One more for today...

The lemons need picking...

The strawberries are still growing, not that anyone ever picked any and ate them this year... I think the snails and bugs enjoyed them... No more tomatoes, I guess I should pull the plants out now... The patio is messy...

But I raked and cleaned up this side and trimmed the roses... And I pulled out all the morning glories, they were drying up and it is too hot for them here in the summer, so in the spring I may put them behind the cement bench... and I raked up all the fallen bird seed and grass growing... In the Spring I want hubby to put some stepping stones and a bird bath or such... so all the bird seeds won't grow so much... Of course this little guy wasn't too happy I pulled out all the morning glories as he was living in there... Sorry... Mr. Snowman on the patio...

Well it's almost 6pm and I didn't get much done today except for the patio, one load of laundry, I ran out of soap, and I loaded the dishwasher, and a couple of entries... I didn't get to the reading part of the blogothon... Being it that week of the month, I've gone from raging to whiny to down... So I think I will make one more sweep of the kitchen and watch another Alien Nation show and maybe hang up some laundry or work on the checkbook or just veg til hubby gets home...

Tomorrow it's back to work... Not a big ad tomorrow so hopefully I'll get a few things done there...

Happy Journaling...

Books!

I went shopping online the other day at Doubleday book club... they were having a 60% off sale... I might have gotten a little carried away... but they are all for Christmas and some are for son2... of course now they are having a buy one get one free sale.....

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

THE LAST COLONY

2 BOOK SET BORN IN FIRE/DARING TO DREAM

KINGDOM KEEPERS II: DISNEY AT DAWN

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HERE

PS, I LOVE YOU

BRISINGR

NEVERLAND: ESCAPE FROM THE CARNIVALE & CAVE OF THE DARK WIND

JUST AFTER SUNSET

THE DA VINCI CODE

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

CHARLIE AND THE GREAT GLASS ELEVATOR

BREAK NO BONES

SOMEONE TO LOVE

THE EDGE OF WINTER

THIS CHRISTMAS NIGHT

A CEDAR COVE CHRISTMAS

WHERE ANGELS GO

SILVER BELLS

COMFORT AND JOY

Happy Journaling...

*Last Saturday*

This is my last Saturday off til after Christmas... The next five weekends it's all hands on deck to be available for all the Christmas shoppers... It works out though cause I can still keep my Wednesday off and have Monday off so hubby and I will have a day off together to get all our Christmas shopping done...


And I'm home to participate in Martha's Blogothon weekend, lol... We have to do at least five entries and read through all the blogs we follow and read all who are participating in the blogothon... Not a problem since this is what I do on Saturday to catch up from the week...

I also have some chores I'm hoping to get done... Clean the fridge-I read somewhere that it is national clean the fridge day, lol..., checkbook still needs more attention, dishes, little bit of laundry if I have laundry soap left, work in the backyard a bit and general straighten up... and fix something for tomorrow's dinner...

Now hubby's off to work and the boys have gone to their corners... We have several game systems and two game computers with a million games and they always have to fight over the same game and system/computer... at the moment they are settled...

Somehow sometime in July the preference in my email set to save all incoming mail so I have been deleting thousands of emails and locating the ones to save that should be in there... anyway I found an email from AOL that said I could have AOL for free for my email if I had an alternate Internet provider... This email was dated in 2006... about the time I signed up for DSL through SBC... I'm wondering what I was thinking when I saved this email but didn't act on it... Did I even read it or just think it was a confirmation of my AOL at the time... I know a lot of people get AOL for free but I wasn't gonna be picky and have just been paying $9.99 a month plus my SBC DSL... I am a little worried though of what AOL will look like with just email, will it look the same with my toolbar still intact... I will find out on the 23rd when my current month runs out as I clicked on that free button... Oh wait I know why I kept AOL, cause we could only update our journals with an AOL account... With blogger we can log on anywhere and it recognizes us as being the user of the blog...

OK I'm off to shower and work in the yard for a bit while the sun is up and it's warmer... Then later I can come in and blog the day away while I do some chores....

Happy Journaling...

A Picture Day

I left for work this morning and there was a huge wonderful moon in the sky, but I had no camera... I turn onto the main street and there is a huge orange ball of a sun spreading colors across the sky, but I had no camera... All the leaves on the trees are finally changing to red, orange, yellow, but I had no camera...

The hormones are playing with me as it was a better day at work, plus I whined at the supervisor for a few minutes not that she will do anything about anything... She's going to another store for a couple of days next week to help them get ready for a visit... I put out the men's dress shoes and about half the work boots... It was a fast day and that's all I had time for, in between talking to the supervisor and answering questions for the customers...

On the way home the red, orange and yellow leaves were even more pretty against the hazy sky, but I had no camera... On the way home all the flowers in the neighborhood are blooming due to the temps being in the 70's, but I had no camera... On the way home I passed a city overflow pond covered with hundreds of seagulls, but I had no camera... Actually those seagulls have been there for weeks and one of these days I need to get a picture especially since it is in my neighborhood, lol, before the seagulls leave... and no I won't bring my camera in the car while I'm at work, as it could get stolen and then I would have no camera....

Now we're home and hubby works late, the boys have already finished their movie and we are grazing through the fridge... I have found more Christmas songs for the playlist, lol... I'm off tomorrow and thinking of what all I want to get done... Tonight Ghost Whisperer and Numbers come on... Smallville and Supernatural were so good last night!! All the other shows are taped and still in need of watching... The boys have a Veggie Tale movie to watch next and I have some Alien Nation movies to watch... Does anyone remember the TV show Alien Nation...

Happy Journaling...

Do Not Disturb...

Son3 has been waiting since summer and it finally was released on DVD and came in the mail today from Netflix... Star Wars: Clone Wars... Son3 is all things Star Wars, he has seen all six movies, over and over... He has the action figures... He has the legos... He came in the door from school today saying where is it, I know it came in the mail today... And is now happily watching the movie... Son2's there too of course...

Remember he was a Clonetrooper for Halloween...

Happy Journaling...

Running late...

I've only got a minute... It's 5pm and we haven't even started homework yet... I've been looking up Christmas music for the playlist... If I have to listen to it at work all day then you can listen here, lol... I've got teriyaki chicken started on the stove... still need to make rice and cheese potatoes... Work wasn't too bad today... realized today that it's not so much I offend others when I tell them something but that they don't want to be told... everyone wants to just do it there way or forget it, even if it's wrong or not effective for the person working with them... argh... I scanned the athletic shoes, cleaned and stocked the men's clearance shoes and all the athletic clearance shoes, went to lunch and then started stocking the men's regular athletic shoes... Tomorrow I will work on men's dress and casual shoes, work boots and then back to men's athletic shoes...

Smallville, Supernatural, CSI and Eleventh Hour come on tonight, so off to get the homework done, eat dinner, clean up the kitchen, get the boys in the showers, into bed... will I make it by 8pm...

Happy Journaling...

Waiting for hubby...

I'm so tired and I have a headache... Hubby and I stayed up til midnight last night watching Fringe, Eli Stone, news, since I didn't have work today... However we still had to get up and get the boys to school and hubby had to go to work, lol... This was my second Wednesday of having the morning to myself... It is so quiet with no one here... Of course I spent most of it on the computer... I did finish the laundry, well once I go fold all that is on my bed and the dishes are all done, so the kitchen looks tidy... I updated the checkbook and there is a bit of money in it, of course there are more bills to pay... still need to balance it though... I did my crunches again today but am still eating too much feeding the hormones... Son3 got all his homework done as soon as he got home as it's early day on Wednesday... Had a few math pages, timed reading, spelling words in sentences, vocabulary words and read library book... Son2 never has homework... I have some boneless chicken, rice and carrots in the oven for dinner... Was waiting for hubby but he just came through the door... Tonight is Bones, Criminal Minds and CSI NY...


A funny son3 said the other day: We were talking to son2 about responsibility of some sort and being an adult vs a teenager and saying that son2 was not an adult yet... and son3 says: but Mom son2 is an adult cause every time we go to the movies you always say three adults and one child.... LOL!!! so had to explain to son3 how business' make money based on ages and labeling you an adult, lol....

Happy Journaling...

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged by Martha at Menagerie to tell you six things about myself that you may not know...

1. I collect birdhouses and snowmen; read horror novels (Stephen King) and listen to Christian music...

I was born in Rhode Island, grew up in Florida and Texas and have lived in California since I was 15yrs. old...

2. I attended De Anza college for five years majoring in Business, was accepted to San Jose State but stayed at De Anza to finish my GE courses; took Geology three times and still never passed; got pregnant with son1, however did not return to college; and only needed Geology and Accounting to get my Associates of Business.... I know I should have finished but I still need to graduate high school two more times with son2 and son3...

3. I had Spanish both years of Junior High, all four years of high school and two years of college... I stopped when it got to the communication classes as I was too shy for public speaking in English, never mind Spanish too... So I can understand Spanish to a point and can read it but do not practice enough to speak it... Living in San Jose and Fresno though gives lots of chances for practicing...

4. I have worked for Sears for 28 years on November 19th... this will be my 29th Christmas with the company... I was originally hired as temporary Christmas help... Isn't Christmas over yet... I have done pretty much every job in the store except loss prevention and automotive... I was a supervisor for about fifteen of the years... My first department was children's and now I am in shoes... My favorite job was when I was in display (we don't have that job anymore), dressing the mannequins and setting up all the foo foo... I love merchandising, putting out all the new product, and maintaining a neat and empty stockroom...

5. I have been married twice... I met my ex through a friend at work while he was working at Sears through a temp. agency, he rode a motorcycle and is Italian, I was 22, he was 23... We had son1... We were young, he had trouble keeping jobs, I gave him many chances... I divorced him... He is still very active in son1's life but has never remarried or had any other children...

I met hubby also through a friend at work, however it was arranged as a blind date, I was 26, son1 was 3 and hubby was 31... Hubby was completely the opposite of the ex, overly responsible (he had already bought a family car for his future), overly cautious, so grew up the Leave it to Beaver life... Three months later he proposed in Yosemite, however 18months later we finally got married after changing our wedding date three times... Hubby is a one thing at a time kind of person, which means while he's working, that's one thing, so nothing else can be done til his day off... So just after son1's 5th bday we were married... We just celebrated our 16th anniversary...

6. I have three younger brothers and three sons... Son1 is 21, born on July 25... Son2 is 14, born on January 25... Son3 is 7, born on July 24...

OK, now I'm to tag six other people to play... I see 48 followers on my sidebar, I'm sure six of you have not been tagged yet, so it's your turn to tell us six things... We're waiting............

Happy Journaling...

Relaxing Evening...

Well work wasn't too busy, being a holiday and all... There were quite a few people but no one really asked for help so I was able to get a bit done today... I got all the price changes done and all the kids shoe clearance is full again... I just remembered however that I forgot to scan the athletic shoes for missing styles, I'll have to remember to do that on Thursday... At lunch I watched Who Wants to be a Millionaire, my book I am reading right now is not holding my interest very well... the contestant on the show was 21yrs, a college student and she won $250,000... Then after lunch I worked on putting out the men's shoes but did not finish the big pile that the receiving guys opened yesterday... I have not however got to the rest of the boxes that need opening as I keep getting distracted with these other projects that I am doing...

Then it was home to do my 225 crunches... It has been weeks since I last did them and I want to get back on track... I have also been drinking more than my one cola a day... I am past the munchies though, well except for the regular munching... Hubby had a meeting after work tonight and they decided to do potluck this time instead of their regular pizza or deli sandwiches... So hubby brought Stove Top stuffing... He fixed it, I didn't help, actually I forgot it was today, lol... I heated up some pizzas for the boys and I had the left over cube steak, kidney beans and macaroni salad...

Now the boys are in the showers... It's back to school for them tomorrow... I never did any practice book with son3 or even read his library books or wear his eye patch... Bad mom... but he did have a fun four days off; sleeping in the family room with son2 and hanging out with son2, watching movies; Get Smart, Kung Fu Panda, Mothra and Veggie Tales Lord of the Beans and of course playing Play Station and computer games... So they are in their rooms early tonight, well at least by 8pm, which is in ten minutes...

I have done two loads of dishes in the dishwasher and three loads of laundry which all the machines are quiet right now so need to go switch them all around... and I vacuumed after son2 got the family room back to normal... In the morning I have a date with the checkbook as it has been feeling neglected lately as I haven't done any updating or balancing in it in a while...

Fringe comes on tonight so as soon as hubby gets home we can watch it and probably fall asleep, lol...

Happy Journaling...

My Entry of the Day

I have been craving Carl's Jr all week, so hubby has gone to get some for dinner.... Also my snacking continues... hubby is not helping as he bought me some Chex Mix... and it called me all day long at work all the way from home... lol... so I have managed to get through most of the bag since coming home... Work was ok... Since it is my grumpy week, I tried to hide in the stock room so I wouldn't offend anyone with my rudeness... however it wasn't enough as I offended another associate, of course she seeked me out, so she was on her own then.... I did however get the price changes done for men's and athletics... just have to do kids tomorrow... just a quick check of women's as we just did a bunch last month so there shouldn't be much left... I was going to open boxes but the receiving guys were opening them today, so tomorrow I will have all the shoes they opened to put away... and then I can continue on with the ones they didn't get opened...
Hubby and the boys got our Thanksgiving turkey today, 18lbs... and more fixens... They were watching Beetlejuice when I got home... now the boys are on computer games when they are supposed to be setting up for dinner... hubby will be yelling when he gets back...
Last night we all watched Kung Fu Panda, so cute, that Panda was all Jack Black... Scadoosh... Hubby and I got caught up on CSI NY another Numbers, I think, I'm not sure as we both fell asleep, lol... We had a fire in the fireplace last night...
Tonight is Sarah Conner Chronicles...
Hubby has been doing some repairs in our bathroom and a bit of painting fixes...
And I just wanted to give you guys a big thanks... I'm thinking it was a unanimous NO on taking the supervisor position, lol... after my grumpiness today, I'm thinking once the hormones give out then maybe I can go out in the real world, lol....
My burger is here!!! and hubby too...
Happy Journaling...

Pretty on Sunday

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Journaling...

Saturday Wallows...

You guys are great! Thanks for all the words of wisdom... I was still way grumpy this morning and had no patience for hubby, realized it is my grumpy week and breathing is dangerous for him right now... I have succumbed to the idea that I will stay in shoes... Hubby's schedule is changing again next month and my schedule is changing due to the holidays and we just took son3 out of daycare so guess that is enough changes for now without me shaking everything up and applying for a promotion.... If I have to give an instant answer, my answer is no to be a supervisor... however it does feel good to be wanted... but mostly I feel guilty, cause when I tell them no my reason is to be home with the kids, well they all have young children too and they balance the kids and a career... actually when I was a single mom with son1 when he was 2-3yrs, I was a supervisor, how did I do it then... probably cause I just did and now I don't have to... just makes me mad too though that hubby didn't even bring it up this morning, as I knew he wouldn't discuss it unless I bring it up and this from a man who can talk about the weather and the price of gas for four hours but not important issues.... so we stuck to safe topics this morning of the boys and what they did at school this week and their plans for their four day weekend... It's the Gemini in me too, always needing to shake things up once in a while, changing my likes and dislikes, wants and needs.... So maybe in five to ten years when the boys are done with school, then I can figure out what I want to be when I grow up... With retirement age getting older and older every year, I'll still have a good twenty years left to work then, lol... I do wonder what the lesson is I am supposed to be learning each time I get all worked up over a supervisor opening... does it just bring back memories of losing my job four years ago and how thankful I am that I could keep my full time status and my benefits even though I lost a big chunk of pay... is it supposed to remind me to use better use of my time since I am able to come home early and I should do a better job of cleaning the house, lol.... or is it a lesson for hubby of some sort... I was feeling good about my shoe job lately even though the supervisor is annoying me with her unmotivation to be there, but I have been doing a better job of keeping my mouth shut, though I could still do better....

So today I put up the Thanksgiving decorations... I did a bit of cleaning... I read through everyone's blogs... I did a lot of thinking... Had many wise things to write but now it is dark and I am getting tired and can't remember what they were, lol... It was overcast today and even sprinkled a bit... I'm still a bit down but think it is safe for hubby to come home... We have some shows to catch up on for the week... The boys watched Kung Fu Panda twice today and Veggie Tales Lord of the Beans... Now they are back and forth on computer games and watching the Saturday Morning cartoons that I taped while we were having family breakfast time...
Tomorrow I work 6-2 I think, not sure as the schedule is never done when I leave on Fridays... Not as big an ad to set since I just set one up on Thursday... hopefully there is some coverage and I can finish catching up on the boxes and putting away the stockroom before we start getting the day after Thanksgiving shoe specials...
It is almost time for hubby to be home and I have a pile of laundry on the bed to put away and son3 is saying he is still hungry and son2 wants a turn on the Internet....
Happy Journaling...

Feeling better...

I'm feeling a bit better... and yes I always put the decision in God's hands, believe me I've been bugging him for four years on what I should do and I'm still not hearing his answer... so each time a position comes up, I wonder if that is him telling me to be a supervisor and I keep passing it up.... and I know for now, son3 is still only 7yrs old, and a few years more time when he is older would be better... I just don't know........ it's just nice to be wanted and seeked out for a promotion...

Ohhhhhhh... Ghost Whisperer was so sad!! I can't believe it.... I won't spoil it yet in case you haven't seen it yet....

Son2 finally got off the phone with his friend girl and friend boy, it was a three way call...

The boys are now all set up in the family room to sleep for the night... son3 is asking for a snack...

I've had too many snacks... pretzels, hubby's crackers, hot dogs with chili, popcorn... no wonder I drank a gallon of water, all that salt...

Dishes are done, except for the pans, the ants went to the water park in the dishwasher.... silly ants...

Hubby should be home any minute... off to tape Numbers for him...

Happy Journaling...

The Question...

I'm a bit grumpy today... maybe just tired... I was originally scheduled to work til 11am today but the other day they added training hours so we could finish up our computer training for the month... I only had a two minute test left to take on my list but never could get a free computer... another associate was supposed to work on training hours this morning as well but said she had already made plans and couldn't come in... originally it was only the supervisor scheduled today... she was the manager on duty... good thing I agreed to stay as I ended up being floor coverage for the day... so that made me a bit grumpy that I wasn't even scheduled and yet I was the only one there.... I mostly stocked the men's work boots and opened a few boxes, but otherwise I wasn't very motivated today...

Of course the day started with one of the managers that is my friend that got promoted saying she had a opening for a lead and that it wouldn't hurt for me to just post... now those of you that know me know that I was a supervisor for fifteen years until four years ago when they eliminated my position and there were no lead openings unless I transferred to another store plus the lead positions were changing hours that I wasn't able to adhere to due to the boys but I was lucky to keep my full time status and work in shoes.... Of course over the last four years they have wanted me to post for lead positions but with hubby working nights and me mornings, it is a good schedule for the boys... of course now the boys are getting older and hubby is working more days now...

Anyway I am always undecided when it comes to this question... Do I want to be a supervisor again....

Of course it would be more money but more hours and less time with the boys... I don't want to work until five or six.... I don't want to work most or every weekends... I don't want to work a closing night once a week... and yet even the position I am in now, if they followed the proper schedule instead of what I request, as a full time 30hours, I should be working those hours...

I don't want to be manager on duty and have to answer the phone and customer approvals and complaints, although I am sure over time I would get used to it again... however with my old lady hormones I don't do well with confrontation and I have no patience, lol...

Of all the positions that have come in the last four years, most of them I had already done as a supervisor, this position now would be Brand Central/large appliances and a higher position than what I had in the past...

Of all the managers the one who now has the department is my favorite to work for and I know she would give me good communication and training of all the new procedures I am not familiar with...

But at the same time I always tease her that we can't work together any more cause we always ask for the same weeks off for vacation... she has been with the company as long as me so we both get five weeks a year... of course as a lead my vacation can get cancelled at a moment's notice, where now as an associate I always get to take them... plus we both need Wednesday's off so I would have to put son3 back in daycare just for Wednesdays...

I don't want to be in shoes forever... and yet I'm stuck in a comfort zone...

My supervisor is making me mad... every day she comes in with an attitude that she doesn't want to be there and is it time to go home yet....

I called hubby and dropped the question in his lap, as usual he hesitated as he doesn't want me working all the hours... and yet he's not even working 40 hours at his full time job as a supervisor... doesn't one of us need to step up to earn more money, or just keep going on faith and charging up our credit cards... I lost $500 a month when I lost my supervisor position four years ago and now medical insurance is eating up half my paycheck and I don't want to count on it but when it comes it's handy... but I haven't received any past due child support from the ex for two months now....

However becoming a supervisor again isn't really about the money but what do I want to be when I grow up... And we don't really get to be whatever we want when we grow up especially when you have kids.... Hubby and I aren't really go getters but we are responsible and hard working....

However I'm mad at hubby for not being more supportive and I'm sure later he'll try to smooth it over and say I can do whatever I want but too late, he already hesitated so I know he has doubts... He's way too cautious sometimes....

So I'm just gonna sit here on my butte and sulk on the computer, while the ants crawl all over the dishes in the sink, the ants just showed up when the sun went down, and the boys fight over my old skateboard that son2 put some new wheels on and fix me and son3 some hot chocolate and it's time for jammies since it's dark outside....

Yay Ghost Whisperer comes on tonight... and Smallville and Supernatural were way good last night....

Son3 tried to ride the skateboard in the kitchen....... he's decided he doesn't want one now since the wheels made him fall.....

Son1 called yesterday morning while we were all at work and school, his message just said he would call back last night but he never did... I just found the message this afternoon...

Hubby went grocery shopping this morning and the checker forgot to give him the eggs....

I'm a week behind in reading blogs, hope to get caught up tonight and tomorrow but son2 wants some Internet time too...
He's on the phone with a girl right now.... she's just a friend...and he's emptying the dishwasher for me so he can have Internet time...

Off to find jammies and hot chocolate....

Happy Journaling...

Thursday...

Home from work... the boys are home from school... Son2 is helping son3 with homework... They are studying spelling words and son3 is trying to slip away... He also has a vocabulary test on their story tomorrow too... Son2 still needs to check if he has any homework, he usually doesn't... They want to be done so they can watch Get Smart again and play Heroscape... After tomorrow they have a four day weekend for the Veteran's holiday... So no homework for five days, yay! but I did tell son3 we were going to work in his practice book...

Heard we did fine on the visit at work yesterday... Today I had to set the ad again this week and then after lunch I never stopped moving, stocking all day and answering questions... Tomorrow I was supposed to be off at 11am, but I said I would stay til 2pm, not like I don't have plenty to do...

Last night I made a whole chicken for dinner, practicing for Thanksgiving, lol... I started hubby a shopping list for Thanksgiving for the grocery store... We finished watching Get Smart and watched Bones... I taped Criminal minds and CSI NY but we still have Criminal Minds from last week to watch... Tonight Smallville and Supernatural come on and CSI...

I have dishes calling and ants, yes we are still battling ants, would someone tell them it is winter time and they can hibernate now... I also need to get some bills in the mail before the holiday... We have left over chicken so dinner is easy... and homework is done and it isn't even 5pm.... sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Now hopefully hubby gets home on time... Last night he got caught up cause another associate called out, so it took him an hour to get out the door... and then the car wouldn't start, so hopefully he fixed it today... son3 just told me that he went to school with the neighbor today as the car wouldn't start.... hmmmmmmm... well hubby and the car aren't here so he must have got it running... but wonder if that means it's fixed...

Happy Journaling...

A-Z Photo Challenge P

To Play Visit Martha at Menagerie...


Purple Bird Witch Pen
















Pretty Purple Flowers













Pretty Pink Flowers

Pretty Flowers

Pumpkins on the Porch
















Pretty Pink Sunrise

Happy Journaling...

Everchanging Routine

The voting is done, I'm home from work and the boys are home from school... A bit of relaxing before we get to the homework and the sink full of dirty dishes and then hubby will be home and I'm thinking breakfast for dinner and we have the new Get Smart to watch tonight... On the way home there were people on various corners encouraging people to vote and on one corner was one guy with a sign that read vote Yes on 8(canceling gay marriage in California) and on the same corner four guys with a an American flag and a rainbow flag and a sign that read vote No on 8.... When the light would change the one guy with the yes sign would cross and then all the guys would follow right behind, lol....

Work was good today although I barely made a dent in all I wanted to do... We're still having the VIP's tomorrow in the afternoon... Today I wanted to stock the men's shoes, the men's work boots, open a ton of boxes, stock the women's hanging shoes and clear up some areas in the stockroom... I didn't even finish stocking the men's shoes, the day went so fast... But we are still way more ready then the last time when we lost control due to the remodel... Also at work there are talks of schedule changes, actually I've thought of it myself, as we are still trying to adhere to the correct way of how shoes should be as open sell instead of commission... So my days of 7am may be disappearing if they decide to try it... We're not supposed to schedule anyone before 10am, although the store opens at 9:30am... I just know I don't want to stay past 4:45pm... which I thought of even with eliminating the daycare... And then starting the week before Thanksgiving I will be working Saturday's until Christmas, which may mean I get Monday's off with hubby for a while again so we can Christmas shop... I just hope I can stay with Wednesday as my day off now... I'll need to update my availability as I'm full time 30hrs and need to be available so I don't go below 30hrs plus even be available to go up to 35-38hrs if needed... and to keep my medical insurance...


About a half hour before I left work today guess what they are now playing on the P.A. system.... CHRISTMAS MUSIC... half regular music and half Christmas, actually I expected to hear it when I went on Sunday as November had started... and it's really not too early as you only have three weeks to get those packages in the mail and then just four weeks til Christmas after that...
Now that all the Halloween hoopla and all the AOL hoopla is over I need to get back on routine of a few things... like the crunches and weight lifting I was doing so well... Now that I'm back to work from vacation, I'm back to eating yogurt and although I've been drinking two sodas a day instead of just one, I'm compensating with water... and son3 has got out of the habit of wearing his patch after school to strengthen his left eye, so got to get back on that... And I hate that it gets dark so early now... I run out of time to take pictures of the roses, yes they are still blooming and I'm ready for bed at 7pm when I still have things to do, lol... It's very windy today and finally the temps are in the 60's...It rained up til yesterday but mostly at night when I'm sleeping and can't see it... and Gas is $2.49, can you believe it....
Happy Journaling...

An Entry A Day...

Martha signed up for a challenge to do an entry every day for the month of November and then coaxed me to join in... lol... So I'm home from work, hubby ran off to the store really quick to exchange the windshield wipers for the car for the right ones... Son2 is setting up Heroscape and son3 is supposed to be doing his homework so he can play with son2... But since I'm not out there supervising, they are distracting each other... Yesterday while I was catching up on reading blogs and hubby was putting away Halloween, I made a roast with potatoes and peas; and riblets with broccoli and cauliflower... So we have leftovers for tonight... We also watched Wing Commander and the Simpson Halloween Special... Then got the boys settled for the night and hubby and I sat down to finish CSI and I fell asleep again not five minutes into it where we left off last time I fell asleep, lol... Work was good today and it did not even seem weird going in on a Monday... We're still having the visit on Wednesday but I only work tomorrow til 2 and then I have Wednesday off... yay... So when I go back on Thursday the visit is over and I can continue on with business as usual... I did have to finish setting the ad today, they were way busy yesterday and I guess they forgot to finish the signs I left for them, plus the asst. manager had them doing projects too... Also today I stocked a bit and opened a ton of boxes that were waiting for me while I was on vacation... Now hubby is back and I am off to help son3 with homework, heat up dinner, go over our choices for voting tomorrow and Terminator Sarah Conner comes on tonight...
Happy Journaling...

Oh The Drama!!!

Son3 has had a loose tooth for weeks, one of his top front teeth... actually a bottom tooth came out since this tooth has been loose... We keep telling him to wiggle it... Just having him let us look at it causes lots of crying and running and hiding... He was happy to go to the dentist, if it meant we would leave him alone... The last few days it has just been hanging by a root... If we could just get close enough and one quick pull and it would be out... I come home from work today and recognize the sounds of drama of hubby trying to get a look at the loose tooth... I retreat to the bedroom to change my clothes... I then hear louder crying and yelling from son3... However I hear laughter from son2 and hubby... I yell down the hall, is it finally out... Seems hubby had son3 working on wiggling it and so son2 passed by, hit son3's hand on purpose and out popped the tooth... We were rejoicing, son3 was beyond mad... However he is fine now and peace once more prevails over the house... I'm thinking the tooth fairy might owe him two dollars for this tooth....

I was back to work today... Only worked 6-12 but had to take a lunch and by 12:15 when I actually left I still wasn't done with the ad, so had to pass on to other associates, so hope they finished... and then the ad only runs til Wednesday and Thursday I have to set up a whole new ad.... We still have a visit on Wednesday so lots to do the next two days... And the only day I would have needed daycare this week if we still had it is Thursday for twenty minutes... All the other days I get off before school gets out... and then Thursday I'll use my backup plan, lol...

Hubby is busily putting away all the Halloween stuff... Son3 is now happily playing and eating nachos... I think son2 is on one of the game computers... I'm doing laundry, still have tons to put away... Now son3 is asking to play on the game computer... and trying to get son2 in trouble cause son2 didn't ask to go on the computer, lol... and I'm trying to think what I want to defrost for dinner... hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

Happy Journaling...

Halloween Fun

The day after Halloween and everything is down, lol... But let's start at the beginning....




Halloween morning got the boys off to school... Son3 had a substitute, she looked to be about 15, found out later from son3 she was 23... ok, lol... He had a good day and behaved for the substitute and they had a Halloween Party... Son2 got to school in the midst of a power failure... Two minutes before they were going to let the students go for the day the power came back on... So son2 had to go to English class and write his essay on The Hobbit.... Hubby and I went to Denny's for breakfast... They were all dressed for Halloween... The host was dressed as a hostess... Had his Denny's uniform on, pants and a polo shirt, but a wig that hubby thought was his real long hair, I said no, you can not see his scalp through the part and I think he was wearing makeup but not sure... He just pulled it off so well... But the clincher was when he seated us I noticed he had boobs, lol, but barely B's, just a subtle touch to the costume... He had a ring on his left hand but not sure if his wife helped him with his costume or a significant other... Our waitress was Cleopatra and Zorro and a Witch were around too... Breakfast was yummy but it was very quiet... Don't know if service is usually so quiet or they were just all self conscience in their costumes...

Then hubby and I came home and set up the yard, washed the kitchen floor and hubby cleaned son3's room a bit... We watched Numbers from a couple of episodes back and then it was finally time to pick up son3... Actually son2 was picking up on a practice run and we were just backup... Son2 was actually there before us so thinking this will work out just fine... We were worried though cause with the substitute didn't know if teacher had left instructions on who went where after school and son3 ending up at daycare... but it was all fine and Monday will be another practice day for son2 with hubby home as backup...

Then we had a bit of drama when we got home... I have been asking son2 all month what are your plans with your friends for Halloween and his answer I don't know, too soon yet... Well Thursday he came home from school upset cause all his friends had been invited to a party and he hadn't yet... So he reassured himself that his friend just hadn't gotten to him yet... I said that was fine however it is too late now as it is now Halloween and we have our plans set now.... So of course he came home on Friday with a verbal invitation but no times and they were actually mostly going trick or treating at the party and it was at a friend's that he would have to be driven to... So of course we reminded him that we had already told him it was too late to go if he got the invitation as we like to have plans set a couple of days in advance... Anyway son2 of course denied that we had told him that and was mad that he couldn't go, hubby and I went into lecture/discussion mode, feelings were hurt all around, everyone got angry, me especially.... son2 went off to sulk, I went off to sulk... Son2 didn't want to participate with us for Halloween... I was ready to cancel Halloween... Poor son3 was waiting patiently... Hubby was trying to get everyone back together... I calmed down and got me and son3 ready... Hubby coaxed son2 to put on his costume and join us....We were in the front yard at 5:45 armed with 120 treat bags... Son2 was feeling better and getting into character patrolling the yard as Joker waiting for trick or treaters... Son3 and the neighbor boy were bugging us and his parents to trick or treat, lol... At some point the neighbor mom took the boys trick or treating for a half hour, then they were playing back and forth between houses and giving out candy... We ran out of treat bags about 7:30 and I had to break out our good candy bars, lol... I figure we had about 150 kids... by 8:15 it was quiet and we started dismantling the yard and bringing everything in... By 9pm, the boys had showered and we were finally having dinner and watching Journey to the Center of the Earth with Brendan Frasier.... Son2 crashed at 10:30 and the rest of crashed at 11pm....

However the hit of the evening was son2! He had a blast! which I knew he would and why I got so frustrated with him when he got all teenager on me cause he couldn't go with his friends...

I was in the driveway by the porch with the candy and the kids had to walk up the drive to get the candy all while son2 was walking back and forth as the Joker with his cane in total character of head tilts and voice, lol... All eyes were on him as they made the dash for the treats... Many I had to go to the end of the drive and bring them their treats... Son2 would take of the mask if they were too little... And then people wanted to take pictures of their kids with the Joker... especially the kids who were also dressed as the Joker... All the trick or treaters costumes were great... Even one grandma was trick or treating, lol... The boys saw people they knew... and it was mostly little kids, there were only a couple of groups of bigger kids up to high school.... I thought it was hilarious that some had king size pillow cases... and then one group of kids came up all saying Happy Halloween, Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, so I was telling them all Happy New Year.... We had a blast!!!

Now son2 is wandering the house still wearing bits of his costume... I think he is going to wander out and see how his friend's Halloween went... Son3 of course is off on PlayStation saving the world....


And hubby is back to work today and I am doing tons of laundry from all the Halloween dummies I made... I use blanket sleepers to hold towels and sheets to form the dummies under the costumes... So all that has to be washed and then tomorrow while I am back to work, hubby will box all the Halloween stuff back up for another year... Actually he mentioned Christmas decorations this morning, lol... I brought out some more Thanksgiving decorations but haven't put them up yet... I'm still in my pj's even, lol... and thinking what's for dinner... and dishes need to be done... and fix my apron for work tomorrow... but I have Ghost Whisperer from last night to watch while I fold all the laundry...

And just a reminder to all, of my snowman obsession... I have snowmen up all year around the house, but now that Halloween is past I can now pull out all the snowman tags, woo hoo!!

Happy Journaling...