All in my head...

I had a blog post. 
Then another. 

and part of another. 

Apparently they were all in my head. 

I was going to show you a picture, too, but the picture loader thingy isn't working. It just sits there and mocks me. So it's either my computer (which I doubt) Or Blogger. Or Google. 

Since Google now runs Blogger, I'ma blame it on Google. 

Decaffeinating myself was going really well until this weekend. When I fell back on the wagon? Off the wagon? 

Where'd the wagon come from? 

Saturday when we had a party for my wonderful niece. Caffeine was consumed. 

Today was supposed to be the first day of school for us. And It was discovered that I didn't have all the books I needed. While Mini-E and J-man are fighting over who gets to 'be first' I'm wandering around the room thinking. I thought stuff like, "I coulda sworn I ordered that math book." "Where'd the phonics page go?"

It was not a stellar first day. We called it done by noon. 

I shoulda known that it was going to be an interesting first day of school when I couldn't find the Rosetta Stone registration codes. Without the registration codes, the program was all but useless.

I very nearly cried. I prayed. 
after looking in the drawer four times, It was found.

So we can study Spanish-  just not math.

Oh, well. 

Hopefully, the picture uploader thingy will work soon. I found the coolest earbuds. 
At least I think I did. 

Watered down...

Ha! I bet you thought I'd call this post 'Day 3'. Didn't you? 

...

I thought about it.

Then decided not to. 

But proof that there's progress: 

My new Writing buddy

Day Two...

I feel like I should be sitting out in the wilderness somewhere writing a title like that.

"Day two, and my water is running out... There's no sign of rain. The thirst is becoming more than I can bear."

but no. I just FEEL like I should.
It was a very dramatic title. I felt like it should have an exciting story to go with it.

but no. I just feel like it should.

It's actually Day two of me giving up Diet Coke.

I've given it up before. I once detoxed myself off of caffeine at the same time I had the flu. I mean, headaches are headaches.

Then I got back on it - due to work and life. And no real big desire to stay 'off the juice'.

Then I was de-caff during four pregnancies. and It was after Mini-E, that I really became addicted again. I mean SERIOUSLY addicted.

So addicted that those t-shirts that say 'there's too much blood in my caffeine system' were hillarious.

And true.

I loved the taste, too. Not so much anymore. Now I'm just drinking it because it's habit. Some drinks just taste better than others. There's a major difference between the fountain drinks vs the bottled stuff I buy from the grocery story.

So after our van issues, I did some thinking about the cost of choosing the more expensive drugs and that was a factor in desiring to quit. I failed miserably the first week. So much so that it was just talk and intentions.

Health wise, too, I think it's hindering my sinuses. It's time to make a change.

Then I had the Monday from hell. Major Migraine. I medicated with diet coke, some major advil and someone else cooking.

Yesterday and today, I've had about half my normal consumption of  the stuff. So Yay! That's an improvement. I did find myself slightly grumpier as my blood reacquainted itself with ... itself.

Since we can't pick and choose the times the family barometers will fluctuate - there's no time like today to make the choice. (Which means, I can't wait for the house to be sweet and peaceful to break the habit relating to one of my major comfort foods.)

Something else that's been reaffirmed. I've never been one to quantify addictions. An addiction is an addiction is an addiction. Some are truly harder to get over than others. Sex/drugs/alcohol/food. Doesn't matter.

I will be cheering as loud as I can for the next person who tells me, 'I've been clean/sober for ____ days/weeks/months/years'.

It's Day 2.
I feel silly.
And that's a good thing.

Get up and Go-Go - Oh, No - Part 2

I was awakened Wednesday morning to the sound of my two youngest fighting. Oddly, J-man was pounding on a desk. Mini-E was snuggled up on the couch with her blanket. She wanted to play her Dora game on the console. J-man, who knows how to turn everything on, refused. 

He said, "All I wanted was a peaceful morning and that didn't include watching her play Dora!"

I stared at him. 

I was awakened for this? He's playing a computer game. So it's not like he was being forced to watch. 

"you're kiddin' me, right?"

Unfortunately, he was not kidding. 

So we had to have a long talk because I thought it was silly that people watched him play his game...and he was protesting LOUDLY about hers. 

I managed to get a shower in before the phone call came. 

To fix the van was going to cost just over $1,800. Let me tell you... there were tears. 

Apparently what had happened - was the pressure gauge on the AC blew, sending shards into the A/C system. So the air pressure I found WAS real - it was just the pressure gauge.

And they dye the A/C coolant. 
Now I know. 

When they called to give me the news, I didn't have the forethought to inquire if the heater would be usable. I didn't think about this until later.  If it had been, we could have just driven with the windows down.

And Ice packs in our shirts. (That's from Mini-Me.)

A new car, even a new-to-us car, isn't in the budget.

So we'll be working on keeping a very tight budget until it's cleared off of OUR docket.

and of course, since I wanted to cry, things were doubly hard. Lots of shouts of 'unfair' happened until I just wanted a house with four towers so I could lock them in their towers. 

G-man and Mini-E were playing and he accidentally gave her a black eye. That was far more excitement than she was wanting. So she cried for a good twenty minutes..

Maybe I'm the one who needs the tower. 

Lymm Water Tower House

Saw this on Facebook. 

Pretty much sums it up.

Get up and Go-Go ... Oh, no.

It's hot here. Like Arizona kinda hot. Tho, The Professor insists there's more humidity here than there. He's from Arizona. He says everytime he goes to visit, his contacts pop out due to lack of moisture.

that hasn't happened yet. 

I am willing to agree with him that there's moisture in the air...but since I can actually breathe this air - there's still less moisture than normal. 

We've come to a sort of accord about it. 

We agree it's freakin' hot. 

Because it's so hot, I've been trying to remember to roll the windows down on the mini-van to kind of help vent out the heat. Today, I turned the engine on (Since I didn't drive it yesterday) and heard this sudden growl of a sound. Then ....all was normal. So I proceeded to roll the windows down a bit and insert the sunshade into the front window. 

I closed the van up pocketed my keys and started back inside. 

unfortunately, the van was hissing. 

Vans don't, as a general rule, hiss. 

Since we'd just spent a great deal of money on having the water pump thermometer and a plastic gasket replaced, that was my first thought. Perhaps the radiator bit the dust. Literally. 

Nothing was leaking. 

I popped the hood. Cause I know how. 

I looked. Still nothing was leaking. But I could smell what I thought was anti-freeze.

I did what I know most to do. I called my daddy. 

He guessed it was the water pump. He had me take pictures and send them to him. So I did. 

See that nut and bolt sticking up there in the middle? That's right above the place that was leaking pressure. The radiator fan is just at the bottom corner of the picture... it was covered in green fluid. Green, to my knowledge, equals anti-freeze. 

Here it is from another angle. Because there was so much pressure coming from the piece, I honestly thought there was a hole. But I think it was just the gasket having broken. 

So.. boo. Hiss. Van's broken again. 

I can't get the radiator off to see if there's fluid inside. As hot as it's been, perhaps it's been leaking slowly and evaporating?

So ... I did what any girl would do. 

I called her husband. I explained the situation to the Professor. I couldn't get the radiator cap off. Otherwise I'd have done that first. 

He came home. It was like 105 outside. 

We decided to take the van to the place that fixed the water pump. He looked inside and said, "Well, if that's where the pressure was leaking, that's your A/C".

Dandy. No wonder it was blowing hot air for miles. I did turn it off and drive with the windows down. 

He recommended a place for us to take the van...armed with the knowledge that the van was driveable, off we went. 

In the heat. (I promise I have a reason for that reminding you that it's freakin' hot.) 

We got to Fix-it place #2 and explained the situation.
He told us that they couldn't fix it today but would put it on the docket for tomorrow. We already figured that would be the case. We drove home.

The Professor's car hasn't had an A/C that worked for 2 years. 
I get in and he's got one window rolled down and the hot air blowing through the vents. 

"Dear God!" I exclaim. "That's going to go off!" And I turn it off and roll down MY side window. I think the professor has the only car known to man that doesn't have auto-windows. 

Properly vented, we toodle on home. We discuss things as we go. Like work. News. And a bit of politics. He keeps up with that stuff and lets me know the highlights. It all makes me angry so I'm kind of glad he at least is willing to keep my 'in the loop'.

By the time we get home, I'm sweating in places that shouldn't be sweating and I'm dizzy. 

So I plant myself in front of the fan and when that doesn't work, I just lay down on the floor. There's a footstool there and I prop my feet up and I finally start to cool off. 

That's when I notice the dog is lying on the floor not far from me. 

And I had to laugh.

Me and the dog - laying with our bellies aimed up so we can stay cool. 

Luckily, I don't feel the urge to drink water out of a bowl. 

Easily Amused...

Being easily amused doesn't mean you don't have your blue moments. It just means you're more apt to find something that tickles your fancy. 

Like a name. I'm going to play Guild Wars 2. It's going to be a lot of fun. It's caught my fancy. I even joined a Guild. Because they caught my fancy. 

Then there's the slightly odd things. Like Pillowcases. 

I like polka-dots.

I bought these when we were going to have my niece spend the night. We didn't need them - so I didn't open them until today. I really like them. They're going on my bed even though they don't match the rest of the room.

Nothing matches in my house, so it's okay.

Tunes!!

Today I got some new music. Love is a Four Letter Word by Jason Mraz. Whatever by Hot Chelle Rae and Sweeter by Gavin Degraw. 

I've never heard of Gavin - but I liked the clips I got to hear on Amazon So I decided to give him a try.

Jason Mraz has been in the house for a while... since "Geek in the Pink", I think. 

However, Hot Chelle Rae is new to me. I bought them because of one song. One song I woke up to the other morning. If the rest of their music is like this, with witty lyrics, I'll be buying more.

And that's what has amused me today. What's amused you? Besides me, I mean? 

LOL 

I hope you find your own amusements today.