Hey, all! I rang in the new year by snoring loudly, as my parents report. I’m still in the grip of the sick, which turned out to be more serious than I’d thought. I kept getting worse no matter what, couldn’t sleep, or hear out of my right ear. Finally got a doctor’s appointment. It turns out that I have an ear infection in my right ear and strep throat as well. I’m taking giant antibiotics for the throat and antibiotic drops for the ear. I feel much better than I did, though still not great. I did manage to eat a bit of the New Year’s Day luck and money food, though I was kind of sorry afterwards. (The oral antibiotics are playing havoc with my already shaky tummy.)
Well, I didn’t watch GL’s last one because DC’s NYRE was already up and running by then and, teeny bopper that I was, I wasn’t going to listen to elevator music.
as for losing long posts, try what I do: if I see my post is taking a long time to appear, I copy what I’ve typed onto Notepad. That way, if the server hiccups and I lose that lovely long tale, at least now all I have to do is copy and paste
Not a problem on the chocolate. I’m kinda let down that a new car wasn’t forthcoming, but a Dodge Magnum would be a bit much to ask for.
The name. My real last name starts with Mc…but being from a regular southern family, my brother gets to be called Mack.
Add “Southern women are Mack trucks disguised as powder puffs”, and you’ve pretty much got the picture.
I did have a different name here waa-aayy back when, but it really makes no sense, in context to this board.
We survived the mall. It wasn’t really all that bad.
My daughter ended up with two new pair of jeans and two new shirts. My son ended up with a pair of jeans and a new shirt. The hubby ended up with a new PC game and for our shared Sears card, we purchased some artwork for one of the walls in our great room.
The hubby and son still have gift cards to use up at Best Buy; both the kids still have gift cards for Sam Goody, and I have a gift card for Borders and another gift card for Barnes and Noble. None of these stores are at the mall. I’ll just use the book store gift cards on-line, and the kids will use their Sam Goody cards online as well. Both the son and hubby will head to Best Buy at some point this week.
At any rate, we knocked out the purchases in just under two hours, so we did well. That includes eating a gyro at the Food Court.
I’m kind of glad I don’t have to work tomorrow. I’ll have one day of peace and quiet and I’ll have the house to myself at least until the kids return home from school and the hubby returns from work. It should be nice.
Well, I think I’ll let the son play some WoW now. Mr. Taters and I have been hogging the PCs most of the weekend to play WoW.
Wile E, good on you for the car! Yay!!
::flings confetti::
My favorite part of being a grown-up is buying stuff for myself, just for myself, to make ME happy! (almost makes adolescence worth it)
Do new stuff. Be happy.
Happy New Year to you!
(I’m still prying dogs out of the woodwork; we have over-zealous party-makers…)
Hello again MMPers,
Its been a while since I have posted here (and in fact anywhere on the Dope) as this last month has been hectic and exhausting in all areas of my life. I’ve tried to keep up with reading the MMP at least, but I am sure I missed a significant amount.
In the realm of academics while I think I should still be on track for my grad school plans it is going to be harder than I thought. Curse my procrastination and my poor planning skills (take the hardest 400 level CS class at the same time as the senior project and while working 30 hours a week? Sure, that was a brilliant idea).
Professionally things are still crazy. My boss resigned at the beginning of December and several other senior staff members followed suit. While the CEO scrambles to replace these people it looks less and less likely that our company will win the contract again when it lapses, making my job defunct. Though if my former boss wins it over my current company there is a good chance that he will hire me into the same position I am in now.
Personally I finally just finished moving into a new apartment (first time in a place on my own with no pesky roommates), and moving was more expensive that I expected and took seemingly forever. It will probably take me several months to recover financially from the move (it turns out that my roommates owned nearly everything in our old apartment so I ended up having to replace almost everything).
And yet none of the above seems to matter at all. I am in love with a girl who is in love with me, and I don’t think I have ever been happier in my life. So a hearty Happy New Years to all!
Hi, LadyMack, welcome!
Loved the OP, MamaTigs. I know a few things about crazy families…
On the 31st I made the mistake of going to bed without switching off the cell. I had to get up at 23:30 to do so, when it started buzzing because I got a text message. And good thing I didn’t just ignore it: I got mass textings from the phone company and from two people who just sent texts to “everybody whose cell number I have”. One of them is an old childhood friend, the other one some guy I worked with for about five weeks.
Yesterday I called Middlebro’s cell at 3pm, guessing they’d be about finished with lunch. I got to speak with him, with Lilbro and with SiL, who tried to be helpful. She wasn’t, but she gets points for trying.
Mom had been at her parents’ since the 26th and was coming back yesterday, so I called her about 1h after she’d gotten home (to give her time to unwind and stuff). One hour on the phone. It’s going to be SO nice, having the 'net set up and knowing that I’m only paying 1c/min.
So. I’ve mentioned several times that SiL’s Dad, Joe the ex-cop, has ALS. He’s been in the hospital since the 10th or so. If they didn’t release him for Christmas… well, I don’t think he’s very likely to leave the hospital again. His wife has been spending most of her time with him, which means that Mom gets to finally play Grandma, to her heart’s content and beyond (“be careful what you ask for, God has a sense of humor”). I’d like to ask for peaceful vibes for that branch of the family, please. I really don’t think that lasting longer would do Joe any favor; peace for him and for his wife and children is what I’m asking for.
Mom was all worked up because when Joe dies, his wife is planning on staying at Middlebro’s. I asked her “so what’s the big surprise, I never expected her to go back to her house.” Funny thing is, Mom got on this soapbox feeling all superior because Joe’swife doesn’t want to live alone and has never had any interest in being independant… and I didn’t want to say it yesterday but she’s got to hear it: when Dad died, the last thing Mom wanted to do was live alone; she used “independant” as an insult. So one of these days I’ll have to frisbee her a reminder 
While she was at her parents’ they got a call from Mom’s cousin on Grampa’s side. His sister is dying; doctors have given her a month tops. She’s just generally breaking apart. Aunt is “only” 85 but she’s always had bad health. Grandma told her niece that they weren’t going to go visit. When she hung up, Mom said “well, I am going” and so did my cousin, who was there for lunch. So all four went. More omms in that direction please?
What else… oh, Grandpa has a doctor’s appointment in February (regular checkups), so they wanted Mom there, but she’s told them she’s not going back until Joe dies. She thinks that right now she’s more helpful at Middlebro’s, taking care of the baby, than with two old people who are deaf and cranky but in better health than she is. Don’t bother sending peaceful vibes to my grandparents, they’re not interested :rolleyes:
Family is a great invention an’ stuff. I just like having me at a distance so I can enjoy the soap opera and then hang up…
Alas, it’s my last vacation day off… <sigh> I was awakened at 6 with a faceful of kitty sneeze - ick! But since I have to get up at 4:45 tomorrow and get back into the work routine, I decided I may as well drag my old bones out of the warmth of my blankets to the cold of the back yard, so Bernie could tangle her leash around everything. I wish she wasn’t so inclined to escape. I’d love to let her out to explore at will, but she gets thru the welded-wire fence between us and our neighbors, so I can’t trust her outside alone. Stoopit canine.
I’ve got 2 loads of laundry to finish and 4 hunks of clay to transform into something. And since I’ve got most of a glaze load ready to go anyway, I’m going to experiment by putting glaze on the new pots I’m about to throw without firing them to bisque first. According to Tina, it can be done, so what the heck…
Today is also grocery shopping day, so at some point, I need to make a list and head to McKay’s. And the carpet is in desperate need of vacuuming - thanks to Bernie. Oh yeah, and I have to pay a few bills also. So I guess it won’t be a relaxing last day off, but at least I’m still in my robe. Had it been a real work day, I’d have been in the office for 45 minutes already.
I need caffeine. So I shall post, then forage for caffeine. Can one forage for caffeine? Is opening the fridge and grabbing a Diet Coke the same as foraging? Do you care? Does anyone?
Happy Tuesday, all!
Prayers and good thoughts headed out to all your various and sundry relations Nava.
Yay on the new ride Wile E!
Mack you are also a G.R.I.T.S.. 
Le sigh… back at work. The hoardes are descending upon my once peaceable kingdom again. What? Remember last week I was the only one here. Even with mop washing it was peaceful and quiet. I bought a calendar at Michael’s Sunday to bring in to work. It cost a whole fifty cents! It has puppies. It’s so keeeeee-yoooooote!
FCM it counts as foraging if you have to move something else in the fridge to get to what you’re after. Other than that it’s just grabbin’ sump’n outta the fridge. Foraging has rules you know.
Guess I didn’t forage, then. Yesterday, I emptied the last 3 cans from the carton and lined them up at the front of the shelf. Oh well…
Wile E, Alastair, and Belz are back! Woo-hoo!
Happy second day of the New Year, everybody! rigs, that’s splendid. I’m so glad you’re talking productively together.
Yesterday Attacks Husband came over, and then DH and QD showed up, and then my parents phoned to ask if we wanted to go out to dinner. I asked if all the hangers-on could come, and Dad asked me who was there. I told him, and he said, “Oh, no.” in tones of deep horror.
Dad doesn’t deal with making decisions well. So he passed me off to Mum, who said fine, and I said we’ll all pay for ourselves, and she said that wouldn’t be necessary. So we all got a nice buffet dinner. It was a lot of fun.
Afterwards, AT and I went for a walk, and I expressed all my concerns, and told him if he announces he’s moving to Hawaii I will shackle him to a post. So now he knows I’m worried, and what I’m worried about. He’s generally quite sensible, he’s just very very romantic and longsuffering.
They want me to work today! Oh, the horror! After work I’m heading off to dance class until late. Have a good day, everybody.
So, yesterday you foraged and today you went to the pile of Recently Hunted Stuff.
Is gas water bad for you in any way? I’m developing a taste for the thing, it gives me the burps if I drink it too fast but I think it’s healthier than CocaCola… you guys know if it is? All it says it has is mineral water and bubbled-in CO2. In Spain flat water is “the usual”; hereabouts they look at you funny if you ask for it flat. Guess it’s healthier… urp
bwahahahahaha
and I only laugh because I’ve been there myself
Well, back to work for me, too. I don’t want to, but one of my resolutions is to “suck it up” a little more. Most times in '06 when I stayed home, I really could have pulled it together and gone in. So I’ll be late today, but I’ll be there. (hopefully I’ll still have access ;))
Hey, someone noticed I hadn’t been around, yay!
My internet connection has been pretty crappy lately so I haven’t been able to keep up with the long MMP threads. The few times I said to heck with reading the whole thing and tried to post anything my connection crapped out before I could get it posted. This MMP was short and new and I just had to brag about my new car so I went for it and it posted!
One of my resolutions for the new year is to get broadband, to heck with dial up.
Good Morning! I am caffinating, and waiting for the dog to stir for her walk. Today is laundry cleaning, and rent paying(so I have somewhere to clean). I think I’ll take Maggie Wonderbeagle to the park today.
Nava, I’ll keep your family in my prayers. Sparkling water isn’t bad for you. I lost 3 pounds just switching from soda to seltzer.
Wile E, congrats on the new car. Broadband rocks, even my mom has it now.
Al! Next time I move I’m burning everything that doen’t fit in my car.
FCM, kitty sneeze? Dog farts are a much worse way to wake up. :eek:
See, it’s just like I always say. No good comes from being organized.
It is unOgly quiet here so far. I’m skeered! :eek:
Nava I like carbonated water myself. The burping is one of the side benefits.
Ah yes - kitty sneezes, water farts…where else but the MMP?
Today’s the last day of the kiddies break before school starts tomorrow. I’m at work, but it’s my last day of catching up/goofing off before the horde descends tomorrow, so I’m enjoying the peace.
I came in to a voice mail from my friend whose mother died on Christmas Eve - you may all now pause to remember…
She called to thank me for a note I stuck in the card I dropped off - I wrote a few paragraphs talking about when my dad died 14 years ago and just commiserating in general and stuff.
Ok, now back to work.
Really, I’m going to actually work today.
Yup.
Soon as I go grab some coffee.
And maybe finish this apple and read the papers.
Any minute now.
You back at work yet MBG?
A man just came in the building looking for Dr. Soandso. It’s been a while since that happened. See, there’s all these doctor’s offices buildings right behind my building. We used to get 'em all the time. I once thought of starting up a practice but thought better of it. I could get in trouble for that.
Just make sure you put the word ‘Doctor’ in quotes on your sign, you should be fine.
I am also back to work, but I am one of the few around here. All of the federal employees in the building are gone, off remembering Gerald Ford in their own ways (mostly by sleeping in I imagine). I have never seen the building this empty before. I even had to come in through the front enterance (something I have never done before) since all of the other lobbies are closed due to the reduced security detail.
The lights are off through much of the building and combined with the dead silence and gothic architecture it makes the place a tad bit eerie.
I woulda joined in sooner, but I like saving the MMP for work. 
Very nice OP, Mama, though I can’t say I can relate as my family experience has largely been on the other side of the coin. My mother left when I was very young, around two or three years old. I have very few memories of both my mother and father being together, but one of them involved them fighting. After that, and after spending some time living with friends of my father’s while my dad paid the debts my mom left him with off, I lived with my father 'til into my 20s, when we both moved to different places. My idea of “family” therefore largely just involves my dad, and it seems like I never truly appreciated him or what he’d gone through to raise me ‘til I was out on my own. We keep in regular touch of course, and we don’t live very far apart – neighboring cities – so we see one another quite often. MindWife is the one with the larger family, and we invariably end up spending at least Christmas Day over at her folks’ place. It’s not the Cleaver Family Christmas by any means, as her family has plenty of its own share of issues, but it’s still relatively nice.
So, it’s a shiny new year in which I get to spend the next month writing “2006” on everything needing a date. I’m also, probably like most, feeling the post-holiday “oh my God I spent how much?” pinch. No, pinch isn’t right. Vice grip. But that’s okay. It was all in the name of holiday cheer, and we’ll be back within normal debt tolerances soon enough.
And of course, it’s back to the workaday grind with nary a stat holiday 'til Easter. I’m actually thinking about holding my vacation days this year 'til around September so I can take two weeks off instead of splitting it a week here and another there. It’d be nice, that’s for sure – two weeks without a single work day. Never done that before.