We were driving home late last night when a voice piped up from the backseat.
"Mama, we have Squid Power."
"Squid power?"
"Squid Power Mama, we have Squid Power."
"What do you mean Jed?"
"See the picture Mama? It says Squid Power."
High beam indicator or Squid Power, you tell me...I am tired of surly teens.
I am tired of bills.
I am tired of sinus headaches.
I am tired of being grumpy.
I am tired of messy houses.
I am tired of driving.
I am tired of getting up early in the morning.
I am tired of cooking dinner.
I am tired of dirty dishes.
I am tired of pooping and peeing cats (that aim for the stairs).
I am tired of drama.
I am tired of my gas guzzler.
I am tired of obstinate pre-schoolers.
Honestly, I think I'm just tired.
(No worries though, since I'm sure everything will be a much better after a good night's sleep.)
Bullets disguised as paragraphs.
I finally got a response from Starbucks but it mainly said that my concerns had been passed on to the right people. I still didn't get my question answered although I did have one more barista mention that I was ordering my drink wrong however she did it my way.
I'm in the market for a new car. I have almost 200,000 miles on my gas guzzling XTerra. I can't believe that I'm actually considering something compact. I love the roominess of my current vehicle but with around 100 miles a day being driven I really need to find something more gas conscious.
Why am I suddenly concerned with how much I'm spending on gas? It is really starting to set in that the next 1 and maybe 2 years I will have two kids in school. Jed will be in Montessori for 1-2 more years and Shelby starts college next year. Even with the price break I will be getting if we get her in UT, it will still cost an arm and a leg since we promised her she could live on campus.
I've actually considered going back on the campus living thing until I realized that we will drive each other absolutely nuts (which in turn will annoy the hell out of my husband) if she continues to live in this house will going to college. The less I know will probably be better.
This weekend I'm needing to devote my time to finishing up Jed's carpet. I have a stupid cat that has chosen the alcove as a pee spot. I've gotten rid of half of it but there is still more carpet cleaning and enzyme soaking that is needing to be done.
I also need to attack my weed infested garden. We have not touched the garden in weeks and there are more weeds in there than plants. Although we finally got some rain last week so the okra is sending out new growth and the pepper plants are still going strong. The green beans even have quite a few new beans. I just need to work around the shoulder high weeds (and if you think I'm kidding, remind me to post a picture of it later.) Oh and the potatoes need to be dug up.
This weekend should be one more attempt at summer with temperatures nearing 90. Yay, just perfect for working in the garden (NOT!).
I also need to figure out a way to photograph my stitch markers and other felted goodies (I foresee a felted embroidered or perhaps beaded ring in the future.) I'm trying to get enough sets of markers finished before I open shop.
At least one good thing out of this entire week is that the new Fall season of shows are starting up. By the way have I ever mentioned how much I love my Tivo???
Oh yeah and another good thing is that I'm very close to connecting up again with a handful of people I knew in high school. I guess with Shelby being in her senior year has gotten me thinking about the people I ran around with my last two years of high school.
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend that does not involve cat pee, 90 degree heat or a great potato scavenger hunt.
(email sent to Starbucks today pertaining to this morning's visit)
I often stop by the Starbucks on Merchant Drive in Knoxville Tennessee. This morning I ordered my usual, Venti Caffe Latte with Cinnamon Dolce syrup added. I was told that I had to be charged for the promotional drink. I have been ordering it this way for the past 2 months with no problem and was very disappointed when I was told that I couldn't get it that way. The promotional drink comes with whip and sprinkles which I don't want, where as the Latte is simply the drink with flavoring. Why would I want to pay more for something I don't even want? I see no reason why cinnamon dolce syrup cannot be added to ANY drink on the menu. After all, it is listed on the Syrup Menu. I would not expect to be able to add any of the seasonal syrups (i.e. pumpkin spice) this way since they are not listed individually on the syrup menu. However, the cinnamon dolce was added to the permanent menu few months ago.
I have a friend who is a barista for Starbucks in another state and she mentioned to me just the other day how the company stresses customer service. I have always received excellent customer service from all of the other baristas at this location however this one person was a great disappointment. Instead of trying to remedy the situation, she argued with me about how impossible it was to ring it up the way I requested. I had exact change this morning and therefore not enough to purchase it as specialty. Her only suggestion was that I order a smaller drink. I left the store empty handed. On principle, I refuse to give a store my money if the service and product is of lower quality than what I usually receive.
As mentioned before, I have had repeatedly fantastic service from this location however today's experience has put a damper on all of that. I'm unsure if I will return.
(no response as of yet...)
We had a great time Saturday. He got is Rocket Fishing Rod (which was a HUGE hit with all the kids), a GameBoy, various Transformers, board games and a fish cake.
I was rather proud of the fish cake. And the avocado colored (not flavored) icing was tasty.
Now I never expected great changes at four however I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. We are only 4 days into 4 years old but I'm loving it. (Hopefully I haven't spoken too soon, hold on a sec while I find some wood to knock on.)
You see morning drop offs at school have been marginally rough. It used to be really bad when he was super clingy and at least once every two weeks one of us would be in tears when I left. Over the last few months it has gotten better. It was still taking me 15-20 minutes to extricate myself out of the classroom but at least it was minus the tears.
However Monday all of this changed. On a whim I asked if he was ready to be dropped off at the door like the big kids, after all he is four you know. He actually agreed. Since he never has shoes on in the car, we pulled into a parking spot in front of the school. He climbed up front and we put his shoes on and listened to one more song on the radio. Then after I got my hug and kiss I drove up to the front door. And off he went with nary a look back. And unbelievably he was willing to be dropped off again today.
I do have to admit on Monday as I drove away, there may have been a tear or two in my eye....
I can't believe it is already Thursday. Where has the week gone?
Every night this week has been a late night. Tuesday night I taught my evening course. Yesterday was a doctor's appointment and a 2 hour ACT prep tutoring session that lasted until 8:00, so we didn't get home until almost 9:00. Tonight is another 2 hour prep session but unlike last evening I will have Jed with me. We will probably end up at a fast food place that has an indoor play area. I can knit while he plays. What makes this week all that more hectic is the Birthday Party on Saturday.
My boy turn 4 on Saturday. We are having his party the same place as we did last year, a small playground behind a local elementary school. They have two covered areas with picnic tables. It is a perfect setup. Entertainment is provided for the kids in swings, jungle gyms and slides. I'll send someone out to pick up 4 or 5 pizzas. We'll then have cake (blue of course).
The party theme is rather bizarre this year. Last year we did dinosaurs. Blue cupcakes with a plastic dino on top of each one, dinosaur noses for each child, dino plates and goody bags.
This year we have Transformer invitations, goody bags and plates but he has requested a fish cake. More specifically a Blue cake with a rainbow trout on it. Lord help me and I thought I was getting off easy with avoiding creating a Transformer on the cake. Now I have to figure out how to do a fish that resembles a rainbow trout.
I'm sure by now you have noticed the repetition of blue cake. For some reason Jed believes that all birthday cakes must be blue. Not just the icing but the cake too. Every time I bake a cake he is always disappointed that it isn't blue. So for his birthday it will be blue cake. (By the way the blue cupcakes were quite creepy last year as I'm sure the blue cake this year will be, but if that is what the birthday boy wants, I can oblige.)
So here it is Thursday and I feel that I am not the least bit prepared for this party (at least I don't have to clean house). Time is running out to get everything done. I've bought the goody bag stuff. I'm still contemplating on a pinata however knowing my son I fear that he will freak out when someone tries to break the fish or transformer pinata so I may just skip this for this birthday.
And to top it all off, I haven't decided what we are getting him yet. He has really only requested two things. First he has asked for is a Rocket Fishing Rod (the boy is OBSESSED with fishing) which is grandfather is getting him. The second item is a Game Boy Advance. His three cousins each have one and he has wanted one for quite awhile. However I'm not sure how adept he will be at playing it. And it is a bit too expensive to let it just sit there (although I am a game junkie so I'm sure I could put it to use). I've been looking around at a few games that might be appropriate for him such as Dora and Candyland (yes Candyland and Chutes and Ladders on a Game Boy).
So between now and Saturday, not only do I need to decide on the Game Boy or perhaps yet another Transformer (I'm finally getting adept at "trans-n-forming" them) but I also have to find a small window of time without small children so that I can purchase whatever I finally decide upon.
And another peek at what I finished over the weekend. Still need to work on photographing these things and color correction a bit more.
...and no it is not a new Starbucks drink (although both the CDL and the PSL are now both vying for my attention).
No, my latest addiction is compliments of Jen who is part of the community. I've can't stop myself from checking the new listings on Etsy every now and then. Well, its more like every spare minute I find, I hop over to the Time Machine 2 page and hit refresh. You just never know what wonderful treasure or inspiration you might find.
I've already found two items that will be perfect Christmas gifts for the teen (one of which may be given early).
And the irony of it all is that before rediscovering Etsy, (I had bought some stuff around Christmas last year) I have had an idea wandering around my head for some little items I might like to make and sell. Because the initial investment is so minimal, I'm working on pulling a few items together and hope to post them in the next couple of weeks. If I enjoy doing it, then I will continue. If not, then I will not be out much. Especially seeing as I like to create. I like to make things just for the sake of making it. If I could sell it too, all that much better.
So this weekend will be spent gathering a few more supplies, creating and photographing some things. Well, this will be spaced in and around cleaning all of the upstairs carpets (thank you my dear cats for the stains and such).
Here is a little glimpse of what I'm working on...
...but none for me.
Jed's dental appointment went far better than I ever expected. Doc decided to go with no gas and no Novocaine since the cavity was so small. Jed did very well through the drilling however as they were prepping for the filling, he started to close his mouth and somehow got his cheek pinched. He started, as he would say, freak out, just a bit and it was started to go downhill from there. However, Doc quickly put the filling in just as the tears were beginning the fall and we were done.
He calmed down rather quickly when he received his a new toothbrush and another thing of floss. He was so excited because the toothbrush was blue and he had just finished up his other box of floss (the one he received at his cleaning two weeks earlier). We then went to check out the Treasure Chest however the contents were very dismal. A set of Disney princess chalk, Eeyore chalk, a couple bottles of bubbles, a couple of candy necklaces (to keep the business coming in???) and a ton of cheap plastic kazoos and mini frisbees. He finally settled on some blueberry scented bubbles (blue of course) along with the promise a new Transformer.
As we were leaving the office, Jed asked if we could stay there for awhile and play with the toys. I took this as a good sign that he would not be scarred for life about dental visits. So while I called my mom to let her know how brave he was, I let him play in the waiting room for a short bit.
Now comes the bad mom part and where I lose my gold star. We were back home and it was after a lunch of applesauce and milk he asked if he could have a piece of gum. I was definitely NOT THINKING when I said sure. Two bites down and he was in tears because it hurt. Bad, bad mom. But it gets worse...oh, yes it does. Later that afternoon, after a nap he asked for another piece of gum and I thought about it for a minute, really I did. But apparently my thinking was too not clear or too in depth. Oh his jaw is probably not sore anymore from the drilling and filling insertion. Never did it cross my mind that the gum might be tugging on the new filling nor did I remember my previous visits when they advised me to avoid all things chewy and sticky for awhile (with trying to calm Jed down, they neglected to tell me to avoid these things.) Rinse and repeat the earlier scene but with much more crying. Stupid, stupid me...
Wel,l the bright side of it all, we caught the cavity very early and he isn't afraid of the dentist although he might now be afraid of chewing gum. Hey, it just might be a win-win situation!
Note for Kim: Seems like my Blogroll has all of sudden decide to work. Not only work, but it appears to be working better than every before. It is now detecting sites with new material that it never worked with before such as Typepad I believe.
Last week I was digging up a few new potatoes when I lifted a bit of potato plant and jumped about a foot in the air.
A box turtle had found a nice shady cool spot to hide. Jed promptly picked him up and declared him his new best friend. The turtle, not to happy about being pulled out of his shady hiding spot withdrew into his shell, although he did keep an eye on us for quite a while.
(click on picture for a larger view)
(click on picture for a larger view)
(click on picture for a larger view)
(click on picture for a larger view)
