Drive by posting

So I promise to be better about blogging, and I'm not. I should be better about getting work done at work too. Minor details.

1. $700 bln bailout? Where’s my bailout? I’m overleveraged with Citimortgage and the various credit card companies (let’s not even talk about Sallie Mae) and I’m too big to fail, so where’s my bailout? You think the local Mobil station wouldn’t suffer if I didn’t stop there every third day? Not to mention the Dunkin Donuts (even though they don’t seem to be capable of making a medium iced French Vanilla that doesn’t taste burnt and/or NOT French Vanilla).

That’s all I’m going to say about that because I don’t want to be a political blog. There are enough minefields being a mom blog (see # 3, below for additional detail). Just call me Forrest.

2. I am dreading the winter. No, not because of the increased energy costs. I’ve already warned the residents of the house that the thermostat will not be going above 65 degrees this winter. They both are warmer blooded than I so it doesn’t faze them. Me? It’s been in the 50’s a few mornings already and I’ve been freezing.

Where could I go live where there are seasons -spring, summer, fall, and maybe about a month of 50 degree weather before it starts warming back up?? And is there an insurance company there? (It doesn’t help that I was surfing the net looking for the local newspaper in my favorites folder and clicked on the Baton Rogue tv station by mistake – high that day – 86!)

3. I never thought I’d be one of “those” mommies. You know, the ones that look at another mom and pass judgment. I like to think I’m more tolerant than that – you know, live and let live? Ha. I was wrong. Last week was the first Home and School Association meeting of the new school year (Home and School is the Catholic school equivalent of the PTA I guess). Afterwards, finding ourselves without kids for the first time in a long time, a couple of the other moms and I went to Friendly’s for ice cream (it was 8PM, too late for coffee and we all had to work the next day so no pub crawl for us either!). We had a good time, laughing and joking, catching up, etc. when a family with small kids came in and ordered dinner (at 8:30. On a Wednesday night!) No words were exchanged, but it was pretty clear we were all thinking the same thing. Those kids should have been in bed.

4. And second grade is kicking our butts. Actually D’s more than mine. I’m not home in time for the homework struggles, although I did get to experience the “I’m not smart” routine last night. Fun times. I was like that in third grade – crying every night because Sister Christine hated me, I hated school, etc etc ad nauseum. I thought there would be one fun year left. But no, second grade is “hard” – there’s not enough play time. Sigh.

5. We did go to the Big E (Eastern States Exposition, all six New England states are represented). As I'm the only person in the family who likes animals, the compromise was that I got to see some of the horse show. I'm still trying to figure out where Clare came from, because when I was her age, it was all horses, all the time. None of this princess stuff for me. No sir. If I wasn't in my school uniform, I was in jeans and trying to figure out a way we could fit a horse barn in my parents backyard.

6. Powerball jackpot is $200 million. I know there have been shows about how lottery winners usually end up destitute, but I'll take my chances. Of course, I still need to buy a ticket. You have to be in it to win it! All it takes is a dollar and a dream! good luck!

Still here

I'm still here - just have been in a rut this summer with work, traveling for work and trying to fit as much fun stuff as possible into the remaining time.

The travel's not over yet - I get to go to Dallas next week (and I am betting I will get stuck there since the hurricanes are lining up in the Atlantic and I have to connect through Charlotte), but once that trip is done I am pretty much done with my work travels until the end of October.

I think I was in the Marriott last week (with the inimitable Marriott smell (must be the cleaning products they use)) and it just crashed over me like a wave - I'm tired of traveling. Sure, when you first get out in the working world and get to travel new places it seems fun and glamorous, but then reality hits you in the face. You get tired of eating out all the time and just want some plain pasta with Ragu sauce (or insert your favorite comfort food here).

I am also tired of commuting but need to put my hands over my ears and say "la la la can't hear you" because that probably won't change anytime soon.

And, with all the traveling and commuting, I just feel boring. Get up, get ready, stop for coffee (which Dunkin Donuts somehow scews up 3 out of 5 days - how hard is a medium iced french vanilla, regular, to make correctly anyway?), drive, train, work, discuss politics (tired of that too and that's just going to get worse before it gets better), reverse commute...lather rinse repeat.

Boring. But still here. I'll try to be better once I get back from Texas.