Fall is in the air.

Can you feel it? Can you smell it?

Here in lovely East Tennessee the fall season has come in like a lion! The weather is gorgeous, just absolutely gorgeous. The over night lows have been in the 30’s and the air is crisp and cool. I feel like I can finally breathe.

We have had so much rain this year. We’re 10+ inches of rain over the normal rainfall totals for this time of year. The rain, combined with the cool temperatures has created a spectacular autumn. The leaves are changing colors, everywhere I look are vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. It really has made me feel so very glad to be alive.

I do have some news, dear readers. I went last night and formally signed papers to put an offer in on a house. It’s a 31-year-old brick front rancher. 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. It’s on about a quarter acre of property which is fenced in the back yard. It has an attached 1 car garage.

We went and viewed the home on Monday, and while there are a few things that would need to be changed (paint & wallpaper) mainly, both Mr. Nascar and I liked the house. It’s closer to Bert©’s school than we are now. It’s just up the street from where she attends daycare afterschool. The front yard is gorgeous with the miniature roses and the flower beds. We could tell the house has been taken care of. I met last night with the Seller’s real estate agent to put in an offer on the home. We should have a response from her by Thursday at noon. I have already been pre-qualified for a loan by one company, but submitted an application to another mortgage broker yesterday afternoon to see if we could get an even better rate. Hopefully all of this will click into place and we can be closed on the house by Nov. 27th. We would then give our 30 day notice to our landlord and use that time to repaint, and to slowly move items into the new house.

Bert© has been doing wonderfully in school. We should be getting her first formal report card home on Thursday. At my parent teacher conference, the teacher mentioned she would like to start Bert© on an accelerated reading program. She is the top reader in her class. I hardly have to help her figure out a word when she’s reading anymore. I couldn’t be more pleased. I love reading and often can be found with a book somewhere near me. I’m glad to see that my daughter cause also caught my love for words. Her scores in math are not as high as in reading & spelling, however they are excellent scores for a child who just turned 6 years old in August. I am very proud of her.

I am doing well. However, I am exhausted. I feel like there is never enough time to do everything that needs to be done. I have picked up a little extra work on the side, so I have worked every day for the last two weeks. While the paycheck is nice, I still have plenty of household chores that need to be completed. I am quickly running out of clean laundry! Oh the bane of the existence of a working woman. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays I pretty much rush back out of the house as soon as I get home. Bert© has Girl Scouts on Tuesdays (she’s a daisy) and on Wednesday she has catechism classes at church. We’re even thinking about adding in basketball practice for her, two nights a week. Gosh I sure would like just one day to be able to sleep in and relax.

Speaking of sleeping in and relaxing…hopefully if all goes according to plan, Mr. Nascar and I will be escaping this weekend. We are planning on going to Tunica, MS to one of the casinos down there. Mr.Nascar will be turning 43 years old this week! This trip will be one of his presents, as I hate gambling and find it very boring to watch him lose our money. I might just spend the evening in our hotel room, enjoying a nice bubbly jacuzzi bath! Mmm that sounds wonderful.

I need to get back to work now, so I shall bring this to a close. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

January 20, 2009

Today the United States of America welcomed a new president. Congratulations to Mr. Barak Obama.

I was unable to watch the inauguration today because I’m hardly working, I mean hard at work. We were allowed to log onto a news website to watch the live coverage but unfortunately most places couldn’t support the crush of people wanting to watch the new president talk. I did manage to catch Mr. Obama’s speech on the local radio station though. The man sure can give a good speech. He is probably the most convincing public speaker I have heard in a very long time. I would have to say that Michelle Obama must be incredibly proud of her husband right now.

Today is a new day. The possibilities for the future are endless. Our lives will be what we make of them. Myself, personally I am going to try and be more positive about things and to really work on worrying less. I saw an interesting marquee at a local church the other day; “Why worry when you can pray.” I wholeheartedly agree and that will be my practice going forward.

Welcome 2009 and President Obama, I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me!

I love to laugh…ha ha ha ha

I love to laugh. Often, movies that are supposed to be “funny” don’t actually make me laugh. Sometimes I’ll chuckle at the appropriate time, especially if it’s a part that involves someone getting hurt (I know, I’m bad), but I never feel satisfied. The best kinds of laughs for me are the ones that I get from the real people I interact with on a daily basis. The moments where you laugh so hard you think you’ll never stop, and then each time you think about the incident you almost can’t help laughing again. Each time this has happened to me, it’s been so unexpected, especially the times it’s Bert© that has cracked me up. My child can really come up with some good ones. I had one such incident with a coworker yesterday, and I have revelled in repeating the conversation. The first two times I repeated it, I could barely get through it without laughing. So without further ado, here are a few conversations recently that I have found very funny.

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up Bert©?
B: A mommy, just like you.
Me: Oh now that’s sweet. How many kids do you want to have?
B: One, a girl.
Me: Well, honey. There’s no guarantee you’ll have a girl. You might have a boy.
B: No, I’m going to have a girl.
Me: Ok. What would you name your daughter?
B: Cheesy Wheezy.

The other day I went over to Mr.Nascar’s house. I knew he wasn’t going to be home, but his roommate Big D was. Mr.Nascar told me just to go ahead and let myself in (as we’ve exchanged keys) but I’m still not comfortable doing that yet. I arrived and knocked on the door. As I waited, I was listening for the sound of footsteps, but heard nothing. I got out my phone, thinking to call the house phone and ask Big D to let me in, but figured I’d just try knocking again. I rapped on the door again and waited. I heard an interior door open and close, and footsteps coming toward the back door. The door knob twisted, and the door was pulled forcefully inward. Big D took a giant step backward and yelled out “SHHHHHIIIT!!!” I jumped a bit as that was not the reaction I was expecting. “Damn girl, you scared the shit out of me.” he said, his hand resting over his heart. I started to giggle. “I’m sorry, I knocked, I swear I did. I thought you heard me and were coming to let me in.” I laughed all the way through the house, and each time I even thought of the encounter. His reaction was priceless.

There’s a guy that I work with, he reminds me way too much of my ex-husband so I try to keep my distance. Anyway, one day we had ice cream at work, and I over heard his random conversation between him and his cube mate Slacker.
The Big Cajun: So my friend, his last name is Hammer…so I was telling him that when he has kids, he should name his son Jack. You know…Jack Hammer…get it?
Slacker: Hehe, that’s funny. What if he named his kid Sledge? Then he’d be Sledge Hammer!
The Big Cajun: Ya, ya. Or what about Michael Clayton?
Me: Huh?
The Big Cajun: Cause if he went by his initials, he’d be MC Hammer!
I couldn’t help myself, I just had to laugh.

Now yesterday, I was standing with TBC & Slacker discussing my upcoming trip to Canada.
Me: I can’t wait. I leave in a little less than a month to go to Canada.
TBC: I’d love to go to Canada one day.
Slacker: Me too. I’d like to travel to a foreign country.
Me: *Puzzled* You consider Canada a foreign country? It’s very similar to the US. Just with less people.
TBC: Ya, I’ve heard there are like only 3 major cities in Canada.
Me: Yep, that’s pretty much it. There’s less than 40 million people in the whole country. It works out to like 2 people per square kilometre.
TBC: *Gets this dreamy look on his face* Do you know what they have a lot of in Canada?
Me: Canadians?
TBC: And they come in lots of flavors too!
Me: *Slacker and I are both looking at each other like we think TBC is crazy and then burst out laughing* What are you talking about? You so lost me back there.
TBC: Beer…what did you think I was talking about?
Slacker and I started laughing so hard and explained what we were cracking up about. TBC said he didn’t hear me answer him saying that Canada must be filled with Canadians. This morning when I got to work, I asked him what flavor of Canadian he had for dinner last night. That got everyone chuckling all over again.

Me, Mr.Nascar & Bert© were having icecream one evening. It was freezing inside the shop, and I wanted to get back outside where it was warm.
Me: Hurry up, honey and finish your icecream. It’s cold in here.
B: Ok mommy. Less talkie, more lickie.
Mr.N: *Starts laughing*

Well everyone, that’s all I’ve got for now. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll write about how much I suck at bowling, and my brand new bowling shoes. Or maybe I’ll blog about our ill-fated trip to the zoo. Or maybe I’ll finally write about my trip to Phoenix back in March!! I guess you’ll have to tune in tomorrow for “The adventures of Webmiss & Bert©”

The beginning of the end?

I’m a little sad tonight. This might be one of my last few blog entries. I received my internet bill the other day and almost fainted. It appears that my promotional period is over and the full price billing has kicked in. I just cannot afford it any longer. Things are so tight for me financially, I need to cut back and make sure that the necessities are covered. The cable and internet are being turned off, I have reduced the cost of my cell phone plan. I found out that my wireless provider gives me a 17% discount because of the company I work for. That is a pretty decent discount. I’ll have to see next month how much that actually reduces my bill. Also, I have not turned the heat on at all this winter. That has enabled my electric bill has been between $31-35 a month. I live paycheck to paycheck, and it should end up being even smaller come the beginning of January as the premiums for my medical benefits are going up. I’m really trying to cut back where I can, but I tell you, it makes me depressed to know that I work 40 hours a week just to survive. It’s scary to think that my whole life might be like this!

On 11/27 the state of TN had sent a garnishment notice to Mike’s employer. I think I mentioned previously that Mike has only been able to secure temporary employment through Express Personnel in Rochester, MN. I called on 12/21 as I still had not received any support and found out that EP had ignored the request. The state sent another letter out on 12/19, and if they ignore that, there will be legal action taken against them for interference with the collection of child support. I called Mike tonight to check on the status of his job as he mentioned it was only going to be seasonal work. He said they let him know today that his employment had been extended. For how long? He has no clue, or so he says. I asked him if he talked to anyone at EP about them ignoring the wage assignment, he said that they need to be sent to the corporate office in OK. Gave me a phone # for them, so I’ll call about that tomorrow. I don’t know why the local office didn’t just shoot off the letter to corporate and let them take care of it. Goodness, I feel like I’m living on the verge of the movie Deliverance. Bunch of back water hicks I seem to be dealing with here.

I was extremely surprised that Mike sent Hailey a Christmas present. He sent her nothing for her birthday and when I questioned it, he said “Gifts just really aren’t my thing.” Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is the lovely winner that I married. What was I thinking??

 Work is ridiculously slow right now. I think I took the first phone call in our department today, at 10:00 maybe 10:15. The majority of us spent the day cruising the internet and chatting to each other. I’m leaving at 2pm tomorrow for the beginning of another 4 day weekend, WOOT! I will be heading to Gatlinburg to meet my mother and Hailey who have been there all week shopping and sight seeing. I think the plan is to meet up with some close friends of my mothers and explore Dollywood. Yes, I have been there many times before, we bought season passes with my tax return last year, but I still haven’t visited all the little nooks & crannies. Hailey gets so excited when we go, that’s what will make it worthwhile for me.

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. I know I sure did. I guess I’ll need to find time to blog about that too.

Random Webmiss Factoid #2…and I got tagged.

Fact:

When I went to Michigan for my business trip, that is the first time I have stayed in a hotel long enough to require unpacking! Seriously, we never could afford to go anywhere for more than a weekend at most, or we were only stopping at a hotel on our way to the ultimate destination. It was quite the novelty for me to iron and then hang my clothes up in the hotel closet. Sometimes it’s the little things that bring so much pleasure.

****

I was tagged a few days ago by Yankeechick. I figure it’s about time that I get around to writing it all out. The “Rules of Engagement” *snicker* are that I am to link to 5 diaries/blogs that inspire my writing and explain my reasoning.

1. Cardiogirl. I love this lady. She has a writing style all her own, updates regularly, and responds to all comments left in ther VIP section. She has created the Cardiogirl Empire™and continues to perfect a creative and engaging environment for her readers. I aspire to have a blog along the lines of Cardiogirl.net! 2. Planet-Maxx. Maxxy will tell it like it is, and pulls no punches. He blogs openly and honestly about his relationship with his wife; V, and his feelings for his soulmate Vamps. His writing ranges from humorous to poignant, and everything in between. Maxx diary inspires me to not only blog about the every day things, but the heart-wrenching and the painful too.

3. Guilty Secret. She has a way with words and an incredible capacity to make the reader feel like they are right there in the room with Baddie & herself. She’s magnificently descriptive, and never hesitates to try and explain how she feels. Guilty has an awesome ability to recall spoken conversation, and to incorporate that into her blog so the audience understands the banter between everyone involved. She is creating a record of this particular time in her life. Guilty inspires me to remember every detail and record it accurately.

4. SmedIndy. Smed’s blog incorporates humor, and musical genius all in one convenient spot on the web. He is intelligent, articulate, and knows how to write a darn good essay. His love of music is a constant thread throughout his posts. His blog inspires me to blog about the things I love, passionately.

5. Awittykitty. I’m a relatively new reader, and an even more recent commenter. Witty is well, witty. Her writing is humorous if a little self-depreciating. I know that it’s going to make me smile at the very least. Sometimes she even makes me laugh out loud. She isn’t afraid to make fun of herself.  She knows her short comings, but she also knows her strengths. Witty is an artisté and her creativeness flows through her post in a wonderful mix of fact and comical story-telling. I aspire to be able to spin a tale, the way that Witty does.

So there you have it folks, 5 blogs that inspire me. Now I wasn’t clear from Yankeechick’s post if I’m supposed to tag 4 or 5 people. I guess I’ll do 4 as some of the people on my blog roll have already been tagged.

Tag, you’re it:
Dulligirl
Planet-Maxx
Guilty Secret
Awittykitty

P.S. Here’s to hoping this blog made sense. I’m chock full of Nyquil right now, trying to kick this cold!

Not tonight, OK? I have a headache

I know I was supposed to write about the birthday party for a kid Hailey has never met, but I’m tired and I have a  headache. Instead I will explain an obscure reference I made in a comment on Janedoe0’s site.

Have a totally-awesome-wicked-kick ass time at the zoo on Sunday. Just remember “Animals don’t wear underpants, they just roam free!”
*Points to anyone who knows what that line is from.

Webmiss

That is a reference from a TV show I watched as a child called Bobby’s World.

Occasionally Bobby (whoops just typed that as Booby, thank goodness for backspace) would break into song in one of his episodes. A memorable one my brother Steve always loved was “Animal’s don’t wear underpants”. Unfortunately I have been unable to run across a copy of that anywhere on YouTube. However, I did find another cute one called “Underwater the fish don’t stink” and I present that for your viewing pleasure:

Hope that explains it for you Janedoe0. Have a great time at the zoo tomorrow!

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It’s your religion!

Have I mentioned yet how much I really love sloganizer.net? I plugged in the word religion and got some very entertaining results. Ahh, the simplest things sometimes bring the most pleasure in life.

I have been quietly ruminating on some of the behaviors I saw while at church this past week. Things that I personally find irritating and just down right disrespectful. I will be the first to admit that I am far from perfect, but at least I have the presence of mind to realize that even if I am not attending church to worship and praise God, others have attended for just that reason. Is it just me, or do people no longer take their religion seriously? Going to church shouldn’t be social time, it should be time for inner reflection and spiritual connection with God. I observed people talking all throughout the ceremony, children running up and down the isles, people dressed as though they just walked in off the beach. The list goes on!

What happened to families dressing up in their Sunday best and presenting a wholesome image when they attended church? I realize that things have changed over the years, religion has progressed toward the 21st century to woo those who otherwise would not attend. Is that really the way things should be? Isn’t religion about sacrificing the things that make us comfortable and not always choosing the ‘easy way’, so that in our suffering we grow closer to God and the path he wishes us to follow?

Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I think there is a time and place for everything. T-shirts and flip flops belong on the boardwalk, not in a church pew.