Tooth Fairy

Is it bad to take two dollars out of your kids piggy bank in order to leave her money from the tooth fairy? I didn't have cash last night.

A Horrific Night

Macie and I were driving home from dance tonight and I could tell she was upset. She was talking on the phone to her dad but not saying much - which normally means she is bored. But tonight she looked like she was about to cry. She got off the phone and burst into tears.  They were talking about her Grandma's cat who is missing and he told her that he thought Monkatoo found a new home. She was devastated. She really loves that cat.

We got home, I was walking up the stairs  to our condo with a hysterical little girl and I heard what sounded like cats fighting on the lawn right outside our window. I looked out there and the first thing I saw was a massive coyote. I told Macie to go to her room  (of course she didn't go) I went on the balcony and started screaming at the coyote. He looked up, lost interest in the cat and started running away. He had cornered the cat into a drainage pipe and he couldn't get in there anyway. He was almost fifty yards away and for a split second I was so happy that I helped to save someones adorably fluffy, fat white cat. Then to my horror that stupid cat crawled out of the drainage pipe, screeched across the lawn and jumped on the coyote's back. I think he thought they were playing but he quickly found out otherwise. This all happened in less than 30 seconds. I considered going down there but the coyote was huge and I was afraid for myself and Macie.

The cat was totally getting attacked. He finally broke free and screeched across the lawn back to the pipe. He almost made it but each time he tried to get in the pipe the coyote would pull him out again- fur and parts flying. It was seriously the absolute loudest,  most horrifying, worst thing I can imagine. Then I realized it was so loud because Macie was standing right beside me screaming and crying just as loud as the cat. There was nothing we could do to save the cat at that point and I had to get her inside so she didn't see any more. She has been crying for the last two hours and someone lost a really cute but REALLY stupid cat. What a night.

Grab Bags

I've always hated grab bags. I think it is because I always get something dumb. And then I look around and see the awesomeness that other people have gotten and I just feel jipped. I kind of feel like that now...but I am trying to keep an open mind.

A few weeks ago I bought around $300 worth of tickets to the Grand Ole Opry for Girls Weekend in Nashville. They had not announced the line up when we bought them but I was looking at the schedule for weeks before and saw the coolest name like the Oak Ridge Boys, Emmy Lou Harris, and Del McCoury. I was super excited and just knew we get someone we were all hoping for (Dolly Parton). But no. The line up seems to be set and there are 5 or 6 people on there that I never heard of.

Its OK though. I am sure it will still be awesome... I hope

Inflation

So my little chickie flew to Wisconsin right before Thanksgiving. I hate her flying alone. It just kills me. They called her name to board early so she gave me a quick hug and then skipped down the aisle with her piggy tails flying and her two dolls hanging out of her book bag - so stinking cute. As soon as she got to the gate agent she gave the lady her the ticket, grabbed her hand, looked back and waved to me - at which point I said "Call as soon as you get there". She shook her head, blew me a kiss and off she went.

I drove home, waited the nerve wracking 2 hours until I expected a call - had a glass of wine, watched some TV and paced my living room. The landing time came and went, the time I figured it took to get everyone else off the plane before they escorted unaccompanied minors off came and went, the estimated time I thought it would take to get her bag came and went and Dave still was not answering his freakin phone. Finally AN HOUR AND A HALF after her plane landed she answered. She said her flight was awesome and they were almost home - as in Eau Claire... I wanted to kill him.

So I asked to speak to her dad and proceeded to scream at him. I was SOOOO mad. It didn't help that he made it seem as if I was over reacting. I mean is it really too much to ask for him to just call and say "Hey I got our kid"?

She stayed a week and flew back on Tuesday. I checked her flight about a half an hour before I planned to leave the office and noticed it was early so I jumped in my car. Of course now I was fighting rush hour and was running late. The airport garages were all full because of the holiday but I didnt have time to park and take a shuttle in. I went into the garage even though it was closed and luckily I found a spot. Then I had to wait in line at the ticket counter for a pass to get to the gate and finally go through security. I got out there just as her plane got there (Thank goodness). First thing I realized was that I left my phone in the car. I screamed at him for not calling me and now I had no way to call him.

She came skipping off the plane and we found a pay phone. I didn't have many quarters but the phone had a visa slot so I inserted my card and she dialed the number. We were laughing because she had never used a pay phone before and didn't even know what to do. He didn't answer so we left a message, got her bag and drove up to my mom's for Thanksgiving.

Yesterday I was looking at my account balance and I notice a charge on there that I didn't recognize in Palo Alto CA. I called the number and they told me it was for a pay phone call - a 30 second pay phone call. It was $27.44. I told the dude it was a 30 second call and all he would say is
"Ma'am, the rates have gone up recently"
"For 30 seconds!!!!"
"Ma'am, the rates have gone up recently"
"Does it say on the pay phone $27.00 for a 30 second call"
"Ma'am, that depends on where you are calling but the rates have gone up recently"

Never leave your phone in the car.

"That's what they are wearing"

My mom and my aunt always say that. They might have been able to fool me when I was 8but now? Whenever I hear that I always wonder who in the hell THEY are. So my aunt is in town right now (FAAT). We've done a bit of shopping and a lot of chatting and she keeps bringing up a fashion show that she went to recently.

"That is what they said at the fashion show."
"I saw a women wearing that at the fashion show."
"The women at the fashion show said you should have two of these this winter."

Finally last night I said, "Where exactly was this fashion show? Who put it on?"

I thought for sure it was at the Junior League - (which might explain the fashions we were talking about).

I almost spit my wine out when she told me.

If you guess you'll get a new plum purse - if I can find one. (The lady at the fashion show said everyone needs one)

I want to strangle her sometimes.

My mother-in-law called today to warn me that Obama is just like Hitler. Yes, apparently they are exactly the same.

Just thought you all should know.

Also she makes a lot of comments about how small our house is. Not in a nice way.

over the edge

so, i usually don't have much to post. i especially don't usually have much to bitch about. but i have had it and hope that some of you can have a laugh at my expense. i sure hope i can laugh about it all soon, too.

i went up to portland this weekend for a wedding. first off, i forgot my camera and iPhone charger. two strikes. (luckily i borrowed a charger from a friend so i didn't have to buy one). i should have known there was more bad luck in my future...

now, i knew that it might be a bit strange because i went alone and only knew the bride and groom. i vowed to have fun and meet people so i talked to a few people at the welcome lunch and headed back to my hotel. the next day was the wedding. the wedding was up in the mountains, so we needed to take shuttle busses out to smaller shuttle vans up to the wedding site. so, i got on the bus. i said hi to the bride's cousin and sat down. sure enough, the bus filled up slowly- every seat was filled except the seat next to me. the kicker was when the bus guy got on board with some cases of water bottles and piled them up on the seat next to me. my date, the water bottles. funny, but also sad. that's part one.

part two could involve the ride home to the hotel where i again sat alone, but we won't get into that. or the part when everyone was dancing with their partners and i was just kind of standing awkwardly by where there weren't really any other people to talk to at that point. (in the end the wedding was fine and it was beautiful, too.)

but, i'll save part two for the ride home this morning (on a plane that left when i should have still been sleeping). when i got home and off of the plane, i forgot my phone was in my lap and i'm sure i dropped it. i had gone to the bathroom where i realized this dilemma and so i hurried back to my gate. the agent guy ran aboard the plane before they started boarding it again for another flight. he didn't find it. he tried calling because i had left the phone on, but no luck.

when ian picked me up, we tried calling again and this time it went straight to voicemail. conclusion: my phone had been stolen. and someone had turned it off. i think its now on again, but seriously. the killer is that they stole my phone before i could get all of the photos off of it from the wedding- or from my entire summer. back up your phones is the message here...

spent this afternoon cleaning up from my trip, going to a 4-year old birthday party, and then headed off to do another side job i have- second shooter at weddings. i was the assistant photographer tonight until 10pm.

here's the thing that just sent me over the edge. i opened the medicine cabinet at my new house to brush my teeth, and what ran behind my contact water? yes- the biggest cockroach i have ever seen. what did i do? start crying. seriously. i am so tired and have just had the most exhausting day.

then i decided to take action: i went into the kitchen and got some cleaner. i sprayed him just as he was creeping out. he darted behind another bottle. at this point i just stared at the area he was hiding in. what does a person do? so, i woke up my new roommate who got up, put on some shorts, came in, grabbed him by one leg, dropped him in the toiled and flushed him down. not kidding. then he went back to bed and i stood there half crying and half scared that there are more like him lurking in my bedroom.

so that's what sent me over the edge. tomorrow has to be better...back to work tomorrow and officially on tuesday and kids in a week and i already need another vacation!