oh how i miss thee

This wasn't the last time I had a Coke but it sure feels like it.  It's my favorite and I've gone without for over a week.

remember the yard

work from yesterday?  I went ahead and cleaned up my trimmings from the bushes and started the mower.  I was only going to do one small section and not risk the possibility of an awkward run-in but then another section was added on, then another and before I knew it the front and side yards were already mowed.  (By the way, there was no yard guy encounter.  whew.)  I decided at that point I could either a) die or b) get Eric to mow the rest after school when it was cooler.  I chose to wait.  Fast forward to about 4:00 and guess what I hear.  The guy was next door mowing.  Cool.  He'll never know it was me.

Actually, I didn't ask Eric to finish the back.  Occasionally I get in the mood to get outside and do things.  This is one of those times.

so willie nelson

cut the pigtails for a bob?

On most people I'd say it was a good choice.  Hmm.  A bob?  Seriously?  Okay, whatever.

i think i've got loyalty

issues.  Is it possible to be too loyal?  If so, that's me.  I'm taking a break from yard work.  Sometimes I have a guy do the yard for me.  He also does the neighbor's yard.  I know he started doing their yard on a schedule where mine he only does when I call.  Anyway, a while back he asked if I wanted to be on the same schedule or to keep on calling when I need him.  I told him I'd call because Eric will be mowing to earn money.  (That's right, make it somebody else's fault.)  Sometimes I'll wait until the neighbor's yard is done or not needing to be done just to prevent an awkward run-in with him.  I'm scared to be out doing yard work because he might drive by and see me doing it myself.  It's almost like I'm cheating... with myself.  I got a lot of work done today but I noticed the neighbor's yard is looking pretty bad.  I decided to take a break in case he shows up today.  Maybe I'll do some more this evening.

Now I need to call for an appointment with my nail tech.  I won't "cheat" on her either and lately it's been so hard to see her since she's gone back to school.

i'm sitting here waiting

for 8:00 because I don't think it's polite to start using yard equipment before 8:00.  Yes, I realize that most people have left for work or are leaving for work but there's always that possibility that someone is still in bed.  So for that person, I wait until 8:00.  That just seems like a good solid time.  7:00 is still a little early (for a lot of people) and by 9:00, half the morning's gone. 

Last week was the powder puff game at the high school.  Eric was asked to be a dancing dude, a partner of one of the school's dancing dolls.  The halftime performance was the dancing dolls with their dancing dude dancing a routine to Shake Your Groove Thing.

Playing guitar in front of a crowd, dancing in the middle of a football field for an audience, making good grades in algebra II AND chemistry... I know he didn't get any of that from me.

just an observation

from a couple of weeks ago.  Eric and I were waiting for our food at the drive-thru window of the Chinese restaurant.  Across the street they're building a new shopping center.  This is what we saw
these guys were working hard...

and this guy was under the nice structure the others were assembling and hardly working

 never mind, he decided to get up and help the rest of the crew

oh wait, he was just scratching at something on his arm

last night i took

some pictures of Eric during the King of the Blues competition

i watched a movie due

to pure boredom yesterday.  It was on HBO or something.  I watched this.

It was, by far, one of the worst movies I have ever seen.  Scratch that.  It was the worst movie I have ever seen.  It was bad.  I had to finish it just to see how it ended.  Wait, there was a Jennifer Lopez wedding movie that co-starred Jane Fonda and I walked out on that one after ten minutes.  Okay, that one might have been the worst movie I'd ever seen but Mamma Mia was right there with it.

On a different note, Cosme leaves Barrancabermeja today.  I'll pick him up from the airport tomorrow.

Before that though, tonight we have Eric's guitar contest.  I don't think I'll be able to eat all day.  I'm so nervous.  We were going over his stuff last night and I was giving him my feedback... since I am a musical genius and all.  I hope that goes well.  I guess though, me getting through the evening without getting sick translates to going well but I also hope Eric knocks the judges' socks off.

wow, what a weekend

I described it to Cosme like this

but the more I think about it, this is a little more accurate

i don't know what

embarrasses me more, the fact that I watched Oprah last week or the fact that I watched it because it was all about Eclipse.  If you don't know what Eclipse is, then I'll leave it at that and you can make fun of me for watching Oprah.  If you know what Eclipse is, then you were probably watching too or wishing you had been.

blogging just isn't

the same without my computer.  I'm having to sign in on Eric's computer as a guest and I feel so limited.  I can't do anything.

happy birthday

to Cosme.  Wait a minute.  I just realized why he needed to take my laptop with him.  I think it had something to do with a birthday blog post.  I didn't post his baby/little kid pictures last year because of the few I do have of him, I didn't really know if he'd want me to.  I'm nice like that.  Besides, why would I want to give him reason to get me back on my birthday?  (Every year I request that nothing be said to a waiter at any restaurant on my birthday.  He's listened to me so far and I'm not going to risk ruining that.)  I at least wanted to post a current pic this year.  Oh well.  Since I'm on Eric's computer and am too afraid to mess anything up, I guess Cosme's safe once again.  Next year will be my third year to do the whole picture/birthday blog post.  Maybe the third time will be a charm.

my computer is

on vacation right now.  It's in Colombia with Cosme.  He got in to Bogota last night and we had already planned that I would call from the house phone directly to his room.  He gave me the room number when he got in but I couldn't figure out how to call.  It was late and I was tired but that wasn't the problem.  I called the operator and she told me what to dial first.  Didn't work.  I called information to find out how to get an international number.  She asked what city and state.  I told her the city and told her it is Colombia.  She said I need to call a different number (duh, woman).  I called the other number, it had been changed.  I called the new number, I am not allowed access.  I gave up and called him back on his cell phone.  Whatever.

Aren't operators supposed to help me use the freaking phone?  And since when does the operator change her number?  And why am I denied access when calling the operator?  Oh well, I'll try again tonight.  He flew out of Bogota this morning and just landed in Barrancabermeja, also known as the birthplace of the ELN (National Liberation Army) guerilla group.  I would post a picture from a map but I'm not familiar with this Windows 7 jazz.

For now, I'm using Eric's computer.  I might or might not post pictures while my computer's away.  We'll see.  After getting a few pictures from Cosme's phone though, nothing around here seems interesting.  Colombia seems like a place I'd love to explore.  I guess I'm better off here, out of guerilla territory.  Maybe I'll see what West Columbia has to offer instead.  fun. fun.

the garage door man

showed up yesterday and was kind enough to raise the door so I could get my car (and anything else I'd need for the weekend) out of the garage.  What a relief.  He didn't have the right springs but at least I have transportation now.  Anyway, I did get to run my errands yesterday.  When I pulled into the driveway with all my groceries and a new grill, I realized that all that stuff had to be carried in.  Ugh.  It might not seem like a long walk but it actually is.

See the arrow on the right?  That's where I parked.  See the arrow on the left?  Down that walkway is the front door.  Seriously.  It doesn't seem like a long walk in the picture but it is.  Take into consideration too that extending out of the right side of the picture is another 10 feet or so of flower bed that has to be walked around.  And that walkway to the front door?  It's over ten feet.  You put all that together while carrying grocery sacks in the Texas heat at noon and you've got something I'd rather not do.  (I would like to take a minute to mourn the possible loss of the once overgrown hibiscus.  When I cut them back earlier this year they never returned.  Shouldn't they be blooming now?)  Oh well.  I thought for a minute.  There had to be a more efficient way to get this done.  My answer?  The wheel barrow.  I got it out and loaded the groceries up and wheeled everything to the back door.

It was ghetto.  Wait.  Can a wheel barrow be "ghetto"?  Yeah, it probably can if the only tire it has is flat.

If there was ever a time I felt like a hillbilly, it was then.  I've probably said that before but I'm pretty sure hauling the groceries to the back door in a wheel barrow with a flat tire tops any other moment I've had.  On the bright side, that wheel barrow is so rarely used, it was nice to finally get some use out of the thing.

Now that I'm back on track, it's time to get to prepping.  I have a cake to bake, dip to make, shrimp to thaw, eggs to boil and as usual, the regularly scheduled cleaning and laundry.

today was the day

I planned to run errands.  I had so much to do.  I needed to hit the grocery store so I could spend all day tomorrow baking and prepping for Saturday.  Oh, I was even going to get a new grill today.  It started off good.  Eric's friend stayed the night last night since they have PALS stuff going on all day off campus.  I went to Shipley's for donuts and my nemesis finally wasn't working the drive-thru window and it was the nice lady that used to always work it.  (I'll explain in a minute.)  I stopped at the mailbox on the way home and that's when the good day I was having turned not-so-good.  I got out of the car and didn't realize I hadn't zipped the side pocket of my purse with all my cash when I left Shipley's.  Bills and coins went all over the street.  I got all but two pennies... I think.  I got the mail and drove home.  I pulled into the garage, shut the door and came inside.  [Insert loud noise]  The spring on the garage door is in several pieces.  Now I'm sitting here waiting on the man to call me back so he can come out and confirm his not having the part I need while I wonder if there's any way I can have that door opened by 11:00 so I can get all my garbage out to the street.  Oh well.  I'm going to look on the bright side.  Eric had a ride so there were no worries there, I have plenty to keep me busy inside for the day, I can always go to the grocery store this evening and finally, I didn't have to face my nemesis at Shipley's.

I'll explain the situation at Shipley's.  I think the girl has it out for me.  I think she gets mad because I ask for hot donuts.  She's never nice to me and has done things, I think, to intentionally aggravate me.  She has left my donuts just out of reach, sitting on the drive-thru window sill while she gets change.  She has given me the exact opposite of what I ordered.  Last week I didn't ask for hot donuts and she was suspiciously friendly with her smile as she said goodbye.  I pulled off only to find cold donuts in the bag.  Ugh, it's so frustrating.

Anyway, I'm going to go do all I can while being unexpectedly stuck.  At least I had a hot donut this morning.  Things could be worse.

i'm working

outside today.  Have I mentioned how much I hate snakes?  I thought so.  Apparently the snakes didn't get any such memo.

i might be slacking the

next couple of days.  I have stuff to do and other stuff to get ready for.  I have banquets to attend and family dinners to prepare for.  There are stores to be shopped and rooms to be cleaned.  There is work to be done and resting will follow.  For these reasons, I predict slacking.