Happy Birthday

To my Evil Twin, Pamela Anderson. We are both 42 today. I wonder what she is doing to celebrate our birthday. I wonder if, like me, she will be shuttling kids around, picking up people at the airport, packing and shopping for a 4th of July water holiday. Is her day going to pass with little fanfare? Is she going to be running around like a chicken with her head cut off, or having a luxurious respite at some swanky spa?
Allow me to elaborate on how I spent my 42nd Birthday:
Left the house to drop off The Boys at Oma and Opa's at about 9:30. Had no gas in my car, and when I went to pay for the gas, found my ATM card expired yesterday. Used the $8 I had on me. Shopped for groceries for a camping trip. While at the store (pretty much smack dab in the middle of said store), got a call from a friend stating his flight just landed (nearly an hour ahead of schedule). This was after The Dude dropped the bomb that I needed to even go to the airport because he had to finish a couple of contracting jobs today, and teach CPR tonight. Finished shopping, picked up The Boys and sent them with my car and shopping partner to her house. Borrowed Oma's car, drove to the airport to pick up friend, and drove him to his home (about 90 miles away). Got back to shopping partners house to find The Boys swimming with her boys - totally cool. Dropped Oma's car off at her house. Went to the bank to order another ATM card, because mine was not at home. Took out cash and filled up my car. While driving by DMV decided to stop and see how bad the lines were, as my license also expired today. The line was at least an hour long and I only had 45 minutes to drop off shopping partner, pick up The Boys, get back home, get them changed, pack up the car and get to their swim meet. Made it, no problem. Sis and I were scheduled both to work first shift, so I traded for 2nd shift with another person, and got The boys to the races on time. The Youngest had me draw a shark on his back, but he only wanted a baby shark! The Oldest agreed to no more writing on his back unless I approve it first. They swam against alot of kids from their class, friends from soccer and baseball, and the kids of a friend of mine whom I have known since the third grade. My Mom and Dad were there, and brought cupcakes, and sang Happy Birthday to me, and then did Happy Birthday in Opera Cat. It's difficult to explain, but at some point I will have The Oldest do it for the camera, and I'll post it here. Everyone had a blast until The Youngest crashed out at about 9:30. They hardly whined or fought, so I knocked down their sit-up balance, and I'm completely pooped! Oh, and I didn't have much chance to eat, except for a couple of snacks and a cupcake. Oh, and The Dude cancelled his CPR class, and forgot about the meet, so I set up and took down all the stuff, with the help of my nephew, sis and bro in law!
And because it's my Birthday too:



And we certainly cannot ever forget this:

Monday Evening Weekend Wrap Up

This was an incredibly busy weekend with emotional ups and downs. Friday was another Happy Hour Play date, this time with Bellinis and head wounds! The Bellinis were delish - frozen peaches and Proseca, and the head wound was attributed to bouncing off a giant ball and into other kids - this was after human bowling, but before the potential for chainsaw juggling. Of course, I completely forgot about The Youngest's baseball practice, and damned him to the bottom of the roster for Saturday.
He didn't care though, and played his best game yet. He started swinging through the ball, and made 3 plays - 1 at second, and 2 at third base. Cy Young award, here we come ;-) Following that early game, I tried my damnedest to give myself a heart attack by turning over the soil in my two gardens. While the weather was not particularly hot, the work itself sucked immensely. I worked up a sweat, and my hands still ache from the digging - and yes, I did use a shovel! I also was pulling out weed block a fair amount of time. At one point The Dude rushed out to take my blood pressure, and insist I take a break before continuing (how kind). He did go out and buy me some supplies, and I managed to plant zucchini, yellow squash, watermelon, pumpkin, chard, carrots, basil and tomato. I also turned a flower bed and planted wild flowers.

While The Dude napped, I took the boys to watch my nephews' baseball game. They played really well, and my oldest nephew had the save as the closing pitcher! I have no clue how he can handle that kind of pressure, but he did, and very well too! By the end of the game, my sciatic was not happy, and the boys were whinny, so it was back home for dinner.

Sunday was insane. I wanted to strangle The Dude, and we got into a shouting match over some piddly shit, after he decided to try and conduct business calls five minutes before we were all leaving the house - he and the boys to the movies, and I to run some stuff to SF. He got wound up over the fact that none of us could be totally silent while he was on the phone. O RLY? So 5 minutes before leaving the house to go to the movies with their cousin, and after an entire morning of begging to go somewhere, he actually expected the boys to be silent. Now, if you know my family IRL, you know that neither The Dude, nor The Boys are quiet. Not. At. All. I was so stressed out over it, that I'm grateful sis came along for the ride, and I could vent to her. Since Tangobaby blogged about it, I guess I should mention that the trip to SF was to deliver a small refrigerator and some clothes to Kelaya and the kids. Next trip out, I'm bringing the boys and they can all play together. I didn't mention it because I am not one to say when I help people, I just do it. Julie is the one to be grateful for, and I am, she is helping in such a loving way, and I couldn't help but contribute in my own small way.

I came home, grocery shopped, put away the groceries and ran across town to pick up the boys, came home and The Dude said he would cook dinner, so I went outside and played with the boys. The Dude came out and said he wanted leftovers because the chicken wasn't thawed yet. So I went in the house and cooked the chicken, added brown rice and green beans, and we had a healthy dinner. The Dude later said that he didn't know that you could cook chicken breasts that were still frozen. SIGH... I also did the dishes because he was (pick one: Too Tired, Suffering from Allergies, Busy Working, Too Stressed Out). I was so not up for any sort of confrontation due to our earlier row. I was also totally bummed out because Bea Arthur passed away over the weekend. Dorothy Snarker summed it up best this morning with "She gave countless girls permission to be smart and opinionated, funny and brash." She certainly gave me a sense of timing and the rapier sharp wit I have today. Also the sarcasm. the crustybastard had a couple of clips of Bea on his blog, and I'm including these two because I did love that she had such an amazing sense of humor! Neither clip is safe for work, or children - consider yourself warned. The first is from So Graham Norton. Bea shows up at the 5:25 mark, and the joke is at 9:10.



The second clip is what wasn't on TV during the roast of Pam Anderson (my evil twin).

Roast of Pamela Anderson
Bea Arthur Uncensored
comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

I'll miss you Bea!

Going insane - random ranting

So here it is a couple of weeks until Christmas, and I'm wondering how I'm going to survive the holidays, and this time the kids are off for SIXTEEN days. That's 5 more than for Thanksgiving, and I thought my head was going to explode from that. At least I'm taking off 11 of those days, and we can go running around to parks and museums. Also, my In-Laws from Colorado will be in town, and the cousins can all get together and play.

I have kind of accepted the backstabbing from my company. I don't like it, and I'm still crying, but I know what it is, and I need to move on. Found out that at least 200 more people I work with will be off the payroll (corporate speak for laid off) as of mid February. I can't imagine how people are going to survive in this economy, with few job prospects. I don't know how I am going to survive.

Got a call this week from a dear old friend who was recently diagnosed as depressed, and is now on medication. I could tell she needed it the last time we talked and she was not herself. She was bitter, and angry, and negative. It was odd because she has always been very upbeat and positive and vibrant. I'm glad she's getting help, and even more glad that she is feeling like herself these days.

This week Bettie Page died. That made me sad for no apparent reason. I didn't know her personally, but what she did in the face of such opposition opened the door to many of the people who are famous for taking off their clothes (Pam Anderson, my twin being one of those).

Here's Bettie during her heyday:

And my "twin":

I think there is something that draws me to the fringe aspect of fame, bordering on sex workers. I wrote a biography in 5th grade about Sally Stanford. I'm sure Mrs. Willis was started to get that one! I had a poster of Farrah Fawcett in my room at about the same age, and I still have my Mae West poster from college. It used to belong to an aunt. I always thought that being a madam was glamorous, but the reality of sex work is so different from the stylized way it is portrayed in literature and film. I have never been a sex worker, and I feel fortunate to have been able to find jobs that do not rely on my looks or selling my body. I don't know if I have a strong enough self image or psyche for such work. I admire those who have survived, with nothing more than interesting stories, and feel horrible for those who haven't.

What a strange trip it's been

My first blog post ever - originally posted on 7/8/2008, on a limited area.

So I'm totally new to the whole blog phenom. I read them, but in my now 41 years I have never started one. I seem to prefer to write in my journal. Now that my journal has been scattered to the wind in what can only be described as a serious auto accident, I might as well do my navel gazing here.I share a birthdate with Pamela Anderson - yes, that one from Baywatch, and rock and roll whoredom. I look like the anti-PA Redheaded, freckled, overweight. Really the perfect fodder for a blog, I suppose. My life is way too busy, as I have a husband, 2 sons, a dog and a cat. Add a full time job, trying to get in better shape, several volunteer organizations, the kid activities, and I barely have time to breathe. And yet, I'm going to try to carve out some time to type every day.I work for the phone company, and I'm a Photographer - you can see my work at J9Photo.com I've been a photographer since the age of 10. I love it. I've been published, and I'm setting up my stock work at the moment. I'd rather shoot pics than sit in a cube, but I need the health benefits, and I seem to be ok at navigating the political landscape of corporate America, so I'll stick it out, send the boys to college (maybe even Domino College), and retire when I'm 60ish.I love to be in, on and around the water. Surfing, water skiing, sailing, SCUBA diving, lounging by the pool, anything really. I hate snow with a white hot passion normally reserved for dictators and terrorists. I'm a summer girl, and prefer even the 106 degrees I'm suffering under today than snow. Luckily, I live in SF Bay Area where it has only snowed 3 times in my lifetime.
Enough about me.