Last weekend's gymnastics meet...

5th place over all for ages 10 and up.

The vault, 3rd

The floor exercise, 3rd

The balance beam, 2rd

The uneven bars, 2nd

She did very well over all for the first time competing. She thought she should have scored higher but then she watched the tape and said "I never pointed my toes in that routine."
Next meet, December 14......

Things that irritate me about life......

I try to be positive for the most part. The meds help with that but I need to vent a little today so this is a brief list of things that bug me.......
1. This morning, a friend texted me to ask if I would watch her child while she took a test for a job. Sure, no prob, what time? I look at the clock and decide that I don't have time to shower so I get some ratty clothes on and do some housework. Look at the time, and its 1/2 hour after she said she would be here. Couldn't she have let me know? I could have showered in that time...........Just a thought.
2. I had to have some bloodwork done last week to get some meds renewed and the chick that was drawing my blood would not give me a Spidey band-aid. I wanted it because I was with my friend from #1 above and I thought her son would get a kick out of it. How hard is it to give me a freakin' cute band-aid? Then, to top if off, I have a bruise the size of my palm from her digging around.
3. My husband wants to go to a concert/cowboy ball next month. He doesn't think he needs to abide by the dresscode. He says they can't make him. I think they can and I don't want to go if he is going to be dressed in jean when everyone else is in a suit. Why do men do this?
4. BTW, guess who is responsible for obtaining childcare for said concert?
5. When you tell someone you will let them know about a job on Monday, shouldn't you call them by Tuesday to let them know?
6. I 'won' a 1 year subscription to BH&G today, if I buy a 1 year subscription.
7. My lovely daughter forgot to take her cellphone with her, again. Why do I pay for it?
8. My statement is ready online for the telephone company but I can't view it right now because it is unavailable. ?????????
9. My cellphone statement is available but not viewable either. ??????
So that's my vent... I fell better now. Where's the meds?

Peanut brittle, microwave version

Tomorrow is the Fall party at Cee's school and she did not want to bring the usual cliched items such as cookies or cake so she asked me to make peanut brittle. This batch is slightly burnt because microwaves do vary and I cooked it a little too long but here is the recipe.
1 1/2 cups uncooked peanuts with skins still on
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
(have everything ready, this goes quite fast)
Grease cookie sheet with a tiny amount of butter, save rest for recipe
In a 1 1/2 quart microwave safe container (glass), stir together peanuts, sugar, syrup and salt. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, remove and stir well. Return to microwave and cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on color (should be light brown).
Stir in butter an vanilla (it will splatter) and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove and add baking soda. Mixture will become light and foamy. Immediately pour onto a lightly greased baking sheet or marble slab (we all have those :P)spreading thin. When cool break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container (if it lasts that long). Makes 1 pound.
Some disclaimers and cautions:
Use uncooked peanuts.
This mixture gets extremely hot(400 degrees F), it is not a project for kids.
Do not lick the spoon until it is cold!
Burnt peanut brittle is OK for family but not to give away.
Clean up is very easy, just soak in hot water.

Job update...

Apparently, I don't have one. Not officially. After the interview, which I think went very well, she said she would let everyone know either way on Monday. I spent the weekend discussing and making plans and anticipating an offer/thinking I didn't get it. Back and forth on a seesaw of emotions. So today, all day I wait by the phone, like a teenager waiting for her boyfriend. and NOTHING. Phone.did.not.ring.....
I am hopeful still, knowing that HR can sometimes hold things up but tomorrow, I am going to call because I need to get my childcare in order......

Job questions...

This afternoon I have a job interview with the local hospital. I did not expect them to call me because on my online application, I put a pretty high required salary. Now, I have a huge dilemma! If they offer me the job at my required salary, should I take it? It will be full time so I will make decent money but then I won't be able to teach for the university I just graduated from.
I have tried to list the pros and cons to myself but I can't make a coherent decision so I am asking my devoted follower(s) to help!
Good side of this job (if I get it)
1. Steady paycheck
2. Possibility of upward mobility
3. Getting out of the house
Bad side of this job
1. Not as much as I want to be paid
2. Won't be able to teach
3. Not in my field
4. Work during the summer

Good side of not getting job...
1. Can teach at college level if I want to
2. Can still substitute teach at local schools for money
3. Summers off (mostly)
4. Will not be accepting job outside my field just for money
5. Experience in teaching
Bad side of not getting job...
1. College position will not start until January at the earliest.
2. Don't know if i have college position
3. Both college and substitutue teaching only pay once a month
4. No upward mobility in either teaching job.

So, if I could have the best of both worlds, I would work at the hospital with flex time allowed for teaching at the college one night a week. Should I mention this at the interview? or if they offer me the job?

Is this cheating?

No, I am not contemplating cheating on my husband. Where would I get the energy?
This about the December album. Taking Jess's advice, I just "did it" even though I did not have the motivation. I remembered that my Mama Angel had decided to get rid of a bunch of stuff she hoarded for years. I went to her sale to buy some stuff to hoard myself and got these albums. I thought they were blank inside with some stickers, etc. to fix up but they were finished! All I need to do is put some dates on the pages and actually commit to taking pictures and keeping up with the album.





This is the embellishments that I can use to spice it up even more!


Question for those of you who have done a December album. What do you do about days that nothing happened? Is this a day to journal about other Christmas memories or to write profound thoughts? Help on this one!

In addition to the December album, I have vowed to do a gymnastics album for Cee as it happens. I am going to get things ready so that the pictures can be put in immediately! Yeh, right!

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down, except its Tuesday!

So, I'm over at Momster's blog and I see how motivated she is and I'm at Jess's blog and I see that she is super motivated and then there is me. I am not motivated at all. I need some motivation, mojo, umph, something.
I tried working on my thesis today and just got nowhere! I tried analyzing some statistics and figure out if I proved anything.. Yeh, I proved something, I proved I'm confused. Where's that sparkling, intelligent woman of last Thursday?
I thought about doing a December album, I have everything I need, did I even go near my craft room? No!
Help me, I need something to get me going (something legal, that is.) Any ideas?

Commencement ceremony

Thurday was the big day! I done graduated! OK, I have not finished my final draft of my capstone paper (a type of thesis) which is due by December 5th but I still participated in the ceremony. I am getting all choked up just typing! I have my bachelors degree already so on Thursday, I received a Master's of Science in Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Not bad, hmm? No pics yet because I can't find the cable to download from my hubby's camera. When I can, I will post some so everyone can see! This is a special time when the candidate (me) gets "hooded." That means they receive the cloth that hangs down the back and is different colors.
This picture shows the tan color denoting business (MSM (mine) or MBA). The colors inside show the university colors. In my case, they are blue and gold (I couldn't find a picture).
Just in case my head got to big, Walmart brought me down a notch on Friday. I applied online for a management position. In order to be considered, I needed to pass this online exam. I failed it. Spent a good part of Saturday in a fit of pique but I am over it now. I am applying to teach at various colleges and universities in the area and something will come my way!

Socks, Max and Teesha...and an update on Cee

To follow up on comments... Socks is fully male (for another week) and my eyes are not itching (surprisingly) so maybe the allergy shots are working. Max and Socks have a daily battle for my lap as I read the paper every morning but pretty much ignore each other the rest of the day. Teesha could care less about a cat in the house except it affects her eating schedule. Now the dogs only have food down for about 20 minutes in the evening. We do this so that Socks does not eat the dog food because we think this has been making him sick. If you have never seen the results of a cat with the runs, you don't want to!
Enough talk about sick cats... To follow up on my sick child, it was definitely strep. After a second trip to the ER because of a temp of 105.5, the doc ordered a shot in the bum and some really great (I mean it) mouthwash for her throat. She went back to school on Friday, and yesterday, she actually felt back to her old self. Still have about a week of antibiotics to go through but we are back on track!

Welcoming a new family member....Socks...

craft room pics.....

Before picture...




Stamping storage...





Some progess...



My personal library... (only about a third of my books so far)

Puzzling


Groucho mom




Groucho Cee

Has it been that long?

I feel like I am running into an old friend! Really! I have been swamped and now I finally have a few minutes to catch up. The hubby came home on Halloween night and we have been really busy. The parents were supposed to come and visit for my graduation ceremony on Nov. 13th and we were scrambling to get the house in visiting order. Unfortunately, my mother has been very ill and the doctors do not know what is the matter. She has been in and out of the hospital for the last few weeks. They think it might be lupus or something called mayasthenia gravis (sp). They won't be able to come for the graduation and I don't know if they are coming this year at all.
Cee is sick again. This time, I didn't even cal the nurse line. She had a fever of 102.9 and I gave her ibuprofen. One hour later, it was 104.2. The very nice ER doctor thinks it is strep but I have to monitor her for meningitis. I should just go to med school.

Or I should be a veternarian since Teesha has been in to see him twice in the last 2 weeks. Now he thinks she has developed a food allergy....
I am just waiting for someone else to get sick because I am on it!!!! I know everything! I am the goddess of nursing!