Pee Pee Magic

It's cookie season. I am a first year leader of a new troop. 25 eager and wonderful K thru 3rd grade girls. Luckily I have three other brave leaders that have jumped into this with me.

Did I mention it's cookie season? That doesn't mean just knocking out everyone's New Year's resolutions. If you're the mom of an ambitious wee girl and maybe the leader, it means trips around the neighborhood, Facebook appeals, cookie booths, and dreams about cases of cookies appearing out of the floor of your house and crushing you as you gasp for one. Last. Breath.

I say all of this to say that Monday night 100% of our girl scouts turned in their initial cookie orders. Some with money (think counting and receipts) and some with enormous totals and tallies. I spent the whole meeting plus another 30 minutes playing accountant.

Jeff called: "where are you?" I told him I was on my way and hurried home with Alyson.

We did not expect what we found. Kelly's little four year old face was lit up and glowing as she shouted "Pee pee magic, Mommy! Pee pee magic!"

I really though we had regressed through potty training or that our troublesome sheltie had decided to relieve herself on something special. But no. Jeff was sitting, haggard and defeated, on the hassock. The image was not the least mitigated by the rubber ducky towel in his hand.

It seems that while Jeff and Kelly were watching the captivating Selena Gomez as Alex Russo in reruns of Wizards of Waverly Place, the toilet in the girls' bathroom was overflowing with what can honestly be described as wild abandon.

Twelve hours later, the good water emergency people were handling me with kid gloves and tearing apart the house. Fully soaked subfloor in one bathroom. Half a floor soaked in the master bathroom. Water leakage into both bedrooms, master bedroom closet and bedroom. Then moving downstairs, feeling its oats, the water destroyed the music room ceiling and closet, and ran amuck in the storage room.

Torn up vinyl. Ripped up (and billowing) carpet. 13 blowers. 3 dehumidifiers. And no use of my dryer for 3 days - need the power outlet.

On the bright side, we have one working toilet (downstairs) and tub (upstairs). And no one has been hurt. :)

Another blessing is that we are fully insured.

The biggest blessing of all is that this happened on Daddy's watch, not mine. :)

I hope the remodel is done in time for the cookies. Heheh.

Hello Again

Hey, cool.  This is a good looking blog.  And whoa!  I'm wearing the same sweater I was the last time I posted.

This might be a good time for me to reawaken. 

Hello November

October has taken its toll on me.  I won't list my woes, but I admit I'm tempted.  I'm tired.  I'm withdrawn.  I can't focus.  I'm sad.  And (this is big) even food doesn't delight me.  The best I can seem to hope for is to keep my head above water.  I am hoping that things perk up a bit.  Someone said my sweater today was perky.  I sure don't feel perky.  I feel like the laundry needs to be done and this sweater still fits.

Clearly it is time to caffeinate. 

Vent

[Rant]

I just want my [insert sailor language here] printer to work.  Is that really too much to ask?  It's simple really.  Plug in.  Print.  This should not be an issue in 2011.  In 1986 trying to print from PFSWrite, sure.  But not in 2011.

Grrrrr.

[/End Rant]

Steve Jobs

I am not a fangirl, though some may think I am. I'm really not enough of a geek to be a fangirl. I also got on the bandwagon late. Very recently actually. I never owned a IIe. I didn't understand the difference between the GUI on the pretty beige boxes and Windows. And, the kicker for me, I don't have a single Apple sticker anywhere. Not on a vehicle. Not on an old notebook. Nowhere.

But I am a fan. I liked my iPod Video. I was enamored by my iPod Touch. I was proud to buy Alyson a Shuffle. I pursued the iPad at first sight. And I was up at 3am to order my Verizon iPhone 4. It was as natural as buying a gallon of milk to choose the AppleTV.

And just as naturally, our household leans toward Apple. Jeff was hesitant, but after taking literally 10 minutes to "setup" his iPhone, he's converted. It is safe to say that he spends more time interacting with his iPad than interacting with humans.

I say all of this not to support or refute the label "fangirl.". I say it to praise and honor the man we lost last night. I recognize that there are many many people responsible for bringing a product from vision to market. But there is no doubt that the vision must exist first.

An interface that doesn't require a representational shift. An interface that infants can intuitively operate. Products that operate with touch and strike to the heart of communication barriers. Devices that appeal to all ages and even pets.

This is why we are sad, even if we don't "mourn." It is sad to lose the man behind such revolutionary changes.

That Did Not Take Long

I will admit, arriving home to my precious family was wonderful. I missed my crazy kids and even Jeff. It was a long week of driving and studying some not-so-light subject matter.

I got home Friday and resumed my roles. Cut pizza. Help kids into pajamas. Make sure the dog gets one last opportunity to pee before bed.

Saturday was grocery shopping, topped off with an awesome (yet very chaotic) Girl Scout outing to a college football game. Sunday was the Sorghum Festival (yes, sorghum; look it up). And here I sit on Sunday night working on laundry, contemplating the mountain of files that is undoubtedly on my desk at the office, and wondering if I will be able to get the Girl Scout meeting planned before 6:30 tomorrow.

It took no time at all to undo peaceful sleeping in the hotel room. It took no time at all to sap the energy instilled by invigorating training. And it took no time at all to slip back into my domestic rut.

Welcome home, mommy.

Laci's Birthday

This weekend was the party -- THE party. I don't know what Kelly will live for now. Probably her own birthday. :)