Hey, y'all!
So it's Monday. The first full day of school for my new ninth grader. My graduate is still in the bed.
If you know me, you know I'm not a morning person. I do not bounce out of bed early all bright-eyed and bushy tailed. My eyes don't get bright nor my tail bushy until at least 9 a.m., and even then only after ingesting the appropriate amounts of caffeine. And school days mean I have to get up at what time? They make that in an a.m. version?
But I love Mondays while the kids are in school. The way it used to work is I got up way earlier than I wanted to and made sure that Christopher caught the bus as he should, drug Catie out of bed and off to school while still in my PJs and working on my second cup of coffee. Then I got home, refilled the coffee cup, turned on the radio and got busy cleaning the house (unless I had an awesome weekend and needed more sleep, in which case I went back to bed for a couple of hours and dreamt about housework.)
I don't know why it is, but an empty house is so much easier to clean. Even when they are holed up in their rooms....they're still here, and it makes a difference. I have no idea why. Yes I do....my graduate is still in the bed. I can't vacuum right now if I wanted to. Wait...yes I could! *evil grin*
But today is different...sort of. It is now 9:30 a.m. I have downed nearly six cups of coffee (by Mr. Coffee's measurements. In Lisa cups it's more like two. Who is he measuring for...the Keebler elves?), made a batch of waffles, got the daughter off to school, checked Facebook 300 times, made a grocery list, and washed two loads of clothes. I am still in my jammies and slowly but surely making my way to the shower. No really! Okay. Not really. I don't have to get dressed yet because...well, I don't have to. Instead, I'm sitting on my couch blogging. But after this I'm getting dressed. No, really....
Christopher is still asleep. His alarm has gone off five times. I counted. He has an appointment with a personal trainer at the gym today. Now this is strange. Not the gym, but he's doing his own thing nowadays, and I find I have very little say in the matter. I mean, he didn't even need my permission to join a gym. He just did it! My boy is grown and I feel very weird about it. The day is coming when he is going to finally make enough money to support himself, and he is going to move out. I don't want to think about that yet, so I won't!
Catie, on the other hand, she still needs me a little bit...more than she thinks she does. :) I let her drive a little yesterday. That feels weird, too, to look over in the driver's seat and see my little girl sitting there. Okay...she's officially bigger than me, but still! She looked so pretty going off to school this morning. She seems so much more comfortable this year and confident that she will have a good year. I am very proud to see it.
Well....I have very much enjoyed these few minutes on my couch with my computer and my seventh (fourth?) cup of coffee. But now I really do have to go get dressed. I only have five hours before I have to pick Catie up and I still have a lengthy to-do list...and I refuse to be like 75 percent of the Walmart population and grocery shop in my jammies. ;)
Monday, August 12, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Cue Styx: "I've got too much...time on my hands..."
I'm in a totally new stage with this parenting thing. All of a sudden I have way too much free time on my hands. Y'all know this means trouble, right? They say idle hands are the devil's workshop.
What has happened, I think, is that over the last year and a half or so several things occupied my time. Within about a month, most of those things disappeared. Some, like the cable, I got rid of on purpose. (Oddly enough, to create more free time.) Some, like a relationship, just ended. And somewhere through all this, perhaps while I was out on dates and watching too many episodes of The Big Bang Theory, my kids grew up even more.
So now my daughter just turned 15 (what??) and my son will be 18 in about three weeks (what????). He hasn't needed me for much for quite some time, and now she's expressing her independence. (Hell hath no fury like a 15-year-old girl who has been told "no," let me tell you.) For the most part, she's holing up in her room or hanging out with friends. Which is good...she's a normal 15 year old.
But I'm ending up sitting on my pretty, oh-so-comfy couch, under my snuggly, fake white fur blankie and wondering what the heck to do now. Go for a walk? Did it. Call a friend? Yeah, but you can really only pester them so many times before they start wanting to buy you a puppy. There's always laundry. Meh. Paint the furniture? Maybe when the weather turns nicer...and I decide exactly what I want to do to that poor entertainment center. Read a book? Why doesn't that sound more appealing than it should?
*Sigh* I'm working it out. Hopefully I won't get into too much trouble in the meantime. ;)
What has happened, I think, is that over the last year and a half or so several things occupied my time. Within about a month, most of those things disappeared. Some, like the cable, I got rid of on purpose. (Oddly enough, to create more free time.) Some, like a relationship, just ended. And somewhere through all this, perhaps while I was out on dates and watching too many episodes of The Big Bang Theory, my kids grew up even more.
So now my daughter just turned 15 (what??) and my son will be 18 in about three weeks (what????). He hasn't needed me for much for quite some time, and now she's expressing her independence. (Hell hath no fury like a 15-year-old girl who has been told "no," let me tell you.) For the most part, she's holing up in her room or hanging out with friends. Which is good...she's a normal 15 year old.
But I'm ending up sitting on my pretty, oh-so-comfy couch, under my snuggly, fake white fur blankie and wondering what the heck to do now. Go for a walk? Did it. Call a friend? Yeah, but you can really only pester them so many times before they start wanting to buy you a puppy. There's always laundry. Meh. Paint the furniture? Maybe when the weather turns nicer...and I decide exactly what I want to do to that poor entertainment center. Read a book? Why doesn't that sound more appealing than it should?
*Sigh* I'm working it out. Hopefully I won't get into too much trouble in the meantime. ;)
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Taking a break
So what have you been up to?
I got off Facebook for a few days. The truth is, I will probably be back before anybody really notices I'm gone. I disabed my page Friday because...well, I don't know. It seemed like a good idea. I think maybe it's good to take a break from it once in a while.
A few observations:
* Facebook has become too much of my social life. If it weren't for that website, I probably wouldn't talk to anybody. I've become very dissatisfied with that fact. Not that I don't like keeping in touch with a lot of people at one time, but with some people, that's the only time I'd talk to them. I guess it's better than nothing, but I think how easy it has become easier to comment or like a status and harder to pick up the phone. Time to fix that.
* It probably won't stick because sometimes it will be difficult to do my job without it. That became evident when I did a weather story and the guy told me he was posting information on their Facebook page. Many businesses are on Facebook, and there is so much information that now goes out over it that it could actually hinder research. Fortunately not a tremendous amount, but enough to be an inconvenience. Not to mention it's great for finding sources.
* I think sometimes Facebook can be a little tough on the self-esteem. I don't know about you, but when Holly Homemaker posts that she is able to bake a perfect spaceship cake, keep her house spotless and the laundry caught up and climb Mt. Everest without scuffing her nail polish, I get a little discouraged. But most people, like in life, only put their best foot forward on Facebook. I know I do. I'm not going to post "So today I didn't shower, I'm sending my kids out for pizza and I'm watching my 15th straight episode of Big Bang Theory." No, I'm going to tell you about this awesome thing I did or this delighfully witty thought I had. But then someone else will post that today they're flying to Kilimanjaro or building a house with their bare hands and well...I'm just little ol' me, proud of myself for cleaning the toilet today. Let the negativity begin.
* In the same vein, I got rid of cable because I did not want to live my life on the couch watching people's lives play out on a little box. Facebook is the same thing. I spend way too much time watching all of my friends live their lives out on my computer screen and my phone, when I should be out doing something.
I dunno. I think maybe I just lost focus. Facebook isn't bad. I just want to break some habits, and maybe rethink the way I use it. I've had a lot of little things going wrong lately and I realized I needed to shift my focus back to the things that are important. Like my job, the kids, the house, my friends. In person.
It's been good! I pulled the plug on Friday and since then, I feel like I actually talk to my kids more. No more checking Facebook at stop lights. More focused at work. I've been reading a book. I feel more present pretty much everywhere and I'm getting stuff done. And I can accomplish things and enjoy that without having to tell the world all about it on Facebook.
Speaking of, I painted my coffee and end tables! I'll post pics as soon as I'm on Facebook again. ;)
I got off Facebook for a few days. The truth is, I will probably be back before anybody really notices I'm gone. I disabed my page Friday because...well, I don't know. It seemed like a good idea. I think maybe it's good to take a break from it once in a while.
A few observations:
* Facebook has become too much of my social life. If it weren't for that website, I probably wouldn't talk to anybody. I've become very dissatisfied with that fact. Not that I don't like keeping in touch with a lot of people at one time, but with some people, that's the only time I'd talk to them. I guess it's better than nothing, but I think how easy it has become easier to comment or like a status and harder to pick up the phone. Time to fix that.
* It probably won't stick because sometimes it will be difficult to do my job without it. That became evident when I did a weather story and the guy told me he was posting information on their Facebook page. Many businesses are on Facebook, and there is so much information that now goes out over it that it could actually hinder research. Fortunately not a tremendous amount, but enough to be an inconvenience. Not to mention it's great for finding sources.
* I think sometimes Facebook can be a little tough on the self-esteem. I don't know about you, but when Holly Homemaker posts that she is able to bake a perfect spaceship cake, keep her house spotless and the laundry caught up and climb Mt. Everest without scuffing her nail polish, I get a little discouraged. But most people, like in life, only put their best foot forward on Facebook. I know I do. I'm not going to post "So today I didn't shower, I'm sending my kids out for pizza and I'm watching my 15th straight episode of Big Bang Theory." No, I'm going to tell you about this awesome thing I did or this delighfully witty thought I had. But then someone else will post that today they're flying to Kilimanjaro or building a house with their bare hands and well...I'm just little ol' me, proud of myself for cleaning the toilet today. Let the negativity begin.
* In the same vein, I got rid of cable because I did not want to live my life on the couch watching people's lives play out on a little box. Facebook is the same thing. I spend way too much time watching all of my friends live their lives out on my computer screen and my phone, when I should be out doing something.
I dunno. I think maybe I just lost focus. Facebook isn't bad. I just want to break some habits, and maybe rethink the way I use it. I've had a lot of little things going wrong lately and I realized I needed to shift my focus back to the things that are important. Like my job, the kids, the house, my friends. In person.
It's been good! I pulled the plug on Friday and since then, I feel like I actually talk to my kids more. No more checking Facebook at stop lights. More focused at work. I've been reading a book. I feel more present pretty much everywhere and I'm getting stuff done. And I can accomplish things and enjoy that without having to tell the world all about it on Facebook.
Speaking of, I painted my coffee and end tables! I'll post pics as soon as I'm on Facebook again. ;)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
I did it
I whacked the cable the landline last week.
It was partly for financial reasons -- that one phone call saved me more than $100 a month. Well, really about $1,000 a year, since I've been sending Comcast a big enough check every tax time to cover a year's worth of cable, phone and internet services. This year they get a third of that. That makes me happy. New couch, come to Mama!
But part of it too was that I realized my kids watch TV and movies on the internet. Seriously! I have been paying for something that they were doing for free. I was the only one who watched the darned cable, and way more than I wanted to. Every evening I camped out in PJs in my customary spot on the couch. The laundry piled up, papers piled up, dust bunnies multiplied. I stopped walking and gained weight. Ugh!
My first year on my own I didn't have any of those services. When I first got cable/internet/phone four years ago, I outlawed electronics during the week. The kids should be doing homework, I said, so no TV, computer, video games, etc. Yeah, I'm mean. I know.
It went for me, too. The TV only came on for the music channels. I cooked dinner, went for walks, read, cleaned the house after work. Spent more time with the kids. Yeah, I blogged, too. Things just seemed more efficient. I had one or two shows that I liked to watch, but I didn't need to make sure I caught up on the latest episodes. Besides, I had OnDemand for that.
Over time, the television came on more and more often. I began to look too forward to couch time. I'm not hatin', but I always said I wanted to do things, not watch people doing things on a little box.
So I axed the cable. It's been about a week and let me tell you....I am now bored! LOL
No, it's not bad, really. It is an adjustment, though. The piles are getting smaller. I have discovered ebooks at the library and have one I'm reading and one waiting to be read. I'm caught up to only THIS week's laundry. I'm actually calling friends again. I like to think they've missed me. And soon I'm going to get my chunky butt back outside and around the block...although if my sister and I end up joining the Kroc Center like we're talking, that will become a mute point.
It's back to the beginning and it will take some getting used to, but I rest much better at night knowing I did stuff that day.
It was partly for financial reasons -- that one phone call saved me more than $100 a month. Well, really about $1,000 a year, since I've been sending Comcast a big enough check every tax time to cover a year's worth of cable, phone and internet services. This year they get a third of that. That makes me happy. New couch, come to Mama!
But part of it too was that I realized my kids watch TV and movies on the internet. Seriously! I have been paying for something that they were doing for free. I was the only one who watched the darned cable, and way more than I wanted to. Every evening I camped out in PJs in my customary spot on the couch. The laundry piled up, papers piled up, dust bunnies multiplied. I stopped walking and gained weight. Ugh!
My first year on my own I didn't have any of those services. When I first got cable/internet/phone four years ago, I outlawed electronics during the week. The kids should be doing homework, I said, so no TV, computer, video games, etc. Yeah, I'm mean. I know.
It went for me, too. The TV only came on for the music channels. I cooked dinner, went for walks, read, cleaned the house after work. Spent more time with the kids. Yeah, I blogged, too. Things just seemed more efficient. I had one or two shows that I liked to watch, but I didn't need to make sure I caught up on the latest episodes. Besides, I had OnDemand for that.
Over time, the television came on more and more often. I began to look too forward to couch time. I'm not hatin', but I always said I wanted to do things, not watch people doing things on a little box.
So I axed the cable. It's been about a week and let me tell you....I am now bored! LOL
No, it's not bad, really. It is an adjustment, though. The piles are getting smaller. I have discovered ebooks at the library and have one I'm reading and one waiting to be read. I'm caught up to only THIS week's laundry. I'm actually calling friends again. I like to think they've missed me. And soon I'm going to get my chunky butt back outside and around the block...although if my sister and I end up joining the Kroc Center like we're talking, that will become a mute point.
It's back to the beginning and it will take some getting used to, but I rest much better at night knowing I did stuff that day.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Some of my memorable stories
It has come to my attention that this year is my 10 year anniversary with the company.
The letter says this month, but actually it's in December. Either way, y'all know how nostalgic I am. I spent the afternoon reflecting on my career...how far I've come and how I've regressed. But seriously. Since I've been thinking about it here and I wasn't terribly busy today, I spent the last couple of hours digging through the archives. I thought I'd share with y'all a few of my favorite stories from the past 10 years. Most are pretty old, all of my North Augusta Today stuff is gone, thanks to a virus in the database.
When I think about my stories, though, these are a few that rise to the surface.
Mother finds son she gave up in 1984
Every family has a history
Woman gets dying wish to see her parents
And from the WAY BACK files:
The famous pigeon racing story:
Exchange students share their views of our country:
And a paraplegic drag racer, who kicked butt on the strip:
The older stories seem much better, but then again, we had more time and editors to devote to developing and polishing them. Now it feels like we just churn out copy. I miss those days.
The letter says this month, but actually it's in December. Either way, y'all know how nostalgic I am. I spent the afternoon reflecting on my career...how far I've come and how I've regressed. But seriously. Since I've been thinking about it here and I wasn't terribly busy today, I spent the last couple of hours digging through the archives. I thought I'd share with y'all a few of my favorite stories from the past 10 years. Most are pretty old, all of my North Augusta Today stuff is gone, thanks to a virus in the database.
When I think about my stories, though, these are a few that rise to the surface.
Mother finds son she gave up in 1984
Rationing the meal money
(She lived two more years after this. :) )
Monday, January 14, 2013
Chris's car
I'll keep this one short, because I's tired!
My boy got his first car today and let me tell you, he is some kind of excited!
I won't get into all the gory details, but basically a good friend needed to get rid of her family's second car and she had a great price on it.
I didn't know how I'd come up with the money to buy it, I just knew I had to and it was possible. Turns out, God was way ahead of me. Some of the people who love us offered to help.
One of the perks of being a parent is getting to surprise the heck out of your kids. I think I was more excited about this than he was! While he was still waiting for more information about how long he had to come up with the money, and while he undoubtedly spent more time daydreaming about his new car than listening to his teachers today, Robb and I drove to Columbia to buy the car. We barely made it home before Christopher did!
We waited in the driveway for him to come home. His girlfriend's mother drove him home, and he jumped out of the truck just beaming!
The coolest thing has been watching him take responsiblity for it already. The driver's side tail light was out when we got it. The very first thing he did was drive it to O'Reilly's to get new bulbs, and he fixed it on the spot. Looked like a pro, too! I asked him if he'd ever done anything like that before and he said "I've watched it once..." But he handled it, fixed it, it worked and everything. Then we went and showed it off!
All evening he's been calling insurance companies to find the best rates. Y'all, I fully expected to have to pretty much tell him who to call and what needed to be done each step of the way. All I did, pretty much, was said "to get this thing on the road you need a, b, and c." He took that and ran with it. I am so proud of him!
My boy got his first car today and let me tell you, he is some kind of excited!
I won't get into all the gory details, but basically a good friend needed to get rid of her family's second car and she had a great price on it.
I didn't know how I'd come up with the money to buy it, I just knew I had to and it was possible. Turns out, God was way ahead of me. Some of the people who love us offered to help.
One of the perks of being a parent is getting to surprise the heck out of your kids. I think I was more excited about this than he was! While he was still waiting for more information about how long he had to come up with the money, and while he undoubtedly spent more time daydreaming about his new car than listening to his teachers today, Robb and I drove to Columbia to buy the car. We barely made it home before Christopher did!
We waited in the driveway for him to come home. His girlfriend's mother drove him home, and he jumped out of the truck just beaming!
The coolest thing has been watching him take responsiblity for it already. The driver's side tail light was out when we got it. The very first thing he did was drive it to O'Reilly's to get new bulbs, and he fixed it on the spot. Looked like a pro, too! I asked him if he'd ever done anything like that before and he said "I've watched it once..." But he handled it, fixed it, it worked and everything. Then we went and showed it off!
All evening he's been calling insurance companies to find the best rates. Y'all, I fully expected to have to pretty much tell him who to call and what needed to be done each step of the way. All I did, pretty much, was said "to get this thing on the road you need a, b, and c." He took that and ran with it. I am so proud of him!
Monday, December 31, 2012
A Single Point of View: The mountains!
A Single Point of View: The mountains!: We went to the mountains over the weekend. My dad was able to get a cabin in North Carolina for the week through his company, and this girl...
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