BUSY BUSY BUSY

Sooo to catch up.........

The morning after my husband brought home the roses, I was being selfish. I wanted more baby's breath in them, so I ran to the floral dept. at the grocery store. The young girl working behind the counter couldn't get her scanner/label maker to work. They had baby's breath by the stem for 1.99, but if it was wrapped up in a cellophane package it was 2.99. When I compared the two, there wasn't anymore in the wrapped package than there was on the single stem, so I asked if there was anymore not wrapped, she said no, but she would unwrap some packages for me and relabel them. After waiting almost 30 mins and 3 people later, no one could get the label made. I suggested that I just scan one of the labels 5 more times when I got to the check out! I know, I'm brilliant......LOL. The florist advised that would be fine. So I went to the self check out, advised the attendant of the problem and finally got out of that store... What should have been a 10 min errand took me almost 45 mins. I had left the kids at home, cause it was gonna be a "quick" errand, so I was sure they thought something had happened. Anyway, I was about 2 blocks from home, and speeding up the hill and I got tagged by the police for speeding. They had set up a radar trap at the elementary school, you can't see them until you are right up on them.... They weren't there when I left, but they were there in full force now. So I got flagged into the parking lot. I knew I was speeding, so I just pulled over and started getting my registration and insurance card out. I also knew that my license was expired, I was a little nervous about it, but I figured it was my own damn fault. I had been too lazy to go get it renewed. It was one of those things that everytime I thought about doing it, I had a million other things to get done first, and then I would forget about it. I never use it for ID, cause I never need to show ID for anything. I never go out to the bar, and where I buy cigarettes, everyone knows me.... Anyway I told the officer that it was expired, and handed her my registration and ins card. She ran my plates and everything came back fine with that. The other 3 people who got pulled over right after me where all on their way with tickets in hand. I was getting a little nervous by this point. The officer came back and asked me why I hadn't gotten my license renewed and I told her. Part of the reason it wasn't such a big deal to me was that I was no longer working in the field anymore, I used to work on an ambulance for years, and always had to have a current license, well it's been almost 3 yrs that I've been out of the field, that I really didn't have the same urgency about it.... Anyway she looked at me and told me that not only was my license expired, but that it had been suspended in 2002???? I was totally shocked. I asked her why it was suspended, and she said that I must not have paid a court fine or ticket. I haven't had any tickets in years and years. I was involved in an accident in 2000 while working. But I never got a ticket, and everything was settled by work's attorney. Anyway, the officer asked if the reason I didn't renew it was because it was suspended. I told her I had no clue it was suspended. She told me that I would have to leave the car there and walk home. I was only about 2 blocks away. She then asked me if she could search my car, I said yes. I told her that the back driver-side door wouldn't open. I asked her why she was searching my car, and she replied that she has the right to search the vehicle of anybody who was under arrest. I just about passed out when she said that. She must of noticed that I had turned completely white, she then said that driving on a suspended license was an offense that I could be taken downtown and booked for, but she believed that I didn't know it was suspended, so she was giving me a ticket to appear in court. She looked in the glove box and the middle console and that was it. I parked the car in a stall and got my baby's breath and walked home. The kids asked about the car, and I told them that it overheated and was parked at school. I didn't want them to get scared. I called my hubby at work and told him what had happened. He was just as shocked as I was and asked if I was ok. I said yeah, I guess it could have been worse. The lady could have been a real B*tch and taken me downtown.

I called my sister later that day and explained to her what happened and asked her and her husband to pick up the car and drive it to my house so it wouldn't get broken into. I ended up calling the attorney on the following Wed. I explained to him that I got pulled over for speeding and it turns out that my license was suspended. He was looking things up, and told me that he couldn't find any reason why it was suspended. He verified that it had been suspended since Dec 13, 2002, but other than that he would have to make a few calls. He called back and asked if I had paid a ticket in April of this year. I advised him I had not, and hadn't had any traffic issues other than the ambulance accident, in at least 12 years. The funny thing is, I got a speeding ticket in the same exact spot. I know it was more than 12 yrs ago, cause I didn't have any kids. I'm not even sure I was married yet, but I can't remember. I was on my way to my sister's house to watch her kids so she and her husband could go out for her birthday, and I was running late. I was speeding down the hill, and the cop was sitting in the schools parking lot.... The attorney said that there was some kind of ticket issued in 2002 and that it was paid in April of 2006. I advised that it wasn't me, but I needed to get my license un-suspended so I could drive again. He advised to send a money order to the Dept of Motor Vehicles in Lincoln and they would send me a re-instatement letter. As soon as I get that letter, give him a copy of it and he would take it to prosecutor and get this ticket dropped. So I mailed off the money order and am waiting for my letter. I will go get my license renewed and make sure that I NEVER let it lapse ever again.

I've been walking my youngest to school everyday since. I'm to scared to drive. It would be just my luck that I would get pulled over by the cops, and this time I would go downtown. My car has a cracked window on the back driver's side. Some kid thought it would be funny to shoot it with a BB Gun, so it's all taped up with clear tape. I haven't gotten it replaced yet cause it's too expensive, and It hasn't been a priority. It's a foreign car, so it's more expensive to fix. It's also tinted which raises the cost. It's not the kind of car that just blends in the crowd right now....

I've found myself being a "Becky Homecky". I've cleaned, conditioned and polished all of the wood floors.... I've needed to do that for a long time. I've kept all of the laundry cleaned, I sorted through toys and gotten rid of a bunch of things. I've been baking and cooking all the time. Ruby and I put up the Halloween decorations yesterday. I gone through a lot of stuff that was just sitting around. I made some curtains for the girls room. I got all the kids TV's, VCR's and DVD players hooked up the right way so everything works together... I've been playing games with the kids, playing outside, raking leaves and jumping in the piles. The kids are loving the fact that Mom is at home.

My oldest son has been trying our patience lately. Yesterday morning I went through his back pack and came across a note from his teacher. Apparently there was a problem between him and another boy and Nathan hit this other kid in the head with a folding chair. Nathan in his "ultimate" wisdom, thought he could forge my signature. Well, if I was smart I would have let him try to get away with it, called his teacher and let her know what was going on, and then he would have really shit his pants when he had to call home from the principals office. Instead, I woke my husband up, showed him what I found. He's better at dealing with Nathan than I am. I loose my patience with him. He's a very smart kid, but he's lazy. He always in a hurry to get things done so he can go play his video games. He's also a HUGE smart ass. I have to admit, he can be extremely funny, but it get old when it's all the time, or when it's really not appropriate at the time. Anyway, he never seems to learn from his mistakes. He's tried to forge my name on a note before, and got caught. You'd think that he would have learned from his mistake, but no... Not Nathan. Anyway, his dad sat him down and asked what happened and of course Nathan says it was an accident..BALE BLAH BLAH... Nathan's teacher is really a neat and laid back lady. She's not the type to over react. I was sure this wasn't an accident. Pat asked Nathan several times to tell the truth... Pat drove the boys to school that morning as usual when Nathan has band on that day, except this time, Dad parked in the parking lot and told the boys that they would have to walk to the side of the building where they go in for breakfast. He said the look on Nathan's face was priceless... Nathan knew that Pat was going in to talk to his teacher...... BUSTED! It turns out that Nathan and this boy were having issues. Apparently this boy had been teasing Nathan about liking some girl and Nathan got angry and hit this kid with the chair, after he tripped him. It also turns out that Nathan has 2 missing math assignments, and told the teacher that I took them and wouldn't give them back. Pat was furious. Nathan was lying again. Pat and the teacher talked, she told Pat that Nathan was getting a 3 in math because of the missing work, and that there is absolutely no reason that Nathan should have anything less than a 1 in any of his classes. Nathan is very smart, just doesn't want to put forth any effort. He is always looking for the easiest and fastest way to get things done.

That afternoon, when the kids got home from school, I asked Nathan if he had homework. He did, but nothing in Math. I advised him that his father spoke with his teacher this morning, and that we knew about the missing homework. I asked if he had brought his math book home. NO. I made him call his teacher at school to make sure she would still be there and tell her he was coming back to get his math book. HE WAS FURIOUS!!! but he did it. When Pat got home last night he and Nathan had a LONG talk ( about 1.5 hrs) When they were done, Nathan came to me and asked to talk to me in MY room. He apologized about his behavior and his lying. I told him that I know he thinks we are too hard on him, but that we are hard on him because we love him. We don't want him growing up thinking that he can do whatever he wants when he wants. We want him to grow up being responsible and dependable and honest. I told him I accepted his apology and that I loved him.

This morning I went to the DMV in town and got the renewal stickers for my car. I drove my husbands vehicle so I felt a little easier about driving. I wanted to get the stickers before the current ones expired. I'm so paranoid now it's not even funny. I guess it's cause I know my license is suspended and now I feel like I'm doing something wrong...

Oh yeah... I filed for unemployment the week of my birthday. I was told that someone would be calling me on the 21st at 8:15. I had all the kids out of the house except for Maggie and was ready to explain what happened and why I quit. NO CALL. I though maybe I heard wrong and that the call was supposed to come at 9:15 so I waited. I called them at 9:25 and explained to the lady who answered the phone what was going on. She put me through to the "Diane". I told her that I had been waiting and wanted to make sure the call was supposed to happen today. She said I called and got your voice mail, so I went ahead and processed your claim with out you. I told her that my phone didn't ring, and that there was nothing on my caller ID. I also told her that I don't have voice mail. She got really snotty then. She insisted that she called and that they "don't leave messages, so I processed it without you." She told me she already spoke to my former employer and got the resignation email I sent. She read it to me and I confirmed that I had written it. I tried to explain further, but she was very hostile towards me, and kept saying I should have talked to someone the day I had gotten the emails blah blah blah... I couldn't get her to understand that I didn't work a Mon- Fri type of job that it was 3 days one week and 4 days the next and so forth, basically she said I had no grounds to quit and it was not due to anything the employer had done. I just kept being pleasant to her and when she was done being snotty I wished he a good day and a fabulous weekend, and I wasn't being sarcastic about it. I'm sure that really pissed her off, and that was my intention. I got a letter from them on the following Monday that said I was assessed a 12 wk waiting period for quitting. That was fine by me, I had planned on waiting 12 weeks anyway. I figure that it would kick in just in time for X-mas shopping... LOL..... I have to make 2 contacts weekly, which I do via computer. I've been applying for jobs that I'm not really qualified for, that way I have no chance of getting a call back. I figured my employer screwed me over, I'm just returning the favor!!! I did get a call from someone I don't remember applying with, so just to be safe I'm going on an interview Monday, but trust me- it's easy to blow and interview. Besides it's for a financial institution, I've worked nothing but medical for that last 10 yrs. I told the gentleman calling that I'm not a salesman. I'm not good with selling anything. He said that he would still like to meet with me and go further into depth with things. I figured that if he was that insistent, then he probably got my name from either someone at the unemployment office or my former employer, and I had better at least show up. As long as I don't turn down an offer for employment I'm ok. I figured that by the time I'm done with the interview he won't want to offer me a job.

Well that's about it....I think anyway. I'm truly enjoying myself at home. I love being here when my kids get home from school, I love making home cooked meals, I love to iron clothes, I love being able to just sit back with my feet on the coffee table and watching a soap every now & then. What can I say. I love being a stay at home Mom. I am going to check into taking some online classes for medical billing and transcription. I can do that work from home.

Happy Birthday to me........

Well another year older. I keep saying I don't feel 36... Is there a certain way I should feel? I guess I feel older than that sometimes; especially when I think about all the crap that has happened in my life, but then there are times that I am totally amazed that I'm this old. Where did all that time go??? I guess it slipped by without taking notice. I had to grow up rather quickly, so I never really had those "fun twenties" I am the youngest of 7 kids, and the oldest is 22 yrs older than me. I was aunt at the age of 3...but really don't know that niece. My next oldest niece is just 8 yrs younger than me. I started "watching" kids at the age of 9 and started growing up faster than I really should have. I lost both my parents at a young age and moved out on my own at 17... Married at 19 and first kid at 25... WOW..... What an amazing time it has been.

Today has been probably the best birthday ever though... My husband has been clean & sober for 57 days. That is the best present EVER. I know he's doing it for himself, but in turn I (we) receive the benefit. My family is the happiest it has EVER been. We took the kids to the downtown park in the old market area. There are these 2 huge slides. The kids were having a ball sliding down, Dad up top and Mom at the bottom to make sure no one flew off. Well one of the kids found a piece of wax paper.... If you've never experienced waxed paper on stainless steel... You FLY.... So after about 45 mins of them sliding, I decided it would be fun if Mom tried the waxed paper....BIG MISTAKE. I came off the first hump just fine, but literally flew off the second...I was probably 4 ft off the slide and slammed back down, right on my tail bone.... I have a bad back to begin with, but haven't had any problems with it for months...Until now... I was in tears... But I bit my lip and walked it off...We took the kids out for pizza and came home. I soaked for an hour in a hot tub. I wasn't as sore the next morning as I thought I would be...

Well I gotta go, my husband just came home with the most absolutely BEAUTIFUL, long stemmed red roses and mint chip ice cream... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brave New World........

WOW....A lot has changed in just a very short amount of time..... Where to begin?.....
On Aug 30th I quit my job.. I just couldn't handle the anxiety attacks I was getting every day before I had to go in. Things were just getting worse there. I had recently stepped down as Supervisor and decided that I would just go back to my original position of a coordinator.... that just pissed the head cheese off cause I put a wrinkle in his "master" plan... I stepped down because of the new schedule that he came up with. I have been working 12 hr shifts, 4 days one week, 3 days the next. That would include a 3 day weekend every other week. Well the new schedule that he came up with is 4 11hr days a week, never having a 3 day weekend, but yet still having to work 3 days in a row.... Not happening for me. I worked the overnight shift 6pm-6am. My first day off is half wasted by trying to catch up on sleep. I have 4 grade school children at home, I would never have time to spend with them.... Well ever since stepping down I have been "expected" to still perform certain duties of supervisor while the new guy was training, I understood that he was new to this position and was happy to help him out.... but I didn't think I should be expected to do his job and my job too. I actually was happy with the new Supervisor chosen, he was on my shift and is an awesome guy. Very level headed and very laid back... Reminded me of myself in a way... except a lot less hair! hahaha.

Anyway, shortly after stepping down I had an abscessed tooth, I woke up on a Wed morning and the right side of my face was swollen and sore... I started on antibiotics and called into work to let them know that I wouldn't be in. The next day the swelling had gone down but I was still running a fever and felt like shit so I called in again. I knew that when I came back in on Monday (my next scheduled day) that I would get a write up. I fully expected to get a verbal warning. I had just had surgery in June to have my gallbladder removed and had used all my sick time up then, so I knew I would get a write up. I went to work on Monday and nothing...Tuesday morning 5 mins before I get off work, the Operations Mgr stops by my desk and say "hey, stop by my office before you leave" I brought my pen to sign the "verbal warning" when to my surprise I get a written warning for abuse of sick time. I was pissed! That ruins my chance of becoming the sup for a different department. I had been told that I would get the sups job for the transfer center, but now that's out the window.... My written warning stated that I had been counseled and give a verbal warning previously..... YEAH like 2 yrs ago..... I signed it and just left pissed.... I called the Mgr when I got home and asked her to make a copy of the write up and leave it with the sup for when I came in that night. The Sup on duty is a very good friend of mine, when I came in he said MB left this for you... I told him what it was, he was instantly pissed too. Anyway a week later the transfer center is supposed to have a mandatory training meeting, I sent an email to the TC Mgr to advise her that I had family counseling that night and would not be able to attend. She sent me an email to my work address on Mon stating that I would need a note from the counselor and also that I would have to come into work on Wed early to make up for not being there on Mon. The people at work know I do not read my work email at home because I'm on dial up and it take entirely too long to load at home.... So Wed afternoon a sup calls and leaves a message wanting to know if I can come in early... I didn't get the message until about 15-20 mins before he wanted me to be there. I called him and stated the I wouldn't be able to be in early. He said no problem.... Thinking things sounded a little weird I decided that I should probably check my email before work... I started loading it and got ready for work. I come back to the computer and see a bunch of emails... I read the ones from the TC Mgr and knew that I was f*cked.. I was on a written warning for abuse of sick time, now I don't have a note from the counselor, and I didn't come in early to make up for Monday... my heart started racing, I was having a panic/anxiety attack.... I called hubby at work and asked him to come home now so that we could talk.... Since I never call him at work he knew something was wrong. He came home and I showed him the emails.... He said screw it, just quit.... They have already screwed you over, he told me not to even give my two weeks cause it would be miserable 2 weeks for me and in turn would make everyone at home on edge too... So I didn't I just sent an email to the head cheese in charge and to the sups so that they would have a clue. Not even 10 mins after I sent the email, the phone started ringing. However, the kids were on the computer and the ring in service doesn't pop up on there screen names because they have very limited access to websites. Only to kid approved things, pretty much only the sites allowable by aol kids...

Well that went over somewhat smoothly... The Sup on duty had no clue until the head cheese called him. Rick just laughed his ass off... I know he secretly wishes that he was in a position that he could tell them to lick his and walk away just like me, but unfortunately for him, he doesn't have someone else to fall back on.... He actually told me that he was happy for me. He's been calling me to see how things are going and to keep me up-to-date on the latest bullshit going on. He apparently has had a run in with the head cheese too and has a meeting in the morning to discuss why he sent out an email that he did.... long story, but I can't wait to hear the result of the meeting... The head cheese is going to get called out on the rug...... IT ABOUT TIME!!!! I wish I had your balls!!!

I have been SO MUCH HAPPIER at home.... I get to be a MOM again!!! It's all I've ever wanted to be. I get to see my kids off to school, I have alone time with my youngest. I've missed so much with the last 2. Maggie and I have a great time every morning before she has to be at school at 1pm. I have a couple of hours to myself. I'm never just sitting on the couch. I've been keeping busy with laundry, cleaning, running errands, sewing.... I LOVE IT!!! I get to put my babies to bed, I get to give them baths.... I get to IRON... LOL sounds funny, but I love to iron. It's so peaceful and you get to see your accomplishment right away.... I'm extremely weird I know... Today. I went to the fabric store and bought some fabric and made curtains for Molly's "quiet place" She has a loft bed and her desk is underneath it. She had a blanket tucked under her mattress to block that little area off from her little sister. I got tired of looking at the blanket, so I took her pillow case to the store and bought some material to match the colors and made her privacy curtains this afternoon. She came home from school and went to put her violin away and came running back out with a huge smile on her face. "That's so tight, MOM!" I think that means she likes it!!

We adopted a stray cat. Very interesting..... The girls love the cat, and the cat tries to hide from them ( actually just from Maggie, she doesn't ever leave the cat alone...Always wanting to pet the kitty, and hug (strangle) the kitty.)

I got a beautiful arrangement of flowers yesterday. They are roses, tulips, greenery and a couple of other kinds of flowers I do not know the names of, and fall leaves. All the flowers are a variation of orange (which is my favorite color). I was very shocked when the doorbell rang. My husband was getting ready to go to work and the doorbell rang. It was around 9am. I couldn't figure out who would be at the door at that time of the morning since everyone else was in school. I opened the door and what a wonderful surprise. The first thing that struck me as odd was that they were addressed to Mrs. Patrick G.......... Nobody I know would send me flowers addressed like that. I looked at my husband and he was just as perplexed as I. I opened the card attached and about started crying. They were from my husband's boss. He sent me flowers to say thank you, and to apologize for all the hours that my husband has had to work lately. Pat got a new job, he's the Banquet Chef for a very prestigious County Club here in town. He doesn't have much help in the kitchen right now and has had to do most of the work (parties) by himself... He's been working very hard and very long hours. I am very proud of him. He's really doing such great job. I'm also very impressed. None of my husband's other bosses ever did anything like that. I've never even met this gentleman. Pat's last boss I'd known for years.... Never once did any thing even remotely close to this.... Not even when the kids were born..... I was smiling for the rest of the day... still am.

Well this post should have caught up just about everything new.... I think. Today is day number 53 in our new life.... I'm so thankful that things are turning around finally.... I'm feeling it easier to breathe.... and my children have noticed that I'm always smiling now.... THANK YOU!!!!!