I'm a grown up! *grin*

Thanks for all the support and well wishes, you guys!!

So, I was driving to work this morning holding my mug of hot tea, listening to Elton John sing Rocket Man, and wearing my slacks and sensible shoes. I kinda grinned to myself and thought, "self, you are getting old". And then I thought, "yep, I must be because I don't care!", lol. Right then, my phone rang. The sweetest Virginia-accented woman I know was calling to wish me a happy first day. What an unexpected surprise! Boo totally made my day. :) (never mind that it was my second day...I didn't care in the least)

So, as for work stuff - wow. There is so much I could talk about. There was some mild drama today and I also learned first hand how nasty the work world can be. My "superior" is a young girl who is a Paralegal. I think she's in her early 20s. I wasn't hired specifically to work for her, but I am helping her, so it goes without saying. She instructed me yesterday to fill out a form on a family law case and to copy what the client wrote, verbatim. I did.

This morning when I came in, she waited until our boss had walked up to her desk to call me over and say, "Oh, I've fixed the mistakes you made on these so now you can redo them". I went over and looked at the paperwork. There were a total of 6 "mistakes", one of which was uniquely mine. The others were all things I "copied verbatim" from the original paperwork she gave me. Honestly, she could have done her proof reading prior to having me type it all out and make her corrections on the intakes, don't you think? I don't think she did it to make me look bad (though that's how it felt), I think she did it because she wanted to look good herself. *sigh* It clued me in to how she will likely do things, so I'll need to be on guard.
Other than that experience, she seems like a really nice girl and she thanks me all the time and shows appreciation for my help.

Other highlights were the guy who called looking for a divorce attorney because his wife was "poking a guy in the other room" and as he was on the phone, his wife came in and asked him if he wanted a blowjob, he started screaming at her using obscenities, and blah blah blah.

People are interesting. I had forgotten how many different kinds are out there, lol. And they like to talk about their problems to the receptionist.

So, step into my office. What would you like to overshare today? ;-)

So this is it...

I'm starting my job on Monday. I keep reminding myself that it's only three days a week, but somehow I'm still kind of panicking inside. I've been used to having (relative) freedom with my schedule for 13 years now. Being obligated to be somewhere, where people are counting on me, is daunting. And yes, I do feel dramatic and immature in admitting that.

I'm already feeling like I have nothing to wear, lol. I *know* I do, but I want my first 3 outfits predetermined so I don't have to panic about it the night before. The girl I'm working with under-dresses each day (which I know the boss doesn't like) so the bar is not really high, but at the same time, I might feel like I stick out if I'm wearing a dress or skirt. I think I'm over-thinking it. Ack.

Anyways, my main concern is the fact that my kids will be coming home each day around 3:30 and will be alone until I get home. With traffic, it might be as late as 5:45. There are some days that DH will be off while I'm working though, so that should help.

What do I tell them? Don't eat anything lest they choke, burn the house down or cut themself? And don't play because what if they fall? And god forbid they do homework (involves scary, sharp writing utensils!). *sigh*

And let's not even *think* about the fact that summer vacation is almost here. I'll have to figure out something so that they're not alone all day. They will be 13 this summer...do you think they are old enough to be alone for a couple hours after school?

DH works within 5 minutes from home and that makes me feel a little better (I'll be at least 20 minutes away).

In unrelated news, I went ahead and ordered the black, platform Mary Janes that are pictured somewhere in a post below. I hope they fit. *crosses fingers*

I'll try to be as regular as I am now with my updates. I'll also be reading yours, but probably after most the fun and commenting has died down, in the evenings. :(

God, I'll miss the Internet and my free time.

So, woohoo. What an uplifting update, LOL.

Happy Friday!

Speaking of those x-rated texts from my cousin, they sure did cause an awkward moment at dinner with my RLBF tonight, lol. I laughed so hard I almost cried. I was showing her some texts that were *not* x-rated and she accidentally stumbled onto one of the other ones. The gasp, the way she jumped and the look on her face were price.less. So I learned a lesson. Delete everything and tell cousin not to send anymore, lol. Sheesh.

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Friday is my last full day to myself before I start work on Monday. I'd like to say I am excited but for now, I guess I'm just apprehensive. I still have some things I want to complete around the house, including setting up the new microwave. Our current one is set so high (defectively) that it takes a fraction of the suggested times to cook stuff and it always burns popcorn. I don't want to think about the kids using it while I'm not home and having something catch on fire.

The rest of the weekend is already booked with things to do. *sigh*

It figures my brother would want me to babysit my nephew on the last day I have to really focus on tying up all my loose ends. *sigh* Not sure how, but I'll have to say no to that. Is that mean/selfish/rude? They don't ask a lot so it sucks.

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::BB spoiler::



So, YAY RYAN! I could not be happier with the final 2 on BB. I only hope Ryan can win over Adam but truth be told, I won't mind much either way. I was just happy Sheila got the boot. I couldn't stand her for another minute.

Also pretty surprised about the AI elimination! But totally ok with it. I like Brooke so far but not passionately. Other than her, I can't say I have any interest in them. *shrug*

PaHo is another interesting show... I think I like Mike the best. Can't stand most of them, though James isn't too bad. Hope I'm getting the names right, I'm pretty bad at that.

Ok, that's about all I wanted to share tonight. Hope you have great weekends with great weather, everyone! Anything special planned??

A list?

1. Had a quiz tonight in class and was informed we could use the book, but not the chapter relating to the quiz. WTH? Why use the book at all, then? Anyways, I was very nervous as I've used the book before in order to get good scores. This time, I missed 2 questions. I was pretty impressed with myself, lol. Turns out studying ahead of time really works! :)



2. I'm going to try not to post so much about my shoes. I go through phases where I'm more obsessed than normal. Thanks for bearing with me on that, lol. But I have to say, I finally got some tennis shoes! I'm so excited!



3. I think I am losing my hair. The only thing I can think of is perhaps I'm not getting enough calories. Is that possible? I think I'm losing less weight for the same reason. I'm really in a food rut and have a hard time finding anything to eat. :(



4. My cousin keeps texting me obscene video clips on my phone. Should I be amused or ask her to stop? I'm not really that uptight, so they don't offend me, but it's kinda weird seeing things that are not meant for me, lol. WWYD?



5. I woke up with a cold this morning. Ick. I haven't had one for a while and it sucks. I know I'm not alone on this. *sniffles* *sneeze*



6. Tomorrow is Tuesday. I have procrastinated muchly for the last week and now it's time to get my ass in gear. I know I'll only be working three days a week, but I'm starting to panic a little at the idea that I'll have to *be* somewhere on those mornings, at a specific time. I know, welcome to the real world. *sigh*

7. My DH has some weird splotchy discoloration on his ankle areas (more on one foot than the other)...any ideas? Diabetes runs in his family. He hasn't gone to the doctor yet.

8. I haven't posted on OT lately. I guess it's just another one of those cyclical things. Ooh! I bet Boo will have a thread over there that I'll want to post on. :)

9. My kayaking plans fell through again. Bummer.

10. Lists are hard for me. I can't think of 10 interesting things and I can't seem to stop on any other number. This will have to do. *smooch*

These...

Were in the Mervyn's ad today. They were $20. I bought them. :) They are not as good as the Ebay ones I wanted (pic below) but they were a couple dollars less due to the lack of shipping (though the gas to get there may have covered that, lol). I bought some other shoes there but have to take them back because they just don't fit as well as I thought they did. They are a cute pair of New Balance tennis shoes and a pair of super cute brown sandals. I hate that I have to take them back.

I had a pretty busy weekend again, but I ended skipping church and a baby shower I was supposed to go to. *bad Tab*

How do you feel when you see kids getting engaged and married at 18? Me? Horrified. Is that wrong? I was at a party on Saturday and the family who threw it is one I used to babysit for. The son who is 25 I think, is engaged to a 17 year old. It kills me. Is that a normal reaction to hearing news like that? I guess I just want kids to get out and live a little, date a little and *know for sure* when they settle down. WTF is the rush?

Anyways, it was a cool, somewhat "country" party. The kids had a great time and there was a band and everything, all wearing cowboy hats and boots, lol. Very cute. I think it's catching up to me now because I am tired! I have to learn to reset my clock so that I can be asleep at a decent hour and awake earlier. I'm dreading starting work next week. What a baby. *sigh*

How was YOUR weekend?

When your online persona leaks into RL

This is what DD brought home for me the other day. *snort* She got it at an antique place (though I doubt it's very old). It is my new candy dish.

I love that everywhere I go, I see things that remind me of you guys. Some of you have multiple items that bring you to mind. Carey takes the lead I think.

I'd say for MTW, anything with the TIVO guy. Kim is cheeseheads. Carey is anything 49ers, Jan, and for some reason, monkeys make me think of her, too.

What's your "thing"?

Decisions

Ok, so here are my choices. I am mostly torn between the red shoes, the solid black heels (not the ombre ones as much) and the boots. I know it's spring and I don't *need* the boots as much, but I am chronically cold and would likely wear them in the house, all the time. They are knitted (as you can see) and I think they would be very comfortable. I don't know if I would wear them outside the house - hello, no heels, lol! - but I just *want* them so much. The red shoes I think are adorable, but more than red shoes, I think I need some close toed black heels and I've been wanting some Mary Janes for a while now. So, what do you think? I actually really like the first pair with the grey fading into black a lot, but am betting I won't get them over the others. Help! I need help. Oh, and by the way, none of these are shoes I would wear for work, I don't think. I'll know more about what I'll be comfortable with after I start and know how much I'll be on my feet. The only bad thing is that right now, I'm between a 7 and a 7.5, so I don't know for sure which size to get. It's a gamble. I wish I knew where to find these here in town.

Weekend Update ::Updated::

4-15-08 Update!

I went in to the appointment and it went really well. I ended up agreeing to work 3 days a week from 9-5. The traffic will suck, but he offered me about $3 more per hour than I was hoping for, so I'm not going to complain. He also agreed to give me two weeks before I start. *hop* Now I have a lot to do before then...cleaning, errands and all kinds of things. The only bad thing was that the paralegal who I'll be working with immediately let the other girl go, before waiting to find out when I could start. Oops. Her bad.

Afterward, my mother and I went shopping because I said I needed some clothes. I got 9 skirts, 3 pairs of slacks, one short sleeve blazer (that goes with one of the skirts, so I guess technically it's a "suit"), two shirts, and 3 pairs of shoes. All for $71 at a thrift store. Half of the stuff is going to the dry cleaners and the other half is in the wash now. I *love* bargains more than I love...well, I don't know. I just love them. The shoes I found are what I have been searching for for months and they had the tags still on them. In fact, quite a few things did. I will still be in the market for just a couple other things (mostly tops) but I feel so much more prepared already. I know a lot of people hate shopping second hand, but I can honestly say I get a natural high from finding these bargains. Oh! I also got a dress for the Renaissance Fair! How could I forget that!? It's all black and really cool. I guess I'd be a "peasant" because it's not all fancy, but I can deal with that, lol. When I wear it, I'll get a picture to share. /update

________________________________________________________

Wow, what an insanely busy weekend we had here. Too much to even blog about in one sitting. I will say that Saturday was just beautiful here and I was happy to be able to spend it all with just DS, as DD was with my mom. He and I played catch at the school, we washed our car, ate lunch in the park and we bought and planted a bunch of flowers. I get more alone time with DD than I do with my son, and I think I need to make a point to carve out more time with just he and I. I made him really get his hands dirty (he was literally leery of touching the dirt) and I let him plant flowers all on his own because in the end, I wanted him to take pride in seeing what we accomplished. Today, I came home and the flowers had all been watered and when I inquired about it, it turns out he had watered them himself, without being asked. *smile* I was very happy with that.

Saturday evening I received a call from my old boss (Russ) and he asked me if I was looking for a job. I said yes and he asked if I could work for him, at the office. I was so caught off guard by the offer that I accepted, before really even thinking about it. Now I'm kind of in shock and not sure I want it. *sigh* I guess for now, it's fine. He wants me 5 days a week from 9am - 3pm, which is great, except I don't want to work 5 days a week if I'm only working part-time. So on Monday I am going in to talk about the details. I'm going to ask if I can have one to two weeks before I start so I can get some loose ends tied up (appointments and projects around the house) and I will also ask about working only 4 days, instead. I hope it all works out. He is actually firing the girl I am replacing...so it's a bit complicated in terms of asking him to wait it out for another couple weeks. I also need to buy more "work" clothes, now (which actually makes me really happy, lol!). The biggest downside to this offer is that both my parents rent their offices in the same building (and it's not huge, so I'd see them every day) and I had really wanted to start somewhere completely different. The upside is that I know Russ well and we've always gotten along really good.

On Saturday night, I went to a 'get together' for a friend who is visiting from Hawaii. She gave my mother and I massages on Friday... she is amazing. If she lived here I'd see her every other week. Anyways, I was out late and am feeling it tonight. I need to catch up on my sleep.

Oh, I saw Leatherheads with my mom on Friday and I would not recommend it. It was slow and just plain *not very good*. Well, George and John made it bearable, but I can't stand Renee Zellweger at all. So that's my advice, take it or leave it, lol.

Amazingly, there was so much more that happened this weekend (today) but I am too tired to get into all that. Just girl drama with my older brother, as usual, lol.

I'll have to update later in the week about all the shoes I'm currently watching on Ebay. If only there was a store around here with the same selection and pricing! Geez, it's insane. But I think I'm going to have to choose which shoes I *must* have, and I'll need opinions. And I must be reasonable, limiting myself to one or two pairs for now. *big dramatic sigh*

Well, this is my update. All about me and almost completely un-interactive. Sorry about that. Hope you all had great weekends and had some decent weather.

Oh! I'm editing to add this question: Do you use the word "whatnot"? If not, why? Does it bother you, or anyone you know, when you hear it? This is highly controversial in my world, so please let me know your thoughts and whatnot.

Tagged by HD

The directions:

1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages).
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the fifth sentence on your blog.
5. Tag five people.

The closest book was my school book, which is divided into so many categories that none are up to 123 pages, so I had to grab the *next* closest book, which is called ABC's of the Human Mind. Here's the excerpt:

"This is an example of the illusory aftereffects of motion, or the "waterfall illusion", as it was called in an 1834 description of this "peculiar optical phenomenon" by a British scientist."

Whew. I have no idea what that was about. I need to finish the book, lol. Damn, too bad I didn't have something smutty close by! I was tempted to find one, but that would have been cheating, lol.

Who to tag, hmmm....

I have no idea who has or hasn't been tagged yet, so if you read this, consider yourself tagged. :)

Are they ugly?

I bought these boots on Ebay because the ones I wear all the time are showing signs of wear and tear, and I *love* the heel and non-slip, rubbery traction that this kind provides. The ones I have now came from Target, but they won't have replacements until fall. My daughter thinks these are hideous. I might try to remove the fur, but really, with jeans on, I think only the very bottom of the shoe will even show. Opinions? And no worries, I love them no matter what you say! *grin*




Also, I'll take this moment to say that I HATE James on BB. I can't believe how much of a switch I made with him. His attitude is ridiculous.

Oh! And I got another 100% on a quiz in class tonight! Yay! Granted, it was an open book quiz and I'll have to do some serious studying before the real exam, but for now; Yay!

Kimmah's Quiz

1. Are you a righty or a lefty?

Righty

2. What is your official job title.

"Unemployed"

3. You can only watch one show---there are limitless episodes. What do you pick?

The Office

4. What color eyeshadow do you wear most often?

Currently loving Ulta's Organza. It's a shimmery pinkish silver color that goes well with charcoal grey or purple darker shadow.

5. Describe your current favorite outfit.

A burgundy sweater made by the Daisy Fuentes line, paired with my new Banana Republic bootcut jeans. And my boots, of course.

6. What color is your kitchen?

Light blue, and needs to be redone.

7. Who was your first kiss and what was the situation?

My DH. Second time I met him in person. Sorta a one-way kiss as I was not prepared.

8. Who is the smartest person you know online?

Um. Too hard to answer. Too many kinds of "smart", in my opinion.

9. Why do you not have a myspace if you don't have one? When are you going to get one? If you DO have one--how long have you had it?

I signed up for one for the sole purpose of being able to view other people's. It's been a couple years now, I think.

10. Who is the most annoying famous person?

Rosie O. bugs me as well as Sally Field. I cringe through all of her scenes on Brothers and Sisters. I don't see people like Britney or Paris enough to be bothered by them. Oh! And I can't stand Donald Trump, either!

Friday!

Also edited to say that those lovely shoes I bought? Are more difficult to walk in than I realized they would be. I'm so used to a platform that makes the incline not as steep, that I never even considered that these would be harder. It will be interesting to see if I can master the walk, lol!


What are you doing today? Me? I have to get my kids from school at noon (a minimum day) and then take DD to do a little shopping and a couple errands. I was supposed to go to a makeup party thingy tonight but I am really leaning towards calling in sick. I don't want to make the drive (45 minutes) and I *know* I'll be pressured to stay late. I think this is a sign of getting older. *sigh*

Today (edited to say that "today" was actually yesterday), I had to drive out to Wilton (a little "town" out in the country) to fetch my mother's purse. She left it at a client's house, but we've known the people forever. It's so funny because this is one of the few people on the planet that calls me "Tabby". I *hate* being called Tabby. But she's in her 70s, so I never feel like I can ask her to stop. My DD kept looking at me every time she said it, lol.

Would you feel comfortable telling an elderly person you've known forever, but aren't particularly close to, to stop calling you by the nickname they've chosen?

Ok, that's all I got. We need updates people!

Retail Therapy...

...Always works.



I went to the Skecher's Outlet today in the seediest part of town and of all the shoes, I found nothing. I *did* find the perfect pair, in the right color, and the right size, and on SALE! but they were slightly damaged and I don't need tennis shoes that need work already. Damnit. What a bummer. I never make it over to that area so I was really hoping to find something and was totally ready to pull the trigger on shoes that cost give or take $50 (and the ones I wanted were only $30), so it was really disheartening. On my way home though, I spotted Ross. Do you have a Ross? It's kind of a discount store, but you really pay for the discount by having to muck though the clutter. None of the shoes are in the right place size-wise, and it's jam packed and totally disorganized. Boo, don't ever go to Ross. ;-)



Anyways, I recently cleaned out my wallet and found a mystery voucher from there, so I thought, "what the heck, I'll check it out". I was hoping to find some tennis shoes, but instead, I got these:



(and we all know I *needed* these)

They are made by Carlos Santana. I had NO idea he had a line of shoes. And who cares who made them? They were only $24.99! I also got some purple polka dotted bed sheets for DD and a shirt for her as well. Oh, and some Colonial brand tealight candles that were only $1.99 for 9, cranberry scented. *sniiifffs* Yum! My mystery voucher turned out to be worth $18 so I walked out having spent $30, out of pocket. And I really did feel much better. :)

Am I the only one who finds shopping therapeutic?