Pish Posh!!!

I am convinced that there are NO cool people here in Goodlettesville.... Occasionally they magically pop up in the Rivergate Mall around the arcade, Hot Topic, or Food Court. But where do they go AFTER that! Whenever I go outside I see nothing but preppies and old people!

I think if I were to ever live here I would have to become a hardcore recluse... Only to emerge (occasionally) to go to the mall and stare at people (or hang out at the arcade because the metal-heads that hang there at night are cute)... I could always go to the movies, but I don't like going alone, so scratch that idea...

I kinda wish that the super-huge, waddling security guard was still working at Rivergate... I was hoping to take a picture of him to show people... Oh,well.

Even though I've only been to that damned mall a couple times this week, each time I was there I felt the need to sit in one spot and shoot people with a slingshot...just because.

I hate malls... The stores inside may be good...but I still hate 'em...

And thanks to the arcade in Rivergate I have the song "Little Butterfly" stuck in my head. (Some chic was playing DDR and chose that same song, like, 3 times in a row... It's playing in my head as I type this...)

Other than that things have been pretty cool... I guess. I haven't been able to contact any of my old friends because they miraculously changed their numbers... I'm stuck with hanging out with my brothers and sister. My baby sister, Lea Anna, is pretty cool for a two-year old. (She's so cute!) The only thing that kinda sucks is that like most little girls, she's obssessed with pink. I tried to find something black (or, NOT PINK) for her to wear once and managed to find ONE pair of baggy sweat-shorts and a cute pair of black bell-bottoms (only to fin they had pink rinestones at the bottom of the pant's leg). BUT THAT'S OK! She'll grow out of it eventually! NE-Wayz...
I was hoping to spend quality time with my younger brother, Daniel, but for a 6-year-old he's got a damn smart-mouth and acts like a prick.

I found out my best friend, Amada, had a baby... It was born on Christmas day! I was like, "Dude, Amada, you had a JESUS baby!" Because he was born on such a special day she named her kid Micheal Jesus (pronounced with an H, bitches!) Rosales. We are going to visit her in Georgia this weekend. I even started making her a baby blanket! The back is navy blue flannel with some bright-blue fabric that has (what looks like) a weird firework print. (I quilted it in 4 squares since I couldn't decide between the two fabrics for the back...) The front is Batman flannel and looks really cool... I originally wanted to make the kid a Darth Vader baby blanket, but I figured I should at least make the character a hero, since he is named after the savior 'n' all that hula-baloo...

Besides, all the other baby blanket prints were too damn dopey looking, which is ok-I guess-if you're for the whole crappy "cute" thing. But would you rather have Batman? ...Or dopey, yellow ducks? Batman?... Dopey, yellow ducks?... Hmmmm?

NOT THAT HARD OF A DECISION IS IT!!!

Where IS everybody?

Okay, I know every one has been busy with the holidays. It was good, but now it is over. So where are you all? Don't make me do something drastic like pay for a phone call! I had a very loud but wonderful holiday. Daniel is being mean and not letting me play with his new video game. Just wait until you go to bed little boy. Bwahaha! Seriously, how was y'alls Christmas?

Christmas/chaunakah/kwanza/holiday/that pegean thing/any other religion day recap.

Whew that was a long title,This christmas was very jolly and tantrum filled this year. On christmas eve Daniel kept getting in trouble for a bunch of little things and ended up locked in his room for most of the day. Lea Anna was pretty good but we kept trying to get her to go to sleep so we could put the gifts out but no matter how hard we tried she would'nt stay asleep! We gave up and mom & me went to go pick up Jazzmin. Daniel woke me up around 7 the next day and went to wake up the other people in the house. The kids scored a ton of gifts this year. I got a SR-71 model kit, a $25 K-mart gift card from grandma and a $25 music card from mom as well as 2 albums sytem of a down's new one hypnotize and a german rock album called Uber alles and aunt Jonna got me a kick ass instiant cookie mix thingy which I'm gonna make with the kids later today. Jazzmin got me a ghost rider comic book which is staying in its case until I can get at least 5000 on ebay and mom got me a mp3 player. It looks like an Ipod but holds only 4 hours of music. Its not great compared to the 500 buck ones but it sure kicks better than the shuffle dad got me and costs 2/3rds less and has a repeat button. I went to K-mart the next day to spend my gift card and they had absolutely NOTHING worth buying, so I got some batteries for my Mp3 player, Centrum vitamins, and a 8-pack of slim fast and I still have 7 bucks left on it. With the music card I ordered System of a Downs album mesmerize and because there was nothing left that I wanted & could afford so I went for the expensive 2 day shipping.

Painting in the South

What is it about painting in the South? So far I'm 1 for 3 since moving here in the acceptable paint projects department. The one that was okay took tons of prep and was done at the beginning of summer, so I guess there weren't any extremes of temperature or humidity.

I painted the front door of my old house in the spring. Mistake. It looked great from the road, but it was a drippy, blobby mess. At first I thought it was because I was being too heavy with the first coat, so I figured I'd keep going, apply the paint in a really, really thin coat, then go back when everything was dry, sand down the drips and give the door one last good coat. Ha. It wasn't me - it was the humidity. As I continued painting I realized no matter how carefully I applied the paint it was sliding in blobby drips down the door. I made it worse by trying to go back over them and "fix" them. By the time I got done with that damn door the last thing I wanted to do was go back and sand it and paint some more. So I just left it. And then I sold the house. Problem solved.

Okay, now I'm just wanting to paint an accent color on the parts of my dining room walls that aren't trimmed out. It's cold out, but it's not humid, plus we're indoors, unlike the front door project. So I tape everything off and even prime. This whole thing is taking me days because I'm alternately running by Home Depot after work, taping, priming, painting, etc.

Now, I do learn from experience. Unfortunately, I usually have to have the same experience at least a couple of times before I remember it. I finally start painting my accent color, a mustardy-carmely kind of yellow, and I'm about 1/3 of the way through with the first coat when I look back over where I started and to see those familiar blobs of paint sliding down the wall. Damn it. So do I realize I haven't got good conditions to paint in? Of course not. Just like the last time I think I'm being too heavy-handed with the paint, so I keep painting and try really hard to spread it thin. Fortunately, this time it doesn't take me long to realize what's going on and for the whole red front door fiasco to come rushing back. I wash my brush out and give up for the night.

I was eager to try this paint. It's a new Behr Flat Enamel. So, in theory, you can get all sorts of ickies on it and just scrub it clean, similar to glossy paint. Except it doesn't look tacky or highlight every imperfection in your walls. Sara has a bad habit of running up and down the walls, rubbing her body all the way, which has created a greyhound-level ring around the living room. If this stuff proves itself in the dining room then I'll paint the whole living room with it.

Anyway, now in the dining room there are blobbies in the paint. And I don't feel like going back and sanding. It would have helped if I'd started in the far corner, but no - I've got to pick the most conspicuous spot to screw up. I figured out that if I ran the space heater in the dining room it would help, so the second third went a lot better and I put a first coat on the last third tonight. I'll finish it tomorrow or Sunday. I probably should go back and sand down the blobs and redo them, but I dunno. I've really got better things to do. Unlike the front door paint, this surface is flat and the blobs aren't glaringly obvious...especially when you turn the dimmer waaaay down ; )

Visit From Santa

The kids had a visit from Santa Clause (aka Terry our really cool next door neighbor) this evening. Lea Anna was scared of him and clung to me so tight it would have taken a crow bar to pry her off. Daniel of course knows no strangers and had no problem with Santa. When Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas he said with much sincerity "Oh, not much. Just a dirt bike. And a dog. And a lot of thousand dollars." That boy is just too funny. I don't know how I managed to keep a straight face, 'cause I was on the verge of falling down and laughing my ass off after Daniel's last request. He also asked me if that was really Santa after he had left. I told him I wasn't sure but he better be good just in case. Hey, it worked for a little bit - long enough to get him to clean his room.

The Whole World is Her Refrigerator

Lea Anna had another busy night. She was constantly rummaging in the refrigerator. She drank massive quantities of chocolate milk, whole milk, ate half a slice of cold pizza, two slices of apple spice bread, a chocolate cookie bar and as I was just staring in disbelief, she grabbed a spoon from the silverware drawer and started digging it into a little tray of fudge that I brought home from work (she ended up with two pieces of that before I wised up and stashed it). This started just a half hour after she ate dinner. She has her cousin Joe's kitchen pretty well staked out too, and often bums popsicles off our next door neighbor. My question is where the heck does she put it all?

A Little Bit Christmas

I am enjoying having lots of Christmas lights up. There are huge white-light snowflakes that slowly glow brighter, then fade. There's a line of tiny red lights that outlines the roofline, and multicolor lights trimming every architectural feature. Then there are the tiny white lights on the bushes that are blinking crazily off and on. Gosh my neighbors must have worked hard to put all that up.

I have my little four-foot-tall pre-lit tree, with shiny little red and gold glass ornaments and several sparkly sequined decorations handmade by Janet. It sits in the corner of the dining room, and next to it I wrapped tiny white lights all along the railing. It took me all of about an hour and a half. That's Christmas enough for me. If I want more all I have to do is open the dining room blinds and my tiny little tree will be set against the backdrop of multicolored lights that cover the house across the street.

I should thank them. I should go over there and help them when it's time to take them down and put them away. It sure will be a lot of work. Oh, but wait...these are the same neighbors who sat out on their front porch in rocking chairs, sipping on sweet tea or whatever, as we moved into the house in 95-degree weather and 100% humidity in July. Box after box - and not only did they not take pity on us, they didn't even come over to say hello or welcome to the neighborhood or "Would you like some tea?" or even "HEY, is it HOT ENOUGH for ya?" Yeah, I think I'll pass on that one. My next-door neighbor, a sweet man with a bad back, came over and introduced himself, AND carried numerous boxes despite his back. He doesn't have a lot of lights to take down. Maybe I'll make them a cake instead : )

It's Me! It's Me!

As you have heard, Adrian arrived Saturday night and Daniel & Lea Anna are still stuck to him like glue. It is so cute, but if he planned on getting any peace and quiet it's not going to happen here. They are making cookies right now, and the little ones are "helping" him. He is so cool with the little ones. I do think I better enjoy these cookies though, 'cause I don't think He's going to be insane enough to do it again. Jazzy's going to to fly in late Christmas Eve, so I'll have a full house next week. Yay!

I'm ready for Christmas, but I'm missing a couple of gifts. I put them in a "safe" place so I wouldn't lose them and I can't find where I stashed them. I've been searching off and on all weekend and it is driving me insane. (Gee Jazz & Adrian, you wouldn't mind IOU's for Christmas would you?!) I still have one of Lea Anna's presents from last year in the trunk of my car. I suppose my track record isn't really all that.

I have a new blog. I have no idea what I'm doing but I wanted to post my 20 kajillion kid photos online without turning this place into my personal photo album. If you want to check it out it's at http://princess-frump.blogspot.com/

Enter nuthouse

As I speak a little boy is struggling making a paper chain, Adam Sandler music is blasting out the radio and a 2 year old is spinning around screaming not 10 ft behind me. Yes I have just arrived at the insane asylum that is moms house. I arrived yesterday at 6:30pm off of southwest airlines flight 1437. Not much has gone down yet but the kids have had a BLAST since I've been here. Daniel was the most excited and at first Lea Anna ignored me because well, when she last saw me she was only 1 and couldn't remember me but now were buddy buddy agian. last night we watched star wars episode 3 and today me and Daniel walked down to K-mart. Because his legs are so short he had to stop alot and rest but he made it there no problem. We picked out a toy train for her christmas gift and I got daniel a star wars general greivous action figure as a second christmas gift which he "didn't" see. After that mom picked us up and we (along with Lea anna) went to starschmuks and got some frapuchinos. I brought my camera and got some footage of lea anna and daniel playing together outside. I still need another DV tape because I left my camera bag at home which also had my second tape. I'll go get one from K mart tommorow.

Cant hibernate this winter...

This saturday I shall be abandoning the warm confines of my apartment and flying out to tennessee where I will most likely freeze to death (unless I get lucky this year too.) I got almost all of the gift shopping done the last thing I got was a hulk tv series DVD set for dad. The next thing I'm gonna get is Lea annas gift, I originally got her a toy guitar but its not gonna be easy to bring because I have limited luggage space. I've got a deal with Daniel that i'd get him a second gift if he behaved, and so far its been impossible for him to act sane for more than 3 days. If he does get his act straight I'll get him a star wars action figure, on second thought 2 because I'd want to play with one while I'm there >:-) That smelly little turd conned me into bringing star wars episode 3 and spiderman 2 with me!

Christmas in L.A. (a crappy attempt at a poem by adrian wilson)

Christmas is right around the corner and you can see the whole neighborhood preparing for this joyous holiday. The street vendors have switched from selling incense, to selling santa hats. def jam records put out a christmas with snoop album. The local liquor store is having beer at half price this year and camels priced at a dollar a pack, while egg nogs price stays the same. Jack in the box put out an egg nog shake while the neighbors put a black santa on display. Gangsters stop shooting and switch to praying as if that act alone would save their ass. half the school starts ditching in a feeble attempt to get an extended vacation but the fun ends when the school retaliates by calling parents. Teachers in anticipation of the break hand out high credit assignments that if not done a student shall surely fail.

Daniel and Lea Anna

Lea Anna decorating the gingerbread house , and Daniel just chillin' after a long day of destruction.

Would You be Caught Dead in This Outfit?

Ta Da! Here she is - the 2005 Little Miss Tacky Queen! You got to love little Lea Anna's unique sense of fashion.

Interesting Article on Housing Costs

Ran across an article on CNNMoney from a couple of days ago. It talks about people bailing on expensive housing markets and it has a couple of good sidebar tables outlining areas residents are leaving and areas they're moving to. L. A. was the #3 area in terms of the number of people who leave each year, and the #1 area people move to is Atlanta.

The page also has a calculator that lets you put in your annual salary, the city you live in, and the city you're thinking about moving to. Then it kicks out how much higher or lower your major expenditures (e.g., housing, groceries, utilities) will be. Just for fun I put in going from Atlanta to L.A. and of course everything except healthcare was higher, which was surprising since I only expected housing and auto expenses to be more. Check out the article and try the calculator here.

Sweetwater Creek

I bought a state parks pass a couple of weeks ago and am really working to get lost in the woods for at least a portion of the weekend. This means checking the weather, picking the best looking day, and taking the dogs to Sweetwater for a little while then. I used to do this all the time pre-Steve and before I had dogs and it kept my head clear and my body from completely falling apart. I did drag Steve on one hike there with the dogs, who had a great time. But Steve was about to go into convulsions from the combination of physical activity and the fact that Brando (the Afghan Hound) frolicked in the leaves and got stuff in his coat. But, I digress...

Despite what Yankees will tell you we do have cold weather here in Georgia, and I don't tolerate it very well. The doggies don't either, but more importantly their bodies aren't built to handle it for long. One saying you hear a lot in Georgia, whatever the season, is "Don't like the weather? Wait five minutes." It may not be that quick a change, but the point is there really are enough shifts that if it looks good out you need to put down whatever you're doing and go for it – carpe diem.

Sara and KiKi get so excited going to Sweetwater. When we get into the woods they want to stop and smell everything. It probably all smells like squirrels and bunnies and the dogs can't figure out where the critters are all hiding. They also attract – and love – a lot of attention from the people we run into along the trails. Sometimes I think KiKi sincerely believes all humans were put on this earth to pet her. And she's not afraid to use her wet nose to remind them of that.

Christmas is coming

It's only 15 days till Christmas and amazingly I still have all the ornaments on the tree. I don't think the kids are buying into the Santa scenario to much though. Last night Daniel took Lea Anna's ball and she retaliated by repeatedly whacking the stuffing out of him with her light saber. But did the stubborn little boy give the ball back to her? Of course not! He ran up screaming and hid behind me with Lea Anna chasing him all the way, still beating him and momentarily catching me in the cross fire. Just another typical night at the nut house.

The kids and I made a gingerbread house today. It's kind of funky looking, but at least it came out better than my last attempt. Daniel and Lea Anna (especially Lea Anna) ate most of the candy before it ever made it on the house. I'll just chalk that up as collateral damage. It was better than yesterday's greeting card project. I'm still finding glitter everywhere. Next year we'll stick to paint and crayons.

"Oh that's right, He has a bionic power beam!"

That was Daniel's line as elf #6 in tonights 1st grade production of the "Incredible Reindeer". He was so incredibly cute in his little elf ears. Nevermind who actually had the lead, my boy is a star! Too bad I had to sit way in the back, or I'd have some pictures :(

All I Want for Christmas

There are 21 shopping days left until Christmas, so if any of you hit the mega lottery I'll make it easy for you to share the wealth with your beloved Sis:

1. An '05 Mustang GT (Of course I wouldn't turn down a Shelby Cobra or a Harley Sportster either)
2. A volume control and a pause button installed on Daniel and Lea Anna
3. More sleep
4. The complete removal of the song "Free Bird" from American society
5. Ditto for any rap music - especially gangsta rap
6. A maid
7. Nonfat Bacon that actually tastes like bacon
8. A federal law passed that reaffirms Christmas as a religious celebration with all Americans (including schools and government agencies) having the RIGHT to celebrate openly and also ban anyone from calling Christmas trees "holiday trees".
9. The end of world hunger. Tennesseans could do a lot towards this - look at our waistlines!
10. World Peace

What's on Y'alls wish list? I purchased a lottery ticket on a whim yesterday. You never know, I might win something this time instead of just adding to lottery CEO Rebecca Paul's year end bonus.

Happy Birthday, Ry

Despite the rough start you had, being born at Harbor-UCLA and all, you have done well for yourself. I know you probably won't be able to get onto the blog and read this today, but maybe somehow you will know that I'm thinking about you and sending wishes for a happy birthday and a safe return home ASAP.

Where Are You?

We're coast-to-coast and then some. Stick a pin in our map and let everyone know where you are!

You won't get spam from this and you don't give out your exact address, just your zip code. So go ahead and have fun with it.