Hot and sticky

Yuck. Today is the first official hot and sticky day. It is only 73 outside, but it rained earlier and there is a "chance" of rain today, so the humidity is quite high. Silly me thought it was going to be cool, so the girls have coats, and Lauren wore a long sleeve t-shirt to school. Sorry kids!

It is just icky outside. I liked it much better when I thought it was grey and cool, not grey and sticky. Cool and grey fits my mood.

Job Report

Well, the job I have is nothing brain draining - that is for sure! Rather boring and mundane to be honest. But, I get out of the house and I meet some new people, and so far everyone seems like good people.

What I am primarily doing is sampling food made from Government Commodities. I am working at Food Banks and Food Distribution sites, so I am seeing many of the people and families this Great Recession of ours is affecting! It is humbling, to say the least. And, the truly amazing thing; all these programs where I am WORKING are run by volunteers. There are one or two paid folks, the rest are entirely volunteers. And they just happen to work much harder than any paid employee I've ever seen. Then, a majority of them leave their shift and receive the benefits of said program.

Good people, I tell ya, good people!

Domestic Day!

Hmm, I have to laugh at myself today. I have a "free" day with only one phone call to make for work, and that is to my boss/friend. So, armed with a to-do list a mile long, I am avoiding most of it and completing the fun projects I have been putting off the past month or so.

Today I have going: making yogurt with my new yogurt maker I received for my birthday. Spaghetti and meatballs in the old faithful crock pot I received for mother's day or my birthday when I was pregnant with Annika, homemade Samoa cookies (like the Girl Scout version) and soon I shall put a loaf of bread in the bread maker. I'd make it in the oven, but it is pretty busy right now! I'm dying to try out my pizza-peel and new oven stone, so soon I'll make my favorite bread recipe.

Now, I am off to hang laundry to dry on my little laundry line outside. Then I guess I'll have to attack some of the real to-do items on my list.

blechhhh

I Found Yet Another Job Possibility

Grunt!
I hate it when jobs keep showing up all around you. Well, this one is nothing more than a posting that was forwarded to me, with the preface, "KAY!" But I might, just might, apply for it.

**************groan**************

It is an 8 week temporary gig, that repeats each summer. I passed up on it last year, but the same person forwarded it to me yet again, thinking it was the perfect thing for me. Yea, it kinda is. And I'm ready to work now that the girls are older and in school full time.

But this job is ONLY during the summer months. (read, put the kids in some sort of daycare/babysitting situation, and lose part of my already small paycheck)

I would be coordinating a program provided by the Salvation Army providing nutritious meals to the kids that qualify for free lunches, but are not in school during the summer and therefore do not receive those free meals for three months. So the job has aspects of food service, nutrition, community service, program coordination and project management, and the bad one - religious overtones. yuck beyond all yucks!!

So, we'll see. I think the current plan is to apply and if I am interviewed I'll see what the scoop is. It is only like 15 hrs a week. Not bad, really.

And, that is if I am offered it. In this economy it is all up in the air! So many good people competing for the same few jobs. I almost feel guilty applying for a job when we can survive without me working. But, I really do want a retirement fund, and I am ready to do something else.

No, I'm not dead or the likes thereof

I have been really busy and trying to play catch-up with the family blog. There have been a lot of blog-worthy entries (like Grandma's visit and Lauren's awesome play -- which I have not even got to yet) that I have been spending my time doing. Oh, and then there was our new pet infestation. That ate my time for three week!

And then there is FaceBook. sigh Yea, that stupid Farm Town and Mafia Wars. Time wasters.

And ... I am starting a new, temporary, part time job this week. The biggest time waster of all :)

But, ummm, I'm a redhead now. Yea, I finally bought a home kit and colored my own hair. I like it. Except that all my usual favorite clothing colors are not quite right with auburn hair. Whatever. This too shall fade :)

Well, off to play catch-up on laundry and cleaning. I have a to-do list a mile long for JUST today. Oh yea, another new thing I'm trying. To Do Lists. Hate them, but my old age memory is fading... and I have SO much stuff going on now. Mom brain. ick.

So, no, I'm not dead. Just insanly busy.

Images of Spring!

Wild Women Weekend 3

This year we Wild Women went to Denver, CO to stay with Andra. A big HUGE Thank You goes out to Andra and her awesome family and friends for all they did to make us feel welcome and help us have an awesome time!!

Friday

I had quite a rocky start at the airport - I have not flown in 5 years and a LOT has changed in those 5 years! I was one of those old ladies that has no idea how to get thru the airport. sigh. But, I eventually made it (not without a few too many incidences) and after a pleasant air trip I arrived in Denver!!

Barack Obama was there to great me! Yes, you read that right; Barack Obama greeted us Wild Women! I have pictures to prove it, but they are on Andra's camera and I am still waiting for them. So you'll have to wait too.

After some crazy fun at the airport, photos with Mr. President and picnicking under the dry fountain, we all piled into the car and went back to Andra's house to enjoy some delicious food - oh my did Andra go overboard with the yummies! - and some delicious Obama-tinis. Another good beverage! One glass of that and you have Hope! Remind me to get the recipe from Andra. It is simple, and yummy.

Recipe: Equal parts vanilla vodka & clear cream de cacao.

We met Andra's wife, Kelly; Every family should have a Kelly living in their basement! I love her! Kelly and Brad, Andra's husband, were roommates in college and apparently a few years ago Kelly needed an affordable place to live so she moved into the spare room in Andra and Brad's basement. She was great fun to hang out with and if there had been room in our Sexy Sentra I think she should have gone carousing with us!

We also met some of Andra's neighbors. All I can say is that I think Andra and Brad landed in the perfect neighborhood for them. They have some fun and slightly crazy neighbors that seem to accentuate the Parks family just perfectly.

Our Friday ended by piling downstairs and watching one of many old 1980's films. We watched St. Elmo's Fire and laughed at the utter ridiculousness of the film. Funny, I remember really liking the film when I saw it in the theater. I specifically remember writing a journal entry about how much the film touched me and made me think about life. Just goes to show how much "growing up" you still have to do when you are 20!

Saturday

Saturday morning I woke up and found myself without a voice. None. Zip. Zilch. How fun is that, to go on a crazy weekend trip with 4 of my friends I rarely see and end up *not* being able to yell smart-assed comments?!? Oh well. I survived!

We eventually all got up and went for a walk around the neighborhood. The first thing I noticed, well besides the flowers and budding trees - apparently spring comes earlier in Denver - was the complete lack of For Sale signs in the neighborhood! Brad said that the property values were actually going up still in Denver, and that their neighborhood was doing really well. Apparently so!! And such cute little Mission style homes all over the place. I really really loved their neighborhood. I'd like more space, of course, but that is my bizarre farm background coming out.

After our walk Andra went to be crowned Ms. Skinny Bitch. She has been working really hard at loosing weight and greeting in shape, and that Saturday she earned her Weight Watchers Life Time Membership. I guess she met her goal weight and has maintained it for 6 months now. Go Andra!! She looks awesome, then again she always has to me.

Being the true friends that we are, we had arts-n-crafts hour and made Andra a Skinny Bitch tiara, sash, and trophy. (Huh, guess that makes her a trophy wife now!) She was pleasantly surprised upon her arrival home, and donned her new awards as she strutted around the house.

We finally met Suzanne, our 5th and final Wild Woman, at the airport and then walked around Denver some. We stopped at a brew-pub and drank some pretty good beer and had munchies.