This 'n' That ...

Either it's sleep deprivation or I've got a bad case of the giggles ...

Watching the Royal Wedding earlier this morning the thought of Hyacinth Bucket popped into my brain and just wouldn't leave! Maybe it was all those hats - wild, weird and wacky hats! I mean really ... but ... it got me thinking about my favorite BritCom character, Hyacinth Bucket (that's Boo-cay). What an ordeal that'd be ... Hyacinth at The Royal Wedding!!

******

Maybe I should crawl in bed? I obviously need sleep!! Good day for it, too. Chilly, overcast. But no rain in sight for the next day or two. Yay!! Roads flood easily here - nothing major, just too deep to safely drive through (and there's lots of idiots who try). Not that I have anywhere to go ... oh wait!! I don't have my car during the day right now anyway. Silly me. Single Son has it.

But at least with the car gone during the day ... and (gasp) ... ALONE time, I've been getting a bunch of things done. Yay me!!

Biggest was getting the postings for some of the summer inventory up on my Elsie's Attic facebook page. It took me a few days, but darnit, it was worth it.

And I finally got my certification done for that mystery shopping job. Yay!! I've already done a few online mystery shops. Different than what I used to do, but nonetheless interesting.

Sadly, I think today is pretty well shot. Not having slept last night I'm thinking I'm going to be sleeping most of the day away.

*****

Hope ya'll enjoy your Friday!!!

Happy Easter

I found the perfect place to go for holiday meals! It's called Palace Buffet. Good food and we practically had the place to ourselves!! A little pricey for a buffet, but hey ... I'm not complaining (much).

It was Single Son, Alien, the BF, the two boys and me for an early dinner. Single Son did not want to be there, but he went for my sake. He loathes the BF with a passion. But as an adult he knew that he could handle an hour or so of being around him, that he'd survive the ordeal.

I decided that I'd not bitch too much to Alien about things, that I could shut up for the meal about her getting off her arse and moving out of that house. I was even kind when she brought up Papaw and Mamaw ... but I drew the line when she told me that Bubba called her yesterday and told her that when the Dragon Lady (his wife) is at work, he wants to come over and try to mend their badly broken relationship. I damn near choked on banana pudding when I hear that!! When she's at work?? Oh please!

But you'd have been proud of me ... I didn't say a word, other than to tell her this was neither the time nor the place to bring that up!!

Other than that, we had a good time. Ate too much (typical), laughed ... even Single Son got involved in some of our conversations. JJ slept through most of the meal, waking for only a few minutes (long enough for me to pull out the camera and snap a shot of an awake infant).

okay, you saw me awake, can I go back to sleep now?

Got a ton of pics of Butterball. He's start to get fussy, even cried a few times, but as soon as I brought out the camera he'd stop with his fit and start hamming it up for me. As soon as I'd put the camera down, he'd resume his fit.

Half laugh ... half temper tantrum

Butterball and I pretty much shared a plate of food (or three, LOL). He loved everything on "our" plate, including a few new foods he'd never had before - salmon, garlic bread, and orange chicken especially. He feeds himself usually, but let Gramma feed him ... he made a game out of it. He'd let me know which forkful was for him or when he'd let me feed myself.

Hope ya'll had a good Easter!

The Heat is On ...

And now the song from Beverly Hills Cop will be running through my head. Sorry, don't know the title or the singer ... I'm bad for forgetting those types of things ...

But anyway ... Alien facebooked last night that she had some info to tell me. She'd call in the morning. NOT. I had to call her!

"Oh yeah, I forgot. Sorry Mom".

CPS was at her house again yesterday ordering her out of the house or surrender the kids. Told her if she came back for any reason she'd be losing all rights immediately.

Alien said she'd forgotten something important and needed to get back in the house, but fearing the CPS person she went to the local Cop Shop to tell them she needed to get back in the house and if it would be okay. After explaining the whole situation to the Desk Cop he says that not only can she go back in the house for the item but "as long as there is a space heater, food for the children, and running water you can stay at the house. They cannot remove the children" because of a shut off utility.

According to Alien, from what the cop insinuated, some of these CPS workers use some pretty terroristic threats on these young parents - using their ignorance of the law to the worker's advantage. And since the kids couldn't be removed without the assistance of the local cops, "good luck to them" the cop said. "We won't remove them just because of no heat".

It all turns out to be for nothing. Papaw paid the heat bill that Bubba was supposed to pay. Why he didn't tell her is beyond us, but he didn't. And I guess he's beyond pissed at Bubba for not taking care of his responsibilities with that house.

So, the heat is back on ... turned on first thing this morning. I told Alien she better not lax in finding a new place. That as long as she lives there, she'll continue to have encounters with CPS. It's an unsound structure at best, even with the utilities turned back on.

*****

Mom called. Take whomever is at my house tomorrow and take them to the local All You Can Eat Buffet or Chinese Restaurant for Easter Dinner. Pay with our joint charge card. LOL ... I knew she'd pull the "but you have to have a holiday meal together". They won't be joining us, though. Dad doesn't do crowds well.

*****

Either I'm finally cracking ... or ... watching way too many old episodes of Star Trek ... or playing way too much of that facebook app "Frontierville".

Star Trek has invaded my dreams ... but it's more like a "Frontierville" version of Star Trek. Think planting alien crops, tending to injured little space creatures, and building all sorts of out-post structures. Instead of fighting off critters like fox, bear, snakes and coyotes critters such as eight legged monsters, sand creatures and just plain ol' mean alien life forms are fought. And instead of looking at it from the point of a computer screen, in my dreams I'm right there in the middle of it all!

I need a life!! Or a geek who knows how to develop facebook apps! The more I think of it, the more it'd be a pretty cool app for Trekkies to play!

*****

And yes, being the Trekkie Geeks that we are we have every episode (and movie) that was ever made.

Maybe it's time to take a Trek break and entertain myself with the dvds in my complete set of "Keeping Up Appearances" for a while.

Light at the End of the Tunnel, PART TWO ...

So, it's looking like I'll be able to evict the Wrecking Crew sometime mid-summer.

Can we all say one huge collective YAY!?!?!

Technically the job isn't Single Son's yet ... he's just waiting word on his background check. Funny, eh? Him? Mr Cop ... background check ... so it's just a formality they're waiting on. You know his background check is gonna come out CLEAN!

Oh, Em ... he's still a cop. But instead of patrolling now, he's a FTO (field training officer) and teaches Police Academy classes. It's not full time work ... and with wanting the Wrecking Crew out as badly as I do ... he's decided that he needed "outside" work. Besides, he's one of those that if he's not working a hundred hours a week  he goes crazy (and drives me crazy in the process). Remember, this is on top of his StarFleet duties that take up a dozen hours a week of his time.

What a man.

ALIEN ENCOUNTERS

Drama, drama, drama ... and as hard as it is, I'm pretty much staying out of it, except for an occasional word of encouragement.

Grab a snack and a drink, sit down, get comfy ... let's start at the beginning (not the real beginning, just the beginning of the latest Drama Momma crap) ...

You remember that she moved into Bubba's house and he moves out to be with his girlfriend not six months later? He swore up and down he'd continue to take care of the house (it's falling apart literally) and would pay the bills for her until she could do so ... Well ... since he married her he's forgotten all about the house, his daughter AND his grandchildren ...

The bathroom plumbing leaks and is causing the kitchen ceiling below to fall in, the kitchen counter-tops are chipping off in huge chunks, the windows are drafty and actually let in water when it rains, the front door is split ... and there's more ... so you know he's NOT been doing anything in the ten years he's owned that house. And then, four months ago he quit paying any of the bills that he swore up and down he'd help her with ... the electrical was shut off (her Papaw paid to have that turned back on - to the tune of $600) and now the heat has been shut off (to the tune of $1200 past due that even Papaw can't afford to pay).

They've been living without heat and hot water for the last three weeks. The first week wasn't bad, as it was unseasonably warm, but the last two have been cold! Space heaters do the job in keeping the living areas warm during the day ... but it's unsafe to have them in with the babies at night ...

Now enter CPS ... Child Protective Services ... it's either move out immediately OR lose the boys. Needless to say Alien is scrambling to find a place to live within her means (and those are rather limited).

What I want to know is ... where is the DHS (Department of Human Services) ... the ones who are supposed to be helping her relocate because of this whole Loser in Jail situation? And ... why hasn't Alien let CPS know that DHS is supposed to be helping her relocate anyway?

And of course, that loser of an ex of mine is nowhere to be found. He ignores her calls, texts and emails. She can't show up at his front door because she doesn't know where he lives!

Remember ... this is the same man who fought for years and years for custody, gave her that damned car that I opposed so badly and encouraged her to run away to his house when she was legally old enough to do so ... and generally let her live under his roof with none of the rules I had ... and this is how it ends? He ignores her? Shuts her out because that's what his wife wants? Shuts off the heat and jeopardizes the health of the only grandchildren he'll ever have (and won't get to know thanks to his behavior of late). No man dared to tell me to shut my kids out of my life, and if he did, he would have been the one to go! Yet, he jumps at her commands.

Oh ... and the icing on this cake ... he had to have been the one who called CPS (although they won't confirm or deny who the complainant was) ... there were only three of us who knew the heat was off at that house ... Me, her Papaw, and Bubba (and his wife).

Karma is a bitch. I'm glad I won't be around to see what happens.

It's hard to watch this happen and not get involved. But I can't ... not just because of tough-love ... but because I don't have that kind of money (and besides, I'm not paying a cent to fix a Bubba past due bill, even if it effects my child and grands) ... and I sure don't have the space to put them all up here (yay ... what I don't need are more bodies who don't clean up after themselves, or get slapped as the convenient babysitter so they can have time off).

*****

No Easter plans here. I'm hoping it stays that way, but something tells me Mom will pull her last minute "we'll have dinner together for the holiday" stuff. She usually does.

*****

Hoping ya'll have a wonderful Easter.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

Or ... Why do I bother?

For once I'm not stuck without a blog title, today's problem seems to be which of many do I choose?

Let's start with the Light at the end of the tunnel ... seems that Single Son got himself a GOOD JOB. Nice pay, bennies, long hours (he loves long hours). He's driving a delivery truck for FedEx now. Yup, same place that Married Son works. Just different routes. And more money than Married Son makes, too!! Married Son has a rural route, Single Son has a "city" route - less ground to cover, but way more stops daily. And, get this ... my mother is on Single Son's route. She's been warned to start using FedEx as much as possible. LOL.

So, where's the light at the end of the tunnel come into play? Looks like we'll finally be able to tell the Wrecking Crew that it's time to MOVE OUT! Well, soon ... after a few expenses have been met and we're able to survive on his pay.

Hopefully this summer!! In the meantime, I get to enjoy an empty house during the day when everyone is either working or in school.

And time to work at my new job ... lol ... I'm doing mystery shops again. Most of my "shops" are online or over the phone, thankfully. The few that are on-sight I'll have to arrange with Single Son to drop him off at work so I have the use of my car (or the van once it's back on the road). And I've been slowing selling more of Elsie's Attic stuff ... so I'm not exactly sitting idly at home.

for our next topic ...

why do I bother?

I think I may have blogged that Alien's stove died. I've spent the better half of the last five days arranging for a free stove to be delivered to her house today. TODAY. Only she decides that an afternoon with the bf's mother is more important. After I schedule with the lady who is so generous as to give away a perfectly good stove - and coordinate with my two sons to pick up and deliver (and sacrifice their precious time off to help their sister) ... and she goes to her bfs mother's house to get her nails done? My sons have the audacity to get mad at me, saying I can't plan squat ... Alien claims I never told her that it was TODAY (I did) ...

Screw it. Next time someone needs something and asks me to help, I'm saying "sorry, I can't help you and I don't know where you could turn to solve your problem" ... it's not worth all the hassle any more.

Not when I get treated like a third class citizen for my efforts.

Wedding Bands and Cemetery Plots

Mom called the other day (nothing new) but the topic of our conversation was a little odder than usual. A year ago Dad had to have his wedding band cut off him in the emergency room as it was cutting off the circulation to his finger. Fast forward to the day of the call ... Mom has finally taken the wedding band into the jeweler to be fixed. She's having the date of their wedding inscribed on the inside of the ring, and my initials on the outside. My initials? Yes, mine! She's decided that once Dad passes, the ring will be mine. I thought it should probably go to Brother Deere, as he is named after our father. Imagine my shock when Mom says "f* him!. I'm mad at him. He doesn't deserve it". Oh oh. Now what's he done to tick Mom off?

The same day that she went to the jeweler's, Mom went to the quarry to order the headstone for the family grave. All of our names (Mom, Dad, my two brothers and me) are being placed on the headstone for placement next month at the cemetery. In Michigan you can bury three cremations per plot. Mom has it set we're all to be cremated and buried in one of the two side-by-side plots we have. She was discussing it with Brother Deere when he tells her he's bought a plot near where he lives, he doesn't want to be buried in a family plot. She's so upset that she says he can bear the expense of having his name sandblasted off the headstone ... and he's not getting any family heirlooms as "punishment".

Like he really wants anything. He thinks my parent's possessions are nothing more than old junk (actually they are fine antiques) and that he'll auction off everything that I don't take. Realistically, if it were up to him, I probably wouldn't get anything. But that's another blog topic.

Same Ol' Same Ol'

Things with the DIL haven't changed a bit. She still ignores her dirty dishes (and when she does do their dishes she leaves mine and Single Sons - even if it's just one fork or dish - she won't touch 'em) ... leaves her dirty laundry in the bathroom for all to trip over - or hogs the machines with her laundry inside them ... bags the garbage but leaves the bags at the front door until I get ticked off enough to put them outside in the trash cans ... leaves her surplus food on the counter tops ... kicks her shoes off and leaves them laying in the middle of the floor for someone to trip over ... and that's just a small list of the things she does (or doesn't do) ...

Some things will never change. I'll be glad when I don't have to deal with it anymore.

She tells her friends that once she has a house where she can make the rules it'll be clean ... no ... once they have a house the messes will follow them (she'll never be a clean person, as the house they used to live in alone is testimony to) ... but MY house will be the way it's supposed to be - clean and organized. After all, the Wrecking Crew will be gone!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... dreams of the future ... gotta love 'em.

Star Trek Photos ... consider yourself warned!

Single Son presenting me with my Certificate of Promotion to Lieutenant (j.g.)... I just wish he'd have let me run a comb through my hair for my one big photo op this spring!! And I'll just pretend all that grey hair is blonde!!

Ariel being presented her Certificate of Promotion to Ensign. Way to go, girl! Good work!

Caution: Star Trek content ...

Just spent the evening with my trekkie buddies. Good times.

I got a promotion in rank ... I'm now a Lieutenant (j.g. ... junior grade). Finally made the ranks of Commissioned Officer, it only took me ten years, LOL.

Lots of business settled. Lots of activities to plan for ... Future fund raisers, regional conferences (RC) to plan for (we're the host chapter next year for the RC), picnics, bowl-a-thons, study groups for Starfleet Academy courses and so much more. I still need to figure out my costume - especially since finding out we're organizing and hosting the RC.

Man, I need a life. LOL.

Then again, my dad always used to call me a Space Cadet. I guess I'm living up to his expectations, eh?

I have pictures of the Promotion Ceremony, I'll post 'em as soon as I get them from Single Son ... if only so you can finally see how short I cut my hair a few weeks back.

And short it is. Personally, I love it short.

Chicken, however, had an opinion that differed ... and couldn't wait until we were alone to tell me "you need to grow your hair back out". Excuse me? I don't think so!! I chose not to get mad at him for stating his opinion rather strongly, but it sure reminded me why I'm single and plan on staying single. LOL.  ... telling me what I *need* to do ... no siree, I won't play that game!!

Ah well. He's still a dear friend ... regardless.

We have a new member is our chapter. Well, not exactly new, she's been a member for a while, but this was our first face to face "encounter", I have talked to her on our monthly internet (skype) conference calls for a few months now. I'll call her Ariel. She's rather soft spoken online, but in person she's as goofy as I am. Turns out we have a lot in common. She loves all things Star Trek, as well as lighthouses, and ... get this ... the britcom, "Keeping Up Appearances". My new best buddy! LOL. She has awesome ideas for some of the events we have coming up, and added a few ideas for events, too.

I'm really excited about this ... not only a budding new friendship (with someone who isn't all full of testosterone) but all of the events we have to plan. LOL.

I did tell her (and Single Son) about the comment Chicken made about me growing my hair back out ... she said what I'd been pretty much been thinking ... "screw him ... shave it all off, that'd teach him to shut his pie-hole wouldn't it?"

Could you see me sporting the Jean-Luc Picard look? hehehe ...
 

Musings of a Good MIL on a Bad Day ...

I know there's a story called "Musings of a Good Father On a Bad Day" ... I'm pretty sure I've already posted it here somewhere.

I really need to find it so I can write my MIL version.

So what's ruffled my feathers? Three guesses (first two don't count) ... yup, the DIL ... how did you guess?

One of my policies (rules if you will) since DAY ONE has been "cupboard space is limited, therefore buy only what you can fit into your cupboards". Easy enough rule, I'd think.  Especially when "your" cupboard is the floor-to-ceiling pantry (as opposed to the small three shelf wall-mounted cupboard I have for my groceries). Adding the limited counter space of my rather smallish kitchen, this rule was set up so I didn't have overstocks to deal with whilst preparing my meals. Yet ... this last month *someone* has totally rewritten the rules and has taken to purchasing above and beyond the storage capacity of their pantry.

She pulls it out of the pantry to access other groceries, I end up putting it back. Too bad if I accidentally squished a loaf of bread. Not my fault.

So, tonight while I was doing THEIR dishes yet again ... you know it's soooo important to spend bonding time with the hubby watching netflix and not cleaning up your messes ... so when she hit "pause" to grab a snack whilst I cleaned up the kitchen, I commented "in case you're wondering I'm the one putting food off the counter and into the pantry". It was such a darling little temper tantrum she had ... really ... if you're a toddler that is. And slamming the bedroom door shut (they don't usually shut their door) to block out the wicked MIL ... so ... so ... adorable in it's childish way.

Not!

Even Single Son, who usually is very patient and easy going, has about had it with her. Laundry left in the machine, blocking whomever needs to do the next load. Kitchen table loaded with the Wrecking Crews stuff (spilling food on it DOES NOT motivate a clean up session), dishes, food ... I could go on ...

It gets nerve racking to say the least.

Then there's Alien's usual drama. My nerves are on edge.

I've said this before, I'll say it again ... To hell with Calgon, Delta take me away!!

*****

I got a call for a job interview the other day. Gentleman was very friendly, yet professional. However, the job was for a commission only job in Lansing (state's capital, over an hour away). I'm not going to work way out there unless the wages were spectacular ... however, it's so far away that I'd end up losing money going to work. No thanks!!

So away I plug. Eventually something's gotta happen. Right? I just surpassed submitting my one thousandth job application (some duplicate apps are included in this number) - that's over a two and a half year period since I started using a spread sheet to track the apps I submit. This is not counting the calls I get from the online job search companies that I've turned down for whatever reason.

Speaking of commission only jobs, Alien's BF has a job selling meat. Hamburger, steak, sea food, chicken, etc. Commission only - and from the back of a pick-up truck with a freezer tied down in the truck's bed. I hear he's not doing too good.

Now, I like a good deal on the foods I eat, but I'm thinking this is a deal I want to pass up on at all costs. Three bucks per cut of steak ... and all the food poisoning you can get (that's free).

*****

Yesterday was the 18th anniversary of my brother's passing. I did better than I thought I would, but still had my moments. It helped that I had to babysit JJ last night (he's growing sooooo fast!) He was just fussy enough that he didn't sleep like he usually does when he's here, he wanted to be held and rocked. And yes, Gramma spoiled him.

*****

On a funny note ... April Fool's Day went without incidence. However, my little bratty sons planned it that way. They wanted to catch me unprepared. That they did. Rather well.

I was going into the bathroom late at night when water seemed to have fallen from the sky ... icy cold water ... right on the top of my head. I looked up to see a plastic cup balancing from the top of the door (and one laying in a puddle on the floor in the bathroom). They had put not one, but two cups in the hopes of soaking me through and through.

Paybacks are a biiiiiiiiitch. I'm patient, too. When they least expect it ... I will strike. I promise.

*****

Amy, I may need to hide out at your new place for a while. Hehehe ...