A few days ago, we caught the mouse. E1 discovered it and shrieked. Luckily, R was there to dispose of it.
A week earlier, I had run to the hardware store one minute before closing with a sick baby- looking totally frazzled and said, "I know you are closing but I just need some mouse traps really fast!" I was desperate to increase my already impressive arsenal because that stupid mouse would NOT be trapped!
The high school kids were building mousetrap cars and had pretty much wiped them out- the helpful employee explained. He was able to find me a kit with more snap traps and glue traps (and that worthless, blue-goo bait stuff!). I threw in several boxes of poison for good measure. Armed with another $25 of deadly, mousy weapons, I went home sure triumph was around the corner.
It was another few days before finally he took the bait. E2 manages to sneakily stash mouse-snacks faster than I can discover them. But we got there at last.
Back to the hardware store yesterday for drain cleaner. The same employee was there and asked "Did you catch your mouse?"
"YES!" said E1, waving her hands wildly in excitement. "I found it! It's eyes were squished out of it's head, POPPING OUT! It's head was almost snapped all-the-way-off!"
"It was pretty gross..." I mumbled- as I handed him my money- several other customers staring at us.
"I screamed!" E1 said proudly. "So did my mom."
Ah- victory!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Ring, ring
If you want to develop a thick skin, I recommend taking a job as a tele-researcher. This is a slightly more respectable career choice than a telemarketer- as you are trying to conduct surveys instead of sell products- but that distinction will be lost on the 90 percent of people whom you will interrupt while they are eating dinner.
Unfortunately, I speak from personal experience. I was in college, I was poor and only work study job I could find was cleaning bathrooms at 4 a.m. on campus. And market research actually had something to do with my major- so it would look good on my resume. (Stupid, young, naive me!)
Pretty much hated it. I sat next to a middle-aged woman named Eloise McNair who had frizzy red hair and smelled overwhelmingly like tea tree oil. It was when erectile dysfunction drugs were brand new on the market- so guess who got to do the Viagra survey?!
I had to ask couples over 50 about their sex lives in order for the drug companies to better market their product to said couples. So fun. And the survey lasted a painful half-hour. Who has that much time? If someone hung up, the survey was incomplete and I wouldn't meet my quota.
There was this younger guy there that was golden at it. He was like an old-fashioned snake oil salesman. Listening to him work was like magic- he was a tele-artist! He had these different personas he would whip out- each one tailored to get him results. He would be the pathetic, starving student; the cute grandson type; the angry and outraged "lets-stick-it-to-the-man-together" guy; the flirty, "you-have-a-great-voice" housewife-charmer; the "we need your opinion, sir" flatterer; etc. They kept a leaderboard of who was the most successful research up on the wall for all of us to see. He was always number one. I'm sure now he is out there somewhere as owner of a successful string of car lots.
I stuck it out a few months, but truth be told, only because my other cubical neighbor was a cute, older, world-traveller. He was in law school, knew Arabic and a few other languages and had been approached by some intelligence agencies about working for them as an analyst. This was pre-9/11. I have no idea why he was working there. One day, near tears after getting an especially brutal cussing out, I glanced over at him and he smiled at me and said "Let's quit!" In a daze, I followed him into the office. He explained we were both quitting and would be back in a week to get our last paychecks. The girl running the center didn't bat an eye- they had really high turn-over. He drove me to his place and made me some lentils and rice dish he had learned how to make on his travels. And then introduced me to his younger roommate he thought I would hit it off with. Doomed to "like a kid sister"-syndrome!
Unfortunately, I speak from personal experience. I was in college, I was poor and only work study job I could find was cleaning bathrooms at 4 a.m. on campus. And market research actually had something to do with my major- so it would look good on my resume. (Stupid, young, naive me!)
Pretty much hated it. I sat next to a middle-aged woman named Eloise McNair who had frizzy red hair and smelled overwhelmingly like tea tree oil. It was when erectile dysfunction drugs were brand new on the market- so guess who got to do the Viagra survey?!
I had to ask couples over 50 about their sex lives in order for the drug companies to better market their product to said couples. So fun. And the survey lasted a painful half-hour. Who has that much time? If someone hung up, the survey was incomplete and I wouldn't meet my quota.
There was this younger guy there that was golden at it. He was like an old-fashioned snake oil salesman. Listening to him work was like magic- he was a tele-artist! He had these different personas he would whip out- each one tailored to get him results. He would be the pathetic, starving student; the cute grandson type; the angry and outraged "lets-stick-it-to-the-man-together" guy; the flirty, "you-have-a-great-voice" housewife-charmer; the "we need your opinion, sir" flatterer; etc. They kept a leaderboard of who was the most successful research up on the wall for all of us to see. He was always number one. I'm sure now he is out there somewhere as owner of a successful string of car lots.
I stuck it out a few months, but truth be told, only because my other cubical neighbor was a cute, older, world-traveller. He was in law school, knew Arabic and a few other languages and had been approached by some intelligence agencies about working for them as an analyst. This was pre-9/11. I have no idea why he was working there. One day, near tears after getting an especially brutal cussing out, I glanced over at him and he smiled at me and said "Let's quit!" In a daze, I followed him into the office. He explained we were both quitting and would be back in a week to get our last paychecks. The girl running the center didn't bat an eye- they had really high turn-over. He drove me to his place and made me some lentils and rice dish he had learned how to make on his travels. And then introduced me to his younger roommate he thought I would hit it off with. Doomed to "like a kid sister"-syndrome!
Laundry
I did six or seven loads of laundry yesterday in this new detergent I picked up and have been runny and sneezy ever since. I cheaped out instead of sticking to the tried and true brands. And I keep thinking I'd like our clothes to smell nice instead of like clean-nothing- but it turns out spring-time fresh isn't worth the drippy nose.
Also- I noticed my husband has been looking pretty rumpled lately- his shirts and khakis could use ironing. I broke our iron three weeks ago when I accidentally dropped it and all the plastic on the top shattered. I told R our iron broke and he said "Well- it wasn't from over-use!"
It is true. I am terrible at ironing his clothes. Ironically, I used to work at an industrial dry cleaners and that was my job. I would iron hundreds of shirts and pants a day. Sometimes I feel like I've done enough to last a lifetime and that he should just stick with polos and wrinkle free shirts if he cares! The problem is- he doesn't.
Also- I noticed my husband has been looking pretty rumpled lately- his shirts and khakis could use ironing. I broke our iron three weeks ago when I accidentally dropped it and all the plastic on the top shattered. I told R our iron broke and he said "Well- it wasn't from over-use!"
It is true. I am terrible at ironing his clothes. Ironically, I used to work at an industrial dry cleaners and that was my job. I would iron hundreds of shirts and pants a day. Sometimes I feel like I've done enough to last a lifetime and that he should just stick with polos and wrinkle free shirts if he cares! The problem is- he doesn't.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Dentist
I went to the dentist and it was a 2.5 hour appointment because I needed more work than they originally thought. ($40 more than I thought too :( ) More decay hidden under old fillings. My anesthesia wore off toward the end, so they had to give me more during the last 30 minutes so they could finish up. My nice dentist offered me this new product that helps un-numb you quicker, but I mumbled "No thanks, its not like I have any speeches to make." But within the next two hours, I went two different places and make comments in front of large groups of people. So stupid of me. It was hard to make the words come out with one totally numb, droopy, grimacing side. And I was threatening to drool at any moment. I will totally take the un-numb next time!
Prepared
I finally updated our will with E2 in it. I did it online through Suze Orman Will and Trust.com so I don't know how great it is. She seems to know her stuff pretty well. (I love the SNL spoof of her and her jackets!) I had gotten a free trial to the site, so at the very least it was free and lets people know our wishes. Now I just have to hit print and find a notary to sign it in front of.
I also updated our emergency / 72 hour kits. I had to throw out a bunch of granola bars, fruit leather and cans of chili. And E1 is now two sizes bigger than her emergency clothes, so that needed fixing. I put in diapers and jammies in the next size up for E2 so hopefully we are good. Also added were his birth certificate and shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, soap, combs, deodorant, razors and toilet paper. Because good personal hygiene will make a disaster less disastrous.
The real reason for these projects? To avoid other projects of course!
I also updated our emergency / 72 hour kits. I had to throw out a bunch of granola bars, fruit leather and cans of chili. And E1 is now two sizes bigger than her emergency clothes, so that needed fixing. I put in diapers and jammies in the next size up for E2 so hopefully we are good. Also added were his birth certificate and shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, soap, combs, deodorant, razors and toilet paper. Because good personal hygiene will make a disaster less disastrous.
The real reason for these projects? To avoid other projects of course!
Monday, February 14, 2011
V-Day
So for Valentine's- R got me fruity truffles from See's Candy. I am a pretty lucky girl!
My gift to him? Looking haggard from being up every hour last night with one kid or the other. The house is a mess, no dinner planned. No thoughtful gift- I didn't have a chance to pick it up.
Good thing it is a girl's holiday!
My gift to him? Looking haggard from being up every hour last night with one kid or the other. The house is a mess, no dinner planned. No thoughtful gift- I didn't have a chance to pick it up.
Good thing it is a girl's holiday!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Mouse in the house
Why is it that vermin wait until your fearless spouse is out of town to peak their filthy, disease ridden heads out the holes of your stove burners? At 3 a.m. when you are cleaning up your baby's puke and diarrhea combo that got all over your sheets and pillow? Never mind the four glue traps and three snap traps baited and set right next to the tiny hole it is sneaking in.
I hate mice. I even let kitty in because I thought her inability to use a litterbox would be worth braving over Hantavirus. The baby felt too sick to do much but cry at me, but he was up for pulling kitty's tail. Kitty took a swipe and landed herself back outdoors.
This is war. I will win.
I hate mice. I even let kitty in because I thought her inability to use a litterbox would be worth braving over Hantavirus. The baby felt too sick to do much but cry at me, but he was up for pulling kitty's tail. Kitty took a swipe and landed herself back outdoors.
This is war. I will win.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
My Netflix Queue
A friend of mine was asking me for recommendations because their Netflix queue was getting a little low. It made me think back through my own personal Netflix greatest hits. Some of these are movies or shows I would have never seen if they hadn't been suggested or I ran out of other stuff in my queue and these "why not?"s I had added came instead.
500 Days of Summer - a romantic non-romance- so funny and true
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - a fun teen comic book movie
The Madness of King George - interesting period piece
The Emperor's New Clothes (2002) - so what if Napoleon really didn't die but no one believed he was Napoleon?
Creation - the story of Darwin- really good
Bright Star - romantic period piece
The Young Victoria - I love period pieces!
Shaun the Sheep - cute, calm, clever claymation
Samurai Jack - great visuals
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - I love cartoons too!
Avatar: The Last Airbender (the series not movie) - really well written - a great kids show for the whole family
MI5 ~ Hunky Brittish spies dealing with geopolitical crises in modern day London
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day ~ a fun rom com
Penelope ~ cute modern fairy tale
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency ~loved the books- the show is excellent too
Biggest misses: Tideland- (had to shut it off right away- so disturbing and bad) - and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus- (made it all the way through but wanted those 122 minutes of my life back to do anything else). Turns out I don't really like Terry Gilliam.
What are your favorite finds? My queue is getting low again. If I don't add something quick, zombie flicks are going to start showing up!
500 Days of Summer - a romantic non-romance- so funny and true
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - a fun teen comic book movie
The Madness of King George - interesting period piece
The Emperor's New Clothes (2002) - so what if Napoleon really didn't die but no one believed he was Napoleon?
Creation - the story of Darwin- really good
Bright Star - romantic period piece
The Young Victoria - I love period pieces!
Shaun the Sheep - cute, calm, clever claymation
Samurai Jack - great visuals
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - I love cartoons too!
Avatar: The Last Airbender (the series not movie) - really well written - a great kids show for the whole family
MI5 ~ Hunky Brittish spies dealing with geopolitical crises in modern day London
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day ~ a fun rom com
Penelope ~ cute modern fairy tale
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency ~loved the books- the show is excellent too
Biggest misses: Tideland- (had to shut it off right away- so disturbing and bad) - and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus- (made it all the way through but wanted those 122 minutes of my life back to do anything else). Turns out I don't really like Terry Gilliam.
What are your favorite finds? My queue is getting low again. If I don't add something quick, zombie flicks are going to start showing up!
Websites I love
So here are a few more favorite website:
The Graphics Fairy: for free vintage clip art of just about everything. So cute! Users post projects they created using the clip art.
Seriously So Blessed: a Mormon Mommy Blog spoof that is so spot on I will never mention running a 5K or my cute Christmas cards! Check out the favorite posts and the YW lesson.
No Fuss Fabulous: She has mad graphic design and hostess with the mostess skills that I will never, ever attain in this life. But I love reading her blog.
Heavenly Homemakers: Okay- this one can be a little Christiany- which isn't bad- you know what I mean. She has lots of really healthy recipes. I can't wait to buy a gallon of vodka to make my own homemade vanilla extract using the instructions in one of her posts!
The Meanest Mom: Shares the bad and ugly of motherhood in a hilarious way. We've all been the meanest mom- nice to know we aren't alone.
The Graphics Fairy: for free vintage clip art of just about everything. So cute! Users post projects they created using the clip art.
Seriously So Blessed: a Mormon Mommy Blog spoof that is so spot on I will never mention running a 5K or my cute Christmas cards! Check out the favorite posts and the YW lesson.
No Fuss Fabulous: She has mad graphic design and hostess with the mostess skills that I will never, ever attain in this life. But I love reading her blog.
Heavenly Homemakers: Okay- this one can be a little Christiany- which isn't bad- you know what I mean. She has lots of really healthy recipes. I can't wait to buy a gallon of vodka to make my own homemade vanilla extract using the instructions in one of her posts!
The Meanest Mom: Shares the bad and ugly of motherhood in a hilarious way. We've all been the meanest mom- nice to know we aren't alone.
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