A Work at Home Mom’s Blog

While Pumpkin and I were running around town trying to get various stuff done, Hubby and his friend sat around at Hubby’s parents’ place. His parents, one of his brothers and his grandfather officially live there, but there’s almost always more of the family around. Lately that has included my absolutely, without a doubt, least favorite person in their family: My second-oldest brother-in-law.

He is on disability due to mental issues, and I think they made a good call there. But I think a better call would have been to put him in an institution. Being free to come and go as he pleases is just not a good thing for him. He’s been in jail on several occasions, and he’s always causing or ending up in the middle of some kind of trouble. And have I mentioned that he’s extremely annoying?

When I dropped Hubby and friend off over there today and saw that particular brother-in-law with a big toothless grin on his face, lighting up one of the world’s biggest cigars, I was glad that I wasn’t expected to stick around. He’s constantly flirting, and even though he appears to be scared enough of me that he doesn’t take it far enough to really piss me off, it’s annoying. As a matter of fact, there are very few things that he does that I don’t find annoying.

When I got back to the in-laws’ house to pick up Hubby and his friend, they were both ready to get out of there. The friend said that Hubby’s father leaned over toward him when brother-in-law was being particularly obnoxious and whispered, “That boy ain’t right!” And when your own father says that, there’s got to be some truth to it.

Yet another reason why I try to keep my visits with the in-laws to a minimum.

I was downloading some songs for Hubby last night, and one of the songs that he wanted was “Have Mercy on Me Baby” by Loretta Lynn. The version I found wasn’t exactly what he wanted, because it was some sort of remix with heavy drums and guitars, but I loved it, and he told me to go ahead and get it for him.

I’ve had that song in my head all day. And for most of it, I’ve felt like singing it to the powers of the universe, because they have been horribly merciless toward me. It’s like the cosmos were aligned in a way that made everyone want to seriously stress me out. Ugh.

Up until this afternoon, all the stress was self-imposed. I knew I had a lot to do, but I had gotten up way late due to severe insomnia last night, and my allergies were killing me. I pushed myself as best I could, and I got a few things done. And then all hell broke loose.

It started when Pumpkin got off the bus. Hubby had plans to pick up a friend and take him to visit his parents, and I needed to go to town and pick up a few things. We were going to leave as soon as she got home, but we kept thinking of stuff that needed to be done before we left. We finally got out of here, picked up the friend, took him to the store, and went to the in-laws’ house. We stayed there long enough to find out what was up with the fundraiser stuff that my brother-in-law was trying to sell, because the money is due tomorrow. We were informed that only two had been sold, leaving three more that must be sold before she could go on the trip that was offered as a prize. He said everything would be delivered back to us this evening, and Pumpkin and I headed to town.

By then I thought of a bunch more things that needed to be taken care of while I was out. I needed to pay the phone bill, pick up a prescription, buy some new mini-blinds for the front door, and get the stuff for Pumpkin’s party. Oh, and I had to get gas, too, and Pumpkin was begging for some Bojangles fries.

I managed to make it to the drugstore and phone company before they closed, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled into Walmart parking lot. Then I opened my purse, only to find something else that needed attention: A check that I needed to cash. There was a branch of my bank inside, so I looked at the time on my cell phone, only to see that it was 5:00 on the dot. I made a mad dash into Wally World, hoping that they hadn’t closed yet. When I got within sight of it, I saw that there were no bars closing off the entrance. A ray of hope! But my hopes were quickly dashed when I got a little closer and saw that the lights were out and the tellers were putting up their tills.

Well, there went my idea of using that money to buy enough fundraiser coupons to get her in on the bowling trip. So I called Hubby and asked if his parents and brother would buy one each if we paid for it and let them pay us back when they got their checks. They said they would, so I got enough cash back when I bought the stuff to cover all that plus one for us. That left very little money for us to work with, but oh well.

Then I remembered that I had to get gas. I went to the pumps at Wally World, waited forever on the guy in front of me to get done, and got out the debit card. There was still enough on it to get $20 in gas. Yet when I swiped my card, it gave me the dreaded “see attendant” message. Thinking that they weren’t going to let me use the card because there wasn’t much on it, I jumped in the truck and left.

Next, we went to Bojangles. I pulled up to the drive-thru order station, and had to wait several minutes for someone to take my order. Then I pulled on up, and saw that there was only one car waiting, and thought that maybe, just maybe, we’d get out quickly since we had only ordered two orders of fries. WRONG! We sat there a good 20 minutes, as did the vehicle in front of us. When I first pulled up there I saw the customer give them her money, and nobody came back to the window after that. I sat and sat and sat until I couldn’t take it anymore. I told Pumpkin that I was sorry she wouldn’t be getting her fries, but that if they couldn’t do any better than that, they did not deserve our business. And then I started up the truck, wiggled out of line, and left.

By this point I had figured out that the reason that the card reader had rejected the card was because it was a prepaid debit card. It happens at all of the pay at the pump places around here. So I stopped at the next station to get some gas, only to find that only one pump was accessible, and it was going to take a feat of driving genius to get in position to get gas from it. Some idiot was parked halfway between the two pumps on that side, and I have no idea how he even got any gas. But I took a deep breath and maneuvered the truck next to the pump as best I could, and there was just enough line for me to reach the gas tank.

When I was done pumping, Pumpkin pulled a disappearing act on me. That always sends my stress levels through the roof, so this time I was absolutely freaking out. Good thing she reappeared a couple seconds later, and I was able to calm down and give her a stern reminder to never, ever do that to me again.

We went in, got snacks for Pumpkin and Hubby to tide them over until supper, and I got a nice, frosty 24-ounce Smirnoff Triple Black. I figured it would come in handy once I got home.

Now I’m here. I fixed supper, helped Pumpkin with her homework, and now I’m trying like crazy to get some work done so I can concentrate on cleaning the house and getting ready for the party tomorrow. It’s going to be a long night. But I’m feeling quite a bit better now. If I weren’t, this long, surprisingly coherent blog post would probably consist of lines and lines of gibberish such as 108r00727. And yes, that Smirnoff is going down very nicely.

I read something today that made me angry at the US government. Actually I read something every day that makes me mad at the government, but this one really burnt my biscuits. Congress is close to passing a law that requires TV providers to turn the volume down on commercials.

I’m not saying that that’s a bad thing. We have an older TV in the living room, and it doesn’t automagically turn down the volume on advertisements like most newer ones do. So I know it’s rather annoying when you have the volume just right when you’re watching a show, and then a commercial comes on and nearly busts your eardrums.

But honestly, bills like this just rub me the wrong way. It seems like they’re just throwing us a bone, when they should be concentrating on more important issues. Like the economy, or unemployment, or education, or one of the million other things that seriously impact the lives of the average American. I mean, in the scheme of things, is a loud commercial, whether it’s for cake mix, a local used car lot, or lawyers for Mesothelioma lawsuits really such a big deal?

I thought the whole vouchers for converter boxes thing was a bunch of bunk, but at least that bill did do something fairly useful: It made broadcast TV available to some people who otherwise would not have had access to it. This turning down the volume on commercials thing, however, just seems like a colossal waste of time and taxpayers’ money.

If you ask me, schools focus way too much on test scores these days. It seems like they spend half the year preparing for various tests. Pumpkin had to take the EOGs (end of grade tests) last year, and she stressed majorly over it. And I can’t say I blame her, seeing how that was the thing that determines whether you pass or fail. Fortunately, she did well on them.

I was always on the honor roll when I was in elementary school, and for the most part I did well on those standardized tests we had to take every two or three years. But when it came to the timed multiplication tests, I had to take them multiple times before I passed. I knew my multiplication tables like the back of my hand, but I guess I just panicked when I had to do them quickly. I often wonder if the testing requirements were as stringent then as they were now, would I have passed, even though I was such a good student?

Fortunately, other than the occasional exam in a class that bored me to tears, I didn’t stress out over tests very much after that was over with. I didn’t even lose any sleep over the SAT. I took the PSAT and did well enough on it to get into most of the colleges that I was considering, so I didn’t really worry about it. I ended up going to community college, where SAT scores weren’t even considered, but I got a full scholarship due to my grades and score.

But looking back, I kind of wish I would have looked into some SAT prep courses, because I know that had I tried harder, I could have done better. And if I had done better, maybe I could have gotten a scholarship to a four-year college, which is where I really wanted to go. And perhaps I would be making a lot more money than I am now.

SAT prep would have been a no-brainer if it were as easy back then as it is now. You don’t have to find a school that offers courses in your area – you can take them online. Services like Knewton offer customized and interactive courses that you can take from the comfort of home. There are live classes with teacher’s assistants who can answer your questions in real time, personalized performance reports and more.

When the time comes for Pumpkin to take the SATs, I hope she’ll consider taking such a course. Because your SAT score can make a big difference in your higher education options.

It’s definitely feeling like fall here in the mountains. It’s getting too cool to do much outdoor stuff like frisbee throwing or ATV riding (not that it matters much, because our main riding area is off limits due to hunting season). But it’s not really looking like it yet. Some trees have completely turned and are nearly bare, but most of them are just starting to get traces of their fall colors.

I’d like to take some pictures of the leaves in different stages of transition, but the the skies have been rather gloomy for the past several days. But it’s supposed to be sunny toward the weekend, so maybe I’ll get to take some good pics then.

I try to get pictures at various stages for a couple of reasons. First off, because it’s interesting to see the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes that occur from week to week. And secondly, with the often unpredictable weather we have around here, the leaves may or may not stay on the trees long enough to achieve their full glory. One year we had so much wind and rain in the fall that the leaves fell off prematurely and there really wasn’t much to look at after the first few weeks.

When I get some photos, I’ll be sure to post them up. Fall in the mountains is just too beautiful to keep to oneself.

I got up this morning, and the house was a little on the chilly side. Not cold enough that I wanted to build a fire, but cold enough that I hopped on the couch and grabbed a quilt after I woke Pumpkin up. I saw her off to school, put a pork roast in the crock pot, and went back to bed since I hadn’t gotten much sleep.

I woke back up a few hours later, and it was even colder than it had been when I got up the first time. I found myself wishing that I had a nice, cozy heated blanket to curl up under. I begrudgingly got up and checked the indoor temperature, saw that it wasn’t as low as it felt, and decided that I would just bear it for the time being.

But then Hubby decided that it was too cold, and built a fire. It warmed up quick, but then it got too warm. I ended up opening the front door off and on all day, because despite not adding any wood to the stove, it kept burning for hours.

It’s this time of year when I find myself wishing we had any kind of heat but wood heat. But then I think about how much money we save by not burning oil or using electric heat, and I get over it. Well, somewhat.

I married for love, not for money, and not for looks. But if I do say so myself, Hubby is damn good looking. Unfortunately, there are a lot of females around here that agree.

One of them works at the restaurant where I once worked. She’s older than me and is married herself, but whenever she sees Hubby out in public, she goes up and gives him a hug and gets all googly-eyed and starts babbling like a schoolgirl. If I’m with him, she does the same thing, and totally acts like I’m not there. I’m not a violent person, but I’ve had to seriously restrain myself on several occasions to keep from decking her.

Well, today Hubby and I were curled up in front of the TV, watching the Steve Wilkos Show and talking about blu ray movies and other random stuff when the phone rang. He answered and told the person on the other end that they had the wrong number. Then he said the name on the caller ID looked familiar, and asked me to take a look. I recognized it alright – It was HER!

I was livid. Considering the way she always acts around him, I had no trouble believing that she would stoop to going to the restaurant office, looking through the employee directory, finding my number, and calling my house. I considered calling her back and giving her a piece of my mind since I now had her phone number, but I calmed myself down and decided to wait and see if she called back in the event that she might have really had the wrong number.

About 20 minutes later, the phone rang again, and it was the same number. I took a deep breath and answered the phone. The voice at the other end said, “Who’s this?”

My blood boiling, I replied, “Who is THIS?”

She said, “I’m trying to reach Kristy…”

And I said, “WHO’s trying to reach Kristy?”

She finally identified herself, and said she was calling regarding a certain organization to which my daughter belongs. And that’s when it hit me: She is involved with that organization.

She asked me what she called to ask, and I told her that I would have to get back to her and hung up the phone. And even though she had a legitimate reason for calling, I was still furious, because I could just see her laughing giddily when she was presented with my name and phone number. And I know that she wanted to talk to Hubby. Because when she called the first time, she asked for a name that rhymes with his name. I imagine that she was planning to flirt like crazy, but then chickened out. Then when she called back and I answered the phone, she acted really strangely, as you can see from the transcript above.

Go ahead, call me paranoid. But I know this woman, and I don’t think I’m wrong about this. And if she calls my house again, she’s going to wish she had never gotten hold of my number.

The point here: It’s not easy having a husband that turns heads. There are plenty of gals who would love to be in my shoes, and would split up my marriage if they could. But I consider myself lucky to have a man who looks good, is not a cheater, and treats me great.

For as long as I can remember, the school day morning routine around here has always been pretty much the same around here. I get up when the alarm goes off, get some clothes together for Pumpkin, and wake her up. She gets dressed, brushes her teeth and hair, and one of us gets her snack ready to take to school. Then she usually watches TV until the bus gets here, or I fix her hair if she wants me to.

But lately, Pumpkin has wanted to pick out her own clothes. She’s plenty old enough to do it, so when she mentions it, I tell her to go ahead. But some of the combinations she comes up with aren’t so great. Like the shirt and skirt in two clashing colors of green with two different patterns. Or the button-up shirt with running shorts.

When she comes out with something like that, I try to keep a straight face and make suggestions of pieces that would match better. She almost always argues, and if she’s adamant, I tell her to go ahead and wear it (as long as it’s weather-appropriate). And a few times she has, but she usually thinks about it and realizes that I’m not putting down her sense of style, that I’m just trying to be helpful, and ends up changing.

I can tell that the tween years are going to be interesting with this one. She’s just now getting into them, and she’s already had the attitude for a couple of years now. So I’ll consider myself lucky if clothes are the biggest item of contention. But she’s a good kid with a good head on her shoulders, and she seems to be pretty comfortable talking to me about stuff, so I’m hopeful that the transition from little girl to young lady won’t be too rough.

The past week or so has been pretty trying. Hubby’s back has been in worse shape than usual, and its usual shape is not good. He hasn’t been able to do much at all, and industrious guy that he is, it’s driving him nuts. And seeing him go stir crazy is, of course, putting more stress on me.

I’ve been trying to convince him to go to the doctor, but so far I haven’t been able to. He says there’s no point in going in, laying on the exam table and being poked and prodded, only to be told that he needs to go back to the chiropractor or get some other kind of treatment that there’s no way we can afford without insurance. And, as much as I hate to admit it, he does have a valid point.

We’re both trying desperately to keep it together. Now is not the time for us to be going ballistic. Pumpkin’s birthday is this week, and we want to make sure that she enjoys it as much as possible. Besides, focusing on that helps to keep our minds off of the negative stuff, which is certainly a good thing.

The forecasters were right about today. It has been cool and rainy. We didn’t get all that much rain during the day, just sprinkles to heavy drizzle off and on. But it’s certainly making up for it tonight. As for the chill in the air, it was substantial enough that we burned up what paper was in the wood stove, plus a few cardboard boxes, to get it warmed back up in here this evening. Not bad enough to start a real fire with wood, but bad enough to close all the windows and stay indoors.

It has been one of those days when I would be quite content to sit indoors and veg out in front of the TV. Preferably a 60-inch Samsung HDTV or something like that, but our old 32-inch would suffice. But that’s not quite how things went down. We slept in until 10:00 or 10:30, fixed a bite to eat, and hit the road. We had to take Hubby’s cousin back home, which is about an hour and a half drive. I’m just glad it wasn’t foggy like it usually is going down the mountain on days like this.

We took him home, sat and talked to the family for about 30 minutes or so, and then headed back home. On the way back in we stopped at the in-laws’ house and borrowed some video games, then we came to the house. I hit the bed as soon as we got in, and slept for an hour or so. Meanwhile, Hubby and Pumpkin had supper. When I got up, I got something to eat, watched a movie with Hubby, then played some video games with the family.

So basically, it has just been a dreary, lazy day. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.