I'm the Tool WOman

Does anyone else have a vacuum cleaner that just doesn't work good enough (like you see dog hair pushing out one side??) and you'd love a new one, but can't afford the Dyson Animal that you'd like? Okay, maybe it's just *me* that wants a Dyson, but still. I do have a solution to your problems if you have to stick with the vacuum you have.
I have a Bissel bagless. I really like it....it just clogs up (understandable, I do have 3 dogs, 2 who shed continuously)....a lot! So the other day I figured I'd either clean the sucker really good, or I'd ruin it. It wasn't working that great anyway. I took it outside, got my trusty phillips screwdriver out and took the whole thing apart. I washed the plastic bin that catches all the dirt (hair I mean), and the filter (ick, nasty). I proceeded to get out our power washer and had Miss Morgan come help. I powered washed the bottom of the vacuum, the bend that goes from the floor to the hose and of course, the hose itself. That thing was clogged! We let it dry out nicely and then I put it all back together.
I'm using it today....it's working quite well. I'm hoping by time I really do *need* another vacuum, the Dyson's will come down in price!

Three Cheers!

Both the kids deserve some cheers!

First off, Ashley, the girl who was so shy in kindergarten the only person she talked to on the playground was the aid watching them, tried out for a duet for their choir concert! Without any piano accompanying them! I just talked to her, she said they did well, but don't know when they'll find out if they get a spot!

Morgan's volleyball team won a tough game against a big rival. Now Morgan didn't get to play, she has hurt her wrist twice and the coach wants it to heal completely before playing. He'd like her for tournaments! Anyway, after crying and vowing to quit when she found out she couldn't play, she pulled it together and cheered on her team (and was a line judge).

Character....that's what the girls are showing me these days. I like it!

I Really Do Need 8!

My hubby is forever amazed that I could continually need 8 hours of sleep, every night. I think I finally proved to him it is much nicer for everyone when I do!

We went to the Bronco's game last night. Had a blast, especially since the Bronco's creamed the Chiefs! Got home late, almost 11:30. The hubby turned on the TV in our bedroom, asked me to leave it on, that he'd be right in, then went to the basement to check on his fantasy football team. Chester decided it was time to play. Evidently the kids ignored him the entire night. I got ready for bed, put the dog in bed and he promptly jumped off and continued to run thru the house barking. I laid in bed, listening to the TV. It was bothering me.....the dog was bothering me. I felt something in my eye....the same eye a rather large bug (seemed like it anyway) dive bombed at the game. I couldn't find anything in my eye, but it was all red. The dog is still acting crazy. I finally decide to turn off all the lights in the house, put the dog back in bed and turned off the TV. Of course the hubby comes up to bed shortly after that. I'm ready to kill the dog....I threaten the hubby with his life if he turns off the TV. He actually still tells me he loves me before saying goodnight. It's 12:30. Grrrrrr! The dog finally wants up on the bed. He has to practically dig a hole in the comforter before laying down. I'm still mad. I think it was almost 1:00 a.m. when I fell asleep.

Fast forward to 6:00 a.m. when my alarm goes off. The hubby is in the shower, no sense in me getting up yet. I finally haul my tired butt outta bed about 6:40, my eye is all red and puffy, it still feels like something is in it. I put all 3 of the dogs out and go take a shower. At 7:05, I realize the 13 yr old isn't up. She has the nerve to yell at me because she's not up! I tell her she has an alarm clock above her head. I finish getting ready for work. I'm nice and get Late Girl's volleyball stuff together. I pop a breakfast pocket in the microwave for her. When she comes down finally, she asks me where her crocks are. They are on the love seat, and she's appalled that I give her a dirty look while pointing them out to her. We finally leave, and she throws my brand new purse on the floor of the Durango, because "you know it bothers me when you leave it up on the counsel and it tips over on me". Whatever. We're stopped by the train, we get behind a slow driver, we have to wait for several other late kids' parents to pull into the MS before I can pull it. People are stupid and pull out in front of me. I'm grumbling. Late Girl gets out and barely says goodbye. I need to stop at the bank....I turn down the alley to get to the drive up and there sits a garbage truck, in the middle of the alley. Grrrrr, I have to back up and go the other direction. I finally make it to work. We have a really rude lady today.....then my boss shows up at the next meeting. I am thankful when I get home (after running errands) that no kids are home. I take an hour long nap. I'm better. Tonight I'm going to bed before 10:00. I'm sure it'll be a long time before I attend a Monday night football game again!

Hey Idiot!

I am one of those people who tend to yell at others while driving. They probably don't know it, since I don't roll down the window and intentionally yell, but I've never understood people who don't turn on their lights when it's foggy outside. They are most likely going to cause an accident.
So today, it's foggy. I'm driving to Curves, going about 45 and a pickup truck pulls right out in front of me! Of course, I call him a not so nice name, but I begin to think. Are my lights on? Surely, he could have seen me. I have the headlights that come on automatically when it's dark enough. We're at the railroad tracks, and I'm sitting right behind the pickup, and I can't tell if my lights are actually on. So I turn them on manually.....um....oops, it evidently wasn't dark enough for them to come on! So guess who the idiot is??

From Laurie

Your Inner Child Is Surprised

You see many things through the eyes of a child. Meaning, you're rarely cynical or jaded. You cherish all of the details in life. Easily fascinated, you enjoy experiencing new things.

How Is Your Inner Child?

My Japanese Name

Your Japanese Name Is...

Yumi Inoue

What's your Japanese Name?

Finally!

Yessssssssssssss! I finally got a full nights sleep, NO interuptions! Well, unless you want to count the hubby's alarm clock that went off at 5:30 and took him forever to turn off. Only makes me mad because he had no intention of getting up that early, just had sent it for that time a couple of days ago when he had to be at work early. The man didn't get out of bed until after 6:00....so his alarm went off every 9 minutes for almost 45 minutes! But....on the positive side, no barking dogs, no waking up, no tossing and turning....just a solid nights sleep!

Yappy Dogs!

Yea, I know *I* wanted them. And I love all of them, but seriously, can't they sleep through the night and not bark?? I haven't had a solid nights sleep in at least 5 days now! Grrrrrrr! Chester drove me nuts last night, jumps off the bed, barks at whatever (I know 2 times it was the paper deliveries, which was around 4:00 a.m.), then scratches at the bed so I can put him back up there. The dog really needs a small set of steps so I don't have to wake up everytime he decides he wants back on the bed!
I am way crabby with lack of sleep! I don't have time for a nap today. I have to finish laundry, clean up a bit, bake brownies for the volleyball team (well, I don't have to do that, but I want to), take Morgan's vball bag and lunch to her (again, that's not a have to, but I am a way too nice mom), Ashley has a doctor appt. at 3:30 and Morgan has a volleyball game in Greeley at 5:00, then confirmation class at church at 6:00. Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so watching Lost tonight then heading straight for bed. I should make sure Chester doesn't nap the entire day!

Girlie Things

What a morning this turned out to be.

The oldest goes to her bathroom in the basement to shower. She hollars for me to come and kill a spider. I sigh....I've seen the "giant" spiders she's so afraid of. So I saunter into her bathroom, ready to grab a kleenex and sqaush the silly thing. She tells me to pull back her shower curtain to find it. Holy cow! The sucker *is* big! I'm not about to kill it with my own bare (kleenex clad) hand, so I find a tennis shoe. As I pull the curtain back again, Chester (the 8 lbs dog who thinks he's much bigger), sticks his nose right on the spider, and the daughter screams, causing me to jump back in fright! So we get both dogs out of the bathroom, I squash the darn thing with the shoe, and then use the kleenex to pick it up and flush it down the toilet. Okay, I've accomplished my good deed for the day. I head back upstairs.

The younger one is in her shower upstairs. I hear her yell for me. Sheesh, not another spider! Nope, this child felt sick while showering and practically fell out of the shower to get to the toilet, taking most of the shower curtain with her. Sigh....I fixed the shower curtain. She went back to bed.

Yep, it's Monday.

Times a changing

We all know the times are changing. I don't claim to be that old (40), but obviously there are a lot of things that have changed since I was a kid. You know, video games (pong and PacMan don't count, I didn't have them anyway), home computers (and the fact our kids probably don't even know what a typewriter is), cell phones, CD players and CD's have taken over for the vinyl album, the record player, the 8 track and the cassette. You get my drift. But one thing I didn't think would change has....
I stopped after church today to get donuts. I haven't done this in ages, but I was the only one who went to church, since the hubby is still sick, and both dcs spent the night at friends, so there was no breakfast after church. I got a dozen, figured the kids would like some maybe tomorrow too. And I got a dozen...what happened to "a bakers dozen"???? I mean afterall, bakers originated this concept. But in 2005....I guess it's just another thing of the past. So sad!

I'd better not get it!

The hubby came home from his business trip yesterday....sick. Said he was getting a cold. He seemed fine last night, just looked like he had a 4 day hangover. He went to bed early. I ended up staying up until about 11:00, since Morgan had 4 friends spend the night....but couldn't get to sleep until after midnight because they wouldn't let Libbie, the dog who sleeps on the couch in the basement down there, because "she hogs the couch" (hey, it's her bed!). Therefore, she barked at every little thing, which caused Chester, the little guy who sleeps with me, to jump off the bed and start barking too. Then Ashley got home at midnight, she made the girls let Libbie downstairs and I finally got to go to bed *and* get to sleep. Fast forward (and it was fast!) to 6:00 a.m. this morning. The hubby is now coughing so hard, the whole bed is shaking. He gets up and puts his robe on because he's freezing. He asks if we had cold meds. I have to search a little before I finally find Nyquil and Dayquil caplets. Then he asks for a glass of water, like he's too sick to get outta bed or something! So, I get him the glass of water and climb back into bed myself. He's coughing, then I hear Libbie, she's scratching at the basement door, evidently she thinks she really has to potty or something! So, once again, I climb outta bed, put all 3 dogs outside, let them back in and go get my pillow. I figure I can just sleep on the couch. Yea, sure.....Libbie is a "barker"....she barks at everything. I finally decided I'd take a nap this afternoon. But now it's almost 4:00......I think I'll just go to bed early tonight. In the guest bedroom.

Aging

I turned 40 this past spring. I don't mind....I like telling people I'm 40, as long as they appear shocked that I could be such an age! Ha! But since turning 40, I have noticed a few changes. Gray hairs are popping up on my head, when I gain weight, it goes straight to my belly (I still claim having babies doesn't help, who cares that my "babies" are 16 and 13!), and now, I just came from the eye doctor. It's not horrible news or anything. Just noticed last week at work I was straining to see the product sheet, and then Monday I got a notice in the mail that I hadn't seen the eye doctor since October, 2002! So I called and got in. I am far sighted. My prescription was 1.0 and it is now 1.25. So I ordered new "reading glasses". I guess if I want to look on the bright side, my near sightedness (or lack of) is excellent....I have 20/10 vision!
I think maybe I should go buy a box of hair color and start working on other "problem" areas....now that I have the vision thing taken care of!

Blow'n off steam

Okay, I've ranted to a few friends about this, so I think it's time to take it public! (ha! ha!) I'm a little ticked off at the coaching of my daugther's 8th grade volleyball team. The same coach was there when my oldest was playing in 8th grade, and I didn't like him them. Well, not him personally, but his coaching style. I thought it might have something to do with his first year coaching, but it's 3 years later and it's still the same.

At our middle school, they are big on letting everyone who goes out for a sport play. I have no problem with that. In sports such as volleyball and basketball, they have to break it down into different teams, as there are usually a large amount of kids who go out. I also don't have a problem with that. But once they place the kids in their teams....that's where things have to change. The past 2 years, in volleyball, they've had 3 teams, you can call them A, B & C teams or Red, Black and White teams. The Red team (or A) team is usually the best the school has. The other two teams are divided up accordingly. Still, I've got no problem with this (at some other middle schools around here, they actually cut kids and only have one team). I think it's good for all kids to play, since you never know what kid is eventually going to shine in high school.
My problem is, we have a coach who thinks that even the Red (A) team kids should get equal playing time and that even the games are for "learning", not caring if they win or lose. Now, two things I don't argee with.....1) most of the girls that are on the Red (A) team have played years of sports, whether volleyball or another sport, and have already played at competitive levels and 2) the girls don't care so much about equal playing time, they want to win! I wholeheartedly agree that kids with less experience should get equal playing time to learn the sport, but again, the kids on Red (A) team already know the sport, some of them even play club ball, and they want to win their game. Impossible with the coaching style they are working with. It's a shame too, since the 2 teams we've played so far seems to have the same mentality that I do.....they are playing to win, even if that means the girl who's not playing well has to sit the bench.
And just so you know, it's not just me that thinks this, I've had other parents tell me this AND have listened to Morgan and her friends (who are all on the Red (A) team) talk about it. You know the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"?? Well, these girls "Just Wanna Win"!

Math Problem

One 660 mile trip (in one day) + one meal out + 90 degrees with humidity and wind + one college football game (an unfortunate blowout) + college football on the radio all the way home = one long, hot, tiring day!

Remembering

Here is to the victims and survivors of 9/11....

I have not forgotten. I pray for you and your family.
Here is to peace on earth.....it would be a lovely thing.

Introducing.....

Ok, here she is. Snow White. What do you think?

Disney Character

The oldest (Ashley) decided that people at her high school all conform and are clones of each other. Their hair is the same, their clothes are the same. She decided she wanted to stand out (I guess) and be different, so she cut her hair short and colored it black....dark, shiny, black. She came home with it done the other day, with a light blue headband on....it looked really cute. Then it dawned on me, she looked just like Snow White! She even has the really fair complexion. What's really ironic is that the theme for their HS homecoming is Disney, so I suggested their class do Snow White & the 7 Dwarfs and we find her a SW costume. If she'll show me how, I will post a picture of her hair, it's totally uncanny!

Oui! Being a Parent is Tough!

Last night the hubby had a huge blowout with the youngest. There were tears on her part, an older daughter and her friend who quickly left the house (and the daughter vowed not to come home) and me, being stuck in the middle. After the hubby cooled his heels and I'd talked with both girls, the young'un pulled herself together and the older did come home for dinner. The best thing that happened out of this is the 3 of us took a walk together, with Libbie, our "middle" dog who needs to lose weight! It was really a chance to get feedback from both on fights with their dad, to get my side and just talk in general. And it also lessened the stress from all of us. It's not what I'd recommend to get your kids to go walking with you, but if you have to have a silver lining, I guess you can find one!

I'm Outta Sugar

I decided to make chocolate chip cookies for my daughter's volleyball team. They have their first game tonight and I like taking snacks for them (they have to be hungry, they go straight from school to the games). Okay, I know that cookies aren't really a nutritious snack, but admit it, they're yummy. Anyway, I got out everything I needed and realized I'm almost out of sugar, none stashed anywhere, nothing. Chester is at the groomers, which happens to be across the street from the grocery store. So now I'm (im)patiently waiting for a call that he's done, so I can get the sugar and get the darn cookies made. Now if gas didn't cost so much, I'd just run get the sugar then get Chester when he was done. But I'm much more aware of the extra running I do now and try to bunch every errand together. Ring phone! Ring!