Funny Roads...

Funny Road Names....from an article:


It’s a strange name for a street and it sounds like a redundancy – Avenue Road.

But if the famous Toronto thoroughfare has a weird moniker, it’s nothing compared to some of the winners of the oddest road name contest.

Mitsubishi Motors asked visitors to a car website in the U.S. to send in the strangest names for streets in the entire country, and more than 2,500 people responded.

All the top entrants were checked for accuracy and then the judges decided on a winner of the hundreds of thousands of miles of pavement that stretch through America.

And the top prize went to one that’s both funny and a little unsettling.

It’s “Psycho Path”, a road in Traverse City, Michigan. The just as bizarre “Divorce Court” came in second. It’s a road that – you should pardon the expression – splits off in Heather Highlands, Pennsylvania.

The equally strange “Farfrompoopen Road” in Tennessee took the bronze.

Also on the list: the intersection of Clinton and Fidelity in Houston.

Toronto boasts a less comical version that came to prominence during the 1996 U.S. election. It’s Clinton and Gore, two roads that meet in the Bathurst and Bloor area.

But that can’t hold a candle to some of the submissions.

"Our readers really stepped up with some insane street names," Thecarconnection.com’s Paul Eisenstein agrees. "Our panel had a difficult time narrowing several hundred down to the 10 our readers voted on.

"But we learned a lot about the … collective sense of humor of city planners everywhere."

Eisenstein admits actually vetting and checking all the information was tough, because some of the roads are private and others just plain obscure.

Here’s the list:

1. Psycho Path in Traverse City, Mich.

2. Divorce Court in Heather Highlands, Pa.

3. Farfrompoopen Road in Tennessee (the only road up to Constipation Ridge)

4. The intersection of Lonesome and Hardup in Albany, Ga.

5. The intersection of Clinton and Fidelity in Houston

6. Bucket of Blood Street in Holbrook, Ariz.

7. Unexpected Road in Buena, N.J.

8. Shades of Death Road in Warren County, N.J.

9. The intersection of Count and Basie in Richmond, Va.

10. Tater Peeler Road in Lebanon, Tenn.

40 Random Things about me...

1. I'm a gemini
2. I have a dog named, "Eddie"
3. I've never been to the Grand Canyon
4. I share an office with a girl named Sarah
5. I wore a black & white wedding dress
6. I love cala lillies
7. Green is my favorite color
8. My first car was a convertible
9. I love chopsticks
10. My toenails are painted red right now
11. I had an unhealthy lunch today
12. My favorite show is "Grey's Anatomy"
13. My 2nd favorite show is "The Apprentice"
14. I love to go swimming
15. I like picnics
16. I think a really cute purse is invaluable
17. I would like to go to Hershey,PA some day
18. I used to have a best friend named Jillian
19. I look like my mom
20. I love Christmas ornaments
21. I work in a hospital
22. I hate "ordinary" postage stamps
23. I detest all things adorned with puffy paint
24. I belong to the gym
25. I like things that smell like green tea, but hate the taste of green tea
26. I like to write with fine point pens
27. I've been to Egypt
28. The last fortune I got from a fortune cookie read, "You will become more and more wealthy"
29. I am in the process of consolidating my student loans
30. I enjoy Otis Redding music
31. I love to bargain shop
32. I have no credit cards or credit card debt
33. My family size is 3
34. I miss New Orleans
35. I've only had one professional massage my whole life
36. While flying, I really like the take off & landing the most
37. The sense of touch is very important to me
38. My car is black
39. I sometimes listen to rap music
40. I hate using the phone book

Does that sum me up? No way....but it is what it is: 40 random things about me.

My husband is pretty great...but...

...but, he's not perfect.

In fact, I'm pretty mad right now.

Right now---I work 7 days a week. I called today, and he was napping. I know--he says that he didnt feel well...but, yesterday while I was at work--my 2nd job...I called the house, and he & Gage were napping.
I should be so lucky to have that much free time.

And...I just got an email from jana. They are coming in 3/9-3/13 & going to stay with us.
Well, my husband told me that they were going to be here the weekend after St.Patrick's day.
So--what does that mean? That means that I WILL BE WORKING THE ENTIRE TIME THEY ARE HERE, AND I WONT GET TO HANG OUT WITH THEM AT ALL.

I guess I'm just jealous. I'm working my ass off here, and for what? So I can miss out on time with my son. So I can miss out on family & friends.

I'm doing it to pay the bills.
I'm doing it b/c it has to be done.
I just wish I didnt feel like I was the only one doing it.

"Mom Bod"

Upon re-evaluation of my new "mom-bod", I've come to the conclusion that it's my abs, not my a$$ that really need the work for swimsuit season.

So, I packed a gym bag this morning so I can work out after work.

I need to lose at least 8 pounds in the next two months.

I think I can! I think I can!
Everyone says the last 10 are the hardest, and they are soooooo right!

This is the swimsuit that I think I want

for this summer.
So, if I can work my a$$ off (literally...work my a$$ off), then I just might get it.

:)


another one that I'm considering...

To Stay Out of the Dog-House...

I told Damon that in order to stay out of the doghouse, he cant:
-cheat on me
-leave me
-die.

My Uncle Glynn died on Thursday morning, and my Aunt Loraine is just beside herself. So, I told Damon that he's not allowed to die.

What happened? Well, Uncle Glynn was 70 years old. He had a history of heart problems...but his last major heart trouble was about 15 years ago. Anyway, on Thursday morning he went for his morning jog, and after returning to the house, he apparently just collapsed. Likely a massive MI.

So, Thursday, I left work & went to the grocery store. Got salad stuff & Damon started cooking a lasagna & garlic bread. I stopped by the florist to get some flowers for Aunt Loraine so that they would be there by the time she got home from the hospital & funeral home. Took the food over about 2, and she still wasnt home yet. Played with her grandkids who were there, and talked to my cousin, Carrie. The troops were rallying & everyone was on their way in. We ate lasagna, and I got to see mom for a little bit.

Went to work on Friday...busy work day. Ordered funeral flowers.
Damon cooked enchiladas to take over.
After work, went back to Aunt Loraine's and ate...then we went to the visitation at Williams Funeral Home in Garland...it's a new building....built right in front of my old house. And boy, they really did an awesome job with that building. It is so pretty and so nice inside.

Saturday, was supposed to work @ Baylor Garland...but didnt. Had the funeral instead. Went to that...It was at Trinity Lutheran...the church where I was baptised, and where my parents were married. It's funny b/c I remember going there as a little girl, and the whole place seemed soooooo huge. Now that I'm older & a little bigger...it doesnt seem so large anymore.

Anyway...did that.

Now, it's Sunday & I'm working. (wink, wink....)

What else? Baby Gage is just as precious as ever. He lights up my whole life!

Oh--Friday night....we had terrible storms here. There was thunder & lightning...it was Gage's first big thunderstorm. He was so scared!!! When the thunder got so loud, it woke all of us. Gage just started screaming & crying & it took a little bit to get him to calm down. He came to our bed to sleep with us. Finally the storm passed over, and he was calm, so Damon put him back to bed. But, it was new & different for him.

Movie Reviews:
Saw II: pretty good.
Skeleton Key: awesome. It was scary/suspenseful, but I liked it!
The Bad News Bears: cute..funny.
In Her Shoes: in progress. I like Jennifer Weiner books...so I knew that I'd like this movie. So far, I love it.

My cousin, Nicole, is pregnant again. She & Karl have one son, and he's about 8 or 9. And now, she's pregnant. They arent planning to find out the gender..they want a surprise. And---the new baby is due on Gage's birthday!
:)

That's about all I know for now.
It's been a long week/weekend.
I think we're supposed to go to Ramona's next weekend.

Career Choices...

Grad School.
To do, or not to do?

Wanted to be a doctor.
(wanted that for yeeeeeears.)
Changed my mind.

Wanted to be a nurse.
Changed my mind.

Wanted to be a Social Worker.
Became one.

Wanted to go into the Peace Corps.
Never did it.

Thought about going to law school.
Decided that it wasnt for me.

And now....

Get my Masters?
1) In my current position, I am the only one across the board that doesnt have my Masters, and my experience & personality (I'm told) is what offset that requirement.
But...there may be an opportunity becoming available in Spring 2007, and I am afraid that the position is going to be for Masters level only...not only will I not have my Masters...but I wont even be able to say that I'm working on it, unless I get my butt in gear.
2) If I go back to get my Masters...I think within 5 years of graduating with my Bachelors, I may be able to "place out" or be "excmpt" from taking some of the courses required for Masters completion.

I have a lot on my plate right now... 2 jobs & a baby....
But--I think it could be time....

What to do? What to do?
Certainly I'd have to cut back on hours @ my 2nd job.
And--I'd get tuition reimbursement from my primary employer.

What to do?
I think I'm leaning towards going back to school.

I love Baby Gage!

Gage now has his own toon too.

He's such a sweet boy!
Monday night, he spent the night @ MIL's (Mother-in-law's). It was a nice break, and we got a little housework done. We had a great dinner, and watched Grey's Anatomy (recorded from Sunday night). And...I had some wine...it was sooooo good. But, we missed him.

So, yesterday after work, I went home, and Baby Gage was home, and all was right in the world again.

FIL (Father-in-law) came to visit. He had to be at a bid opening today about an hour away from our house--so he spent the night.

Pictures from last night....

Baby Gage in his Bumbo seat. He'll sit there for a while...and he'll eat there too. But mostly, he just wants to stand up...

He still loves that walker....He cruises all over the house in that thing!

He's found his tongue. He loves his tongue. He sticks it out all of the time, and it is so funny & precious to watch!

And...finally....a picture of my new sink faucet:

Damon & FIL installed it last night, and replaced all of the pipes under the sink. Our sink faucet was dripping a little...so they thought they could just replace the faucet. Funny--but things at our house are never that simple. Turns out, a pipe broke underneath the sink, and they had to replace those pipes with PVC pipes... Then, the replacement PVC pipe was/is cracked. So, my poor husband has to go back to Lowe's today to get a little U-shaped pipe to connect to the disposal. So, the sink works-the faucet works-most of the pipes work. We just cant run the disposal right now until he replaces that one pipe.

:)
Oh--my Jeep-Jeep is in the shop getting fixed. I thought I just needed a new bumper. Turns out, b/c the car that hit me was much smaller than my car, he ran up under my bumper & jacked up a bunch of other stuff. They've had my Jeep since Monday, and it should be done today.

In the meantime, I've been driving a Hyundai (spelling???) Sonata. It's a little 4-door car. It had only 66 miles on it when I got it....and less than 1/2 a tank of gas. I've been driving it since Monday morning, to & from work & running errands. I'm STILL not out of gas! I've got a quarter of a tank left. I'm so not used to this great gas mileage. And, I've just enjoyed the sh*t out of this little car! I told Damon that if it came with leather seats, I'd totally drive one! (the seats in there are really ugly...or the upholstery on the seats is...)

Got Tristan's birthday gifts...they'll be mailed to him:

It's a remote control jet plane.

I was going to get him a set of SpongeBob sippy cups...but he's turning 4, and I think he might think those are too baby-ish. This cup has a straw.
:)


That's about all I know for now.
My husband is doing well.
My baby boy is perfect...
And I'm doing well.
:)

"I'M A GOD WARRIOR!"

Her name....her name is Marguerite Perrin, and she was the star of "Trading Spouses". We dont watch that show in my house...but I've seen clips from that episode on the internet. It cracks me up every time!

...eccentric...yes.
...maybe a little over the top....

but, she certainly got her message across, now didnt she?

And now--she has her own website. It cracks me up.


www.margueriteperrin.com

:)

Gage is walking!

...with the help of his walker.

Okay, really....the title for my post today wasnt quite fair, was it? I'm such a tease....I know.


...and his little feet look so cute @ the bottom!
He was getting his feet/socks/footies all dirty, so I got him some little leather shoes...Mom named them, "his driving shoes".


He's such a cutie-patootie!
I could just kiss those little cheeks all day!
(But...since that job doesnt pay much by way of cash...here I am at work...I dont think TXU & SBC accept baby smiles & coos in exchange for service)

Make me laugh...

Okay...these made me laugh.

How do you get Holy water?
*Boil the Hell out of it.

What do fish say when they hit a concrete wall?
*Dam!

What do you call cheese that isnt yours?
*Nacho cheese.

Where do you find a dog with no legs?
*Right where you left him.

:)
Happy Day!

Check out my toon...

Okay, so there's this board that I chat on sometimes, and they've come up with a cartoon that looks like me. One of the chatters comes up with these for various people....

Here's my toon!


That's me. I'm MrsDallas04.

:)
MrsD

Saturday...

Happy Belated Birthday, Trystan!
His birthday was yesterday. He's 4 years old!



Tiff told Mom that they were having a small birthday get together last night for him, and are going to have his birthday party in March.
I guess it's fitting since the weather is sooooo crappy here right now.

Went to Target yesterday after work. Jamie met me there.

Came home...had fish for dinner...
wathed movies with Damon.
"The Man"...it's okay. Parts are really funny...parts are just stupid. I seriously though had thoughts of the movie, "Training Day" in the beginning. Then, he reused the lines from "Pulp Fiction" about a "tasty burger". Okay---"you've got to come original!"
"Saw 2"...we started that & then went to sleep.

We turned in around 10:15. Baby Gage had a rough & tumble day yesterday...so he was asleep before 7! He woke up again @ 4:45, diaper change & dining....then back to sleep at 5:15. He slept until after 8. Woohoo!

Working today from 12 to 12...then working tomorrow from 12-6.

Oh, while @ Target last night, I got Baby Gage some little leather shoes. They are so cute.

He's been going around in his walker, and getting his little socks all dirty (no matter how I try--I cant keep the hardwood floors clean enough. I just cant).
So, these slip on easily so he wont ruin tons of socks or the footie parts on his little romper outfits.
And---because they have pictures on them, he loves to stare at his toes, and tries to get the little dogs off. It's so cute.
:)

I've had a great morning...slept until 8....uuuummm....& then Damon made me blueberry waffles from scratch. Yuuuum! And, he ironed my clothes for work.

That's about all I know for now.

Making the Band...

Okay, so I really liked that show, "Making the Band 3" that Sean-PDiddy-Puffy-Puff-Daddy-Combs put on....



But--if I got hooked on the 3rd series of the show, does that mean that he previously made 2 bands? And, if so---what do they sing? What are the band names? Did anything ever come of those bands?

My $0.02

Okay...it's Friday.
I'm going to be working all weekend...so it's not like I'm mega excited or anything. I'm pretty excited about the extra $ though.
Woohoo.

Movie Reviews: "Lord of War"...very good. Parts of it are kind of hard to watch though. It's about a gun trafficker.

"March of the Penguins"...OMG. It is sooooo good. But---there were parts that I absolutely did not watch (a hawk or eagle was coming in, and I just know one of the baby penguins got eaten up...I knew it was coming,so I covered my eyes). Anyway--such is nature, and such is life. A mixture of good things & bad things. The movie as a whole was just awesome. Damon watched it with me. We both really liked it.

What else?
Oh, here's something else that truly makes me want to vomit.
The Schlosser woman who cut her baby's arms off.

I just cant even watch the news when stuff comes up about her & what she did to her baby. UUUUGghghghgghgh.

What else???
Oh---Baby Gage got a walker with wheels on it, and he has been cruising AAAAAAALLLL around the house.
He's so funny...he hasnt figured out yet that he can go backwards---so when he runs into a wall or closed door, he puts his hands up & cries until you turn him around. He LLLLOOOOOOOVVEES that thing! And, it's so cute to watch!

:)

My $0.02 on the Cheney thing...Um, I'm over it. Did the guy die? No. Was it an accident? Sure. Is he the first person to be involved in a hunting accident? No. Someone said, "If I didnt have that $7 stamp--I'd be going to jail. He gets off because he's the vice president!" Well, just my two cents---but he should get some preferential treatment in some situations. (I.E....seated immediately at a restaurant...the chef comes out to meet him...a nicer room at the hotel...etc.) Should he follow the laws like the rest of us? Well, we would all think so.
so---here's my opinion: he should have had whatever little hunting stamp that he didnt have. Should he be punished for not immediately telling the world, "Hey---Americans, I accidentally shot my buddy"? I dont think so. Him shooting his buddy--that's between them. If I accidentally shot my buddy, and it truly was an accident, I wouldnt want to go running around telling everyone I know either.
So, I'm over it.

My favorite Bath & Body works lotion scent was Lily of the Valley...but they stopped making that one. Now, my favorite is...I think Sweet Pea. I love that. I put it on my hands this morning before coming into work. It smells so good!

Had Chinese food for lunch: cashew chicken. Yum. (Oh, except, I pick out the cashews. If I knew what they call the meal that is cashew chicken w/o the cashews--I'd order that. Since I like the flavor of the cashew chicken meal, I just pick out the nuts.)

I'm ready for today to be over.

I woke up at 3 this morning & had a hard time going back to sleep. I was still awake around 4, and then finally went back to sleep. Oh, and I had a really weird dream just before I woke up. Damon, Gage, & I lived in a loft in Deep Ellum. We were leaving to go somewhere, and Gage was in his carseat, Damon was in the truck, and I was locking the front door & getting into the truck when I realized that someone was breaking into our house. I got Damon, who went & confronted the burglars. It was Susan!!!! She had 2 other people with her, and Damon almost shot them, and the cops came. I was so mad & sad & cried & cried. I couldnt imagine why she'd do that to us. These two people she was with---they were "bored" & they thought that robbing someone's house would be fun. I'd talked to her earlier, so she knew we wouldnt be home. WTF? So then, in my dream, she was begging me not to tell David. I was so mad & upset, that I told her that I was going to tell her husband & her parents. I called her husband who was @ home asleep, and he said that he was on his way. Then, I called her parents. They couldnt figure out WHAT she was thinking, and then they handcuffed Susan, and I woke up.

Let me just say for the record---this was a dream, and Susan would never rob my house! ...I can just see the headline now, "Dallas Doctor Charged with Breaking & Entering & Burglary!"
Whatever...she's not the type!

I dont know much else.
took some pictures of Baby Gage in his walker, but forgot to bring the camera today to upload them. Will share later!

:)
Have a happy Friday night!

"Friendly Fire"

Okay, I was listening to the radio, and heard this story about cops & this domestic violence situation....etc, etc. One of the cops was shot during "friendly fire". now, call me crazy---but if I get shot...nothing friendly about it. It's a bullet, fired from a gun. I just think that they could have come up with a better term to mean that you got shot by one of your own guys on accident. "Friendly Fire" just doesnt seem to fit in my opinion.

Next topic: songs that you hear that just automatically make you happy. For me, one of them is "Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkle. Love it. Just puts a smile on my face. Heard it this morning on the way to work.

Damon went to get our taxes done today. Oh, what fun. Thank goodness it is me & not him.

My car is going into the shop to get fixed with a new bumper next Monday morning.
They will give me a rental for the day. I requested a 2 seater Jag, but we'll see what I get. Probably a little "Aveo" or something. Whatever. It will be nice to drive something different for a change...no matter what it is!

Itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow...floral...bikini--that's my goal to get into this year. Oh, let me rephrase that...that's my goal to look good in my yellow bikini this year. I'm sure I could get into it....it may be stretched to the point of pornography, but I'm sure I could technically "get into" it. Anyway---that bikini is my fave. It's currently at Mom's house b/c there was no way in hell I'd fit into it last year, so I let her borrow all of my skinny summer clothes & swimsuits. And--Damon doesnt like my yellow bikini. It's my favorite! So, I'm going to keep working out, try to eat better, & look good in ANY bikini this year! I told Damon that we'll have to go swimsuit shopping together b/c he & I dont seem to like the same swimsuits. I had this one piece that I really liked...it was blue & brown from J.Crew....Damon hated that one too.

What else?
Gage slept through the night again. I got up with him @ 5:30 & nursed him. Put him back down @ 6, and he was asleep by the time I finished my bath.

Dad's supposed to get back from his trip today.

Mom & David are supposed to be getting a pool installed. I dont know when they will break ground, but I'm going to be there for the inaugural swim...hoping Damon will wear a speedo & flippers like Cousin Eddie from the movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation".
Gosh, I love that movie.

Okay...gotta run.
:)

"The First Years"

Here is my letter to the company that makes "The First Years" brand products.

First of all, here are the two products I am referencing...

Natural Comfort Brest Pump

Easy Pour Milk Storage Bags

_______________________________________________________________


RC2 Brands
100 Technology Center Drive
Stoughton, MA 02072


To Whom It May Concern at RC2 Brands:


I am writing this letter to your company, quite frankly, because I am mad. I am a dissatisfied customer. I am disappointed in two “The First Years” products that I purchased, and in general, feel ripped off as a consumer.

I purchased the Natural Comfort Breast Pump & later purchased a package of Easy Pour Milk Storage Bags.

Shortly after purchasing the breast pump, it began to malfunction. It would only work if I unscrewed the bottle from the shield, and used my hand to loosely hold the two together. Not to mention the physical discomfort to the nipples from the pliable breast shield. I can honestly relate using your product to having pliars attached to my nipples, & tied to the bumper of a stick-shift truck , where a 16 year old is learning to drive…the repetitive tugging & jerking motion to the nipple…it didn’t do anything to encourage milk let-down.

Things that attracted me to the pump initially:
Size
Portability
Brand Recognition
Pricing
All of those things lured me in. Job well done. However, after using the pump for a while, and it turning out to be a poor investment, I can now admit that I should have paid no attention to the pricing, and just invested in a better quality pump (which I have now done).

Onto the topic of milk storage bags. They leak. In fact, they leaked my breast milk all over the lunches of a few of my coworkers. Not only was that embarrassing for me, it ended up costing more than the $5.99 I paid for the bags. Sure, breast milk is fit for consumption, but my coworkers weren’t really interested in their lunches, after my milk dripped from the top shelf down onto their food.

I am not basing my opinion of the bags leaking on just one incident. That wouldn’t be fair. Certainly we must allow for user error….after all, I’m sure we’ve all had experiences of not properly sealing bags of various types. With your bags however, I have certainly noticed a trend. Of the 4 bags I’ve used so far, they have all leaked. And, they all leak at the same spot.---on the left hand side of the zipper seal, just under the pour spout. I even had someone else seal the last bag for me, just to make sure it wasn’t my action causing the leak. Again, the bag leaked in the same spot.

This is my first child. These are my first experiences with your products. I am far from impressed.

I am aware that your company has a 90 day guarantee. As a consumer, I don’t want to go back to the store of purchase with an open, used product, & say, “I’d like to return this because I think it is crap.” So, here I am, writing this letter instead.

I’m not looking for anything for free. I’m not looking for replacement products. After all, I have no faith in the products I’ve tried so far. I just needed to let your company know how I feel as a consumer.

With regard to the money that your company spends researching, developing, and marketing products to breastfeeding women, I would think that your team could come up with comfortable, functional, and reliable products.



Thank you,

Gage's 1st Valentine's Day...

It was Gage's 1st Valentine's Day yesterday....

He got lots of candy...even though he cant really eat it yet...(or we wont let him, anyway).

He just tried to eat the box instead. He was probably thinking: "If you guys aren't going to open it for me--I'll just eat my way into the box. I know there's chocolate in there somewhere!"


Anyway...we had a good night...even though we had a rough yesterday!
I went home to a nice candlelit dinner. Yummmmy Yummmy lobster tails with sun dried tomato bread, twice baked potatoes, & fresh asparagus. And for dessert---chocolate cupcakes & candy. And of course, a bouquet of red tulips.

...so, even though he didn't like me very much yesterday...he still loves me!

Gage's Valentine's dinner was....breast milk, zucchini babyfood (just a few bites b/c I dont think he liked it), banana baby food (1/2 a jar), and some mixed grain cereal. Yum. (note the sarcasm).

Gage has slept through the night for 2 nights in a row now. I wake up a much gentler & more contented person when that happens. So far, it's been hit-or-miss w/ the sleeping through the night thing. And, we're going by what our book says--we need to stop going to him in the middle of the night. So, we have gone to bed for the past 2 nights with that mindset--"If he wakes up, we're just going to let him cry it out". Well, he's slept through the night for the past 2 nights, so we havent even had to go through the whole "cry it out" thing.... PLEEEEEASE let it stay this way!

What else?

Oh, I came upon this the other day at home. My husband & son had there shoes together on the living room floor. When I saw it--I just stared for a minute, and then had to take a picture!

Now, Gage doesnt know how to remove his shoes & put them on the floor...so I know that whenever Damon & Gage got home from wherever they'd been--Damon probably took off both of their shoes & put them down. I just thought it was so cute.
:)

I've got to go to the gym today. I didnt go Monday b/c I was soooooooo tired. I didnt go yesterday b/c it was Valentine's Day. I wanted to get home to see my Valentines (Gage & Damon)!

Okay, that's all for now.
Susan's birthday is coming up!!!!

My Ghetto Confession...

Okay, I have a ghetto confession to make.

I needed to run to the store at suppertime last night. We were out of butter & a few other things...but mainly, we needed the butter to finish dinner.
Anyway...I ran up to this little ghetto store...I knew that I wouldnt run into anyone I know...so, I wore a t-shirt, jeans, & my house-shoes. How ghetto is that???? But, I also knew that I'd fit right into the general consumer population at that store.

So then---as I am walking from my car into the store...there was a little girl, about 3 or 4 years old. Well dressed, braided & pony-tailed hair...she was holding her Daddy's hand. She said this to her dad---I kid you not---"Daddy, she wore her slippers. How come I had to put on MY shoes?"

I felt so GHETTO!


So...there's that.

Yesterday, on my way home from work, some guy rear-ended my Jeep-Jeep. Yup...I'm going to need a new bumper. I felt really bad for him. He tried to stop in time (we were in traffic), but he slammed on his brakes, his car skidded, and BOOM...he was all up in my bumper. His car is smashed up...mine just probably needs a new bumper & an alignment. Anyway--like I said, I felt bad for the guy.

Today...it's Valentine's Day. A holiday that I normally enjoy. But today....hmmm...not so much. I guess it's just b/c I'm in a bad mood. Oh, and my boss said to me, "I owe you a Valentine. I got everyone chocolate covered fortune cookies, but I was one short." To which I replied, "That's okay, I dont like fortune cookies." Thinking back on that...(1) It's not entirely true. I like fortune cookies, I just dont like to eat them. I think they taste like crap. (2) It sounded a lot snottier than I meant for it to sound. So, I hope she's not mad.

...but whatever.

Back to Valentine's Day.
Dad took this girl to the Dominican Republic for Valentine's Day.
I wish I were on some beachy vacation right now!

Valentine's Day at the Duke House didnt get off to a great start. I'm mad. According to my husband, I "stay mad".

Scenario: I get up at 6, had to shower, blow dry my hair, dress, & get to work by 8. Damon fed the baby a bottle at 6. By the time I was out of the shower, he was done giving Gage a bottle. I got clothes out, and asked Damon if he would iron my pants. Didnt get a "Yes sweetie, I'd love to do that for you"....didnt get a "No, iron your own damn pants"....didnt get any type of response whatsoever. So, I took that as a "No". So of course, I'm immediately mad. Why? (1) he never helps when I ask for his help. He'll offer to help with things when it is convenient for him...but when I ask for help--he always has a reason as to why he cant help, or he will bitch & moan for 15 minutes, finally help, and then bring it up all the time like he deserves some type of award. Oh--and he'll always help if he has an audience. For example, if I ask for help with something & we have company, he'll always say yes b/c he doesnt want to look like an ass. (2) he was not doing ANYTHING when I asked for his help. He was laying in bed w/ the baby, and they were watching the news. Gage already had his bottle. They were just laying there. Gage could lay in the living room while Damon helped me by ironing my pants. (3) he only wouldnt help me to be spitefull. He told me that he'd iron 5 outfits for me on Sunday if I didnt make him go to Tyler w/ me. I didnt lay 5 outfits out, and I made him go to Tyler with me, thus I somehow waived any right that I had in requesting his ironing assistance. WTF-ever.
So, I was 30 minutes late for work b/c I had to shower, blow dry my hair, and iron my clothes.

So---my lack of adequate time management is not his fault, & he is in no way responsible for it. I'm not blaming him for that. I'm just saying, I would like to get hlep when I ask for it every now & then.

Yesterday morning, I asked for help with the baby b/c I'd been up with him twice during the night. When I asked for help around 5:30am, he just laughed at me. What a JackAss! I took that as a "No" to my request for assistance. Later yesterday when I brought that to his attention, he swears he must have been asleep b/c he doesnt recall that incident at all.

And then last night, I asked Damon to put the baby down to bed for me. Which he did...but then, he's brought that up in conversation last night & again today---like he should get some type of freaking medal. Um---here you go, Dear---oh look, there's no medal---it's just a sticky note w/ the word "parenting" written on it---there's your medal.

Oh---and then, he says that the root problem is that I'm selfish b/c I get mad when he doesnt "jump" when I say "jump". I didnt tell him to go iron my pants. I asked him for help so that I could be on time. He couldnt give me a single good reason why he couldnt or wouldnt help me (in my opinion anyway). AAAAND...I pointed out that I got up at 5 in the morning to iron his shirt to wear to his grandma's funeral. He said that if I had been going to a funeral today, he would have ironed my pants. Why on Earth does it matter where I was going? Whether he was going to a funeral, or going to flip burgers at McDonalds--he asked for my help & I obliged. Why does it have to be a tit-for-tat thing? I want help when I freaking ask for it!

Okay...I know, I've been venting...but I'm so frustrated.


I'm scheduled to work every day for 19 consecutive days. So far, I'm on Day 2. Great.
Calgon take me away.

Happy 9th Birthday, Allen!

Well, Allen is now 9 years old.
He had his party yesterday at an indoor play gym place. The kiddos had pizza, ice cream & cake.

Allen told Mom that when he's 9, he cant really wear shoes with lights in them anymore. So...for his birthday, from Mom & PawPaw, he got 3 new pairs of shoes!

Birthday Party Pictures....


Allen--acting all "cool".


...and of course, pics of Baby Gage...
This was Saturday morning. He was sooooo "seeeeepy". He just woke up & had "seeepy eyes" & "bed-head!"


Okay, I've gotta run. It's a busy Monday morning!
:)

Over the weekend....

Okay, I've been busy this week so far....

So, let me recap the weekend...

I paid bills (oh, what fun).

We had to get Baby Gage a new carseat. He's outgrown his carrier at 4 months! His little carrier only accommodates up to 20 pounds & a child who is 26 inches long. Well...like I said, it was time to gear up!

Here's Gage in his last infant carrier ride....


And Memaw & Papa (Damon's mom & stepdad) met us at BabiesRUs to try out carseats...
Here we are at the store, reading up on the carseat we ultimately purchased...

Here's the one we purchased:


What else???

On Sunday, I took Baby Gage over to Pop & Gammy's house to visit.

Pop kept Gage very entertained!
And Gammy had Gage laughing too!


I made cupcakes for Valentine's Day! (Okay...I made them a little early...but whatever!) They are strawberry & yuuuuummmy!


Baby Gage had fun with his Bevo doll! (He always does...) I really think he might already be programmed to be a Little Longhorn.
"And here is my buddy, Bevo."

"Bevo, here's my secret: I think I'm going to be a Longhorn!"

"Now give me kisses!"


...and now, we're in the middle of the week.
I cant believe that it is already Wednesday. ...it's Wednesday, right?

Movie Review: "Lucky Seven" w/ Patrick Dempsey. It's a little romantic comedy...not sure how old it is...anyway, it was cute. Damon watched it with me on Monday night.

Allen's birthday is coming up....this Sunday. So, we'll be going to the par-tay! This will be Gage's first kid's birthday party to attend. I just hope he behaves himself!

Yesterday on my way to work--pulled out an old CD that I hadnt listened to in a while...Macy Gray. And then today--pulled out another old CD...Lord of the Dance. Yes, I have the soundtrack to that, and yes, I enjoy it. Poke fun all you want. I'm beyond caring. I like it, and I drive along just picturing people dancing to the music.
:)

That's about all I know for now.

What the hell is Britney Spears thinking?

Driving with her baby on her lap?
If you want to see the pictures....go to
http://www.mjmorningshow.com/Britneybabydriving.html

What a dumba$$.

Good & Bad...Black & White...Sweet & Sour...

That is how things are right now.
On one hand---I'm terribly, terribly mad about something.
On the other hand---I have this ultra-adorable little boy who will be crawling soon!

Soooo...here's the sweet stuff first:

Yesterday, while at work, Damon had the baby at home. Damon called me because Gage was laughing. He would "zerbert" his belly & Gage would just laugh & laugh. It was soooooo cute to to hear that! Then, when he heard me talking on the phone--he just tried to eat the phone. (I swear, he hears my voice & associates it w/ eating/nursing...I'm just a dairy cow to him!)

Anyway...when I got home, I nursed him...played w/ him....& put him down on one of his mats for "tummy time". Well---then he turned into a little inchworm! He hasnt ever done this before!!!!



Here he goes.....




Oh, it was so-so-so-so cute! He inched around for a few minutes, and then got frustrated.


He got sleepy around 7pm. I nursed him, and put him down to bed. He slept until 5 this morning! Woohoo!!!! So, at 5, I got up with him...nursed him on both sides, and put him back in his crib (wide awake) at 5:31. At 6:30 when I got up--I checked on him...sound asleep. He never cried out once. YYYYYEEEEESSSS!!!! Damon said he slept until 8am.

We got a couple of books to help w/ sleeping.... But, the one that was suggested by one of the docs that I work with...well, Damon couldnt find that one, so he got two others. One of them is the "Brazelton Method". Um...basically--we already do that. It talks about a routine...consistency...rocking the baby & singing to the baby, etc. That's what we do, and the entire process takes 30-45 minutes. We're trying to get Gage to "self-soothe", and the Brazelton thing isnt really working out for us. The other book Damon got---I forget what it's called. I only read a few pages last night in that book b/c I was a sleepy girl. Anyway---I'm going to have to call around & get this book by Weissbluth called, "Health Sleep Habits, Happy Child".

Dreams....Carole did an analysis of my dream from the other night. I think her analysis is very good. Everything she says makes sense...although I didnt see all of the connections until she pointed them out....

At 11:01 AM, CBM said…

My non-professional analysis of your dream:

The boy represents Riley. And eating the matches represents the terribly dangerous things kids can do in their innocence, or more specifically what happened to Riley. And your not being able to stop him from eating the matches respresents the fact that sometimes we can't control what happens, even as much as we try. You long to reunite Riley to his parents. If it were as "simple" as wrestling an alligator to do it, you absolutely would.


Anyway---I thought it was pretty good, and blog-worthy!
:)

Now...why am I mad???

Let me start by saying...I'm not nearly as mad today as I was yesterday.
Apparently my breast pumping has become an "issue" around here, b/c I pump at my desk. Behind the closed & locked door to my office. Granted, I have an office-mate, named Sarah. I've asked her if this bothers her. She has repeatedly told me that no, she is not offended by this. Okay, great. So, when I need to pump (twice a day) I put a post-it note on the outside of my door, just above my doorhandle. The post it note is no bigger than a business card. It reads, "PIP"...which stands for, "Pumping In Progress". That way, most people who walk by dont know what it means. But---the others who have offices down here--all women--know that it means I am pumping, and either dont come in during that time, or do so discreatly--so that people outside cant see in. WWWWEEEELLLL. Apparently someone down here...oh, the ER director, Lynn...has a problem w/ me pumping at my desk. She doesnt think it is appropriate or professional. And, because we have an Employee Lactation Room at the hospital, I am expected to do my pumping there.

Here's why I am pissed: (1) I've been pumping at my desk for months & it is just now becoming an issue (2) The Employee Lactation Room isnt just for me. It's for everyone who pumps here, and so I have to wait my turn to use it. Due to the nature of my job, I cannot schedule pumping sessions @ 10:30 & 2, I have to go when I can--but usually around those times. And, there have been times when I go down there, and someone is using the room. So, instead of standing there & waiting for 30 minutes, I return to my office. I go back 15-20 minutes later, and someone else is in there. So, it's not as convenient as the non-pumpers think. (3) If someone has a problem with my actions or behaviors---why dont they come to me first. seriously. dont be a chicken sh*t. We have this concept here, and I actually teach it in our Customer Service class at the hospital, it's called "Pledge to My Peers". One of the biggest issues is that when we have a problem w/ someone's attitude, actions, or behavior, that we will go to them first & try to resolve the issue. If nothing is done, then we will go to their supervisor. So, Lynn says NOTHING to me about this issue, and went straight to my boss. So then, I get called to my boss's office about this--like I'm in TROUBLE or something. Are you f*cking kidding me? "Lynn, put your big girl panties on, and deal with it." I would be reacting to this differently, had she come to me & said that I was making someone uncomfortable, or that during those times she feels Sarah (office-mate) is unreachable...etc. If she had come straight to me, I would have said, "Oh my goodness. I never meant to make anyone uncomfortable...I dont want my pumping to inconvenience anyone. Why dont I use the lactation room when it's available?" You know--I would have tried to accommodate everyone in this situation. But, as it sits---I'm mad as hell. I understand that a place is provided to me for pumping, and I appreciate that....b/c otherwise--I'd have the LaLeche League down here so fast...they'd have more titties in their lobby than Hugh Hefner's ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay. My chest & neck are all splotchy just typing about this. I work in a f*cking hospital for crying out loud.

And I just know--the next point of contingency will be my breast milk in the break room refrigerator where people keep their lunches. Mom & I already discussed this. It may be a "bodily fluid"...but once it leaves my body, it IS somebody's lunch! It's Gage's lunch. It's fit for consumption, and if it is good enough for my son to drink, it's good enough to be kept in your damned ol' refrigerator.

Oh, now I'm so mad again.

Wednesday...

Okay, I have not blogged in a bit....& a lot has happened since then....

Let me just start by informing everyone that I am pumping at work right now...so I am typing just w/ one hand... this is going to take me forever!

Had a weird dream Friday night. None of it made sense....But feel free to come up with your own dream analysis: I was home, Damon was home, & Gage was home. We were all in our beds sleeping, when I heard something at the door. So...I went to see what it was {which totally doesnt make sense b/c I am the biggest weenie, and would send Damon to answer the door if someone were there in the middle of the night}. It was a little boy, about 3 or 4 years old, in feetie pajamas. So, I studied everything about him to make sure it wasn't Riley. Well...it wasnt Riley. The little boy told me that he lived nearby, but was somehow separated from his parents. This little boy was cute & sweet...but something was kind of creepy about him---so I touched him to make sure he was real, & I woke Damon up to make sure he was real. So, we started to try & figure out who he was...who his parents were, etc. And then he sat down in my entry-way, and started eating the matches out of a box of matches. So I tried to make him stop & take the matches away---but suddenly he was as strong as a grown man! The next thing I know, I'm at some kind of kids camp, and I have to go through all of these different tasks before they will tell me who the parents are of this kid... So, I wrestled an alligator. They told me that if I wrestled an alligator, then they would reunite the little boy with his parents. So, I did it.

How weird is that????

Movie Reviews...
"Flight 93"...very good, especially for a made-for-tv movie. But...the whole time you hope that the passengers win & survive, but you really already know how it ends. And of course--I cried & cried. There was this one part where a girl calls her mother to say goodbye...Oh My Goodness. I couldnt imagine Gage ever calling me & going through that whole situation. I mean--what would I say. Damon & I had to pause the movie & just talk about how hard that would be.Ugh...hard, hard, hard.

"Herbie Fully Loaded"...not finished w/ it yet. Pretty cute for a kids movie.

"FlightPlan"...loved it.


Update on my hair: didnt get it cut. I'm normally one of those people who does hair stuff on a whim. Well, over the weekend, I almost got it cut twice, but changed my mind both times. So, it's still long & dark.

I used to work PRN for Baylor Hospital...now, I think I am going to work PRN for an Agency that staffs at various hospitals. Woohoo. I'll still keep my full time job of course.

And Now, it's time for Baby Gage!

He sits up...briefly...but he does it!


He still likes standing the most.


He still loves eating....


He's still the cutest Little Longhorn you've ever seen...


And yesterday, 1/31/6, he found his feet! And they just crack him up! He found his left foot with his left hand, & then both hands. As he was bending over to put his foot in his mouth (sock on, of course), he wiggled his toes. That just made him laugh & shake his little head. His hands immediately let go of the foot--and then he'd do the whole thing over again! He thought it was so funny!!!

Funny, Funny, Feetsies!!!

**************************************************


Oh, and I'm down to 118 pounds. Woohoo! Damon has lost 10 pounds. I'm so proud of him. He's been great about his eating, and up to a mile and a half on the treadmill.
:)

That's all I know for now....