This One is For the Squirrel Queen

My brother emailed this. I hope I put the link from whence it originally came. If no, here is the link where he picked it up.



It is a better Tuesday as I'm not green and dizzy today. It's also "award" day at work. I'll get my plaque for what was formerly known as the "million dollar club." It's interesting - you have to sell $2 million in real estate to make it because each transaction has a seller agent and a buyer agent, so you only get credit for half of one transaction (unless you sell both sides).

Last year was my first year in that not-so-exclusive club. I also picked up the People's Choice award (aka "Whale Done") in which the other agents vote for who has been the most helpful, best attitude, etc. So that was fun. My only disappointment was I never picked up the "Rookie of the Year" although the agents who been given it said it's been bad luck for them. So maybe in the bigger picture, that's a good thing. The best news is that the two agents who are up for it are really spectacular people. I'll be disappointed for the one that doesn't get it, but ecstatic for the one who does! And then there's always next year!

Okay... I'm done preening. In other news, the husband has finally agreed to allow the teenager to meet her boyfriend after a year of Internet and telephone dating. I'll be going along, as will his mother. The problem is that he's three years older than her. If she was 20, that wouldn't be a big deal. But she's 16 and still in high school. He's 19 and in college. At this point, it is a big deal. I'm just relieved that she's not sneaking around behind our backs to meet him. Sunday is the day. Wish us luck! Anyone from the Cookeville area who can tell us a great place to meet?

I Have a Dryer, Too

Special note to Shauna - I'm happy to offer my dryer (and washer) if you're still looking for one to use. We have free entertainment here. Two dogs who love people to visit. One grumpy, ancient cat who gets jealous when anyone sits on her couch... unless you pet her poor scrawny body. One grumpy, ancient mother-in-law who delights in telling everyone what an awful housekeeper her daughter-in-law is, what an awful cook her daughter-in-law is, and what a gadabout her useless, probably-a-whore daughter-in-law is. It's fun, I promise!

My great news this week: I have finally found someone to take down the wallpaper in the kitchen and repair the surfaces where the drywall was coming down at a very affordable price. I'm so thrilled! He's coming Wednesday. It's a good thing he's giving me some time to clean off my counters and the tops of my cabinets because the MiL has given up. At least that's what she told the handy-man, "I give up! I can't keep that counter cleared and she* sure doesn't! So I throw my hands up!" (*pointed her finger at me when she said "she"). Nice. We won't even go into her comparing me to "that old thang" she used to be married to and despises with all her heart.

Did I tell you we just hit our 12 year anniversary of the MiL living with us? Do I sound a little frantic? I'm sorry. I really am grateful that the MiL has been there to help us with childcare, laundry, and cooking, I really am. Really. I am. She does have her redeeming qualities. But holy crap. 12 years. 12 LONG years. I think Kathy T. needs a break.

I think Kathy T. will be heading to The Mothership for a certain someone's birthday party this this afternoon. I'm bringing the kids so you get to meet the spawn.

Hi Ho Hi Ho ... It's to Forced Labor they Go

The most amazing thing happened at home this week. My daughters did the dishes without argument or lip. There was no fighting. No crying. No yelling. No slapping. No “Your face!” or “You’re stupid!” remarks. I just heard the dishes clinking, the hum of them talking, and occasional laughter.

This is rare because like any home with girls, ours usually fight, run and yell loudly, fight, laugh, and then fight more. So when they work together to get a job done, I am so very grateful. I gave them their space, but tried to acknowledge them as they came upstairs:

Me: “Hey my little pretties.”

Youngest Daughter: “Squeal!”

Oldest Daughter: “Hahahaha!”

Me: “Did you girls do the dishes?”

Oldest Daughter: “Yeah!”

Youngest Daughter: “We can’t talk, we’re going to play DDR!”

Aha… that was the reason behind this sudden policy shift. My guess is that the oldest daughter promised the youngest a rockin’ game of DDR (a game in which a dance mat is hooked up to a Playstation and the music video shows where the girls should dance through a series of directional arrows scrolling down the screen point up, down, right, left).

I find there are only three good ways to get my daughters to work well together on any project (barring good manners and my having raised them right, which naturally isn't usually the reason):

1. Find a common goal. Bribe them with shopping, cake, or money.
2. Work together against a common enemy. Let’s talk about how mean our Mom is to make us suffer through this heinous task.
3. Friendship. This one is the most effective and it’s when the magic happens. They will always be sisters and the companionship they enjoy together now will take them to a whole new level as adults. It’s the one that takes my breath away because that’s when I know my daughters will be okay long after I’m gone.
   

DDR helps kids to "Stay Cool!" Well, it does make them exercise, so I'm all for it!

Three Subjects

DIARYESQUE CRAP: Still in my funk, so not a lot to say these days. Sorry. I did have lunch with Ivy and her family. She looks too cute as a blonde! She was so nice to buy dessert for her kids, but being the cheapskate I told me wee one that we'd just go buy a gallon of ice cream and have dessert for several days. She picked neopolitan, which is actually not too bad. The only other excitement in our lives: the teenager actually drove all the way to the grocery store this weekend. She didn't hit anyone, anything, nor did anyone honk at her. AND I got a perm today, thankfully. My hair was disgustingly flat and lifeless. Now I get to stink for a couple of days, but it's worth it.

365 PROJECT: Since it's such a "silver" day as my youngest described what I would've considered "gray," my photo brings some color to the day.



This was sunrise a couple days ago. I'm not a morning person, so when I have to be up at 6:00 a.m., I'm glad to see something this pretty.

MORE CRAP How do you set up an RSS link on your blog? Brittney tried to set me up the the NiT aggregator but I'm not showing up. Does anyone have my feed where it's working? If yes, please look up the "properties" and comment with the link so I can make good use of it. Please?

Quiet Sunday

It's been quiet here today, except for a Mom who came to pick up a daughter's friend from a sleepover here last night. The Mom was very very nice and friendly - I quite enjoyed talking with her. She was here with her 3-year old daughter who took great joy in "touching" the horses in the field next door while we fed them carrots. No sign of the heron today, but Velma (mother-in-law) said she heard it calling this morning. When I walked the fence line, I only succeeded in flushing out a rabbit.

Here's my 365 Project photo. It's one of the fence posts in the yard along our driveway.



My youngest daughter thought it was funny that she could see the neighbor's playset in the background.

A New Day has Dawned

It's a good day in our home when both girls made it to the bus stop in time to take the big yellow transport to school. I had to giggle at the teenager who galloped up the yard when she left the house. She made it to her stop with at least four minutes to spare before the bus arrived. I wish I'd taken a picture of that, but we get this instead.



I snapped the photo at the Mexican restaurant on Bell Road next to the Olive Garden while waiting for my salad. I got some weird looks from the workers and a lot of rapid fire Espanol of which I didn't understand a single word. But I still liked the fountain because it looks like a little Mexican Dutch boy.

I've been watching with interest the crying and gnashing of teeth from Republicans as the Democrats take charge of the House and Senate. It amazes me that the Democrats are taking ANY criticism from Republicans and anyone else because they aren't being "bipartisan." The Republicans blindly supported the current resident of the White House to their own peril and squashed all bipartisanship when they were in command. And now they complain about Dems not being bipartisan? Huh. They squandered years of Republican rule by letting politics take the front seat with common sense tied up and locked away in the trunk. They have only themselves to blame.

I think Democrats have every right to run the first 100 hours as they see fit. But I do hope that after that, they will reach out to Republicans and truly make an effort to legislate so that they represent all the people of the United States. All of our politicians need to forget about red states v. blue states and remember that no matter where we live or how we voted, we the PEOPLE deserve to be represented with dignity, respect, intelligence, and fairness.