Decisions about Money

I've been looking at my budget and credit cards and one of my goals this year is to really get my 1 credit card as close to paid off as possible. Don't get me wrong, if there is a decent balance then there is, I am just really hoping to get things into a better spot.

I do know that getting my shower fixed is basically going to whack that hard, but whatever.

So whatever taxes I get back on going to pay off a portion of my credit card.

I really really really want to stop eating out as much as possible (last week was hard, due to burst pipes, so there is always exceptions). I just need to kick myself in the ass a little bit more and get a cracking at cooking and baking. I know that this spring/summer will be harder, but oh well. It can be hard to say no to my Kid with that, I mean, pizza out every once in a while or chinese ordered in? It just adds up :( Plus he's had a friend spend the night a couple times and who knew that boys eat that much! Oh and speaking of that, my freaking grocery bill is going a wee bit whacky. I have a feeling my kid is gonna is another growth spurt because his stomach is not getting bigger and he's eating a lot more it seems.

I was using the excuse of my classes for some of this, just not having as much time. Well, fuck that. If I end up staying up later then so be it. That is life it seems! I like cooking too, so it's not a hard leap here lol. Dishes are a pain, well, especially with the burst pipes and cold weather.

It won't hurt us to get outside and do things, pack a lunch or picnic, ya know? Once it's warmer at least :) And it won't hurt to eat a little bit less either.

And it's not going to be never eating out again. I just want it more limited for a while. It should be a treat, not a habit for us.

Well, it's a start at least :)

Stupid Pipes Part 3.77

Ok, my coworker and friend will be coming back hopefully tomorrow to get the pipes completely fixed.

Since today was, ok IS, so fucking cold, I went to Lowe's last night and got some of this type of stuff - Self Sealing Pipe Insulation. I did NOT seal it yet, since we're still working on the pipes. But anything on them is going to help, so I spent a good portion last night getting that done. I want to do ALL the pipes just to help make sure this doesn't happen again. Which means buying more and spending more time in my cellar.



Because, you know. DAMN. Today's high? 14 degree but it feels like -9. Tonight's low is going to be -3 degrees, and if you had in wind chill? Yikes.

Today I put my (thanks again to the boyfriend) portable heater in the kitchen to help keep it warm. I think I might just get one FOR the kitchen during winter, because those floors are always cold!! It's because there is not enough insulation to the outside wall. It's an OLD house.

One of the interesting things is that this PCVP type of pipes can get brittle. So weird! From what I can gather, it's due to age and extreme cold. So good to know all around!!

Stupid Pipes Part 2.04

So. My coworker and friend was able to get the 2 (yes, 2) pipes fixed - with a couple minor issues

The hot water pipe has a drip because I don't have wrenches and we need one to tighten that. Easy fix and I was able to use my hot water to do ALL the damn dishes that were dirty. Which was a lot.

The cold water pipe would have been perfect, except we forgot to glue 1 of the pipes together. Oppsie. We are gonna get that sucker fixed tomorrow.

The reason for the burst pipes? There is no insulation beneath the flooring of the sink going to the cellar. It's hard to explain, it's about a 3" or so space - I've attempted to draw it as thus:

________________SINK______________
Space below your sink that you store things, like dishwasher soap, etc. - Some Obvious pipes (BURST)
------------Floor below sink---------------------
          ++++more pipes++++
-------------House base flooring-----------------
************stone*********************
Some insulation and some pipes
~~~~~~~~~~~Cellar area~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope that sorta makes sense??

So we ripped out a portion of the floor below the sink to get to the pipes. It was not a straight shot to the cellar for the water pipes, kinda weird but there you go. Lowe's has been my friend these last couple of days. I have some stuff to return and more things to buy. Shocking, NOT. LMFAO :)

Real pictures are below.

I learned quite a bit. I feel much more confident in several things, understanding being the biggest one. My friend made it look easy. I mean, damn.

It was very awesome that my boyfriend put in those pipe shut offs on the pipes last night. It has really helped!

So, no need for a plumber. Clean up, insulation to put in and fix the flooring, but that can be done when it's not 5 degrees outside.

Stupid Pipes

We get home Sunday, and I guess it was so freaking cold Saturday night that my kitchen pipes froze and burst :( They are STILL frozen, last night when we finally discovered this, which is good. If they get un-frozen, I have to shut the whole house water off :( Because otherwise I will have water everywhere.

Uhg. Looking for a plumber to call once people are awake and see how soon they can come and what constitutes an emergency :( I am going to assume a frozen and burst pipe is one.

I am so very thankful my boyfriend was here last night and saw it and found the water shut off valve for me so that in case I do need to do that, I know where it's at.

Just, Blah.

The Kid's day at work with me

This is him and a coworker - going up on a man lift!

Ed Sheeran is Freaking Awesome

Thinking Out Loud



Lyrics
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/edsheeran/thinkingoutloud.html


"Thinking Out Loud"

When your legs don't work like they used to before
And I can't sweep you off of your feet
Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?
Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?

And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70
And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23
And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe just the touch of a hand
Well, me—I fall in love with you every single day
And I just wanna tell you I am

So honey now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are

When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades
And the crowds don't remember my name
When my hands don't play the strings the same way
I know you will still love me the same

'Cause honey your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen
And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory
I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways
Maybe it's all part of a plan
Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes
Hoping that you'll understand

But, baby, now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Place your head on my beating heart
Thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are

So, baby, now
Take me into your loving arms
Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars
Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart
I'm thinking out loud
That maybe we found love right where we are
Oh, baby, we found love right where we are
And we found love right where we are

Hot Roller-Skating Mama

So. I did it. I bought me a pair of Quad Roller Skates


I was comparing a couple different ones and I was seriously tempted to get an all black pair. Worst comes to worst, I get another pair later on in life. There were some good reviews on this and honestly, for the pain in my feet from the rental skates, I am hoping this makes it more enjoyable.

I plan on going at least every other weekend. It's a cheap way to exercise and have fun :)

I have a strong suspicion that my Kid will want his own pair. Which is fine...if he spends more time skating and less time playing games. That is the deal :)

It should also be interesting, since he is already a size 12. Let's hope his feet don't have a growth spurt after he gets his own!

Also, who knew you burned SO MANY calories roller skating?? Awesome :)

I get these in 2 days. Here's hoping it proves a pain free skating dance!

Jeans and Inches and Weight oh my

So. I have been wearing my jeans, innocently thinking they were my size 12's, since I had thought I only bought 1 pair of size 10's. Ahem. This morning I pull out a pair and check the size (ok, ok it's because if I weight more than x amount, I wear size 12 but if I lose a couple lbs, I wear size 10. blah!) and all 3 of my jeans were size 10's. No 12's in the bunch. This mean, ALL last week I was wearing size 10's and had NO IDEA.

You gotta understand. I thought my size 12's were getting slightly looser. NOT my 10's!

AWESOMENESS is reigning me :)

Of course, this is just this brand, because clothes sizes it like ice cream, different places different flavors.

Still, I am very happy :) I have no idea if I can fit a size 8. I have some lovely hips on me and my thigh, though getting smaller, are still bigger than you're average!! More muscle than fat though :) I love doing squats!! My calves are scary big too, though those are starting to trim down just a wee bit :)

I am losing inches all around, which is good. I am slowly losing weight. Which is also good. Ok, granted I ate chinese food on Saturday night and thus gained 2 lbs which I now have to re-work off, but it's a doable thing :)

Also, love roller skating :) Went again with the Kid on Sunday.

Roller Skating - who knew!!

We had so much fun this weekend. It was a seriously busy weekend, but awesome.

Saturday - we went roller skating. I only fell 3 times. Both knees are bruised. My right wrist does not like me and my ankles have protested enough already. But it was awesome!!! OMG so much fun!! If my skates did not constantly try to make do the splits! Suffice it to say, my inner thighs are also giving me some pains still!! I now want skates. Ahem.

I am hoping to take the Kid skating on Saturday (after my wax appointment) and see how it goes :)

Misophonia and Me

Definition:

Misophonia, literally "hatred of sound", is a rarely diagnosed but common^[1] neuropsychiatric disorder in which negative experiences (anger, flight, hatred, disgust) are triggered by specific sounds.^[2] The sounds can be loud or soft.^[3] The term was coined by American neuroscientists Pawel Jastreboff and Margaret Jastreboff^[4]and is often used interchangeably with the term selective sound sensitivity syndrome.^[5]

I've made a new page on my blog for future reference :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misophonia

People who have misophonia are most commonly angered by specific sounds, such as slurping, throat-clearing, people clipping their nails, brushing their teeth, chewing crushed ice, eating, drinking, breathing, sniffing, talking, sneezing, yawning, walking, chewing gum, laughing, snoring, typing on a keyboard, coughing, humming, whistling, singing; saying certain consonants; or repetitive sounds.^[13] Sufferers may experience such physical symptoms as sweating, muscle tension, and even quickened heartbeat. Some are also affected by visual stimuli, such as repetitive foot or body movements, fidgeting, or movement they observe out of the corners of their eyes; this has been termed misokinesia, meaning hatred of movement.^[6] Intense anxiety and avoidant behavior may develop, which can lead to decreased socialization. Some people feel the compulsion to mimic what they hear or see.^[14] Mimicry is an automatic, non-conscious, and social phenomenon. It has a palliative aspect, making the sufferer feel better. The act of mimicry can elicit compassion and empathy, which ameliorates and lessens hostility, competition, and opposition. There is also a biological basis for how mimicry reduces the suffering from a trigger.^[7]

From the Misophonia website: http://www.misophonia.com/symptoms-triggers/

When a person with misophonia is exposed to a sound in their trigger set, it results in an immediate negative emotional response. This response can range from acute annoyance to moderate discomfort or go all the way up to full-fledged rage and panic. Fight or flight reactions are not uncommon. While experiencing a trigger event, a person may become agitated, defensive or offensive, distance themselves from the trigger or possibly act out and express anger or rage at the source of the offending sound.

Yes. Me. Oh my god for so long I just thought I had sensitive ears, that it was just something with me. Not that it's actually a thing, that be explained and understood and worked with. By all the gods, it's such a huge inexplicable relief to know this. There are forums, and facebook groups, with people just like me dealing with this same exact thing. It is still taking my breath away.

A quick Moment

This weekend, I'm gonna make some more chicken stock. I am probably feeling this way because it's snowing out.

This is also a good weekend to finish up some of my class notes I need to get done and start on next weeks homework. This class is definitely more than my last class. I like the subject though, which helps! It's just hard to get my Kid to understand I need time to study too and that I have homework to get done. He has a hard time giving me time to do that, but we're working on it!

Also, I just feel so blessed :) I tell my boyfriend this (on a few different occasions) about how life has turned around for me, in so many awesome and wonderful ways! I would not trade what I have now for anything :)

I need to write more!!

A Bits and Pieces Update

Because it's always easier with bullet points:

• I was sick all through the holidays, but that's ok so was my bf's family was as well so it was a happy shared misery :)
• The holidays were pretty damn awesome :)
• I got my kid an XBox, which surprised him, which = awesome.
• I used vacation days so didn't have work for 2 weeks. Which was good because I was sick anyway. It was a nice break though!
• I've had my gardens percolating in my head for a month straight now. I can't wait for spring!
• We've had snow 2 times. Today's was pretty light.
  

This was on January 6th. All powder! 

Too bad I slipped going down my steps on the back porch. Thankfully it was a slow decent and I didn't get the wind knocked out of me this time. Suffice it to say, I am waiting on the treads I ordered to come in from Amazon.

• Work is awesome, I love my job.
• My elbow is acting up so I am wearing my brace again. Blah
• I've started back using MyFitnessPal. It's been a whooping 2 days lol. But hey, I'm back at it :) I have goals for this year :)
• I've started drinking my coffee black (ok ok I put cinnamon in it). No creamer or sugar. Who knew!
• The kid is grounded for ditching school. He's still having a hard time in school but has pulled up 2 of his classes grades this quarter. I've started the search for tutors.
• I miss my friends and family! Working on talking/texting/seeing them more :)
• Life has been busy. I mean, damn, seriously busy!
• I have gotten quite quick at crocheting scarves it seems. My bf asked me about a blanket. I started at him like he was crazy. Made a couple scarves and thought and thought and thought about HOW much time/yarn it would take for a blanket. Ahem. So I've started one. I made the first 4 rows, but realized it's a wee bit too large. So. I am gonna pull them out and make it a tad bit smaller :) Just a tad though. I do have a king size bed :)
• Tiamet, my 13 year old cat, has thyroid issues but not also minor kidney disease. She's at a good weight though and pretty active so I think she'll be ok for a couple years :) I keep an eye on her though :)
• I've also ordered a whole house humidifier because, damn, the air is fucking dry! 
• My size 12 years are just starting to get a little bit loose :) I didn't realize I had bought a size 10 (had this at my bf's house) and they fit pretty comfy. Wow. I still need to let a few more pounds go though before I buy more jeans. I want my 12's loose first :) 
• Yes, I have been pretty good - push ups and squats are done almost daily (notwithstanding those days I fall and stuff)
• I am hoping to get my shower fixed this year, the one upstairs that is.
• I am also hoping to see about getting rid of the pine tree in the back yard. O.o
• I love cooking. A lot. I am researching a pasta maker now :) 
• So this whole month, since I was sick in fact (so going back the last 2 weeks of December) I have not been taking my supplements. I am really missing one of them, the Myo-inositol. But I am curious to see if I get my period on time. Gotta love PCOS and how it tweaks the body! I have a new supplement I will be try, Maca root (it has something else in it as well but can't remember right now). I have noticed my temper is not always filtered, it's not horrible mind you but that's because I'm aware of it, but it's much harder to control (and no, not always successful). Other than that though, it hasn't been bad.
• Apple cider vinegar kicks ass and hands out cards.
• One of my goals, since I barely have time to read anymore, is to take 1 day a month and read that whole day :)
• I've started another college class. I have to do homework tonight. Next class starts in February. Exhausting but I am loving it.

I will attempt to start writing in those brief free moments I have :)

Diva Cup - My Period (PCOS) and probably a TMI post

So, I have been using Soft Cups for a while now, about 3 years or so and was on the fence about going the route of the Diva Cup (or something similar). I saw a post in one of the PCOS groups I'm part of on facebook and finally moved the item from my saved for later list to the cart and checked out. It arrived 2 days before my period started (score!).

One cool thing I did not realize is that it has measurements on the size, ml and ounces. Which then made me turn to Google to see how much the average women bleeds during her period. The answer, typically 30 ml (1 ounce) but can range from 10 to 80 ml. So, when I filled up the cup (15 ml) the 1st day, I was like - damn! Add another almost 7.5 (ok, let's say 7.5 ml due to all spillage, leakage, etc) for the hours after work and before bed, because I had changed it out again, before the cup was in for the night. I had almost another full 15 ml again this morning. DAMN. So, my normal period in the first 24 hours is MORE as the average woman's 5 day period! No fucking wonder I get so tired!!!

Now yesterday, day 1, I did drink a lot of my Moon Day tea and Organic Ginger tea (3 cups of each). They both are really good for flushing your system and helping your uterus out. I will be doing the same today. My periods are usually about 3 days long now. Which is a lot shorter than they were in the past. No need to go into all those gory details!

Because of PCOS, I take Pregnitude (and no, I am not TTC (trying to conceive) I am pretty sure that ship sailed!!) because it comes in this nice little packets that contain 2 grams of Myo-Inositol. I take 2 packets a day. Sometimes 1 at a time and sometimes both at once.

From my pcos-information-herbs-and-supplements page:
Myo-Inositol " Encourges Ovulation in women with absent or irregular menstrual cycles with PCOS. Decreases Leptin, and helps with Wieght loss in PCOS. Improves Mood, and can help depression according to studies. It is really good for your liver. Helps hirsutism. Decreases androgens. Helps Insulin Resistance. Decreases acne. Lowers total and free testosterone levels. Improves quality of eggs."

For me, I take it for the mood, liver (I have a fatty liver, stupid body), IR and helps with my minor hisutism (and by minor, I mean that I pluck every day let's say 10 little stupid hairs off my neck/upper lip/chin or wherever facial area). I have not experienced any weight loss with this. But I REALLY like it. I am not some angry pissed off freak of a monster with hormones raging all through me. Yay no jail time ;)

I also take progesterone cream - "can help to supplement your body’s own progesterone levels and lead you back to a state of natural balance."

Because those of us with PCOS are typically LOW on this. Ha, Google low progesterone and PCOS and you will see a lot of info out there.

One of the things I've read is that it helps your uterine lining shed more, which is important because a thick uterine wall is one of those "things" that gets associated with cancer. And with my family genetics, I need to be aware of shit like that. My grandmother on my Dad's side had Ovarian cancer.

So I am happy to know how much I am shedding, at least to some degree, by using this Diva cup. Of course, I could still have a thick wall but some things I just can't help. I know that when I was about 19 I saw an OBGYN for a pap and she had said my was thicker than normal, like I had already had a kid (which was a negative in that!) and I've always remembered that comment because I thought it was a bit unusual.

I have this learning curve with the Diva cup, which I knew would happen. As long as I can get this thing down either this cycle or the next one or 2 I will be happy. It's a better long term solution for my period and better for the environment. No major leakage thankfully, just minor tweaks so far.

I seem to rotate what I am taking for my PCOS, depending on what I need at that moment...and also because it's good to change things up every now again, you know, get off that plateau and shift the scenery.

Oh and did you know? That when you get a cramp during your period, it's your uterus contracting, like it does in childbirth? Uh huh. I get back pains with my period as well as cramps and it wasn't until last night that I realized, NO WONDER I had back labor with my son!! Ahahahahahaha. I knew cramps were muscles, well, cramping, but for whatever reason I didn't think of my uterus doing gymnastics was my period as such.

Love this song!

"White Winter Hymnal"

Lyrics: FLEET FOXES


I was following the
I was following the
I was following the
I was following the
I was following the
I was following the
I was following the

I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow, and I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime

I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow, and I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime

I was following the pack, all swallowed in their coats
With scarves of red tied 'round their throats
To keep their little heads from falling in the snow, and I turned 'round and there you go
And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in summertime





Lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/fleetfoxes/whitewinterhymnal.html

A wee little update...

Its been quite a while!

Hmmm...maybe a bullet list would be the best way to get things up to date:

• Took the kids bowling with my awesome bf. My kid didn't have a lot of fun. I think part of that was not knowing which arm to use for it and because he rather look/play better than he did. He's a lefty and sometimes you can use that or your right hand, everyone is different...I know my Dad is a lefty but plays tennis with his right.
• I had a ton of fun though
• Life is busy:
• Band Booster Fundraiser
• Cleaning house
• Work has been kicking my ass for the most part
• Life in general!!
• Holidays
• Thanksgiving was awesome
• Spent it with the bf's family, who are like him = awesome
• Went black Friday shopping = wow
• Yes, I will be paying off my credit card for another year - YIKES
• Also I gained like 2-3 lbs. Good food :) I will lose it by the end of the year I hope!
• Signed up for 2 more college classes
• Tested and all homework completed, so far in this class I have a B, which I am totally happy with!
• I now have the supplies I need to make my own deodorant, which I plan to do this week :)
• I am Amazon's bitch, it's mostly how I do my holiday shopping it seems
• I live in a great neighborhood - nothing has been stolen off my porch yet :)
• Apple Cider Vinegar is great for helping you stay healthy and not catch whatever people have at work!! So is Oil of Oregano :)
• Oh I do need to make some more chicken stock soon :)
• We had a day of snow! Nothing worth shoveling, but it was beautiful
• We've caught up to Walking Dead season 5. We've only missed a few episodes of that, should be caught up soon.
• I really don't watch a ton of TV anymore or read as much...but I love that the things I do watch and read are always with my boyfriend :)
• The Christmas tree is up, decorated.  Lights are on the house :) It's amazing and wonderful to be able to do that and I just love owning a home :)
• Yes we celebrate Yule more than Christmas, but I love the season and the good things that it can bring in out everyone :)
• Just finished off another scarf :) I am now in the process of making a basket :) Oh and I have like 3 more scarves to do. I love it though :)
• Still very happy I am not smoking!

And most of all, I have absolutely incredible boyfriend and awesome son :) Could not ask for better!!

Also, I have this love affair with music. One of my favorites right now is Pentatonix - I have 3 of their albums and yes ok they are all the holiday music ones, what can I say :)

Here's a sample of why...so incredibly fucking talented!!

The Weekend Updates

Friday, as part of a something or another for work, we went bowling. That is, my coworkers and me. Now, you have got to understand, it's been something like 15-25 years since I've last bowled.

First game = 78
Second game = 138
Third game = 90 I think, it might have been higher, I was more concerned with walking and not falling by the end of that game

It was a lot of fun. I really had an awesome time :)

However. I was lucky I was walking Saturday morning. My left knee thinks I am trying to kill it. I ended up straining my ass muscle (read: hamstring) and my right elbow seemed to complain the least but it still mumbled at me. The only reason I was walking, I think, is Tiger Balm. That shit is awesome. I smeared it all over my ass, knee and arm. Several times. And sat on the couch with my feet up watching TV. Because when I did walk? It was this pathetic mewling shuffling type of walk I would get laughed at if anyone saw it!

Suffice it to say I did not do yard work or house work or really anything much this weekend. Such is life. I am not stressing over that stuff though :)

Saturday, I was able to finish up my homework and get that posted :)

Sunday I took the Kid to see Big Hero 6 - It Was Awesome!

Afterwards, it was grocery shopping, putting food away and pretending to think about maybe doing something around the house. Oh, I did a load of laundry. Well, it's something I suppose!

Sunday night we finally finished watching Season 3 of the Walking Dead. Love this show. Can NOT wait to start watching season 4. Sometime this week I think. Hopefully.

This is a busy week. I need to get my college parking permit, take a test for chapters 1-6 at school, do 3 class assignments, have a band boosters meeting (which means I need to do the finances for that) and clean around the house. And can you fucking believe it's getting close to Thanksgiving?? YIKES!!

I am working on cooking more home meals, trying new things out :) Love love love cooking :) Especially when it tastes good! I need to ship some stuff out, have been sitting on stones for a couple friends for an eternity it seems like! Ha, I already need to plan out when to make more chicken stock, that stuff was awesome and it's almost gone!

Oh and PMS is just around the corner. Bleh.

Braces update

So. The orthodontist said he will get braces in the summer of 2016 and have jaw surgery when he's 18 years old. Need to wait until his jaw fully grows in. He will probably have braces for about 2 years after the surgery, but who knows.

Good news. Nothing has to happen right away :)

Braces and Grades

Good gods, my poor Kid is going have way too much fun at the orthodontist.

Took him to get his teeth cleaned. Dentist asked to speak with me afterwards (no cavities, but getting his 12 year molars sealed).

1. He asked when he's getting braces and jaw surgery, because it's bad bad bad.
      * I was like, starting when he's 15 according to what was said last year.
B. He contacted the orthodontist to get a copy of his x-rays, because he might need them sooner.
+. I was told he will be in for a long haul, not just 2 year braces.
4. The orthodontist called me, so now have an appt to get his teeth x-ray'd again this Thursday.
E. I asked to know if it's going to happen sooner, since the Ex and I will need the Kid on both insurances to help cover the cost of this.

My poor kid :( I do not wish this on him. It will be probably 4 years of braces. Yikes. Oww.

I did talk to the Ex about this too, he said it's from his side because he has a narrow jaw and very similar issues. Lovely.

I met with his teachers (Yes, the Ex was there) and it was basically - the Kid does not do the work. Everyone else does, just not him. He's failing 3 classes and not really trying in math. He could have all A's, but he is just not caring or putting in the effort.

I went home afterwards, had words with him, and then voted. Words, you know, things like.

You will not put your head down in class
Stop all this Timothy shit (he likes to call people Timothy and he thinks it's cool)
No more buying artwork from your friend, if you do, I will shred it.
You WILL DO ALL YOUR WORK IN EVERY CLASS.
You will do all your homework, I will help.
You will pay attention.

You know, those little things...

I tried taking all his stuff away. Didn't really work. Tried grounding him. Didn't work. I've talked and talked and talked. I can talk until I am blue but if the other person is not listening, there is no point.

So...we're cleaning his room this weekend. I think it might need a bit deeper cleaning than he thinks, so will see how it goes.

Right now, it looks like this

It's not horrible. But I think we need to make some changes.

Just random things

I am so ready for a vacation! I know I just had a mini one not too long ago, but I think I need a longer one LOL. I don't know...maybe I will try to take one for a few days during the week or something. Or just wait for a good snow storm and use vacation to not go in.

And today, it was beautiful out! OMFG, 80 freaking degrees! It's almost Samhain! I mean, wasn't it last year (or the year before??) we had that snow on Halloween?? I hope it's not some predictor of a mean winter.

I got my hair cut on Saturday. It's not a typical cut I suppose. I kept my bangs long but the back is layered short. I might like it. I think. I really need to dye it, but I forgot to get some gloves and there is no way I am going to dye my hair without gloves. So, I painted my nails instead :) 

I think I need to bake some cookies this week. I plan on attempting to make biscuits this weekend :) And gravy. Because, you know, southern biscuits go extremely well with gravy :)

I am ahead on my homework right now. I think I have a unit test coming up which I need to study for. I should probably get a parking sticker for campus. I need to sign up for 2 classes in December. I should probably put that on my calendar so I don't forget. 

Lots of probably's and shoulds and thinks going on it seems.

Work is good. Yay for that!!

Tiamet, she's 13. Took her to the vet a few weeks ago. Her thyroid is now under control, I have to give her meds every day. But of course, the thyroid meds are now causing her to have mild kidney disease. Which would typically require special food or meds for that. Can't afford more cat meds and special food? Well, I have to other cats that eat too damn much and that food is 1: Not for them and 2: Expensive :(  What concerns me with this is that I had to put down her brother in January because his kidneys failed :( So. Keeping an eye on her.

Still on the cat topic, I am feeding 1.5 strays. 1 is a for sure stray, the other I think is the neighbors cat that lives mostly outside. I call him Killer (neighbors cat), because he killed and ate a rabbit in my backyard. Sweet cat, normal cat tendencies for sure. Killer is an orange and white tabby. The stray is a tuxedo and he's been slowly warming up to me. I am such a softy it seems. Well, at least when it comes to cats!! But a little food and milk is not the end of the world with that!! :)

I am excited winter is here. I am super excited for Friday since it's Samhain and we tend to get a lot of trick or treaters :) I hope I got enough candy. Well, naughty me keeps nibbling at it, oppsie. Stupid kit kats are yummy!! I am going to see about getting my fire pit out and do that for a little bit too. 

Tomorrow we are going to carve up some pumpkins. I need to get another 1 or 2 for that. The Kid has one here, just waiting.

Oh I bought this awesome ice cube tray :) Love it!!

Did I already blog about that? I don't even remember.

Well, it's time to get the laundry out of the dryer and folded, feed Tiamet her pill and head off to dreaming happy dreams :)

It's been too long!

Life has been busy, good things to be sure, but wow, long time and now write!!

Let's see - The kid is in a Parade this weekend, so hopefully that will go well.

School is taking up my time, not too shocking that. I am going to try for 2 classes Spring semester and see how that goes. I am doing this slowly, increasing my class size or not (as the case may be) to see what my real threshold is for balancing school and life.

I'm tired. I feel like that since I was sick a couple weeks ago I am still trying to get back to some form of a normal routine. I am happy it's getting colder, just because I am inside more - which means getting more around the house done again.

We did get the front patch of yard set up for winter. Weeds pulled and put a layer of this material that's supposed to keep them from growing. I need to get some larger size stones to make the spiral I want though. Or make them with quikrete.

I actually saw gas below $3.00 the other day. I was in a state of shock. I even took a pic of that! The $2.85 on the right is for regular unleaded.

 Also, I am not going to order out Chinese anymore. I really do end up gaining like 2-3 lbs every damn time I eat it and it takes me days to get my back to normal. So very sad. It's probably the high sodium or something, but damn. Just not worth it right now. I have been getting better about not eating out as much, guess I just need to tone it done a bit more!!

The Kid is failing 3 classes. Very frustrating. Oh and the reason why? he doesn't feel like doing the work. Seriously. We've had conversations. Let's hope he was listening.

I am thinking of actually shopping on Black Friday. Scary that. I want to get some stuff for the house though, and that might be a smart way to get them. I want a room heater for my bedroom. Because even with carpet, the floor is cold!!

I need more sleep.

Ohhh, so I slightly re-organized my living room. I moved my cedar trunk to the library and then swapped places of the small couch and chair. And I put the coffee table to an angle.Pulled in another lamp (from the library) and I like it. So far. I do need to get some art up on the walls now though. The Kid likes it too. It's so incredibly nice to be able to do things without worrying about what some landlord will say (ie, painting walls, making noise, etc) anymore :) I love the yard work, love making changes :)

I think this weekend I am going to inventory my pantry and see what I need to get for dry goods for this winter. I know that sounds probably kinda weird, but I am cooking all the time now and it would be smarter (I think) to get my stock stuff set. Of course, normal weekly stuff (fresh veggies and whatnot) is not what I'm thinking about. I also want to re-organize my kitchen a wee bit, make it more functional :) And I should probably re-do my pantry as well...it's probably a good thing it's not too big!!

I plan on making some more chicken stock this coming week. I have a little bit left and will probably have that for dinner soon. I have totally loved putting the stock into ice cubes for easy portions. So freaking easy. Because you just chop up some carrots, celery, throw in some left over chicken pieces and noodles - done!

We've been watching the previous seasons of the Walking Dead. Loving this series!

And I have a dentist appointment this afternoon, for my permanent crowns. I will be so happy once this is finished. It was painful paying for it, set me back really - but damn it, it's my teeth and not something that can be ignored :(

Time to head out. I will try to blog more, again :)