Monday, February 19, 2007

Holding Pattern

About a week ago today, I got an email from a girl I worked for last summer. She has a new project. Her jobs are mentally challenging, a little intimidating, very technical, and quite lucrative. She asked if I could help on a very fast job, 40-50 hours over two weeks, and earn about $1000. I couldn't say YES! fast enough.

Anyway, the job was supposed to start last Wednesday. I quickly cleared as many obligations off my calendar as I could, delegated PTA assignments to committee members and braced for the onslaught. But then we had to wait for her client to sign a contract. So each day, I log onto the computer and hold my breath and the start date keeps sliding. The ten day window now contains several days the kids are out of school-- haven't quite figured how I'll manage to get productive work done those days. Joey was out of school today. The big kids are out Monday for conferences and Joey's school is out next Wednesday and Thursday for some reason.

On top of that, I'm in a major role in an upcoming PTA evening event. I'm in charge of feeding about 400 people on March 8. And Max's birthday (and party?) are March 3.....

So, do you want to hear the positive development? This waiting time has gotten me working on everything I can think of toward getting stuff accomplished. This weekend I finished the last two thirds of the garage clean out. I think I collapsed over a hundred cardboard boxes! I also found (and asked David to remove) a mummified squirrel or rat. ugh.

So, anyway, when I lie in bed early each morning, and I feel the stress bubble up after I remember the upcoming project, I think about the garage. Today around lunchtime I even went out and looked at it. Because that's why I took this crazy job, to save some of the money we need to renovate it into our studio/storage/possible guest room. Hopefully without mummified mammals.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Joey tells a story his way....


Super Ham

Joey's Play Time


Joey and Mr. Fisk, one of the two teachers in his class this year. But, sadly for us, today was Mr. Fisk's last day. He got a job at Dell. So right after the play, there was a going away party for Mr. Fisk.

Joey and Remy, during one of the five or six "pose photos" they wanted me to take.




Joey and his buddy, Remy




Three little bears and their porrage.




Fairy Tale Theater

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Yippee!!!!

We are done, done, done selling Girl Scout Cookies!!! Yippee!!!!

It's been about three weeks, and Emma set a goal high enough to get a PDA (little electronic address book/calendar) that I could have probably spent $5 to get at Target... but, beyond that, I am so proud of her for setting a high goal and making it!!!

And we are done, done, done!!!!

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Drama

Today I stopped at the post office to mail a few eBay boxes. Joey was with me, and we went inside to find only a couple of other people in there.... some retired ladies. Yes, moms and kids and retired ladies make for small crowds at 1:00.

We walked in and I heard every person in the post office coughing. Then Joey started to cough. It sounded like a TB ward, and I just knew I'd catch some crud. Then I got the overwhelming urge to cough. There we were, all of us, hacking away. I was looking for smoke since my throat was just stinging. And one of the ladies told me, it's not a cold, something happened. I got to the desk and the post office lady told me someone had a canister of pepper spray that accidentally went off just before we got there. She said she would probably be sick by the time she got home.

I was getting about three good breaths to each bad chemically one tearing up my lungs, then it changed so that every breath made me gag-cough. The lady was weighing my boxes and I was trying not to cough so hard that I would throw up on the desk. I sent Joey outside to wait, held out my credit card and almost just left it there for her to ring up while I ran outside to breathe. I just wanted out of there.

In the confusion, the clerk and I both forgot my biggest box should have been media rate. So I lost quite a bit of my eBay profit with the upgrade to postage, but by the time I figured it out, in the car, there was no going back.

And there, in the Terrytown Village parking lot, where many of the West Austin moms I know from Joey's preschool do their business, I did a nice farmer's blow. I just didn't care at that point who saw me snotting it out of my system.

So be thankful there is no photo to post today.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Mexican Folk Art Sale




One of my friends, Lindsey, knew these girls who were selling a LOT of Mexican Folk Art. Their mother had been an importer and after she died five years ago, these sisters wanted to hold on to everything. This year they decided to sell the house, and its contents so they could begin the next phase of their lives. So they've invited friends, and friends of friends to come pick out some art (at rock bottom prices!) and take it to their homes. I got some great stuff last Saturday. There is another sale this week (Feb 3rd) in San Marcos, so if you are tempted.....



My demon on a bike.....

My first three paper mache Mexican dolls. I loved these so much I ordered 10 more and will hang the whole baker's dozen on a wall in the house.



This glass fronted cross holds the special toys of my children... it will hang in the kitchen so I can look at it while I cook.....