Our little family just returned two days ago from our annual vacation to Mexico. The timing couldn't have been better, as we have been pounded with bitter cold temperatures and massive amounts of snow since December 2009. It's been snowng and cold since LAST FREAKIN' YEAR!!! Can you believe it? It sounds even worse when you put it like that.
Later this week I will entertain you with hilarious stories from a trip I have named "The Clampetts go to Tullum", but for today I am going to take a lesson from Quentin Tarantino and start from the end of the story. The airplane ride home.
It started out as a normal everyday flight back to the U.S. We arrived at the Cancun airport a few hours before our flight was due to take off. Check in was the usual nightmare, with multiple forms to fill out regarding our legal status and intentions to not try to smuggle fruit out of the country. The usual. We proceeded to the security check in point and passed our carry on luggage through the evil x ray machine. Everything seemed fine until my carry on bag was stopped through the machine. I looked over the conveyor belt to see a little Mexican man frowning at the computer screen in front of him with very furrowed brows. A quick look down the belt showed that it was my bag he was frowning at. Now, at that point I honestly couldn't tell you what was packed in that bag. I knew I had nothing dangerous, I mean come on, I am a harmless 37 year old housewife, but I also didn't know if there was shampoo or something in there either. Another security officer picked up my bag, placed it in front of me, and proceeded to go through it. Would you like to know the dangerous weapon they found? It was my son's toy airplane. Apparently you cannot take an airplane on an airplane. We all got a good laugh over it, and we were able to proceed to our gate. After a quick lunch we boarded our plane and figured we were finished with vacation drama. Boy were we wrong!
I guess we were probably over Virgina when it happened. At this point it was about 6:30 pm and we had been on the plane for about 3 and 1/2 hours. We figured we would be landing soon, so we were a little shocked when the plane made a sudden turn. And another turn. And yet another turn. It didn't take long to figure out that we had just flown in a circle. That was a little alarming, to say the least. The next thing we knew, the captain came on the speaker to tell us that BWI Airport was currently closed because an unidentified person had run onto a runway. My sister-in-law's jaw dropped. Heck, my jaw dropped about 3 feet. As did my stomach. Then the captain explained that we only had about 20 minutes of fuel left and we may have to divert to Richmond International. RICHMOND??? VIRGINIA??? What the heck am I going to do in RICHMOND??? I, of course, being prone to sudden bouts of drama, was getting visions of terrorist plots and planes crash landing, and the pilot episode of Lost. My sister-in-law, Nichole, and I grabbed each other's arms and just sat there in shock trying to stay calm for the children. I was ready to cry, but I couldn't because my daughter was sitting right next to me, obliviously playing her DS. After 5 of the longest minutes of my life, the captain came back on the tell us it was a false alarm and we would be landing shortly. The entire airplane cheered and we fastened out seat belts for landing.
So that was it, we are officially back safe from Mexico. Part one of the story will be coming soon once I fully recover from leaving paradise to almost crash land in the freakin' snow. (yeah, I told you I was dramatic) Stay tuned.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Blizzard #2 update
I am reporting here from day 1 of blizzard #2 here in the Northeast.
I can remember as a child reading the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My favorite book of the series was always "Little House in the Big Woods", the first book that dealt with Laura's early childhood in Wisconsin. I enjoyed the descriptions of the woods, the animals they encountered, and their efforts to live off of the land.
As an adult I discovered the series again. I read through all the books and discovered that I enjoyed "The Long Winter" much more. I found it to be very well written and I appreciated the drama that accompianied the family's efforts to survive a winter in which blizzards were the norm rather than the exception. I felt their pain as they struggled to stay warm and celebrated with them when the first warm breezes of spring appeared, meaning that the supply train would soon be running again. I even started a small investigation of my own, to see if the dates and locations for the book coincided with a phenomenon I had read about called the "Little Ice Age". (They do match up, by the way)
Well, I now feel like I am living that book. Last week's snowstorm was severe, but beautiful in it's own way. The lonely desolation of the snow covered landscape seemed to inspire memories of Robert Frost poems that I studied in school. This week's snowstorm, which is piling multiple feet of snow on top of the previous multiple feet of snow, is just plain frightening. I am desperately trying to clear a path to the heat pump just like Charles Ingalls tried to clear a path to the cows. The intention is no less urgent. Just as they rationed food to try to keep enough to survive while waiting for the supply train, I am rationing milk products while waiting for the snow to stop enough to make a 7-11 run.
At the same time, though, I realize how lucky we are to be living through this in 2010. I can talk to my friends through the internet. I can get entertainment through the radio and television. I am praying currently that the power doesn't go out, as we are really a generation that does not know how to entertain ourselves. In Laura Ingall's time, there was no television, cable, Wii, or computers. They didn't need all the distractions, they were busy surviving. Baking their own bread, milking their own rapidly freezing cows, and twisting straw into something they could burn for heat.
So who is to say that they weren't better off in some ways. I guess if you aren't used to having instant entertainment piped into your house, you don't really need it. Maybe we should take a cue from Ingalls family and just enjoy this rare opportunity in this time and age to just be together as a family, and thank God that we still have power and food.
I can remember as a child reading the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My favorite book of the series was always "Little House in the Big Woods", the first book that dealt with Laura's early childhood in Wisconsin. I enjoyed the descriptions of the woods, the animals they encountered, and their efforts to live off of the land.
As an adult I discovered the series again. I read through all the books and discovered that I enjoyed "The Long Winter" much more. I found it to be very well written and I appreciated the drama that accompianied the family's efforts to survive a winter in which blizzards were the norm rather than the exception. I felt their pain as they struggled to stay warm and celebrated with them when the first warm breezes of spring appeared, meaning that the supply train would soon be running again. I even started a small investigation of my own, to see if the dates and locations for the book coincided with a phenomenon I had read about called the "Little Ice Age". (They do match up, by the way)
Well, I now feel like I am living that book. Last week's snowstorm was severe, but beautiful in it's own way. The lonely desolation of the snow covered landscape seemed to inspire memories of Robert Frost poems that I studied in school. This week's snowstorm, which is piling multiple feet of snow on top of the previous multiple feet of snow, is just plain frightening. I am desperately trying to clear a path to the heat pump just like Charles Ingalls tried to clear a path to the cows. The intention is no less urgent. Just as they rationed food to try to keep enough to survive while waiting for the supply train, I am rationing milk products while waiting for the snow to stop enough to make a 7-11 run.
At the same time, though, I realize how lucky we are to be living through this in 2010. I can talk to my friends through the internet. I can get entertainment through the radio and television. I am praying currently that the power doesn't go out, as we are really a generation that does not know how to entertain ourselves. In Laura Ingall's time, there was no television, cable, Wii, or computers. They didn't need all the distractions, they were busy surviving. Baking their own bread, milking their own rapidly freezing cows, and twisting straw into something they could burn for heat.
So who is to say that they weren't better off in some ways. I guess if you aren't used to having instant entertainment piped into your house, you don't really need it. Maybe we should take a cue from Ingalls family and just enjoy this rare opportunity in this time and age to just be together as a family, and thank God that we still have power and food.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Nothing going on, I'm just Lost!
It has snowed again. More snow is headed here tonight. The reports are varied for our area. Some forecasters are saying a dusting. Some are saying we should get 1 to 3 inches. My husband called from work today to tell me he heard 6 inches overnight. I doubt anyone will know for sure until after it has already happened. But, in the meantime, a situation has developed at my house.
The situation is: Nothing.
Nothing is new. I have not gone anywhere interesting in the past week. Nothing interesting has happened in my life. My daughter goes to school and comes home. We can't go outside, so we just sit inside and do inside things. We have made so many art projects I don't think our rugs will ever recover. We have read every book we own. And we watch tv. We watch a lot of tv. Too much tv. I can now sing the theme song to Spongebob Squarepants from memory, and do often.
My husband and I have also discovered a show. We have started watching Lost. This always happens to me. I will get on the bandwagon and start watching a hit tv show that is gripping the nation, but I will usually start watching well after the rest of the country has discovered it. I don't think I started watching Friends until season 3 or 4. I didn't get into Weeds until about halfway through season 2. This is a personal record for me, getting into a show as it is starting it's last season. Season 6.
What the heck is wrong with me? Why on earth didn't I discover it before? It is a cultural phenomenon. Such is the power of this show, it has the ability to affect when the PRESIDENT gives his STATE OF THE UNION speech. Now that is power. Fifty years from now, will the high school history books devote a paragraph in the Obama chapter to how he rescheduled the speech as so not to conflict with America finding out whether the hydrogen bomb detonated, effectively wiping out 6 seasons of drama on a mysterious South Pacific Island. I guess we will find out.
Anyway, since through the magic of NetFlix we are only just finishing season 1, I don't think we are going to catch up in time to watch tonight's season premiere. I am tempted to watch it anyway, as I have read ahead and know basically what is going on, although I have no idea who any of the new characters are.
Anything, I guess, to keep me busy while it snows. I really can't wait until spring.
The situation is: Nothing.
Nothing is new. I have not gone anywhere interesting in the past week. Nothing interesting has happened in my life. My daughter goes to school and comes home. We can't go outside, so we just sit inside and do inside things. We have made so many art projects I don't think our rugs will ever recover. We have read every book we own. And we watch tv. We watch a lot of tv. Too much tv. I can now sing the theme song to Spongebob Squarepants from memory, and do often.
My husband and I have also discovered a show. We have started watching Lost. This always happens to me. I will get on the bandwagon and start watching a hit tv show that is gripping the nation, but I will usually start watching well after the rest of the country has discovered it. I don't think I started watching Friends until season 3 or 4. I didn't get into Weeds until about halfway through season 2. This is a personal record for me, getting into a show as it is starting it's last season. Season 6.
What the heck is wrong with me? Why on earth didn't I discover it before? It is a cultural phenomenon. Such is the power of this show, it has the ability to affect when the PRESIDENT gives his STATE OF THE UNION speech. Now that is power. Fifty years from now, will the high school history books devote a paragraph in the Obama chapter to how he rescheduled the speech as so not to conflict with America finding out whether the hydrogen bomb detonated, effectively wiping out 6 seasons of drama on a mysterious South Pacific Island. I guess we will find out.
Anyway, since through the magic of NetFlix we are only just finishing season 1, I don't think we are going to catch up in time to watch tonight's season premiere. I am tempted to watch it anyway, as I have read ahead and know basically what is going on, although I have no idea who any of the new characters are.
Anything, I guess, to keep me busy while it snows. I really can't wait until spring.
Monday, January 25, 2010
I'm back!!!
I know I just posted yesterday, but something really important happened today that I must talk about. At about 8:07 this morning, the worst thing that could ever happen to me, happened!
The peninsula lost internet!!!!!
Not just my house, not just my neighborhood, but apparently the whole Delmarva Peninsula, or at the very least the upper eastern shore, lost their ability to access the internet.
I don't know if this has anything to do with the storm of the century we just experienced for the past 18 hours, but since my phone line runs through my internet line, I was completely cut off from the modern world.
I spent the first couple of hours in a state of panic. I couldn't check my email, I couldn't update websites, I didn't know if my new boss was trying to get a hold of me with computer questions, and I could not speak to another living soul. Except of course for my 2 year old son.
After a morning spent trying desperately to fix the phone connection, only to be repeatedly told by a computer voice on the phone that I really didn't know what the heck I was doing, I decided that we must not have paid the Vonage bill.
That knowledge led to a moment or two of peace for me. Since I do not have a car and I didn't have telephone service or internet service, there wasn't a heck of a lot I could do to change my current situation. So I hunkered down and decided to make the best of it.
By lunchtime, my son and I had discovered new routines to our day. We went outside and "puddle-stomped." We discovered new books that we had never read before. We played dress up and had a short little parade. Since my computer still did everything else, I worked on my book for a while. I did laundry and washed bedsheets. I actually got a lot done today.
Right after I got my darling daughter off of the bus at 4:00pm, the phone finally rang. My husband and my best friend were desperately trying to call me all day to make sure we weren't flooding. (We didn't, yay!) They also explained to me that the entire area had lost internet. I have never been so glad to hear a phone ring in my life. I grabbed the ringing phone and clung to it like a life ring in a raging ocean storm. I was saved, I could speak to another adult, it was glorious! And if I had telephone service again, that means I could access the internet again. I quickly logged on and discovered I had 33 emails that I needed to read.
Guess what? Thirty-two of them were spam. Apparently I missed nothing at all today. Huh! Oh, well, I am off the read a book. Catch ya later!
The peninsula lost internet!!!!!
Not just my house, not just my neighborhood, but apparently the whole Delmarva Peninsula, or at the very least the upper eastern shore, lost their ability to access the internet.
I don't know if this has anything to do with the storm of the century we just experienced for the past 18 hours, but since my phone line runs through my internet line, I was completely cut off from the modern world.
I spent the first couple of hours in a state of panic. I couldn't check my email, I couldn't update websites, I didn't know if my new boss was trying to get a hold of me with computer questions, and I could not speak to another living soul. Except of course for my 2 year old son.
After a morning spent trying desperately to fix the phone connection, only to be repeatedly told by a computer voice on the phone that I really didn't know what the heck I was doing, I decided that we must not have paid the Vonage bill.
That knowledge led to a moment or two of peace for me. Since I do not have a car and I didn't have telephone service or internet service, there wasn't a heck of a lot I could do to change my current situation. So I hunkered down and decided to make the best of it.
By lunchtime, my son and I had discovered new routines to our day. We went outside and "puddle-stomped." We discovered new books that we had never read before. We played dress up and had a short little parade. Since my computer still did everything else, I worked on my book for a while. I did laundry and washed bedsheets. I actually got a lot done today.
Right after I got my darling daughter off of the bus at 4:00pm, the phone finally rang. My husband and my best friend were desperately trying to call me all day to make sure we weren't flooding. (We didn't, yay!) They also explained to me that the entire area had lost internet. I have never been so glad to hear a phone ring in my life. I grabbed the ringing phone and clung to it like a life ring in a raging ocean storm. I was saved, I could speak to another adult, it was glorious! And if I had telephone service again, that means I could access the internet again. I quickly logged on and discovered I had 33 emails that I needed to read.
Guess what? Thirty-two of them were spam. Apparently I missed nothing at all today. Huh! Oh, well, I am off the read a book. Catch ya later!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Bella Swan: not so bad after all!
Beware! If you are into the Twilight series and have not finished Breaking Dawn, do not read this. I have some heavy duty spoilers. Read on at your own Risk.
I had previously written an article on another website about how the Twilight series was seriously starting to bother me. Here is the link to it.
http://www.xomba.com/why_twilight_starting_bug_me
The general thesis to my article was about how Bella Swan had changed during the course of the series from a strong independent girl who made the ultimate self-sacrifice in choosing to live with the dad she barely knew so her mother would be happy into a weepy insecure wretch who could not live without a guy. I considered her to be a poor role model for my daughter and just an annoying wimp.
Now that I have finished the series, I have totally changed my opinion. As I was loading the dishwasher for the third time today, I started to ponder the world that the vampire version of Bella lives at the end of the third book. She doesn't have to sleep, so she doesn't get too tired to deal with her husband or kid. She is never too tired from raising Renesmee to deal with whatever Edward has in mind for her after their daughter goes to bed. They don't eat, so she doesn't have to slave over a hot stove all day only to hear that Edward just isn't hungry at dinnertime. And if she doesn't have to cook, she therefore does not have to wash dishes and silverware, and pans with melted cheese stuck to them. She has superhuman strength, so she can clean up any mess and drag a two ton shop vac up a couple of flights of stairs without breaking a sweat. In short, she gets to be married, have a child, and not have to deal with any of the annoyances that we as mothers deal with every day for what feels like the rest of our natural lives. And she gets to live like this forever.
They say that as women we have to do it all. Bella actually gets to do it all, simply because she doesn't have to do it all. She has less on her plate from the get go. And she gets to be young and beautiful through it all.
So,I have changed my mind completely. Not only is Bella not the worst role model I have ever seen, she might be smarter than all of us put together.
So, if you see any vampires in your travels, maybe you could send one or two my way.
I had previously written an article on another website about how the Twilight series was seriously starting to bother me. Here is the link to it.
http://www.xomba.com/why_twilight_starting_bug_me
The general thesis to my article was about how Bella Swan had changed during the course of the series from a strong independent girl who made the ultimate self-sacrifice in choosing to live with the dad she barely knew so her mother would be happy into a weepy insecure wretch who could not live without a guy. I considered her to be a poor role model for my daughter and just an annoying wimp.
Now that I have finished the series, I have totally changed my opinion. As I was loading the dishwasher for the third time today, I started to ponder the world that the vampire version of Bella lives at the end of the third book. She doesn't have to sleep, so she doesn't get too tired to deal with her husband or kid. She is never too tired from raising Renesmee to deal with whatever Edward has in mind for her after their daughter goes to bed. They don't eat, so she doesn't have to slave over a hot stove all day only to hear that Edward just isn't hungry at dinnertime. And if she doesn't have to cook, she therefore does not have to wash dishes and silverware, and pans with melted cheese stuck to them. She has superhuman strength, so she can clean up any mess and drag a two ton shop vac up a couple of flights of stairs without breaking a sweat. In short, she gets to be married, have a child, and not have to deal with any of the annoyances that we as mothers deal with every day for what feels like the rest of our natural lives. And she gets to live like this forever.
They say that as women we have to do it all. Bella actually gets to do it all, simply because she doesn't have to do it all. She has less on her plate from the get go. And she gets to be young and beautiful through it all.
So,I have changed my mind completely. Not only is Bella not the worst role model I have ever seen, she might be smarter than all of us put together.
So, if you see any vampires in your travels, maybe you could send one or two my way.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I Have A Job!
Well, operation "working Toward Independence" is off to a roaring start. I went on an interview last week for a job that I really wanted, and I just found out today that I got it. A nice woman named Rebecca called me to offer me a job. It is a part time job, but the pay is enough that we might be able to afford a car and to send my 3 year old son to preschool.
Oh, wait. I have a three year old son. That's right, I need to find somewhere for him to go while I am working two days a week. I immediately checked out area preschools and found a slight problem. All the preschools I found have two day a week programs, but they only last 2 hours a day. I need somewhere for Trevor to go for three hours a day. Unfortunately it looks like I might have to go the daycare route. (shudders in horror)
This job also only pays quarterly. The job starts in August and my first paycheck wouldn't be until October. This writing thing better start to pay off soon so I can buy a car. It is the definition of irony: I need a job to buy a car, and I need a car to get a job. Or maybe not irony, maybe more like a catch-22. or something equally scary.
I will figure this out. This is a job that I desperately want to do, and do well. It is in a field that I have been dying to break into, and this position might mean a whole new career path for me.
But I have time to figure all of this out. Until then: I HAVE A JOB!!!
Oh, wait. I have a three year old son. That's right, I need to find somewhere for him to go while I am working two days a week. I immediately checked out area preschools and found a slight problem. All the preschools I found have two day a week programs, but they only last 2 hours a day. I need somewhere for Trevor to go for three hours a day. Unfortunately it looks like I might have to go the daycare route. (shudders in horror)
This job also only pays quarterly. The job starts in August and my first paycheck wouldn't be until October. This writing thing better start to pay off soon so I can buy a car. It is the definition of irony: I need a job to buy a car, and I need a car to get a job. Or maybe not irony, maybe more like a catch-22. or something equally scary.
I will figure this out. This is a job that I desperately want to do, and do well. It is in a field that I have been dying to break into, and this position might mean a whole new career path for me.
But I have time to figure all of this out. Until then: I HAVE A JOB!!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
My one year plan
I have a plan. I am calling it the 'Working Toward Independence' plan. If I can make my plan work, then by this time next year I will be a whole new woman.
Let me start from the beginning. When my second child was born, I knew that I wouldn't be able to afford daycare for a toddler and an infant on a private school teacher's salary. I decided to stay home and raise the children while my husband became the sole breadwinner of the family. I thought it would be great, and to a point it has been. I have had time to volunteer at my daughter's school and chaperone field trips. I am able to keep my children home from school when they are sick without going twenty rounds with an angry boss threatening my job if I don't come in. In that respect, it has been a dream.
On the downside, we were no longer able to afford two cars. We became a one car family. And I cannot do it anymore. I have been late for doctor's appointments more times than I can count. I have had to rely on my best friend for rides to places. I cannot participate in any playdates with my mommy friends unless someone is willing to pick me up. (and you would think that they would be happy to, but apparently not) To say it has been challenging is an understatement. And the state of Maryland makes it almost impossible to actually own a car. There is insurance, tags, insurance, tags, and so on. And if your insurance lapses for any reason, then the state fines you and revokes your tags. So, in a nutshell, if you can't afford to pay your insurance, the state punishes you by making you pay more money. And removing your means for getting to your job to make more money. And I can't afford to buy and maintain a car unless I get a job, but I can't really get a job without a car. What the heck is that all about? Talk about a catch-22. A catch-22 seemingly devised to keep me at home in my kitchen.
And the lack of money has been a challenge too. There are so many thing I would like my children to do, which they cannot do because we don't have the money. Or a way to get there.
The final straw came this week. I actually got mad at my best friend and deleted her from my facebook account because I was so jealous that she gets to get out and see people anytime she wants. Luckily, she understood that my particular psychosis had nothing actually to do with her and more to do with my hatred for staring at the walls, and forgave me. Although she hasn't refriended me online yet. But I am sure she still loves me. I hope.
But I have a plan. I have a job interview on Friday with a tutoring company. I hope I get the job. Hopefully I will be able then to make payments on a small car and get my self out of this house occasionally. Have fun. Make some friends and actually see them from time to time. Wish me luck! God helps those who help themselves, and I am doing my best to do so.
Let me start from the beginning. When my second child was born, I knew that I wouldn't be able to afford daycare for a toddler and an infant on a private school teacher's salary. I decided to stay home and raise the children while my husband became the sole breadwinner of the family. I thought it would be great, and to a point it has been. I have had time to volunteer at my daughter's school and chaperone field trips. I am able to keep my children home from school when they are sick without going twenty rounds with an angry boss threatening my job if I don't come in. In that respect, it has been a dream.
On the downside, we were no longer able to afford two cars. We became a one car family. And I cannot do it anymore. I have been late for doctor's appointments more times than I can count. I have had to rely on my best friend for rides to places. I cannot participate in any playdates with my mommy friends unless someone is willing to pick me up. (and you would think that they would be happy to, but apparently not) To say it has been challenging is an understatement. And the state of Maryland makes it almost impossible to actually own a car. There is insurance, tags, insurance, tags, and so on. And if your insurance lapses for any reason, then the state fines you and revokes your tags. So, in a nutshell, if you can't afford to pay your insurance, the state punishes you by making you pay more money. And removing your means for getting to your job to make more money. And I can't afford to buy and maintain a car unless I get a job, but I can't really get a job without a car. What the heck is that all about? Talk about a catch-22. A catch-22 seemingly devised to keep me at home in my kitchen.
And the lack of money has been a challenge too. There are so many thing I would like my children to do, which they cannot do because we don't have the money. Or a way to get there.
The final straw came this week. I actually got mad at my best friend and deleted her from my facebook account because I was so jealous that she gets to get out and see people anytime she wants. Luckily, she understood that my particular psychosis had nothing actually to do with her and more to do with my hatred for staring at the walls, and forgave me. Although she hasn't refriended me online yet. But I am sure she still loves me. I hope.
But I have a plan. I have a job interview on Friday with a tutoring company. I hope I get the job. Hopefully I will be able then to make payments on a small car and get my self out of this house occasionally. Have fun. Make some friends and actually see them from time to time. Wish me luck! God helps those who help themselves, and I am doing my best to do so.
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