slow DOWN!

man, i almost got in a wreck leaving scarlett's school the other day. i was turning left out of the school (it's on a curve) and a huge oversized load truck came barreling around the curve, probably going over eighty. he bore down FAST on my bumper, and i was afraid he was going to hit me. i sped up, even though i was in a school zone, then turned off the road in to the front lot of the school, just to get out of his way and calm my jangled nerves. man, why is everyone in such a hurry?

i went out to dinner last night with four lovely ladies, and had to heed my own advice. slow down. listen to the stories of others. ask questions, understand. it's so easy in conversation to jump on the last few words of another's sentence. slow down, girl!

it just seems like we've been going and going and going. with the remodeling, the housework, the puppy, and the deadlines at home. with the pta meetings, the homework, the parties, the fundraisers, and the volunteering at school. with the birthdays, the appointments, the gym, the shopping and the playdates out and about. we need to slow the heck down! i sat and held my big baby girl this morning and watched a tv show with her, and just felt her warmth and kissed her head. i almost cried with the relief (after getting up hours earlier, running around to get h ready for school, cleaning up, etc.). i noticed for the first time that my daughter's hands look just like her dad's. when did i miss that?

i just need to slow down. i'm starting today. i'm doing crafts with my daughter. i'm going to h's halloween party at school. i'm cancelling half the crap i'm supposed to do in the next few weeks. i'm spending so much time living life and doing all the things i'm supposed to do that i've forgotten to enjoy it. just for today i'll try not to overachieve.

raw sewage

yep, RAW SEWAGE. what a post title.

about a week ago when my parents were still here, we noticed that the septic tank was overflowing into the yard. that's NOT good. the pump was running, so dad the useful thought quickly and shut it off at the breaker. a DAY later, at 8 pm, the guy showed up to "fix" it in the dark. turns out there was a rock in the impeller so it couldn't pump the s*!t out into the drainage field. the septic guy and dad tried to remedy the situation in the pitch black, but it wasn't easy. they settled with dropping a used pump down in so that we could at least use the toilet and shower. since then, we haven't heard back. i was just wondering what to do about the whole situation when the county septic inspector showed up. she told me all i never wanted to know about s*!t and it's disposal, all in the wonderful aroma of the stuff itself. she promised to call the septic guy and pressure him for answers.

what a life.

grassroots

as soon as my browser stops giving me massive amounts of annoying trouble with blogger, i'll post on this topic. promise.

YAY! i am back in business for a few minutes.

today was the last day of the grassroots festival and since it wasn't raining and our friends were playing, we decided to take the kids and frolic in the mud.

the never played at noon, so we skidded our way through the muddy parking lot in the trusty minivan to get there in time. usually my policy for sunday is that i go nowhere, see noone and do nothing. it's therapeutic. but this is a very special occasion, as the never are our wonderful friends. they did a short set today, since ari is away at college in boston. noah, joah and johnny are still regrouping as a three-man band, and doing quite well in such a short time. our kids are the littlest groupies, and even had on their tie-dyes to fit in with the hippies dancing about the stage.

in between shows we went to the food court. the kids shared a bbq chicken skewer, while i had chicken curry and veggie korma. tommy had an amazing falafel sandwich. i swear, that festival is worth it just for the food. to top it all off, we had homemade ice cream on still warm waffle cones. mmmmm!

we wandered over to the stage where woodwork roadshow was playing. noah(from the never)'s brother jones is a chip off the old block, and plays the double bass for this incredibly talented bluegrass band based out of wilmington, nc. i say he's a chip off the old block because their dad, snuffy, has played for many years with a band called the bluegrass experience. they played on saturday, but we unfortunately had to miss them. the kids played and danced, but s was having a "hurt" day, where no matter what she did, she kept getting hurt.

after frozen pizza and a big huge bubble bath, the kids are still going strong, so i'd better try to calm them enough for bed.

The Way Things Are Here In The South

first of all, am i the only one that has a running blog commentary in my brain? of course, i'm not sitting and actually typing, but the way i would blog my life or certain topics is constantly running through my head. i need to post more often and get the drivel OUT.

yesterday for lunch, t and i went to allen and son pit cooked bar-be-que, one of our favorite takeout places since the dawn of our move here almost ten years ago. however, we had never 'eaten in' at the 'dining room.' now, most folks in this country wouldn't even consider setiing foot in the joint. maybe folks in other countries wouldn't either, i don't know. but i digress. we walk into this dingy, low-ceilinged room with a sticky screen door that slapped shut after we walked in, and sat down under fluorescent lights at a red-and-white checkered plastic tableclothed (is that a word?? tableclothed??) table. i am instantly transfixed by the psychedelic effect of the lights and the checkers together, and momentarily am able to drown out the curious stares of the locals and daily customers. we ordered our usual-- barbecue plates (oh, pardon, bar-be-que plates) and sat back sipping our tea to wait. now this 'cue isn't the regular smoky red flavored 'cue. it's the eastern north carolina kind, which is pulled pork with a vinegar and red pepper flavor. it's close to heaven for a displaced mid-westerner by way of los angeles.

the people who came in after us get served, and we are still twiddling our thumbs, especially since we need to pick up s at preschool soon. turns out it was OUR food that was delivered to the nice folks at the next table, as they come over bearing the cafeteria-style compartmented food plates that belong to us. "d'dj'all order these here plates?" they asked (that's southern for did you all order these plates). why yes, we replied, and they set the food down in front of us. now, in most parts of the country (and possibly the world), this might be a faux pas. no one in their right mind would actually consider EATING the food that was delivered to another's table first. well, here in the south, particularly at allen and son pit cooked bar-be-que, we did. we not only considered it, we did it.

and that's the way things are here in the south.

aaaah, parents

there is absolutely no wiggle room when my parents come to visit. they get down to business fast, and keep their noses (and my nose) to the grindstone for the whole time that they are here. the result? improvements galore, making my life so much more streamlined. curtains sewn, rods hung, mowers fixed, garages cleaned, all the debris taken to the dump or the thrift shop. it's simply amazing what can be accomplished with two extra helping hands.

especially since i have my twice-yearly allergy headache. i've decided to fight this time-- with drugs-- but so far it looks to be futile. i'm still just as dizzy, nauseated and blinded by the pressure, no matter how many clarinex, nasonex, allegra or whatever i take. i'm just not a big fan of drugs, and this dilemma is supporting my theory.

t is in boston, hanging out with the blvd guys at the comic convention. on friday, the feature article about t was printed on the front page of the "life" section of the n & o. it was exciting, and fun. i want to share it with the world, but i'd be afraid to look like i'm bragging. i can't help it! my big boy is so talented. at least dr. k saw it and commented on her "famous" patient when i saw her friday for my parasthesias recheck. oh, and on that topic, i'm going for an mri in a few weeks to rule out brain/ nerve causes. i'm sure it'll come back totally fine, leaving us to scratch our heads as to why my hands and feet continue to tingle.

maybe i'll try going back to sleep now. after all, it is sunday, the only day i can "sleep in." whatever that phrase means when you have 2 kids and a dog! at least the sun is not shining directly into my eyes thanks to the lovely curtains made possible by my lovely parents.