I'm Still Standing

I got my hair cut a few days ago. None of the length cut, just about two inches off of my layers. I really didn't like how the girl did it (she is not my regular stylist) but today, after washing and drying and curling it, I think I like it! I am still going to give it about 2 weeks to see if my layers start blending in on their own, if not, I'll go back and have that done. It doesn't look bad, just a little wavier than I am used to. It is more Daisy Duke aka Jessica Simpson than I wanted. But on my way out of Walmart last night, a truck slowed down beside me and the guy was like HI, so I said HI, then he said "I like your hair", so I said "Thank you." Then he said bye and I said bye. So I guess I can live with the hair cut!

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! I guess the weather will be changing for the worse tomorrow and this weekend. That is okay, though. I need an excuse to stay home and inside to do some spring cleaning. Spring clean-up will be soon so I want to get all broken and junky items out of the house and by the curb in preparation for that day. I am going to do a massive throwawayathon because when I move, I want to be as light as possible. As it is, I have accumulated enough furniture and household items to fill this 4 bedroom house. I remember when we moved into this place 10 years ago and I was thinking, Gosh, how will I ever fill this place...with three tiny bodies running around and just Mike and I, the place seemed big. Now, with 4 teenage bodies around and Barb and myself, the dog and the cats, the place is cramped. Oh well, such is life, I guess. They'll all be gone before I know it and it'll just be me. I'll be missing the coziness of it all!

I bought the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack last night. It was a bigtime Broadway show when I was a kid. A great soundtrack. My mother had the vinyl version when I was growing up. I've been in the mood to listen to old time music lately. My mother loved Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Captain and Tenille, Ronnie Milsap, The Mamas and the Papas, etc...Sadly, I have my own collection of those CDs now. You knew it was a Saturday when my mother would have some Neil Diamond blaring on the stereo and you could smell Lemon Fresh Pledge, because that meant she was cleaning the house. I used to clean my room to ACDC Back in Black...I still clean my house to ACDC...sometimes Neil Diamond.

So 5 out of 6 teachers have bronchitis/pneumonia at work. I am the only one still virus-free!!! Knock on wood. Hand sanitizer is my saving grace.

I bought a new cordless phone last night. It is a Motorola, with caller id and call waiting caller id! I was tired of not having a caller id on my other two cordless phones, and my caller id box has been crapping out lately, so I said SCREW it...I am buying a new phone. I've never used Motorola except for cell phone usage. It has a handy-dandy little belt clip so I can bring the phone with me all thru the house when I am cleaning.

So Nice!!!

It was so nice outside today. 52-plus degrees out. I went tanning in the Viper capsule today. I got out early because my skin felt very hot after just 5 or 6 minutes. I think you're only allowed in there for 10 minutes max. 8 bucks it cost to use that thing. Aside from that, no real exciting news to report since my last blog.

It is 5 o'clock Somewhere

I didn't get anything really done today that I had wanted to do. Just one of those days. I woke up at 5 and ended up falling back to sleep around 7 and then slept until almost 10. Now I have one of those hangover feelings. Should make work interesting. Everyone there is sick. I am the only healthy one right now, but that is because I wash my hands incessantly.

I saw Charlie at the mall Monday night, while I was there getting my hair cut. It was good to see him. He always makes me laugh. He scored very well on his LSATs. I am very proud of him. Way to go, Charlie!!! We're gonna hang out soon. He's moving to southern Maine too, so I'll have lots of friends. Lynette wants to go to USM for her grad work and Jon York and his wife are already down there. Plus, I have three uncles and two aunts down there, and my cousins, of course. Melanie and Sean are expecting their baby. They are living on Forest Ave in Portland. I should be seeing everyone on the day the kids and I come back from vacation. My grandmother is having her 75th birthday extravaganza so the kids and I have to head back from V-Beach a day earlier.

The weather today is beautiful. I wish my mood matched. I am just feeling overwhelmed right about now. I have a list of things I need to get done and that just makes me want to procrastinate all the more. These weeks are flying by. Good because vacation is coming sooner, but bad because I am running out of weeks to get a job, relocate, etc. Before you know it, fall will be here again!

Brian was in a jerky mood on the phone last night. He gets that way when he misses me, but sometimes it gets old. I hope he is in a happier mood tonight. It seems to be harder for him to hide his depression from me now. I don't know if that is a good thing. I guess it is a good thing that he trusts me enough to just be himself and not worry about having to always be happy to impress me or to keep me around, but on the other hand, I am a mostly upbeat person and his dark moods can definitely bring me down really fast. I mean, we've all felt stuck at times and just can't seem to get out of our own way, and that is where he is right now. I understand this and my love for him supercedes all else, but it will be good when this passes, though. Some people are sponge-like and can suck my good moods right out of me. My moods seem to be strictly hormonal. Once a month, things seem really bleak and dark for me and I cry more easily.

The kids have a 1/2 day of school today. I have to work until 5:30. I can't believe tomorrow is Thursday already!!! I'm not sure if Brian is coming down Saturday or not. If the weather stays like this, maybe he'll want to bring the bike down! :) He is coming down next weekend, barring all major snowstorms, and it is unlikely we'll spend three weekends together in a row.

Current Mood: fuzzy brained
Current Music: Edge of Seventeen Stevie Nicks

Bailey and Jenn

Bailey and Jenn
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Bailey was pretending to sleep but her smile, which broke into giggles, kept giving her away.

My Motorcycle Man

My Motorcycle Man
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Sitting at the Denny's where we first met at "Our" table. He had no idea that I had saved the piece of paper he had written his phone number and email address on until I slid it over to him. And he thought he was going to surprise me by remembering what table we had been sitting at, and requesting to the waitress that we sit at that particular table.

My Weekend

Brian came down Friday night. We went to the movies and saw The Pacifier. We both agreed that it was very predictable, but okay. It was nice just to cuddle at the theater. Saturday, we went motorcycle shopping 11-1, then we went to the boat show, then Sam's club, then Home Depot, THEN at the last minute we decided to go to Portland and catch the 7:30 show at The Comedy Connection. After that, we went to dinner at The Wok In, and drove back to the hotel in Bangor for the night. All and all, a great weekend. I was happy to spend the holiday together. On the drive home from Portland, I was cuddled up next to him, sleeping, but I awakened briefly, though he thought I was still asleep, and the song "I Could Love You like That" by John Michael Montgomery came on the radio and he sang it to me. So sweet!

Today, Shannon, Barb and I went to the movies. Brian headed home around 11. We saw The Ring 2. Okay. Not scary, but it was nice to get the background story on Samara. We went to Bull Moose Music after. The place was PACKED!!! I bought 3 new cd's. Lifehouse's brand new cd, Stevie Nicks Belladonna, and an old Fleetwood Mac album. After that, we ate supper at The Olive Garden and are just now getting home.

I'm just gonna sit back and relax and wait for my kids to get home. They are spending Easter with my mother. I wasn't in the mood to do the big family thing today, but my mother and kids were, so they are. Brian is supposed to be down this Saturday and then the weekend after, he is going to be in Portland and mentioned stopping in and picking me up. I could definitely use an entire weekend in Portland. The weekend after that, I'm headed to Virginia.

Current Mood: Tired
Current Music: my new cd's

Happy Easter!!!

The kids have no school today. It is an in-service, but it gives the kids a three day weekend for Easter. Brian is coming down this weekend. I'm glad, not just because I get to snuggle with him all day tomorrow, but because the holidays are very sad for him when he spends them alone. I think we're going to the movies tomorrow night.

Zach and I went to Ampersand's for my latte and his strawberry steamer and I mentioned I had to run to the Dollar Tree to buy some Easter presents for my preschoolers. He started to cry and I was like, what is your problem. "So just because I'm big [he is 10] means I don't care about Easter anymore?"

What it means is that instead of baskets, the kids will get a storage tote filled with video games, cd's, movies, the traditional Easter candy, new clothes, etc. I didn't tell him though about the stuff I've gotten, so I'll get him a cheap little Easter basket from the store and on Sunday, while he is playing with that, the girls will have their stuff. I'll give him his stuff after. Then we'll go to church and spend the day at my mom's so I can get MY Easter basket! :)

Just My Luck

So I stay on the phone with Brian last night until the late evening hours (no complaints) thinking, no big deal, I don't have to work until 1 PM tomorrow...Nay, nay...Jessy called 7:30 AM this morning to see if I could be in by 10:30. Carey has pneumonia and acute sinusitis...similar to what I had back in November or December. She'll be out tomorrow too and I will go into work an hour early. Tomorrow is Friday. Tomorrow is Katie's last day. Tomorrow is our Easter party. Tomorrow is Katie's going away party.


Current Mood: exhausted

Current Music: Since U Been Gone
Kelly Clarkson

GUESS WHAT???

There is a rumor, I heard it on the radio today, that after the Eagles finish tourning this spring, Don Henley will be touring this summer with STEVIE NICKS! Please, please, please let this be true. And please let it be somewhere on the east coast.
I still haven't fully recovered missing out on Fleetwood Mac's farewell tour.

Day 6 of Tanning

Day 6 of Tanning
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Day 6...getting ready for VA Beach

Day 6...getting ready for VA Beach
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Can't wait until 4/16/05!!!

Very Cool!!!

I went into work and Jessy asked if I wanted to take the rest of the day off...Hell yeah!!!

A BEAUTIFUL DAY OUTSIDE!!! I love spring! I love summer!

Current Mood: Elated
Current Music: Godsword

Mondays

Typical Monday. Got to work. It went pretty well. Drove home. Realized I left purse at work. Drove back to work. Got purse and drove home. Walked in the door and was told my mother picked up my children and to pick them up there when I got home. Had to drive almost all the way back to work in BANGOR, as my mother lives about 1 minute from my place of employment, to get my children and now I am finally home.

Current Mood: My head is KILLING me and I am cranky.
Current Music: Jeremy Camp

Almost 5 Years

I never thought almost 5 years would go by and I wouldn't see one of my parents. In five years, my two nieces have been born. Alexis will be 4 in May and Gabrielle turned 1 in December. My sister got married. The last time my dad saw my kids, Kayla was 11, Hayley was 10, and Zach was 6. With the exception of their faces, they'd be almost unrecognizible to him. Kayla is taller than me. Hayley is almost as tall as me and Zach is just 5 feet finally. In 5 years, I've gotten ONE phone call from him.

Whining

If anyone thinks I whine in my blog, I have something to say to you. This is MY blog. Don't read the fucking thing. I don't think I whine more than anyone else and I certainly take care of my own life and keep my personal problems to myself, with the exception of my blog, but please refer to the above.

Anyway, that wasn't directed at anyone in general, just a disclaimer.

Going to get my latte. Going tanning. (Sorry about the miscommunication yesterday Eric.) Going to work. Going to bed.
In two weeks, Jade is going to Florida, so I'll be covering for her at work. 10:30-5:30 M-F...BUT shortly after that, I'll be going on my vacation!!!

Boring, Boring, Boring

Today has been even more boring than yesterday, if y'all can believe that!!!

Let's see...today, I went tanning, grocery shopping, watched 3 movies, got my latte.
I'm going to church tonight because I talked myself out of going this morning, but I've been up since 6:30 AM nonetheless.

Wetass Chronicles

Wetass Chronicles...I LOVE this blog! It just cracks me up. I signed up for the free bumper sticker.

I can't wait for my vacation.

I am so bored right now. The kids and I bought 8 movies this weekend. I am on movie number 5. Tomorrow morning is church at 8:30 AM. I feel asleep at 1 this morning and woke up at 6:30 AM...I repeat A.M.!!! So today I feel terribly hung over. I didn't even have anything to drink. I took the kids to supper at Governor's and bought the movies and came home and watched some. Got me to thinking that when I do get a hangover, it is probably not so much because of the alcohol, as it is my staying up until 3-4 in the morning. I'm chugging Red Bull right now, so hopefully that helps. It was just one of those days that you stay in bed all day, reading the paper, drinking a latte, watching movies...but my body hurts now! I had to get up and get moving around. Went to Shop and Save and Irving. Gonna pick up the living room and make my bed. Then I'll go back to bed and watch more movies. Maybe I'll read a little. I have a ton of books that I've bought or been loaned, over the last few months from Goodwill, Bette's Bookstore, and Border's...among the titles are Book 2-7 of the 12 Left Behind books, Wicked, The Da Vinci Code, Icy Sparks, 12 Times Blessed, plus a ton more that I am too tired to think of to list...

I MISS BRIAN!!!


Current Mood: Blah
Current Movie: White Chicks

Virginia Beach Here We Come!!!

I've started tanning, got the hotel lined up, got the rental car all set...I am so psyched for this vacation! April 15th-25th, the kids and I'll be in Virginia and Washington D.C. We are taking Barb and Shannon...why? Because they are a lot of fun and because Barb used to live in the area, so we can take many more day trips than last year. Hopefully I don't get food poisoning again and lose 48 hours of the trip. I would have lost more time, but I forced myself to brave D.C. once I could stand again. I felt like I was going to pass out that whole day and was queasy on the Metro, but I got thru it!

Hopefully, since Kayla and Shannon are 15 and 17 respectively, Barb and I will get to a few clubs to do some drinking. But honestly, just being on a beach, without snow anywhere in sight sounds like all the vacation I need.

Current Mood: EXCITED!!! duh!

Current Music: Lime in de Coconut

Friday At Last

This weather has been beautiful. Makes up for a busy work week. I've been taking the kids outside as much as possible at work.

Tomorrow is the third Saturday of the month, so that means BOWLING with Jim and Joyce and others from church. I don't know if I am going to go. I can tolerate them at church, at the grocery store, etc. If I spend any large amounts of time with Jim, he and I are in the computer lab. I haven't spent large amounts of time with them when they are being "them". I know Jim told her about our past and when it is just he and I, things are normal, but I always feel like I can't act as friendly with him when we're around others, like I can when it is just us. I know he is the same way. At church, he always says hi to me, but it is usually Joyce and I that talk. He just stands there uncomfortably, shifting his weight from one foot to the next. So one would think we should just avoid each other. We can't. We've tried. I tell him everything and he tells me everything, even stuff he should probably be telling her now, but we've confided in each other for so long, it is hard to break that habit. We certainly do not communicate as much as we used to, out of respect for Joyce, but a month will go by and we haven't had a good talk, and he'll email me and ask to see me, so I go into his office and usually come out an hour later feeling so much better. I usually end up crying because he'll ask a question about Brian or whoever. He thinks I should forget about Brian. Then again, any man I date lately isn't good enough for me. He and Joyce have taken to fix my love life, hence the BOWLING tomorrow 5-7. And I love Joyce. She is a wonderful woman and is much better suited for him I think, then I would have been. In a weird way though, it is kind of like Jim pushes us into situations that force us to communicate publicly so he can prove to himself or to Joyce that his feelings for me weren't real, or at least are over. For me, those feelings were over the minute Brian gave me our first kiss. Even still, it can be hard seeing a former lover canoodling with his present wife.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Next year, St. Patty's is on a Friday! :) Drinking on a Thursday night just doesn't work for me...and I am definitely Irish...I'm also equally French, hence the last name De Orsey. My mother is a McGlinchey. My grandmother is a Ouellette.

Anyway, I started tanning again! YAY! Before I hear one word about the bad effects of tanning on the aging process...do not forget I am almost 33. I certainly do not look almost 33 and I've been tanning at least 3 months out of every year since I was 16. My skin never burns, thanks to my French ancestors, who have beautifully dark skin, dark hair and dark eyes. I am not so dark and I have blue eyes and fair to medium skin, but I never burn and I have very few body marks (little to no moles, I only freckle on my upper arms slightly, I always wear sunscreen on my face, even in winter, and use Estee Lauder's Sunless face tanner). Let me tell you how relaxing and energizing 20 minutes in a sunbed is.

I went to Border's last night ( sorry Shelly!!!). Shelly works at the infamous Bett's Bookstore in Bangor and I try to frequent it as much as possible, but the store hours are tough for my schedule...Border's is open until 10! Bought some good books and it got me to thinking just how much I spend on BOOKS! :) I really need to renew my library card. There are just some books I HAVE to have though, to touch and smell and look at. I love new books and I love revisiting my old books. I have one that my aunt gave me when I was 11 and her friend gave it to her when she was 11ish. It is Judy Blume's Are You there God, it is Me Margaret. I re-read it every year. I can finish it in just a few hours. The pages are all yellowed and the cover is long gone now. On page 96, there is the stain where I discovered a spider and in my horror, I squashed it, without realizing what I was doing until after the fact. My girls own all of Judy Blume's books and love her dearly. She also has the CUTEST little beach (two or three room) cottage-like place where she writes. There are pictures of it on her website. My dream writing worksite is in a big finished attic. Little window at the top, walls lined with built-in bookshelves. Big desk with my laptop, all my Gone with the Wind collection, pictures of the kids, cozy places to curl up in and to read and write the days away.

Why does it have to be like this?

Flint had been after me for sometime to pick up some of my belongings, after refusing to just bring them to me at work. Mind you, it was JUST a pair of slippers and my pajama bottoms...two items I have PLENTY of and he could have just kept them as souveniers. So I went over to get them last Monday, plus he was having some computer trouble, so I said I'd help him out. He was having a big interview the next morning and was kind of nervous and could use a friend to hang out with a little while...so being the friendly person that I am, I stayed and we hung out. Got me to thinking that while he isn't the right one for me, what could it hurt to be friends? So I called the next day, after the interview, to see how things had gone. He had the kids over that night and we didn't talk long. Fast forward to the present. I find out from mutual friends from the gym that he has been saying some not-so-nice things about me, like I only broke up with him because he got fired. Ummm, no...I stayed with him for some time after he got fired for SEXUALLY HARASSING his employees. I guess he didn't think I was going to find out about his backstabbing because he seemed surprised to have elicited the "don't fucking talk to me ever again" response from me. THEN just now, he instant messages me and asks "what's up?"
I ignored the IM.
It just ticks me off because I don't understand people like that. As much of a jerk as he seems to be, I have never publicly said anything about him that I haven't said to his face!

Where's the Snow?

It is a Saturday night. The kids all went to the movies with Barb. So much for this big storm we were supposed to have today! I'm not complaining, but I didn't plan on anything "fun" because of the impending doom. I cleaned today. I'm enjoying the quiet I guess. Brian cancelled the plans for Portland because of the snow, but as of last night, he had a feeling it really wasn't going to amount to much. I'm just feeling kind of down. I'd love to be with him right now. I'm half-minded to just drive up to him but he's probably out snowmobiling.

Anyway, not much else to report. Just feeling kind of blah. I have listened to CD's, read, cleaned, showered...now I'm gonna do my nails. I should probably go to the gym and get rejuevenated, but I think they close early on Saturdays. Figures.



"Lonliness, like a heartbeat, can drive you mad..." Fleetwood Mac

Take the High School Q&A Challenge

My 20th High School reunion won't be until 2010, but I got this from my friend Tim's blog.

What year was it?
I graduated HS in June 1990.

What were your three favorite bands (performers)?
G&R, Aerosmith (still is one of my faves), Cinderella

Which bands did you hate?
George Michael and Madonna

What was your favorite outfit?
I had a Levis jean jacket that I adored. A pair of Levis. A $60 UMO sweatshirt that I had to have that Christmas. Nike sneakers were a must have.

What was up with your hair?
BIG BIG BIG...I had mall hair. The taller the bangs, the better. Spiral perm in the back, sides kind of layered and feathered back into it....You KNOW the look!

Who were your best friends?
Julie D., Julie G., Carrie T., April B., Danielle, Kim, Carrie H., and Stephanie.

What did you do after school?
Detention, detention, detention...Then hang out at a friend's and get high. Spend enormous amounts of time at the Mall.

Where did you work?
Wells Commons (UMaine), Poster Plus (Bangor Mall), Wendy's (Hogan Rd., then Union St.)

Did you take the bus?
Yup, took the bus in the mornings. I'd always have a ride home, though because I always had a boyfriend and they all drove. That was a prerequisite. Then I got my own car when I was 16.

Who did you have a crush on?
Actually, no one in particular. I had a serious boyfriend at 16 and was with him until I was 21. Two kids later, we split.

Did you fight with your parents?
Doesn't every teenager? Actually, more with my mother than my father.

Who did you have a CELEBRITY crush on?
Corey Haim

Did you smoke cigarettes?
Yup. We had a smoking area right inside the high school. My, how times have changed.

Did you lug all of your books around in your backpack all day because you were too nervous to find your locker?
Nah. I made trips to my locker a couple times a day

Did you have a ‘clique’?
Oh yes! There were a few clicks in my school. THE JOCKS, THE BURNOUTS, THE DRAMAS and THE NORMS. My friends and I were didn't really have a name...We were the mallrats, I guess, VERY into fashion...We used to play this fashion police game at school and in the mall. We were kinda mean, actually.

Did you have "The Max" like Zach, Kelly, and Slater?
The local Mcdonalds, .. The Local 7-11.. Pat's Pizza

Admit it, were you popular?
Yes.

Who did you want to be just like?
My friend Wendy.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
An advertising executive.

Where did you think you’d be at the age you are now?
Married with Children.. A big house.. A nice Car.. A well paying job...
So fast fwd to 2005.... I am not married, I have 3 children, I live in a not big enough house, I drive a 6 year old car and I my annual salary is laughable. What does that tell you?

Almost April

I had a great day at work yesterday! The kids have been exceptionally well-behaved this week and I am hoping this continues through tomorrow.

I talked with Brian last night until midnight. He had to finish up his plowing. Today he had to be on the road doing inspections (he is a real estate appraiser) and was going to be out of the office all morning, so he won't be getting much sleep. I don't know how he does it. It is hard enough staying awake to keep him company on the phone, but I am glad to do it. If I wasn't talking to him, I'd be worried about him all night anyway, and wouldn't be able to sleep.

I am glad tomorrow is Friday!!! With all the traveling I've done the last two weekends in a row, I need a weekend or a weekend day really, just to laze around the house...clean, watch movies, have a spa day (bubble bath, hair, nails), etc. Plus tomorrow is PAYDAY! Next week will be mid-March! This month is flying by. I'm sad to see March go because I'll have to get my car re-registered and inspected and get my new insurance card for the year. I'm thinking of switching insurance companies. Presently I have Allstate. They've been good to me and I've had no complaints, but I'd heard a lot about Progressive and when Mike and I were still together, I was on his policy and that was through Progressive. I'm hoping it isn't as pricey as Allstate.

Well, as much as I'd like to sit home all day and blog, I've got to go get ready for work. Daylight savings time is in a few weeks. The best thing about winter is the extra hour of sleep. I can not wait to lay in the sun...the real sun...not a tanning bed, although I love that too, but to feel the warm sun touching every part of your bared skin and to just feel warm all over and to smell fresh cut grass and being chased inside by hornets...speaking of which, I had a bizarre dream last night about trying to kill a yellow jacket and being unable to. I'll have to look up what that means.

Stuck

I stayed up last night until 2:30 AM talking with Brian while he was plowing. He had been up since 3 yesterday morning and so I kept him company on the phone to keep him awake. I don't have to be at work until 1 today. The roads are shitty. I was actually STUCK today. There is lovely ice under all of this snow and my car doesn't like ice. Thankfully a very nice gentleman saw me shoveling and pulled over to help get me out of the end of the driveway.

I haven't heard from Jessy yet, so I am assuming it is work as usual.

Jenn and Baby Emily

Jenn and Baby Emily
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

Isn't this the CUTEST baby in the world???

Time Flies

It has been 1 year and 5 months since I met Brian. It has been 11 months since we broke up the first time. 7 months since we got back together for 2 months. 5 months since we broke up the second time. 3 months since Brian told me he loved me. 1 week since I slept with him and two days since I googled him.

Monday, Monday

I hope everyone's weekends went well. Eric and Erin were going to N.H. Jade and Eddie were going to N.H. Jessica was having her birthday party at the Tiki Saturday night. Sorry I missed it. My stomach has been giving me some trouble and if I had gone to the Tiki, I'd have talked myself into drinking so I decided to drive to Portland and spend some time with the kids.

Today I have to work at 1. I could use another day off. The weekends don't last long enough anymore.

Sundays

Today has been a nice relaxing day. I cleaned my room and cooked some homeade Spanish rice. My kids love it. My grandmother came over for the day and stayed for supper. She is in the kitchen playing The Simpson's version of Clue with the kids. First they played rummy and then some poker. Then she showed Hayley some different knitting techniques. Hayley has been knitting since about the 4th grade and she is now moving on to sweaters and I can only knit a scarf, so I am no help to her. It has been nice spending time with Grandma today. Normally she drives me up a wall, but she is in a good mood today and not overly critical of how I do things AND actually complimented my cooking skills this evening.

Now I get to do the fun task of pairing up socks while watching School of Rock. Barb has never seen it. This movie still cracks me up after a hundred times of watching it with the kids. Jack Black makes me laugh.

Portland

The kids and I woke up fairly early for a Saturday, so we cleaned the house real quick, got ready and spent the day and evening in Portland, getting home at exactly midnight. The girls and I spent about 5 hours in the Mall and then spent 2 driving around Portland and the Old Port, where we stopped to have dinner at DiMillos. There was a 45 minute wait and this was at 8 PM, and thankfully the girls are not huge seafood people. We were standing around waiting when I started thinking, you know what, I am the only one that really likes seafood so let's go somewhere else. This is a good thing because of all the times Brian and I have eaten there, I have never paid attention to prices. The cheapest entree prices were $22, and they went up to $45 (that would be for the Surf and Turf that Brian gets). I always get grilled salmon or broiled scallops there. ALWAYS. Each was $22. So I made a mental note to myself to be especially nice to Brian next time because he always pays for everything and never complains. So anyway, the girls and I went to Eggspectations again. This is the third time I've eaten there. I am becoming a regular. The waiter was cute and Barb ordered iced tea and she meant to say "with lemon" but it came out "with ice"...the waiter was cool and was like, "Okay, one iced tea with ice..." I was also getting iced tea and he asked me if I wanted ice with mine as well.

It was great to get out for the day and spend some time with the girls and with Barb and Shannon. Zach spent the day with Desaraye, but as soon as we got to the mall, I knew he should have been with us. I forgot Chucke Cheese is right there. The last time I went to Chucke Cheese, I got food poisoning, but that was in Virginia and he loves it there. There is also this place that Flint was telling me about, called Jokers. Zach would love that too.

Rooms at Motel 6 are only $40, so I am going to book one in a few weeks and take the kids back and spend a weekend. They are excited about moving there and they LOVE the idea of being closer to Old Orchard! They want to move now.

Current Mood: rejuvenated
Current Music: anything but Tom Petty ( he is played quite frequently on all of Portland's classic rock stations, or at least the two I listen to, 102.9 WBLM and 107.5 and I am Tom Petty'd out!)

Morning News

The news for this morning is that there really is no news. I'm latte bound. I went to bed last night around 9 and I slept right thru until 6...then dozed until almost 8. This past week has seen some fantastic ups and downs for me. How can a week start so great ( I slept with Brian) and end so blah? So, I started thinking, you just have to take the good with the bad. THEN I started thinking, where have I heard this before? Sure enough, I start humming and mentally singing "You take the good/You take the bad/There you have/The facts of life/The facts of life"...for all of you Nick at Nite watchers or for you early generation x'ers...the theme song from The Facts of Life...sung by Gloria Lorning, who used to be on Days of Our Lives and was also married to Alan Thicke, who would eventually go down in eternal tv history as Dr. Jason Seaver...Mike's dad! :)
Of course, in TV land there is the reassurrence that all conflicts will be resolved in 30 minutes followed by enthusiastic applause. I'm waiting for the conflict resolution phase or at least some enthusiastic cheer.

I think I am going snowshoeing and/or x-country skiing sometime this weekend. I need to shake off this mood. I don't even think it is a mood. I am just frustrated with Brian. I'm supposed to take the kids downhill tomorrow or Sunday so that should cheer me up.

Current Mood: tired of emotionally draining people sucking my normally good natured spirit DRY...what do the words, "I need happy people" mean to you? Get happy, then talk to me.

Current Music: Why Don't We get Drunk and Screw...Jimmy Buffet

Bailey Tackle

Bailey Tackle
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

I especially like my hair in this one.

Long Day

A very long day today. I don't know why. AJ called last night at about 10:30 PM...we talked until 1:30 AM. He and I are like that. We can go a month, two months, without talking and just pick up the phone and talk for hours. He asked if I was back with Brian and I told him that I saw him this weekend. I figured I'd sleep in today, since I didn't have to be at work until 1, but NOOOOO...I was out the door by 8:30. Got my latte, went to the doctor's, Walmart, etc. The doctor's was kind of depressing. If I lose 10 more pounds, I'll weigh less than what I did in high school.

Work was good. I love Jessy, Jade, Erica, and Carey. They are a great bunch of girls to work with. I am very lucky. The last hour kind of dragged. Brian hasn't been feeling well this week, so he has been kind of quiet. Big surprise. I slept with him Saturday, so I should have expected this. I know I've complicated things for him. I know he really wants to be closer in distance to me and I know it bothers him that he feels like he has to stay in Presque Isle until Paul graduates. I also know when he thinks too much about me or US he can't focus on work.

Oh well. I need to get out of the house tonight. Maybe I'll take the kids to supper.

Current Mood: super tired
Current Music: One is the Lonliest Number....Snowbell on Stuart Little 2

I have to be at work at 1 PM today. I have a million little errands I could be doing before that, but instead, I am sitting here, enjoying my latte from Ampersand's and blogging! This particular latte today seems especially good! Just the right temp, just the right sweetness.

Anyway, I am just sipping away and enjoying the quiet of the house. The kids are all back in school. Last week was February vacation and yesterday was a snow day. It is so quiet here right now and normally that ghostly quiet drives me nuts and I have to get out of the house as quickly as possible, but today it is kind of nice. I'm going to put in some CD's and do nothing until I have to leave the house. I am supposed to swing by Flint's house and pick up some of my stuff. I have been putting that off for a few weeks. He called last night and asked when I was coming over to get it. I am just getting a weird feeling about that. SO, if you all never hear from me again, tip off the police as to where my body might be located! Nah, I don't think it'll be that bad, but honestly, we really don't have much more to say to each other, and I'd rather he just drop the stuff off at work, where I'll at least be with other people.

I know I need a vacation! Not just days off, I mean ROAD TRIP!!! Last year, I was just getting back from Virginia. I won't get back down there until April. I know that is only a month away, but this will be a long month. I am starting to plan this year for Mardi Gras next year. I am GOING! I've never been and it always seems like I am otherwise preoccupied when the holiday sneaks up on me. Bailey's parents, David and Karen, went this year and they brought me back a ton of beads. I have them hanging on my rearview and everyone asks with raised eyebrows, "How'd you get Mardi Gras beads, hmmm???" Anyone who knows me at all would not even have to ask that question. Flashing my boobas in a public place to accumulate the most beaded necklaces sounds like a good time to me! :)

I seriously have to keep the money I have in my savings, IN MY SAVINGS. I need it for the big move. I do have enough in the budget for the Virginia trip, but I have to be careful because I could easily piss my money away taking cruises and island hopping! It is strange how easily that kind of traveling comes to me. Further concluding my childhood hypothesis that I am really the reigning princess of some small country who was stolen at birth and my real parents will be coming for me soon, so I can reclaim my rightful place on the throne! :) My friend Traci Farrenkopf and I, back in highschool, seriously did NOT fit in. We had such expensive tastes back then. While most of the girls needed Coca-cola shirts and Guess jeans, Traci and I were like, give us Dolce & Gabana, give us Ralph Lauren (who still happens to be my favorite designer), give us Versace. My favorite vacation at that time in my life was my trip to Hollywood for my 17th birthday. I'm certainly not flashy in dress, nor am I overly creative. I do like "classic" pieces and I do not mind spending retail price on a quality, designer piece that I can get several seasons out of. If it is simply a fad item that proves to be a MUST have, I will find it at an Outlet in Freeport or I'll find a cheap knock-off somewhere, but I've learned to skip most fads and just stay with the classic tried and true. I dress for my body type and being well-endowed, I have to simply say no to some fads. Like those cute peasant-like shirts...Cute if you are flat chested. Not so cute when it makes you look perpetually pregnant. Same goes with empire waist cut shirts or dresses. Makes me look preggo. With skirts, it has to be above the knee or long by my ankles. Knee length dresses or skirts makes my legs look stubby. I used to agonize over this capped-sleeve fad, because this style makes my arms look chubby, but since I've lost all this weight, the cap sleeves are cute! My most depressing days are when I have money burning a hole in my pocket and I can't find a damn thing I want to spend it on. Thankfully, that doesn't occur very often.

I can seriously talk fashion all day. I love clothes! I love shoes! I love belts! I love leather! Not so crazy about fur or feathers.

Current Music: Shakin' Eddie Money
Current Mood: I wanna go shopping now! :)

Jenn and Katie

Jenn and Katie
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

What a face, Katie!!! Nice Oreo mustache she has today! She is my girl!

Jenn Katie and Zach

Jenn Katie and Zach
Originally uploaded by jennluvsgable.

This was a very long day at work. Thankfully, my students are pretty damn cute! I love my job!!!

HAPPY MARCH

What a way to wake up this morning. SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!!

I think I am going skiing this weekend. The kids are dying to go.