Mood:  chillin'

My birthday is in a few days. I don't know how I feel about it yet.

I hope Rahim remembers to get the ice cream cake I hinted about. Well, my hint was more like, "I'd really like an ice cream cake for my birthday." Kind of like the way I hinted at a potential gift - "Man, I wish I could get a new sewing machine." Of course, then there's the tattoo that I want.

Other than that, I am thinking about my mortality. I want to live a long life. Thirty one years isn't quite that old. I wish I had done a few things differently, but overall, I just want to make the best of the time I have now.

Okay, an extended birthday post is coming. This was just a little musing.

Posted by mary at 9:36 PM EDT

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Mood:  down

With what happened with the house, my MIL is back on the foreclosure hunt. Her optimistic goals are to find a very cheap house that is in really good condition and needs only cosmetic (if any) repairs. She has a list of various handy guys, from painters, contractors, carpenters, tiling guys, etc. I might suggest to her that she try a contractor directory that offers reviews of various service providers and contractors. These directories offer local info from Minneapolis contractors to Miami contractors. She's had problems even with friends of the family helping her around her house, whether it's not finishing a paint job to taking twice as long to do simple tasks. Rahim is opposed to her whole plan of buying a foreclosure. The idea is great, but we're dubious about it actually happening, especially in her price range. And what about when we move next year, when Rahim goes to law school? He's determined to move out of state at this point. Then I'm reluctant to take Baba away from R's mom. He's the only grandchild and so precious to all of us. Not to mention the free babysitting.

Anyway, I think we're going to be looking at a house this weekend. Don't worry. I'll remember not to fall in love.

Posted by mary at 9:25 PM EDT

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Mood:  blue

I feel light-headed, a bit nauseous, and my mind is racing. I either have another UTI, am pregnant, or having a mini-anxiety attack.

The xanax has kicked in (a very small dose, which will not hurt a tiny fetus in case you're wondering), but it hasn't eliminated all the symptoms.

I'm going to try to wait until Saturday to take that home pregnancy test. Right now, just feeling yucky.

Posted by mary at 9:11 PM EDT

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Anyday now my brother should get the van's replacement title in the mail. Then he'll send it to me or I'll have to meet with him to get it. I remember how that last text message exchange went. Luckily, I do like that Starbucks location (on the lake). Once I get the title, I can transfer the title. Then R and I can start working on getting the fender bender damage fixed and selling that bad boy.

Maybe my next car will have GPS tracking, like that Onstar system or even the new iPhone. My brother's getting one of those too. The cost of gas is getting so bad, I'm considering car pooling. You might wonder why I haven't done that already, but remember, I have a baby that I take to daycare and have to pick up from daycare by a certain time. It's complicated. Isn't everything?

Posted by mary at 4:47 PM EDT

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Mood:  sharp

Argh. Grump.

I'm mad.

Kids - summer school or summer camp - are tagging the walls and bathroom stalls. They virtually wrecked the art room - clay smashed into the floors, a mural scribbled on, trash in crevices.

The summer AP thinks it's one of our camp kids. We think it's the summer school kids. It's frustrating in general. What do we have to do? Cut out the arts & crafts class? Ban markers? One of the tags was done in plain marker (like Crayola, not permanent).

So, we got kicked out of the art room. I honestly feel bad for the art teacher. This crap did not happen on my watch. But I leave at 2:30 and the afternoon staff don't seem to be watching the kids closely. I've seen one of the so called teachers at lunch; her eyes stay glued to her laptop. Meanwhile, her kids trash their tables. Literally, leaving trash and food all over the floor.

No more pinatas? I would be really crushed out (disappointed).

Right now, though, I'm just mad.

Posted by mary at 1:43 PM EDT

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Mood:  crushed out

R is so sweet. He is really trying to get me some debt help. Boy, do I need it too. My credit score is a joke. It would probably be better for me to have no credit instead of all of this debt. Of course it's my own fault, but the will of capitalism is strong and ruthless, like the Borg.

R is offering to help me pay off some of my debt, with some of his extra income or by selling some equipment he doesn't use anymore. It's definitely for the greater good of our family, since we do want to buy a house one day. Ya know, the ole American dream, white picket fence stuff. First, I never imagined ever being a stay at home mom (or stay at home wife), so it's weird to think of a future where I don't have to work. I mean, I fantasize about it, but I'm not sure if it'll ever get here.

So, I bounced over to this website that measures your "bill IQ." I don't think I'm such a dummy about money, it's just that I've made poor choices, had bad luck, and can't necessarily dig myself out right now. The website also has some good information I didn't know about credit scores and credit reports. After answering some easy questions, I got to the score. I was surprised that it was a 72% or a C. I feel like it's an F. But I guess, it could be worse. I haven't filed for bankruptcy and I have a stable career. Although my debt is a bit over 10K, it's not insurmountable. With R's help (plus hard work and some luck), I should be able to dig myself out.

What's your Bill IQ?

Posted by mary at 1:29 PM EDT

Updated: Thu, Jul 10 2008 1:32 PM EDT

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Mood:  accident prone

I was taking a shortcut through our old neighborhood after stopping at Sprawlmart, winding my way through the small streets of our quiet neighborhood. On one of the one-way, tiny streets bordering a small green space, a car pulled out from a driveway right in front of me. The driver was on his cell phone and hardly glanced my way before turning. I tapped my horn and not even half a beep sounded.  At the end of the street, he was poised to turn one way and I was poised to turn the other.

Then a funny thing happened. I turned and he was behind me. I turned a block later and so did he. I continued down my dead end street, considering my options. I should have turned into a roundabout, to evade the stalker, but ended up driving to my apartment complex. I didn't park in my usual spot, but parked where there were cars on either side. The stalker parked a couple spots over. I waited. He waited. Time passed.

I couldn't just go on sitting there forever, so I backed up and reparked closer to my door. I waited again, feeling a surge of motherly instincts. Was I just being paranoid? I watched for any movement in the other car. The man appeared to still be on his cell phone.  Another minute passed and he disappeared as quickly as he came.

Now, you don't have to have glasses from zennioptical.com to see this as odd behavior. You never know these days. I regret having even driven close to my house; I should have driven to the always teeming restaurants just two blocks away. Rahim is always warning me about strangers hiding behind bushes. Have his random daydreams rubbed off on me?

Well, I have a trunk full from Sprawlmart - baby formula, toilet paper, ice tea - but I'm going to wait for my husband to come home.

Posted by mary at 6:54 PM EDT

Updated: Wed, Jul 9 2008 10:09 PM EDT

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Mood:  smelly

I just got back from the movies with my summer camp group. The feature today was Alvin and the Chipmunks. Not bad, not great. It was cute enough, since I was a big fan of Alvin and the Chipmunks when I was a kid. Of course, what do these kids know about chipmunks? Most of my students hate to even sit on the grass when we go outside, though it’s mostly due to their age. They’re beginning to be allergic to running around and just playing. Unless of course, it’s in a classroom, then chasing is totally appropriate for them.

The movies we saw the last two weeks: Mr. Magorium’s Magic Emporium (sp? I’m too lazy to check) and The Legend of the Water Horse. I was glad for the respite, but any field trip involving a hundred kids wears me out. Next week, I think we’re seeing Shrek 3, which I look forward to seeing. Enough adult humor to keep me entertained. But these days, sitting in the a/c for a few hours is worth it.

Gosh, I shouldn’t complain about the students too much. I think I should be paid more and a lot needs to be changed about the camp (hours, activities, etc.). It’s just a few bad apples that ruin the bunch really. And I like getting the chance to get to know these kids before school starts. Don’t get me wrong, I am thoroughly looking forward to the two weeks off before then. Actually, my birthday is Monday too. I need to figure out what to do.

I can’t get that Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song out of my head. I still want a hula hoop…

Posted by mary at 1:29 PM EDT

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Mood:  suave

Hey all! I spent one confusing night dealing with code and html and ftp... but finally, figured it out! Of course, I can't upload files to the server from work! But I have plenty of other things to do.

Go visit Code Pink - Kitten Cult (see my sidebar)! It's in the early stages now, but make sure you check back for some awesome writing! Yes, there will be kittens and pink themes, but also, if you have a Nikon Monarch ATB, you could spy a deeper theme of kindness and an unrelenting faith in the human race. That's right, people. Save the binoculars for hiking and birdwatching.

Posted by mary at 12:00 AM EDT

Updated: Wed, Jul 9 2008 10:12 PM EDT

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