Good Morning

I'm in a better mood today than I have been for the past week. Why, you ask? Or maybe you don't ask why, but I shall tell you anyway: I have my car again! Woo-hoo! I am a free spirit, and follow my bliss wherever and whenever it may tug me somewhere. Wal-Mart at 11:30 for milk? Sure! Gas station at 10pm? Why not! Sometimes, once Jacelyn is safely ensconced in her bed, I feel the urge to drive. I've said before how driving is therapy for me. And there's always something that needs to be done. If I'm feeling overwhelmed by the in-laws, I just head out. I have not had that option for the past week, and it has been driving me buggy.

My dear friend Mike made a good point the other day. I was complaining about my lack of ride, and he pointed out that the only alone time I have is in the car. At home, I am surrounded by people. At work, same thing (although the people can be more enjoyable, the exception to that of course being my daughter). The car is the only time I have to be alone, and I missed that sorely this week.

Friday morning was the pinnacle of annoyance for me. The reason I didn't have a car in the first place was because Brian broke something when fixing what was wrong previously, and then he announced I couldn't drive it and promptly left town. My in-laws were very nice about letting me use their vehicles, and about making sure I got to work and such, and I truly appreciate that. Brian was in town Thursday and Friday morning, and took me to work both days. Friday morning, after I emerged from the shower, I went into our room and poked him. "I need to leave" I told him. "Bye" he mumbled, snuggling further into the covers. "No, I need to go to work" I explained further, getting more and more grumpy. "See you later" he replied, rolling over. "NO, I need YOU to take ME to WORK" I explained, emphasizing the key words in my phrase with a hearty poke. "Oh". I went into the living room and waited impatiently by the front door. He limped into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, standing there, scratching his belly and squinting into the fridge. I followed him and glowered pointedly at him. He finally noticed me and said, "Well, did you need to leave now?". No, I just like watching you scratch yourself.

But - the part came in yesterday and Brian's father installed it, and I am happily mobile again. Woo-hoo!

Other than that, there's not a whole lot going on. We're still waiting to hear if Brian got the job in Gulf Breeze. I have to schedule a physical for Jacelyn for school and start gearing up for that. Girl Scouts start just after school does, and I have done NO planning for that. Sigh. I need to get on the ball.

Brian's mother is going to visit with her family in Louisiana for a month. They are leaving Sunday morning, bright and early. His mother, father, sister, and Jacelyn are going. I cannot go because they are staying Sunday night and leaving sometime Monday afternoon to return here. This means.......I will be home alone! At least from 7am to 12pm while Joe is at work. After that Joe and I will be hanging out. I'm looking forward to the few hours of alone time, though. That will be nice. Or I will make it be nice, since I have it so rarely.

reCAPTCHA

I first heard about this on NPR the other day. It's about those word verifiers on websites to prove that you are a real person, and how they are being used to correct scanner errors in books that are being digitized. Commenting on Teresa's blog reminded me of this, and I thought I would share. It's quite interesting, at least to me, although I am a HUGE nerd. Here is the NPR story, and here is the reCAPTCHA website.

Random Mind Droppings

The above title is slightly disgusting yet conveys the mindlessness of my blogging this morning. Very random, unimportant, trivial stuff. Maybe if I bullet point it I won't be so wordy? Let us see:

• The Sopranos finale: I was/am an avid Sopranos fan, although I haven't seen past season 4. I did, however, manage to catch the last scene of the final episode online, and I think I liked it. Everything seemed fraught with meaning, or had the potential to have meaning. Even though I was watching online, and already knew what was going to happen thanks to all the spoilers, I was still anxious while I was watching it. I think David Chase is a smart guy. Not always the best screenwriter, but a smart guy. I think far too much is being made of it - what do people think they are going to do, force HBO to go back and shoot a more satisfactory ending? IT'S FREAKING TV, PEOPLE. If it's that upsetting, perhaps you should find a hobby.
• Brian has been in town since last Saturday. OMG, we are used to each other in far smaller doses than this and are driving each other crazy. I have been taking advantage of his presence in order to go to bed earlier than usual, and I've been reading more. And speaking of reading:
• Someone told me Jane Austen was their favorite author and highly recommended her books to me, when I offered up that I had never read her. The other day at the mall I found a hardcover collection - I believe four of her novels in one book - for $7.99. Bonus! I have muddled my way through Sense and Sensibility and am now in the thick of Pride and Prejudice. I like them. I find them a bit soap opera-ish, but that is neither here nor there. I am starting to think I have poor taste in books. I forced myself to finish an Ayn Rand book recently (the title of which escapes me at this moment) and hated every minute I was reading it. I have yet to finish The Great Gatsby - I got halfway through and have not been able to force myself back into it. I did manage to complete The Catcher in the Rye, but didn't enjoy it all that much. I was much overjoyed the other day to find A Wrinkle In Time at Wal-Mart for less than $5, which I quickly bought, took home, and read cover to cover in one night. I read that for English class in middle school and was in love with it. That and The Hobbit, I read both of those in middle school and was smitten with them.
• Back to Brian - he recently had a phone interview with a manager at the Gulf Breeze store that he says went very well. And then promptly came here for vacation, where he won't be able to find anything out. Hopefully we will hear something soon. And then we can find a place to live and get settled, which we need to do. There are two jobs open - one of them is overnight, which he said he wouldn't mind doing for the experience. I am torn on the thought of him working overnights. Pro: He will be gone, all night. Con: He will be home, all day. And trying to sleep, in the thick of daytime activity. And grumping around the house at the slightest noise. When he's good and asleep, nothing wakes him. But in weird time between sleeping and waking, the slightest noise troubles him. And he will dramatically stomp to wherever the noise is coming from, and ask sarcastically about the necessity of the task producing said noise: "Do you really think that all that dusting is necessary? It's keeping me awake and I need my sleep". That literally happened once, when he was working overnights years and years ago. Maddening. BUT - if he gets his butt back here, I'll gladly deal with whatever for the sake of having my own home.
• Jacelyn is going to be a NIGHTMARE next week. She usually goes through a rough patch, behaviorally, after Brian leaves from a day long visit. This go round, he has been here for a week, and has been with her the whole time. They have been staying up WAAAAAAAY too late, watching movies and playing video games. Tomorrow morning he goes home, and I'm going to have to tread lightly because 1.) she will be missing her daddy, and 2.) she is so far off her schedule that I feel guilty. It's bad. I've been going to bed early, but her and Brian have been staying up past midnight every night. And then waking up around 11am the next day. Trouble. It's going to be a long recovery period. But, I will be with her tomorrow, so that will be OK. She'll have Monday to do whatever, and then on Tuesday, she has a playdate. I'm just going to keep her busy, try and get her back on a schedule, and hope for the best.

That's about it. That's enough, isn't it? I need to get some work done. I need to call my dad and see what he's up to tomorrow and when I can get up with him to give him his father's day gift. Jacelyn picked it out for him. She is a firm believer in the power of pajamas, so that was her gift selection for fathers this year. She got her daddy pajama shorts and a matching shirt, and she picked out the same thing for her Daddoo. He got Larry the Cable Guy pajama shorts and a matching red t-shirt. And we threw a box of Brownies in, too, to sweeten the deal a bit.

Well, I'm out. Hope all is well for everyone!

Geez

It's been a while since I posted. I didn't realize. I'm a blogger slacker.


Jacelyn is out of school, and somewhat enjoying her summer. She misses school, and she misses her friends, and I haven't yet arranged any time to spend with another child, so she's been surrounded by grown-ups, with the exception of a family birthday party last week. I think she's slightly depressed about it. Her routine is out the window - no bedtime, no set getting up time. She's a mess, and it's affecting her in a noticeable way. I think she needs to get back on a routine, and I think I need to get up with some school or girl scout moms about a playdate. She literally seems depressed. Poor thing.

I'm thinking about cutting my hair. I'm very torn about it - I want to, but then I don't. I like the idea of a new cut and actually having a hair style, but I'm concerned about the maintenance. I'm afraid the cut I want will not look good on me. And what I'm looking at is short. I would be going from long hair that falls to my lower back to hair above my ears. Big, big change. I'm terribly nervous. I don't know if I'm feminine enough to pull off a short haircut. I don't know if I'm confident enough to pull off a short haircut. I mean, all I ever do now is clip my long hair up in a bun for work or back in a ponytail at home, so it's not like my face isn't front and center now. But I'm very freaked out. My long hair is super low maintenance - wash it, pull it back, go. Zero primp time. However, that shows, too. Isn't it about time, as I'm knocking on thirty, that I spent a little time on my appearance? I suppose I can't go through my entire life counting on my sparkling personality to win people over. I have less than stellar skin, however, and a mouthful of charmingly crooked teeth (that I am very superstitious about in regards to my trumpet playing, BTW), and wouldn't short hair just highlight my considerable facial flaws? My big nose with the smeary freckle. The fact that I am, as my sister delights in pointing out, covered in moles. My uneven eyes. But again, since I always wear my hair pulled tightly back, all those are already on display. I want a funky haircut. Something that I can pomade. I just don't know what I want to do. I'll keep thinking about it.

I'm going to get to work now. There's a lot of stuff going on right now in my world, but none of it that I can really get into right now. Bombshell type of stuff. Makes me tired thinking about it. I'll talk to you all soon! And Teresa, I love you and miss you and hope you're doing well!