Small scream

I thought I'd jot a line or two while I eat my chicken marsala. Being on a high protien diet makes for some interesting breakfast foods, especially since I get tired of eating eggs.

Since it's Thursday, I'm going to my mom's to take her grocery shopping. Yesterday, I took her to see the eye surgeon about her cataract surgery. Basically it's on hold until she sees the rhuematoid doctor. She's in a great deal of pain with the rhuematoid arthiritis, osteo arthiritis, and osteoporosis. Of course, she's been waiting three months to get in to see this doctor, and her appointment is March 22. I'm very, I guess, frustrated with the situation. I can't make her feel better, and it's hard to deal with all of it. I've finally learned to accept her for who she is and what she is capable or willing to do and now things are worse. Part of me feels guilty because I don't want to take care of her for the rest of my life. I mean, I know that's what I will do, but I get tired of having to deal with her problems on top of my crazy life. My brother frustrates me because he doesn't even call her, let alone come see her. He only lives about an hour away. He seems to make great plans, but they never happen.

Please pray for my attitude and that mom will feel better.

The boyfriend is coming! The boyfriend is coming!

Well he wasted no time asking Mayhem #1 if he could come visit her over spring break. I can't think of a better place for them to meet than at home where I can keep an eye on them. (Terry, why haven't I gotten that background check yet?) His home town must be small because his comment to Mayhem #1 during a conversation about where some things were around here was, "You have a downtown?"

We're already making plans of what sites to show him. I've also made plans of the things I want done around the house before he gets here. A lot of what needs to be done is going through stuff and throwing it out. Everyone in our family is a pack rat. Sometimes it's unintentional. I spent several hours this morning cleaning out the bathroom. I threw away a ton of expired medication. Some of it went back five years. Now that Mayhem #2 has her braces off, I threw out her wax and rubberbands. I found somethings that can be given to someone who will use it. The other things we have to go through will probably be more painful.

All of this de-cluttering has to be done so I can figure out the sleeping arrangements. We're also going to paint the bathroom and re-caulk the tub. I'm not going to worry about the outside so much, but I want the inside of the house to be neat, clean, and manuverable. Mayhem #1 has even mentioned some dinners she wants to make sure I cook for him.

This week, I have to bake a cake on Thursday for the band BBQ dinner that's on Friday. Mayhem #2 has been selling tickets to help raise the money for her Orlando trip this May. I'm also going to pick up Mayhem #1 on Friday. Somebody's birthday is Friday, but I'm not going to mention any names. It's just some guy I met a long time ago and kind of like to have around.

My turn

Since I got tagged, I'll do my part. I was also scolded for not blogging more often. I just want to know, "Where do you people get this kind of time? Can I buy some. PLEEEASE!" Sometimes I don't blog because I don't have anything to say. I know that never stops Mr. Mayhem. My life is so mundane. Overwhelming, but mundane. Oh well...I'll try to do better.

Here's my stuff:

Four jobs I've had
Sales clerk at White's Home & Auto Store
Swept up sawdust at a pattern making company
Attendant at the chemistry storeroom at TCU
Clerk in the rent accounting department of a large company

Four movies I could watch over and over again (I told Mr. Mayhem he took all of mine.)
Emperor's New Groove
A Walk in the Clouds
Singin' in the Rain
Seabiscuit

Four books I could read over and over again (I didn't use to do this.)
Any and all Pern Books by Anne McCaffrey
Death at...series by Robin Paige
Deryni Series by Katherine Kurtz
The Green Rider by Kristen Britain

Four places I've lived
Jackson, MS
Houston, TX
Pasadena, TX
Fort Worth, TX

Four tv shows I watch
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
CSI Miami
Numb3rs
Antiques Roadshow

Four places I've been on vacation
France, Spain, & Italy (It was a cruise.)
Washington
Pensacola, FL
Oregon

Four websites I visit daily (How about those I visit the most. I don't visit any daily.)
Little A
The Grouchy Old Yorkie Lady
Mayhem #1's Xanga site
Curmudgeonry

Four favorite food
Godiva Chocolates
Tchouptoulas (sp?)
Sesame Chicken
Chips and salsa with a side of ranch dressing

Four places I'd like to be right now
Horseback riding anywhere
Hobby Lobby
Petsmart - Fish Department
In the other room scrapbooking

Four bloggers to send this to
I told you my life was boring. Everyone I know has already been tagged. Sorry to mess up the sequence.

Invasion

Today I took over Mayhem #1's room. I took her back to college Saturday. She was so excited to get back to her highspeed internet. When we got there her roommate informed her, "No internet." "Great," says Mayhem #1, "Now I don't even have the dumb slow internet." Bummer Dude, I thought.

She wanted her internet so she could catch up with everyone's Xanga postings. Actually, she wanted to talk to her "boyfriend." ...who's in Georgia...whom she's never met....Does this seem weird to anyone but me? He seems like an ok guy from what I know from the internet. Maybe Terry can make a road trip and check him out for me? I'm trying not to overreact, but it's not easy. I just tell her to be cautious, and she seems to be. It's hard to rain on her parade after listening to her giggle on the phone with him while she was home.

Anyway, back to her room. After I cleaned it this morning, I moved my scrapbooking supplies in. I decided to leave up the card table that held her computer while she was home. I laid out the paper and stickers on her bed. I need to work on journaling. That's where you write down the stories that go with the pictures. (You may already know this, but I didn't know anything about this until about six months ago.) I'm going to an all-day crop on Saturday. I don't have any of the cutting tools for cropping the pictures so I go use my friend's stuff. Once I get Mayhem #1's book done, (I'm only up to 1995.), I'll start on Mayhem #2's. I really would like to do all my pictures, but that will take the rest of my life. This would also require getting last year's pictures, taken with the new digital camera, printed.

Ahem.

Road trip

I'm off to see Mayhem #1 tonight because it's Mother/Daughter weekend at her dorm. The mom's are suppose to bring the daughter's favorite dessert, so yesterday I made pumpking chocolate chip bars, and this morning I made a double batch of fudge ecstasies. Those are cookies with just enough flour and egg in them to hold the chocolate together. There's a brunch in the morning also. I'm sleeping in the dorm and since her roommate is going home, no one has to sleep on the floor. As a suprise, the dorm mom asked the mothers to send a baby picture of the daughter so they could guess, "Who is it?" I think I may take Mayhem #1 shopping for Christmas presents for her college friends while I'm down there. I know there will come a time when I can't be there for her activities, but I'm not ready to be at that point yet.

I will be missing Mayhem #2's first Christmas parade with the band, but Mr. Mayhem will have that covered with camera in hand. I've laid out her Santa hat to wear with her uniform, as well as, long johns if she wants them. After the sun goes down in gets chilly, especially if the wind is blowing. I also found an old pair of Mayhem #1's marching gloves so her sister can wear them. (She didn't wear gloves when she was in the pit.) Since oboes don't march, Mayhem #2 is playing sleigh bells. The band is only marching maybe half a mile, and then after they play at city hall, the buses will take them back to the school. After all that excitement, Mr. Mayhem and Mayhem #2 are suppose to finish decorating the Christmas tree. That is after they fix the lean. It's an artificial tree so I don't know how it got crooked in the box.

Still here

I know it's been forever, and really, my main writing endeavor right now is the Christmas letter. But I wanted to say hi to everyone. I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving. Our's was laid back, but fun. Last Tuesday I went down and picked up Mayhem #1 for the weekend. She brought home a ton of stuff, but some of it was staying home so I guess that's ok. After the stop at the bathroom, she was going to come out and sit in the living room. I told her she had to go to her room. Mayhem #2 was sitting on her bed waiting for her. Hilarity and craziness was heard coming from the bedroom. Wednesday, we ran a few errands and wound up at the mall. Mayhem #1 still doesn't have a Christmas job, despite all the applications she filled out in October. We found a seasonal shop in the mall that was hiring so she filled out an application. Maybe she'll have something when she comes back in two weeks. Wednesday afternoon, the girls made the pies. Mayhem #1 made the pumpkin and Mayhem #2 made the chocolate. Mayhem #2 got tired of stirring, but it was a great pie. The pumpkin was good too. Mr. Mayhem and I went to Boston Market that evening and picked up the ham, potatoes, and sweet potatoes I had ordered. Ok, so I cheated a little. We did make other things too, but I didn't have to kill myself this year.

On Thursday, we were puttering around getting showers, having breakfast, and finishing the house cleaning. I looked at the clock and said, "Someone should be at Mom's house picking her up right now." I gave her a quick call and said I was on my way. Who did you think would be dressed and ready to go? Dinner was only a little later than I had planned, but it was good. We found a football game for Mr. Mayhem to sleep through while Mom and I looked over some paper work she wanted me to see. Mr. Mayhem woke up for pie. I took Mom home and told her the girls and I would be over on Friday to help with grocery shopping and house cleaning.

The girls did the house cleaning while I took Mom grocery shopping. It took us a little longer than usual because her last blood test said her cholesterol was high so we had to shop a little more carefully. After she took us to lunch at McDonalds (not exactly good for the cholesterol), the girls and I did a little shopping. One nephew is all take care of and some of Mayhem #2's friends. We had to buy a gift card at Barnes & Noble for the basket our Sunday School class was making for the auction. It's part of the church's foreign mission board campaign every year. It's called Lottie moon Christmas and the church has a banquet and the auction. Our class and several others decided to buy gift cards for the basket. We have one to Barnes & Noble, Gap, WalMart, and Garden Ridge. We have a few more coming. Guess who gets to make the basket? Moi...I think I have all I need.

The handbells played at church Sunday and it was another family affair. Mayhem #1 stepped in and picked my accidental bell and one of Mr. Mayhem's too. Oh to be so talented. I think the extra practicing one of the new girls and I have been doing made a big difference. I think I only missed one note in the two songs we played. I was so excited. Next month we're actually playing, "Carol of the Bells" on the handbells. Please pray.

Mr. Mayhem took Mayhem #1 back a little earlier than usual because she needed to go to the haunted art building and work on a charcoal drawing. The freeway was so backed up, they took an alternate route to get down there, and he called and asked me to find him another way home. I looked it up on the atlas and called him back with the road numbers and towns he would encounter. He said it was a good thing it was him and not me. He said the road was narrow with no lights except the oncoming cars. I can't see very well in that situation. He got home a couple of hours later than he should've. At one point he called me about all the grass fires that were all around him. The wind was blowing like 60 mph all day yesterday. Luckily, no homes were damaged.

Be our guest

In the weirdness of Texas weather, we skipped fall and start winter today. The high was in the 60’s around midnight and it will be down to 35 tonight. We’ve been having weather in the 80’s, 20 degrees above normal. I guess maybe that was fall since it wasn’t 100+. Still haven’t had rain in about two months. I just brought in all the houseplants that have been residing on the back patio. I hate bringing them in because they get in my way. One of them is five feet tall. Another of them is really from Mr. Mayhem’s old job, so maybe he’ll take it back next week once he starts his new job in the old location.

We survived the musical, and surprisingly, it turned out pretty good. The dress rehearsal on Wed. was the most horrendous thing I had ever seen. I was prepared for the performance to be a fiasco. All three shows had a few glitches, but you expect that. I had to work the box office all three nights, but I ran in to my seat before I missed anything. On Friday, a little girl about 15 or 18 months was in my seat. I politely said that that was my seat, and the mom said no it was her seat. I said, "No ma’am. It’s my seat and here’s my ticket." The guy who had bought most of that row said I was right and the little girl moved. Actually, they shouldn’t have been in the seat next to me either because I knew that that reserved seat should’ve been empty. The little girl is restless and mauling all the other people around so mom pulls out some little packages of crackers for her and all the other kids on the row. There are signs that clearly state, NO FOOD OR DRINKS IN THE AUDITORIUM. Obviously, that didn’t apply to them. Then the little girl bumped her head on one of the seats and started crying. So mom picks her up and starts nursing her. And the girl is kicking me at the same time. Look, I nursed my girls, but never in public. Finally, they got smart enough to take the girl out or at least to the back where she wouldn’t bother anyone.

On Saturday, it was a little tough putting make up on Mayhem #2 because Mayhem #1 is sitting at the table making her laugh. Mr. Mayhem's microphone wasn’t working through half of the opening narration that night, but there was nothing he could do. My mom, sister-in-law, and nephew, along with Mayhem #1, that Mr. Mayhem had fetched that morning, came that night. I kept getting tickled every time Mayhem #1 would laugh at the lines. Part of what made it all so funny for her was the fact that she knew the actors. Some of the kids seemed type cast, while others were as different as night and day from their characters.

Mr. Mayhem is glad he doesn’t have to wear make up and tights anymore. Doesn’t that sound bizarre?

Lost...

Well, we had our last away football game Friday night. It was way away and I had never been there before. I got directions off the athletic portion of the school district's web site. It didn't sound too tough, but I thought I'd stay with the buses just to be sure. The first mistake is to assume that the bus drivers know where their going. The second mistake is to trust the directions.

First the bus drivers don't follow the directions I have. That means if I lose them, I'm in deep trouble. I think I ran a couple of red lights and broke the sound barrier on the freeway to keep up. I exit the freeway with the buses and follow as best I can and then I get stuck at a light. There is a lady in her own vehicle too who has been following the buses and she's in front of me and just as lost. We stop and confer and decide to turn around, then I saw the lights. They always tell you when you're looking for a football stadium, "Look for the lights." I drove over to the lights, which are at the high school we're playing, but the lights belong to the soccer or baseball field. We stop at a Mexican restaurant and ask directions from so folks who are sitting on the patio. The directions they give us is very similar to the ones I got off the website. We get to the light to turn left to go back to the freeway, and passing in front of us are our buses.

We jump in behind them and get on the freeway, after 30 minutes of waiting to get through the two lights at the freeway. Did I mention, it's rush hour. Once on the freeway, we're looking for our exit, but the buses don't take it. They stayed on the freeway. We took the exit. I'm now the leader with the other lady behind me. We follow the directions and never find the street we're suppose to turn right on. I keep looking for the lights too. We finally stop again at a Hobby Lobby parking lot when we get to another freeway, plus we've gone way past the 3 or 4 miles we're suppose to go. We ask a man who just pulled into the parking lot it he knew where the stadium was and he said no, but he had a Mapsco. Yeah!!

Of course we don't have the address of the stadium, but he finds where we're suppose to be because we do know what street it's on. Come to find out, the street we were on and the street we were suppose to turn right on run PARALLEL! He tells us what street to turn on to get to the right street and off we go. Finally, we see the lights. I turn in a driveway that I thought went into the stadium, but it goes into an electronics plant of some kind, complete with security guards. We finally get turned around and back on the street. (It's shift change and ain't no one letting us in line to get out.)

We got to the stands just as they started playing the alma mater. Perfect. Didn't miss a thing.

All the world is a stage

Hey look. Two days in a row. What's up with that?

Since Mr. Mayhem isn't here, I'm working on my fourth cup of coffee. I really do make less when he's gone, but all the coffee mugs are slightly different sizes so there's always a splash and go in the bottom of the pot.

Anyway....Mayhem # 2 and I have decided that we will be glad when the play is over. This week, the prize has not been worth eating the Cracker Jacks. The mom who has been the stage manager/costume maker quit because the kids are inappreciativeiative, and don't really care about working to make the show good. They're teenagers. Duh? Don't get me wrong. She's been knocking herself out since June on this stuff. She has done a wonderful job. But two weeks before the show, things aren't finished and she's the only one who knows what's going on. She admitted to me that she's not very good at delegating, so the info we need is in her head, so now we just have to try to figure out her thought processes and finish the costumes. Of course, her son is one of the principle characters so I know his wardrobe will be done. I've already brought Mayhem # 2's costume home to finish. I've also been working at the school on other's, but I wasn't suppose to do costumes. I was suppose to do ticket sales. The director handed out the tickets on a day I wasn't there over a month before the show. His wife seems to be handling everything. I'm just trying to do whatever I can to help.

I blame this fiasco on the director. At the very beginning he preached to the kids about being serious about this. He set up a demerit system, and after so many demerits, you got kicked out of the play. That never happened. Mayhem # 2 noticed about two weeks into rehearsal, that the boy who was her "partner" should have had more than enough demerits to be gone. Her comment was, "The demerits don't apply to the boys. He won't kick them out because there are too few of them already." And she was right. If you don't enforce your rules from the beginning, you never get control. (Kind of like dress code.) So the kids are now getting blamed for causing the mom to quit, and that's not fair. And of course, they lump the good kids with the bad kids. I don't agree with corporate punishment. The director also plays favorites. Most of the principle characters had been cast over the summer before auditions. His kids get significant parts even though they can't do it or can't behave. Then he scheduled the play during football and volleyball season. Normally it's in late January, early February. You have no idea how many students are involved with stuff during football season. Cheerleaders, trainers, band. Band is a huge thing in the fall, with the kids getting to school at 7:00 am to learn the show, every Friday night is a football game (We have girls who play volleyball on Friday evening and then rush to the football game to march half time.), plus marching competitions. Mayhem # 2 isn't in some parts of a main scene because she had band sectionals one afternoon a week, that was scheduled before the play started, so she wasn't there to be included. Funny, but the director's daughter, who had the same sectional practice, has a pretty big part in that scene.

I know I'm whining like a stage mom. I know this is a life lesson for Mayhem # 2. "Life isn't fair." What really bothers me about this is, it's been like this every time we've done a musical, but Mayhem # 2 wants to do drama. I don't know if I can deal with this for four years. With the director's daughter being in the same grade as Mayhem # 2, what chance does my child have to get a role she wants?

Ok....I'm done whining.

Whirlwind

Ok. Everybody try to keep up.

Mayhem #1 tried to die last week thanks to Sharpie fumes in an not-very-well-ventilated art room. (Note: Mayhem #1 is asthmatic.) She passed out in class and wasn’t very coherent when she came around, so they sent her back to her dorm?!!! They did ask her if she wanted to go to the school nurse, but she said no. I know she’s an adult and they had to do what she asked, but couldn’t they’ve told someone to check on her. She went back to her room and slept the rest of the day because breathing took so much effort that she didn’t have strength to do anything else. This happened on Thursday, and I found out on Friday. All I could see was the headline, "Student found dead in dorm room." She slogged through the weekend and I called the school nurse on Monday, she got Mayhem #1 to a doctor and now she has steroids and serious decongestants. I’m better too.

Mayhem # 2 lived to be 15 on Saturday. (There were doubts of her survival since she is my high maintenance child.) After opening a boat-load of presents, she and I were off to the high school for tech call. You know…painting sets, working on costumes, eating pizza. The musical opens two weeks from today. You’re all invited.

The band’s big UIL competition was Tuesday. We started the day off with a little drama because the buses were half hour late. You are given a certain time to march and if you miss it you’re disqualified. Two of the directors and I beat the buses across town so we unloaded the instruments. Band warmed up…Band marched…BAND MADE A ONE!! There was much screaming and hugging. (That’s good by the way.) That one earned them two days of getting to sleep late. Yeah!

Mr. Mayhem left 2:00 in the blessed AM yesterday to go visit his dad. The plumbing problems started at 5:30 am. After a 6:00 am trip to Wal-Mart for clog cleaner things worked enough to get Mayhem # 2 together enough to go to school. I didn’t get to fix my hair and I hate that. Oh well. After checking out toilets and tub at lunch, (It was my volunteer day at the high school.) things seemed to be working ok. Around 7:00 pm, I decided to wash a load of laundry. At 7:30 pm, I call the plumber because the washer is draining into the tub. Plumber shows up at 10:00 pm. Plumber leaves at 11:00 pm.

Oops. Gotta run. Time to take my mom to the grocery store.

She knows

Well, our dirty little secret is out of the bag. Mr. Mayhem told Mayhem #1 about his blog last week when he picked her up for the weekend. She was shocked. Then he told her about mine and she was doubly shocked. She told me later, "I could see Dad doing that, but you!" We didn’t give her the site addresses. I’m not sure if she wanted to try to find us, or Mr. Mayhem wanted her to try to find us. I’m thinking she’s going to need some hints.

It has been a little awkward. She has a xanga site, so I keep admonishing her not to meet the people she talks with on line. Mr. Mayhem told her about meeting Nate and I told her about Francesca. I also told her how nervous I was when Mr. Mayhem told me he was going to meet Nate. I told her, "Remember, do as I say, not as I do." I am a little nervous about this one guy she’s been talking with.

I gave her a little sketch about some of y’all. She asked what I blogged about and I told her mom stuff. I said I got on soap boxes regularly. A lot of the people she talks with are friends from high school. Some have graduated and some haven’t. I find it funny to go in and read them myself. I think these kids talk more on the computer than they ever did face to face at school.

This is parents’ weekend at her school so we head out bright and early Saturday morning to have breakfast with the professors. Later there’s a tailgate party at the Wal-Mart parking lot and then off to the football game. We’ll probably go out to eat dinner before we head home. Mayhem #1 can have one more meal of "real food." Since she was home last weekend, her cupboard is pretty well stocked. I’ll think she’ll survive.

Last dance

Tomorrow night is our last Latin dance class. We haven't signed up for any more classes right now. With another month of football, play rehearsals and production, and a birthday thrown in this month for good measure, we're a little busy. Since Mayhem #2 had a by-week last week, we took her with us to the Friday night dance. After watching them practice their dances at play practice, I thought she'd better see the real thing. There was a free group lesson before the dance started, and she learned how to cha-cha-cha. I let her dance with Mr. Mayhem and I danced with a guy from our other classes. The first dance she danced was a waltz with her dad. Our instructor danced with me. Our instructor was kind of excited that we were bringing Mayhem #2 because she is the same age as his son. He commented, "You're doing better than me. Your's came inside. Mine is still out in the car." He did eventually come in, but he never danced. He was the only "kid" that didn't dance.

We had warned Mayhem #2 about the "Waterfall dance". It's a mixer, where the boys line up on one side and the girls on the other and you dance a waltz with whomever you meet at the top of the line. She was nervous, but she did ok. She kept trying to lead. Mr. Mayhem coaxed, or threatened, her into trying a merenge. He said, "Try something new and exciting." Later when I hesitated about trying a new dance, she said, "Come on Mom. Try something new and exciting." Kids!!!! She even danced the cha-cha-cha with the guy I had danced with during the class. She suggested that some of the kids in the play need to come see the "pros" dance the tango because what they are learning is not the tango.

Now that class is over, how am I going to get a date out of Mr. Mayhem?

Zooooom

I'm here for the moment so I'm jotting a line or two. I went to the endodontist this morning to have them check out the root canal they did last year and all is well. Then I went to Mom's to take her to a doctor's appointment. We got there to find out that her insurance wouldn't cover the visit until Oct. 1. If we had thought real hard we would have know that, but she was so paranoid to get an appointment she didn't think. And the receptionist had been trying to call Mom all morning to let her know about this so she wouldn't make a trip down there, but Mom gave her the wrong phone number. The receptionist even called Mom's other doctor and got her phone number from them and it was a different wrong number. Sometimes I worry about her because I don't know what she can do and what she won't do. Made an appointment for Monday after my teeth cleaning appointment. Anyway...After that I took her to the grocery store, took her and the groceries home, and ran to McDonalds and picked up salads for lunch. I then took her books back to the library and took a few minutes to pick out a few for Mayhem #2. She thinks reading material is a necessity like air. Finally came home and started laundry since Mr. Mayhem asked for some this morning.

Yesterday, we made our third trip to the pediatrician about Mayhem #2's hand/wrist and tomorrow afternoon we go see an orthopedist. I'm not sure what to wish for. I just need some answers. The hand/wrist still hurts and tingles, and you'd think after two weeks it would be a whole lot better than it is.

Also tomorrow, the band is doing a fund raiser. Actually, all we had to do for it was sign people up to a taste test. Mayhem #2 and I do our tasting around noon. I hope they feed us enough for lunch.

"Friends"

I must not be a very good one because I don’t have any. Not any that know how to use the phone to ask me to lunch or include me in whatever they’re doing. Oh, and I know they do things with other people because I hear them talking and laughing about it at church.

This happened for the first time about 8 years ago. I had a friend I did stuff with several times a week. Even if it was just hanging out at her house or she helped me with my sewing. Then her oldest child graduated and she got a job to help pay for college. I’d call to visit and she would never return my calls. I finally quit calling. She moved from the friend category to the acquaintance category.

If there is any calling and getting together that gets done, I have to initiate it. Last Sunday, a friend and I tentatively planned a lunch date for Friday. She said she’d call me to firm it up. I kept waiting. I kept my schedule open. I finally called her Thursday afternoon. She and her other friend had planned to do something for the youth group on Friday night so she would want to leave work early so she wouldn’t have time for me to pick her up and go have lunch with me. ("Oh, by the way, did you know about this event and would Mayhem #2 want to come?" "Well no I didn’t know and Mayhem #2 has football games every Friday night. Like I’ve told you before.") She said, "I’m glad you called because I wouldn’t have and then I would’ve felt guilty…."

I invited another friend to a scrapbook get together I’m having tomorrow. On her invitation I wrote something like "This is just another excuse for you to come visit me." I’ve been to visit her and she lives about 45 minutes from here. We’ve sent e-mails back and forth and talked about getting together. I’ve even tried to schedule another trip out to her house, but it didn’t fit into her schedule. That was cool. The e-mail that I got last night said something like, "I laughed at your note and if you’ve tried to get me to visit before I’m unaware of it."

Maybe this is petty jealousy on my part. I don’t know. I just know it hurts.

"House"wife

What a misnomer. When am I ever at the house? I'm so frustrated. I want/need to do stuff at home, but I'm never there long enough to get it done. I'm having a scrapbooking event at my house next week. I need to clean at least the part of the house we'll be using. I started rearranging and cleaning (big time) Mayhem #2's room, but I'm not anywhere near done. I have to do laundry so Mr. Mayhem has clothes for work. (Remember the tea incident?) I haven't even been home long enough to cook dinner much, which means fast food, which is bad for the diet and the wallet.

Today, I have to go to the high school around nine to take Mayhem #2's biology project to her for class. It's an edible animal cell made out of a big chocolate chip cookie, frosting, and gobs of different candy. Did I mention that I had to take Mayhem #2 and partner to the grocery store Sat. to get all the stuff? I'll have to go back up to the school this afternoon to take her her character shoes and stretch pants for rehearsal. Today Mr. Mayhem will be able to bring her home, but not the rest of the week. (He did get his "Dragon Tail" going this morning and got her to school.) The post office is on the agenda. I think my mom wants me to take her to her doctor to sign a form. (I'm not sure that's going to happen today.)

Tomorrow, I have to take a friend to the doctor. I'd tell her no, but there's no one else to help her. That'll take at least a couple of hours. Wednesday evening is church, but I have to leave early because I have to pick up something for Mayhem #2 to eat in the car on the way after I pick her up from rehearsal. Thursday I usually take my mom to the grocery store. That takes at least a couple of hours. And this doesn't include all the trips hither, thither, and yon to get whatever miscellaneous stuff (like my groceries) that come along as the week goes by. Then on Friday, there's another away football game. Last week the game was an hour and a half away. This week, I'm not sure where Venus is.

Did I mention I think my car needs gas?

Last weekend

I guess I better tell you a little about last weekend before this weekend gets here. I arrived in Belton to pick up Mayhem #1 around noon so I could take her to lunch. She still had a 1:00 class, but I thought eating out would be fun. I took a whole gaggle of girls to Sonic for some "real food." It’s very sad to think that Sonic is real food.

We were about half way home when I got a phone call from Mayhem #2 saying that the friend I had asked to take her home had never shown up so she was getting a ride with someone else. We got home in time for hugs for the sisters and for me to fix Mayhem #2’s hair in a bun. This was the first game in her uniform so her fanny-length hair had to be put up. I was a little nervous about her overheating with the bibbers and coat, but the pit didn’t have to play so everything was fine.

Mayhem #1 sat with Mr. Mayhem and I for about 2 minutes and then she had to start looking for people she knew. About 6 minutes before half time, I went to water the band. Mayhem #1 helped and then with 4 minutes to go the big lights go out. These are the new lights that blew the transformer two weeks ago. (I blamed it on the other school’s band because they were standing under the transformer that had blown and I just said they must have tripped on the extension cord.) Everybody went nuts and the band included. The director told them not to play their instruments so that we could hear any instructions. The band, being the band, proceeded to sing their entire repertoire of songs. They were singing their different parts. It was pretty funny and kept them, and the folks around them, entertained until the lights came up.

During the second half, Mayhem #1 hung out with one of her friends who had also come back for homecoming. They were over with the band dancing and having a good time. She said it was more fun to be "with" the band than "in" the band. No responsibilities…no cares.

And the most astonishing thing was…We Won!!! In Overtime!!!!

Saturday, I got Mayhem #1 up early so we could get to the optometrist early so we wouldn’t be there all day. Mayhem #2 was already up watching her cartoons. After we got the new glasses, we ran a few errands then went home for lunch. Mayhem #2 had an oboe lesson that morning. After lunch, we got dressed up and went to the church to have our picture made. While the girls worked on homework, Mr. Mayhem & I went to Target to pick up some things Mayhem #2 needed to take back with her. Like "real food"…mac & cheese, ramen soup, ravioli, etc. She had to have a new desk lamp because hers had a halogen bulb and those aren’t allowed. They’re bathroom also has no counter space so we bought a standing shelf to go above the toilet. Mr. Mayhem put it together Sunday before he took her back to school. She was going to have to put in one bar after she got it in place. I think it all worked out ok.

Everyone loved seeing Mayhem #1 at church. The senior adult SS class she use to play piano for decided they were going to let Mr. Mayhem & I know that she needed a car so she could home more often to visit them. One of them informed Mr. Mayhem of that before church started! She has found a church in the next little town over that she’s going to join under watchcare. She’s also doing a sign language ministry on Wed. night that’s on campus because she can’t always get a ride to church then.

When she headed back on Sunday afternoon, there were hugs, but no tears. Mayhem #2 seems to be handling this better now. It’s like when they were little and we left them in the nursery for the first time. Once they knew we were going to come back for them, they were fine. (I did forget one once, but I didn’t get completely out of the building before I remembered.)

Homecoming

It's homecoming week so I spent several hours yesterday afternoon making Mayhem #2 a lion, since that's the school mascot. No one "asked her to homecoming", but she's ok with that. (Remember, boys are gross.) Of course since there is no school dance and she can't wear a flower to the game because she's in band, it's sort of a non-event. So, just like I did for Mayhem #1, I took a stuffed lion and made a collar with all the ribbons and other homecoming stuff (including teeny tiny cow bells) for her to carry around tomorrow. All I have left to do is spray on the glitter. (She is my Bling child.)

This evening is the parade and burning of the letters. Mayhem #2 told me she was going to skip the parade and come home and do homework and practice her oboe and piano. (Shock!!) We've stood in her first grade teacher's yard for that parade since Mayhem #2 was in first grade. The band is required to be at the burning of the letters, even though the pit isn't going to play. I guess it's a solidarity thing. I think I've gotten her a ride home from this with a friend. I've talked to the dad, but I better check with the mom. (You know how that goes.)

Because... Mr. Mayhem and I have dance class tonight. We're going to learn some new steps for the salsa and bachata, and also start on the cha cha and rumba. Last week, the instructor referenced the movie Dirty Dancing and Mr. Mayhem admitted he hadn't seen it. (I thought I had, but I was thinking of another dance movie.) So over the weekend, we rented that movie and, on the recommendation of Mayhem #1, Strictly Ballroom. I think we should get extra credit for that.

I also have to find Mayhem #2 a ride home from school tomorrow since I'll be going to pick up Mayhem #1. Both of them are so excited!!! Mr. Mayhem and I are kind of tickled too. If Mayhem #1 doesn't have to work late, we may be home in time for dinner. Mayhem #2 will be in her band uniform for the first time, so she gets lots of extra Gatorade and water. She keeps telling me that they don't even have music for half time so I don't know if they have to drag their instruments out on the field or not. I'll let you know how it all goes.

No chuzzle for me

I know Mr. Mayhem has been telling you about his Chuzzle marathons. I can't Chuzzle or play any other computer games right now. I helped my Mom with her walker a few weeks ago. I needed to change the little rubber caps on the bottom. I used a pair of vise-grips, because that's all she had, to twist, turn, and finally pull the caps off...or at least what was left of them. Mom had worn them off completely down to the bare metal.

Ever since then, my wrists and hands hurt constantly. It really gets bad when I use the computer mouse. It feels like someone stuck a hot knife down my wrist. You don't think about your wrists until they hurt. You use them for everything. No matter what I do I can feel the strain on them. The typing isn't as bad as using the mouse because I can hold my wrists straight while I type. Needless to say, Mr. Mayhem is just devastated to have to use "my turn" on the computer.

"Four more days"

Mayhem #2 made this comment to me yesterday and it took me awhile to figure out what she meant. She's counting down the days until I go pick up Mayhem #1 and bring her home. Mayhem #1 has to come home this weekend because we are having our picture made at church for a directory. She's also setting an interview with a bookstore for a job around Christmas.

I think she should prepare to have a little leech on her for the weekend.

Half time was good

Friday night Mayhem #2 got to play her mallets in her first football game. I got some great pictures of her and her friends "dancing" in the stands. The pit doesn't have to play in the stands because they haven't figured out how to get the marimbas and xylophones up the steps. (Don't give them any ideas.)

The pit has to haul their instruments onto the sidelines. I look down from the stands and Mayhem #2 is pushing her marimba for all she's worth and I notice she also has a flute. Now last time I checked, she couldn't play flute especially while playing marimba. The flute belonged to one of the drum majors who had a solo in the opening.

She played her little heart out. I ran around taking pictures. Funny, but Mr. Mayhem didn't watch the marching kids, just the pit. When they started coming off the field, I went to set up the drinks for the band. All of a sudden, one of Mayhem #2 fellow pit players shows up telling us she needs water for Mayhem #2. I'm on my way.

I find her in someone's folding chair at the end of the field with a ton of people around her. About the time I get there, the first fireman gets there. She's as red as can be and having trouble breathing. One of the football trainers brings her a cold towel with ammonia on it. (She told me it's the good ammonia not the bad ammonia.) All of a sudden we have about 8 firemen around her with big duffelbags with all this equipment. One of they're radios goes off and announces a grass fire so half of them leave. I asked a friend to go get Mr. Mayhem out of the stands.

They check her blood pressure, pulse rate, and oxygen level. They keep asking me if she has asthma and I tell them no. Apparently she has overheated and hyper ventilated. They blow oxygen in her face and tell her to drink lots of water and not get excited. We walk her back to the stands, but she's still struggling. She said her feet felt numb, so we took her home. By the time we get home she's freezing. Someone later told me that was shock. We got some Gatorade in her and put her to bed. She was ok the next day, but very sore. I had asked her earlier if she had fallen and she said no. I asked one of her buddies and he said she had fallen and blacked out. She doesn't remember that. Needless to say, we're pushing the Gatorade and water until it cools down around here. This is homecoming week so there are alot more outside activities. I'll have to keep an eye on her.

Mr. Mayhem said she just wanted to flirt with all the cute firemen.

"Daaad!"