Today is a little better

Today wasn't as bad as yesterday, but I am still fragile. Cleaning the stove, getting the grass cut and doing some laundry made me feel like I had accomplished something so that is calming. But we went to my husband's great nephew's birthay party and I was doing o.k. till I saw the cake: Indiana Jones...Spencer's favorite character. Snakes! Why does it have to be snakes!? I did think that Spencer would e mail me by now... at least to acknowledge that his e mail is up and running on both addresses. Oh, well.
1. The grass is all cut and looks really nice
2. I didn't cry as much today
3. The backseat of the van is back in place thanks to Mike and J
4. Got a handle on the huge pile of laundry and will have time to work on it tomorrow before work
5. It was a nice birthday party and we didn't stay too long...just right

It's worse than I thought

Just got back from taking Spencer up to Yale and I am a mess. I can't stop crying. I will think of something involuntarily and the waterworks start. It is almost funny. I just hope that it gets easier or else I in some serious trouble. Menopausal women have no business doing what I am doing. Between the hot flashes and the tears, I am surprised I don't have steam coming off me. Is the car's radiator broken again? No, it's only me. Heh! Heh!
1. Traffic was fine going up to CT
2. We managed to move Spencer into his room and set it up before the rain hit
3. He was pleased with how we set it up
4. The room is large and quite appealing
5. His roommate seems like a nice guy with a nice family

It's almost time

Well, it won't be long now. This time tomorrow we will be in New Haven. Spencer will still be with us, but well, I don't want to think about it now. I really should be packing, but all I really want to do is sit in the living room and be near him. We have always been so close and I will miss being wrapped up in his everyday life. I know its time for him to off on his own and that's the way it should be, but it is still hard. Oh, well. I will survive. And with the way technology is today, the hard part will be knowing when to just hang back. It will be fun writing letters. I am looking forward to that. The five will be hard to come up with, but I will try!
1. I fell, but I didn't get hurt
2. I got the van oil changed and fluids topped off
3. Had a nice lunch with Mom-Mom Katz so that Spencer could see her before he left
4. Mike is packing up Spencer's stuff while he gets his organizer together
5. I will probably finish my book before we leave and I can take a less heavy one on the trip

A nice day indeed!

Spent the day geocaching in Peddler's Village today. We found three out of three!!! It started really raining hard, so we couldn't look for the last one. Too bad it was so hot and humid and then the rain...but we still had a great time!
1. Found three for three geocaching!
2. I found one!
3. Taught Spencer the joys of sealing wax...and he got a pirate seal (his res. college mascot)
4. Got the last of the things we need to purchase
5. Didn't have to work today

The Gator is O.K.

Last night when I called to check on my Mom, she said she wasn't doing too well. Even though it was 11 PM and I was on my way home from work, I offered to drive over there to help her out, but she declined. She just wanted to take a tylenol and go to bed. I told her that I would stop over after my dentist appt. I did and she was fine...I cooked her some breakfast and cleaned her stove...we watched Hell's Kitchen that she had taped. Then I came home and found a napping Spencer. In a little while we will go get something to eat and shop a little. Tomorrow I hope we can do something fun. Sat and Sun will be cleaning and organizing for the big leap to Yale.
1. My mother is fine!!!
2. Got to watch Hell's Kitchen after all
3. Spencer is already home, so I don't have to wait till late to eat with him
4. I didn't have to work today
5. Good checkup from the dentist...

One more day of work

Well, tonight is the last night for work before we take Spencer up to school next Tuesday. I only have one more fixture to get in shape before I leave,and I am hoping to get it set tonight.
1. The hotel sent us a note to let us know they are expecting us
2. Traffic wasn't too bad taking Spencer in to work
3. There was NO line at the Post Office!
4. The phone wasn't working (again) but it started to work, so that is a dodged bullet
5. Mike put all the pictures that were in dining room back in the closet

I'm back

Sorry I didn't blog for the last few days...couldn't get to the computer after I came home from work.Nothing earth shaking had happened, so I guess it wasn't too big of a loss LOL. Spencer's future roommate finally got in touch with him. Saw some pictures of him on Facebook...Looks like a nice clean kid. Hope he gets along with his roommate as well as I did with mine. We are still friends and keep in touch. Work has been pretty good...I have two more closings before I am off for a week to take Spencer up to Yale. Not my favorite ones to close with, but I will tough it out.
1. Got a lot done at work the last two days
2. Mike continues to work on his room (it still doesn't look much better, though)
3. Spencer has been working on his room (see #2)
4. Got a nice parking spot right in front of the house
5. Will get to see Spencer when I get home from work tonight

Fun day

Work was pretty good...I love closing with Danielle. Then we went to Chili's and a pretty good time. Lot's of laughs...some appletinis. It is nice to be included in a crowd. The Barnes & Noble crew are a really nice bunch of people.

1. Got a lot done today, at work and at home
2. Spencer is cleaning his room...always good
3. Mike's excavation of old photos wasn't as much of a disaster as I thought it would be
4. Saw some old pictures of Daddy : that was nice
5. Just happy that I have such a wonderful kid that I am soooo proud of!

Lot's Got Done Today

Well, AT&T finally sent someone to fix the landline. It took all of five minutes to fix the little corroded wire. While I was waiting I cleaned the bathroom, did the laundry, did the dishes and vacuumed the hall and stairs. Spencer came home on item and we managed to get our banking done and then we had dinner and played a nice game of mini golf. Mini golf is something that we always did in the summers, but lately we haven't been doing it as much as we used to, so it was a nice spontaneous thing to do. The only cloud on that was there was that Mike had forgotten his key and he had to sit outside till we got back. But we weren't too long in returning and it wasn't raining, so it wasn't so bad.

1. The landline is fixed and they gave us a thirty-five dollar credit

2. Set up Spencer's checking account

3. Had a great time with Spencer playing mini golf

4. Things continue to fall into place with our college preparations

5. Had a great meal at the diner

It won't be long now

Only two weekends left then it's bye bye Spencer. Still have some things to shop for, but we will have time to get it.

1. Sold 8 memberships tonite!

2. Enjoyed watching the Colbert Report with Spencer

3. And now we are watching one of our favorite guilty pleasure movies, "The Greatest Show on Earth"

4. I think Mike is actually making a tiny bit of progress cleaning his room.

5. I don't have to work tomorrow!

Who ordered that hill?

Cut the grass today. We have a wicked steep hill in front of our house and it is a bitch to cut, but it is now done. Lately, because of the rainy summer we have been having, the grass in the backyard has been so thick that it is actually tougher to cut than the front. Because it was overcast, it wasn't as hot as it usually is when I cut it in the blazing hot sun. Then I had a pleasant early dinner at Nicholl's. After that I sat on the couch and read and dozed and waited for Spencer to come home. I did get a nice checklist together of what Spencer will need for college and he went over it with me. And now today's list.

1. Got the yard done and it looks great

2. Really enjoyed my much needed shower

3. Mike is spending some time cleaning his room

4. Didn't have to work today!

5. Got to enjoy hanging out with Spencer

Five things

A few years ago, Oprah Winfrey had a woman on her show that said that if you write down five positive things that happened to you that day...it would change your life. I usually don't go in for those touchy-feely self help kinds deals, but I din try it and I don't know if it changed my life, but it was a nice thing to do. And then I started to forget to do it...and that was the end of that. so I think that at the end of my blog, I will try to think of five things that happened that went well and I will jot them down. I will offer up thanks to the LUCKY PIG in advance and then I won't have to mention it every time. So here goes...

1. Had a smooth close at work tonight
2.Sold nine memberships (four new ones)
3.Cleaned my kitchen windows and the ledge and it sparkles
4.I have access to the computer tonight
5.I can stay up and read because I don't have work tomorrow

Keep up the good work, LUCKY PIG

After several more phone calls, I finally got a firm date for AT&T to come and fix the phones. Of course, it means being a prisoner in my house all day Friday while I wait for them to come, but if they fix it then I can decide whether to get rid of them and go with Comcast or not.

Spencer is home safe and sound from his trip to Pittsburgh. It took a lot for me to let him go on such a long trip by himself, but he did just fine...better than I would have done at his age, or even now truth to tell. We still have a lot of arrangements to make in the next couple of weeks, but things are slowly falling into place. I would fell less stressed if things weren't so messy. Spencer has papers lying all over the place and I am afraid he is going to lose something valuable. If I try to talk to him he gets angry and brushes me off. I know he is stressed and nervous, too, so I don't take it personally.

No blog yesterday

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday, not that anyone reads this, but when I got home from work I didn't have access to the computer. And before I went to work, I really didn't have anything to blog about. I am happy today because Spencer is coming home from a weekend away with his Governor school people in Pittsburgh and the phone is working again albeit badly. The static on the line is horrible. I still want them to fix it. But that rant is too long for this blog. It is getting to be crunch time for getting things together for Spencer to go away to college. Maybe more later...have to go food shopping now.

Decent day, overall...thanks again, Lucky Pig

What is this Lucky Pig, you may ask? Well, when we spent a very pleasant day in New Hope last week, we tried to enter an very interesting shop, but you could not get in unless you paid 20cents (I just realized there is no cent symbol on this keyboard...$ yes, cent no) You were supposed to get the money refunded with a purchase, and we did buy something (pirate bling and fake mustaches) but we didn't get the refund. But no matter, the tiny little plastic pig has been worth all twenty pennies. J lost his but Spencer and I still have ours. I'm not superstitious (touch wood) but I like a good talisman now and then.

Thank you, Lucky Pig, for a pleasant day

Yes, it was a pleasant day (even though I once again duked it out with AT&T about our silent dial tones...ten rounds, no decision) Work was good then I got some good info concerning some financial arrangements for Spencer at college along with reassurances that his future dorm isn't infested with bed bugs and mice. Aside: the mice don't freak me out as much as the bed bugs. The mice would be chewing on left over pizza but bed bugs would be chewing on my kid. Anyway, I topped the evening off by going to see the movie Julie/Julia...by myself. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had read the book and though I don't really care for Meryl Streep, she did a great job as Julia Child. I don't mind going to movies alone, never had. I would prefer seeing movies with someone, but only if they have an interest. If they go just to please you, and they don't like it, you end up spending all of you energy defending it and that sucks. So there! I was supposed to go to a hookah bar with some of the people from work, but that isn't my scene. I don't smoke (I detest it) and it was BYOB which is just too much work. So I think I will just crawl into bed and do my favorite thing... READ!

whatever happened to customer service?

Actually...I am too angry right now to blog...I better cool off first and then I can rant rationally.

My fantastic Blogs

I write the most fantastic blogs...in my head. They are funny, insightful, brilliant and compelling...except I write them in my head while I am ironing or driving or doing something other than being near a computer. I used to write fantastic letters the same way...in my head. But when I sit down with a nice pen and a nice piece of stationary, I choke.

I want to write really good letters to my son while he is at college. I want him to see that envelope in the mail box and get excited (and not just because there will probably be money in there because I will put money in there...that's the way I roll) because my letters will be interesting something to look forward to. Maybe even share funny parts with his friends. My life is so dull that I will have to spruce it up have some content. I will draw some comics for him as I did for his Aunt when she was in college. I hope he doesn't be too critical...his drawing talents far surpass mine.

Work

Went back to work after two weeks off. It wasn't as wrenching as I thought it would be but I was really sore by the end of the night. I am not going to let myself get stressed out as much as I used to. I am still going to care and do my best, but I am not going to freak out if things don't go perfectly all the time.

Also, today seemed like a micro-cosim of what life is going to be like after Spencer is off to school. He had to leave before I got up and hubby was off to professional development so it was nice to sleep till 9 and then eat a nice breakfast while reading a book and not be bothered. And since I don't have to be in till 4, I have time to do some chores without being disturbed. I also want to clear one thing up right now! I DO NOT like to clean! I like the house to be clean and since no little brownies are coming in the night to do the work for me, I have to do it. Clutter and mess stresses me out and is physically painful to me. I wish my family would understand that. I am sure they wouldn't slap me or punch me all the time because it would hurt me (well, maybe not all the time) but why don't they realize that their mess is doing just that?

Oh, well...I guess it could be worse. It is just that the room where the computer is where I sit typing is in the middel of a shit storm of crap that the hubby has accumulated. And I can't clean it up because it is his crap. And it has been like this for over 12 years! And, no, I am not exagerating.

Back to work

Well, I go back to work today after being off for almost two weeks. I don't like to be off that Long, but I screwed up my vacation and didn't realize that I hadn't taken any this past year and my bosses were kind enough to let me use it so I don't lose it. But I Miss the structure (even though my schedule fluctuates from week to week). It is going to be weird not getting up at 5:30 and making breakfast for Spencer and taking him to school every day in the fall. I still can't wrap my head around that one!

Nag! Nag! Nag!

That is all my son hears is me nagging him. He has some important things to get down is less than three weeks and he just won't do them! He just doesn't hear me any more. How do I get him to do things that I can't do for him? I am so frustrated it isn't funny. Get you r stuff done and then you can whack around!

Pleasant day in New Hope

Spencer, J and I spent a very pleasant day in New Hope, Pa. The weather was nice...hot but not humid. It is such a quaint town with all sorts of interesting shops and restaurants to poke around in. Took a ride on the river. Had a nice dinner. Storing up memories while I can. My lucky pig was living up to his name. Tomorrow, I'll try to catch up on chores because it will be back to work on Monday!