Sweater Day

Mark your calenders, March 20 is Sweater Day. This is also Fred Rogers' birthday.

Say what you want, I always liked Mr. Rogers, so I'll wear a sweater on March 20, and maybe I'll sing "You Are Special" again to my kids.

I Should Do This

I've heard a lot of very unflattering stories about the teacher Daughter has for preschool. My mom told me about the mom who put a digital recorder in her daughter's backpack, and I'm thinking maybe I should do the same thing.

Go. To. School!!!

Yet another day called on account of snow.

Once again I ask: where in the bloody hell was this forkin' snow at Christmas???

Sonofabitch.

Anyway, so yeah. I sat down and counted the actual number of days Daughter has had school in the month of February, and it was six. Six days! And I pay for preschool!

Hopefully tomorrow (Thursday) the younglings will go back to school. Any more snow days and half of June is shot.

Enough Is Enough

I'm glad Christina Aguilera is breastfeeding her child. Wonderful, fabulous, great for the baby.

But, girl please, do we have to see your jugs all the time?

Oh I know, it's different for "celebrities." She probably has one of those super-dee-dooper breast pumps, and is totally at ease with leaving the house.

Whereas yours truly was basically rooted to the couch for the three weeks I tried to breastfeed Son, sore, topless, and utterly miserable.

Well, more power to you, Christina. Just wrap those things up, mmkay?

Damn You, Snow Miser!

No school today. Again. Which means, if you're keeping track, the kids have now missed seven days of school. Anything over five days needs to be made up, with days coming off of Easter vacation. Looks like the kids will only get Good Friday off this year.

One would think that, there being no school, the younglings and I would get to catch some extra sleep. Not so much. I got the call about the cancellation at 4:15 this morning and was wide awake from then on, and the kids got up at their usual time, so there was no extra snoozing for us.

Not to worry, though, I've made good use of the time. Oh yeah, I've got laundry going, I've unloaded the dishwasher, and I've got the slow cooker up and running; it's pot roast tonight.

She'll Take Manhattan

Look out NYC, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong is headed your way:

Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong's next stop in the Brian Wells case will be lower Manhattan.

A federal judge in Erie has ordered the 59-year-old defendant sent to a federal prison in New York City, where she will undergo a mental-health exam to determine whether she is competent to stand trial in the August 2003 bombing death of Wells.

U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin on Monday granted the government's request to have Diehl-Armstrong transferred from the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, near Williamsport, to a federal facility -- in her case, the New York Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Diehl-Armstrong is to be held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center "for the purpose of a psychiatric or psychological examination," according to the judge's order.

She will remain in federal custody after the examination is complete, according to the order. However, Diehl-Armstrong is expected to be held at the Erie County Prison during her yet-to-be scheduled trial at the federal courthouse in Erie.

Court records do not indicate when Diehl-Armstrong will go to New York.

Diehl-Armstrong has been at SCI Muncy since January 2005, when she pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder in the slaying of her boyfriend, James Roden, 45, in August 2003. Diehl-Armstrong, who has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, is serving a sentence of seven to 20 years for Roden's death.

Her mental-health examination is not to take more than 30 days. If federal prison officials find her mentally competent to stand trial, she will return to Erie for a hearing before McLaughlin, who will be the final arbiter of her competency.

If federal prison officials find Diehl-Armstrong mentally incompetent to stand trial, she will be held in a federal facility until she is deemed competent. That process could take years.

The prison officials are expected to focus on whether Diehl-Armstrong's mental state prevents her from cooperating with her lawyer, Thomas Patton, an assistant federal public defender, whom Diehl-Armstrong said she wants to fire.

On Monday, in a telephone interview from SCI Muncy, Diehl-Armstrong said she does not want Patton to represent her, and she said she had nothing to do with Wells' death. She said she is not on medication.

"I think it is terrible," Diehl-Armstrong said of the order sending her to New York.

She was asked whether she believes she is mentally competent to stand trial.

"I think I will be if I can get rid of Patton," she said. "I think he will drive me crazy if I have to stay with him."

Diehl-Armstrong and her co-defendant, Kenneth E. Barnes, 54, were indicted in July on charges they plotted the bank robbery that ended in the death of 46-year-old Wells after he held up a Summit Township bank on Aug. 28, 2003. He was killed when a homemade bomb locked to his neck exploded.

Barnes is in the Erie County Prison awaiting trial in the Wells case. He had been held there on a sentence in an unrelated drug case.

The Metropolitan Correctional Center, Diehl-Armstrong's destination, houses male and female inmates who are awaiting trial, as well as other inmates, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Diehl-Armstrong, a one-time social worker who has a master's degree in education for school counseling, said she once had a job offer to work at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Her career was sidetracked in July 1984, when she was accused of fatally shooting her boyfriend, Robert L. Thomas, 43, in Erie. Diehl-Armstrong argued self-defense and was acquitted four years later.

Source: Erie Times-News

In A Mood

TMK Revealed

On Friday's episode of General Hospital, the Text Message Killer was revealed to be none other than presumed dead Diego Alcazar.

Well hell! No wonder Kristina freaked! She watched her older sister shoot this guy dead!

Or...was he????

Diego has Sam right where he wants her, and to this I just have one thing to say:

GO, DIEGO, GO!!!

Snort Worthy

Daughter and I heard this on our way home today; the lyrics just kill me:

"We were born to be alive."

Duh!

Boogie!

"Oh, I hated the Colonel..."

"...with his wee, beady eyes! And that smug look on his face! 'Oh, yer gonna buy my chicken, oooooohhhh!'"

The Colonel screwed my husband! Bastard!

I had a coupon, so I went up to KFC last night to get dinner, and Husband got the urps. And then he yakked. It's not food poisoning, because he's the only one of the four of us to get sick.

It's a good thing Husband has the day off, or he'd be barfing on a real Colonel!

Gettin' Warmer

I'm not talking about the weather, but rather my feet. My slow descent to Hell suddenly got a lot faster Friday afternoon.

That's when Husband met with Pastorman to explain, after three missed Sundays, why the Groovy Eiffel family hasn't been back, and won't be back, to church.

I shan't go into details, I'll just say that Husband and I were feeling some massive burn-out. Not from the Scripture/religion side of church, though.

We aren't going to become those that worship at the Church of St. Mattress (although I will say that I quite enjoy the extra sleep)...

But I'm not going to go all Church Lady on you. I might send some into shock.

Family Movie Time

Today we all sat down and watched Planet of the Apes. Yep, all of us, even the kids.

And believe it or not, it was the first time I'd ever seen the entire movie.

Well then...okay, so I've seen it.

I explained to Son why, every time we watch those Charlton Heston Bible videos why I'm always yelling "Damn, dirty apes! Let my people go!"

Who Are These Guys?

I think it's great that these Jonas Brothers are waiting for marriage to to the horizontal boogie, but who the hell are they anyway?

Linky Love

Love, love, LOVING this website: Serial Drama.

Loving their commentary about General Hospital, especially today's episode.

I really feel like the only way I could hate this storyline more is if the TMK was actually not Diego Alcazar but instead Diego of Go, Diego, Go fame.

LOVE IT!

I mean, really, we all know that a soap staple is bringing the dead back, but this is just...I just don't know what it is.

But really, if Jesse can come back to All My Children after not only dying but donating organs, why not bring back some murdered dude with mob ties?

"Springfield Middle's Fate Edison Focus"

Coverage of last night's school board meeting appearing in today's paper.

I especially liked this:

“New buildings are nice, but they do not make smarter students or better teachers. Edison has great teachers now in the buildings we currently have. They have proved it over and over again. I do not believe our administrators and school board members came to such a plan in less than one weekend. This affects every student, parent, taxpayer and staff member in our district,” Stone said.

I quite agree; how many times are our kids going to be moved around?

New Swooner

Move over, Ewan, there's a new Swooner Dreamboat for GroovyVic.

David Tennant!

And....he's Scottish! Oh boy, oh boy, oh b-o-y!!

Eighties Jam

For some reason I've had this song going through my head all night.

*sigh*

I guess once a Durannie, always a Durannie....

"The Plan"

Coverage from the local newspaper about Edison's plan for the district.

My kids are still in elementary school, so I'm not as upset as the parents of those kids facing a move to the high school.

Like I said before, I asked Monday night what would happen at the elementary school my kids are in now, and was given all kinds of assurances that there was plenty of room.

In short, smoke was blown up my arse.

Look, I'm not stupid, I realize that this district is in financial hell, and I can even understand having to close another building. But what happens in twenty years when all these buildings have been closed and no levies or bonds have been passed? There's lots of land out here to be developed, and it's cheap (which is why we built here). I can only imagine that as more people discover this due to the "Burb of the 'Burgh" advertising campaign, something has got to change.

I mentioned to another mom today that in twenty years we'll be the old timers, bitching about voting for levies and what not, having had bad experiences with the administration, much like those folks now who are still bitter over stuff that happened thirty years ago.

Oh Please...

You know, I have nothing against random product placement in movies and what not, but when Campbell's starts injecting themselves into daytime, enough is too much.

Sure, V8 Fusion and Prego have been mentioned on General Hospital lately, but when Luke Spencer starts in on microwavable soup....please, give me a break.

What's next? Random mentions of Tampax in the hospital?

"Oh, Nurse Webber, I never go anywhere without my Tampax tampons!"

Talk about a plug!

HAW HAW HAW HAW.....

Look What Son Found

I don't know, do you think Son likes Dr. Who?

Snort Worthy

One Of Those Moments

I just had one of those moments....the parents out there will understand, one of those moments when a child just pushes that button, that "last nerve" button and you explode.

The moment came out of pure frustration with Daughter. Yes, I know, she's only four, but somehow she just never gets it, never quite understands that she's not to ever put anything down the heat registers; that she has to put her toys away and not leave papers scattered about the living/dining room; that we expect her to keep her room picked up...

I mean, the child will pick up her toys and put everything away, but five minutes later, poof! Those blocks are in the middle of the floor! Her dress-up clothes are scattered to the four winds. She loses a necklace that I just bought for her four days ago because she treats it like a lasso.

I know, I know, she's just a child. Stop rolling your eyes and huffing. I fully realize that I was the same way as a child, that life was just too much fun to be bothered with putting my toys away neatly, that precarious piles were just so much more fun.

But those days are long ago for me, and now I'm the one keeping house and this all became just one big, festering zit that popped all over the place tonight.

Found Money

No, I didn't find any money. This blasted school district seems to have, though.

Last night I went to a meeting at the elementary school about the three year plan the BOE has. The plan this:

Close the middle school, make the three elementary schools Pre-K through 6, and make the high screwl 7-12. Oh yeah! There would also be eight new classrooms built for a cost of...wait for it....I'm getting to it....$1.8 million dollars!

*lapses into Dr. Evil mode*

And we, the district, can afford to do this even without some kind of grant.

What. The. Fuuuuuuuck?

Um, yeah. We're thisclose to being flat, busted broke and all of the sudden we have all this money? Closing the middle school will, apparently, save the district ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

I have never been past the cafeteria in the high school, so I have no idea what it's like there, but I hear it's a hole. With the eight bus routes that are slated to be cut, this plan will make the kids' bus rides uber-long, and for those on the outer edges of the district? Fuggedaboutit. Hours, folks, hours.

But I raised my pink hand and said "What about this building? My kids are here, what happens to my kids?"

The principal and the horse's ass superintendent assured me there is plenty of building space for Pre-K through sixth.

Yeah, I thought, because a lot of parents are going to whip their kids out of here so fast....

I thought, well, keep the kids here until sixth grade and then we'll send them somewhere else.

But this money thing...it bothers me. The BOE still wants to put a bond on the November ballot....

More later on this crap...

I did, however, approach the sheriff's deputy who was there and asked if he'd been stuck with Clinton duty on Sunday. He said yeah, and what a pain it was, then said he'd vote for Hillary over Obama, and he wasn't quite sure about McCain.

Yours truly nodded silently, said nothing about any of them, burbled something about having to attend Bubba's rally, and moved on.

Growth! I kept my yap shut for once! Growth!

Out Of The Mouths of Babes

Daughter said to me this morning:

"Mommy, this picture I drew of you? This stuff around your eyes? That's wrinkles."

"Wrinkles!" I exclaimed. "I'd better get the Olay!"

And she just told me that I needed one of those Premier tubs.

Programming Note

Hey! Have you got Turner Classic Movies?

If you do then snuggle in because.....

Gone With The Wind is on at 8:00 tonight!

Bubba Came To Town

BillyJeff Bubba was in town yesterday.

(I was home all day, so you can't pin anything on me!)

I find it hard to believe that a cop ripped a sign out of someone's hands. Was it someone under Sheriff Fred's command or the Steuby cops?

Put yer bullet back, Barney!

Interesting to hear that there were protesters at the rally. Interesting still that in the above linked article a commenter referred to them as "abortion nuts."

What? Like if McCain or Huckabee came to town there wouldn't be a passel of screamers going on about...Iraq?

Hello Pot! Here comes Kettle!

(And I wouldn't go see McCain or Huckabee, for that matter. I'm disgusted with the GOP candidates.)

Here's another link to more butt kissing coverage of Bubba's visit. This one has all kinds of video.

Groovy Birthday

Happy Birthday to ME! I am 38 today!

If you look closely you'll see my groovy red high tops!

Of course you know this means the next two years are cause for celebration, the last two years of my thirties!

Let's Call It An Extended Holiday Season

Dammit!

I'm gaining weight!

Well, I have been indulging in crap more than usual. I mean, yesterday alone I consumed enough calories for at least three days (damn you Olive Garden and your tiramisu).

In my mind I justify it thusly: for me the holidays begin with the sweeties at Halloween and end with my Boston Creme Pie on my birthday. A useful and selfish excuse, to be sure, but still it makes me feel better.

I Have No Conscience

We're home from our trip to the 'burgh. I swear, it must be a new township rule or something that everyone drive a Prius.

After a trip to Toys AREN'T Us (I mean, the selection sucked!), we did lunch at one of my favorite places, The Olive Garden. Yummy and fattening!

We saved the best for last, a leisurely trip to the bookstore. Ahhh.... Husband and I took turns sitting with the younglings in the kid section so we could each look for books. While wandering I spotted a book with some asinine title stating Conservatives have no conscience.

"Oh really," I said aloud to no one. "Yeah, this is just great. Shove it up yer arse!"

Little did I know that some dude was standing there staring at me while I sneered and smacked that book. Well, screw him, too. That damn town is full of too many damn Libs.

I also found, in the kid section no less, books about Hildabeast and Obama. Son snickered at those.

(Not that we have the warm fuzzies for McCain, because we don't.)

But yeah, I guess I have no conscience because I'm a Conservative. Yeah, that and I want to force my religious beliefs down your throat.

Sheesh.

Reunited...And It Feels Like Crap?

Got a call from a high school classmate last night, inquiring about the upcoming class reunion. It was so refreshing to talk to someone who's actually looking forward to it!

So, in the spirit of celebrating twenty (gasp!) years of being freed from high school hell, and my upcoming birthday (and the last two years of my thirties), here's ol' BraceFace:

Shop Til I Drop

Husband came home yesterday with a surprise: he has today off! Since the kids also have the day off (teacher conferences), we're all heading over to the outskirts of the 'burgh and having my birthday lunch at one of my favorite restaurants.

And then, this is the best part, we're going to park ourselves in one of those big ol' bookstore chains for the rest of the day.

I can think of nothing better than a large area full of books.

No! Ahhh! NO! NOOOOOOO!

This just in:

"Bill Clinton Considering Coming To Steubenville."

On Sunday.

My birthday.

Yuck. Believe me when I say I'll stay far, far away from town this weekend.

A Groovy Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day to all my bloggy friends and readers.

I can only think of one person who is cool enough to say it with song:

But this person is just as cool:

Snort Worthy

Where I Imitate A Gorilla

The real kicker? I probably wasn't a year and a half years old when this was taken....in 1971.

Look at that poor baby doll!

TV Station Hates Edison Local

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think the NINCOMPOOPS that "administrate" our school district have told a local TV station to keep their newsy noses out of Edison Local.

Case in point: a hit list at the high school no one ever heard about.

Anyone who lives around here remembers the scant news coverage this particular station provided during the unfortunate (and unnecessary) teacher strike. Anything they did choose to broadcast was usually pro-admin, whenever the horse's ass superintendent took a break from applying her mascara to actually speak to the media.

It never ends around here, folks. Just yesterday I heard that one of our "esteemed" BOE members was making bitchy comments at a pep rally.

Way to represent, jackass!

Now We Get Snow

Where in the bloody hell was all this snow back in December when I wanted it? Who ever heard of a "White Valentine's Day?" Sheesh.

Today is the second day of no school for Son. Daughter hasn't been to school in a week, with all those two-hour delays and what not. (Remember preschool doesn't meet on Friday.)

Are the kids going stir-crazy? Not so much. Believe it or not, we've all been tapping on our laptops (yes, one for each of us); Son has found some science and math sites he quite enjoys, and Daughter is hooked on Starfall.com.

Husband went back to work yesterday after his ten day break. He couldn't get his car up the driveway last night because of the snow/ice/snow, and then couldn't get the tractor out to plow because the battery had died.

As for me, well, I may be the only one going crazy, since I haven't been alone since...um...February 1. The fact that I had rabid PMS all weekend didn't help matters much; Sunday night found me whipping Husband with a hand towel, screaming at him to "leave me the hell alone, goddammit!"

And the younglings have a four-day weekend, what with teacher meetings and President's Day. (How nice that my kids get a break on my birthday!)

Seeing as how I won't be going anywhere, I'm going to get a straw and sit down with my pot of coffee.

Good day!

Not A Total Loss

Today has been, quite literally, a crappy day for me. I did manage to get groceries and get laundry done, but for the most part I've been holding the couch down due to stomach ills.

But! It wasn't all a total loss as ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIES was on this afternoon!

What a great way to spend the day....

Ahhhhh!! Make It Stop!!!

Damn those Llama Butchers. As if I haven't been subjected to that blasted movie enough, Steve goes and embeds that damn music that, on a day like this has been for me, makes me want to drink copious amounts of wine and pass out in a stupor.

(P.S. guys, if comments were working I would have just said this over at your place.)

Weekend Wrap-Up

It's Sunday night, so here is my weekend wrap-up:

I've mentioned here before that I've been having some issues with the church Husband and I attend. We, Husband and I, have been talking all week about our issues and whether or not we want to go back to this church. Well, yesterday Husband sent out an e-mail to Pastorman essentially telling him that for the foreseeable future, our family will no longer be attending services.

I shan't go into detail about what's bugging us, but I will say that I don't want to go back. I'm not saying I want to quit going to church entirely, no, I want to go to church, but I don't want it to feel like a weekly chore. I just don't know where God wants us to be.

---

Daughter seems to have recovered from shoving a button up her nose Friday night, and this afternoon shoved one end of her pinwheel up there. My GAWD!

---

I'm hearing from reliable sources that Daughter's preschool teacher has some anger issues. Apparently one day said teacher was screaming so loud at the kids (three and four year old, remember) that the other pre-K teacher and her aide had to come in to settle the teacher down!

I've tried to talk to Daughter about her teacher and the yelling, but you know how it is with kids that young, they either can't remember or don't want to say anything for fear of getting in trouble. Well, be that as it may, I'm calling the principal tomorrow and setting up an appointment. This isn't the first bit of less than flattering info I've gotten on this preschool teacher, and I think I have a right to be concerned about my baby.

If nothing else I can recommend the woman take a damn Valium or something. For Christ's sake.

And it will be interesting to hear what this NINCOMPOOP principal tries to soothe me with.

---

More and more poop on the streets about the whole school district bag of problems. There will be a community meeting on the 20th, but I ask what for? The administration (NINCOMPOOPS) have their collective mind made up as to what they want to do, why would they listen to us lowly (and cheap!) parents and taxpayers?

Is it any wonder why I refuse to get my OH teaching certification? That strike opened my eyes to just how much teachers have to deal with, and they frankly get treated like crap. No thanks, if I want that kind of treatment I'll go hang out with my in-laws....or an ex-boyfriend.

---

I am reading the best book right now: The Year of Living Biblically.

For some reason I find this book very encouraging.

---

Okay, going to bed. We all get to sleep in tomorrow because the school is on a two hour delay.

Ahhhh, Memories

This article from my hometown area paper brings back memories as, years ago, this was not only my first living history event - EVER - but it was where I first saw the man who would be my husband.

Soldiers from the 111th Civil War regiment guarded the doors to the Cashier's House Saturday.

Inside, more re-enactors brought the Civil War era to life in a series of vignettes that showed what life was like in 1862, the year President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

In one room, a black man attempted to join the 111th but was turned away because of his race. He would have to travel from Erie to Philadelphia, the recruiter told him. That's where the nearest black regiment was based.

Upstairs, a newspaper publisher led an Abolitionist meeting.

And in another room, Elizabeth Waters -- mother of Harry T. Burleigh -- talked of her father's work with the Underground Railroad in Erie.

"This is part of our history, these are things that happened in Erie," said Cindy Kennedy, who came to watch the re-enactments. "You can read things in a book, but when you actually see someone act it out, it really brings it closer to home."

The event was held in celebration of Black History Month and President's Day, said Melinda Meyer, the Historical Society's director of education. Members of the Harry T. Burleigh Society and the 111th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry re-enactors participated in the re-enactments.

The Rev. Adrianne Rush, a member of the Burleigh Society, played the part of Elizabeth Waters, who would give birth in Erie to famed composer Harry T. Burleigh in 1866.

Rush talked of Waters' father's work with the Underground Railroad to the group of about 25 people who attended Saturday's event at the Cashier's House, 419 State St.

Erie served as a vital link in the Underground Railroad from the 1830s to the 1850s.

"It's important to key into the fact that free African-Americans in Erie helped those who were enslaved and became free," Rush said.

From the Erie Times-News

One More Week!

Make a note:

My birthday is one week from today!

A Button Nose

Daughter has a button nose.

Correction; she had a button in her nose.

Don't ask me why, but my four-year-old daughter shoved a button up her nose. Panic ensued!

Husband dealt with it, and in less than two minutes Daughter had the button out of her nose.

The fun never ends in the Groovy household.

Snort Worthy

"Hillary's Dream?"

Thankew Wyatt Earp

Oh For Heaven's Sake

Bobby Brown has gone country.

Countdown

Make note!

My birthday is in ten days!

February 17!

Give Me A Break

Quite possibly the stupidest picture I've seen yet:

Hey! Look at J-Lo's big stomach!

If there is any justice in this world, J-Lo has a raging case of hemorrhoids right now.

Moody

I've said it before, between the crap with the school district and being hunted down by Pastorman, I'm numb. I just can't give a shit anymore.

Not Gonna Do It

I was going to say something about the Grateful Dead members hooking back up to support Barack Obama, but why bother. Those guys can support Obie if they want to, it's free country (at least for now).

I even like a couple of Dead songs...but I'm no Deadhead. Nope. Ask anyone.

If Chuck Norris can support Huckabee, why can't the Dead support Obama?

I don't like anyone on the GOP side. Nope. Ask anyone. Not happy with those contenders.

Although I will say this: Hillary apparently was one of the senators who fought to get Guard and Reservists health insurance, yet now she says she'll garnish wages if we don't buy into her universal health care.

WTF?

That's just crazy talk.

Anyway, it's Tom Brokaw's birthday, and I really don't care about that; it just gives me the excuse to post this:

Huh?

Edison Local is just fucking with us now.

Pardon my language, but I don't care anymore. I'm so sick of rumors that I can't get spun up about them anymore, but this merry band of nincompoops is just fucking with us.

Report cards came out, and a great majority of kids have an extra eight days of absences. Eight days? Strike days!

For the record, I saved the initial letter that came home from the horse's ass superintendent that said as long as we sent something in writing to the principals, our kids would be excused. I even double checked the language of the letter today.

The eight days are counted as absences, albeit excused ones.

Am I getting upset? Not really, since I did go back and check.

But here's the latest poop to hit the streets (and I've lost count as to how many "proposals" I've heard thus far): the remaining middle school will close at the end of the 07-08 school year. The three elementary schools will become pre-K through sixth, with the high school housing grades 7-12.

Fine, I say, so long as there's adequate space, and there isn't.

And there are a lot of parents getting their panties in a knot over their seventh or eighth grade kid riding the bus with (horrors!) high school seniors!

Three words, folks: Get. Over. It.

In the district I graduated from, the middle and high school kids all rode together because said schools were right next to each other. That means I started riding the bus with (gasp!) seniors when I was in fifth grade! Guess what? No one beat the crap out of me, I wasn't assaulted...and by the time I was a freshman, my best friend was a senior and no one was going to mess with me. And I drove to school my junior and senior years; I never even looked at the bus by that time.

Gawd. Big picture, people.

Anyhoo, so yeah. And not only is another building going to close, but the merry band of jackasses also want to start a bowling team and a tennis team.

What the bloody hell?

They can't keep all the buildings open (that they gaspingly overheat), they're cutting teachers and programs left and right, but they can start two more goddamn sports teams? And is bowling even a sport?

And the board wants us to pass a levy with this shit floating around?

Honestly. Do you wonder why I'm sick of getting riled up about this? Until Helena Handbasket (the superintendent) passes gas down her final decision, I'm not getting spun up. My priority has got to be my kids, and until such time, they'll stay put.

And I'm not going to apologize for my language. I'm fed up, frustrated, and just plain tired of the bullshit.

Kiss my ass.

What Is He Doing?

Can't Sleep

I can't sleep. Son is cough cough coughing away, despite the prescription cough medicine the doctor gave him.

Oh yes, I took both kids in to the doctor late yesterday afternoon to find that Daughter has another ear infection. One more, says the doc, and it's ear tubes for her!

"I don't want to go back to that ear doctor's office!" I said.

"Oh, I've heard that people wait three or four hours at least" the doc replied.

"At least" I confirmed.

Really, folks, the procedure itself (actually getting the tubes) isn't even that bad, ten minutes tops, and Daughter is fine after about a half hour. It's that slow, painful wait in the ENT doc's waiting room that will kill you.

Anyway, so Daughter is on antibiotics again. Son has a cold, but the doc prescribed that cough syrup to help Son sleep, and in inhaler for during the day, to break up the gunk in Son's chest.

The doc also prescribed regular beatings. You know, "beating" the kids on their backs to loosen up the crap in their lungs.

So now I'm all worried, a mother's job, and I can't sleep. Everyone else is sawing logs, but I'm wide awake.

Say It Isn't So

David Bowie to work with Vanessa Hudgens?

All right, just who in the hell is this Hudgens person anyway, and what in the bloody hell makes her so special?

And does she even know who David Bowie is? Ziggy Stardust? The Thin White Duke? Tin Machine?

Oh David Jones Bowie...it was one thing for you to lend your voice to that Spongebob Atlantis Squarepantis episode, but this?

Snort Worthy

I saw this today on Ellen...

The Tiddy Bear

Sick. Just Sick!

Son, that is. He's one miserable pup. He's also home from school today; Daughter went to school, though.

So, yeah, none of us went to church yesterday. And sure enough, Pastorman called at 3:00 yesterday afternoon. He could have been calling as a courtesy to see how we were, or he could have been calling to ream Husband a new one for not being there to run that damn PowerPoint.

What ever his motivation, we let the answering machine pick up the call.

I then ran to the phone to call my friend who also didn't go to church, and not only did Pastorman call their land line, he called their cell phone as well!

Hmmm...think the guy was just a hair pissy that none of us were there?

As my friend said, we shouldn't have to call off church the way we'd call off work. And she has a point! I mean, what the heck is next? Will we have to take in a forkin' doctor's excuse?

Needless to say, I think we're all avoiding the phone these days.

Yeah, I'm being a rude brat, and I don't care. Dammit all anyway, my kids have been sick and I'm not going to drag them out if I don't have to. My husband just got home from a week out of town, not to mention the month-long prep for that week out of town...he's tired and wants to decompress. We shouldn't have to offer up excuses.

UPDATE: I'm taking the kids in to the doc later this afternoon. Daughter is complaining that her ear hurts, and as long as I'm taking her in, I'm going to have Son checked out as well.

Painful Shopping

Gawd!

As if grocery shopping first thing on a Monday morning isn't bad enough (I always find myself humming that Boomtown Rats song), I have to hear feckin' Air Supply!

Suddenly I was in sixth grade again....

Is it any wonder I bought more damn doughnuts?

Ugh. Talk about wanting to hurl.

Seeing as how I'm unable to embed, if you're in to torture you can hear the song here.

In the meantime...this one's for Iron Man:

Talented Son

Just one of Son's drawings of the Titanic.

Sunday Skip Day

The younglings and I are not going to church today.

My feet are getting warmer!!!

And I don't feel one bit guilty about not going and having to find someone to cover the nursery for me.

Look, the kids have been running fevers for days; according to the pediatrician, this crap is going around and if they haven't gotten rid of their fevers by today he wants to see them. The fevers are good, but they're so snot nosed and congested!

Plus, Daughter's cold has once again gone into her eyes. It's gross.

The odd thing is, they both really want to go to school! Talk about a way to get them to stay in and rest!

"Drink lots of fluids and rest so you can go to school tomorrow!"

Wow. As a former school hater, I never thought I'd add that phrase to my arsenal.

I shan't ramble on about how much I'm starting to dislike the church we're going to. I'm in a good mood right now, so I'll save that for another time.

And don't ask me who I'm rooting for in the Stupor Super Bowl. We're not watching it, we never do. Isn't there a Mythbusters marathon today or something?

Good To Know

Via blog bud Wyatt Earp: School District Boss Tells Principals, "I Own You"

Really, I had to laugh, in a sad way. This doesn't make me feel any better about the current issues facing the district we live in, but in a sick way it's good to know we aren't the only ones with NINCOMPOOPS at the helm.

And I'd love to see our superintendent, Lisa Carmichael (oh she of waaaay too much eye makeup) throw down.

What A Day

No school for the kids today, as we had freezing rain last night. Apparently it warmed up long enough to melt what was on the roads, and good for me, because I had to run up to Kroger to pick up more eye drops for Daughter.

This cold is out of control and her eyes are all red and nasty again.

Anyhoo, we got home JUSTINTIME because the skies are looking nasty again. I just hope Husband doesn't have trouble getting home.

Oh yeah, didn't I mention that he'd been gone all week? Yep. He should be flying home rightthisveryminute!!!

So, yeah, no school today. The kids wanted to watch Titpanic Titanic again, and I made the mistake of watching the end...and yes, I cried like a fool again.

Why, why, why is Son so fascinated by this?

It's February 1

It's the first day of February, and you know what that means.

My birthday is in sixteen days!

It's GroovyVic month! Celebrate ME!

Happy Birthday Mr. Gable

Happy Birthday to Clark Gable, born on this day in 1901.

Born just twenty minutes from where I now sit, Gable, you know, became a very popular actor.

Check out the website for the Clark Gable Foundation.

If you want to visit, let me know!