Sometimes, it's hard being a working mommy

I didn't get to see my kiddos yesterday, and it was really un-fun.  (Don't roll your eyes at me.  I like that word.  It fits.)  Not seeing my kiddos hurts my heart.  Aside from the fact that I'm typically at the office about 6:45 am every day and leave the house before my babies get up, I also had two back-to-back meetings at the church last night and therefore went directly to the church after work.

The meetings were good, productive ones - but I didn't get to see my kiddos.  They were, both of them, sound asleep by the time I got home.  (I guess Thor's party kept them awake the night before, too, so the Sleep Monster took over earlier than usual last night.)  I checked on them, fussed over covers and blankies and stuffed animals, kissed their sweet faces and went to bed.

TTFN
JMS

Thor's party in the sky kept me awake all night (but I didn't call the cops)

Last night, we had major storm warnings and watches all over this area.  Normally I don't worry too much about storms.  They don't scare me.  In fact, I kind of like them.  (Except those thunder BOOMS that wake you out of a dead sleep as if Thor had smashed the house with Mjölnir.)  But, I am going to admit, here and now, that I let the warnings get to me. 

I couldn't settle.  I tried reading (which is a nightly routine that helps me fall asleep, just as hubby's is to find an old black & white documentary) but that didn't work; I couldn't concentrate on what I was reading and kept being interrupted by the lightning and thunder.  (I'm telling you, Thor was in a tizzy about something last night.)  I got up to get something to drink (grapefruit juice and ginger ale, yum), I stood looking out the kitchen window for a while and watched the activity in the sky, I checked on the kids multiple times, I gathered stuff for the utility room just in case we had to take shelter, I found a pitiful candle and a lighter, I found a flashlight...

I finally crawled back into bed (it's now about 1AM and waaay past my bedtime) and turned on the radio to the talk station I like, knowing they'd have emergency weather-related break-ins to regular programming, and I lay there and listened.  I listened to the sounds of the guys on the radio, if not really what they were talking about (it was just noise) but what I really listening for is the emergency broadcast system beeps - we all know what they sound like.  And all the ones I heard had the storms just to the south of us.  So all the storm activity I was seeing and hearing was, apparently, pitiful when compared to what the counties to the south of mine were seeing. 

I don't know, exactly, what time I drifted off, but it was probably close to 2:30 am.  Needless to say, I am tired today.  I know that there are going to be a lot of other really tired people around today, too, so I need to be sensitive to that and not selfishly hanging on to my own exhaustion.  There will be no time to nap, though.  I have a 4:30 pm meeting at the church tonight, and another one at 6:00 pm; I'll be there until 7:30 or 8:00 tonight.  And then, as if that's not enough, we're expected to get another round of heavy storms tonight; so more not sleeping.

TTFN
JMS

Weekend Snapshot

Direct sun snapshot

I like it. Thought I'd share it so you could like it (or not), too.

TTFN

JMS

PS: Yes, I did take this my very own self.

It's a good kind of tired

Spent the entire weekend visiting with amazing friends. It was very hard to leave. And wishing that they'd pack themselves up and move back to where they started (meaning back to around the corner from us) is silly. There were lots of tears from the kiddos as we drove away; missing their friends.

We'll have to do it again...soon.

TTFN
JMS

Tananda Dot Com - Salary & Skilz (Cross Posted)

Check out the latest Tangent article on Tananda Dot Com. http://tananda.com/2014/04/salary-skilz/

Or, if you'd rather read all the other posts: http://tananda.com/

Happy Reading! Hope you learn something you didn't know before, or simply enjoy the content.

TTFN
JMS

Blinded by the light...

It's getting brighter and brighter outside in the early mornings when I'm driving to work. I like the daylight, very much. However, while I am sitting at my desk - at a certain point in the morning - the sun comes indirectly through the windows and shines directly in my eyes. For about 10 minutes, it's blinding.

You're probably asking, "What am I looking at here?" Well, there are three large, glass windows. The closest one is the hardest to see, but if you look to the left of the center of the picture you see two dark, vertical lines. That is where two large panes of glass meet and they are the closest to me. A little further back, and to the right side of the picture, you can see the reflection of the rising sun on the glass front entrance of the company across the hall from me. You can also see the sun reflecting on the wall, then the external glass windows, and the brick wall of the exterior of the building.

Make sense?

You can see how it would be blinding, right? I'm slightly off-kilter, a little off-the-wall, and maybe a little neurotic and OCD, but I'm not crazy, right?

TTFN
JMS

PS: The blinding reflection is gone now...until tomorrow morning.

Letter (ahem...Rant) to That Little Black Car

Dear Little Black Car...

...Who cut me off on Pellissippi Parkway this morning by pulling out in front of me from George Light Rd. I HAD NO WHERE TO GO AND WAS GOING 55 MPH! And, since this is a rant, how stupid are you? Have you ever actually read your Driver's Education Manual? What you did endangered not only your life, but mine and the people traveling beside me - hence the reason I could not simply switch lanes to let your dumb self over. The guy behind me thought quick and wound up having to pull into the street you just pulled out of - did you know that? - to avoid hitting me when I slammed on my brakes to avoid hitting YOU. It is a very good thing that, even decaffeinated, I have a decent little car, quick reflexes and a strong awareness of my surroundings. Still...it took me several miles to come down off the rush (read "scare") you gave me. And, just as a matter of note, if I wasn't awake then - which I most certainly was or you and I, and possibly several others, would be dead now - I was definitely awake after that brilliant little stunt you pulled. I suggest you revisit your Driver's Ed Manual immediately or talk to people with more experience than yourself. You're gonna kill someone if you continue to drive with your head shoved so far up your backside that you need a Plexiglas navel to see where you're going.

Sincerely,
Alive Because I'm Smarter and Faster Than You

(Credit for the super-awesome Plexiglas insult goes to Gene Roure. My Second Dad and the smartest, most clever guy I know. How many years ago did you tell me that? I've never forgotten it and still consider it the most fantastic insult ever. You Rock!

Now...if I could just find one of those little headlight wipers to go with the Plexiglas navel.)

Fun? Oh, ever so much!

You know what's fun? Laryngitis. You know what's even more fun? An upper respiratory infection to go along with it. It's a good thing I don't need to talk to post this, eh?

TTFN
JMS

Easter (Bunny) Musings

I don't want to just make stuff up, really - I kind of like research and facts. If I don't know about something I tend to go directly to my preferred search engine and start seeking information. Even if it's just a tidbit here and there, it's likely more than I knew when I started. This makes me a font of useless knowledge and tidbits, but an expert in nothing special.

I heard something on the radio this morning that made me question myself and my fact seeking quests, though. The DJ - using his made-for-radio voice to fill time between songs - said, "...the average age that kids stop believing in the Easter Bunny is around age 6."

Really? Because my kids still believe, and they're 7 and 10, respectively. I would suspect my son has an idea that his mom is full of hot air...(something I don't deny, honestly)...but then thinking twice I wonder if he'd actually be upset to learn that the Easter Bunny is, in fact, me? My daughter asked me just last night if I thought the Easter Bunny was going to bring her a basket this year. I did my best, non-committal, "Hmmmm...we'll see," and left it at that.

Don't get me started on Santa Claus.

I suppose the lengths I go to to make stuff up for the sake of my kids happiness is further than I realized. I wonder if it's time for me to start backing off? These things have definitely been fun, mostly because it's pretty cool to watch their faces as I explain to them how I spoke personally with the Tooth Fairy to let her know that the lost tooth would not be under Beta Child's pillow because said child would be snuggling with me. This is important stuff. This is amazing stuff! I actually have the Tooth Fairy's cell phone number! And yes, it's magical.

TTFN
JMS

That moment when...

Dontcha just hate it when someone says, "That moment when..." and goes on to say something completely off the wall or irrelevant to the current topic of conversation. No? Really?

I found out a couple things last night that, though not yet fit for public consumption, I must discuss on some level or I may explode. Both are family issues. Both are not good or fun or easy for those involved. And, of course, the kicker for me is that I cannot go into any detail what-so-ever because then I'd be breaking promises. I can say that no, these awful things are not my own, my immediate family's, or even my local state-extended family's issues. Doesn't make this any easier, though.

Vague and frustrating for you? Yeah, me, too. I apologize for that.

But I would like to ask for your prayers, thoughts, good vibrations - whatever you feel comfortable with - for these people that I love. Because...it can do no harm, and may actually do some good.

TTFN
JMS

PS: I'm wondering if these things, on some level, are why I couldn't sleep on Tuesday night? Am I that sensitive?

Contemplating the Complexities of Life - at 3AM

Last night was one of those nights. Hubby and I settled in to watch G.I. Joe: Retaliation but he fell asleep pretty quickly. I watched the entire movie - which was a good source of entertainment. Sometime after the movie was over, though, Little Bit got up and decided she needed me. This is unusual, because she's my good sleeper and doesn't ever get up unless there's something wrong. So I did the mommy thing. I snuggled with her for a bit, got her resettled, tucked her in, made sure she had her stuffed dog and her blankie, and made sure she was asleep again.

Good deal.

For her, yes. For me? Not so much.

I spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, contemplating the complexities of life, worrying about stuff that adults worry about and generally not sleeping.

Finally, though, about 4:30AM, I went out - deeply. Only to be awakened with much confusion and frustration at 5:15AM to take my daily thyroid meds.

So here I am now, running on empty and wondering how I'm going to make it through my day.

Hopefully it won't be one of those days.

TTFN
JMS

The Epitome of Grace & Bad Weather

So it's April, right? Exactly mid-way through April, actually. Oh - and I think something about Taxes, today, in particular? But the temperature is on its way to freezing and it cannot decide, at the moment, if it wants to snow or rain.

Plus, I fell - like the big klutz that I am - coming back into the building after having gone to my car for $ for the vending machine so I could get my bottle of water. (Gave up soda, thank you very much. Yes, I will accept applause and congratulations.) The fall was oh-so-graceful and I'm sure, should the security guys decide that they just have to review the tapes from today, they'll get a good laugh at my expense.

Whatever.

Except for the slightly throbbing knee and a greater wound to my pride, I shall survive.

Even this.

TTFN
JMS

If I must....

Well - I suppose since I'm now a contributing author at Tananda.com I should actually update my personal blog... Ya think? It's been far too long, anyway. Not that a lot has changed, really.

Kids are now 7 & 10 years old, which, in itself is news enough. Kiddo will be starting middle school this fall and I think I'm not old enough for that yet. Or, maybe I'm too old. Take your pick.

I probably could go on for paragraphs and paragraphs updating you on everything that has happened since we last spoke but you'd get bored and leave, so I'll be nice and restrain myself.

Anyway - make sure you take some time to check out Tananda.com, and for amusement take a peek at my contributing author profile page.

TTFN
JMS