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September 2, 2002

Finally!

We have achieved SPA and, of course, life is grand.

The superb combination of stars and steam has had me dreaming about it most of the day. The therapeutic value of such a contraption is unparalleled. Plus, it's great gizmo for my mental health.

Last week I told my boss that she needed a night out. An evening away from the stresses of work. Come on over and make use of the spa under the stars..... I promised to supply the Ouzo and Tropicana orange juice she has been craving, and.... serve her in the spa. LOL.... I think she will take me up on it. I think she should. So, I am waiting for her to follow through and supply the date. We'll be there.

The damn phone lines went down at the office last week. Nobody knows what has happened, but.... it appears that most of the town was affected. In any event, it was still partially down after 48 hours. In the meantime, the quiet was eerie. And...... BAH...... our dial up services were non existent while broadband waits around the corner.

If it would have been up to me, we would have had broadband there years ago. But.... it ain't.

School
The boys began going to their new school last week and seem to be doing fine. The only complaints we've heard so far is, according to Kyle: they don't give him enough to eat for lunch..... and, from Michael: the teacher made him redo a coloring page because he scribbled on the first.

As for M, it was also her first week teaching last week. She's got 5 autistic students at the new school. When I asked about it, she said it was pretty much as she expected. And, how was that? Wellllll..... put it this way: I don't think I could handle it. Just hearing about what was happening in the classroom made me feel my chest tighten. Especially one kid who continually screams at the top of his lungs. They each have varying degrees of autism, and they each have their own quirks.

So, she's telling me about her day and I am thinking.... I just DO NOT believe I could handle all of that screaming. Especially NOT when I have PMS. There's just no way.

I could imagine myself cracking and eventually screaming

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SHUTTHEFUCKUP!

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Obviously, M has the patience of a saint. Apparently, I don't. At least, not for that.

Hmmmm..... that could be why I am NOT a special education teacher. Thank God for that, eh? Especially thankful are the parents of the children.

Trees
At last..... the trees got cut down. We only waited for nearly 2 months for them to act upon it.

After another phone call implying that I could take my business elsewhere, they decided to "send a crew out first thing in the morning." Last Thursday being the morning.

OK. And, at approximately 8 a.m. the band of hippies arrive to attack the trees. 7 or 8 of 'em. All looking grungy first thing in the morn. And, it wasn't long before a few of 'em removed their shirts to reveal an assortment of beer bellies and dirt rivulets adorning them. Only a few kept their sweat stained shirts on as they wielded dueling chainsaws. They buzzed, cracked and thudded their way through the job while the other half of the team dragged limbs and trunk sections and fed them into the industrial sized chipper.

Just shy of 5 hours and the trees were gone and so were the hippies.

OHMYGOD! What have we done?

I am NOT used to the naked spots in the yard. Not even the tree that was a potential menace. I miss it. I miss them. Everything looks weird now. It has totally screwed up my feng shui.

Wood Chips
We are up to our assess in wood chips. Or, I should say - we were. Today, on Labor day, we significantly reduced the size of the pile.

And then, while everyone was in the house.... I decide to grab my keys and ram the Jeep into the pile. So, after a few minutes, there I was..... on the pile with one wheel up off the ground. I was stuck.

First I got mad. Then I got unstuck. Then I laughed. I'm still smiling.

But, when you have a Jeep.... I don't know what it is, but... you are tempted to do pudden-head things like that. I had a weak moment and succumbed into temptation. Sometimes it's OK to be stupid. Especially if it is confined to your own yard so your girlfriend can smile and shake her head and say something like, "why on earth would you do something like that?"

Funnier yet is that you KNOW that your girlfriend was being nice when she asked the question. She was really thinking.... "what an idiot."

September 4, 2002

Ack. I didn't want to awaken when the alarm went off. But, Tasha wanted me up to let her outside. After her persistent pawing and my persevering attempt to remain prone... I relented. As a bonus, the stars were breathtaking once I stepped outside. The view was so lovely that I tapped M on the side as she paced on the treadmill to stop, dismount and take a peek.

After I got up and moved around, soon I was navigating along just fine, although on the way into the office, it appeared noticeably darker than it had the day before. But then again, I've been driving with the headlights on now for over a week in the morn. Apparently, today it just hit me. The days are getting shorter. The season is about to change. I have come out of my fog.

Tonight M and the boys won't be home right away. M has a meeting after school and then will meet with Kyle and Michael's teachers for the first time. I will be unsupervised for a few hours tonight! Hmmmm.... what will I do?

Oh, to hell with that notion. I won't be slacking much because I have some tasks at hand. A few burned out bulbs - one in the stairwell..... and wireless headphones to set up. Why? So I don't keep M awake when I cannot sleep. LOL.... and, just so you know..... she had mentioned me getting headphones quite some time ago. Sometimes I talk in my sleep and one night I woke both her and myself up saying, ".... and I'm NOT wearing any DAMN headphones!"

Welllll.....YES I am! Yes, I am.

Only minutes later....

Project carry through. Got it. We're lit up again and I am now equipped to wear those damned headphones.

What's next? Hmmmmm..... writing a bit while waiting for them to get home. There will always be something next. That's just the way it is. I do believe that as long as I live, that's the way it'll always be. Because if it ain't there.... I'll put it there.

Life is good though. I can't complain. Actually, it's a bit odd not to have complaints. At least, not the at home kind of complaints.

M and I seem to be adjusting very well. I am growing into this new family life. You know, the one with the kids involved. While it sure is different, it is adding more to my life than it is subtracting. I am becoming more because of them.

I like that. I really like that.

On Monday I will have a day of solitude. Well, OK.... at least several hours of it while the kids are in school. A partial day.

I am looking forward to it. Why? Because I am one of those people who actually likes being alone. This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy my time with M and/or the boys, because I both appreciate and enjoy the time we spend together. I truly do. They have certainly brought added dimension to my life.

Yet, there is something to be said for solitude. The alone without being lonely. The time to clear my thoughts. Time to think with few distractions. None at all if I so please. Or, as many as I'd like. Hmmmm. I wonder what I will do with the time? Hell. Knowing the overriding part of me, I may begin a damn project.

God. I hope not.

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riding the bus

Michael and Kyle decided that they want the bus to pick them up and drop them off on Mondays when I am home. They never rode the bus in Arizona because M took them to school. Now, on Tuesday through Friday, she drops them off at daycare in the morning and they ride a bus to their school from there.

I always rode a bus to school. I remember the first day I waited for the bus. The day that my best friend Gary's Mom drove him over to wait at the bus stop with me. There we were. Two kindergarten kids with new shoes and new clothes, waiting for the bus near puddles at the end of the driveway.

I remember the puddles because puddles often seemed to pull me in, and, I was given specific instructions not to puddle jump due to new shoes. Somehow I managed to resist their murky enticement due to the excitement of the bus ride. Simply standing there waiting was exciting. And as little as we were, we felt so grown up to be getting on the bus and going to school.

So, while M was somewhat surprised, I can understand Michael and Kyle's desire to stand outside and wait for the bus, even though the other option was my driving them to school. It is so much cooler to be riding the bus with other kids your age.

On Mondays, it looks like I'll be waiting for the bus again. And because I won't have to actually get on the bus, lets hope there aren't any puddles.

September 14, 2002

I am disgustingly hung over today. Ughhhhhh. I don't care if I EVER see Captain Morgan's Rum again. I'll doubt I'll touch the stuff EVER. Captain Morgan can go straight to hell and stay there.

Last night, my friend Lynne's 15 year old son Erik came out and we dug up the old black Lab Crash and moved his remains to a new site.

OHMYGOD.

The dread I had been feeling leading up to this wasn't unfounded. It was a loathsome job, but - I was pleased that Erik had agreed to help. I could never have done this by myself.

He was buried much deeper than I had recalled. Apparently, I dug a hole halfway to China to entomb him. When we finally found what was left of him, the stench was unbelievable. The scent of 8 month old dog death was a putrid cloud once released from the soil. Ughhhh. The thought of it today has had me gagging more than once.

But now..... the worst part is over, I think, and I am thankful for that. One down and one to go. As Crash was buried for 8 months, I've got another that's been buried for over 3 years that has to be moved, too. She was a small dog and was wrapped in a comforter, so.... it shouldn't be so bad. We began excavating her burial spot but were unsuccessful in locating her remains on Friday night.

The biggest surprise is that I never thought Crash could smell worse than he did while he was alive. The not-so-big surprise is that I feel like absolute shit today from drinking.

One thing I can say with great conviction is that, if you ever have to bury your animals in your yard - make sure that you put them in a place that you'll NEVER want to excavate. Perhaps consider putting them near the lot line, inside it somewhat in the event you ever want to put in a fence. And don't think that you'll know what you'll want to do in the years to come. Plans change over time. Anything can happen.

Trust me..... you don't EVER want to have to do this. Never, ever.... EVER.

Another mission accomplished. Both of the dogs have been moved.

Yesterday afternoon my brother and his two kids came over. With the help of my brother, we found the remains of the second dog and were surprised by the doggy death stench that once again permeated the air.

Damn.

I was thinking that after over 3 years she would have been fully decomposed, but.... apparently that thinking was off the mark. Maybe there are more preservatives than I realized in dog food. I dunno. But, it was a smaller version of the same thing. Saving grace - the carcass was wrapped in the comforter. We caught a whiff.... but, we didn't have to see it.

At last, it's Sunday evening and, finally...... I don't feel like I might throw up. Although, just reading what I wrote tests the gag reflex, it's getting much better.

After a few days, I'm sure I'll really feel like all of this is behind me.

Let's change the subject, eh?

Now, onto some other stuff:

The kids have been having fun as usual. Their time on the Nintendo is limited, but yesterday, they managed to get in about 5 - 6 hours of playing on it because my brother's son was playing with them. They were quite happy about that coincidence, because they knew otherwise they would have been forced to shut it down.

On Friday, Kyle came home with a drawing he had made in school. The assignment was to draw a picture of something he learned. So, he draws himself on the couch playing Nintendo. He had a cartoon bubble coming out of his mouth that was colored green and said "BELCH." The title of the drawing was, "I just learned to be lazy." Unfortunately, the teacher wasn't as amused as I was. At least not outwardly.

M has caught bronchitis and it has really flared up her asthma. Not good. She probably got the initial cold bug from me, and I brought it home from the office last week. So, she's been giving herself breathing treatments in between wheezing and coughing her head off. I only wish that somebody would come up with a cure for asthma. Soon please. It worries me.

Tomorrow, I've got a ton of little things to do around the house. The bathroom light fixture needs to be replaced, some caulking repaired around the kitchen sink, a few switch covers need to be installed, and, I should look into the mysterious leak inside the refrigerator - among other things.

I've also got new radiator hoses to install in the Jeep. Along with heater core hoses, a new thermostat and a serpentine belt. But, I doubt I'll get to all of that tomorrow. Unless I have a super productive day. Which, of course, would be more than welcome but, hey..... I'm being realistic and thinking there will not be enough time in the day.

Especially since I will be firing up the grill and making dinner tomorrow.

Exactly how productive I will be today remains to be seen. It is after midnight and I am still awake.

Frickin' Tasha has been bugging out this evening. I don't know what the problem is. Growling, pacing and barking..... I just let her out for the 3rd time. Each time she comes back in with the hair standing up on her back like a neatly trimmed hedge. I'm not sure what is the matter, and I am uncertain she knows either. But, this behavior isn't her standard on any night.

DAMN IT TASHA!!!!

We have kids that need to sleep because they have school tomorrow. And M needs to sleep to get up and teach tomorrow. As for me, I am slightly annoyed and partially intrigued as to what you perceive as the problem. My suggestion: work on your communication skills. Effective and honest communication would have nipped this one right in the bud. Instead, you may end up with a tap on your ass and a finger pointing disapprovingly toward your snout.

Shaddup!!!

September 25, 2002

Last Wednesday was Michael's birthday. He is now the big 8. And, he seems quite happy with it. When I asked him if he wanted his birthday spanking in the morning or at night, he answered very seriously: "Oh..... ummm..... how about.... uhhh.... at night while I am sleeping?"

I managed to give him 8 soft whacks and a slight pinch as we headed out the door for dinner. He looked relieved, like.... that wasn't so bad. Now, Kyle.... he is gonna be 8 in a few more weeks, and he will welcome the spanking. Why do I know this? Because he's purposely stuck his butt up in the air on several occasions, with a big smile on his face while saying, ...." go ahead and whack my booty." And, as far as the pinch goes, I frequently pinch his bottom all the way up the stairs on the way to bed. Or, I just tell him I'm going to. Amazing how quickly he can get to bed that way. Now, Michael has been getting in on it. As Kyle has requested the booty pinch up the stairs on the way to bed, I've said.... "Michael is gonna get ya this time." A statement in which took no addition coercion at all from Michael to comply.

Whatever it takes to get them both upstairs at bedtime, that'll work.

Of course, getting them to stop talking and playing around once they are there, now that's another story.

Poking around in the news....

Bush pushes for war in Iraq. Prime Minister Tony Blair agrees. The U.N. isn't exactly sanctioning it, and.... well, nobody asked me. But I have to ask, WHY NOW? Do we really believe we can go in there and nail Saddam Hussein in a country he knows far better than us? Is this pre-emptive strike for something they MIGHT be able to do in the future? Do we have to bring the big buck home since we didn't get Osama? Or, is it simply a giant show of force for any other country who tries to get smartassed with us?

I dunno. I don't personally know a single soul who lives in Iraq, but... I'm not convinced this is a good idea.

+++ enough of that+++

According to 2000 Census data, 33 million people live in poverty in the United States. The rate went up for the first time in eight years. Of course, Democrats blame George W. Bush and his failing economic plan. Bush claims.... "it wasn't me, I didn't do it.... now let's talk about Iraq...."

Is global warming a threat to our coastal areas? In a report released by the EPA in June, it's estimated that the sea level will rise an average of 19 inches during this century. Environmental groups say this will spell certain disaster for U.S. coastal cities including New York and New Orleans - not to mention the global implications of such a shift. Currently, tropical storm Isidore is hitting the Gulf area with a pre-emptive strike that will carry on into tomorrow. There could be another storm behind it. Time to move inland?

In other news....

The CDC is gearing up vaccinations for a possible bio-terror strike in the form of smallpox. Scary shit. Do they know something we don't? http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/smallpox-images/index.asp

The West Nile virus death toll is now at 98. A test for the virus may be available in 2003. A vaccine may take 3 years. As of today, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have verified 2072 human cases of the virus in 2002. Statistically, a person's risk of contracting the virus is low. Less than 1% of mosquitoes carry the virus, and.... less than 1% of people bitten by infected mosquitoes develop serious complications from it. Some people may exhibit flu-like symptoms, or none at all. According to the CDC, the virus can survive in human blood. Presently, there is no blood screening test. The Food and Drug Administration is currently studying whether such a test is necessary. Well, DUH. Statistically speaking, you stand a better chance at getting West Nile than hitting the lottery.

Ack... end of news roundup. I can't take anymore. Onto what's near and dear to my heart... the news closer to home.

Last weekend...

Two of M's brothers came into town and spent the weekend. Nobody got enough sleep, so that should be indicative of a good time.... as it was. We hung out and yakked, listened to music, watched Big Brother 3, drank beer and grilled, and ....drove to a nearby town and floated down the river on a river boat. Not necessarily in that order.

Yeeeeeeeha!

We are now rethinking the addition we are planning. We are becoming surprisingly selfish. Instead of building 2 new bedrooms for the boys, we are gonna build a master bedroom with an office for ourselves.

Ya damn right!

This weekend we are having a birthday party for the boys. Since their birthdays are so close, it makes sense. So, Saturday is the big day. As you may have guessed, they are really looking forward to it. We've added to the suspense by leaving wrapped presents out in the open for them to see but not touch. Such torture you say? < refer to sentence above paragraph >

OK.... enough blathering....

....we're headed for the Spa.

 
 

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