roadtrip

So this Saturday, April the 2nd we took our first road trip with the baby. I was nervous. But it was awesome. We left around 6am for Columbia SC to visit my bestie Amanda. (I really need to post about our unique friendship that pretty much survived a 13 year gap with flying colors). Anyways - we were on the road so we could see her. Adeline slept the entire drive there. Entire. We got to Amanda's exit in Columbia and Adeline's eyes popped open, which was perfect.

Stop 1 was Amanda's coffee shop College Grounds, and we sampled some amazing doughnuts that she made for us! Stop 2 was the Riverbanks zoo - which is apparently one of the top 3 zoos in the nation. We really had an awesome time. And? It was Brett's first trip to a real deal zoo. Yea, crazy right? There is no reason why a man should see his first giraffe in real life at the age of 27 (unless he lives in a 3rd world country, or a cage in a basement cellar or something). His parents get an F for not ever taking him to a real zoo when he was little, or his schools get an F for not taking him on a field trip to one! shameful! Anyways, it was a huge zoo with an aquarium, and an elaborate botanical gardens area. Here we are:

One of my favorite parts was the kangaroo "walk about" where you literally walk into and through the kangaroo exhibit. I am convinced that all of the kangaroos and walabees were in fact, drunk. Like this guy: Then we hiked to the botanical gardens vs. riding the trolley like all of the fatties. A woman (who rode the trolley) asked how in the world I was wearing a sleeveless shirt because it was cold - I wanted to say "because I actually used my legs and walked here so I feel fine." but refrained. And she asked if we were from Canada, to which Brett said, why yes British Columbia actually. This lady had interrupted our conversation about sister wives (the tv show), so we picked back up where we left off ( which I think was some joke about Amanda making all of the money and me making the babies). So the lady stared at us the entire time we were in the gardens. Brett is such a pimp. haha. We then walked to the aquarium, where we discovered that I am in fact taller than a penguin: Our zoo trip was over and we ended our day trip to SC with dinner at Hunter Gatherer. I got to see Amanda's parents for the first time in 14 years, so that was really great. The ride home didn't go so well, Adeline was fighting sleep like a samurai warrior. The highways in SC are, well, shit. You know when you were a kid and someone would bounce you up and down so that you make those funny noises when you talk? yea, Adeline was doing that, but crying. But when we made it to smoother roads she passed right out.

Dead Horse

I posted this in a note on facebook (or was it myspace? gasp!) back in August of 2008 and I feel it bears repeating:

You can't beat a dead horse

-So go ahead and pick up the shovel

I wish I had realized this a long time ago. You can't fix people, you can't change people. The only person that you can work on is yourself.

Life gets crappy, but it stays crappy only if you let it. If it's people who are making your life crappy, don't wait around wasting your time and energy trying to make them stop. Just go do your own thing.

People lie, some lie big, some lie small. If you find yourself around those who lie big, just let them lie to themselves - they aren't worth your time.

When it comes to fixing people, if at first you don't succeed, just give up.

Why am I writing this? Because people like to beat dead horses, I have done it, you probably know someone who has done it too.

Fair weather friends, shitty relationships, weird family situations, every once in a while we are faced with a "dead horse" and by thinking that we are helping out, we beat them, we try to talk them into going a different way, try talking them into being nicer, or my favorite - hoping they will be smarter. We try to give advice, we try to give money, or other material things. We just know that if they change everyone will be better off.

And that is correct, in most cases we would be better off if we could fix them. But some people don't want to be fixed.

And if they act like they want to be rescued, it is only a matter of time before they are broken once again.

So quit beating your dead horses, just pick up the shovel, and bury their asses, and then start living your life for you, because at the end of the day the battle is with yourself. And if your dead horses give a shit about you, or themselves, they will dig right out of that hole on their own.

RED FLAG

I think I have talked about this somewhere... Ah yes somewhere in here. You can see that my dad has a lot of people that work for him, and he tries his best to keep us all busy. This makes my day to day work agenda pretty interesting. For instance, this morning after I finished the proposals for the day I was assigned two tasks 1-paint an old bread sign like this one

and 2- go online to Dish Network and set up an installation for him, since he tried twice this week via phone and just cussed them out apparently.

The bread sign was a breeze. I free handed that bad boy and it looks awesome.

Dish Network? Oh dear. Oh d-d-d-dear. I go online and fly through the prompted questions. But when it is time to finalize and pay the fee I get a red I mean RED message saying I can't complete the transaction online, I must call customer service. Oy. I call the 1-800-ah-shit line and try this again. After 45 minutes with a lady who probably lives HERE, we figure out the problem. Dad (and Mom) have been "locked out" for security purposes and can't try to get Dish Network again for at least 30 days.

uhhhhhhhhhh?

30 days?

locked out?

Security purposes?

Yes, my parents, in their early 60's - and mostly retired are a security issue. Please RED FLAG them. I mean, they might be a threat towards each other, but a Dish Network Installer could probably be in and out of there within an hour and come out unscathed. I would recommend the installer be from HERE vs. THERE unlike customer support, but you know whatever.

--My question is...what in the hell did dad say to them that they felt the need to RED FLAG him in the Dish system?Oh what I wouldn't give to see the sidenote that pops up under their names for the customer support staff! Probably something like "-note- Customer is a super cranky old man, do NOT send installers to this location. Customer is probably armed and dangerous. Even if he offers to pay $5,000 in set up fees do NOT send installers.Ever."

Bless my dad's Irish/German heart.

photographic Wednesday

no this isn't a "wordless wednesday" post...you see words right now don't you? I am trying my best to steer clear of the stereotypical mommy blog. Heels digging into the ground. But, in case you were wondering where the flow of humorously constructed posts are. They got lost for a bit, but this may be the reason why:

Maybe when you get done saying "Awwwwww", "oh my god", and "how cute", you can forgive me?

Dear Ireland, I miss you terribly.

For starters, I checked the forecast this morning and it was 20 degrees warmer in Kenmare than it was here at home.

Aside from the coldness this morning, I realized that just this time last year I was sitting in PF McCarthy's with Mr. Jones drinking a big ol pint of Guinness. We instantly fell in love with Kenmare - the town was cute, awesome, old school, and well I could totally call it home.

I always wonder what it would be like to live in Ireland, you know, if money weren't an issue (or the pesky citizenship process) Lord knows we are having a hard enough time with immigration here in the states, and we let damn near everyone in.!

Anyways, I am getting side tracked yet again. Thinking about our big trip to the emerald isle also reminded me that we stood on the "wishing steps" at the gardens of Blarney castle and it hit me.

me to myself: "Holy shit, do you remember what you wished for on those steps?! A baby, you wished that you would have a baby soon and that baby would be healthy and happy."

And guess what kids? Wasn't a month or more from being home that we had barely started to think of being pregnant and bam we were. I asked Brett last night what he had wished for on the wishing steps, and he had wished the very same thing. (it's like a freakin story book isn't it? haha).

So, I am going to get my ass back to those wishing steps and wish to win the lottery so that we can come back to Kenmare and make it our home (or our second home - that would work too). In the meantime I should find an author or illustrator of children's books so I can hammer out some deets and make a book for Adeline about her mommy and daddy and this Ireland adventure - since she did come from a simple wish after all.

Seriously serious

So, yea I have been taken away to the land of baby everything, as to be expected! But I am going to try my damndest to post when I can - and not have this become the typical mommy blog with stories about mushy baby stuff and how little Adeline used the potty and what not (unless it is really freakin hilarious, then bear with me).

One thing I must say I have been doing lately is taking myself waaaay to seriously. Being a new mom I am slightly clueless, yet trying to do a lot "by the book" (what book? eh who knows).

The other day I was riding around in the back of my own car, being chauffeured around by my mother so I could watch Adeline sleep in her car seat (see, taking things way too seriously). We were running a ton of stupid errands too. Damn being a grown up! I was eating a banana in my backseat while grumbling about going to pay our water bill, going to the bank, contemplating paying the IRS much more than I ever wanted to...etc.

It was then time to dispose of the banana peeling. Now, for some reason I always feel like when I toss a banana peel, an apple core or whatever fruit debris - that I am littering. Obviously I am not, but I hate to throw anything out the car window.

So I roll the window down half way, I toss. I watch gravity do its job as the car is travelling a good 40 mph. The air catches the tentacle like banana peeling, but to my surprise it abruptly whips it right back into the vehicle... the strip like tentacles now dearly clinging to my shoulder and face like and angry octopus! I scream and claw frantically to rip the peeling from my face and hurl it back out the window all the while mashing the window up button with wreckless abandon. Luckily toss take 2 was a success.

I then look around to see if anyone witnessed this terrifying episode, naturally no one was around and mom wasn't paying attention, but I was laughing so damn hard at myself at that point that I had to tell her. It then occured to me. I have been taking myself way too seriously. You can only do that for so long before you realize it just isn't any fun.

Are you taking yourself too seriously? go smack yourself in the face with a banana peeling - it will do wonders for your ego.

scaredy cat

With the impending visit to the hospital to have this baby I have a good case of the scaredy cat. Pretty standard, pretty normal I am guessing. I have never had to go to the hospital to stay over night and the entire process has me a little jittery. So to take my mind off of that scaring me, I figured I would make a list of other things that scare me. And here we go.

Oh- and these aren't ranked in any particular order, I would say all are equally as frightening.

1) Spiders - seriously, any size spider. The teeniest most frail little spider in the world could be chilling in my bathroom and I will smash it so damn hard you can't even tell it ever existed (this generally consists of me leaving the shoe or weapon of choice on top of the creature, in case it decides to come back to life for a bit). The monster spiders with hairy legs and like their own zip codes? I usually stare at them wishing I could scream, and hope to hell someone else is around to kill it before it kills me.

2) drive through car washes - Aside from the fact that they can be terrible for your car's paint job, they are totally freaky! I can't handle those big ugly brushy things coming at the car windows. I would have to guess this is some form of claustrophobia and my mind telling me the huge machinery will crash through the glass and metal of my car and kill me, or give me a good scrubbing as well.

3) having to make new friends - I will say hands down that it is seriously easier for me to talk to dead people than to have to go out of my way to make a new friend (and considering my hobby in the paranormal realm - talking to dead people is my cup of tea) ha. Anyways, I can't figure it out. With the friends I do have I am not shy in the least, i'm generally pretty boisterous and animated. But put me in a situation where I have to add a new buddy to my personal circle? No thanks.

4) saying no - gah I hate this one. Telemarketers, door to door salesmen, family favors, you name it and I unfortunately have a hell of a time just saying no. This is probably a bad one to broadcast, but if it is any consolation I am getting better at this! I take on way more than I should more times than I should. It is my downfall. Only 3 good things come to mind when I think of situations where other people told me "you should have said no, why did you do that?!" and that would be when I took on our 3 dogs. I definitely don't regret saying yes to those phone calls.

5) confrontation - who doesn't try to avoid this? Well, nevermind there are plenty of drama queens out in the world just having a damn ball creating bullshit situations for everyone. I unfortunately developed a "brush it under the rug" type mentality which I must say isn't any healthier. I do try to keep myself out of the middle of stuff. Every once in a while someone will force me to be confrontational but I attempt to keep those people as far away as possible.

6) losing my creativity, or motivation to be creative. - Creativity is who I am, so I am scared of invisioning myself sans creativity. With the new family starting, and the general increase of responsibiliites I see my time to be creative slipping away. I hope that when Adeline is old enough to draw, paint, and the like I will be able to incorporate tons of crafty artsy me stuff.

Well, maybe it is baby brain, but that is all I can come up with for now. What are you afraid of?