Cool Mom's Friday Night

Cut out early to meet Gramma Cathy and Synda...Had to whip by Miss Becky's 'Den of Fun' to pick up Miss Olive.   

"let's go, Let's go, Let's GO!!!"     

  ' I gotta clean up my playdoh!'

"have your boyfriend there clean it up..it's a special occasion...gotta get to the brewery to meet the girls for ladies/little girls evening out (345 pm)"  ..(.as i point to the 4-eyed crew cutted chap mashing playdoh thru a sieve.)

'Momma he's not my boyfriend and he can't cleanup...he's a BOY!!!!!'  

"Got that right sista'...let's go, blame it on him...grab your crap and let's skiddadle" ...

as I child wrangle her outta the play room.

"bye Becky...seeya Monday!"    :)

and my Friday begins...off to the Pumphouse for 3$ G&T's, plenty of coloring sheets and a place that has seen Olive and my son progress from womb onward.  It's nice, we can relax for an hour with no stress.

We finish up our ladies night...send Gramma Cathy on her way,,,but not before promising her we will find her a mate on Match.com or something...all we need is a photoshoot and the quote "loves hairy chests" and I'm sure  we will get a hit....right?

Synda and I head home talking via cell phone from one car to the other on the 1/2 mile drive...get home and start our goofy crafty night.

We have chosen...or beter yet I have chosen to do a "Toy Society" gift.  We will post pictures soon, but I'll tell you they are cute and we sure hope they go to a good home.

I "last call" Synda and Ryland and send them on their way...send my angel up to get ready for bed as Daddy goes out the door to see a friend's band.

Life is good.

Olive yells down the stairs, "should I wear these Pull ups...or these pullups.?!"  

My answer is... how about NO pull ups you lazy schmo ?  but she just yells down "Mamoooooooo......which ones?"

The ones that keep the bed dry.

okay...these.

love you mammooo

 love you too, Chubs...

Dont call me Chubs!!!!

ok, ok...

love you...xoxoxoxo

m

good night...off to the bed with the blanket on 10

mmmmmm

I hope your night is as warm

Denver? #1?

So, my little neck of the woods was voted the #1 wanted place to live...meaning when they surveyed people, they said if they were to move they would pick ...here.
I'm sure you have all seen Dumb and Dumber
This is my drive on my way into work. This picture doesn't sum it up...but when the sun hits those flatirons they glow, when the snow is on them, they look like sugar dusted cookies, and the sky above is always this amazing blue...except at sunset when it is a crazy pink-orange.
To my left, as I drive , there is open space where this time of year they have grass fed cows just enjoying the fields...not feed lots. Open space and cattle. Very nice to see as I drive in.

We keep it a bit of a secret around here. It's nice and as much as we sometime complain about how cold it is....it's really not bad. Last week we hiked in 70 degree weather, without having to drive 40 miles , and then it snowed the next day. Here are just a few things that we have which makes us pretty cool.

Rockclimbing at the Flatirons...or anywhere in Boulder for that matter

We have Champagne Powder
and not 100 miles away...You can go to Eldora (less than 35 minutes) and still get a pass for the day for about 40$. Or you can head to Vail, Breck, Loveland,Aspen, Copper,A-Basin, Winterpark, Mary Jane...see what I mean?

If you don't snowboard or ski...you can TUBE...it's so much fun...picture the big black tube, dragged up the mountain and drunkards flying down at high rates of speed...fun for EVERYONE.
OR you can just lodge it...dress, drink and sit in the lodge enjoying the live music and people watch while your friends burn calories on the hill. (in the Spring we do this in our bikinis at ABasin)

You can practice your Kayaking skills

Denver skyline and the bike path....all the way from Cherry Creek to Downtown. A very popular summer activity.
We aren't just Granola out here. We have a killer nightlife.
Some of the best Dj's come through Denver. We have great local bars, clubs, dives and killer local live music.

Is Art your thing...we have the DAMM free every first Saturday of the month.
You can enjoy Art at it's finest in one of the coolest locations in the US.
We also have First Fridays...Cocktails, art and people walking the Art Districts in all areas...
mingling, learning and enjoying the areas.

On top of all that activity you can help your self to so many Microbrews and Brewery tap houses it could keep ya busy for a month straight.
Something for everyone.

I thought about all of this on the way in this morning. We are pretty lucky. Soon it will be Spring, the cherry blossoms will be in bloom, fruit trees everywhere and 85 degree days and 55 degree nights. Buskers on the walking malls and outdoor movies for the families. I know I sound like a tourist board employee, but if you haven't visited...you should. The best way to do it is to know someone, who can show you the hidden places...not all the touristy stuff (although you gotta see that too). It's the place to be :)

stupid winter

Sitting at my desk today thinking about what a weird time of year this is. Does anyone actually LOVE this time of year? I can see the end of Winter will be coming sooner than the starting was, yet Spring seems so far away. It could be that we are in the crazy Colorado area which is -4 one day then 75 the next. It screws with my mind. Today, when I walked out to the car I actually announced to the frigid air that 32 felt balmy...after yesterday's -11...Hell, I didn't even put on a jacket. I want SPRING! I want to be able to see an end to the cold.

I've been applying for LPN jobs. No luck yet. I don't want to drive anywhere so that alone has limited my job search. My friends keep sending my job postings from the jail. Not too sure I'm cut out for the prison system yet. When my mullet grows a little longer and I put on about 40 pounds around the middle...then maybe, but until then, I'll wait.

I want to just get something off my chest real quick. My boss hasn't even arrived at work yet...it's 900...WTF? We have to be here by 9...I get here at 630....I leave at 400 and she leaves at 2...WTF. I hope she gets busted. worthless.

just like everyone else

As you may have heard it was my bday weekend. Woopdie!
It was fun. The gang took me out to eat at a friends restaurant called the Sugarbeet.
I ate some sort ot tempeh concoction that tasted just like Mcribs. 25$ Mcribs...but Mcribs none the less.

Let me recap.
My sissy, visiting from Nashville area, happily drank me out of house and home and proceeded to drink my friends out of house and home. I tell you what, for a 5 foot chick she can drink her weight plus some. We had many a giggle rubbing her bloated with micro brew belly as she asked where her beer was. It was great.
I on the other hand got the shitty head cold...not sick enough to just curl up and die, but just sick enough t not enjoy eating, drinking,or conversing...so my weekend was a bit shaky.

We hiked...we ate...we sat on the couch and chit chatted...and we just hung out. It was nice.

I dropped her off at the bus stop to get back to the airport and now I'm sitting miserably at work.
Cold medicine has worn off, boogers flowing, thinking about how I want to get an LPN job but haven't had much luck yet with my resume. Hard without experience. I have class tonight and can't even stand to think about going ...yukko.
plus it is 14 degrees today and that is the warmest it is going to get.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Myssi!!!

You are a great friend.

I am so glad that you were born!

40 something blogs

Is there a 40 something blogger group?
I keep seeing that all the cool youngsters are part of a "20something blog" and no matter how cool I think I am...I can't finagle my way into the 20 something blog group...So I guess I need a 40 something blog group... You know... the one where they talk mostly about church groups, soccer clubs, Mary Kay and probably have a closet full of denim smocks with the pretty flowery embroidery along the buttonholes. I need someone to talk to about my casseroles and the newest romance novel. I can do this.

I have more to discuss but I need to cool down first

out with the old and in with the new

Weekend...

If you had seen it before, this is a huge improvement.  It needs decor....but it's clean.

I can now mark that off my list.

Then Olive and I got pedicures  :)

Very nice, my first at almost 40...Olive's 1st at 4.

I walked over to go under the light that cooks the polish onto your nails and smudged mine and was too mortified to say anything.  Plus I figure the lady wouldn't understand what I was saying, BUT my friend Princess Titsy yelled "She has a SMUDGE!"  (just like it was cancer) and the little lady rushed over with her brushes and containers and fixed it...I was horribly embarrassed.

I also got my eyebrows waxed which was equally embarrassing.  The little lady said "Have your eyebrows always been this patchy?"  

Hmmm let me think....why, yes m'am they have.

I now feel much better about them.

I can mark those 2 things off the list too.

Monday has now swung around and my fabulous kid came home.  He turned 12 on Jan. 10...you know 2 days after Elvis's birthday (national holiday in the South).

He got to go to sleep away camp from the "make a wish foundation" which his other little sister at his dad's house gets him.  She gets to pick out things for him, so that he doesn't feel left out...which I think is weird, when you really think about it, because who wants cancer? and are you really being left out?

 I guess the rational is that the siblings who are well feel bad and sometimes don't get the attention they need.

Ok with that said, Ilin Blue went to Snowboard camp for 4 days, in Breckinridge, and had his own private instructor to teach him the cool stuff on his board.  He now announces that he can do everything including catch air and double black diamonds.  That's something I'll never be doing.  He looked like a real teenager when he came home.

Proud, tired and hungry...with sore muscles to boot.

He also received a letter in the mail that he is the "Student of the Month" at his Middle School.

He never fails to amaze me...

oh noooooo!!!!!!

I've torn the computer room apart and now I don't know what to do!!!

It looks awful!...not better.  How can one room accumulate so much crap!  

I pull things out thinking it is automatically going to look like something off of Simply Living.  HAHAHAHAHA

my room is shit.  We have 2 computer and 48,000 cords.  

Does anyone have any suggestions!??

maybe a rug will help...maybe a torch will help...pretty sure curtains will help.

back to work...and to Olive...she is sickiepoo  :(  and screaming for her veggie mini corndogs

Feelin it, baby

I'm turning 40.
Next week.
I announced to Synda, the other night, that I am now closer to 50 than 20. 50...did you hear me? 50! I don't want to say F.U. 50, but that is exactly what I am feeling. All sorts of feelings I'm having.
Last night, as I said a tearful goodbye to Grissom, and my 30's, I started thinking about my age. I have started to look more at older men than younger men and it's starting to get to me. I realized this last night when I thought to myself what I could do to Grissom. He is so very sexy. Then I stopped myself and said, "He's old."
I realized it wasn't his looks I was pining after, it was his charisma and intelligence, which is exactly what you don't find in young men...or many men.
I looked over at Booby and said, "That Grissom is pretty good looking."
He said, " He's old".
yeah, he's old...but this is what women do. They start looking at older men. Greying, smart,handsome, older men... which, for a fleeting minute, gave me a glimmer of hope.
Older men.
mmmmmm
**just for a minute**
because here is what Booby says...
"Yep, woman start noticing the older men and us older men start looking at the woman who are about 25 years younger...ones to push our wheel chairs when we are older."
Works out perfect huh?
"So, you should be looking at 65-70 year old men at the low end."
*snicker, snicker*

F.U. 40, 50, and above.
My friends say, "you don't seem 40"
yet today....
I feel it.

xoxxo,
40 and feeling it
m

ps...if you watched the show last night...we can also point out that the fabulously sexy older Grissom wandered through the forest to the arms of his 30 y.o. lover.
F.U Grissom

Get r done like a Jackrabbit on crack

Synda assures me that things get done when the men are away. That is the time to do stuff. You know...paint a room, change a room, get a haircut...you know, get things done. So this weekend, Booby leaves me to go to Namm (see other post) in CA., and instead of improving the butt groove in our vintage couch and catching up on all good 'Cops', such as "Ho, Ho, Whores", I am going to attempt to get things done. I have a nice sized list, but I do want to pick something I can actually do. I don't want to pick a task which will prove itself to large for my slow moving mind. Here are my choices: Computer room or sewing room.

The computer room has been painted and a new pergo floor put in. When we did this part we never actually cleaned anything out, we just did the redneck thing of adding a new coat of paint and then putting all the old ghetto crap right back in. We bought a new iMac,which did nothing to improve the look of the room even though it should have. So, maybe this should be the room I pick.
I need to make or buy curtains. Clean out all the papers and school notebooks which appear to be breeding on the crappy shelf that they live on because I don't remember having 12 3" binders, 5 possibly, but never 12 in non complimentary colors...never. What I do have is 2 crappy computer tables with one nice iMac and one ancient PC in the same room. We need both because we use the iMac and the kids use the PC for school work. I have one slap together bookcase which isn't bad but is always covered in so much stuff it looks ghetto. We have 2 printers. One, just a normal one and one Minolta huge Laser printer which I can't afford to buy ink for. ***if you know anyone who needs a great business printer...I'll sell it***
2 mismatched chairs which would probably be cute if I just spray painted the hell out of them in a matching color and last but not least boxes of cords and stuff which I feel guilty throwing away because I don't know what they go to or if they are important.
So today...I shall surf the WWW for ideas, I can't really buy a bunch of stuff but I can get rid of stuff. If anyone has suggestions...let me know.
Things are gonna get done.

me likey...

Fancy Tiger is carrying this cute new fabric.
Awesome for quilting.
it's Jay Mccarrols from Project Runway
click the fancy tiger link to see other fabrics
maybe I see some quilting in my future?

I also am in love with these felted purses from
Stipes-n- polkadots

Carolyn has some really gorgeous patterns for free, and ones you can buy.
I still just wish I could buy the purses. I've never done the felting.

isn't she just adorable?
and you know how much I Love me some polka dots.

After I learn how to quilt and felt...I'm going to Target...for these.
Orla!!!!
go see more on the most wonderful site
decor8

you guys do remember my bday right?
10 more quality shopping days

one last little thing ...if you need a great time waster
Under Construction
just updated her blog roll. Just start at the top and click your way down.
You will either feel extremely inspired or extremely untalented by the time you reach the bottom. Guaranteed.

Hey...it's de-lurking day...so post a de lurker comment for me.

Time to start our adieus....

To our 41st president of the US.....The man we referred to as our leader.....the great public speaker which all other countries judged us and our intelligence....We will take the next few days and put a light on some of the more colorful moments of President Bush.

This morning I gawked in awe at the TV. CNN had some snippets of Bush's speech. He was saying something about not being a man to dwell on mistakes (if that is what we are calling them).....Don't be so hard on yourself Mr. Bush, maybe you were having a rough few years, maybe it just wasn't your forte...it's ok, you will soon be forgotten and placed in a small section of 7th grade civics/history books as the oopsie we called #41: "W".
Hell, even Nixon had a few intelligent things to say.
So, here is one for today from Bush:
(not an exact quote, but close enough)
" Don't tell me FEMA was slow...if you think that, you are wrong. I went and talked (not spoke?)
to some of those Helicopter Drivers...they were there pickin people off of roofs".

hmmm, Prez. Bush...that wasn't FEMA...they were the Coast Guard...they have nothing to do with FEMA. One other question? Are they Helicopter Drivers....or PILOTS?
Weren't you a Pilot? Didn't you go to Yale?
We will never "misunderestimate you".
It's all strategerie.
write ya later,
m

because my butt is hungry

This weekend Olive and I set out for some fun at the museum. We went to see the show at the Planetarium but decided to spend more money and go to the nature museum too. It's always something to see the world through the eyes of a 4 year old. We looked at everything, pushed every button and spoke to every senior citizen enroute. To say the least, it took forever.

On a nicer note....Because my butt feels like it looks like this:

I had to buy these:

Because, when I have no money I spend it.  I got myself 2 new pairs of shoes.  they are shiny, stacked and funky and they made me smile.

No matter how tight my underwear gets..shoes always look good.

I didn't tell anyone

I was up all night last night thinking about how I would explain my situation to friends and family. You see, I snuck off and took my licensing for LPN on the 7th. The test sucked. I'm a smart chick...pride myself in figuring things out. This test is a CAT which bases each question off your previous question...I believe the main goal is to prove you can safely take care of a patient and know how to delegate your priorities in odd situations. I heard somewhere also, that it is based on the time you answer the questions. I had no problem with the time. They give you 85-205 questions. If you answer so crappy or so good it can cut off at 85...if they need to know more ...the test continues. Needless to say my test cut off at 85...slammo...and I honestly had no idea. The questions were each a crapshoot except for maybe 7 of them. Those I knew. It took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. I don't screw around contemplating about answers. I jst put them down and move on.

Last night...I thought about how I would tell people when they asked what my future was and why I wasn't doing the nursing, that I was not chippy enough to actually pass the boards. I ate chocolate in the middle of the night and cried.

today...

The Pearson VUE Testing service has recorded your unofficial results as shown below. The Board of Nursing to which you applied for licensure will mail your official results to you within approximately four weeks of your exam date. Please note that a passing result alone does not authorize you to practice as a licensed nurse.

Exam Date:	Wed, 7 Jan 2009 at 10:00 AM
Candidate:	melissa graves
NCLEX ID:	21354800
Registration #:	228469878
Exam:	NCLEX-PN: The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses
Grade:	pass

I can move on now.

Message from the Universe

"Next time you make a wish, m, wish for what is, because really and truly, things don't get much better than this.

There is a purpose, a plan, and a reason for all things. What doesn't make sense, will make sense. You are exactly where you should be; your challenges are what they should be; your rewards are what they should be; and the best is yet to come. Time has served you well. Love is in the air. And you're looking mighty good in the light that now surrounds you."

Really. I think to myself? It doesn't get better than this? I do realize things happen for a reason and I'm willing to give up the idea I can't control things, but jeez. Boulder Foothills are burning down. I like to believe it's because all of these Californians moved here and brought their freaky weather with them, but I know, even when I'm a bit on the tipsy side that this revelation cannot be true. I waited last night for the hospital call tree (where you have to go back to work for mass casualty)to go off, but I didn't really think about it til my head hit the pillow, then I ran around like a chicken missing it's head looking for my cell phone. Luckily, they didn't call me. My brother has a house up on Lee Hill and Hippie Sue lives up there too. she informed me this morning she is packed and ready if need be, but the winds (108 mph) have finally died down.

Things like this make my personal life seem like a joke. Must I complain? Yes. But does it matter in the large spectrum of things? No. Perspective at it's finest.

Yesterday I received an email from Boob..."luv U"....Really? Seemed fishy.

So I know refer back to my message from the Universe this morning:There is a purpose, a plan, and a reason for all things. What doesn't make sense, will make sense. You are exactly where you should be; your challenges are what they should be; your rewards are what they should be; and the best is yet to come. Time has served you well. Love is in the air. And you're looking mighty good in the light that now surrounds you.

The letter from Booby, doesn't make sense. I am exactly where I should be: work? are you sure I shouldn't be on the beach somewhere working on my novel?...My challenges and my rewards are what they should be...and the best is yet to come?..well according to my issues I had yesterday...I'm frightened. You are looking mighty good in the light that now surrounds you?: Fire of the foothills?...is it similar to pink lighting?...or is all the smoke that is making me look better?

Those are my questions to the Universe.

Do you believe things happen for a reason? I do, but I don't know if I always agree with the reasoning.

xoxo

write ya later,

m

My own private Idaho

I revel in the beauty that my kids are sleepers. Narcoleptic to be exact. It's an amazing thing.
I have never had to deal with a screaming child as I request for the 20th time that there is no more water in the faucet and that the closet has been checked for the Boogie man so many times he got sick of hiding. I've hardly even had a small child crawl into bed with me in the middle of the night; it's actually quite bizarre the more I think about it.
Ilin was the first in the fine line of narcoleptics, although my mom would have said I was the first in line. He napped through kindergarten. Friends would ask me how I get him to nap at age 6. "he just does it"...This is the child who has no regard for personal space, cocktails, or your expensive meal when the narcolepsy hits. One minute upright....the next, facedown on the table. When I first met Bobby, he would shake his head in disbelief as the kid would slump, slide and be under the restaraunt table in a blink of an eye. The child is now turning 12 and he is the kid who has never made it through an all night sleepover. He says he often wakes covered in pillows and chairs, but that's ok....it's still fun. Fun for who, I wonder? His sister is following in his footsteps. 4.7 minutes into any caride, even if it involves driving 3 blocks to the grocery, the kid is asleep. Head bobbed to the side, drool, and little cooing noises. Narcolepsy, I'm telling you. I love it.
Here's my night: The clock rounds to 8 pm. Olive has her PJ's on, has actually had them on since 520 (kid loves her PJ's), and I say...hey, it's about time to get to bed. O: OK Mammoo, I'll go potty, get my pullup and I'll see ya upstairs. hmmmmmmm yes, see that? no arguing, no questions...nothing. 820 I go upstairs, walk into the room and the reading light is all ready off, books strewn around the bed and little snores coming from her cute little mouth. This is a 4 year old! How sweet is that? As I leave the room Ilin says, I'm going to bed too. Sleep my angels...sleep.
My life is good....here in my own private Idaho

YEPPERS

A few deep breaths and I'm back.
Still a bit stressed, but a new plan in place.
I looked over last year's resolutions and seemed fairly easy. Just don't put so much pressure on yourself! Lord.
Last year: Not to use plastic bags?! well...you know what? I did well on that one, so I'm going to move up on the resolution scale. It thought Solar Panels? That is a bit above my range.
So here is what I came up with.

ME.

I'm going to make an effort for ME. It's time. Bit by bit I'm going to take care of me.
Here are the lame things I thought of. Many of you don't know me in real life, but if you did, you would see why I have to put these on my list. Most girls are going to read this and say. "what the hell? Doesn't she do this anyways? No wonder she's miserable."

Hair coloring...I deserve to have someone other than myself and two cheap ass boxes of bad dye
eyebrow waxing.... ripping my own skin off...and then trying to explain it later....just not normal.
New clothes.... It's time. Once I get enough OOmph in my day I'm cleaning my closet and treating myself to some real clothes, not hand downs from a plastic bag that I can "justify why things don't fit properly".
Saying no...it's ok, I can do it. and this means not just to my kids...I need to say no to people and not feel bad.
Enjoying life.... Why not? I'm going to be 40...I deserve it.


Should be easy, right?
So, on that note...I'll be back to post something substantial...shortly. Work gets in the way
write ya later
m