Seriously.

Yes, I believe this is IN error.

Just so you know, I found this devastating news out only when I tried to access the site for a work-related search.  Love it.

Stephanie Tanner said it best, "How rude!"

Listen up, ladies (and the few guys that read, too)!  When somebody so kindly invites you to a party (or any event that would warrant an invitation), répondez s'il vous plaît!  Seriously, it is just rude to not reply.  Here is your lesson.  Pull up a chair and grab a piece of paper... You'll want to take notes.

If you can not attend, or don't even want to, THAT'S OK!  That is an option!  Just call me, email me, text me, get a hold of me SOMEHOW and tell me, "Sorry! Ain't happenin', sista!"  I don't care what your excuse is.  I just want to know if I should plan for your attendance or not.  Obviously I want you there because I invited you, but if you can't, NO BIGGIE.  I hate the excuse, "Well, I didn't call you because I didn't want you to be mad at me for not coming."  To that, I give you a mental punch to the face, NOT because you didn't come, because you were rude and didn't tell me.  If attendance was REQUIRED, the invite would have said that.  When you see those four letters, that means that I understand that life happens and I may not be your first choice... Just RESPOND!

If you can come, don't assume that I already know that.  If I did, I would not have requested an RSVP from you!  Duh.  When I plan birthday parties for my girls, I usually don't request an RSVP from family.  For one, I'll most likely make the same amount of food whether or not one or two people don't show up.  Secondly, their parties are usually at my house so I don't need to give any sort of facilitator a head count.  BUT, should I happen to request a reply, there is most likely a reason behind it.  Do it!

Now, I get that it's not always black and white (dot blogspot dot com).  You may have an instance of, "Gosh, I already have something going on that day but if I can leave a little early, I may be able to make it..."  Than TELL me that!  I will probably just quickly text you a few days in advance and be like, "So, do you think you might be able to make it?"  To that, RESPOND.  Don't ignore.  Don't say that you never got the text because I will ask you to prove it.  Just reply to my text. 

Lesson learned?  GOOD.  If you are already taking the time to open and look at the invitation I sent you (and marvel in my creativity), take the time to look at your stupid calendar and at least text me!  Trust me, I'll be more ticked off at the fact that I can not read your mind and so therefore I have to call YOU, than I would be if you told me you can't come.  Deal?  Oh, and in case you were wondering, this applies to ALL invitations you receive, not just ones from me ;o)

Oh, and just so you know... I have not recently planned a party and not NOT got a reply.  This is just a general kick in the tush :o)  You're welcome!

Have a great weekend!

You said it!

Welcome to the longest week EVER.

Here's hoping today and tomorrow fly by.

I don't know if I've ever said this before, but I *LOVE* my job.

Love it.

Not.

Especially when six stupid hours are spent trying to get royal blue bluer than blue.  Love it.

How do you measure self-worth?

  

That is what I look at each and every day that I sit in my crap hole of a job.  It's not cute.  It's not creative.  It's the truth.  I feel like if I don't remind myself of that 500 bazillion times a day, I may lose it. 

I hate my job.  I went to school in hopes of landing a super awesome graphic design job that I could go to and create super cool things that people look at and say, "Holy crap!  How did you do that?"  Instead, I get my sorry butt out of bed each and every morning and go to a job where I am not using my creative abilities 95% of the time.  I design crap for teachers.  Do you know how many times I am asked to use clip art??  Asking a graphic designer to use clip art is like asking your doctor to use your kid's Fisher Price doctor's kit.  It's an insult and it just doesn't work.  But, I do it because I don't have a choice.  I try to make it my own and not use the crappy clip art and I am told to do it like they want it.  It sucks.  REALLY bad.

I try not to let my butt hole job interfere with my home life.  I try really hard.  Last week alone, I had Mike ask me if "we" were ok because I seemed distant and Jaden asked me if I was happy.  I am so depressed at work and unfortunately it shows at home.  I think of the hours that I am pulled away from my kids to be at a place that sucks the life out of me and I feel so guilty.  This job has ruined me and what I ever thought my future would be.  If I were to lose this job, I would probably never go into graphic design again.  That is how much I despise the work I do.

The economy sucks right now.  I feel like Mike and I are hamsters running on a wheel.  We want to move but we need to save up money first.  We can't seem to save one penny because unexpected expenses always come up.  I hate that I go to work every day to a job I don't like and my check is spent before I even bring it home.  We both try to do things to make some extra money on the side but it still doesn't get us off of that stupid wheel.  Good things come to those who wait, right? 

Since I'm being honest, I'm going to tell you what I really want to do.  I want to stay home with my girls and run a home day care.  I think I would be great at it.  I would get the chance to be there for my kids as well as a few other kids too.  I could use my creativity by doing projects with the kids.  I would be my own boss and get paid for doing what I love.  So why am I not doing that?  It's because of the darn hamster wheel again.  We want to move in the next couple of years.  What would you do if the home you were taking your kids to everyday suddenly put a "For Sale" sign in the front yard?  You would look elsewhere because you don't want to be left without childcare, right?  Then, I could potentially be left with a house that won't sell and no income.  I need to wait until we move and are in a permanent location.  BUT, like I said, we aren't in a place to save a whole lot right now so that is kind of hard to even think about.

Someday...

Someday we'll save enough money...

Someday we'll be able to move...

Someday I'll quit my job...

Someday...

WHAT?!?! I'm scared and super sad!! THIS IS MUY IMPORTANTE!!

Breathe, Shannon.  Take deep breaths... in... out... in... out... Ok, I think I'm ok now.  But you people need to be warned!

I tried to get a post ready for next week and began uploading pictures only to get this message:

Whoops! You're out of space. Purchase more storage.



Photos are stored in your Picasa Web Albums account and are included in your 1 GB free quota for photos. Additional storage you purchase is shared between Gmail, Picasa Web Albums, and Google Docs, and is in addition to your free quota. Learn more
 
Yes! I do want to learn more!  This can't be happening!  Oh no...
 
Google Storage: How it works
 
Google offers a way to purchase more storage space when you run out of free storage space in Gmail, Google Docs, Picasa Web Albums, Blogger (for photos), and Google Buzz (for photos). You can check your current storage usage or purchase additional storage at any time.


Note: Google storage isn't available for Google Apps.


Free storage
Free storage space is specific to each product. Picasa Web Albums offers 1 GB of storage for photos and videos only. Gmail provides 7+ GB (and counting) which is reserved just for Gmail messages. Docs gives you 1 GB for your uploaded files (documents created in Google Docs and converted files don't count towards your storage, but do have some size limitations). Free storage from one product cannot be used by or transferred to another product.


All photos posted to both Google Buzz and Blogger are included in the 1 GB of free storage allotted to Picasa Web Albums.


Paid Storage
When you run out of free storage for any product, you can purchase additional storage that is shared between products. This shared storage can be used for Picasa Web Albums uploads (Google Buzz and Blogger as well), Gmail messages, Docs uploads or a mix of all three - it will be used by any product that's over its free storage quota on a first-come, first-served basis. Choose from the following storage plans:


20 GB - $5/yr
80 GB - $20/yr
200 GB - $50/yr
400 GB - $100/yr
1 TB - $256/yr
2 TB - $512/yr
4 TB - $1024/yr
8 TB - $2048/yr
16 TB - $4096/yr


Please note that:
1 TB equals 1024 GB.


These prices don't include any applicable taxes or fees associated with your country of residence.


Google storage purchases are non-refundable. You can upgrade storage plans for the pro-rated difference at any time. The Google storage you purchase is yours for the full year, at which time the plan will auto-renew based on your preference. Paid storage for one Google Account cannot be transferred to a different account. Learn more about Google storage refunds, renewals and cancellations.


It's normal to experience a delay of up to 24 hours before purchased storage is added to your account. See our storage troubleshooting steps for more information.


On November 10, 2009, Google made changes to both the storage tiers and pricing we offer. If you purchased storage under the previous storage plan, learn more about what this means for you.


Well, I guess this isn't so bad... Time to fork over some cash because you guys need me and my photos, right?  Is this a tax write-off???

Go here: https://www.google.com/accounts/PurchaseStorage to purchase additional storage.  I guess this means I'm a super cool blogger now, doesn't it?

And once again, everything is right with the world :o)

We've Been Hit...

with SILLY BANDZ!!! 

The babysitter was on vacation last week and when she returned, she brought a truckload of these crazy bracelets for all of the kids.  You know, there has been a lot of talk about these bracelets lately and I never understood the problem.  Teachers were wanting the banned from the classroom!  In my mind, I compared them to the Lip Smackers necklaces that were all the rage when I was in junior high.

I remember my friends and I had probably 20 of these little lip balms hanging from a shoe string around our necks. We were SO COOL.

So what is the big deal with Silly Bandz?  The are basically rubber bands that come in various shapes and colors.

Why all of the controversy?  WELL, I understand and am backing them with full support!  Last night, instead of eating dinner, Jaden looked at her Silly Bandz.  She played with her Silly Bandz.  She completely, 100% tuned us out.  She was not hearing a word we were saying.  She was mesmerized by her Silly Bandz.  We tried taking them away but then she went into a pre-meltdown and we figured it wasn't worth it.  So, Mike and I ate our dinner and Jaden played with her Silly Bandz... and ate probably 3 bites of her hot dog.  We have a new rule now.  Silly Bandz are for wearing to the babysitter's ONLY.  Before dinner, they go into a baggie.

She is then allowed to play with them after dinner if she wants to but they stay in the bag, on the kitchen counter at night.  Then, in the morning after breakfast, she can load her arms with her precious bandz.

Are they cool or what?  Have any of you run into problems with these pesky things?

Hello, Monday. I hate you.

ringing.... ringing...... ringing....

Health Insurance Company: Good morning, Phillips or Flathead?
Me: Excuse me?
HIC: Phillips or Flathead?
Me: I don't understand. Those are types of screwdrivers, right?
HIC: Yes. We want to make sure we have all of the information we need to screw you over.

A Funk...

Yeah.  I have blogger's block.  Really BAD!  I don't know if it is the fact that life is going on turbo rapid speed or if it is because I'm just not interesting anymore?  Or maybe it's because lately I've been feeling like I've been stabbed repeatedly in my neck... which by the way is FINALLY starting to feel better!  Don't get me wrong, I've had lots of things I could blog about... Girl's Night at Flat Top, Mother's Day, Taylor's weekly updates... I'm just not in the mood :o(  Wah Waaaaahh...

I'll tell you what though, here is a kid that is totally NOT in a funk!  This is Greyson Michael Chance and he is AMAZING.  He is on Ellen today... hurry, set the DVR!  Oh yeah, he's ONLY 12!!

What keeps me up at night? A pain in the neck and Brittany Murphy.

I'm not joking either.  On Sunday morning, I woke up with a stiff neck.  No big deal, right?  I probably just slept wrong.  It happens to the best of us.  BUT IT HASN'T GONE AWAY!  I am in so much pain.  Sometimes, it hurts so bad I think I might vomit.  At first I was just taking over-the-counter 200mg Ibuprofen.  That seemed to help.  But then my muscles decided that for some reason they hated me and so they all got together and hurt me more.  I then started taking 600mg prescription Ibuprofen.  That helped and as long as I took it every six hours as directed, I was pain free... just a little stiff.  Once again, the neck muscle club said, "Hey, we're tight!  We should add some more muscles to our tight group.  Hey shoulders and back!  Come be tight with us!"  And they were like, "Ok!"  And then I cried because I couldn't move my head or lift my arms or even, god forbid, BLOG!  So, I started popping Darvocet every four hours.  It has helped for the most part.  Mom gave me some Biofreeze to rub on it which also helped some but the muscles are as hard as rocks!  I feel like I look like Quasimoto!  I would check, but I can't turn my head to look. 

Now, that explains the pain in the neck so I'll bet your wondering where Brittany Murphy comes in.  Well, she died from multiple drug intoxication (combined with pneumonia and anemia).  She was taking (according to Wikipedia) hydrocodone (could be Vicodin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), L-methamphetamine (nasal decongestant) and chlorpheniramine (an antihistamine).  When put together, apparently these drugs are poisonous!  So, while in excrutiating pain the other night, I took a Darvocet and was waiting patiently for it to do it's thing.  I also had a headache and really wanted to take some Excedrin but all I could thing about was Brittany Murphy!  She was sick and just trying to feel better and died!  I hadn't looked it up before then and was thinking, what if she had taken Darvocet and Excedrin and that is what killed her?  So, I didn't take the Excedrin and suffered through a headache too.  Weird how Darvocet doesn't help a headache...

Basically, I have been miserable since Sunday morning.  I am in constant pain.  Last night, I used a Homedics massager on my back and it felt great at the time, but later that night, it felt like the muscles actually had gotten tighter.  In the shower, I felt like my head was seriously going to pop off.  I just want it to be over.  I was going to call the doctor this morning to hopefully get some muscle relaxers or something but I think it is actually starting to loosen up a little.  I can turn my head almost all the way to both sides and haven't taken anything since 2:00 this morning.  I think I'll see how tonight goes and if it's not better by tomorrow, I'll call the doc.  Until then, you all can send me get well cards and flowers and cookies and popsicles and everything you want when you don't feel good :o)  I think that would definitely make it better!  Oh and if anyone would like to donate to my condition and finance a 60-minute massage at First Impressions, I wouldn't complain ;o)


Merry Christmas Eve!!  It's about freakin' time, don't you think??

Houston, we have a frickin' PROBLEM

Ok, the whole wildlife sanctuary thing may have been a little funny in the beginning, but NOT ANYMORE.  Last night, I thought... I don't even know what I thought.  I was scared.  A frickin' raccoon was outside our front window.  Jude about had a blessed heart attack!!  That cat has some mad cheetah instincts, I tell you!  He was making sounds that I have never heard him make before.  He was in the front bay window and the curtains were pulled closed.  I was scared to open them for fear I might startle him and get attacked.  The weather is supposed to be GREAT this week and I want to take the girls outside.  I don't want J to get attacked by a scared raccoon living in/under our shed.  I was looking on the Web for suggestions because all anyone will tell me when I ask for serious help or advise it to grab a bat.  Sorry, bludgeoning a scared (albeit annoying) animal to death is not my style.  I also can't go the live trap route because then I'm stuck with a GD trapped live animal!  So, to the internets I go!  Here is what he told me:

Check your property regularly to make sure that screens barring entrance into your home, basement or crawlspace is intact. Lock dog and cat doors at night and place ammonia stations in front of the locked door. Regular household ammonia stations can be placed around your yard in the areas frequented by raccoons. Take a shallow dish or bowl, place a rag in it and pour ammonia over the rag until completely saturated. Place enough ammonia in the dish so the rag will continue to wick the ammonia up through the night. Avoid lawn areas, as ammonia will burn grass.

If a raccoon should establish himself under your house, place a radio near his nesting place and keep it on loud during the day. That wouldn't be annoying to the neighbors in the least bit! Locate all entrances and exits. Block them off except for one and use repellents or frightening strategies to encourage the raccoon to leave. To be certain the animal has departed, sprinkle flour at the exit and watch for footprints that lead away from the opening. When the raccoon leaves to begin his nightly hunting (usually two hours after sunset) block the remaining entrance. I'm going to look like a flippin' idiot.  People will surely talk.  What's that, you ask?  OF COURSE I will document the whole process! Duh.

The only long-term, permanent means of coping with troublesome opossums is to exclude them from areas where you do not want them. Opossums are wanderers, and if you see one in your yard, he is probably just passing through.  They favor dens on the ground, which can lead them to take up residence under decks and in crawlspaces. While female opossums spend their lives in more defined areas, the male opossum may wander continuously.

When confronted, opossums often bare their teeth and hiss. While they may look fierce, they generally are non-aggressive and shy. Rather than fight, when hard pressed they will sometimes slip into the death-feigning catatonia that we term "playing possum." The animal's system reacts automatically, throwing the brain and nervous system into a catatonic state that lowers their heartbeat and respiration. Oh, please let THIS happen to me...

Hand-sized motion detectors (usually combined with bright lights) and alarms, intended for indoor use, can be used in crawlspaces or, with proper protection from the weather, in some outdoor situations.  When an opossum is known to be denning under a porch or patio, place a radio near where the opossum is nesting and keep it on loud during the day. Seriously, no OTHER options?? When the animal leaves for her nightly foray (two hours after dark is generally a safe time), locate all entrances and exits, blocking all except one. Loosely close this last opening with netting, straw or another fibrous material than an animal trapped inside can push away, but one on the outside will be less likely to disturb to get back in. To be certain the animal has left, sprinkle flour (good grief) at the exit and watch for footprints that lead away from the opening. When you are sure the opossum is gone, securely close the opening.

So, that is where I stand right now.  Heaven help me...