And now it's cold.

Yes, yes, yes, I'm talking about the weather again. Really that isn't the reason I created this blog but it has been so flippin' fickle outside I can't help myself. As I type it is 18 degrees. In otherwords it is COLD and I hate it. There I've got it out of my system now - short and sweet.

ANYWAY, do you realize there are only 25 shopping days left before the biggest commercialized holiday of the year? I just wanted to bring that to your attention in case you have been living under a rock somewhere. And if I didn't already know this it became very obvious this morning when the interrogations began. "Mom is it Christmas today? Mom is it Christmas tomorrow? Mom how many days is it until Christmas? Mom will Santa come to our house? Mom how will Santa know which house is our house? Mom can we leave cookies for Santa? Mom can we make cookies for Santa today?" and it goes on and on and on. You would think I would have learned never to mention a holiday since the Halloween investigations (Mom is it Halloween today? Mom... - different holiday,same questions)a short month ago. BUT I didn't, so now I have to get up ten minutes early every morning so that I can give the official Christmas Countdown and answer all those questions - AGAIN.

Maybe I should print the number on my forehead and they could just gaze at my head while I'm sleeping. Oh wait, this is my kids, it would just open up an entire different line of questioning (Mom, why do you have writing on your head? Mom, is that a marker? Mom, is that red marker? Mom, what number is that? Mom, did you know you have writing on your head? - I think you get the picture). So I will muster as much enthusiasm as I can at 5:45 a.m. and dazzle my children with my calendar skills and quick counting!!

Oh and by the way, in case you were wondering, I'm still in mourning for My Marvelous Mario. I have heard there are rumors circulating that it was all fixed, Emmitt Smith was set up to win from the start. It's a DANCING WITH THE STARS SCANDAL. I'll keep you updated (NEED A DAMN SMILEY)

And they say women can't make up their minds...

Okay, we had winter in October, and it wasn't even late October we are talking middle of the month October. AND NOW it is practically December, in a land where temperatures are usually hovering around the below freezing mark, and it is SIXTY degrees (Fahrenheit). SERIOUSLY. Mother Nature is giving women everywhere a bad name with this back and forth, back and forth. Just pick a season and stick with it! How am I supposed to know what to wear in the morning and lord knows I don't want to deal with the coat issue if I don't have to.

So you would think I wouldn't mind the 60 degree weather, and normally I wouldn't mind at all, but there is something about plastic reindeer, flashing mini lights outlining every window of your house and blow-up Santas that need snow! Really, snow helps even the tackiest lawn ornament - trust me! Plus I had wanted a little snow for our Christmas pictures of the crabbettes. Instead I had to settle for warm weather and dead leaves. Nice.

Despite the lack of a snowy back drop the Christmas photos went pretty well. Thirty pictures and I have ONE that only needs limited photoshopping to get rid of red-eye. How old do your kids have to be before everyone can look good at the same time? Anyone? I would post a photo here BUT that would spoil the surprise for those of you who will be receiving a Christmas card. Who can't wait to see a photo they've already seen? NOBODY!!! See, I knew you would understand.

Well I better get working on that card thing. Who knows maybe I can slip outside for a bit and work on my tan!

One Holiday down - One to go...

Before I talk about thanksgiving and tree decorating I want to know one thing - Do your kids have ears? Because I swear to God that my children do not have ears - at least not when they need them. Sydney just came into the "tree room" (formerly known as the living room) with a beach ball. I told her she could not have any balls in the living room while the tree is up (or really any other time but some days I have to pick my battles) and of course I then had to explain WHY. I was sure she heard me. She looked at me very solemnly and nodded and uh-huh'd at all the appropriate times - all the signs of listening and then she dropped the ball on the floor and ran to the tree kicking the ball into the tree along the way - a perfect example of what I just told her NOT to do. (Oh My God - I'm moving out. Dennis just came in the living room carrying the BEACH BALL that was in the hallway. He wants to know what it is doing in the hallway.) Do you see why I am the way I am??? My family is driving me insane.

Anyway, we spent Thanksgiving with my parents. My parents have a pretty large house with several bedrooms. We usually pick the bedroom in the lower level (fine it's in the basement) because it's big - that and you can't hear the kids crying if they wake up in the middle of the night (insert Smiley). Anyway the trouble with the downstairs bedroom is the downstairs bathroom. Now really the bathroom isn't that bad as a whole but the SHOWER is another story. My parents have redone every room in their house at least three times, except the downstairs bathroom shower. It is a SMALL cubicle without an overhead light and it has a huge hole cut into the bottom because the drain doesn't work. My mother has put some kind of wooden bath mat things over it that pinch your feet when you stand in the middle. Oh and if you drop the soap and have to lean down to pick it up your butt will push the door open and cause water to puddle on the tile floor - not to mention the chill that runs up your spine. Really it's that bad - but it is convenient so I continue to use the Neanderthal era shower even though I hate it. That and the three panel mirror over the sink. Have you ever done your hair in a three panel mirror. It may look okay in panel one, two and three but get in front of a real mirror and look at it all together - not good! Oh and then there are the towels or what we fondly refer to as RAGS! You see the downstairs bathroom is my dad's territory. It is where he gets ready EVERY SINGLE DAY (I don't know how he does it - he must never drop the soap). Anyway when my mom gets new towels the old towels go to the downstairs bathroom for my dad to use. HUH? I KNOW! Holy Bananas man just apologize for whatever it is you did to warrant never getting to use a soft fluffy towel and suck it up - if not for yourself than do it for your visiting off-spring. I was very glad to get home to my own full-size shower and fluffy towels. Some times there is no place like home.

Oh and about the tree. We decorated the tree - it looks nice. What can I say? Three kids, 1 dog, 1 cat and lots of fragile ornaments. I feel lucky just to be sitting here right now!

And by the way, for Christmas we're staying in a hotel - I'm giddy just thinking about the quality bathroom time...

Happy Thanksgiving...

Most of the time the faces in this picture are what I am thankful for but right now, at this moment the thankful thing is failing me. As I type I am listening to Lauren whine and cry for a Kleenex so she can indulge in her obsessive eye and nose wiping (and it isn't like she can't get her own Kleenex she would just rather that we, her subjects, get it for her not to mention I just gave her a napkin - it's the same difference - JUST USE THE DARN NAPKIN). So while the whining is getting louder Alex is chasing the dog around with the vacuum which causes her to bark frantically since she thinks the vacuum is a farm animal she should be herding into the barn and Sydney is somewhere with MY can of Diet Coke singing a song about drinking Diet Coke. I think what I would be most thankful for right now is QUIET!

Anyway, I really should be making Pumpkin Bread but I just don't think I would survive that whole experience right now. I'm not feeling much like a group event.

Okay this is what I am thankful for this year:

My dear husband who has his hands full with me but still loves me.
My children for just being who they are (really most of the time I mean this)
Family
Good Friends
Great Neighbors (Hi Jan!)
A good job
Two cars in the garage
A nice house
Scrapbooking (if you laugh I'm taking my laptop and going home)

So that is my list. Not very original I know but I am thankful for the average, American life that I lead. I wake up every morning knowing that I am a lucky woman, if not a little boring - but really give me a margarita and I liven up! You wouldn't believe the things I say about Mario after a Margarita! (INSERT SMILEY)

Rethinking the crabby thing...

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this blog and I think I have made some decisions. Some different choices, but my plans will have to wait a minute because right now I have something to be crabby about and of course that something is STUPID drivers. I think today must have been stupid driver day because holy bananas every where I turned STUPID DRIVERS. Almost every day I drive my girls to daycare and I have discovered that the STOP signs in the daycare neighborhood must be a figment of my imagination because NO ONE ELSE STOPS. They don't even attempt to stop, I mean really, they aren't even doing the slow down and pretend to stop. It is blatant stop sign running. It makes me crabby almost EVERY SINGLE DAY!

So after the driver of the 1985 Dodge Caravan with simulated wood panels was in such a hurry he/she couldn't be bothered to STOP for the stop sign - he/she seemed unable to read the speed limit signs and drove SLOW when they were meant to be driving fast and since there was no way to pass that meant I was driving slow against my will. I dealt with this relatively well since I knew my turn-off was coming up - but what happened next, after I exited the SLOW ZONE, was so crab-inducing that instead of my usual quiet chanting of "it's 40, it's 40, it's 40" I yelled loudly "IT'S 40" - I am sure the driver heard me but was just ignoring me. Anyway that slow driver that ever so SLOWLY exited from the Walmart Zone and was in front of me was more than I could deal with and so I turned off early and completely threw off my entire schedule. I was still crabby when I opened my office door. GRRRR. Luckily my day passed fairly free of crab inducing moments and I returned to my van completely forgetting that today was Stupid Driver Day. I was so blissfully unaware for 25 seconds and then, it happened, some IDIOT DRIVER pulled out RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, and then proceeded to go SLOW and THEN almost didn't stop for the red STOP LIGHT. It was a "should I stop, well it's RED I guess I better stop - so now I am going to stop - right here, in the middle of the intersection and I'm not going to move again until the light turns green". Holy bananas move that boat!!! So let's just say it was a very frustrating day...
Okay so about the blog. I read my entries very objectively the other night and frankly many of them SUCK. I think I am trying too hard at the crabby thing. And you know every day does include a moment or two of crabby but normally I'm not such a crabby person (and this is not open to debate). So I'm going to make some changes. I mean I will still call this crabby deal - for now anyway - and I'll still be Crabby Girl, but I'm just not going to push the crabby. If I'm having a good day I'm going to be honest about it. I'm not going to be ashamed of my uncrabbiness. I'm not going to invent reasons to be crabby. You're gonna get whatever I feel like - so there. Okay so that's the first part of the plan. No more crabby if I'm just not feeling up to it (oh and this morning - the whole stupid driver thing - that made me very crabby - REALLY). Part 2 I'm going to write about whatever I feel like. I can't make any guarantees that it is worth reading, and based on my previous posts it seems like one out of five is worth something, SO you will want to keep reading in anticipation of the "golden" post cause you never know when it might appear. Part 3 - I'm not going to force myself to post if I'm not feeling the flow. Nothing is worse than forced, trying too hard, not flowing writing. So don't give up on me if I haven't posted for a day or two - keep coming back - PLEASE. I am almost ashamed to admit how much pleasure I recieve from checking out my stats and looking at the number of hits to this blog. Part 4 - I think I'm going to start posting some pictures. Oh and this is just a little side comment - if you haven't noticed I ALWAYS include informative links on the sidebar (okay they might not be that informative but if I talk about it I'm probably linking it). So check out the links - sometimes they are the best part of the whole darn entry.

Okay so that was the crabby followed by the plan. If you think of anything else constructive to add to my plan let me know. If you have a comment that isn't constructive but is funny or nice or supportive or just saying hello - go ahead post - but if you are just a nasty individual with nothing nice to say don't bother posting - cause I'll just delete you anyway.

I guess I'm not crabby enough

So today I received a few emails expressing surprise that I am taking the demise of My Magical Magnificant Movin' Mario and his soon to be absence in my weekly life as well as I am. I KNOW, even I'm a little surprised at myself but here's the thing, the same day that Mario had the Dancing with the Stars Disco Ball STOLEN right out from under his happy feet I became the proud owner of a new cell phone. And it isn't just any phone but a PINK Razr. I know it is a little sad that I could be so excited about a phone. But it isn't just any phone it is a PINK phone and I really love my PINK phone. So although the loss of Mario is devasting just a glance at the Phabulous Pink Phone and I am able to face another day. I don't know if a Pink Phone will keep the Mario Melancholy at a Minimum but for now that darn pink phone is making me pretty peachy!!!

By the way if the Phabulous Pink Phone was really peach I would not be happy. I hate peach I don't look good in peach - on my body or at my ear. At one time I loved peach. I used to have a bathroom that was peach and light blue. I thought I was very Miami Vice with that bathroom. Oh and just for the record I never liked Miami Vice. Some people may think Don Johnson is cute but he's got nothing on My Mario. My Magnificant Magical Mario. What am I going to do without Mario? How will I ever watch Dancing with the Stars again? HOW CAN EMMITT SMITH LIVE WITH HIMSELF. Shoot I'm feeling sad, where is my Phlippin' Phabulous Pink Phone???

OMG Crabby!!!

Oh My God! Did you see it? Did you see Dancing with the Stars? Did you hear them say Emmett and his dancing twit won? Listen to me America - WHAT DID YOU DO? I told you. I told you to vote for My Mario. I gave you every reason to vote. Were you listening? Holy Bananas. AND - about Mr. Smith - sure he had some rhythm but he looked the same in EVERY SINGLE FLIPPIN' DANCE. Just like Sarah Evans looked like she was doing some kind of two-step boogie on her horse no matter what dance she was supposed to be doing.

Anyway, I guess the fairy tale is over. My Mario is just another Saved By the Bell has-been (did you see Tiffany Amber Thiesen in the audience - what has THAT chick been doing??? - oh and just so you know SHE is on my husband's list - it's a regular Saved by the Bell reunion around here). Anyway, you don't know how it pains me to see my Mario reduced to second place, but I'm a realist. I'm ready to move on. I must endure. Although if he (Mario) starts selling t-shirts to save his house I am soooo going to ask him to move in with me.

Now life will return to normal on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and the highlight of my TV viewing pleasure will be Thursdays. I can only hope to see an "I'm Purrrrfect" sweat shirt to get me over the hump.

By the way, if you see Mario on the street, you know selling those t-shirts, be sure to give him a hug for me. I know he misses me...

Man that judge makes me crabby

Here I am LIVE with Dancing with the Stars! Yes, I am blogging while I'm watching. There is so much filler it isn't like it is the impossible task. Anyway my Mario just got done dancing his Samba to one of my most disliked songs of all time - Duke of whatever by Stevie Wonder - hate the song. Anyway the boy was hot but my attention was somewhat divided as daughter S. was busy doing her own rendition of the Samba/Pole Dance. I hate to discourage her but I sure hope she doesn't take her show on the road.

Okay Emmett and the chick just danced again - did you know his head glistens with sweat while he is dancing. Yep, and now you know. And that older judge guy - the one that sits in the middle I think he is in love with Emmett. It's just my opinion but I'm pretty observant that way. AND I'm telling you if Mario doesn't win I'm going to ask for a recount. Oh give me a break - Emmett and his chick just got perfect marks. Please.

So is this annoying you yet? I mean it's just an experiment. A chance to try something new. Just live with it for today okay - I'm too tired and crabby to deal with your whining and I've about had it with Mr. "Emmett I love you" judge. Now he is REALLY making me crabby.

OMG did you hear that? Mario's mom just said if Mario doesn't win the trophy Mama will make him a trophy. Okay so that's it - the engagement is off I don't think I could live with Mama...

Alright here we are with the big finale... I'll be back with commentary after the performance. Hey, Emmett's head is glistening like it's covered with glitter. Did the dancing chick shake her spangled booty all over his head?

Mario, Mario, Mario, did you see my Mario? Man he doesn't even have to dance he can just stand there. Oh wait - there's Mama - must forget Mario...

Okay it's a dead heat - neck and neck - like that is a big surprise!

So that's it. My Mario's fate is in the hands of the voting public. Do your part. Make my day. Vote for my Mario. Really, I am sure I can think of something to do about Mama. Okay gotta go I've got votes to cast and phone calls to make...

When I'm sick I'm crabby

So I've been sick in bed all day today. I hate that. I hate being sick because of course I think I am never going to be well again and will die with bad hair and mascara smears under my eyes. And then there is the sleep hangover. I have been sleeping ALL DAY and I don't know if I feel so bad because I am that sick or if I have just slept too much. Either way it sucks and it makes me extra crispy crabby!

Right now, as I type, I am locked (literally locked - as in the knob is turned and my children are taking five minute shifts pounding on the door and asking me who locked the door) in my bedroom because my in-laws are visiting right now. And it isn't that I normally lock myself in the bedroom for their visits (oh there is a comment so wanting to come out but I'll keep it to myself) but believe me when I say I am unpresentable at the moment. I smell, I have holes in my pj's and there is the hair thing. If I were to just close the door and not lock it my children would happily introduce each and every visitor into my "sick room" again and again and again. Right now I'm not looking for company (insert smiley).

The best part of today - tonight, when I'm sleeping (after dark when people are supposed to sleep), I'm hoping for NyQuil induced dreams of Mario...

The Moment is NOW!

You know as excited as I get about Tuesday (Mario) and Thursday (Grey’s Anatomy) you would think I didn’t have a life. But I do. A busy life. But I appreciate the little things. I really do.

So this week my mantra has been Just Be Me. Make this today the best it can be. No regrets about the past, no anxiety about the future. Just the incredible lightness of being in this moment. In this NOW (I know it's kind of long for a mantra but really I just repeat the Just Be Me part) . So that is what I have been trying to do. It’s harder than you would think. It’s amazing how much of what we do is based on what was or what will be. Kind of makes it easy to miss the little things. So this week I have been noticing all the little things. Like the gorgeous pink sunset on Tuesday evening, and the way daughter S has decided that she should talk out of the side of her mouth because it is just something new to try, and languishing in the pleasure of the millions of hugs and kisses that are unconditionally bestowed on me by daughter L. And watching L take over as the “boss” when S is not feeling well. Yesterday she was so lonely she thought she might have to cry. She didn’t but she thought she might have to. And having those rare moments of connecting with A when he isn’t a raging hormone teenager. The now really is good.

Personally I’m not sure a person can live every day in the now, it seems a little bit like sticking your head in the sand but every now and then it's a good thing. Maybe I'll start small - a now day every month and then try working it into every week. Of course it would make sense to do it on a non-crabby day and who knows maybe it will work so well I will have more non-crabby days and I will have to change my name to not so crabby girl. I could like her.

Some phone calls just make me crabby!

Finally, I can quit ignoring my telephone. I got so many of those irritating political calls it made me CRABBY and I started ignoring the phone. And if you know me you know that is BIG! Anyway, I would look at the Caller ID, see unknown name and number and ignore the call. But THEN some of them actually left messages on my answering machine, messages that would beep at me until I deleted the darn things. WHAT? Don’t they know I’m BUSY? I have important things to do; I have a blog to write, kids to chase, Scrapbooking to do, Mario to stalk, I don’t have time for them and their annoying calls.

So yep, I ignored them, they kept bugging them, I kept ignoring them, and now it is all over and I’ve got my phone back. I mean what if Publisher’s Clearing House has been trying to get a hold of me? Or or or MARIO! I can’t even think about it.

So did you see my Mario dance last night? A tango. Very hot. He cannot lose to Joey Lawrence. It just can’t happen. Besides I think I’ve had a premonition. This morning when I was getting ready for work my daughters turned on the TV and there it was Saved by the Bell. I mean how often do you just happen upon Saved by the Bell anymore? I think it’s locked in - Mario is going to win! Just wait, you’ll see.

You know this thing with Mario? This “admiration” I have for him? Well you know it isn’t really that bad right? I mean sure he’s cute and he’s hot and he can dance and he’s probably got a little money stashed away (although he is doing Dancing With the Stars, but it isn’t like he has been gig-less since Saved by the Bell, he did that Animal Planet show – I mean that must have paid SOMETHING and he showed his bare bottom on Nip/Tuck (I’m telling you that show is where it’s at), that had to be worth some cash and it isn’t like he’s selling t-shirts to pay his mortgage like that freaky Screech guy so he must be doing okay). Anyway, I digress. The thing I wanted to say is I have my very own Mario at home (love you honey). Really. Okay fine, he isn’t Hispanic and he doesn’t dance, and he isn’t a television star and he doesn’t have dimples and his name isn’t Mario but you know – he’s close (insert smiley!).

Sorta crabby sorta not

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday!! It's Tuesday. Marvelous Moving Mario day! And only a few minutes until the start.
I've got my Halloween candy, I've got my tv on, and I'm ready to go. Bring on the dancin' baby!
Soooo this is going to be a short post. I'm sure you understand :-)
So go, watch my Mario move and then VOTE, for Mario of course. I'm thinking he might just get eliminated this round. He's a little too good. Somewhere there are people that want him to lose. It's just like the guy that won all those games on Jeopardy - first everyone wanted him to win and then everyone wanted him to lose. Hmmmm. Interesting dynamic.
Okay I gotta go.

Someone eat the Halloween Candy - QUICK

Okay let's just take a minute to talk about Halloween candy shall we? I mean why is it that a big candy bar does not tempt me - it can sit around in the cupboard for months and I don't feel even a little bit compelled to take a bite. But Halloween candy? Forget it. I think those miniature candy bars are kind of like babies - hard to resist a nibble. Ohhhh look at this itty bitty Snickers. It's so cute. I could just pop it in my mouth in one bite. Yummy Yummy Yummy. Come here baby let mama have a little smidgeon. And then the next thing you know you have consumed an entire extended family, nieces, nephews, cousins - they all look the same and taste even better. And to top it off today I am CRABBY. Do you know what that means to a bag of miniature peanut butter cups? Annihilation!!! The end of the family tree. Who wants to live with that guilt? And really when it comes right down to it I hate those mini things. They are teases. They are just daring you to stop at one. It's all just a game to them. A mean, mean game.

But the worst part of all - I can't seem to bring myself to throw the Halloween candy away. I mean really my kids stayed up past their bedtime and went begging from house to house to bring home those baby candy bars. Can I really just treat them like trash? Turn my head and just empty the entire bowl into the garbage? And then there is the I'll take it to work plan which in theory is good - UNTIL the sorting begins because really do any of us want our co-workers to get the best stuff. See that's what I'm saying. So pretty soon you end up with a bag full of suckers and sweet tarts and tootsie rolls - like your co-workers are really gonna want that stuff. They've already sorted their own stash and are lugging in the same crappy candy so no one is going to think you are a hero for sharing.

So here I sit with PMS looming on the horizon and a big bowl of cute baby bars just waiting to go to the great beyond. It isn't looking good but at least I've got a sugar high goin' on!

I can't even go crab-free today!

Well here we are again - another non-crab day. It seems like it was just yesterday I was having a crab-free day and I'm really not sure I'm ready to give up the crab for the week. A girl can only stand so much happiness you know:-)

And you know, it isn't about yesterday's plan failure, or about my disappointing first day of Kindergarten or about Walmart or the guy that had five cars backed up behind him because he was going 15 mph. I'm just in a bit of a crabby funk.

Okay fine maybe it has a little to do with that Kindergarten thing. I mean that experience in itself was something I could overcome but then there was the tennis shoe on the wall thing. Yes, it's true, I was THE LAST kid in my Kindergarten class (I was in the afternoon class - country kids were in the morning class) to have my tennis shoe on the wall because I was the last one to learn to tie my shoes. I may have been the last Kindergartner in the whole school to know how to tie my shoes. Heck, I'm not even sure I ever got my shoe on the wall . I mean I remember that Mel H., and Julie D. and even Bob "chase me around the playground" S. had their shoe's on the wall but I don't remember my shoe being there and I think I would remember. I mean really, I remember making the plaster of paris in a paper plate hand print which I painted blue so I think I would remember the shoe. So maybe it is really all about the construction paper shoe that I never had on the wall. Could it be that between first day disappointment and shoe tying failure that a true crab was born??? Now that is something to think about...

Holy Crabby Bananas

Holy Bananas! Today was a very crabby day. An, I should have stayed in bed day. I should have closed the blinds, pulled the covers over my head and pretended I had amnesia day. Yep, it was that kind of a day but it didn’t start out that way at all. There were no Walmart drivers, no missed Mario. It was a perfectly fine day. Life was good and then bam – CRABBY.

Really, it’s just like when I was in Kindergarten and I had to sit on the red talking line the first day of school. I was so happy to be in school. I wore my favorite orange dress and new shoes. And then I sat by Julie D. and things began to change. She started talking while the teacher was talking but the teacher didn’t know it was Julie D– nope she thought it was me. So what happened? I had to sit on the red tile line– right there on the Talking in Class square. I was not happy; as a matter of fact I was crabby, I was in Kindergarten and I was crabby. And it was all because someone else did not follow the rules. The no talking while the teacher is talking rule. Yep – someone else broke the rules but I was the one who got crabby.

So today was another crabby day just like that day in Kindergarten. A day gone bad because someone ELSE did not follow the rules or in this case someone did not follow the PLAN. A Plan that was developed for a reason, just like there are reasons for rules there are also reasons for plans.

So there was a plan in place, a good plan, a plan with a reason and considering there are entire companies devoted solely to the art of planning you would think it would be a pretty big deal. That people would pay attention. That plans would be FOLLOWED! And yet, every day there is someone, somewhere who is NOT following the plan.

Usually someone thinks they have a better plan but sometimes, just sometimes a plan isn’t followed because SOMEONE thinks they are being helpful. That even though a plan has been developed they are going to do everyone a favor and do it their own way. Okay sure, but usually, like today, when the plan wasn’t followed, there was nothing HELPFUL that happened. As a matter of fact the plan used – VERY unhelpful. So please next time you are involved in a plan review the plan, look at the plan, heck you can even moan about the plan but for the love of granola DO NOT CHANGE THE PLAN.

You know I kind of wonder what happened to Julie D. I hope she isn’t the one that is STILL looking for me on reunion.com because frankly, I’ve haven't liked her since the first day of Kindergarten.

A lifetime of crabby

Okay here I am, here I am. I told you I wouldn’t be posting yesterday and I didn’t so it isn’t like you didn’t know (smiley).

So alright, let’s just get right to it shall we? Last night I discovered something that has been making me crabby for YEARS - really. I mean it isn’t something that I didn’t already know but the fact was reinforced. Okay here it is, the real story, a confession - I’m a tripper. As in I am frequently tripping over cracks in the sidewalk, rocks on the road, holes in the lawn, my own two feet. Seriously I am not exactly the most graceful crab.

I remember in second grade, running around the gym with the nuns timing us, (hey, at least it wasn't marching) and suddenly tumbling across the floor. WHAT? How did that happen? I was traveling at the speed of sound and my feet just couldn’t keep up? And that was just the beginning; I have fallen down bleachers in front of a gym full of high school students, I have walked off a flight of stairs and fallen at the feet of my destiny in a bar, I have stepped into a hole while playing with my kids on the big toy resulting in an ankle so severely sprained I could barely hobble to the car. I’ve even tripped over a rock in the parking lot on the way to my car causing a bus to swerve around me. Yep, it’s all true. Just ask around – people know…

So anyway, last night as we were preparing to head out into the neighborhood I slipped on the step and FELL. I know NOW you’re surprised. Anyway, after assuring my family I was fine fifteen times (enough already) we headed out the door. While walking from house to house my daughter S. tripped and fell TWICE. OH MY GOD it’s hereditary, she’s a tripper. I don’t even know what to say – I’m sorry baby. (smiley - goll darn lack of smileys)

So there it is, the whole story – do you see why I admire Mario and his fancy feet and graceful moves? It’s all beginning to make sense isn’t it? Welcome to my world...