juliamac

A lot about football

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:19:57 GMT

I am so annoyed at myself. There is something I wanted at Michael's this week and I had a 40% off coupon and I forgot all about it, until I woke up this morning, when the coupon wouldn't be any good, and remembered. Grr.

Football stuff: yes, that play was slightly controversial. But, sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it goes against you. There are angles of the replay that show his foot on the white line before he had control of the ball. Also, Bama's defense had been shutting down the LSU qb. We were going to win the ballgame. Yesterday I was much more stressed about losing the ballgame than enjoying the possibility of winning. I'm sure I'll be feeling that way next week against Mississippi State, not so much with UTChattanooga. But so already dreading the Auburn game. And then Florida in the SEC game, then possibility of a national championship. One game at a time, but we'll enjoy it when it's finished. I hope.

There was an article by Ivan Maisel on ESPN.com this week about Rolando McClain that is really good. It had a great line in it and I want to remember it - "If (Saban's) defensive playbook were a math text, it would be calculus. McClain knows it like a Tuscaloosa first-grader knows that two plus two equals 3rd-and-6. " Heh. This is so true. I learned my sevens times tables easily because it's scores in a football game - 7, 14, 21, 28, 35. Hee.

My dad saw Ivan in the press box last night and told him that I'd really liked what he wrote and had called my dad to read it to him. That tickles me that my dad did that, and that Ivan sent his thanks to me.

Are there bad things from drinking acai juice? I'm trying to decide if I want to start doing some immunity boosters as sick people season begins. People thing that it's a great idea to go paint pottery when you are sick. We spend a lot of time cloroxing the place after people leave.

Henry has learned how to set a table. Now he is obsessed. Last night (while I was trying to watch the ballgame), he decided that he MUST set the coffee table for a dinner party for ALL HIS FRIENDS. He then began to name them, while counting them off on his fingers. He named the same four kids about eight times, in a different order each time. Then he invited the cats to come to the dinner party. He made everyone hot dog bites. Now he wants to do the same this morning for breakfast.

I think in a minute we're going to go off on a walking adventure. I think that will be a good idea. Since it looks like Hurricane/TS Ida will be visiting us this week, it will be a wet one and we'll need to get all of our outdoorsness while we can.

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:26:38 GMT

Today I got a friend request on Facebook that was a porn spammer. That was a first, and another instance of Facebook becoming more and more like Twitter.

My son is all about colors. When he tells me about things, he always identfies things by color, and sometimes that's all he says. So, you have to know which book is the purple book (Marveltown, because the endpapers are purple. No other reason), which pajamas are the red ones (Mickey Mouse), etc. Yesterday he decided he wanted to make an orange and white cake. We were going to the grocery anyway, so this was pretty easy - we got a mix and some food color gel. It was fun to turn half the cake orange and then swirl them together. We did the same with the frosting. The cake itself wasn't very yummy - a little dry and I cooked it a few minute too long, but the three-year-old wasn't too concerned. We had an orange and yellow cake, and that's what mattered.

Today I hope will be a busy day at work. We need it. We have two parties and that generally means we'll be busy. I don't know why that is, but it's as if when there aren't parties scheduled, there is something going on that just keeps people from coming in. This upcoming week should be nuts - Veterans Day on Wednesday, then a party on Friday, three on Saturday and two on Sunday. Plus walk-in business. Christmas is coming, we can feel it in the air.

I painted two really cute samples this week. Now to just get the time to glaze and fire them. If Hannah and I can get the stuff we want to get done today (and I think we can) then I can do some of the other stuff I need to do. This is the time of the year when I would really like to just move into the shop. I never have enough time to do all that I want to do. Michael and Henry might not appreciate that, though.

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:41:20 GMT

We overslept this morning. The entire house is sleepy, I think. The cats weren't up thump thump thumping up and down the hall, which is what usually wakes me up. When I did get up (at 6:30 - seriously, that's an hour and a half later than I usually get up) I woke up the cats. I got up and made the coffee and woke Michael up at 7. It's 7:30 and Henry is still asleep. We'll see how this day plays out.

Meanwhile, ::yawn::

The store is reasonably assembled. I still don't have the front windows finished, but I'll be able to finish it today. Or by tonight. We use the party room to store all our junk when we are doing things like this. Except that tomorrow we have two birthday parties and Sunday we have one. So... need the party room. Then I have to take over the party room again and start making ornaments like a mad woman because it's Christmas season and people want to paint them. Then next weekend we have a party on Thursday, one on Friday (I think - she may not have called me back after all), three on Saturday and two on Sunday. It is going to be a CRAAAAZY weekend.

Just looked over at the sofa, and the cats are already asleep again. Practically a cliche at this point.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:50:53 GMT

I am not getting anything accomplished. It is making me insane.

Yesterday I was on my way to work early so I could go in while I had another employee working. On my way to the store, my worker called. She had gotten a call from the police department - her apartment had been broken into. Someone had come home at lunch and seen her door opened and called the police. So of course I told her to go on. She's had the worst string of bad luck in the past year. She first had to take a 30% paycut from her fulltime job (as they laid off the rest of her department) and then after four months she lost her job, too. She's a fantastic graphic designer, but in a town where Time, Inc. has laid off about two dozen graphics people in the past few years.... well, the job market is saturated. So she's working for me, and as a cashier at a grocery store, and doing any freelance work she can get ahold of.

So of course she went home, but those two hours of having help was really something I was needing. I'm at bare-bones on staffing right now and I'm working myself to save payroll money when I can. But yesterday showed that if something goes wrong I'm left hanging.

I am however at that point where it will all start to come together. I just have to get it all finished by about 6 today. I think it can be done. Of course I have a doctor's appointment at 11 because THAT'S what I need today.

Speaking of the doctor, I'm three pounds away from the goal I had given myself to be at when I had this appointment. She's going to be pleased with my progress, but I would have been a lot happier to go in at the goal weight.

Now I need to go make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the boy who has decided he wants a picnic breakfast. This will be fun.

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:50:28 GMT

Yesterday we started doing a total floor-change at the store. I am completely overwhelmed by this. I know what I want it to look like, but until we take all the shelves apart and redo them, it may not happen.

In other words, I have to make what I've got right now work, and then I can can rework what I've got later.

It doesn't help that I'm working sporadic hours, so I feel like nothing is being finished. Frustrating.

I have so much inventory right now, getting ready for Christmas. So many platters... wishful thinking, hoping I guessed right. I know that after Christmas I will not carry such a heavy inventory load again until next Christmas.

I have one incredibly awesome employee right now, and three less than stellar ones. I need to hire another awesome employees. One of the LTS will be better I think, one not so much, and one is a temporary fix. Awesome employee is so good that it makes it hard to work with the others.

In household news, Henry is waking up at 5 in the morning crying. He's not really awake, sort of in a dream state. Today he wanted me to read to him a bedtime story. He handed me a book and rolled over and went back to sleep. The worst part is that I bolt awake when I hear him, and then I'm up for the day. The good part is that he doesn't seem to remember that he wakes up. The better part is that he isn't crawling into bed with us when it happens. I keep waiting on that.

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:48:05 GMT

A few months ago, I got a friend request on FB from someone whose name I didn't recognize. We're from the same hometown, and had lots of friends in common, but he's a year younger than I am, and went to a different school. I kept thinking that I'd remember him, or maybe he was friends with my younger brother, since he obviously went to the trouble of sending me the request. I am the first to admit that I don't remember a LOT of things from before college. I just... don't remember.

Anyway. Today, one of our mutual friends posted condolences on his wall. Apparently, he passed away last week. I don't know the details. And I still don't know who he is.

In "I live in a strange state" news: last night our local CBS station did a story about two stores next door to each other: Hoover Tactical Weapons (sells automatic weapons) & Love Stuff (sells sex toys for consenting, maybe even happily married, adults). The weapons store is ok, but they're trying to shut the other store down. Oh, Alabama. You so crazy. I've heard they have the "Southern Baptist Special" where you can call in an order and pick it up at a back door and never have to walk in or park your car, in case you might be seen.

Also, this reminds me of my favorite joke: Just as Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the head of their church, Southern Baptists do not recognize each other in the liquor store.

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:41:35 GMT

Monday morning. Post-Halloween.

What a bummer.

We took down the Halloween window display last night. The window looks so bare. It will be the weekend before I get the new windows up. The goal is Thursday, however, since my town is having an "open house" night Thursday. Since I'm off the beaten path, we get ignored in those promotions. But I want the store to look good for people driving by.

My Halloween window was awesome. I think my Christmas window will be okay. I'll be looking at it for two months, so... but I'm not falling in love with it like I want to.

I think one of my new hires isn't working out. She works with me on Thursday, so we'll see if it's getting better. If not, ithink it might be time for me to move on. I don't have time for dead wood at Christmas time.

My to-do list has suddenly gotten very long. I need to be super-organized this week. See if that can happen. It will start by not sleeping until 6:30. I need to use the time change to my advantage,

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:06:12 GMT

Halloween was much fun for Henry. The purple monster costume was a hit - and I think Henry learned a valuable lesson: homemade costumes and good manners score you more loot.

That purple pumpkin got stuffed. We came home because it was full.

My husband got into a bad mood yesterday because I had to work (which, whatever and also grow up) and he being a pill until we went out trick-or-treating, but Henry's good mood fixed that. One neighbor had a sheet up in the yard and projected The Great Pumpkin on it. That was cool.

After we got home, I went to a late dinner with my cousin-in-law Monty. He was in town to go to a funeral - the father of a coworker. He's a HUGE Yankees fan, so we found a nice place showing the game. Great food. I adore him.

Time change has affected us all. I've been up since 5:30, Henry has been up since 6:30. It's "just" 7 and we're all hanging out. I think I'm going to have some cheese toast. We're going to brunch at 10, but I'm pretty sure I won't last.

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:49:57 GMT

It's Halloween. And it's raining.

Mother fucker.

However, the local weather guys are ALL saying it will be cleared up by 6 p.m. We'll see. Otherwise, we're going to be driving around trick-or-treating at exciting places like Publix and other indoor options.

The purple monster outfit is finished. It's mainly a bunch of purple and lavender felt, cut into strips and glued on a white t-shirt that we sprayed with purple hair spray. Oh, and that purple hair spray? Is really more.... fuschia. Pink-ish. Henry is fine with it, and is sooooo ready to spray his hair tonight.

My stepson Joey is going back to my mother-in-law's house for a while. We "don't include him" in things, is what he called and told her. Of course, when we walk in the house he gets up, does not speak, and goes into his room. He eats in there, stays on the phone for hours, and doesn't come out until we go to bed. He then goes and gets a six-pack and stays up all night playing WoW and drinking, then goes to bed. This morning I woke up to find the beer cans still on the coffee table and the television not turned off. Of course, I can't find the remote that turns the television off (yeah... one changes the channel, one turns it on and off. Miserable set-up). So, we don't include him, but he doesn't include himself, either. I was talking to my friend about it, and she said it's like he's a miserable 14-year-old. And it's true, only with the added alcohol.

Now, my relationship with my mother-in-law is interesting. I think she is nice, but she can be nicety. She still talks to my husband's first wife (who is... interesting). She makes decisions about things like holidays and then tells us what we are doing, but never asks about what we'd like to do or what my family is doing, so I have to be the bitch and stomp my foot and go No, we're going to do this instead. I try to not react just for the sake of reacting. But she's pouting because we're going to be at my parent's house on Christmas, but she wants us at her house for Thanksgiving. One or the other, not both. Sorry, Memaw.

I am going into work today to get my staff starting on a few projects. We'll take down the Halloween windows and start putting up Christmas next week. I want to do an entire floor change, and that's so hard. I also need to find a chop saw to do some of what I'm wanting. Sunday will be fun! I'll miss the Halloween windows, thought. They are pretty.

Trick or Treat to everyone today! I hope you get only candy you like!

pound cake

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:01:22 GMT

This is the recipe for the poundcake I make every Christmas. It's written on a piece of notebook paper so fragile at this point that I'm afraid I'm going to lose it. I'm putting it a few places so I can hope to find it again.

This is so good. I need to make some soon.

Pound cake

Ingredients
2 sticks butter softened
1/2 cup crisco
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups cake flour, unsifted
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional: 1 teaspoon almond or lemon extract

Combine butter and shortening. Add sugar, and beat until craeamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add 1 cup cake flour, 1/3 milk, flour, milk, flour, milk, beating until smooth with each addition. Add salt and flavorings. Mix well. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN. Put in lightly buttered pan, and bake at 300F for 1-2 hours until done. Drizzle 1 cup powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze over warm cake.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:17:36 GMT

Had a chatty customer last night. The kind that makes me a little nuts, because she stopped painting when she started talking. NO! Keep painting! When you are finished, I can go home! Today has been a looooong day and the longer you are here the longer it is!

She was nice, and I get mad at myself for getting frustrated. It's only the end of October. I have two months of long days ahead of me.

But she was telling me about craft projects she's done in the past. Step-by-step.

Yesterday was a FULL day. Henry's class trick-or-treated and that was hilarious. As cute as each bottle of glue was, the whole group of them crowding around the doors was hilarious.

After trick-or-treating, I had to go to a lunch to discuss a fundraiser I had been involved with back in the beginning of October. I thought it went terrible. Two of the other people there thought it was terrible and neede to be revamped or go back to the way we've done it in the past. The person whose idea it was was also there, so we had to tread lightly (FEELINGS!) and she did get a bit defensive - "we need to remember who this is for - we're raising money to help the children!" Yes, but.... not that way. It wasn't good or fun. I'm deciding if I want to be a lead hostess again next year. On the one hand: total pain in my ass. On the other: I got my committee work out of the way and it's done.

I left the lunch to go pick up Henry, and we spent an hour at the park it was SUCH a beautiful day. We're supposed to have rain all weekend (ending, supposedly, just before dark on Saturday so we should be able to trick-or-treat) and he needed the running around time. Kelly, his babysitter, met me at 2 and I told her to keep him outside and playing until 6. Run him ragged, keep him going, and here's money for ice cream. They loved it. He had a great afternoon and fell asleep right away last night. No arguments.

He did wake up at 3:30 this morning wanting to chat. And sing the snack-time song. I don't know what was up with that.

Today after school we're making the purple monster costume. This should be awesome.

Whew.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:46:40 GMT

The book signing went very well. We sold 32 books, and had a steady stream of people for two hours. There was a nice mix of people from different areas we targeted. I would have liked to sell more, but my mom and dad were pleased. The food was good, the cookies were well-received, and my store looked fantastic.

Now I can move on to the next thing on my list. Lo, but the list is looooong.

But before I tackle the list, today is Henry's class Halloween party. He goes to an arts-based preschool, and they make their Halloween costume. It's supposed to be a surprise, and we were supposed to go Trick-or-Treating tomorrow, but because of the weather it's moved up to today. The Monday-Wednesday-Friday class had their party yesterday, and I saw someone dressed up.... as a bottle of Elmer's Glue! It is so cute! They decorated a t-shirt to look like the bottle, and then they have orange cone hats to wear. It will be hilarious.

Then I have a lunch meeting where I will bitch about how a fundraiser I was involved with was a cluster-fuck of bad ideas and NO we should NOT try the same thing next year.

Then I can tackle the list.

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:17:06 GMT

Oh, sleep. Why do you mess with me so? I was up at 4 this morning, freaking out over... I have no idea. My business failing, I think. I don't think my business is failing, but the fear that we won't have a good Christmas season is always there. What if THIS is the year people decide that they DON'T want pottery with handprints? Woe.

Tonight is the book signing at the store for my dad. I know we will sell at least six books, because I've got them reserved for people. Let's see if we sell any more. I have cookies ordered, and Henry and I are going to the grocery store in a bit to pick up a few other things we'll need to feed people. Nuts, chips, some fruit maybe. We'll see. I need to have some fruit so I can nerve-snack.

Yesterday afternoon, I got one of those hungry and/or tired headaches that nearly made me sick. This made everything that bugs me bug me times 10. I don't want to constantly slog on my step-son, but... well, I came home and he had done several things that make me insane. He knows they bug me, and his passive-aggressive style is to do them. I don't want him in our house anymore. He stays up all night playing WoW and drinking beer, sleeps all day, doesn't clean up after himself, etc. He won't talk to us, he just hides in his room. He's joined the Air Force but they don't have a job for him so we don't know when he ships out. Two nights ago he spilled beer on the coffee table... and left it.

He's also giving me logistical nightmares. Last year, he was Henry's babysitter in the afternoons so I could work. This year, I don't want him doing that (he doesn't want to, either, and neither does Henry). I have a sitter I can hire, but when he's in the house, it seems silly to have a sitter being paid to be here. I need to AF to get moving on his placement. Supposedly we'll know something on Monday (new month).

I need to stop, because I'm getting all het up again.

To the grocery store....

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:06:06 GMT

Oh, motivation. I need you to come visit me soon.

I didn't get up and walk this morning, as it is raining. I'm a big weenie when it comes to that. I do have a membership at a gym, but... it's raining. I'd still have to go through the rain to the car to drive to the parking lot where I'd have to walk through yet more rain... well, it was dark and raining and really my bed? So much more comfortable than all that.

And then guilt got me up a few minutes later. I did some work, screwed around on the internet, drank some coffee.

Sure, guilt is always around, but motivation comes and goes.

Yesterday Henry and I went shopping. This goes well some times, and sometimes he's a little shit in stores and I've been known to lay down what we're buying and walk out the door. Yesterday we had a full cart at Wal-Mart, and he started acting out. I really needed the stuff in the cart, so we had the mom-crouched-down-low-threatening-tone-of-voice-I-Am-So-Serious conversation. We managed to get out the door with minimal tears on his part.

We got all the stuff we need for his Halloween costume. We're going to work on this together, and I think it will be good fun. We got purple felt in two shades, purple eyelash yarn, purple glitter glue, purple pom-poms, purple hair spray, and purple pipe cleaners. We have a plan. I need to find some purple facepaint, and we'll be finished. OH! And a purple pumpkin to collect the candy in. We practiced last night, with Henry knocking on a door, Michael opening it, Henry saying Trick-or-Treat, taking one candy, and saying Thank You before leaving. He will be a well-mannered purple monster.

My dad has a new book out, and tomorrow night we're having a book signing at my store. My dad's book is about Alabama football, and my store is a paint-your-own pottery store, but his publisher doesn't think Birmingham is a market. Soo.... we're doing it ourselves. I'm so nervous that people won't show up. I think we'll have a nice showing, but I don't want him to be disappointed. I' ve been running ads on Facebook, and that's interesting. I'm considering it for my store. You can be very specific about who gets to see the ads, and you only pay if someone clicks on the link. Nice.

Of course, this means my mother will be at my store, so NO PRESSURE to get it cleaned, or anything. And it's raining today, which means that the floor will need to be mopped tomorrow. Because I have time for that, too.

The journey of 13.1 miles...

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:01:54 GMT

Okay, so I've lost my mind.

Yesterday I signed up to run/walk the Mercedes Half Marathon. This is on February 14, 2010. That's 111 days from now.

I'm moderately freaking out, mainly because I have to raise $1300 for the charity I'm walking for.

I'm also hoping this will kick-start my stalled weight loss. I've lost 46 pounds so far. (I thought it was 48, but I can't math. Bummer to have "gained" those back.) I need to lose about another 40 or so. We'll see. I'd like to get 16 more pounds off before Christmas, and then the rest by March 15.

I had been so good about working out, but I'll admit I had stalled. This morning I got up and walked just under 3 miles. It is DARK at 5:30 this time of year. But it felt good to get out and do something. I need to work on my playlist for working out, though. Too much time spent skipping songs I didn't want to hear.

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:36:06 GMT

I'm saving this here because I know it won't be online forever. The mom of Jill Connor Browne (The Sweet Potato Queen) passed away and her obituary is hilarious. I want to be able to read this whenever I need to.

Janice "Jan" Conner
Louise Wendt Conner, wife of the late and much lamented John A. Conner of Ethel, Mississippi, died peacefully at the Lake Caroline home of her favorite daughter Jill Conner Browne on Wednesday, September 30, 2009. Mrs. Conner grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the daughter of the late Mr. & Mrs. Walter Wendt. As a young woman, her statuesque beauty won her a spot among the models at the John Robert Powers Agency but her mother disapproved of that career and so she became a buyer for the J.L. Hudson stores. During World War II, she and many of her friends worked tirelessly at the USO, where she met the only man she ever really loved, her sailor boy, John Conner. She became a devoted Southerner by choice when she finally defied the wishes of her mother (who was by all accounts and evidence, the Meanest Woman Who Ever Lived) by marrying and following "that hillbilly" back to Mississippi, where they lived happily until Mr. Conner's untimely death in 1982, after which Mrs. Conner never gave so much as a thought to another man. The Conners' home was a haven for all the children in the surrounding neighborhoods, having a wide-open, fully-stocked kitchen, a refrigerator full of Cokes and the only swimming pool for miles around. (It should be noted that the 20'x 40', 7 foot deep hole for this pool was personally dug, with picks and shovels, by the two of them. If you've ever tried to dig even a small hole in Yazoo clay, the extent of the Conners' devotion to their children can be extrapolated from that endeavor. It should also be noted that this pool was the pet project of Mrs. Conner and there was no peace for Mr. Conner until it was completed. He might have initially thought that she would be discouraged when she saw firsthand how difficult the digging proved to be-one of the many but more significant times He Was Wrong.) They were active members of the Alta Woods Presbyterian Church where they, for more than 50 years, provided thousands of cookies as Sunday bribes to the children of the church. Mrs. Conner's daughters, the aforementioned Jill and that other one, Judy, were finally sources of pride for Jan as they both became bestselling authors. It did remain a lifelong disappointment to her, however, that neither of them ever chose to pursue the career she would have preferred for them: writing messages for greeting cards. Both daughters give much credit to their mother for spending countless hours reading to them until they finally started reading for themselves. Mrs. Conner also taught her grandchildren to read and to love it. Blessed be her name for that. Jan's only two grandchildren-Trevor Palmer and Bailey Conner Browne-were born 23 years apart; thus, each was able to enjoy the many benefits of being "the only grandchild," a position both exploited to the fullest and with great felicity to all parties. Mrs. Conner was well known in her younger years for adopting families in need and browbeating them into prosperity via the many donors she "persuaded" to join the effort and her relentless and most often successful attempts at placing them in gainful employment-often without any particular desire or willingness on their part. She would and often did give "the shirt off her back" to someone; but, if her own didn't happen to fit the need, she had no qualms about obtaining, by whatever means necessary, the more suitable shirt off someone else's back. Her daughters dreaded the annual Christmas Flooding of the town of Flowood, knowing that the pantry would be emptied and their own closets would be raided, in support of the victims. Jan Conner was an advocate of the homeless-be they human or otherwise-long before it became fashionable. She never passed a panhandler without giving him something (along with an admonition to "go eat something") and she never turned away a hungry creature of any species. She basically, over time, stole the neighbor's non-descript brown dog, Rascal and was somehow able to elicit from him that, although before moving in with us he had considered himself fortunate to get a dab of dog food now and again, all he truly liked to eat was chicken livers and that furthermore he only liked them fried very brown and crispy. Rascal ate crispy brown chicken livers every day of his 10 years with us. Whenever Jan left town, it was only after giving John strict instructions on How to Cook the Chicken Livers for the Dog, lest he (the dog) suffer in her absence. To this day, Mrs. Conner's entire family has an inordinate fondness for Brown Dogs. Mrs. Conner is widely known as a world traveler as she frequently arranged group trips, which she sometimes guided or at least herded. A most interesting aspect about all of Jan's travels was her high and constant level of disdain for Other Countries, or at least all of Europe. She did love a cruise, though-any time, anywhere-which accounted for her enjoying 50 or so of them. As much as she disparaged all of Europe, she loved Alaska and anything west of Hawaii. All things Asian were wonderful to her and she made numerous trips to the Far East. The latter years of her life were spent joyfully at The Waterford on Highland Colony with her many friends, especially the rowdy bunch on the Second Floor North. She declared that living at the Waterford was "like being on a cruise, every day." Since 1999, no St. Paddy's Parade was complete without the lead car carrying "The Queen Mothers of the Sweet Potato Queens®" and while she shared this title with dear friend and fellow Queen Mum, Caroline Hewes of Gulfport, it cannot escape attention that Jan always rode in the front seat. Jan is survived by the aforementioned favorite daughter, Jill Conner Browne and husband, Kyle Jennings, and that other one, Judy Conner Palmer of New Orleans-granddaughter, Bailey Conner Browne of Oxford and grandson, Trevor Palmer and his wife, RuthAnna and their daughter, Riley and sons Conner and Mason, of New Orleans. The family wishes to lovingly thank Barbara Whitehead for her devotion and support to us all and to Marie Fenton of Hospice Ministries for her sensitive care to Jan and to us. No flowers please, Mrs. Conner was allergic. Because of Jan's lifelong propensity for taking in strays, be they four-legged or two, she would love for you to make a very generous donation in her name to the only no-kill animal shelter in Rankin County-Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi, founded by Sweet Potato Queen Elizabeth (Pippa) Jackson, located at 1963 Holly Bush Road, Pelahatchie, Mississippi 39145 or www.arfms.com. There will be a mercifully brief and joyous Memorial Service on Monday, October 5, 2009, at 5:30 PM, at Wright & Ferguson on Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, followed by Celebration of a Life Beautifully Lived and a Very Fun Reception, until around 7 PM.

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:07:36 GMT

Today has been a very emotional day, with two "ends" coinciding. I've cried a lot today.

For the past two years, Henry has done double-duty with preschool to cover all the days I needed him to go. Last year he went Monday-Wednesday at Early Arts, and on Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays he went to Chabad. This summer, he's gone to Chabad five days a week. But in the fall, Early Arts expands to three days a week, and at Chabad they prefer the kids go three days, as well. There are a lot of reasons that I picked EA over Chabad - the obvious one being that I own a craft store and an arts-based preschool makes me happy like whoa. The others being convenience (EA is three blocks from my store, Chabad is a 15 minute drive) and that we aren't religious at all, and the religion starts becoming pretty important next year at Chabad.

Today was the last day of the summer program at Chabad, and therefore our last day there. I'm so sad, because we have a lot of friends there. His teachers were so loving. Miss Rebecca, who got him out of the car each day, has been so wonderful to us. I'm just really bummed out thinking that those folks aren't a part of daily lives any more.

(okay, totally had to take a break to wipe my eyes and blow my nose there.)

So today was our last day, and I was sad about that. I cried saying goodbye to his teacher. I cried saying goodbye to Miss Rebecca. I cried saying goodbye to the woman who drove Henry from school to my store each day.

But those folks are still in town, and I'll see them again, at my store and at birthday parties and at other things over the year. It's the other thing that really has me torn up.

The whole time we've been at Chabad, Henry has been great friends with another little boy named Neri. They are two peas in a pod - just two weeks apart in age, look alike, the whole thing, His mom and dad and Michael and I have gotten to be friends, we've had great fun with play dates and park time and just going for pizza. They have been here while Neri's dad was going to grad school (they are from Israel), so the whole time we've known they would leave. Sadly, that day is Sunday, but today was the day we said goodbye.

I just can't express how sad I am that they are leaving. I know that we'll keep in touch, through email and Facebook and phone calls, but my heart just aches that they will be gone. It's so totally selfish of me, I know, but I'm just going to miss them so much. We went to say goodbye and take a few things to them, and Henry and Neri were making plans to play and I just had tears streaming down my face. When we left Henry told us all to not be sad, and that he'd see Neri next week and play pirates.

I'm crying again and it just hurts. I know this is silly, but the combination of the two things today has just knocked me on my ass.

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:43:25 GMT

What is WRONG with women? They are so mean to other women. The divorce thread on SF -

More importantly, who would want to bang Leann Rimes? Yick.

This.

WHAT? She's not some hideous CarrotTopian monster. She's rather pretty even if she occassionally succumbs to squint-face. Her choices of what does and does not constitute fidelity may be skewed, but NO we attack how she LOOKS. Jesus.

WHY did I click that thread? I just wanted gossip, not pissedness.

Ketchup

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:02:22 GMT

I finished boot camp! Woo! I signed up for 16 sessions and made 15. This past Tuesday morning we overslept - no idea how that happened, but otherwise I made all the ones I'd planned for. I lost 7 pounds in the four weeks, and would have been much happier if I'd lost more, but in that time I went to the lake for two weekends and the beach for one, so I can't complain.

I did lose a ton of inches, and can really feel that I'm getting smaller. My clothes are falling off. Sometimes literally. Of course, I just want the pounds gone. I want the stupid voice on the Wii to stop saying "that's obese" when it gives me my BMI and weight. Stupid fucker. I really like my Wii, but there are parts I don't like. The "fitness tips" suck and are lame. The questions it asks if you've gained weight don't really work (I gained a pound? Wonder if it's the 16 ounce bottle of water that I just drank. No place to answer that, though), and I guess I'm thinking too much about a disembodied voice and lame words on a screen.

But still.

So total weight loss so far is 27 pounds. I'm down two sizes, I think.

I went to buy a new bra, and I'm down sizes in that, but still huge. Seriously, having a "want to be down to a size DD" is a strange goal. My new bra is a fancy version of a bullet bra, and it makes me look va-va-va-voom. My husband loves it. It also cost $75, and I'll hopefully be replacing it in a few months as I continue to shrink.

Boot Camp is over for two weeks, but I need to keep moving. I'm going to join the JCC on Monday, which is conveniently located just over the hill from my house. It's where we'll have H in soccer, swim team, etc., and those will all be less expensive as a member. They have Body Pump classes and a regular gym with cardio stuff. They also have child care available, so I can take H with me and let him hang out in the kid room while I go work-out. My goal for the next two weeks is to do Wii Active at home or go to Body Pump in the morning, then take H with me in the afternoon while I do an extra hour of cardio. When boot camp starts again, I'll add the cardio in the afternoon.

I know that is a lot, and not what I can maintain for a long time, but I'm feeling like I can do this right now. I need to get over this hump that I'm at - and I am in a competition, so there is that. I also have so much to lose, that if I can ramp it up a little with extra cardio, I'll be able to do so much more.

Of course, my husband just asked that we have pizza for dinner tonight. Pizza is my kryptonite. Thank goodness for Alfredo's, where I can order him his large extra-pepperoni pizza, and order myself just a single slice of cheese. I'll have that and a salad and not feel too guilty. Portion control is the biggest thing I have to learn with all this. Normally I have a hard time with portion control on pizza but being able to just order one slice helps.

Today at Pepper Place (the farmer's market) Henry and I saw everyone on the planet that we know, tons of customers from my store, and had some delicious peach ice cream. I also ate a sausage biscuit (serious moment of weakness, but that was damn good) and part of Henry's orange cranberry scone.

I bought a canteloupe, some fig preserves (we have a fig tree, but between the birds and H eating them straight from the tree, we will never have enough for preserves), and blueberries. A LOT of blueberries. A large bucket of blueberries. We will eat most of them just out of hand, but I'll also take some to my mother-in-law to see if she'll make a cobbler with them. I love cobblers, and much prefer them to pies. We'll have blueberry pancakes for breakfast tomorrow, and I'll freeze some for future pancaking.

Time to head to the park. Great end to a good Saturday.

Rambling ahead due to annoyed

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:33:15 GMT

We are in town this weekend, due to my son's busy social schedule. He had a birthday party from 11-12:30. Birthday parties are a big part of my business, so I'm hyper-aware of how my competitors do theirs.

I kick this place's ass.

First, the address on the website is wrong, and if you put it in your GPS, it will take you to a place that has not much to do with where you are. Then I called the place and said "huh?" and the girl who answered said "yeah, i'm not sure how you get here." WHAT? OH MY GOD. There was a firefighter fundraiser (a bar-b-q at the Piggly-Wiggly. Welcome to Alabama! Even if it *was* Mountain Brook) and they showed me the way. AND they gave H a plastic fireman's hat. Awesome.

Get to the place late, which I knew would be a problem because H wouldn't have tme to transition, and he didn't. Everyone was lining up and following directions, and he was still in run-around-like-a-loon mode. Then by the time he was ready to do X, the group was ready to move to Y. So he missed out on X and pitched a mini fit. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Note, he only does this way with me. If my husband had been there it would have been no problem.

They had the kids (3 and 4 year olds) sitting and waiting to do a bunch of things one at a time. Yeah, that doesn't work so well. And there were big kids who were getting annoyed with the little ones who weren't wanting to sit still. You can't ask kids to run and jump for a while, then to sit, and then to jump one at a time. It just doesn't work. A body in motion wants to stay in motion, and all that.

And then this thing happened at work. Trivial, but annoying. Something is going to be a problem, but wouldn't have been if one phone call was made to me when they realized what was wrong. Instead, they waited and now it's too late. JUST CALL ME.

My husband has a cold, and when he is sick he is the sickest person who has ever been. I can have no idea what fresh hell he is suffering. When I am sick? I just need to get up and get moving to feel better, according to him.

I think that I need a nap.

Exercise makes you see things.

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:46:53 GMT

I couldn't go to work out this morning, so this afternoon I decided to do Wii Active (I have a love-hate relationship with this game, as so often the Wii can't read that I'm doing the activity and it can't hear me when I yell that YES I AM TOO DOING THE DAMN TRICEP WHATEVER). ANYway, to use the Wii I move the coffee table and, at some point, I started seeing images in my rug.

This is on both sides of the center medallion. Usually it is hidden, and I'm not looking down for 30 minutes, so I hadn't noticed how.... anatomical... it was.

(Please excuse the grass - I couldn't get my shoes all clean but the housekeeper comes tomorrow.)

So, I wanted to share the picture. You know you are giggling inappropriately right now. DON'T LIE.

(I mean, there are even fallopian tubes and ovaries! Floral ovaries, but STILL!)

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:52:30 GMT

Henry had his dental surgery done today, and has come through with flying colors. He had 8 crowns and a handful of fillings, plus he had some teeth filed/sanded/something. We will go to the dentist in a few weeks to get some other work done. Poor kiddo. He's in for a lifetime of dental suckatude, and it is all inherited.

He loved being at the hospital, though. He wanted to stay and help the nurse. The anesthesiologist said he was awesome. Basically, he charmed the socks off of everyone. Good thing, because he's started playing on the monkey bars and I figure it wasn't our last trip to Children's.

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:19:13 GMT

H is supposed to have some major, massive dental work tomorrow (my poor kid? born WITHOUT TOOTH ENAMEL. Yeah.). This involved going to Children's Hospital to have him put under general because otherwise he would be so traumatised by the experience of having 8 crowns (yes) plus fillings in EVERY other tooth.

No joke.

It has taken us almost 6 months to get this all organized - between the dentist's schedule and Blue Cross sucking. His teeth have gotten so bad in the meantime. But, finally, we're going to get it taken care of, right?

Except last night H started feeling sick. Running a fever of 102. Croup-y cough. And throwing up all night long.

So now I have to call the dentist and see what's what. I imagine it will be put off, since Children's won't want to put a kid under who is coughing and/or has a fever.

DAMMIT. Who the hell knows how long it will take to get this worked out again. Meanwhile, Cavities McGee over there just looks pitiful. I'm so sorry, my sweet baby.

beach

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:52:59 GMT

We had such a great time.

Lots of great pictures, but here are a few..

.

We had so much fun. And it speaks to my SF addiction that I heard about Farrah and MJ on the way down and it was KILLING me that I had no internet access while I was down there.

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:44:54 GMT

We leave tomorrow for four days in Mobile. H and I will drive on to the beach for at least one day, and spend some time hanging out around the hotel pool.

I am glad for a break from Bham. We'll all have fun. H keeps adding things to the pile of stuff he needs to pack. He needs four firetrucks. And a giant plastic grasshopper. Because of course.

I am also glad to get a break from my sulking, brooding stepson. That's a story for another day. Provided I don't kill him because he's wearing me out.

I've made it to three days of Boot Camp. One more tomorrow before we go. I'm not in as much pain as I have been in. Yay?