Grandma is coming. Grandma is coming.. Oh no!!

So I must reiterate that it has taken me a few days to do this entry. It's from pure exhaustion these days.
Last night I decided to go for a walk with a friend of mine which turned into a 2 hour excursion out and about. It was one of those days that I needed to go and clear my head from all of the activities. There are times where I just need mellowing out time because I can't seem to concentrate on other things. I finally told**** yesterday that I couldn't go into work today(Saturday) because I it would be my only day to do things for myself. It's mighty true. I had spent the entire week at work helping to prepare for 'Grandma's" arrival..(uncle bob's ex..) As mentioned it's a whole production in itself due to the vacuuming that i have to do outside.(lol) And the cleaning out of closets and cupboards that was done by me. We tend to move****'s room around because he never sleeps or plays in there so we can accomodate more than one house guest. It's a cute and cozy room so I don't know why he doesn't want to hang out in there more.
Anyways, my week started out pretty rough and I actually found myself going home early and crying on MOnday.. I was an emotional wreck due to some circumstances that i will explain later on down the road. The rest of the week seemed to be better and I was able to sit back and think about a few things...

Before i finish up here.. I started this and I have to finish this 100 pieces of me. I got this from reading a friend's blog not too long ago.. I won't make it to 100 today because I don't have that kind of time right now,,,,,
1.I hate when people touch the pillow that i sleep on... I am getting better though...

2, My comforter is another touchy thing for me. There are those select few who can actually do it. (Weird I know.)

3. Coffee and diet coke are my choice of addictions. I have been sticking to coffee these days....

4. I love my flip flops..

5. Orange Juice and Vodka or a good martini are my two favorite drinks...

6. Cheap gin makes my lips swell for a couple of weeks. (I learned that the hard way one time.)

7. Korean food never used to be my favorite. When my sister and I went to korea for the first time- we ate granola bars and drank water for the first two days of our trip..

8. I have eaten live octopus.. It was rather tasty....I watched it being cut up right in front of me.

9. I hate needles but then again I have a put myself through two tattoos and a nose piercing..

10 My second tattoo took over 5 hours. I should go back one of these days to get it touched up... But then again, I am fine..

Do I have a cat?

On friday I went on a field trip with ****'s class to the zoo. I woke early enough to sit and watch the weather report and they seem to have lied because I went in to that day thinking that it was going to be cloudy and drizzly all day. Sure folks.. It really wasn't the case. Instead I found myself in my rain jacket dripping wet from head to toe. It wasn't just raining it was monsoon time in Seattle because it came down in sheets. ****and I went under cover in the Butterfly exhibit at one point and found that everyone else had the same idea. We were both getting antsy so we ventured out in the rain with the other half of the zoo patrons and quickly saw some more animals. It got to the point where I made him pull over again and we both huddled under the eave of this building. OH yeah, I should also mention that i left my umbrella in my car that day. So if you can just imagine that i wore the wrong rain coat that day. (The hoodless look.) Instead, I looked like a drowned rat by the time we departed the zoo that day. In the end, we found some other kids from his class and decided to go into this food pavillion and hang out for the last hour of the visit. The rain was just too much for these little kids. (I wouldn't blame them.) As we were exiting the zoo that day, the sun came out to play...

Later on that day, i found myself in ****'s class watching her classmate's class presentations on their service projects. **** decided to go grocery shopping for an elderly man in their neighborhood. (Pat on my back.. That was my idea..) We did, or I should say, I did a poster for this presentaion. And it kicked ass! She actually did a good portion but it was like pulling teeth to do what we did. I think she would have gone to school unprepared if I hadn't cracked the whip on tuesday night. IT would have been my fault too (ie her mom) if it wasn't done by the time I had left that evening. *Gee, this reminds me of the whole "list" issue.* I was actually pretty nervous on what she thought about the poster too. (lol) I should have also mentioned in the "list" entry that she is hard core type A. She admits it too.. It can be a little too much. I had more anxiety over that stupid thing then **** due to her mom's type A personality. I will have to post a picture of it once we get it back home.

Anyways, I sat in the classroom waiting and waitng for **** to get up and do her little presentation. As I was listening to the other presentations, one of the other teachers that works in her classroom came up to me and asked about my cat.. ****told this teacher that i had a pet cat. I politely replied by telilng him that i didn't have a cat. I started to wonder about all the other "stories" she has told about me to him. OH well.. I must be the cat lady to her...

Go Reds

I found myself waking up early to watch Korea play in the world cup. As I was laying on the couch i was reminiscing to myself about the last world cup.. Yes indeed folks I missed the cup in Seoul by two weeks. By the time I got there, people were still celebrating by heavy intoxication and those "Be the Red" t-shirts were the hottest commodities to buy on the street. (I bought myself and brother one.) I should have worn it this morning to help cheer on the team. Instead i was in my pajamas with the look of death.. (I am pretty sexy first thing in the morning..) Thanks****** for making the java this morning. I not only watched the game but got a lot of needed administrative work accomplished.

Anyways, besides the world cup excitement I am trying to find a baby shower gift for a close friend of mine. To be completely honest, i am perplexed on what to get her. she has already had two showers and going on her third and fourth showers this weekend and next weekend. Her units have bought her quite a bit of baby "ness." YEs, indeed the typical baby outfit would be practical but I can't do it. So my wheels are starting to turn because I need it before saturday. I may just stick to one of her initial items on one of her three registries. Who knows.... it will come to me....The sad thing, I am going to end up doing this last minute.......

The List...

My little cuties..

I found myself on the phone two weeks ago ready to drop kick it out my car window. My client was on the other end expressing her "frustration" to me over the damn lists that she makes for me on occasion. I should explain to everyone about these lists that are made for me. When she runs out the door to escape from "reality" they are usually left on the island in the kitchen. The notes are scribbled on the college ruled notebook that has her therapy notes on the other pages. The notes start in the normal chipper mood....."Hi Tess! I hope you are having a good day. I am off running errands and I need you to PLEase do few thngs for me around the house.........Thanks(heart) ***" She will usually list a number of unusual chores that needs to be done as soon as possible. Some are the usual laundry folding and dish excitement. Some other times I find myself vacuuming the front and back patios, reorganizing her closet or cleaning it, vacuuming the clean hard wood floors, or doing returns at stores. It ranges from day to day but I think the most odd job would have to be vacuuming the front and back patios with the vacuum. Oh and yes, the rocks.. cleaning the rocks in the backyard....(i almost forgot to mention that.) I always find myself doing these things with a huge smile on my face and usually saying something rude and crude under my breath.
As I am driving toward their house, the jabbering words are coming out of her mouth from across the phone lines and they start to jumble all together because it really wasn't that intriguing. It was the adjective, "Frustrating" that caught my ears at full speed. She continued to express that she was irritated by the fact that her dishes and laundry weren't getting done effiecently. She used the example of the weekend before this conversation. (They were leaving for the weekend and the clothes weren't done in time for her. ) My time with the kids was less important because the dishes and laundry needed to get done asap before they left for the weekend. MInd you, doing these extra curriculars aren't really in my job description. I was a little upset because she doesn't realize how much I usually do for her on a regular basis. These things are minor to what i usually do on a regular basis. The pile of unfolded laundry or the load of clean dishes in the dishwasher can wait. I am there for the kids mostly and their well-being. It starts to become a little f***ed when the laundry and dishes are more of a priority than your own kids. I can understand that there are definite apropriate times during the day when things like this are acceptable. Obviously, there was a reason why I didn't get that list done. And I am always doing that shit for her. I really don't mind but when scoffing over something so little takes place, i start to go bananas! I find more out from the kids when i am there alone with them then when they are with their mom.
In the end, I apologized and told her that she was right and always will be right. I was a little snooty when i made that remark but I think she knew that it was a little weird that she was calling me out on her ridic. lists. I was a little upset over this phone conversation and was ready to rip her a new one. But I didn't. My patience must have prevailed this time around.
I must admit, I do LOVE my job. I don't want everyone to get the wrong idea. If I didn't like it I wouldn't be doing this. There have been times when I sit and scoff about these things. In all aspects. i do love my job.....

You big Bully!

This time of night i sit in my room with my window wide open and have this famliar smell of nicotine blowing into my room from the patio. My roommate goes outside for his ritualistic end of the day smoke. You know, it's one of those smells that I actually don't mind. Yes, folks I did indeed smoke in high school. In fact when I turned 16 that was my guilty pleasure. It was probably more for the whole socialization factor. I remember going to the store and buying a pack for me and my friend KB. She too was a bad ass and we would smoke together.. The marlboro lights were our favs.. and once in a while I would switch to American spirits. It wasn't until about two years ago that I would just do it socially. It never really was an addiction for me. I give my roommate a hard time for his little habit but I wonder if he knows of my own old habit.
Anyways, i have been in one of those moods tonight that i seem to can't rid. I have been scoffing all evening about everything and nothing in particular. I guess it was one of those days that I can't seem to shake off and need to becuase it's pretty much over with. I came to the realization that some parents just don't get things about their kids. And they will make excuses for them until something serious happens and thats when their ways will change. ( I guess that's a generalization, because that attitude will never change in some cases.) I found myself biting my tongue today because this person was obviously trying to make herself feel better for what the daugther did. Obviously, the daughter was in the wrong. She was bullying two girls on the playground and it wasn't acceptable. Schools take bullying very serious these days and it's hard not to look pass. The teacher had every right to go up this little girl and let her know it was not okay. The parent of the bullied child was correct in letting the teacher know about this. The parents of the bullies should have been notified right away and not kept in the dark. But on the other hand.. What role do these parent's actually pay in this child's school career? And maybe thats why the teacher felt as if they didn't need to be involved.........(just athought..)Oh we don't want to bruise our child's ego.. No-no, we can never do that. Let alone, call your child on a bullshit... We want them to talk to us when they are in the teen crisis years so let's just ignore the fact that a HUGE lie just took place. Why don't you try spending sometime with her and embrace who she is first. It makes me so mad that there are parents out there that actually believe in all of the psycho babble. I have read enough books on child pyschology to know child are more screwed up as a teen when they are treated like this now. The whole mentality of "i want an open relationship with my son or daughter" works only if you put some strict boundaries on it now and not when they need their love the most.

I guess your "Education" doesn't always match your parenting skills....