Weekend Plans

Well, last weekend I slept for 32 out of 48 hours, sprayed blood out of my nose when I sneezed and continually wet my pants during maniacal coughing fits. I'm sure hoping this weekend is less...leaky.

Tonight, I need to drop Missy off at Sissy's house for about an hour or so. Sissy has been practicing her nail art on Missy, and the super long nails are driving Missy insane. She can't use her cell phone *OH THE HORRORS!* so she's going to get the nails cut down to a more manageable length. You know, non-talon length. The boys prefer to do nothing on Fridays. Well, they eat a lot and sleep. Which is fine by me. I am thinking about a trip to Goodwill while Missy is at her aunt's house, and maybe Starbucks. My mom gave me a $5 card in my stocking for Christmas, which is good for only one cup of coffee...is that not insanity? Mr. R was home for two weeks...he finally left today for a trip to Texas and Arizona. A bit bummed that he won't be home for the Superbowl, but glad that he finally got a trip and we can pay or mortgage. We're crazy like that!

I also have a JCPenney gift card and want a new blender. I have been going through a crazy smoothie phase lately. I seriously cannot drink enough blueberries mixed with yogurt and ice. The smoothie stand at the health food store is making too much money off me, so I decided it's time to buy my own blender and make them myself. Better a smoothie in the morning than a bagel I guess.

Other than those things, I intend to study, take a test, write a paper and do a few coding assignments. Saturday is supposed to be a seriously stormy day, so that will be a good time for reading and relaxing. What are you doing this upcoming weekend?

I Just Think I'm Not Cut Out For The Working World

I've just had a crappy day.

In the past week, I've had a suicide attempt, Mr. R being sick, Tiger being sick, and I was sick. As one can imagine, I have not been on my game at work. This is why I have PDO...time to take off when crap hits the fan. Trust me, my fan keeps spinning, I keep slinging it away. I am EXHAUSTED.

So imagine why I burst into tears when I got an e-mail from my main supervisor telling me that even though they know I've had "circumstances" in the past week, it still didn't excuse me from not doing my work. And that I needed to "work smarter" and "ask for help" when I was having a personal crisis. I work my butt off for this place. I work before I clock in, I work after I clock out, I work through my lunch breaks. All to keep my accounts five days out, which is a new thing that is required. Because without working off the clock, I can't do what they ask. I can't keep up. The workload is huge and I'm only one person. So I'm not surprised that by missing a total of six hours due to the craziness in my life, I fell very far behind and needed help. And when I asked for help, that's what I got. An email reprimanding me for not keeping up to standards.

Oh, if only I didn't carry the health insurance for our family...

Sick, Sicker, Sickest.

Yeah, I've have been extremely icky-poo for about the past week. I do believe that is the technical term. I even missed about half a day last Friday and then yesterday, and I rarely miss work. I prefer to save my PDO time for vacations, not boogers. If you know what I mean.

Now I'm feeling somewhat better, thanks to a pharmaceutical cocktail of Flonase, amoxicillin, hot tea with lemon and honey, cherry cough drops and 14 hours of sleep per day. I rock it like that.

I hope to have some more exciting stuff to share soon, but I just wanted to tell you why I've been so incognito lately. Hope none of you are sick!

xoxox
Sarah

Query

I have a question I wanted to ask my readers.

As most of you know, I work from home. This is not something I do in my spare time, it is a full time with a real honest-to-goodness company, that pays me hourly. I work at least 40 hours a week. I also receive benefits, bonuses, and pay taxes. It's a real job, it just happens to be in my house.

Here is my dilemma. What can you possibly say to people who do not respect the fact that this is not a daycare, or a place to hang out, or to have their packages delivered while they are at their "real jobs?" I have one neighbor who sends his daughter over here EVERY SINGLE DAY for at least three hours, and this is while I'm working on the phone. She is not a quiet child. She screams, she laughs, she picks on Bucket relentlessly. Mr. R's mom calls me all day long to tell me about what she bought at WalMart, what she made for lunch, how often she poops. <--- I wish I was kidding. But alas, I am not. Mr. R's friends call, or stop by, "I knew you were home. What's for lunch?"

I've sent the girl home numerous times, and even written the girl's father a note asking him not to send her over until 5pm. It worked for a while, but now we are back at 3:30. She's lonely, she's bored, and there's plenty to do here, and so she keeps coming back. Part of me feels sorry for this only child who has no one to play with...the other part wants to charge her father for my time.

Wednesdays are pandemonium over here. The kids get out of school one hour early, and so Missy is here by 2pm, and the boys by 3pm. I kid you not, by 3:15, there are ten to fifteen kids in my house, and I am still working. Oh, and they're always "starving" too. Funny how that works out.

Mrs. R's mom...I can't fix that. I've asked her, multiple times, to please call me after 6pm, unless it's an emergency. From what I gather, a sale on Cheetos at the Winn Dixie is an emergency, and I must be told, right away! Along with the color, smell and consistency of her BMs.

I wish the solution to this is an office with a door, but I am all out of rooms with doors. Do I become the WITCH of the neighborhood and stop letting the kids come in while I work? After all, I don't send my kids off to work with them! Or do I accept that this is a downfall of working from home and just accept it?

And should I give the senior Mrs. R the number to the nearest colon rectal surgeon, just to see what she'll do?

On a Lighter, Brighter Note

Do you see this dark, dirty room? Filled with icky clothes, an errant broom, and dust galore?


First and last time you will ever see it, friends.


There's a new, red beauty hanging out.







Isn't she beautiful? Sob...I even have a spot to put that naughty broom now. My organizing soul is at peace for the moment. Excuse me...I need a minute to gaze again at the gorgeousness of my laundry room.

My Heart Aches

Yesterday, I had probably one of the worst days of my life. I received that phone call from school that I have feared since my boy started preschool. "Mrs. R, your son tried to commit suicide in class. We have called the police. Please come now."

I drove to the school, of course wearing paint splattered pants, one of those ridiculous tank tops with the built in a bra, a sweatshirt and flip flops. I showed up after the police, and they had my son in custody. He looked confused, annoyed, and had blood on his face.

Apparently, *someone* (we don't know who) put nails in his pants during PE, possibly as a joke? Instead of turning the nails over to his PE coach, he put them in his mouth. Then he was tackled during football, and that is where the blood came from. When the coach approached Liam for what happened, he made a smart-aleck comment. At that point, the counselors were called in, and they decided this was a suicide attempt, called the police, and then called me.

They handed me paperwork stating that Bucket wasn't allowed back until he had a psychiatric evaluation. The cops intended to take Bucket to the psych ward in Daytona, and I begged them not to take him. The psych ward near us is in Daytona, and it was the site of a murder recently. (One pysch patient killed another patient.) Yes, my minor child will NOT be going there. I had to promise Bucket would be treated that very night by someone else. So I ended up driving all the way to Altamonte, having to go through the emergency room, for him to have an emergency psych eval. By the way, I have real insurance...it was a $500 deductible. I only had $40 on me.

I don't tell you this story to garner pity, or to get anyone to send me cash. It is simply, that our special children are not understood. I could tell right away he wasn't suicidal, simply making a stupid judgement in error.

Sleet?!?!

Oh yes, my friends. You saw that correctly.
It is sleeting. In Central Florida. Word.

Even though I am a native New Yorker (Rock Rock, Rockaway Beach!) I have never driven in ice or snow. I moved to Florida as a 12 year old, and learned to drive here, on flat streets, in the sunshine. I am incredibly spoiled to that effect. And of course, I need to pick up Missy in a bit, since she spent the night at Stephanie's house.

Besides that, my only plans for the day are to bake banana bread in my nice warm house, on a cold, sleety (?!?!) day. I hope you enjoy your Saturday as well!

In the Word

Here is an excellent reason why it makes sense to stay in The Word. It guards against stupid crap like the forwarded text on my cell phone: (btw, I hate forwarded texts. Stop it. Just stop it!)

FWD: Kings 8:23 A blessing is coming to you in the form of money. Don't ask questions, just fwd to 10 ppl. The devil said you won't take the time. <---- this was sent to me on my cell phone from a friend at 7am this morning.

First of all, there is no Kings 8:23. There is a 1 Kings 8:23, and a 2 Kings 8:23. Neither one have a money reference. See?

1 Kings 8:23 (New International Version)

²³ and said:
"O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

2 Kings 8:23 (New International Version)

²³ As for the other events of Jehoram's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

Second, the Bible is full of people asking questions. Of God, of Jesus, of kings of countries. So don't tell me not to question something. I personally believe that God loves questions. Questions show interest!

Third, the devil? Really? Ya'll on a first name basis or something? The devil would loooove for you to forward stupid crap with scripture errors and heresy.

So when I texted my friend back and said, "There is no such verse as kings 8:23. Look it up." Her response was, "Exactly, I think it is baloney!"

*bangs head on desk* I wanted to scream, "Then why did you forward this garbage to me at the buttcrack of dawn!" But I didn't. (see resolution for New Year #2, "give other people a break.")

My point is, people who are new to The Word, can fall for stupid stuff like this. Know your Bible. And if you don't know it well, open it! Or go to one of my favorite websites, www.biblegateway.com. It is an excellent tool for research.

North Carolina Catches Up

In a move I thought I would never live to see, North Carolina has banned smoking in public eateries and bars.
WOW. I mean, WOW!!!
North Carolina is a lovely state. My stepdad lives there, my younger brother and sister, most of Mr. R's family, and many friends. I love to visit. The mountainous areas of Asheville are breathtaking. I spent a summer as a 12 year old in the area of Cullowhee and fell in love with the laid back way of life, the fresh mountain air, and the forests. It is truly a beautiful place.
But ugh! Going anywhere in North Carolina seems to be a trap for being stuck in a smoker's circle. I am not a smoker. I dabbled in it a bit in high school but never really understood the attraction. Everyone in my husband's family smokes. When I was eighteen, I watched my grandmother die a horrifyingly painful death of emphysema. She missed my wedding, she missed her first great-grandchildren being born, all due to cigarettes. It smells awful, it makes your eyes water, and oh...it causes cancer and emphysema. I'm not sure why people willingly stick this crap in their bodies!
That being said, I am not anti-smoking. If you want to smoke, by all means. Go for it. Smoke in your car, smoke in your house. But quit forcing other people to breathe your addiction! I am sick of having to take a deep breath before I walk into a store because there is a cloud of smoke by the front doors. I'm sick of going to the beach and stepping on cigarette butts. I hate that I can't allow my children to spend the night with their Granny (Mr. R's mom) because they get an upper respiratory infection every time and end up missing school.
So thank you, North Carolina. Thank you for remembering that, according this Yahoo article, 79% of North Carolina doesn't smoke. That children have the right to eat at the Cracker Barrel or McDonalds or wherever, without having to chance an asthma attack. You rock, North Carolina. Carry on.