Things to Look Forward To

I find myself once again unable to sleep, despite a busy day. Of course, it may also have something to do with the power sleep marathon I had last night. 10 hours? That's not my usual amount of sleep, that's for certain!

So, I get up, and go about my business, getting those pesky games I insist on playing out of the way. Why do I play them? I don't know. I've asked myself the same question hundreds of times, but for some reason I just can't stay away long. I personally think it has something to do with a big score, but it is hard to explain these things sometimes.

Anyway, I digress. I went to my grandmother's house late, did some cleaning (enough to make my back ache pretty bad) and came home. I wanted to get back to my games and work on my story that was nearly finished. I had a somewhat nice meal, and got back on the computer, running the new Virtual Villager's game while typing out my little heart. I love the website I work for, and for the last month I've been working as lightly as I could. But I do want some stuff to get done, and my quota to be met for the month. But there is something going on in the back of my head that is very distracting.

School starts again tomorrow!

I'm excited. I took the summer off, and really missed the learning environment. I did manage to finish the project I was working on... and alas, three of my villagers died while I was busy... but I ended up being unable to sleep. I haven't opened my books yet, and there is still that class I'm waitlisted on that hasn't cleared. People tell me to just show up, and I'll get in, but I do worry about it. My schedule is perfect this semester, except for the need to get up at 6am on Saturday as well as the rest of the week. But I can deal with that. I'll be learning again!

This IS exciting stuff. I took classes I want rather than just classes I'll need. Should make for a fun semester, unlike the last.

Still Twisted

Well, I have proudly managed to go most of the day without thinking about you, but once I close my eyes, I am unable to sleep without seeing you demanding everything and giving nothing back except your contempt. I don't know why you are trying to take away something from me. I have been doing these things longer and without requiring anything from you. You didn't seem interested. You never bothered to ask to be included in the small details that really don't matter in the long run. But it appears that it has.

And you are still playing the sulky child. Run off and hide! Your feelings got hurt! Oooh, well, so did mine. Never once did you consider that I've been doing this on my own long before you arrived. Rather than ask to be included, you wait and let everything fester and then send me a list of demands. Now it feels like I have to ask your permission to do anything at all, and that does not sit well with me.

I may be good at sensing when someone is upset with me, but I am not and never will be a mind reader. I've never lied to you. Never deliberately excluded you from anything. Any exclusion was your fault for not putting yourself forward and asking first. I should not have to tell you my plans first unless it is a major change that will affect everyone. Why do you demand this? The only reason I can think if is that you are jealous. So you are going to go off and play the child who doesn't want to play nice, and gets mad because they think they didn't get their fair share.

Go play then. I want no part of this attitude. Don't bother coming back.

One of THOSE Days

Have you ever had one of those days where it just starts off on the wrong foot, and you keep trying and trying to tell people one thing, and they either blow you off or take it the wrong way and give you back attitude that just makes it worse?

Honestly, I've never seen anyone twist words so much to put me at fault. Well of course, it has to be my fault, since it isn't my friend's. They have an idea I don't like, but after I think about it I decide it just might be a good idea, and all of a sudden I'm claiming credit for the idea when I bring it up again. Not to mention they decide they want to be a part of everything I do, no matter how minor the matter, or how time sensitive it is, yet they deliberately leave me out of what they are doing for no better reason than I said "call if you need me" rather than "please make sure to ask me what I think, cause I want to be involved!"

Oh yes, that is my fault.

It is childish and needy to demand I wait for you to show up in order to get something done. I do not demand this of you. You should not demand this of me.

Check your bags of jealousy, rage or whatever other emotions are at the door before you come back, thank you very much.

And before you start anything else, you said hurtful things to me too. So of course, having had a bad day, I made a remark that would make you shut up and think for a minute. You can avoid talking to me as much as you like, but you have left a scar here. First for letting the matter stew rather than skimming it when it was simply at the surface, then for lying about the matter in the second place when it was obviously a bother, third for accusing me of things that were entirely in your mind and would never have festered if you would drop that sarcastic defense system of yours and actually open your mind, fourth for not listening when you demand to be listened to, and most importantly of all, for your jealousy.

Damn you for your jealousy. Damn you for your rage. Damn you for twisting things in your mind so it is so crystal clear to you that you are being screwed when you're not.

It isn't about you. Get over it!

Schools These Days

Well, first let me say I love my children and I want them to be successful. But the school system in the area has initiated this program called "No Child Left Behind." Basically what it boils down to is that no matter how badly a child fails, they are still permitted to pass to the next grade.

If you ask me, this is a serious breach in trust. This permits teachers to be lazy, ignoring student needs and abilities. My daughter failed math horribly all year long. Some of it was from not doing homework, I'll admit it, but after a week of tutoring her in what should be basic sixth grade math skills, I'm ready to run back to the school board and throw another major fit.

Why? My daughter cannot multiply 126 x 45.

I don't know when this is learned in schools these days, but I learned how to do that in fifth grade. Its not that she doesn't know her multiplication tables. She does, and she remembers it better than I do! Lazy old mum uses a calculator these days. However, she doesn't understand the method of multiplying these two numbers on paper. It took me several attempts to understand why she could not get the correct answer. I finally had to sit down and walk her through the process step by step.

Now she understands it, and suddenly she's not so reluctant to do math.

My next task... getting my son to ENJOY reading!

He says it will never happen... hmmm. We shall see!

After The Storm

Well, the storms yesterday did leave their mark. I heard the trash can hit the garage more than once as the winds attempted to fling it to the around. Of course, with the garage in the way, all it really did was create a very loud, hollow boom that freaked out the kids and puppy in the house. The birds were surprisingly oblivious to the howling winds, and thunder that sounded like cannon volleys in the dark. Makes me wonder why they'll freak out when a tiny little earthquake hits. Ah well.

Anyway, apparently the storm did a tad more damage than I thought it would. We didn't lose power thank goodness, but while going to get the mail, something in the now too long grass of my yard caught my eye. Its been raining almost every day for a week, mind you. Dad cut the lawn before he left, but when it rains, the average height of a blade of grass in our lawn can double in one night. So, five days of rain without a chance to dry out enough for me to cut it again certainly hid this little storm perk from me until I was almost on top of it. So I got my son to take a picture with this... piece of what could have been very bad news if this had happened a week ago. Why?

See the end of the sidewalk there? That leads to my house. That is where I park my car when my father is home. Right now, my car is in the driveway where my dad's van is usually parked.

I just want to take this moment to say... Dad, thanks for going on vacation!

There wasn't really any other damage to our property, but we got quite a surprise when we went to uncover the pool. Without the cover to help support the weight of the water, one side collapsed and dumped out a dozen or so gallons before snapping back into shape. Oh don't worry, the pool is fine now, but we had to wait to use it for about two hours while the saturated ground attempted to absorb yet more water. Poor Pumpkin got soaked... and I'm very glad I was wearing shorts.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I love storms... but please, no more branches! In a couple more weeks I'll be parking there again and I would really rather not have to replace a window or two right now.

People With Big Noses

My mood right now is not happy. NOT happy.

There are many people I would like to slice and dice both verbally and mentally for sticking their very large noses into places they do not belong. It has happened before in the past, and now it is happening yet again.

It goes something like this.

Something is seen that someone gets curious about. There's a hint of something about to happen. So they decide to go snooping. And they snoop and snoop until they find something. They may not know exactly what it is, but it seems to be relative to the what they've seen before. So they go tell their friends. They make hints that they know all about it. Sooner or later, the secret is out and everyone knows all about it.

Meanwhile, those who worked hard in preparing a surprise for months are staring going, "I hate you."

Do you really have to get a heads up so you can strut around like a rooster in a hen house crowing "I know what it is!"

SERIOUS, folks. Curb those too long noses! Wait like everyone else for the good stuff to come. You'll know about it eventually. Patience is a virtue. You go snooping around and telling your friends and ruining the fun... it isn't fun anymore. Be a little more considerate, will you?

Storms On The Horizon

About an hour ago, the kids decided they wanted to go swimming in our new pool. I went to check the chlorine levels and what have you, and decided it was safe, but there were a ton of bugs floating in it. I got in to clean, and after I was done spent a few moments just floating there staring up at the cloudy sky. Something made me suddenly want to get out, so I did, and the kids got upset when I removed the ladder, covered the pool, and ordered everyone inside.

Ranger, by the way, had decided to take a nice bite out of the pool cover while I was in there. Silly dog will try to eat anything.

Anyway, I take a shower, and less than 2 minutes after I got out... with the kids still complaining they didn't get their turn to swim, the wind hits the house. A few moments after that, we're in the center of a deluge and the tornado watch alert comes through. Next thing I know, my room is crowded with two kids and a dog, wide eyed at the thunder and being startled by every flash of light.

So I ask them, "Still want to go swimming?"

They look at me like I'm crazy. See? Mom knows what she's talking about.

Silly kids...