00

1- Some kid lost her library book. I've been patient and have renewed it twice, giving her time to see if she can find it. Today she came in the library and I never said a word about it. Then she confronted me, in a confrontational tone, and asked me what I was going to do about her lost book. I asked her what she meant and she launched into "angry, loud, obnoxious, teenage girl" tone, ranting that SHE wasn't paying for it, SHE was calling her daddy and telling him to not pay a damn dime and on and on. When she seem to run out of steam, I nicely asked her if she would just check in her dorm again and SHE told me to do my job since I was the librarian. Oh yes she did. And oh yes I did give her the maximum allotted punishment for being disrespectful and for swearing.

2- We have a reading program that I've written about before. The company has updated said program and it's now web hosted. We paid the astronomical fees and updated and upgraded. We've encountered one issue after another with it and it's been an ongoing debacle since last February. Yesterday, during the last step of the upgrade process, all of the data was lost. I want to point out that I told our outside computer people who were doing this (not ITSam thankfully) that I hadn't hard copied the data and they told me I didn't need to worry about it since they were just copying. And now, somehow, in the magical world of technology, it's gone. All gone, every single piece of student data- test scores, books lists, point earned, tests taken.... gone gone gone. I finally sent an email to our principal and said I am done with working on this project and I don't care what they do with it. I've not yet heard a response.

3- Our principal resigned. He is the best boss I've ever had and now he has the opportunity to grow another, normal public high school, and his last day with us is on Thursday. I'll miss him.

And it's just Tuesday afternoon...

Maggie

I'm a calendar girl

2011-09-09T21:33:00.003-04:00

Do you know what I spent about 90 minutes of my life doing tonight? Yes, 90 minutes that I'll never get back, but I feel so much more organized because I did? I am so anal retentive... I can't believe I'm about to tell this...

I received a flier in the mail for a local theatre that hosts traveling professional performances: Broadway shows, concerts, orchestras, philharmonics, comedians, ballets, etc. Prices are sometimes reasonable, say $35 to see a Broadway cast doing My Fair Lady; this is the mid range seats, in the middle of the theatre. Not bad, I think. Some are more than others, some less.

Tonight I took the flier and marked all the shows I wanted to see. Then I went to the theater's web site and looked up the prices. Then I went into my calendar and put the shows in- dates, times, etc. Then I went to the pay days proceeding each event and put a note in that I should buy tickets for these shows. And on the tickets that were around $50, I made notes to buy them 2 pay days before each performance.

Maybe not anal retentive, but just very well organized?

I love the calendar feature in my phone. I use it to ding my "to do" list at me, and if I didn't get something done, then I can change the date and move it to somewhere else. I have stuff from a grocery list to appointments, to notes to remind me to do stuff. I sync is with my computer at work and I use the "share" calendar feature with my friends and to myself, so I can have stuff in my hotmail if I need it. It has bells to ping me, AND I can color code stuff- appointments are one color, work is one color, school stuff is one, Mac related stuff, to do lists, fun things.... all these have their own colors. Yes, I am lame.

I use that feature more than talking or texting or reading my email. Yes, my phone is really just a very expensive date book. And a place for me to play Bejeweled. Gawd, I'm pathetic!

Organizingly yours,
Mags

New bulletin board

2011-09-08T09:34:00.002-04:00

Here's the new bulletin board I've made for our school library. I know it's for high school students but they still need some color and some fun!

And for every kid who passes an AR Test this month, they get a mini "bit-o-honey" candy!

Book lovin' nerd,
Mags

Holy Cow- it's cold! Finally! And other news...

2011-09-05T16:39:00.009-04:00

It didn't get above 61 degrees here today, and that was in the sun. There's a terrific breeze (maybe we can call it a wind?) blowing and it's just beautiful after all the ~~we must be in hell~~ HOT HEAT ICK we've had here in the Midwest. It's so cold that Daddy-O's hung around the house in long pants, socks, long sleeves and a hat on his bald head. ITSam wore jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. I told them they were wusses and there would be 10 feet of snow outside and I was still wearing flip-flops, short sleeves and my capris. Man, I hate it when I shoot my mouth off. Once I finally lit in one spot long enough, and right in front of a window with the wind blowing on me, I was sort of wishing for socks and long sleeves. However, I am sticking to my resolve to wear flip-flops only...

Yes, those are flip-flop socks. Think mittens for your toes with the big toe playing the role of thumb.

In other news...

I heard from Mac today and the phone is officially stolen. No one has seen it, heard it, turned it in for lost, etc. It's gone, gone, gone. And all that stuff we hear about on tv about not being able to trace the "throw away" phones? Well, that's true, so if you want to commit a crime and need a phone, get a throw away! I wanted to see if there was any activity on the phone between when it was lost until now, but AT&T can't do it since it's the "disposable" go-phone. The other thing that sucks is that I can't get a replacement because of that so I have to buy him a whole new phone. And of course the college wouldn't do anything to help with this either. That just ticks me off. Mac, while a butthead in other ways sometimes, isn't at fault for the phone being stolen. I bought it on-line as a refurb, and might order him another the same way. I'm sitting here with a $50 re-fill card for it so I might as well. I hate crap like this. The good news is that whomever got the phone can't use Mac's number and minutes because the phone company killed the SIM card in it; however, the perpetrator could go to an AT&T store and just buy another SIM card and still use the phone. That so sucks.

This weekend Archiver's hosted ANOTHER free craft weekend- they SO rock! This time is was making 3-D flowers. Here are our efforts:

I went to Wally World to grocery shop and the shelves, and as Mother Hubbard would say, are bare. Since it's a holiday weekend so many vendors haven't been in to re-stock ,and pickins were slim on lots of things. It's a good thing that Daddy-O hates the Slimmwich bread rounds with all the grains, nuts, twigs, and oat flakes on top because I couldn't buy any of those; all they had were PLAIN- much to father's liking but too bad for anyone else- and one package of Plain, which I snagged! I also looked for either Club or Townhouse crackers, the original flavor. Not garlic, not low sodium, not light butter, not wheat, not pretzel, not Flipz, not herb, but PLAIN BUTTER ORIGINALS. None. I even broke my cardinal rule and asked an associate (Oh Lord help us, but I didn't kill anyone!) but to no avail. The associate who helped me said she thought there were some on a display somewhere and she looked and called someone else to help her look but couldn't find any. None. But near the door, I found the display, AND the last box of crackers!!!!!!! (I have to giggle that they "lost" a whole display... guess that's the way the cracker crumbles! *I can hear you all groan, you know!*)

And in the category of "I'm an idiot"... I put on a gray shirt this morning but didn't like how it fit so I grabbed one of Mac's old t-shirts, that's bright BRIGHT green! Then I went grocery shopping and when I came out and caught sight of a bright green shirt reflection on the car window, I literally turned around and looked behind me for Mac. Then I looked down and saw the green was me... I was really surprised and went "hey, I'm wearing a green shirt!" Oh. my. goodness! No, I am not blond.

I get a phone call from ITSam that goes something like this:
him: "Hypothetically speaking, how do you clean up hand-cream that was in a tube that might have been on the floor and then might have been stepped on and say, hypothetically, shot out all over the carpet in a big oozing puddle glob?"

me: "Oh gross. Did you step in it too, hypothetically speaking?"

him: "nope, but the hypothetical carpet smells good. I scooped it up with cardboard. Do you want me to put it in a jar or baggie or something to keep it?"

So, a tube of my Bath and Body Hand Cream- gardenia scent- was on his bedroom floor and is now ON THE FLOOR and he wants to know if he should keep it for me? Ummm, I think not. I also want to say he took a picture of the mess and I was going to post it here but this blog is rated PG-13 (an occasional R thrown in)- not X! Ick! You really don't want to see that...

Finally, I know it was a 4 day weekend for me but I am so not ready to go back to school tomorrow. And I know that means I only have a 3 day school week but I still don't wanna go. I am SO lazy!

And that's it from here.
TMI?
Maggie

Mismatched meme questions

2011-09-04T21:39:00.003-04:00

1. Do you believe in Heaven?
Sometimes

2. Have you ever come close to dying?
no, not yet, thankfully!

3. What jewelery do you wear 24/7?
none

4. Would you ever consider having plastic surgery?
hells yah! If I could afford it, I'd have everything lifted, sucked, flattened, tightened and put back where nature had it before I had children and got fat

5. What do you wear to bed?
underwear and a t-shirt

6. Have you ever done anything illegal?
yes

7. Who was the last person that you touched?
ITSam

8. Where did you eat last?
In Daddy-O's dining room, eating the meal ITSam and I prepared which was dinner tonight, but the last meal out was McDonald's drive thru

9. Besides your own blog, are there any that you routinely read but never comment on?
yes

10. Ever been involved with the police?
yes... and the Secret Service

11. Do you talk in your sleep?
I don't think so

12. Now a celebrity fantasy. Who would you take on a ménage à trois for a dirty weekend?
Charlize Theron and Johnny Depp

13. Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life?
nope

14. Where do you wish you were?
somewhere else... where it's cool and where there's lots going on

15. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
no- thank goodness!

16. Is there any type of dancing that you love to do?
I just like dancing

17. Last gift you received?
pink shoes from Curley!

18. Last sport you played?
8th grade volleyball??????? No wait!!! I was in left outfield, for a 1/2 of an inning in an all night softball tournament- co ed- for charity in 2000

19. Last place you went on holiday?
Ireland and Milan, Italy in 2009

20. Current Song?
"firework" by Katy Perry but I like the Glee version, too

And it wouldn't be honour among thieves if I didn't say thanks to Sunday Stealing for this meme!

The Divine Ms K is da-voon on...

2011-09-03T18:09:00.003-04:00

... her third birthday!!! Today she's 3, and it seems like time's flown. Instead of thinking of Mac's evil ways, this is a much better way to think of today, full of little girl happiness, butterfiles, rainbows, and sunshine!

Happy Birthday, baby girl!

hugs and kisses from your
Auntie Mags

Well, this is a disaster

2011-09-03T10:47:00.004-04:00

So, Mac came home yesterday and it's been a disaster from the word go.

I got to the school at the appointed time and location and he wasn't there. I sent a text and waited. And waited. And waited. And then I called a couple times. Ten minutes later he finally called and said he didn't hear his phone and would be down "in a few minutes." I said it would've been nice if he paid attention to the time and could've been watching for me since his room over looks the parking lot. He then hung on me. Brat. So 5 more minutes go by and I call him again and ask what the problem is. Well, he said he was packing his stuff. I was so exasperated because he didn't have it done already since it was his plan to come home for 10 days- it was something that was NOT a last minute plan.

So he's talking to me on his mobile while he's on his way to the car and out the dorm door. He gets to the car and throws all his crap into the backseat and throw his wallet and ID and stuff into the front, then gives this big dramatic sigh and complains that the forms were gone that he was supposed to fill in to sign out for an overnight. I sent him back into find any RA or his RD to take care of it. He bitched about that and stormed off.

When he came back and we're pulling out of the parking space, he suddenly can't find his phone. Now, he had the stupid thing when he finally came down to the car the first time. So we go through the whole car- and I mean the whole car. We move every single thing and I even go through his laundry bag, item by item to see if he dropped it in there. No. We went through every single pocket of his backpack, checked under the car seats, floor mats, between the seats, I mean everywhere but still no phone. I ask if he's sure he didn't carry it back in when he went to fill out the form. He said he didn't think so "gawd, mom- I said I didn't! Jesus, don't you listen?" I told him to go look anyway. He did, muttering at me the whole way.

I checked the ground around the car, under the car, under the neighboring cars, and then I traced his path from the outside dorm door to the car. He was on the phone when he came out the dorm door and it was about 100 feet from the door to the car. It just was not there. He came out and said it wasn't anywhere inside. All he could figure was that he left it on the table where he filled out the form and now it was gone. He said someone either stole it or found it and will give it to him when he returns. He said some kid had $150 stolen from his dorm so it wouldn't surprise either us if it was stolen. Then he said "oh well, those things are cheap since it's a pay as you go phone. It was only $10 bucks."

That brought me up short because it was NOT just $10- it was a $60 phone and I paid for it. He said "oh well, I don't care." We never did find it.

Then on the drive home he proceed to tell me how much he hates the school. He LOVES this classes, his learning, the intellect, the classroom atmosphere- he loves the challenge and the learning. But he hates EVERYTHING else- it's too conservative, it's too Christian, it's too goody-goody, like everyone drank the Kool-Aid. He said everyone is bonding with each other but him- he said he's left out all the time and he thought college would be where he would meet people like him. He said he was just the weird kid there too, just like high school, because he said he's a liberal in a sea of conservatives and the kids judge him for it, right to his face. He said his roommate is the one who stole the money, he thinks, because he started buying new stuff the day after the money turned up missing. He said girls are superficial and think he's ugly. He said there he's the "fat kid" again, even though he's lost 60 pounds since January. He said I keep bitching at him to get a job but he said he's in class and chapel everyday until 1pm and then he said he has about 4 hours of studying each day and don't I understand that he has an intense class load and he needs to keep a 3.7 GPA and he can't work and study and I need to get off his back about it. The litany and list of venom just spewed on and on, one mile after another.

We get home and he chats amiably with his grandfather. Then he has to go to the doc for a physical and I suggest he tell the doc all the stuff he told me and he said he would. Meanwhile, the doc doesn't have a copy of his immunization records- it was never sent over from his pediatrician's office. So I had to call that office, speak to records, and then get Mac to sign a release form at the current doc. They then faxed it to the old doc and the old doc faxed the records. Which were incomplete- and no one knows why. So we had to call his high school and get a copy from them (in my state you have to prove current immunization upon entering HS). But the school can't release it over the phone- we were told we would have to go to the school and sign something. Which we couldn't do since it was 4pm on a Friday of a holiday weekend. Mac is obviously pissed and this is somehow my fault. Also, Mac had to give a urine sample but the lab was closed so they made him an appointment to come back and do it this coming Thursday. But he has classes so he thought I would just take the afternoon off work, drive 1 hour to get him, drive the hour back to doc to give the sample, drive him the hour back and then I could go home. And then come back and get him on Friday, the very next day, so he could come home for the weekend. That's not happening because I don't have the money to put in the gas tank for all that. Yeah, with the huge snit he was in, that went over "really" well--- not!

He was fine at dinner, just chatting, telling stories about school, and complaining.

After dinner he tried to reach friends on Facebook, since he didn't have his phone, and finally reached someone and he wanted some money- of his- that I had for him, but I didn't have it with me at that moment. So he threw a huge freaking fit about it, and said he wanted to go back to school at that moment. I said fine and started packing his crap in the car.

Then he said he was going out anyway and would leave tomorrow. I tried to talk to him reasonably and he was being a turd- I'll spare you the nasty details. Then he "sort of" calmed down and we talked until we could be "sort of" civil to each other.

He's going home today, in about an hour.

This sucked. I was so looking forward to him being here and I got foods he likes and rented movies he wanted to see. He and I had talked about it all week and then "bam" yesterday he became the King of Mean and here we are.

I'm so pissed and sad that at this point, I just don't care.

I thought it would be easier once he was at school. Boy, was I an idiot.

Maggie

Random Musings. For today.

2011-09-02T05:43:00.001-04:00

If you want to drop by my house and choke or drop dead, that's okay. I'm officially re-certified, officially, in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. I'm also certified in First Aid but let me tell you, that's not my strong point. I'd be good at keeping you calm and calling EMS. If you're bleeding or worse, I'm not really successful. Blood makes me faint. I'm more useful if I know my limits than if I become a victim, too. So, come on over!

TGIT- Thank God It's Thursday. Since we have a 4 day school week, this is my Friday. And I am so ready for it; it's been a really long week. Though, I wonder, psychologically about this. Since I know it was the end of the week, could I have persevered on to one more day or would today have been my limit and I would've had to take a mental health day tomorrow if we were a 5 day week? Who knows? Who cares? What matters here is that I get a FOUR day, paid weekend. Booyah!

Since I work at a primarily Christian institution, the idea of Thirsty Thursdays don't work with colleagues. Or at least not how I'm used to organizing it... damn.

I'm totally excited that season 4 of Mad Men is now on Netflix! Booyah!

I don't usually watch much television but I'm excited about the start of the new fall season: House, Mad Men, The Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, and Mike & Molly. None of these are new shows but I like them all the same. And from the few trailers I've seen of new shows... well, I'm not impressed nor excited about new stuff.

I'm totally excited about the NEW magazines I ordered for the school library. I tried to diversify and not take my own personal needs into account. We're getting Game Informer, Entertainment Weekly, Taste of Home, Wired, Teen Vogue, In Style, Newsweek, Popular Science, and Cicada! These are gonna be awesome. I guess the library has had the same old mags for about 4 years so I'm mixing it up a little bit!

Sometimes nothing beats a McDonald's Sweet Tea. However, I was thinking that orange juice, pineapple juice, frozen peaches, peach schnapps, and Malibu Rum, all blended together and poured into a cold glass with a sugared rim! That might beat a Sweet Tea!

Mac is coming home for the long holiday weekend. Only, he has classes on Monday so for him it's not long. But he's coming home anyway. And I'm glad. I think. Remind me I said that later, if necessary.

And finally, I don't have to work at all the next four days. Except laundry.

Booyah,
Maggie O

Damn the DMV

2011-09-01T05:54:00.003-04:00

In my recent old age, I try to remind myself to "be calm and carry on" and to "not sweat the small stuff & it's all small stuff." I might rant and rave here and to friends and family but when handling a situation in reality I try to be calm and adult. Most of the time I succeed in this quest for anger management.

Sometimes I fail.

When Mac got his driver's license he was still living at the Sperm Donor's house so that's the address we put on the license.

Mac didn't get a summer job so he never opened a bank account. And--- he wouldn't have any pay stubs either. I'm just pointing this out now- think of it as foreshadowing.

Mac went to open a bank account at a nation bank chain. He was 18 so he went alone. He filled out all the paperwork and the teller asked of ID. His license didn't match his forms so she told him he had to have ID with the proper address. I don't know why, nor do I care.

We decided to just go to the DMV and get his licensed changed. I went on the web site which has to be the least user friendly web site in all history of web sites, to see what documentation he needed. I couldn't find it there so I called and after being on hold for 12 MINUTES, the woman said he would need a piece of mail with his address on it.

So, last Friday, I went up to Mac's college to see him and out plan was to go out to lunch, then to the DMV to change the license and then to open the bank account.

We arrive at the location to find they moved. Across town. About 8 miles. In a town where I'm not familiar with locations of stuff. The GPS rerouted us and we arrived.

We take our number and get called.

Mac tells the woman he wants to change his license. This is where things went severely wrong.

He provides his old license and his acceptance letter from the College, and his Social Security Card. SHE tells him that won't work. They talk. He says, loudly, "Are you kidding me?" He beckons me over.

She tells me the mail isn't a US Attorney approved piece of mail and it will not suffice. And he needs 2 pieces of mail with the address, not just one. I calmly say that I called and was not told we needed 2 nor that there was criteria for the type of mail. She said I should've looked at the web site.

I told her I spent time on the web site and since it was not user friendly I called instead. She told me it was there and I should look.

I said that since I was already there, maybe she could just tell me what we needed. She said it was on the web site.

I told her to pretend I didn't have a computer and to give me the list. Mac has steam rolling out his ears and I hear him muttering under his breath- lots of bad words.

I look at the list and Mac could use things like bank statements, a pay check stub, a Passport, a mortgage or auto loan documentation, a deed to a house, something to do with being a veteran, or utility bills.

I took a deep breath and told her he just turned 18 in April and didn't have any of these things, and did she have another option. She asked why someone his age didn't have a bank account. Mac said "because I need a correct driver's license address, lady!"

I explained the bank's policy and said that was the reason we were here. She said she didn't have to do that when she got a bank account. OMG!

I swear Mac is snorting like a bull, ready to just explode. I'm taking deep soothing breaths, because I know if I loose it that will be the signal to Mac that he can as well--- which would be very, very bad.

I nicely tell her he has nothing on the list and I nicely ask if there is an alternative.

She said we could provide a copy of his transcripts. Okay, I think, cool. We can call his old high school or hit the admissions office and come back. But- no! Miss Helpful Pants then says it has to be an official transcript and with a letter. You. have. got. to. be. kidding. me.

I'd like to say we just walked out and that the stupid ended there, but no. I wasn't that smart to just give up, go to a different bank and lie about Mac's address.

I said that since I was his mother, could I sign something? Well, sure, as long as I could provide 5 forms of ID. I am NOT exaggerating.

Because I would be verifying his identity, I would need to prove mine. For me to do this, I would need to provide 2 forms of photo ID, one of them being my driver's license with my correct address, she snidely pointed out, that bitch. Then I would need a Passport, an original copy of MY birth certificate and then 2 items from the list she gave Mac. And I would need an original copy of Mac's birth certificate, his old license, and his Social Security Card.

Mac lost it. He started raving, and yes, raving is the only word that will work here, he was RAVING about the idiocy of bureaucracy, the stupidity of the government, why the US is in such pathetic shape, and something about health care reform. He also told her she was an "imbecilic , heartless, government drone" who could kiss his ass.

I didn't need to say what I was thinking- I just hustled him out before we were arrested.

Let's just say we still have no correct license and Mac still doesn't have a bank account. That's okay, he still doesn't have a job anyway. (Oh and about the bank... the branch of the bank he wanted to open his account in closed and is no longer in his college town! Go figure that one!)

We did have a good lunch...

Need I say more?
Maggie