Hey Howdy Ho

Hi everyone!


My life has been busier than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest. I managed to register the kids for school. Yes! Everyone looks at me like I am an alien when I complain about the book fees and lab fees. My daughter wanted to take an art class called "Watercolors" and as art is her life I just could not say no even though it had a $35 fee. So seriously, I have always been sort of in the middle when it comes to politics but this charging for public school drives the Republican in me to the surface. I am not kidding. I get so fuming over this. I found out that people on public assistance do not have to pay fees of any sort and anyone who gets medicaid also is exempt from fees. So this means that the middle man falls through the cracks by not being able to afford the extra classes like watercolors because they are just scraping to get by and do not qualify for assistance. This also means that the rich guys probably gets stucks paying for everyone else even though they more than likely send their kids to private school. This is a real problem in my eyes. Anyway, I got totally side-tracked here with a little soapbox issue when all I wanted to say is "hi" to everyone and wish everyone well.

I Was Tagged!

Sun Groove Theory tagged me with a creation of questions. So in the spirit of fun and support for creative minds here are my answers:

1) What is your favorite color?
blue or yellow

1a) What past-time do you associate with your favorite color?
I think of the beach and calming waves. Blue water, yellow sun.....I do love the ocean

2) What is your least favorite song?
anything rap, Bubba Shot the Jukebox by Mark Chestnut and Boot Scoot Boogie by Brooks and Dunn

2a) How many times have you heard your least favorite song in it's entirety?
rap-none that I can think of but the two country ones-far too many times to count since I am married to a country music fan.

3) What is your favorite flower? What does it smell like?
I love carnations. I know I should hate them but they make me think of my grandfather. There were tons of them at his funeral and when I smell them I always think of him and how much I loved him. They smell clean and fresh as I imagine my Grandpa is now in heaven.

4) If you were stranded on a deserted island, name three people you would not want with you.
My ex-stepfather, my son's 1st grade bus driver, and the drunk who totalled my car on Christmas. They are all first rate A-holes in my mind. On second thought, I would LOVE for them to be on the island with me so I can hide the bodies very well after I torture them all.

5) What have you personally done to fight osteoporosis?
I have been over weight for several years keeping those bones insulated as best as possible? uh, next question...

6) If a tree fell on your house, would you hear it?
no way. my kids are WAY louder than a falling tree. But if it fell at night I just might get lucky and hear it while the kids were sleeping.

7) What is the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
jellyfish. it was at a chinese restaurant that my chinese friend took me to where the menu is in chinese and you need to speak it to order food. very posh.

7a) Did you enjoy it?
no. it is like chewing rubber bands and really tastes like them too. I felt like I was 4 years old all over again putting something in my mouth that didn't belong there.

8) Who is your least favorite actress or actor?
unlike Sun, I adore Keanu Reeves (way hot in my opinion) but the one actor I will NEVER watch a movie again with him in it is Ben Affleck. He is soooooo horrible as an actor and I can't even look at his smug face on newspapers. Hello, he is riding the coattails of Matt and we all know it.

8a) Would you have a one night stand with this person?
I'd gouge my eyes out with an ice pick first.

9) Have you ever thought of an inanimate object sexually?
he he he. yep. have you seen Spencer's blog lately? I was loving my computer screen

9a) Have you acted on that sexual impulse?
sadly, no.

10) Do you believe you are impervious to fire?
no but fire is my friend. we must all live as one with the fire.

so thats it about me. I am so boring, I know. Has anyone ever eaten bugs? I was just wondering.

A Question for Anyone in States Other Than California or Texas

I am trying to register the kids for school in Kansas and I was told there are "fees" to pay for public school. I was born and raised in California and public was free. We didn't even have to have any supplies except for paper and a pencil. When I moved to Texas I thought it was odd that they would hand out school supply lists that needed to be filled before school started. I was shocked that I was required to buy soap and paper towels for the classroom as well as tissue. The mandatory school supplies cost me about $25 to $50. So now I am here in Kansas and not only do they have you buy supplies but there is this fee payment that is due. It covers things like "text book charge" and I.D. cards and all the things that universities nickel and dime you to death over. These fees run about $100 to $200 (per student and I have 3) and it also costs $80 or $90 a semester to ride the school bus. I have not heard how often I have to pay these fees but I am thinking it is twice a year too like the bus plus the cost of school supplies. So here is my question:

Does any other state charge fees to attend PUBLIC SCHOOL?

I would like to know how it is in other parts of America. Maybe I am over reacting because I have come from cake states that cover fees like textbooks and computer lab usage. Please, all of my blogger friends, give me feedback on this one. I am wondering why not choose private school anyway although fees would be monthly instead of semesterly.

Kansas City Through the Eyes of Me

Kansas City is a nice place to visit and see. I would never recommend living within the city's limits though. One police officer politely told us to never move there because KC was the "biggest cesspool in America" and the Missouri side was even worse. Yeah, I can see how he would think that. On the other hand, I have enjoyed the beauty of it's landscape. I like cities. I am a city girl. I am not into huge skyscrapers but I love seeing big buildings that are designed with character. Here are some pictures we took while driving. Don't worry, everyone drives like maniacs around here so I was just fitting in.

Birthday Wishes and Traveling Plans

My baby is turning 14! Can you even believe it? I am so old but she gets more and more beautiful each day. Her birthday isn't for a couple of days but I wanted to say happy birthday early to her since we will be on the road picking up Solin. I also want to say happy birthday to my dorky brother who knows deep in his heart that he sucks. I am supreme muahahaha!

Isn't my daughter so pretty? She can be such a brat but sweet too. Ah, the blessings of being female. I will be gone until Sunday night. I am going to pick up my other "daughter" in Houston starting very early tomorrow morning. Please children, try to stay out of trouble while I am gone.

Meanwhile, I have left some quotes for you on the sidebar to understand the craziness of my house. Buh-bye!

Weekend Happenings

I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this weekend. I never thought I would end up liking it better than the original movie but I did. One of my favorite books of all time is The BFG by Roald Dahl. I have read it to each one of my children. I read almost all of Mr. Dahl's children's books to my kids so I was pleasantly surprised to find this movie a lot like the book. The end deviates but Willy Wonka is strange like I imagined him to be. The Oompa Loompas in this movie were awesome but I missed the tanning salon orange skin a bit.

I blew my diet this weekend too. I cannot resist the lemon pie at the casino. So not only did I lose money but I blew my diet. Oh well, when fat is fashionable I should be queen. I'll be the most desired woman in America.

Some good things that happened:

1. I found a good grocery store that will not put me into the poor house.
2. My DVD player and TV finally got hooked up.
3. I took pictures of the Missouri River and found a park that has a walkway along the banks.
4. I got princess parking at the casino (it means an up close and good parking spot).
5. I got a checkered poogle neopet in my McDonald's happy meal.
6. My husband's pager did not go off one time between the hours of 12 midnight to 5 am on saturday which means no one died and no one got hurt for 5 whole hours on a weekend. Well neurologically hurt or killed.

Is It Late or Early?

Well I went to the casino tonight and lost. That is nothing new but now I am tired and it feels so late. It is past 5 am so maybe it is early. Either way I am feeling "punchy". My mom uses that word. My husband is getting dressed to go to work. They actually have surgery scheduled for a saturday. It must be an emergency but I don't ask anymore because of HIPAA. Privacy issues and all. I think this is a good time to give respect to the American medical system. I hear lots of bad stuff about our healthcare but in reality we have the BEST doctors ever. I know, I am biased on this one but I still think America has the best healthcare. I know there are problems but the quality cannot be beat. Many of you will say "what about Canada? They have free health care". Well, that is good but I know for a fact that getting a doctor is not easy there and the waiting time for CT Scans and MRI's is well in excess of 6 months because it is first come first served. Not everyone in America has health coverage (unless it is an emergency and then it is law to treat all patients) but at least you can get immediate tests if you need them. That might not seem like much to you but to a cancer patient it can mean life or death. Sorry to rant but I just wanted to express my pride for the American health care system and it's workers. I am so tired and think I am babbling. Everyone have a great weekend and ignore my ramblings.

Mayhem and Merriment

Here are some images of my move. When we arrived to our new place we realized that the management quickly got our place ready and the cleaning crew forgot to clean several places. The storage room has a cement floor and it was covered in some really gross mess, the closet doors were missing and I found this drawer full of stuff left by the former residents. Imagine my surprise when I opened this drawer to line it. Pretty disgusting, don't you agree?

Then we had over a week to clean this place and get ready for the movers to finally deliver our furniture. They damaged a cheap desk and you know how they left the beds already but they also knocked the railing off on the bottom stairs. I think this irritated me more than anything else because it meant that they just weren't careful and did not care about our stuff one iota. We might not have fabulous furniture or live in a huge mansion but it is ours and we worked hard to get every bit of it. Jerks.

But for all of my misfortune and complaining this picture makes it all worth it. So far my youngest son hasn't missed a day collecting fireflies. He got super excited when one managed to fly into the house by mistake. I am telling you the truth when I say I feel seven years old all over again whenever I am around him.

Have a great day everyone!

T-Shirts

I have many shirts with words written on them. Some have brand names and others have things like Spongebob Squarepants saying something dorky. In the past I have worn shirts like this without thinking what anyone else might think. Or to put it another way, what does my wardrobe say about me? I ran into a man at the hospital my mom was in and this guy was wearing a white t-shirt with a huge red cross on it (just like the red cross logo). Was this guy a member of Red Cross? Was he a life guard? The answer is NO. Upon further reading under the red cross on his shirt it said "Bikini Patrol". My opinion of him diminshed drastically. I bet he couldn't even swim. I felt like a scornful feminist (a fate worse than death) and as he tried to make casual conversation in the elevator I was not so friendly. I imagined his car full of empty Corona bottles and sex wax (for surf boards) tubs. This could have been a terrible father's day present or a gag gift from his brother but I was judging this poor guy on his shirt. I wonder how many people have dismissed me because of my clothing. Not that it matters because I will wear what I want but it really got me thinking.

Two more days until my computer is up and running and no more laptop blogging!

Wonder Twin Powers Activate!

Wonder Twin Powers Activate! Form of an ice wall! Form of an ox! Do you remember that show? Well, I sure can use an ice wall for the upstairs. It is hot up there. We have a 2-story townhouse with a finished basement and the upstairs seems to get NO A/C whatsoever. Then I also need an ox to haul these boxes up to the inferno aka my bedroom. The movers didn't put them into the right rooms. They just dumped them into the living room and dining room. I need a magic ring that gives superhero powers. Anybody got a spare one?

To all my Florida and England friends, I have been praying for you *hugs*

Lazy Days

I have not yet got my home in order but I managed to cook my first meal in this place. It is sort of disheartening to think in 7-9 months we will be doing this all over again. We want to buy a house instead of rent but I did not know the right neighborhoods. In a way this was the right thing to do because this is not the best neighborhood. It is not bad at all and by Houston standards we are crime free. However, this girl is from CA right outside of Los Angeles and people do not hang around their doorstep like they do here. It's creepy. They lurk and do things like drink beer and spit. I mentioned something to my manager about people hanging around outside and she looked at me like I was an alien. She said they do that in her neighborhood too because they have "hometown values". Well excuse me. I will learn to drink beer and spit so I can fit in. Actually, it isn't that bad. I just didn't appreciate that teenage boy strutting in front of our house (without a shirt on) trying to impress my daughter. I can tell the time of teenage dating is emerging. She is slowly getting interested and now my life will suck. Not really but I will perfect my evil glare in case any more shirtless boys saunter by.

Never Use DT's Quick Move

This moving company is the worst moving company of all time. They never called me to tell me when my furniture would be picked up and showed up at my house at 8:30 pm. It took them 4 hours. Yes, that is right; they were at my house until 12:30 am. I wanted to make sure the delivery would not be a repeat of late hours but guess what! You got it. They were here until 11:42 pm and of course that was 4 days later than when they said they would deliver. They did not put all of my beds together nor did they put the boxes in the correct rooms. They also left my dining room table in pieces. They removed the legs! They took off the legs from my table and said they were not contracted to re-attach them. We whipped out the contract to show them otherwise but in the end we just wanted them out of the house and told them to leave it. This moving company was contracted by Nationwide Relocation so if you ever use Nationwide and/or you are in the Dallas area, NEVER use or allow DT Quick Move. They lie and do as little work as possible for the most money they can squeeze out of you. I plan on writing a long letter to the BBB and attorney general now. I have talked to Nationwide until I am blue in the face and they said their hands are tied and they "are sorry for such a negative experience".

Enough of the moaning ( I live in the Bible Belt now and can't say 'bitching'). Mom is out of the hospital and doing great. Thanks for all the well wishes and prayers. And on a final happy note, I got to actually snuggle with my husband this morning before he went in to work! Whoohoo!

I'm Back (Almost)

I am here in my new home. Many things have gone wrong. My mom was admitted to the hospital 2 hours after getting here and still hasn't been released. The movers still haven't shown up with my bed. I am getting good at sleeping on the floor. My phone and internet do not work yet although the DSL portion is supposedly up and ready. It's just that we need a working phone to get to it. SBC Global you rock! Can you hear the dripping sarcasm? I am able to post only because I have caught some ride off of a wireless connection and a borrowed laptop. I cannot wait for things to get back to normal. I have taken pictures to post and hopefully sometime in the next couple of days I will be able to actually post them. I hope everyone is happy and healthy and that y'all had a great holiday.