KateSpot: January 2004 Archives

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January 31, 2004

Good MORNING

It's a lovely day today - the sun is shining warm beams of sunshine into my living room. I can feel the warmth on me as I sit at the computer... I love days like this. But, it is freezing outside. I think today is a great inside day IF I could stay inside all day. I have several errands to run:
1. Library - return Sinbad.
2. Store - bread, milk, Boost, brown paper for shipping packages
3. Go door to door and sell Girl Scout cookies.

Then, after all that, I have laundry - piles and piles of it. The sheets need to be changed. Dinner - hmmm - what the hell are we going to eat tonight? I'll think of something...

P is feeling better.Things have moved along. Thank goodness. He was one cranky bastard last night. Believe me, there was a reason to be cranky. Poor guy.

On <a href="http://www.ailurophile.com/mainiac/">Christine's</a> suggestion, I joined <a href="http://www.netflix.com/Default?">Netflix</a>. I am impressed with the selection they offer. What the hell.. that is our main form of entertainment. Speaking of entertainment, P and I will actually be going OUT on Valentines Day! Of course, he can't really enjoy any food so we won't be going out to eat. Popcorn would be bad for him - so no movies. Hmmm - so what the hell are we going to do?

Posted by Cate at 09:57 AM | Comments (4)

January 30, 2004

The Man

He is so freakin' miserable. I can't blog about it any more than that but let's just say it ain't pretty.. at either end.

Posted by Cate at 06:48 PM | Comments (5)

A little calmer

I am ok now - still furious with O's preschool teachers but calmer.. does that make sense? Sorry about that last audblog freak out.
P is at my Mom's house. O and I are leaving now to go pick him up and come back home. God - what a freakin' day..

Posted by Cate at 12:09 PM | Comments (2)

audio post powered by audblog

<a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46449.mp3"><img src="http://www.audblog.com/media/images/audblog_post.gif" HSPACE=4 alt="Powered by audblog" /></a><a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46449.mp3">audio post</a> powered by <a href="http://www.audblog.com">audblog</a>

Posted by Cate at 10:11 AM | Comments (4)

Happy Birthday!

Can ya'll give a big shout-out to <a href="http://www.adelle.net/">Adelle</a>?? Go wish her a Happy Birthday!

Posted by Cate at 12:16 AM | Comments (2)

January 29, 2004

It's cold

DAMN - it's cold outside. I had to run out to my car to get some Girl Scout paperwork. Brrrrrr! I need some coffee.

I will be doing paperwork and relaxing in front of the television tonight. I think I might even pop in a dvd. G'night ya'll!

Posted by Cate at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)

Need some expert advice

I was looking at sewing machines in WallyWorld today. I can't sew clothig but I would like to sew on Girl Scout patches, maybe whip up an easy curtain, sew on a button... easy stuff. I am at a loss at to WHAT to look for in a sewing machine. Can anyone who sews give me some advice?? PLEASE??

Posted by Cate at 05:19 PM | Comments (3)

Screen Siren

(snagged from <a href="http://www.ailurophile.com/archives/004743.php#004743">Karen</a>)

<a href="http://quizilla.com/users/etherkiss/quizzes/Which%20Silver%20Screen%20Siren%20are%20you%3F/"><img src="http://images.quizilla.com/E/etherkiss/1048493381_risDaycopy.jpg" border="0" alt="HASH(0x8363054)"> Which Silver Screen Siren are you?</a> brought to you by <a href="http://quizilla.com">Quizilla</a>

::snicker::Pure?? Umm.. ok..

Posted by Cate at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)

Sad

Did you ever worry about a person who blogs? Someone whom you read all the time? You just get that "feeling" - you know - the one that tells you something just ain't right. What sucks is that the person I am concerned about lives far away from me. There is essentially nothing I can do for him. I don't know what the hell is going on with <a href="http://www.gutrumbles.com/archives/005784.php#005784">Rob</a> but I hope to God things clear up for him soon. He is not himself and I am just really worried about him.
::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 09:51 AM | Comments (6)

Thank goodness

No midnight puking from M. She slept in bed with me and crashed pretty hard. Poor kid. Of course, this morning she is like Tigger - all bouncy and full of fun. I am keeping her home anyway - just in case. O kept waking up in the wee hours of the morning from bad dreams. She said that she would feel better if she slept in bed with me. Heh - not last night. Poor kid. So, I let her read in bed for a while until she fell asleep again. I played the bad dream game about three more times from 3am-6am. I am going to keep her home from school as well. Ugh.
I think I need to go back to bed.

Posted by Cate at 08:15 AM | Comments (3)

Words

M just stumbled out of her room. "Mom, my stomach hurts." Temperature is 100.5. Guess who will be out of school tomorrow?
I have to get my bed prepped so she can sleep with me tonight. P will be on the couch. God - I hope she doesn't puke.

Posted by Cate at 12:18 AM | Comments (1)

January 28, 2004

Papa's got a brand new cell

(snagged from the awesome <a href="http://phillipcoons.com/index.php">Philip</a>)
<img alt="jb.jpg" src="http://www.katespot.com/archives/jb.jpg" width="170" height="186" border="0" />

MIAMI (Reuters) - The "Godfather of Soul," James Brown, was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of committing domestic violence, South Carolina law enforcement officials said.
(read full story <a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=762&e=1&u=/nm/20040128/en_nm/people_brown_dc">here</a>)

Posted by Cate at 11:22 PM | Comments (0)

Thanks!

Had a great chat with <a href="http://www.adelle.net/">Adelle</a> tonight. I am very much looking forward to the <a href="http://www.adelle.net/discovery/">NYC meeting in May</a>. It's going to be SO much fun!

Posted by Cate at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)

I hope..

that tomorrow is a normal school day. The girls are driving me crazy! Arrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Posted by Cate at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)

Exploding Whale

I have gotten several hits today for people looking for the
exploding whale video. If you need a laugh today, check out the link.
It's a blast. Get it - a blast??

Hee!

Posted by Cate at 04:53 PM | Comments (0)

Trading Computers

P and I have been wandering around the house today. We are getting some things done but we also keep jumping online. All I can say is thank goodness we have two computers - one in the living room and one in our bedroom.

O and I were outside for about 30 minutes before she started getting cold. She was very well bundled up but it's those damn little mittens that get so freakin' soggy so fast! I usually layer them - she wears a pair of gloves then a pair of mittens over them. I need to purchase ski gloves for the girls.

Dinner is going to be simple - pancakes/waffles with sausage and fresh fruit. Yum.

Posted by Cate at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)

audio post powered by audblog

<a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46268.mp3"><img src="http://www.audblog.com/media/images/audblog_post.gif" HSPACE=4 alt="Powered by audblog" /></a><a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46268.mp3">audio post</a> powered by <a href="http://www.audblog.com">audblog</a>

Posted by Cate at 11:34 AM | Comments (2)

Damn

P can't lift things or even bend over due to the pressure it would place on his wound. He shouldn't even pick up O. In fact, the doctor "spoke to him" about it yesterday.
Guess who is going to shovel the snow today?

See you in a couple hours.

Posted by Cate at 10:26 AM | Comments (2)

Good morning

Man - extra sleep is nice ::grin::

The girls wrecked O's room.. Oh well. A small price to pay for peace and quiet.

Posted by Cate at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

Another closing

Well - M has another snow day this morning.... I am going back to bed :::yawn:::

Posted by Cate at 06:45 AM | Comments (5)

January 27, 2004

audio post powered by audblog

<a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46242.mp3"><img src="http://www.audblog.com/media/images/audblog_post.gif" HSPACE=4 alt="Powered by audblog" /></a><a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46242.mp3">audio post</a> powered by <a href="http://www.audblog.com">audblog</a>

Posted by Cate at 11:06 PM | Comments (4)

Medical

P can go back to work Monday February 9th. Until then, he is home with me.
::::insert scary Psycho music here::::::

Posted by Cate at 03:38 PM | Comments (4)

Appointment Day

P has a doctor's appointment with the ENT today. O and I will be going with him. <strike>I</strike> We have a lot of questions for him.

M just got to school about 30 minutes ago. She had a two hour delay this morning. The weather is actually warm, well, warmer than the past few days. It's also raining. It would totally suck if all this rain freezes. I think that is the forecast for tonight. Crap. Another "snow day".

Double crap.

Posted by Cate at 11:11 AM | Comments (3)

Down with Love

OhMyGAWD!!
I want Ewan McGregor for Christmas. ROWR! Hell - Renee is gorgeous in this movie too!

Ohhhh - I need a cold shower...

ROWR!

Posted by Cate at 12:23 AM | Comments (5)

January 26, 2004

A Mighty Wind

<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310281/">This</a> is one helluva great movie!

Posted by Cate at 11:21 PM | Comments (0)

Weather

M has a delayed opening for tomorrow. She doesn't have to be in school until 10:45am. I swear - she will be going to school until the end of damn June, just like last year.

In other news, P has his follow up doctor's appointment tomorrow at 1230. I will be driving him there. I have a bunch of questions for the doctor. I certainly don't think P should be going to work until he can actually eat something other than ice cream and tea. Poor guy. I think the ENT will agree with me and keep him out of work at least until Monday 2/1.

I was thinking about subscribing to Audblog. I had a lot of fun doing <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/004711.php#004711">my very first one today</a>. I will have to practice my phone sex voice. LOL. I used to do telephone sales for a computer reseller. I sold Apple computers - right before imacs were introduced. I sold 8500/8600's, 9500's, Powerbook 1400's.... it was a lot of fun. I could usually get most <strike>people</strike> men to purchase additional items on their order if I spoke a little more "sultry". Heee - commission was a great motivator.

Posted by Cate at 09:30 PM | Comments (2)

10 comments away

Ooooh - only ten more comments and I hit the BIG 5,000 mark!

Posted by Cate at 09:14 PM | Comments (1)

MouseTrap

I just finished a very long game of <a href="http://www.kbtoys.com/genProduct.html/PID/63095/ctid/17/INstock/Y/D//ls/default">MouseTrap</a>

What the hell was I thinking when I bought this?? Well - at least the girls had fun. Hee

Posted by Cate at 04:50 PM | Comments (6)

Got the Monday Blues?

You are all cordially invited to Kate's Cake-n-Coffee Party.

On the menu today:
Homemade chocolate cake (currently baking) with homemade chocolate icing served with fresh brewed coffee. COFFEE flavored coffee. None of that fancy schmancy **** in my home.

C'mon over!

(PS - this post is for <a href="http://www.noshoesorsocks.net/archives/000540.html">-d</a> who is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day)

Posted by Cate at 03:32 PM | Comments (5)

Fish Tank

Oh man - P and I just cleaned the fish tank. P-U.

We need to replace the gravel and I think we are going to get a few more fish. Right now we have black and white tetras, zebra danios and a red flame platy. I think I want some more colorful fish. Time to do some fish research.

Posted by Cate at 02:30 PM | Comments (2)

audio post powered by audblog

<a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46083.mp3"><img src="http://www.audblog.com/media/images/audblog_post.gif" HSPACE=4 alt="Powered by audblog" /></a><a href="http://www.audblog.com/media/20021/46083.mp3">audio post</a> powered by <a href="http://www.audblog.com">audblog</a>

Posted by Cate at 01:46 PM | Comments (8)

Anniversary!

Happy one year bloggerversary to <a href="http://www.buzzstuff.net/archives/003362.php">Buzz</a>! I am wishing you many, many more! {{{hugs}}}

Posted by Cate at 01:38 PM | Comments (0)

Snow Day

Well - schools were closed today. Given the panicky nature of our Bored of Edjukashon, I am sure the <strike>skools</strike> schools will be closed tomorrow AND Wednesday.
P is working on the computer in the living room and had the cable modem turned off all morning. I finally just turned it back on and am now typing from my bedroom.
The girls played nicely all morning until SOMETHING happened. It caused M to actually scream in anger. At O. Yes folks - she screamed until her voice gave away. What a charming young lady we are raising. O is in her room, being punished for touching M's stuff and not giving it back when told to do so. M got a proper scolding as well for losing her mind in 3.2 seconds. This should be a fuuuuuuuuuuuun day for all.

Save me.

Posted by Cate at 12:47 PM | Comments (1)

January 25, 2004

Sex and the City

Ok - who else cried during this episode?

Posted by Cate at 09:33 PM | Comments (7)

New Toy

P bought himself a new toy - a R/C hovercraft. The girls are freaking out, laughing like hyenas. O is literally screaming with laughter.
Hee - this is so funny!

Posted by Cate at 07:42 PM | Comments (1)

Weekend Wrap-Up

Well- the rest of the day was successful. I never got in to clean O's room. The four of us went to Kmart and then stopped at Home Depot. We had to go back home after that because P was exhausted. I don't know what else to do for him food-wise. He cannot eat. He says food tastes rotten... rancid. He is able to eat the ice cream and Boost. We did a couple experiments and he can taste and tolerate sweet things more than other flavors. So, when I run out tonight to get gas, I will pick up some Hostess stuff. I guess if he can't eat it, M or I could! Crap - he just said never mind to the Hostess stuff. ::sigh::
We (in NJ) aresupposed to get some snow tonight - only 2"-4" inches worth. Enough to be freakin' messy. I hope the town doesn't panic and close the school for nothing. M had to go to school last year until June 29th!
I'm off - see you later - unless I freeze to death! It's 17 degrees!

Posted by Cate at 07:33 PM | Comments (1)

Good MORNING

I got up, got M up.. we ate breakfast and made it over to church this morning. I realized, when I got there, that I didn't have to teach Sunday School this morning. Well, it was good to get to church anyway. Maybe M won't go to hell....
Yesterday was just a looong day. We rushed O to the doctor because she was hysterical over her head hurting as well as her ears and eyes. She was also queasy and was crying about that too. But, when we got to the pedi, she was acting perfectly fine. ::eyeroll:: Now I look like a fool for rushing her into the office on a Saturday. The pedi, who is super nice, said everything looked normal but that something "might be there" - like a stomach virus. Eeeek! Luckily, by the time we got home, she seemed to be better. I guess the ibuprofen had started to work.

After we got back home, M and I went out to sell GS cookies. Half of our neighbors were not at home. She did pretty good for the ones that were home. She sold 24 boxes. I have to thank <a href="http://www.bookblog.net">Mary</a>, <a href="http://www.ailurophile.com/mainiac/">Christine</a> and <a href="http://shelley.littlemeanfish.com/blog/">Shelley</a> for their orders as well. If anyone else is interested, shoot me an email!
The girls also got a chance to play with P's train set. They also set up Legos around it - it was pretty cool looking! M visited a friend for a couple hours and O and I snuggled on the couch.
P is doing ok - just hungry. He is chugging down Boost, ice cream and mashed potatoes and gravy. Everything tastes nasty to him - the poor guy.
As for my plans today, I think I am going to clean O's room. I tore M's room up last night and organized it. Hell- I can see her desk now! LOL.

Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 10:44 AM | Comments (2)

January 24, 2004

Huh?

Crazy day.... ugh..

Posted by Cate at 07:56 PM | Comments (1)

January 23, 2004

::sigh::

<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,109332,00.html">Captain Kangaroo</a>
<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,109240,00.html">Ann Miller</a>
<a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=487&ncid=762&e=1&u=/ap/20040124/ap_en_ot/obit_newton">Helmut Newton</a>

Man - it's been a brutal week.

Posted by Cate at 07:52 PM | Comments (4)

It's COOKIE TIME!

We officially can start selling GS cookies today! Yippie! Anyone interested??

We have a troop meeting today. Lots of business to discuss with the girls. They are still somewhat rowdy and act quite goofy at the meetings. Hopefully, today they will mind their manners. I have a couple of HS girls coming in from the local 4-H chapter to show the troop their rabbits. This should be fun! Plus, I have our troop "Cookie Mom" who will be speaking to the girls about selling, how to be careful, never go alone.. all that fun stuff. LOL. Last year, our troop made quite a bit of money and we were able to take a trip to Build-A-Bear and have a bear-making party. THAT was a lot of fun!

Posted by Cate at 06:02 PM | Comments (5)

Passed out!

I conked out last night around 1130pm. Hard. I woke up once when P kissed my cheek - he scared the crap out of me. LOL. I woke up this morning AT 745am! ACK! I flew out of bed, hustled and nagged the girls and we were all out the door by 830am.
I am good. Now I am going to have breakfast and another cup of coffee. Mmmm.

Posted by Cate at 09:46 AM | Comments (6)

January 22, 2004

Winding down

Yeeaaaaarrrrrggggggggghhhhhh!

Did you like my Howard Dean impression? LOL. Trust me, after the past 36 hours, I am thisclose to screaming like that!
P is conked out on the couch. Hell - the debates would put me to sleep as well. I can't bring myself to sit down and watch it. Oh yeah - about P.. he is out of work until he at least sees the surgeon (1/27). Only then will the doctor discuss P's return to work. Frankly, I am pleased with that. P never takes the time to get completely well. After last night's bleeding festival, I can say that it scared the crap out of him. Hell, it scared the crap out of me too. It made me think about things I was not prepared to think about last night.
I am starting to babble so I will finish up this post. I am going to tale a nice long hot shower, get into my jammies, get another cuppa cawfee, read a few blogs and then go to bed. Thank you so much for all the sweet comments and emails. They certainly brightened my day.

Posted by Cate at 09:48 PM | Comments (8)

Back online

Thanks for fixing my blog <a href="http://javamama.net">Allison</a>! You rock. {{{hugs}}}

Posted by Cate at 07:59 PM | Comments (1)

Doing better

My FIL and I just got back from visiting P. He is much more lucid, still in some pain but not nearly what it was it was a few hours ago. He lost almost a pint of blood last night. He is hoping to be discharged today. He hasn't seen the doctor yet.
I am running on overdrive. The girls are at school. My friend has kindly offered to watch O for a couple hours. Luckily, my friend's daughter is O's bestest buddy. This way, I can also go food shopping and pick up a few things specifically for P. I also need to get him some Ensure. He cannot lose any more weight.
Thank you all so much for the kind emails. I cannot express how much they mean to me. {{{hugs}}}

Posted by Cate at 10:47 AM | Comments (4)

Surgery

The ER just called. He's going in for surgery. I called my FIL and I am out of here as soon as he gets here.
Good thoughts would be mucho appreciated.

Posted by Cate at 02:56 AM | Comments (12)

ER visit - UPDATE

I just got a call from a nurse at the ER. P is still bleeding. There will be an ENT coming in to see him shortly. The nurse said that P was hooked up to an IV because he is still bleeding. The nurse wasn't sure what might happen next - stitches or cauterizing the wound are several options, She did say that the ENT will make the decision. I want to go see him but I have no sitter. I don't want to call my inlaws and wake them up now. ::sigh:: The nurse did say that she would call me back and keep me updated.
I want to freakin' scream.

Posted by Cate at 01:38 AM | Comments (1)

ER visit

P is on his way to the ER. He coughed and busted something loose in the back of his throat. I think it was the scab from the surgery. Blood all over. Oooogy. I am very nervous for him - I don't know what the ER can do for him and how they can stop the bleeding.

He just called me 5 minutes ago - he walked into the ER and there was NO ONE in the triage room. No one behind the desk. WTF is that?

Posted by Cate at 12:23 AM | Comments (2)

January 21, 2004

Recovering

M and I had a roller skating event for all the GS troops in our service unit. Nine out of twelve made it from our troop. There must have been 200+ girls from ages 5-10 all stuffed into a roller rink. Oh my God - my ears are still ringing from all the screaming. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that little girls are quiet and dainty. BAH!
I gotta get the beasties ready for bed - showers and all that fun stuff.. Gosh - I really know how to have a good time.

Posted by Cate at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)

Thank you!

A special thank you to Jay from <a href="http://www.musingsfromtheunderground.com">Musings from the Underground</a> for picking me as his <a href="http://www.musingsfromtheunderground.com/archives/000299.php">blog of the week</a>. If you aren't reading him - you simply must. In fact, go now and read his blog. Go! Shoo!

Posted by Cate at 09:15 AM | Comments (0)

YAY!!!!

<a href="http://www.adelle.net/">Adelle</a> is back online! And, speaking of blogs... be sure to check out Jim aka <a href="http://parkwayreststop.com/">Parkway Rest Stop</a> at his new digs. He always has something interesting written for his loyal readers like <a href="http://www.parkwayreststop.com/archives/000493.html">this post</a>.

Posted by Cate at 09:01 AM | Comments (1)

Furious

P went outside for a cigarette last night. He had "quit" smoking last Wednesday - the day of his surgery. He managed to sneak out and purchase a pack sometime Monday while the girls and I were out at my mother's house.
After the President was finished speaking, I was surking around on the computer when I see P. wearing his coat and hat. He was standing in the kitchen. I asked him where he was going - thinking he was taking out the garbage or something. "Out for a cigarette" he answered right before opening the sliding glass door and walking outside.
Needless to say, I was beside myself with anger. I walked out of the room, fuming. At that moment, I didn't even want to be in the same room with him. I decided to take a shower then watch tv in the bedroom. He ended up coming into the bedroom about 40 minutes later. I didn't even look at him. He apologized but I ended up scolding him. ::sigh:: He has a wound in the back of his throat. If food and drink hurt his throat, WTF is smoke going to do to it? Heal it? I think not.
I smoked for eleven years. When I got pregnant, I quit. Cold turkey. I knew I didn't want to hurt M. I HAD to quit. Am I now a pain in the ass non-smoker? You freakin' bet. I don't throw pamphlets in your face but I sure as hell will nag someone that I love and hope they can quit. A long time ago, P decided not to smoke in the house or the cars. His decision. Having the girls around made that choice very easy for him. I agreed with his choice.

I really wish he didn't pick up smoking again. ::sigh::

Posted by Cate at 08:11 AM | Comments (7)

January 20, 2004

Scary Popppins

The Daily News banner headline "Scary Poppins" picked up on Jackson's use of an umbrella to shield himself from the midday sun.

Posted by Cate at 07:36 PM | Comments (2)

Story Time

M was chosen to attend a young authors conference in March. Her assignment is to write a one page story. This has been difficult for her and even harder for me. I want to badly to jump right in and organize it for her. But, I can't. What good would that be for her? So, I helped her pick out some topics and then she narrowed them down and decided on the subject of her story. Can you guess? Yep. Horses.

Ack.

Posted by Cate at 05:32 PM | Comments (1)

Good morning

on this cold and icy morning. There are a few schools out here that are having delayed openings due to ice. Of course, not our school. That's ok. It's actually not too bad on my street and driveway.
P is home again today. He has to work tomorrow. Soem important things going on at work and he HAS to be there. I am not thrilled about that. He is still in pain and can't eat. He says everything tastes all gross, his sinuses are a mess and he is still having problems swallowing. To anyone who has had their tonsils removed as an adult, does this sound familiar? I am going to call the doctor today just to be sure.
I have to get M's butt in gear - we are having a slow morning.

Posted by Cate at 07:43 AM | Comments (6)

January 19, 2004

Umm - dude..

I am watching Dean speak tonight - he's freaking out and shouting into the microphone. Man - that boy needs a valium or twelve.

Posted by Cate at 10:41 PM | Comments (1)

I can't believe I watched it

I finally succumbed to the power that is American Idol. It hasn't helped that I have been seeing commercials for it all week. ::sigh:: I am so disappointed in myself.

But, it was funny. Those people are crazy.

Posted by Cate at 09:43 PM | Comments (3)

BEDTIME!

Oh yeah - they are IN bed AND quiet! :::happy dance:::

So -- what the hell should I do now???

Posted by Cate at 08:11 PM | Comments (1)

Hi

We made it back home from Mom's place. She gave me silverware that belonged to my grandparents. Pretty nice silverware - Oneida. It's pretty old so I want to check it out and see if I can find the pattern for it.
P just woke up from a nap so I am going to run for now. Run far the hell away! LOL. I can't do that to the girls... that would be mean...
Help me. Please!

Posted by Cate at 04:01 PM | Comments (1)

Oy

It's been a very long few days... trust me...
The girls and I are heading to my Mom's house for a couple hours. I am hoping to stop at Target on the way back home.

Catch ya later!

Posted by Cate at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2004

He's back.. AND updating!

The hubby finally updated his blog! Check him out <a href="http://mrPtoyou.blogspot.com">here</a> and say hiya!

Posted by Cate at 07:21 PM | Comments (0)

Sunday Wrap-Up

The girls had a playdate at at same house today. My friend Liz has two daughters the same age as Eldest and Olivia. So, that gave Husband and I three hours to ourselves. So, we stopped at Michaels, Atlantic Books, Staples.. all the *hot spots* Hee. Husband has been in the house since Wednesday and I think he was going a little stir crazy. At least he got the dust blown off of him. He was exhausted after all that walking around and he crashed out for a little while once he got home. I picked up the girls around 430pm and managed to drag them back home.
The girls have no school tomorrow. I think it might be a great craft day. They got tons of that stuff for Christmas. It will certainly come into good use tomorrow.
Off to get dinner ready for the kidlets. Be back later!

Posted by Cate at 06:00 PM | Comments (1)

January 17, 2004

Saturday

Having a "family day" today. Trying to catch up on laundry and the basic chores. I hope you are all having a wonderful day! {{{hugs}}}

Posted by Cate at 03:28 PM | Comments (6)

January 16, 2004

Friday night

I borrowed Spy Kids from the library for the girls. They just finished dinner and are in the midst of putting on their pjs. I am going to inflate the air mattress and they are gonna camp out in it while watching the movie. I am going to try to get caught up on my crochet projects.
Go me... go me!

Posted by Cate at 06:45 PM | Comments (6)

No power

We lost power for about 30 minutes today. Did I mention that it's COLD outside?

Posted by Cate at 11:15 AM | Comments (1)

Cold morning

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

It is very cold outside this morning. I drove M to school because I was not going to hang out at the bus stop this morning. I had to stop at Wawa on thr way home to pick up some eggs and milk. P has eaten quite a few scrambled eggs the past couple days as well as a half gallon of ice cream and mashed potatoes with gravy. Poor guy. He is still in pain but it is slowly (very slowly) starting to feel better.

Posted by Cate at 09:27 AM | Comments (3)

January 15, 2004

Pain

Oh man - my leg is aching. I am gimping and limping around the house. In fact, the hell with gimping.. I am going to bed!
G'night!

Posted by Cate at 10:45 PM | Comments (1)

OUCH!

I just went out to get the mail. I had stuffed my feet into P's work boots, pulled on a coat and walked outside. I was walking very carefully on account of all the slush and ice. As I near the end of my snow and slush covered gravel driveway, I slipped and fell. I threw out my left hand on the way down and landed on the lower part of my left leg, driving rocks into my knee and shin. Hard. Hard enough to make me instantly feel nauseous. Hard enough for me to see stars. I picked myself up as fast as I could. Didn't want the neighbors to see me all sprawled out by my mailbox. I pulled out my mail, turned around and hobbled my way back inside.
I need a hug. Ow.

Posted by Cate at 04:44 PM | Comments (15)

Late Christmas Gift!

I knew part of my Christmas gift was being shipped late courtsey of Amazon. I have made it a point of NOT checking my Amazon account because I didn't want to know what Husband had bought for me. UPS just arrived bringing me a set of these!! YAY!!!

Posted by Cate at 04:09 PM | Comments (2)

Oh yeah - him too

P is doing better today. He didn't get much sleep last night. He has eaten quite a few bowls of ice cream and he managed to eat some scrambled eggs this morning. I made him some mashed potatoes with gravy for lunch. He was able to eat that too. He is jonesing for a cigarette. I told him before the surgery if he needed smokes, I would not be purchasing them from the Wawa. I told him to stock up himself. So far, this is day two with no smokes.
He has been working on building a small r/c hovercraft. No kit - just plans from the internet and some parts that he has laying around the house. He's like <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/mac2.php" onclick="window.open('http://www.katespot.com/archives/mac2.php','popup','width=393,height=492,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">MacGyver</a>.

Posted by Cate at 01:47 PM | Comments (3)

Outta my hair

The girls are playing in the backyard. They were getting on my nerves tso I threw them outside. They all all bundled up like Randy from "A Christmas Story".
Heh.

Posted by Cate at 01:09 PM | Comments (0)

School is closed

Yippie. It's snowing.
I think we have about 3-4 inches of snow. The temperature is somewhere around 12. Brrrrrr!!!

Off to feed the rugrats!

Posted by Cate at 09:32 AM | Comments (1)

Snow

Ugh - it's freakin' snowing.

Posted by Cate at 12:09 AM | Comments (3)

January 14, 2004

Pirates

I just finished watching Pirates of the Caribbean. Wow. I am not a Johnny Depp fan but he was awesome in this movie :::hubba hubba::: And, Orlando Bloom - ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. So sexy... ..Whew. Is it warm in here??

Posted by Cate at 11:47 PM | Comments (1)

Much better

P has been awake and moving around for a couple hours. He has eaten quite a few bowls of ice cream - I think the girls are pretty jealous. LOL. I have to finish getting the girls ready for bed. It's shower night. Ugh.

Posted by Cate at 07:05 PM | Comments (4)

My Day

First of all - a great big shout out to <a href="http://www.beyondazure.com/mt/azure/">Lilly</a> for making those skins and basically doing all the work for me! And - she even <a href="http://www.beyondazure.com/mt/leftbehind/002528.php">pimped me</a> too! You rock! I love the skins.

P is home and is currently sleeping. If you want to read about his day, it's in the extended entry

My FIL got to our house by 645am. P was already awake, showered and was shaving. I woke the girls up so they could spend some time with P. O was upset and cried. I think she thought that P was leaving for a long time. So, he cuddled with her for a little while until she felt better. P and his dad left at 715am to go to the day stay surgical center in the hospital. M was dressed and all prepared for school. Mom showed up around 745am so I could go to the hospital too. I sent M to my neighbor's house at 8am. She was going to bring M to the bus stop for me. My neighbor rocks.
So, I get to the hospital by 815am. They had already brought P inside and he was awaiting surgery. My FIL said that the nurses would call us in before he went in for the surgery. Nope. I was a little upset about that. I had wanted to see him and talk to him before. The nurse apologized but I was still a bit miffed about it. So, I sat with my FIL, crocheted and watched Good Morning America then Live with Regis and Kelly. Off topic for a minute - that Kelly Ripa - she is just too darn cute. LOL. The doctor came out around 920am to speak to us. He said the procedure went well - the tonsils are out. He said that there was a lot of scarring in/on the tonsils and that it was like "cutting shoe leather". Ew. He also zapped his adenoids with electricity. They are gone too. I got in to see him around 1015am. He was so groggy and in a lot of pain. I sat with him for about 30 minutes to keep him company. He was drinking water but it was so obvious that it was extremely painful for him.
He was discharged around 1130am. He got scripts for augmentin and percoset. My FIL drove P to the house while I dropped the scripts at the pharmacy. They were running late and gave me an estimated time of 90 minutes to pick them up. I head back home - P was going to bed and my FIL was going back to his house. I made lunch for O. She wanted to watch Scooby Doo so I popped that in the dvd player. Mom and I had lunch and talked. The pharmacy called - the antibiotic was ready but they had no percosets. WTF? But, they did call two pharmacies for me to see who had it in stock. I brought the percoset script to Shop Rite to be filled but they were running 45 minutes before I could pick it up. So - I shopped. The Shop Rite is in a large strip center so I walked to Payless and bought a pair of shoes and hat and glove sets for M and O. Next stop - the Hallmark store. One of my favorite scents was 40% off so I grabbed 12 votives and paid for them. I went back to Shop Rite and did some food shopping - milk, bread, a gallon of ice cream for P.. some basic stuff. After I paid for all that, I was able to pick up the percoset and finally get back home.
I woke P up to take his medications - boy - I can tell you now it's gonna be a loooong week. I know he is in alot of pain. I am just trying to stay the hell away from him and just give him his drugs on schedule. Wheee! The girls are having a hard time because they get all excited and start making a lot of noise and I keep shushing them.
It's gonna be a looooong week!

Posted by Cate at 03:57 PM | Comments (12)

January 13, 2004

Tired

My FIL is going to be here by 7am to take P to the hospital. My Mom will be here by 8am so I can see him before he goes in for the procedure. Obviously, blogging will be light until we get home tomorrow and I get him all settled in and somewhat comfortable. He can't eat after midnight so he has been eating all night. A big dinner, ice cream, chips, soup... poor guy. He will be jonesing big time tomorrow morning for coffee and cigarettes. He sure as hell won't be smoking after the operation. Thanks for the kind words and good thoughts going up for P.
I love you guys! {{{hugs}}}

Posted by Cate at 11:39 PM | Comments (10)

Pirates

Kudos to my public library. This afternoon, I was able to pick up my reserved copy of Pirates of the Carribean. Rowr!

Posted by Cate at 09:00 PM | Comments (2)

Time set for tomorrow

I got P's surgery time for tomorrow - it's at 830am. He needs to be there by 730am. I think my Mom is coming down and possibly even my FIL. The entire procedure is done rather quickly. All in all - he should be out and hopefully on his way home within two hours. ::fingers crossed::
He can't eat or after midnight. I am sure he will be chowing down big time tonight. The poor guy - he can't afford to lose any weight. Lucky bastard. The next couple days are going to suck big time for him. I need to stock up on ice cream, potatoes and jello. Do me a favor and please keep him in your thoughts.
Thanks : - )

Posted by Cate at 04:42 PM | Comments (6)

Nemo to Shrek

We have moved from watching Finding Nemo to Shrek. The girls are bickering - the lil boogers ::sigh:: Ok - I just had to "speak" to them - you know - in my "Mom" voice. They both started to cry ::giggle:: Poor kids.
[...]
They are ok now... I pulled out all the Barbie crap, including the car, train and airplane. My living room floor is covered with Barbie bits.

I am going to crochet and keep myself busy.

Posted by Cate at 01:48 PM | Comments (6)

Busy busy

I am still zooming around the house, attempting to finish laundry, dishes and other assorted tasks. M, O's buddy from school, is coming over in a little while for a playdate. Woohoo! Two little girls keep each other very busy. They love dressing up, playing with play-doh, Care Bears, Polly Pockets... all that <strike>crap</strike> stuff. Heh.
I am washing all the sheets. Ugh - always a pain in the ass. The girls have So many dolls/stuffed critters on their beds. I usually just toss them down on the floor so I can strip the bed. But, I also have to reload the bed after I make it with the clean sheets. If they "help" me, it usually takes longer as they have to "arrange" the critters.
Off to swap loads. Later!

Posted by Cate at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)

Mornin'

Good morning

Posted by Cate at 09:17 AM | Comments (3)

January 12, 2004

Made it home

Had a great time at Bonkos tonight :::yawn::: Man - I am so sleepy.. maybe the 3-4 glasses of zin had something to do with it...
g'nite.

Posted by Cate at 11:35 PM | Comments (1)

Bonkos

I have<a href="http://www.buncogame.com/">Bonkos</a> tonight! Yay! I haven't played since November. Whee - gonna have fun tonight!
See you all later!

Posted by Cate at 06:56 PM | Comments (3)

Getting things prepared

P is having his tonsillectomy on Wednesday. The surgical center will call us tomorrow with the exact time and give us any needed instructions for him. He is starting to get a little worried about the procedure which, according to all information that I read, is rather simple. He will be quite uncomfortable when he gets back home. My FIL will be down that morning as well as my Mom. I think, depending on the time, I might need my FIL to baby-sit P in the evening as M has a belt test on Wednesday at 5pm. ::sigh:: I will need him to baby-sit the girls and P on Thursday night too. I have a Girl Scout service unit meeting that I cannot miss. Well - I could miss it but it is an important meeting. This week is gonna suck for me and it will be even worse for P. The poor guy. I just need to keep the kids out of his way - a challenge in a three bedroom ranch house.
Well - off to do more laundry. Bye!

Posted by Cate at 01:29 PM | Comments (3)

Those

Did you ever wake up and know it was going to be one of those mornings? Yeah - me too.

Posted by Cate at 07:34 AM | Comments (6)

Should be sleeping

I caught up on a couple shows tonight - Sex and the City was awesome. I am a new fan of the Larry David show - Curb Your Enthusiasm. This guy makes me laugh so freakin' hard that my face hurts. He says things to people that I would never say. The past two episodes with Ben Stiller have been absolutely hysterical. Brilliantly written.
Well- I'd better get to bed. ::yawn:: See you in a few hours.

Posted by Cate at 12:27 AM | Comments (3)

January 11, 2004

Sex and the City

Oh.My.God.

Great episode - I am stunned.

Posted by Cate at 09:29 PM | Comments (6)

Still around!

Howdy hi! I'm still here.. just having a lazy-ish type of day.

I had to teach Sunday School this morning. After that, I stopped at the butcher to pick up some fresh breakfast sausage. It is delicious! P and O were home so I made sausages for lunch. We just putzed around today - relaxing. I was trying to work on a couple crochet projects but was having a very hard time with the stitches. I got pissed off and ripped it all out. Grrrr!
M is on her way home from her buddy's house. I am sure she will be completely cranked up and full of attitude.
Oh joy.

Posted by Cate at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)

January 10, 2004

Family party

It went well- the cupcakes were a huge hit as well as the Mickey Mouse cakes. M is sleeping over at a friend's house. P and I let O stay up until 1015pm. I am too pooped to write any more tonight. My hands are all sore and starting to crack. Wicked case of dry skin. Ick.
Eucerin is my friend.

Goodnight!

Posted by Cate at 11:12 PM | Comments (2)

I'm cookin'!

Ok - the two 9" cakes were done last night. I baked 16 cupcakes and four mini-cakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. I'll dust that with powdered sugar and I am going to make a double batch of icing. I found a great recipe for it and it looks yummy.
Baking without dairy products, eggs or nuts is not hard. It just takes some research and the willingness to try some different ingredients mixed together. I can guarantee that my cakes and cookies do NOT taste like crap. Sure - I wish I could make cakes with three eggs and a load of buttercream or real whipped cream icing. I would love to let O eat one of those ice cream cakes. But, right now, we can't. No big deal.
I am off to finish baking.

Posted by Cate at 10:49 AM | Comments (2)

Winding down

The Brownie meeting went very well. The girls are working towards an Animal Try-It badge so we had a lot of fun this meeting. I am hoping for the next meeting that some kids from the local 4-H chapter show up with their rabbits. The girls would love that! I managed to get out of the meeting by 440pm with M and O. I hauled ass to get to tae kwon do and have M changed by 5pm. We made it. Whew.
My original plan was to have P meet us there and he would bring O back home with him. She was being clingy and didn't want to leave. So, we all sat and watched M practice her kicks and punches.
When she was finished, P drove O home and I brought M home. We stopped at McD's and picked up dinner. After we finished eating, P and I just vegged out while the girls played with their dolls/care bears/pretty ponies. We managed to get them all in bed by 9pm. Yay!
So - I have been procrastinating all night and did not bake a chocolate cake yet. I will get that done soon. Hell - maybe I will just do it in the morning. Also have to make cookies too. Tomorrow should be fun. O is really looking forward to having her cousin (just turned 3) down to play. They also get along quite nicely.
Well- off to waste some more time. Have a good night ya'll!

Posted by Cate at 10:30 AM | Comments (1)

January 09, 2004

90 Minutes

Youngestis at a playdate with her buddy and I have 90 minutes to get organized for today's organized chaos aka Girl Scout meeting. Plus, we are going to go to tae kwon do because Eldest needs to practice her form a little more. She has a belt test coming up on Wednesday.
Then. sometime tonight I need to bake cookies, a cake, clean the house and put away all my Christmas stuff in the attic. We are having people (family) over tomorrow for a belated family party to celebrate Youngest's birthday.
Ok - time for lunch. I'll blog later tonight - I hope!

Posted by Cate at 01:07 PM | Comments (2)

A quiet morning

The girls are at school. I just finished breakfast. I actually cooked myself breakfast. It was yummy. ::grin:: I am sitting at my desk, wasting valuable time by drinking coffee and listening to my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000IGQI/qid=1073657662/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-6814810-0498545">Mob Hits</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002LOI/qid=1073657824/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_2/102-6814810-0498545">Frank Sinatra</a> cds. I just love these cds. The kids have a blast listening to Mob Hits because there are about three Louie Prima songs that they love to dance to when it plays. Their absolute favorite song? <a href="http://www.buy.com/retail/music/product.asp?sku=60173876&loc=109&sp=1">Eh Cumpari</a> by Julius LaRosa. How can antone not like this song? ::sigh:: I lurve me some Sinatra.. and don't forget Dino... and Jerry Vale...

Posted by Cate at 09:29 AM | Comments (3)

January 08, 2004

IT WORKED!

<a href="http://www.moodymama.com/archives/000921.php">Angie had her baby!!!</a> Hooray! Welcome baby Ian.

Posted by Cate at 10:35 PM | Comments (1)

He's a cutie

Sorry <a href="http://www.mysinglemomlife.com/index.php?m=200401#post-796">Kat</a>. ::grin:: I'll fight ya for him. Heh.

<img src="http://images.quizilla.com/P/ponygirl2008/1072792703_tures00008.jpg" border="0" alt=" "> You are going to Marry orlando Bloom. He will always treat you right and is very romantic. He will do anything for you. He is very polite and has deep brown eyes and is very good looking (which is another plus!). He can make anythind cheesy look really good (like sliding down stairs on a shield shooting arrows or wearing pointy ears for example). Congrats!!
 <a href="http://quizilla.com/users/ponygirl2008/quizzes/Which%20male%20celebrity%20are%20you%20going%20to%20marry%3F%20(10%20results%20that%20have%20pics!)/"> Which male celebrity are you going to marry? (10 results that have pics!)</a> brought to you by <a href="http://quizilla.com">Quizilla</a>

Posted by Cate at 01:52 PM | Comments (6)

Let's get movin' already

Send all your good wishes and labor vibes to <a href="http://www.moodymama.com/archives/000920.php">Angie</a>. Number six is due any second! Be sure to peek at her picture and see just how gorgeous she looks.

Posted by Cate at 01:46 PM | Comments (2)

EWWWW!

I have a black cat. Darla will be 14 years old in April. P got her from the animal shelter when she was only 6 weeks old. She was so teeny that she fit in the palm of my hand with only her tiny tail sticking out on my wrist. She would curl up inside my brother's sneaker whenever he would come to visit. God only knows why she would sit in his sneaker - weird cat. P and I worked. A lot. We were both working two jobs so we weren't always home. When we did have time together, we usually went out. Darla was home alone for a long time. I think that might have contributed to her odd behavior. I think she thinks she is human. She was not very social with other people. In fact, she would hiss and yowl at people when they even walked past her on the way to the kitchen or bathroom. She was pretty psychotic for quite a while, thus prompting our familes and friends to give her nicknames like "Darla the Demon Cat from Hell" or "Spawn of Satan" or "Hell Cat". She didn't really try to attack us as much as she tried to be with us all the time. She was not a lap cat but liked to cuddle up with me in bed or on the couch. Not too much with P but she liked to sleep at the bottom of the bed, right by his feet. It worked out nicely until P would move his feet under the covers while sleeping. Darla would pounce on his feet and bite my bedspread. He would cuss at the cat and boot her off the bed. This "game" on almost every night for years.

She would chase people, swatting their ankles. If you wore socks, especially white socks or sneakers, she would go crazy trying to attack that foot. She was very unfriendly and did not take kindly to guests. Any guests. Our parents, siblings, friends.. she disliked them all. A vet actually accused me of abusing her! Yeah - look at that well-fed cat with great (and very sharp) teeth, a glossy coat who is up to date with her shots. Screw you asshole. He was pissed that Darla tried to chew him up to bits. Heh - maybe she did. Good for her. Luckily for her, her attitude changed after I had M. P and I were very worried that Darla would try to attack the baby and we discussed various options as to what we could do with Darla. We had thought that maybe someone we knew would take her.

We soon discovered that when a cat has a nickname like Demon Cat or Spawn of Satan or Hell Cat, she isn't very adoptable. No one wanted her. No one at all. I didn't have the heart to give her back to the shelter because she was quite nasty and I was afraid that they would deem her unadoptable and put her down. Well, she must have understood that the end was near and her attitude changed. She became sweet and almost friendly to people and was always around M. She attacked my Mom's hand when Mom was reaching for M. LOL - a watchcat.

The one thing that Darla does that drives me insane is that she pukes. Like once or twice a week. Always on my carpet. Well, this morning she puked in my kitchen. On the tile floor AND she managed to get puke on edge of the carpet runner too. ::sigh:: Gross. Well - cat puke is gross but warm cat puke is even worse. So, this morning, I am running around, getting the kids all ready for school, packing lunch/snacks and getting my stuff ready for doing my errands.

As we are heading out the door, I realized that I had left my cell phone on the kitchen table so I ran back inside while the kids walked out to the car. I ran back out. I picked up O and start stuffing her in her car seat when I realizeed she doesn't have her school folder. Crap. I buckle her in the seat and run back inside the house again. I was wearing my sunglasses and was completely focused on grabbing that folder. It was on the kitchen table. I run in the kitchen, grab the folder and turn to run back out. I take two steps and then slip on the kitchen floor before I managed to take a step into the living room. I look down. Yep. You guess it. Puke. Now the puke is spread out on the kitchen AND living room floor. The girls are in the car. I have puke on the floor, on my beige carpet and the bottom of my shoe. I was cursing like a drunken sailor. I think I might have spoken in tongues. It was at that moment in time when I realized that I needed to make an executive decision. Clean the puke or leave it. There was no hesitation at all. I grabbed a dish towel, wiped the bottom of my shoe, threw it on the now spread out pile of cat puke and ran out the door.

Posted by Cate at 11:25 AM | Comments (6)

Mornin'

Off to take the little beasties to school. I need to go to the banl, back to ShopRite and then stop at the gas station. It's $1.37/gallon. Yikes.

Posted by Cate at 08:18 AM | Comments (5)

January 07, 2004

Find your spot

I just took <a href="http://www.findyourspot.com/">this quiz</a> and, based on my answers, it listed several areas where I would like to live. I like a lot of these areas too!
Charlotte, North Carolina
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Richmond, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Louisville, Kentucky
Nashville, Tennessee

I got a kick out of reading my results. There was only one city up north - in Delaware. The rest - Alabama, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina as well as the areas listed above.

Posted by Cate at 07:45 PM | Comments (5)

What candy?

(snagged from the lovely <a href="http://howjudiofyou.typepad.com/heyjude/">Judi</a>)

<A HREF="http://quizme.stvlive.com/candy/quiz.php" target="_blank"><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://quizme.stvlive.com/candy/results/chocolatekisses.gif" WIDTH="320" HEIGHT="120" BORDER="0"> discover what candy you are @ quiz me</A></CENTER>

Posted by Cate at 07:31 PM | Comments (1)

Thank goodness for beer

Got the Christmas stuff all boxed up and ready to be put in the attic. The girls were driving me nuts. Luckily, Eldest is at tae kwon do now. I spazed out on her earlier ::sigh:: the poor kid. Youngesthas been tailgating me for the past 40 minutes. Ugh. Time to turn on the television for Youngestand time for me to have a beer.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Posted by Cate at 05:55 PM | Comments (3)

Tree

Well - I am attempting to break down the Christmas tree - with a four year old helping me. Please come to my house and just put me out of my freaking misery.

Posted by Cate at 01:34 PM | Comments (2)

You know what i can't stand?

<a href="http://pbskids.org/dragontales/">Dragon Tales</a>. O, of course, LOVES this damn show. It makes me want to run screaming from the room. Agghhh! Creepy freakin' dragons..

Posted by Cate at 09:46 AM | Comments (6)

Spam

Some lovely spam this morning:

"Re: here the thought fykwfgtvaxotzf" from Booker Chambers
"Re: KL, stolen my overcoat!" from Alton (no last name - just Alton)
"Re: ldlp, Too many to count" from Rudy Massey

Boy - I must be so lucky to receive these choice pieces of <strike>****</strike> mail.

Posted by Cate at 08:01 AM | Comments (7)

Lawdy!

I did manage to get up early this morning - makes two days in a row. But, we are not waiting for the bus. It's 20 degrees outside - and windy too. Forget it. So, we don't have to leave for school until 840am. Wheeeee!
Sometimes, I hate putting her on the bus. She will spend 25 minutes just riding the bus in the morning. I know she could use less pressure in getting ready.
Frankly, so could I.

Posted by Cate at 07:56 AM | Comments (0)

Sex and the City

WOW!! I love love love Carrie with Aleksandr. :::rowr::: I blogged about "<a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/001119.html">The One</a>" after the final episode last season.

Posted by Cate at 12:11 AM | Comments (4)

January 06, 2004

More Musings

I was reading <a href="http://www.musingsfromtheunderground.com/archives/000252.php#comments">Jay's entry</a> today about the new <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,107455,00.html">fingerprinting program</a> implemented by Homeland Security.
This is what bothers me:
"The security checks target foreigners entering the 115 U.S. airports that handle international flights, as well as 14 major seaports. The only exceptions will be visitors from 27 countries -- mostly European nations -- whose citizens are allowed to come to the United States for up to 90 days without visas."

On page 9 of the <a href="http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/FINALRevised_FAQs_12-31-2003.pdf">DHS FAQ</a>, there is a list of the "exempt" countries. They are:
Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (For citizens with the unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.)

Remember <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1731568.stm">Richard Reid</a>? The guy who tried to blow up his plane with his Get Smart sneakers? He was a British citizen who boarded a plane in Paris. By the government's regulations today, he still would have been able to get on the plane without having to be verified via biometrics.

What does biometric mean?
A measurable, physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait used to recognize the identity, or verify the claimed identity, of an enrollee. Among the features that can be measured are: face, fingerprints, hand geometry, handwriting, iris, retinal, vein, and voice. Biometric technologies are the basis of an extensive array of highly secure identification and personal verification solutions.

I think that in order for this program to be implemented correctly, all visitors to the US should have this done. There is an exception for Canada since there is already existing agreements between Canada and the US.

I am still not comfortable with flying. Never have been. I think I will be happy being in the USA. Hell - I can always tour via train, bus or maybe even take a cruise. No flying for me.

No thanks.

Posted by Cate at 12:05 PM | Comments (6)

Great post

Go now and read <a href="http://www.onenameleft.net/blog/archives/000184.html">this</a>. Straight up - great post Rob.

Posted by Cate at 11:18 AM | Comments (2)

Waste of time

It was my mission this morning to go to Walmart to specifically pick up some Rubbermaid 10gal containers. None in stock. Crap. Ok - drive over to Kmart. None in stock ::big sigh:: ****. Ok - DRIVE to Cost Cutters (3 towns away) to get the containers. Guess what? None in ****ing stock!!! Arrggghhh! ::hitting self in head:: Now, I have to drive back to Target because I *know* they carry the containers and they are in stock. I had originally picked up two of these containers when we had our big <a href="http://www.katespot.com/archives/004617.html">Target shopping extravaganza</a> the other day. Of course, Target is about 30 minutes away. Grrrr. I am going to wait until M gets home and then we will go right after she gets off the bus. She will be all excited because she wants to spend her last $8.00 and has been begging me to take her back to Target. It seems she will get her wish today.
Hmmmpf.

Posted by Cate at 10:30 AM | Comments (2)

Wow

I think we might actually make it to the bus stop this morning!

Posted by Cate at 07:56 AM | Comments (3)

January 05, 2004

iTunes

I am shopping over at iTunes. I want to buy everything! Help!

Posted by Cate at 11:06 PM | Comments (3)

The witching hour

I have found that the times between 4pm and 6pm are not the best times for all four of us. I know for a fact that someone is going to get yelled at and sent to her room at least twice. It just seems that is the time when we are all on top of each other, homework, dinner preparation... all that fun stuff.
When is YOUR family's witching hour?

Posted by Cate at 06:03 PM | Comments (9)

Food Shopping

I just got back from Shop Rite. I got there around 9am and I *just* got home and unloaded the car 15 minutes ago. They were having a HUGE sale on canned goods. Holy Cow. It. was. PACKED! I think Monday is senior citizen day. But, I made it out alive. Of course, it's raining too. I didn't even get everything I needed. I still have to go BACK to ShopRite for bottled water and more canned goods. I also have to stop at Walmart for paper towels and 10 gallon sotrage containers. I gotta clean up Christmas and I want to organize it ::insane laughter::: as I put it all away.
Off to unpack groceries. I hope I make it out of the kitchen. I am blasting some Sinatra - always great to listen to on a rainy day. ::dancing into the kitchen::

Posted by Cate at 10:41 AM | Comments (3)

January 04, 2004

Finished Projects

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Posted by Cate at 04:39 PM | Comments (17)

Huh?

I wonder where the HELL is my weekend?
Yesterday, MIL was being discharged when she had another heart attackin the hallway while sitting in the wheelchair. My FIL ran for the nurses and they were able to actually chart the attack. Needless to say, she is back in the hospital. SIL with bronchitis is doing much better and SIL with gall bladder attack (who actually has NO gall bladder but siad it felt like a gall bladder attack) had some kind of stomach/intestinal thing. I have no clue as to when my FIL will be going to his doctor. Hopefully soon. He is one very stubborn man!
My Mom had her PET scan the other day. She will be getting those results on Tuesday or Wednesday. I hope to God that the lymphoma did not come back. I don't know if she wants to do a third round of chemo... My dad and stepmom are in Vegas. Woohoo! Win some cash for me please. He is feeling pretty good although I think he gets tired a lot easier. His chemo will be done soon and I certainly hope it worked.
M and I went to church this morning. I guess I needed the practice of getting up early. I can't believe that the girls go back to school tomorrow. We are SO off schedule it isn't even funny. Last night, the girls went to bed by 845pm. They were outside for about four hours, running around with friends, playing tag, riding bikes.... all that fun stuff. They slept good last night! I,on the other hand, stayed up too late, crocheting and watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101516/">Bugsy</a> with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. Why? I don't know. I love gangster/mob movies. Maybe that's why I stayed up until 1am to watch it. Duh.
Time to get ready and finish the errands from yesterday. A quick trip to Walmart (is there ever a quick trip to Walmart), P wants to hit Michaels for the supplies to make airplane gliders and then we need to go to Atlantic Books so O can spend her gift certificates on books!
See you later alligator.

Posted by Cate at 11:30 AM | Comments (10)

January 03, 2004

Saturday Plans

We had a lot of things to do today. But, since the weather is gorgeous outside (50+ degrees), we are going to spend the day outside at my friend's house. Bike/scooters/tricycles galore. Should be a load of fun!
Enjoy today!

Posted by Cate at 01:09 PM | Comments (2)

They're baaaack!

<a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/eo/20031230/en_tv_eo/13186&e=5">"Sopranos" Back in the Game</a>
Madon'! It's been a long time coming but HBO's Mafia drama The Sopranos is finally back on the schedule.

? News: Sopranos whacked pack is back
? News: Bada bing! Sopranos sixth set
? News: Sopranos goes to the reservoir dog?

The cable net has settled on March 7 to kick off the New Joisey mobster series' fifth season. The 13 new episodes will be sweet relief to patient viewers who've been waiting to catch up with Tony & Co. since December 8, 2002.

To recap: In the season finale titled Whitecaps, Carmela turned the tables on her cheating hubby, kicking Tony to the curb after receiving an irate phone call from his goomara Irene.

Edie Falco's role as a mob mama scorned garnered her an Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy, while James Gandolfini took home the TV trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor. In all, the series has racked up 13 Primetime Emmy nods since debuting in 1999, including three apiece for Falco and Gandolfini.

The show will continue to muscle the Emmy competition for at least another few years since HBO's inked a deal with creator David Chase for a sixth, and likely final, season.

But don't hold your breath. Production on the final 10 episodes isn't expected to begin until early 2005, keeping fans hanging for at least another two years to find out what happens to their favorite Italian-American famiglia.

But while the fate of Tony Soprano remains murky, details about the upcoming fifth season have surfaced like a stiff in the East River. This much is known:

There's no quick fix for Tony and Carmela's busted marriage. In fact, she may start dating other people (at their own risk).

Ghosts of episodes past are expected to resurface to haunt Tony's dreams. Among those expected to rise from the fishes are Vincent Pastore (aka Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero), David Proval (Richie Aprile), John Heard (Detective Vin Makazian), Al Sapienza (Mikey Palmice), Dan Grimaldi (Philly "Spoons" Parisi) and Jason Cerbone (news) (Jackie Aprile Jr.).

Even Joe Pantoliano (news) (Ralph Cifaretto), who captured an Emmy for his guest role, is expected to return if producers can work around his shooting schedule on CBS' The Handler.

As for the whacked pack's next unfortunate member, tabloids have pointed to well-manicured FBI (news - web sites) rat Adriana La Cerva as the season's first potential victim.

Steve Buscemi (news) has been tapped to join the drama as a recurring character for the fifth--and possibly sixth--season. The star of flicks such as Fargo, Con Air and Reservoir Dogs is also expected to spend time behind the camera directing new episodes.

HBO's also signed on Robert Loggia as a New Jersey Mob boss who's been sprung from prison and is looking to reclaim his territory, leading to a possible showdown with the don.

Posted by Cate at 10:44 AM | Comments (1)

You guys rock

Thanks so much for all the wonderful emails regarding my MIL. {{{hugs}}}

I think she will be discharged tomorrow with her having to follow up with her own cardiologist. She had the angioplasty done today - no blockages. One sis in law (still) has bronchitis, another sis in law is having gall bladder problems and my FIL is also having some health issues. Arrggh! All these sickies... it's unreal.
We, as in the girls and I, had a nice day here today. They played with their Polly Pockets, Care Bears and other assorted toys for almost the entire afternoon. They hardly fought either. Yeah - weird, I know. I also ripped through M's closet and pulled out more clothes that didn't fit. She's doing that thing.. you know.. growing. Ugh. I can't believe how much of a personality she is developing. Becoming more like a ::gasp:: preteen.
P is exhausted. Poor guy. My brother is coming down tomorrow for a quick visit. He and his girlfriend are going to Costa Rica for a vacation. Nice. Very nice indeed.
Well - I think I am going to get some sleep. I will try to post up some of my hat pictures tomorrow. Bye!

Posted by Cate at 12:02 AM | Comments (1)

January 02, 2004

Congratulations!

Wonderful news from <a href="http://www.elhide.com/solo/comments.php?id=P1729_0_1_0">Jay Solo</a> and <a href="http://masteryoder.blogmosis.com/longlongago/019822.html#019822">Deb</a>. What an awesome way to start the new year!

Posted by Cate at 01:20 PM | Comments (1)

Update

Just got off the phone with my sis in law (who has acute bronchitis). My MIL is having angioplasty done today. Yikes. I am not sure what other procedures are being done as of now. I am sure my FIL is up with her now. Poor guy. I don't think he is feeling well either. Poor guy.

Posted by Cate at 11:55 AM | Comments (5)

Back to the grind

It's laundry time. Eeeeek.

Posted by Cate at 10:55 AM | Comments (4)

Grey day

Kinda grey and blah outside this morning. Cold and damp. Good weather to snuggle between flannel sheets and go back to sleep.It's been hard getting up out of bed this past week. No school, no immediate morning obligations. The girls have been sleeping in too. Monday is going to suck big time. I love sleeping late. I adore sleeping late. I have been known to sleep until noon. Ahhhhhh. I miss those days. Of course, I would stay up past 1am or be out partying. But, the mornings that I had to be at work, I made it to work. God only knows how I made it but I did.
I love to sleep.

Posted by Cate at 10:10 AM | Comments (4)

Two Towers

Wow. What an awesome movie. In****ingcredible.

Posted by Cate at 01:09 AM | Comments (3)

January 01, 2004

Peace and Quiet

We had a lot of fun today.

Went to Target and the kids spent their Christmas money from Uncle Tim. They got lots of stuff because a ton of toys were on sale. Unfortunately, Polly Pockets was too. Youngestloves those damn teeny dolls. She became the owner of three more sets of Polly. She also freaked out over some Care Bear Castle too. Ugh. Eldest, on the other hand, was quite stingy with her cash. She picked out a My Little Pony, Kids Bop 4 cd and held on to the rest of her money. I think she wants to buy a guitar. Lord help me.
We took them to McD's and they were thrilled. Then, we hit Barnes and Noble so Eldest could spend her gift cards from one of her aunties and my MIL. She cleaned up there too. She picked out some nice books and I am sure she will enjoy them. For her birthday, Youngestgot a gift certificate for Atlantic Books from my Mom as well as other things. So, we will be picking out books for Youngesttomorrow. She is most excited.
The kids just got to bed. Husband and I are beat. I have The Two Towers on dvd and I will be watching that in a few minutes. I am going to try to finish up another winter hat (pattern found here).
I hope to pay you all a visit sometime tonight or tomorrow. Have a great night!

Posted by Cate at 09:58 PM | Comments (2)

First Official 2004 Post

I'm goin' shopping! Wheeee!

P's mom is doing ok for now. He will probably be going up to visit her later today. Hopefully, we will know more at that time. Thank you all so much for the well wishes and good thoughts. {{{hugs}}} You guys are awesome!

Posted by Cate at 11:24 AM | Comments (8)

2004

Happy New Year!
{{{love and hugs}}}

Posted by Cate at 12:00 AM | Comments (4)