Back in the saddle again

Posting from Maryland in my parents' office. It's weird that they can live in an entirely different house in an entirely different state, but the surroundings make me feel 15 again. Familiar furniture, knick-knacks, Christmas tree, etc. Completely different but all the same. 

The kids are loving it. My mom has a puppy, Mad Max, that Kitten is absolutely in love with. It's really just a living creature she can get away with bossing around, but she's having a good time. Meimei, on the other hand, is horrified that the animal. wants. to. touch. her.

Had a fantastic Thanksgiving yesterday with tons of family and friends. I love being out here and having new people for dinner with family too - Grma and Grpa Sch brought friends from overseas to eat with us and I loved them - funny, kind, and the woman is Dutch, so you know my mom thinks she walks on water. I have to admit, though, I was partial to Hans. I want to bring him home and have him sit by my fireplace and tell me stories in an Austrian accent and correct my German. Do you think he'll come if I offer to make him strudel? I'll make it from scratch... 

And oh, the yams. Grma Sch promised the recipe and I'll post to recipeeps when I get it. You won't be disappointed. 

But anyway, I think we'll go to the National Zoo today with the kids, then mom wants to have a little Christmas, as long as we're out here. (Yeah, Kitten already talked Nana into a present yesterday, the little conniver.) Then tomorrow it's more family time with some family that didn't make it out yesterday and then back on the plane on Sunday. 

All in all, it's just nice to have a few days with my 'rents. Haven't seen them in a while, have never seen their new place or the dog. Some of the family have never seen my kids. Having a good time and hope you all are having an amazing weekend filled with family and friends. My love for everyone overflows, despite the inevitable cold I always contract when we travel. 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

Random Thoughts

My jaw is sore - TMJ sucks. I've been trying to sleep on my back with just a small rolled sweatshirt under my neck, a pair of rolled-up boxers as lumbar support, and a pillow under my knees. I feel like a vampire in a coffin. I wonder if Pants will find my with my arms crossed over my chest and stake me in my sleep.

Kitten discovered a couple of old nukkies in a backpack and turned into a screaming, raging 3-year-old. We have given up the nukkie battle for now. After the holiday, we hope to remove them from both children.

Had a rather successful show on Saturday, even with a preview of my December sale. If you are interested in product, stay tuned...

Got my Christmas cards done and printed. Bets on when they will get mailed? They're cute as hell, though.

Closet dilemma

So, my new poll is in regards to the useless closets in our bedroom. Here's the background you might need for an accurate vote:

• We have a clothes rack in the office that holds the bulk of our clothes.
  
• Only one section of the closet trio has a bar. One has a low shelf. The last has nothing except a basket with blankets in it.
  
• With the closets intact, we each have 18-24 inches of clearance on our respective sides of the bed. If the closet doors are open, Pants has much less. The bed also has a very square footboard - you can imagine the bruises.
• A full remodel to make the office into our closet and master bathroom is years away.
• The carpet does not go under the little closet divider walls, I'm sure. Might be bare cement under there, for the glorious decisions we have unearthed so far.
  
• Do you think we need a permit to tear down, or just to put back together?
  

I need a little grace today

Oh dear, we're the butt of the joke tonight on The Daily Show. "Minnesota - Crazier Than You Think."

7 things I'm grateful for from the last few days:

1. 6-8 loads of laundry done yesterday. Damn, clean underwear feels good.
2. Real apple cider warmed in my favorite mug - only available in the fall.
3. Flylady.net and shining my sink.
4. Kitten is pooping again.
5. Meimei has decided to show us how Elmo can walk down the stairs and "slinky." Must be seen to be believed. For the slinky, she skooches him down one step and basically punts him down the rest.
6. Realized today that Pants gets paid 3 times next month.
7. Changed the litter - my kitty likes me again!!

Insurance sucks

My ears have been hurting. And itching. Tons of pressure. But I didn't have an ear infection, confirmed first at the Minute Clinic and then a week later at my regular clinic. They referred me to ENT for this morning.

ENT tested my hearing, which is fine. Then they looked at my ears, which also looked fine (again). Then the doctor ran his fingers up my neck to where the jaw meets and I nearly leapt out of the chair.

Turns out TMD/TMJ often presents as ear pain/pressure/itching. So they shuffled me out of ENT to the referral lady, who told me to call my insurance and ask them who I could see for it. Apparently, it also turns out that insurance has a hard time with TMD because medical thinks dental should cover it and vice versa.

So my insurance will only cover a visit to maxillo-facial pain clinic if it results in surgery. Does this sound logical at all? I'm on my own until it's so bad I need surgery? Don't cover any kind of consultation, physical therapy, acupuncture or anything less invasive that might prevent surgery. That's just crazy talk.

So I guess I'm on my own.

Potty talk

"I go on the school bus when I'm five. But I can't go bus if, if, if, if, if... I can't wear a diaper."
"Yeah, you can't go to school until you wear big girl pants."
"I know."
"Are you afraid to go in the potty, honey?"
"Yeah."
"What do you think would help?"
"Um, um, um, I think a princess potty."
"Oh, you could go in a princess potty?"
"Yeah. I need a princess potty."

Honestly, people, I would pay the kid $100 if it meant she would go. Why oh why don't children take checks?

The best of times, the worst of times

High School Meme

1 Who was your best friend? Bonnie

2 What high school sports did you play? My nickname was Tennis the Menace.

3 What kind of car did you drive? Huffy. Okay, it wasn't even a Huffy, it was a Coast King.

4 It's Friday night, where were you? School dance in the cafeteria.

5 Were you a party animal? Not so much.

6 Were you considered a flirt. Depends on who you ask, and which year.

7 Were you in band, orchestra or choir? Band, totally. Only popular kids were in choir.

7b Any other extracurriculars? Theater, Science Club, Knowledge Bowl, Marching and Pep Band.

8 Were you a nerd? Um... yeah.

9 Did you get suspended/expelled? I got detention once, does that count?

10 Can you sing the fight song? Sorry, it's been replaced by the MN Rouser.

11 Who was your favorite teacher? Jep, Garm, Olson, Cushman

12 School mascot? Redmen, Cougars (for a summer), then Magic. It was a whole drama because we had to change it, for reasons that are very clear to me now.

13 Did you go to Prom? Twice I think.

14 If you could go back and do it over, would you? Not so much.

15 What do you remember most about graduation? How stinkin' hot it was in the gym.

16 Where were you on senior skip day? We didn't have one and were promised a trip to Valley Fair in exchange.

17 Did you have a job your senior year? Yep - kitchen duty at the nursing home down the road.

18 Where did you go most often for lunch? The Commons area - where the hamburgers and fries were located.

19 Have you gained weight since then? You think?

20 What did you do after graduation? College.

21 When did you graduate? Class of '92

22 Who was your senior prom date? Jay.

23 Are you going / did you go to your 10 year reunion? I couldn't bear the thought of answering 100+ people asking if I had kids when I had just had my third miscarriage.

24 Who was your homeroom teacher? Last one I remember is 7th grade, Mr. Dornfeld.

25 Who will repost this after you? Some other band geek, I'm sure.

Random Thoughts

I read yesterday that Rick Astley is enjoying a surge in popularity due to "Rickrolling," where seemingly unrelated internet links bring surfers back to a video of "Never Gonna Give You Up." I have yet to experience this, but I felt an immediate surge of nostalgia for a person who shall remain nameless, unless such person wishes to out himself/herself in the comments.

Our great state is in the midst of the closest Senate race in MN's history. The votes separating Al Franken (D) and Norm Coleman (R), the incumbent, which started at 700-ish Wednesday, is now down to 221. Much focus is being placed on the "undervote," or 25,000 ballots that registered a vote for president, but not for the Senate race. Overwhelmingly, the undervotes have favored Obama. There are also 8900 ballots that didn't register a vote for President, which concerns election officials for such a closely-watched race. These 33,000 ballots will be reviewed by election officials to see if there was an intent to vote that didn't get read by the machines. Although the count is down to 221 votes, this race is totally up in the air with 33,000 ballots out there to read. Even if it's already looking good for the democrats.

I went into the Minute Clinic on Tuesday for the pressure in my ears (got a flu shot and the pnuemonia vaccine too). She said they were full of fluid, but not infected yet. They might be infected now, but I'm not sure. I know they're still full.

In other medical news, my podiatry appointment is finally coming up on Tuesday. I had thought about cancelling it after the horrific itching stopped, but I think I will go anyway and just get another opinion.

I should really stop watching HGTV, it just makes me want to do stuff that costs money.

And they all breathed a collective sigh of relief...

I don't know when the last time was that I could say I was proud of my country.

Tonight I can actually hear the country breathe. I feel the negativity of the last month lifting. Hearing McCain's concession was like a weight lifting - positive and gracious, for once in this whole election (from anyone).

And listening to Obama now is like listening to my best friend. He's got my best interests at heart, but he's going to tell me the truth, even if it hurts.

I don't know how this is going to turn out over the next 4 years - it's proving time for the Dems. No one knows what's going to happen. But for one night, I am proud to be an American again.

2067

I was voter 2067 in my ward this afternoon.

And dang, were they organized. One judge out in the hall stopping folks who needed to register so they could start outside the melee. Switch-back lines so everyone could wait inside the gym in an orderly fashion (middle school, you know). Line directors at the front to show people to open polling stations and to allow people a bit of privacy while they fed their ballot into the machine.

In all, it took about 20 minutes for me to do it all. With an additional 100 people milling through the process. Brilliant.

Oh, and I so love that there is one precinct reporting in for Maine right now - with a total of 3 votes. If I could extrapolate that to the entire Presidential election, I would be a happy girl.

Oh, the leaves

We had fun trick or treating - although we didn't go to a lot of houses and things got a bit manic toward the end. Kitten was wandering in a drunken stupor from house to house and Meimei was running like a crazed monkey. She even tried to turn back to some houses we just finished at. That's 2-year-old logic - hey, we know they have candy, why move on to the next one?

Saturday we started raking after Pants nearly broke the mower trying to mulch up the backyard. Apparently we have to stay on top of it a bit better next year. I should have some pretty groovy pictures when I locate the camera.

This evening we started bagging the leaves. Worst. Job. Ever.