First day updates

Guess who was the Student of the Day on her very first day of kindergarten?

Yep, you got it. Apparently she got to be the line leader all day long. Remember when that was a really big deal?

(Actually, judging from the behavior of some adults I've seen at stores, it still is.)

We didn't make it to Sonic yesterday. I had some emergency business to tend to, and when I got finished, it was time to pick her up and I needed to get back to the office. So I got her a Sprite out of the fridge here and sat at our conference table and went over the stuff in her backpack.

The teacher gave out goody bags, with a cute little note ("You're a star in our class" and gave out Starbursts, etc.) She also got a "Backpack Buddy," which was a plastic folder I'm supposed to check every day for papers and send things like ice cream or lunch money back in.

(Because, as she explained to me, she can buy ice cream at lunch, and she expects me to give her ice cream money every day. I did today, but that was just because I happened to have fifty cents handy that I pulled out when we were in line at the school.)

And yes, I saved all the stuff she brought home yesterday like her coloring sheets and the note from the goody bag, because I realized yesterday morning that this called for a scrapbook!

Jason had to put her to bed last night, because we had a county election and I was at the courthouse until midnight to get the results. Fat lot of good it did me, because when I tried to post them to our website, it wouldn't refresh. I called after-hours support, and she was all "I'll bring the issue up at the office in the morning."

And I was all "Yeah, so will I." Well, I didn't say that to her, I said it to my GM Shirley who was up here with me. I don't know if you remember or not, but a few months ago we were having trouble with these people and my publisher sent them half a check with a note that it was proper payment for the half a$$ed service we'd been getting.

He promptly received a call from the hosting company, offering a free month.

They finally got the site refreshed about 30 minutes ago, after we'd gotten several phone calls and emails asking us where our results were.

All that overtime is about to come in handy, though - Anna Marie is going to sign up for ballet, and we have to buy everything from the school so all the students will look uniform. And while the individual items aren't expensive, it all adds up to about $80.

(Oh, and they want her to have her hair in a bun, but that obviously isn't going to be happening.)

(Unless, of course, I get her a weave.)

Oh, I almost forgot - seems Peyton is in her class after all, and they're like best buds. Except that she keeps comparing herself to Peyton ("Peyton has a High School Musical backpack. Peyton brought a juice box today. Can I bring one tomorrow?) Peer pressure already!

Ta Dah!

Presenting one of Senatobia's newest kindergarteners!

Sorry for the not-great picture. I tried taking some in the backyard before we left, but it was so muggy that my lens kept fogging up. The school parking lot was a little better, but by that point she was too distracted.

So, this is the best I could get.

I also realized after we got inside that I should've taken the camera inside, but I didn't because I didn't want to look like one of "those" moms. I could kick myself - I AM one of "those" moms. Who am I kidding? I wouldn't have been the only one with a camera in there!

She was up before her alarm went off, ready to go. Saying "I've been dreaming about this for so long. It's my best day ever!" School didn't start until 7:40, but we left the house at 7:15 so we would have plenty of time to get through traffic and find a parking space.

No problem on either count, even though there is a new middle school on the street that the street in front of her school dead ends into. Guess leaving early helped.

We parked across the street next to a now-unused building (since the new school was built) and walked over. Along with about a bazillion other parents and kids, some carrying nap mats signifying they were also kindergarteners.

Her teacher is the mother of one of her soccer teammates from last year - Abby, the girl with which Anna Marie was going to start the Tate County Pint Size Republican Club. (Her grandfather, the teacher's father-in-law, is the head of the GOP here). Abby, of course, was not in her mother's class. Dayton isn't in there either, and I'm kind of glad - I was afraid that she would hold back from meeting new kids if he was there.

Her Arch Nemesis, Peyton, isn't in there either. I didn't have time to see whose class she is in, except that it isn't her grandmother's.

We put her stuff into her cubby (she has a cubby! With her name on it!) and sat her down at the table where her name was (her name! She has an assigned seat!) There was a coloring sheet there, so I guessed that the kids were expected to color quietly while everyone was arriving.

The teacher remembered us from soccer. As I look back over last fall, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not!

I even got a car pass to pick her up - Jason will have to get one too for the days when it's his turn. Apparently, no pass, no AM.

She sat down at her table, and put on her name tag. Luckily, since the teacher knew us, we didn't have to go into the "she's called both names" stuff. Her name was Anna Marie on everything, right down to the frog on the front door.

My little girl started coloring, like she belonged there or something! I hated to leave - but I knew I had to. I gave her a hug and she gave me a kiss, and I said a little prayer with her, and I left.

And I didn't even cry.

I think it helped to see who her teacher was - knowing that she also has a daughter starting school today, and being somewhat familiar with her.

I can't wait to see her this afternoon and hear how her day went. She was feeling much better this morning, by the way. I did give her a Benadryl, just for good measure. And to keep her calm - hey, maybe that's why she was being so quiet once we got in there!

Maybe we'll go to Sonic after school and get a drink, and have a little chat. Just the two of us.

One! More! Day!

Try saying that title like Captain Kirk. It's pretty funny.

(Yes, it's my birthday, happy birthday to me, blah blah blah, it's been pretty crappy so far, so let's get on to the mommy whining, shall we?)

One more day. Anna Marie keeps saying, "Tomorrow, I'll be in kendragarten."

And no, I'm not misspelling that. That's how she says it. Guess it's an homage to my friend Kendra, purveyor of the finest Girl Scout cookies this side of the Mississippi.

So, yes, tomorrow she's going to school. And next year, I'm either moving to a new district or putting her in the insanely pricey private school here, because her dang allergies are acting up.

Like they do every year.

Like she's sick EVERY year on my birthday. Which is part of the reason today has been mildly crappy. But there isn't a thing in the world I can do about it.

So, I'm moving. Because the schools here start the first week of August. And since my birthday is also the first week of August, and her allergies kick up around my birthday, that makes chances pretty good that she'll be sick when school starts.

And tomorrow is going to be her very first day of school. Ever. Ever.

You only get one of those.

So, we're pumping her full of antihistamines and decongestants and expectorants. Every four hours, even (as I learned in the wee hours of this morning) overnight.

I went to the store last night for lunch box fare - lunch box fare! My kid has a lunch box, and it's in need of fare! - trying to avoid today, when the aisles will surely runneth over with last minute shoppers.

And I went past the school supplies - past, because, gentle readers, I'm done. Have been for a couple of weeks now. DONE.

It's the same giddy feeling I get at Christmas, when I've done my shopping beforehand and I walk past the toy section, and parents and grandparents are wandering around like they're in a daze picking through the remains of the Doras and Diegos and Backyardigans.

(Except this Christmas, they'll also need a lead testing kit.)

School.

Tomorrow.

My kid.

Help!

Movie memories

Ever have one of those birthday celebrations that lasts several days?

Valerie, I know you have!

Well, my birthday isn't until tomorrow, but we got a head start on Friday night.

The Orpheum theater in Memphis has a summer movie series each year. Last year, we went to watch Return of the Thin Man for Amanda's birthday. It's so cool to see those old movies on that huge screen, in that beautiful theater. And all for just $6.

This year, Jason and I met my BFF Marcia and her fiance Luke to watch The Wizard of Oz.

Marcia had to wait for Luke to come from his job (about two hours from Memphis) and told us to go ahead and eat. So we did.

We bought the tickets first - in line behind one of the weather guys from our local CBS station! I played it so cool, and wasn't spastic AT ALL!- and then went to Peabody Place Mall for a slice of pizza.

Peabody Place is like no mall you've (probably) ever seen. It's attached to the Peabody Hotel downtown, and is absolutely beautiful inside. Beceause of its downtown location (and late addition to the area) it's tall and narrow.



They don't have very many stores - it's really pretty much a tourist hangout, since there isn't any free parking attached to it. There is a 22 screen theater which includes a giant screen (I've seen Anchorman and X Men 3 there) and an indoor blacklight-lit neon golf course, not much more.

(Oh, and a Starbucks down in the courtyard, but I didn't get to stop there Friday.)

Then, after Marcia and Luke scarfed down their dinner, we walked back to the Orpheum. I was so glad we'd bought our tickets ahead of time, because there were people everywhere - including her (apparently an employee):



I don't know if you can tell, but she favored Chelsea Clinton an awful lot.

Inside, there was a costume contest. Some of the kids were spot-on, some not so much.



And, look at this cutie pie:



And she didn't even win! What is wrong with these people?

They had a contest for the adults too, but it wasn't as fun because they all either rented their costumes or came as sexed-up versions of the characters.

And Marcia said the Tin Man was creeping her out because he had face paint and everything.

After a Little Rascals short, the movie started.

It was SO MUCH FUN! We sat in the first balcony (maybe called the Mezzanine? I don't know). Luke wanted to throw peanuts, but Marcia put the kabosh on that idea. Really, unless you were seated at the extreme sides, there weren't any bad seats.

It was kind of like what I imagine a Rocky Horror Picture Show viewing is like - lots of audience participation. We sang and clapped along with the songs, and recited lines with the movie, and hissed when the witch appeared.

And we picked apart little things - like when the others come to save Dorothy, and she tells them the hourglass is about to run out, that doesn't mean anything to them - they don't know about the hourglass! And after the witch is gone, when they ask those green guys for the broomstick, he says "Please, and take it with you." Huh? Who asks for something and then leaves it there?

Guess that's how they do things in the Merry Old Land of Oz.

And one final picture, which should've been taken at the beginning of the evening and not the end (because it isn't the best picture of either of us, and I'm not quite sure why I'm even posting it, except that it feels kind of obligatory):



One final question, posed by Luke: there were two roads, one yellow brick and one red brick. Where did the red brick road lead?

Official Thursday Weigh-In

That "Thursday" should be in quotation marks, because, of course, it's Friday.

Last night I had to cover a school board meeting, and then I came back to the office to help sort out some issues with the tax sale list (you know, the one where if you don't pay your taxes, they run your name and property in the paper, and then they sell it?) And didn't get home until 10:30.

Because, gentle readers, in our county, while the tax collector's office uses computers to keep up with their records, they REFUSE to put those records onto a disk for us. And we had to scan in the pages. All 109 of them.

Twice, because we couldn't get the first batch to work. And the second time, there were three of us scanning.

But anyway.

I'm not sure what the point is of me even weighing in, because once again, I DIDN'T LOSE A THING!

(AND YES, I AM WELL AWARE THAT I'M SCREAMING!)

That's a solid four weeks now of 159. It's almost like my body is rebelling.

Ugh!

Can you read what this cake says?

Click photo to enbiggen.

I guess when you bake your own birthday cake, you can write whatever the heck you feel like on it.

What did we do before order tracking?

I mean, seriously.

Remember the"wait four-to-six weeks for delivery" message you used to hear whenever you saw an ad for something mailorder?

(Along with "no C.O.Ds? Because, really, who is going to trust someone to pay for something AFTER it's been shipped halfway cross country? Not me.)

I ordered Anna Marie a backback from LL Bean last week. Not because I'm too good for a Walmart pack. But because 1. I don't want to get into a fight with her about which character she wants, which is going to change next week anyway, and she'll be stuck with Spiderman when she really wanted Dora, GOD!, and 2. If I'm spending the money, I'd rather spend a few dollars more (in this case about $10 after shipping, and that's for the cheap ones) and get one she can use for more than this year.
And that won't look like c.r.a.p. (that's me spelling that word, because my mom always spells it - and when a friend of mine tried the same tactic with her family, it came out "c.a.r.p." and they were all like, "Carp? Really? This is a bunch of fish?" But anyway.)

Besides all that, most of the ones in the stores are way too big for her, and this is a "junior" size. (Everyone say "Awww!")

But, I ordered it Thursday night. And it left Maine Friday and traveled to Connecticut. And that was all I knew until Monday, when it got to Memphis. (Where, as you know, lives the FedEx headquarters.) So I thought, "Oh, it got to Memphis early Monday morning. It should come down here Tuesday."

Nope.

And while we're at it, no, this isn't the "Absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight" division of FedEx. It's the "We needed to compete with UPS" division.

But! But! I checked today, and it's "Out for delivery." They couldn't send it directly here from Memphis (and truth be told, it's only about 40 minutes from here, I could've just driven up there MY SELF) but they had to send it to Olive Branch - home to my BFF Marcia, and also apparently a mini-hub.

It's the same distance from here as the Memphis airport. Go figure.

No, I didn't get her name embroidered on it, because 1. I'm cheap like that, and 2. I figured if anyone else needed it passed down (a friend or a cousin, since I obviously don't plan on having any more kids if I can help it - no paid maternity leave and no insurance, hello!) it would help if it didn't say "AMT" on it.

It's green, as you can tell from the picture. (As is the lunchbox that my GM bought her from Lands End. Oh, the preppy-ness!) She's been on a major green kick the last couple of years, which I'm thinking is because Dayton (the babysitter's kid) is so very into green.

Which is natural for him, because his birthday is March 17.

My baby is starting school in less than a week, y'all.

Hold me.

Happy Birthday Amanda!

She is totally going to kill me for dredging up this picture from last summer. Especially since she donated her hair to Locks of Love and got a cute haircut in return.

Problem is, she's always behind the camera. Never in front of it. So, not many pictures of her exist.

Like the Loch Ness Monster. Or Bigfoot. Only she's a better baker. And, of course, she isn't a monster.

Oh, what's this? Something I found in an old email? Tee hee!



She's one of the most giving, loving people I've ever met. She'll do anything for anyone.

And the sad part is, from what I can tell, there are those in her circle who don't appreciate her. Take advantage, in fact.

But she keeps on doing and loving anyway.

Because that's the kind of person she is.

She's filling in at the paper this month, not because she needs the money (which she probably does) or because she loved working here so much (which she definitely didn't.) She's here to help me and the GM, Shirley, because she knows what a strain it would be on us without the regular graphic artist here.

She loves to bake birthday cakes - in fact, she's made herself one this year. Strawberry. MMMM!

And she's making me a Boston creme pie for mine next week (did I mention, we're exacty three years and 51 weeks apart?), because she's got a new recipe she wants to try out. Even though I've never eaten BCP, I'm sure it'll be delicious. And vegan. And not-at-all points friendly.

For her birthday this year, I secured an official coach's notebook. From the coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. Autographed by the Grizzlies.

Yep. Those Grizzlies. I had to fight a little old lady for it. (No, really, I did. And seeing my obvious superiority, she gave up.) And if I see it on ebay, I'm gonna kill her.

Amanda's had a dream for years to go to England. So she saved her money, quit her job, and went.

Just like that. Like it was just that easy to go to the other side of the world, all by yourself.

She's the best Aunt Manda in the world. And Anna Marie should know - she's got two of them.

Everyone needs an Aunt Manda.

She's such a great Aunt Manda, that as soon as she found out I was pregnant with Anna Marie, (and we lived 500 miles apart) she started trying to figure out how to be with us when the kid was born. So she spent nearly a year with us, going to school at the University of South Carolina at Aiken. And all she ended up with from the experience was $6,000 in student debt.

And the first year of Anna Marie's life. Totally worth it in her book - being there in the room when her first (and so far only) neice was born. Being able to take the baby's very first photograph, in which the 15-minute-old looked straight into the camera lens. It was love at first sight for both of them.

It was Amanda, not me, who chronicled Anna Marie's first year of life in pictures. Without her, I wouldn't have a completed first-year scrapbook, but a bunch of empty pages. Because I was in no shape that whole year to do anything constructive.

I'm sorry about all the time I wasted, when we were younger, being awful to her. And the occasional awful moment we have now. I'm just glad that we've been able to have a relationship as adults.

Because my sister is one of the coolest people I know.

Man, I love having Amanda back in my office!

Amanda has been working up here at the paper for the past couple of weeks, filling in for her replacement who is out on maternity leave.

And she's (if you read her comment on my Dr. Who post, you know this) a huge David Tennant fan.

And even if you don't watch the show, I think you'll find this little clip funny.



At least I hope you will.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

I now declare that the month of July 2007 will forever be known hereafter as:

The Month of 159.

You know, like on Rudolph's Shiny New Year, when they go to the Archipelago of Old Years (or something like that) and there is someone on each island named after the year - like "Old 10-2-9" for the year 1029.

You get the picture.

Anyway, if I remember correctly, three weeks is the longest plateau I've seen in the nearly two years (two years!) I've been on this "journey."

Except maybe instead of a "journey," I should call it a "rest stop."

My husband has turned me into a SciFi geek.

And I'm not afraid to admit it.

Well, maybe I am. Just a little.

While we were dating and first married, he would talk on and on about a show called "Doctor Who." It came on his local PBS affiliate when he was growing up, and he thought it was the best show EVER.

So, after we got married, I got him a gift certificate to ebay for some occasion (which I'd forgotten and needed something quickfastinahurry) and he used it to buy a DVD.

A Doctor Who DVD.

He explained that there had been many, many Doctors over the last 40 years or so. This disk starred Tom Baker, who was Jason's favorite.

I didn't really see the appeal. It was cheesy. It was lame. It had poor production values.

He continued to build his Tom Baker collection through different DVD clubs.

Then, the BBC brought it back. In England. Not here.

Jason actually wrote the BBC, to ask why we couldn't get any of their channels on our satellite service. They (the cheeky monkeys) responded that they gave us BBC America. Wasn't that good enough?

No, apparently. Not for my husband. He was distraught.

Then, the SciFi channel (maybe one of Jason's favorite channels, beloved for their movies about overgrown insects and lab-mistake reptiles) started showing the new series.

I was marginally interested. It starred Christopher Eccleston.

I thought he was the best. I hoped they'd keep him for a while.

Then, there was a situation and they needed a new doctor. Enter David Tennant.

I am now officially hooked.

SciFi has just started showing the second season with him as The Doctor. I hadn't seen the season finale, so I was unsure what had happened to his companion Rose.

(Oh, did I mention her? She was delightful too. Apparently one in a long line of female companions. Possibly there for the 45-year-old men who live in their mom's basement and attend SciFi conventions.)

So, Netflix to the rescue. I just finished the two-part season finale. (Yes, I'm at work. I can multi-task. Just don't tell The Man.)

Ohmanohmanohman. Those are probably two of the best written episodes of television I've ever seen.

Keep in mind, I'm not a big devotee of any particular show. Except The Office. And My Name is Earl. And Ugly Betty.

(Good thing we have a DVR, as all three of my favorite shows are on simultaneously.)

And now, apparently, Doctor Who.

I hear that BBC America is now showing last season (Tennant's first). I highly recommend watching. (Did I just do that? Did I just tell someone to watch a science fiction show?)

What hath Jason wrought?

My first mosaic

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Not spectacular - just some pictures I took at the family reunion nearly a month ago.

So I'm behind on both the whole mosaic movement, and the reunion pictures.

Two for two!

I got carded this morning

Was it for cigarettes? Nope, I don't smoke.

Alcohol? Nope, we live in a "dry county."

It was for Dimetapp.

The world is getting pretty bad when you can't even buy grape flavored medicine for your kid without having to show ID.

I got a call at a few-minutes-till-six this morning, from our presses in Grenada. There was a minor problem with a couple of the pages that were sent down Friday, and even though they aren't my responsibility, I live closest to the paper so I get the call.

I told Jason we're moving back out to the county.

Anyway, I fixed one problem, told the press that I couldn't fix the other problem, and decided to run to WalMart. Because I needed a Coke Zero.

At 6:30 a.m.

Coke. It's not just for breakfast anymore.

While I was in there, I picked up some mousse, and some Tylenol Sinus for me (because I've been a walking sinus monster the last week, inner ear trouble and all) and some Dimetapp for Anna Marie.

Because she gets sick every year this time, and this year I'd really like to avoid a visit to the doctor.

Anyway.

So I go to check out, and I get asked for ID. I can't figure out what for, and then I see - Anna Marie's medicine. They've already put all the good stuff behind the pharmacy counter. What could possibly be in this stuff that I'd need carded for?

I guess they've made imitation grape flavoring illegal now. Maybe there are people cooking up fake Welch's Grape Juice in labs or something.

Maybe I'm in the wrong business.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

159.

Again.

I'm at 159 again.

Well, I suppose - no, I know! - that's better than a gain. Not as good as a loss, but better than a gain.

Much better.

How are y'all doing?

The countdown begins

Three weeks and counting.

Three weeks until Anna Marie starts school.

I think it's finally hitting me.

I don't know why this is such a big deal for me. It isn't like I'm with her 24/7 (like I was the first year of her life). I get up and leave her for 8 or more hours per day.

Granted, most days I see her for lunch, so it's just a couple of four-hour stints. But still.

Mom says it's because now, I know pretty much how her day goes. She's either with Jason or Ms. Kim the babysitter. I know who she's around, and I know (basically) what she's doing.

In three weeks, that won't be the case. Oh, sure, I'll know where she is - over at the elementary school. And after the first day of school, I'll know who her teacher is (I know most of the kindergarten teachers already, along with the principal and the school secretary, and several other staff members). But I won't know what kinds of situations she's being faced with, and I won't know (until later at least) what her reactions to those situations will be.

Make sense? Kind of? No?

For instance - if she is at the babysitter's house, and Dayton (the sitter's five year old son) is mean to her, I know she can tell his mom and he'll be punished. It won't be that cut-and-dried at school, and there will be more kids for her to deal with at once.

I lay in bed last night, worrying what to pack in her lunch on the first day. Seriously. I would probably be worrying much more about her clothes, but mom bought her an outfit last week. And call me a bad mom, but I'm not investing much in new school clothes right now. It's still hot as blazes, so it doesn't make sense to buy a bunch of pants and sweaters. And it doesn't make sense to buy a bunch of shorts (what's left in the stores, anyway) because in a few weeks it'll be pants weather. So she'll be wearing the same clothes she's been wearing this summer - except for the shorty shorts, because I really don't think those are school appropriate.

And the other thing that's got me up nights - on the first day of school, where am I going to park to take her in the building? There really isn't much parking at all, and I know I'm not the only mom who'll be escorting their little one in that morning.

I'm thinking about parking around the corner at a church and walking across the street. I know she might not like it, but I don't see much alternative.

On the other hand, we will have lots of school supplies to carry. Oh my goodness - that list is ridiculous. Dry erase markers? Really? Like she's going to be the one using those? I think not.

Jason actually doesn't want to buy them, but I refuse to send my kid to school on the first day without everything on that list. Every.last.thing.

(That's a self-esteem thing, because as a kid we always struggled to buy our school supplies and I don't want others to think I didn't buy the markers because I couldn't afford them. Yes, I have issues.)

Here's another thing compounding her first day - it's the first Tuesday, which means I have a meeting at 5:00 p.m. It's also election day here in the county, so as soon as I get her tucked into bed I'll have to go to the courthouse and wait for primary results.

And! And! I got a call from the babysitter last week, saying that she was taking a full-time job after the kids (Dayton is her youngest) start school, so she won't be able to get Anna Marie on auction days. I don't know what she's going to do with Dayton (probably leave him at home with his 12-year-old sister), but now I have to come up with alternative childcare plans for one or two days a week.

It's all too much to digest. The school-starting, the parking, the lunch, the alternative childcare - just too much.

Somebody give me some sleeping pills and wake me in about a month.

After the first day of school.

Dang, am I tired.

What a weekend.

Y'all, we had a yard sale Saturday. Seriously.

If any of you had been in the North Mississippi area, you could've had some of my stuff! And some of my mom's!

And some free lemonade (TIPS ARE APPRECIATED!) from Anna Marie. (She made about a buck. Not many takers, and not many tippers.)

(And we even tried to sell the Amazing Technicolor Dream Van, but the battery was dead. So Jason boosted it off to get it to the front of the house. And then when we went to move it again, the battery was dead again. And he flooded it trying to get it boosted again. So he just pushed it back into the back yard.)

In case you didn't know, yard sales are lots of work. And since I'd been at home by myself for most of the past week, I wisely left most of that work until Jason got home.

Because no way was I squandering my precious alone time on yard sale work. I can do that with the two of them at home. I can't veg out on the couch with them here.

We set the sale for 8 a.m. I got up at 6 a.m. to start setting up.

People were here by 6:30. It was crazy. And a little annoying.

We sold a good bit of stuff, but not some of the bigger stuff we'd hoped for - like Jason's massive computer desk. Because he doesn't need such a big one. Because he bought two flat-panel monitors to replace the big, clunky monitors he'd had.

(And that was the impetus for the sale - to make enough to pay for the monitors. We got about 1/3 of the way there.)

That desk is so heavy, I almost would've given it away to keep from having to take it back into the house. We got it for free from my office when we got new furniture a couple of years ago. It's a regular office desk, and God only knows how much was paid for it.

And now, there is a wide expanse of space between the edge and those monitors. And I know, I just know, that soon it will be cluttered. And I'd rather have a smaller desk, so that there will be less expanse to clutter.

And did you realize, did you realize, that after a yard sale, you have to take that stuff you didn't sell and do something with it? Like put it back into your house? Crazy.

I needed Neicy from Clean House to tell us to put it on a charity truck. If we had charity trucks in Senatobia. Which we don't. We have charity, but you have to truck it over there yourself.

On the bright side, the office is the cleanest room in the house right now. Probably because everything that usually makes it cluttered is in MY DINING ROOM.

But, before I put Anna Marie to bed last night - because, did I mention, she has to get on a schedule because school starts in three weeks? And I'm panicking at the thought of that? - Jason told her that they were going to get serious about cleaning the house today.

And she had the nerve to ask, "Why?"

Because if they don't, we won't be able to find our way out of the house to take her to school.

Which might not be such a bad thing after all.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Slow ride. Take it easy.

No, I don't know the name and/or artist associated with that song. It's just stuck in my head.

Possibly because that's what my weight loss has been - a slow ride.

This week, I didn't lose anything. Anything measurable, at least.

And that's OK. Because you know what I did this week? Treated myself to some YUMMY Sara Lee Lemon Ice Box Pie at the auction as my reward for getting up at the crack of dawn and putting up with rude, ungreatful people.

(Who don't appreciate a full meal [entree, vegetables, bread, dessert, drink, salad bar] for $2. Because that's what the employees pay. Two bucks. And then they complain that they get there 15 minutes before we shut the line down and we haven't made more of whatever-the-heck it is they want.)

(Gah - this has to be the LONGEST Official Thursday Weigh-In post ever.)

So, 159. Again.

Not a problem. Nosiree Bob. Not a problem at all.

Happy anniversary

To us!

That was Jason and me, nine years ago today.

Dumb, I mean, young and in love, as the saying goes.

We haven't been in the same vicinity on July 11 for four years now. He's always in South Carolina working. He called me early this morning to wish me a happy anniversary.

Interesting fact: the church where we were married doesn't exist anymore. It was a brand spankin' new building (just opened the week before) when we got hitched. A year or two later, it was falling down around the congregation and the powers-that-be ended up condemning it.

So, they sold the land and built another building a few miles away. I haven't been there, but I hear that they saved that gorgeous stained glass window you see in our picture. It was just installed the day before our wedding. Handmade by two little old ladies.

My mother and I spent a couple of (really, really) hot days seeding the grounds around the church, because the city wouldn't clear it to open unless it was "landscaped." My dad borrowed a tractor to till the ground to get it ready.

And why, you may ask, was the church so poorly constructed?

Ah, the beauty of church politics.

There was an older man who was a contractor. He was also one of the main contributors to the church. So, when the time came to build, they let him have the job.

The congregation had plenty of money to build with, from the sale of their previous property. But, this guy messed so much up, they had to borrow nearly $100,000 from their denomination to finish the work. And, it took twice as long, because this guy basically did all the work himself. He didn't trust anyone else, and he was an EXTREME racist. So even if he did trust someone, unless the person "looked like him" he wouldn't hire them.

And did the church get to sue him for his shoddy workmanship? No, because by that point he was dead.

Anyway, I guess the church served its purpose, for us anyway. It's funny to think that even at nine years, our marriage has outlasted this structure. We drive down the road it was on now, still a vacant lot standing there, and tell Anna Marie that was the spot where it all began.

An overgrown concrete slab and what's left of a parking lot.

You gotta have friends

Man, I have the best blogging friends in the whole wide world.

In fact, one of them sent me this nifty gift today. Even the envelope was fancy schmancy!

It now occupies a place of honor in my office, on my windowsill.

(Yes, I have a windowsill in my office. My publisher's father, the elder Mr. Lee, used to use this room as his office. He died of a heart attack at his desk, and no one found him for several hours because the door was closed. Now, this office and the one next to it that used to be for our editor both have windows. Can't take a chance like that again, now can we?)

I could only hope to be so creative. And good thing it came today, because tomorrow I'm pretending to be Jason and working at the auction.

Beginning at 5:00 a.m., which means I have to leave my house about 4:00 a.m. or so.

Which also means I'd best be getting to bed.

Computer withdrawals

I'm going through the DTs. For my computer.

(Yes, I'm online now, but it's just because my sister came over to borrow our high-speed and left my mom's laptop here until tomorrow. Awfully nice, since she does have a desktop at home.)

Jason and Anna Marie are at South Carolina. And along with half our towels, he took both our computers!

And Scrapbookpalooza, this weekend has not been.

They left Thursday morning. Thursday night, Amanda came over and spent the night, and we watched Love, Actually. There were some, um, unexpected scenes in there.

Yeah.

Friday night I had to work, because the city school board didn't have enough members to meet Thursday night. We were out of there after about 30 minutes, but I was a bit peeved to have another couple of hours of my weekend whittled away.

I came home and ate dinner while watching The Royal Tennenbaums. Excellent movie.

(Yeah, I'm way behind in my movie viewing. It gets hard to find something that doesn't involve computer animation or talking animals when the other two are around.)

I hadn't planned on going to the family reunion yesterday, but I did. And I had to get up at 6:00 a.m. to do it, so I could ride in the same convoy as the Aunt Who Is In Charge Of All Things Familial.

Which also meant I had to help set up and take down the food. And that I was exhausted when I got home last night, and only had enough energy to make a couple of fat free Ball Park franks on the George Foreman and veg out.

And I took pictures, but Jason also took the card reader. I'll have to wait until I get back to work. The horror!

More vegging today, too, as Amanda came over after church and made us Sushi and we watched a Mystery Science Theater 3000 from Netflix. Giant Spider Invasion. Pretty horrific - horrifically bad.

I have barely moved off the couch all day. And now, I finally have computer access to catch up on teh intarwebs.

At least until I go to work tomorrow.

Official Thursday Weigh In

Well, since Jason and AM left yesterday morning (and took both computers!) I've had to wait until now, Friday morning, and borrow my sister's (really my mom's that she borrowed) laptop. It was otherwise occupied by Amanda last night, and I didn't stay up late enough to wait my turn.

Anyway.

I broke the 150's this week! I lost another pound, taking me down to 159!

I guess almost suffering a heat stroke burns lots of calories!

A 5-Star Update

(And you might be wondering why it's called the 5-Star Races. It's because Senatobia used to be known as the 5-Star City, those stars being Industry, Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Education. Spells "I CARE." Clever, no?)

Anyway.

I was really useless for most of Saturday. I took a nap and everything, and Sunday my rear end hurt, along with my shins.

On Monday, Shirley, the president of the Optimist Club (sponsor of the race) and my co-worker, asked how I did. I told her that I'd gotten sick from the heat and had to stop, and she said there were more people complaining about the heat this year than ever before.

And the walk doesn't start until after 7:00 p.m., if that's any indication of how hot Mississippi is at the end of June.

So, I wasn't imagining things - it really was dangerously hot. I'm not crazy!

Did you notice AM's new glasses in the picture at the top of this post? They're Barbie brand, and I like them muchly. I'm also hopeful that they won't get bent as easily as the wire rimmed pair.

Here she is again, doing some strange pre-race ritual. Next to her in line is her Arch Nemesis, Peyton. With her dad. And I found out this week that the whole family runs on a regular basis.



Suckers.

And here is the picture my loving husband took of me, starting the race. Don't I look fly, in that bandanna? I forgot to bring a hair barrette to hold my locks back, and I found the bandanna in the car so I put it on.



(Click the picture to enbiggen. I think.)

(Incidentally, that fabric may have contributed to my overheating, by slowing down the heat exiting my head. Possibly. Maybe. That's my scientific assessment.)

I guess it goes to show, no matter how fly you look, it doesn't do a bit of good if your insides are cooking.

Quitters never win

Did you know that?

I figured it out last night.

We had our Five Star Races. Mom came down to see Anna Marie run - actually, she was AM's "target." It's her last year in the Toddler Races, and next year she'll be outside running 1/2 mile against bigger kids.

My baby!

Anyway, I'm glad they left right after her race. Because I wouldn't have wanted my daughter to be around to see how I did.

Let me explain the event I was entered in: a two-mile walk, all around a (very, very hilly) college campus. They couldn't find a straight stretch for us. No. There's even a perfectly good walking track right behind the coliseum where we started. That would be too easy.

And Lawd, was it hot. Did I mention the heat? Very important, that.

About 1/2 way through, I started getting some horrible cramps all through my torso. Like, I could barely walk horrible.

I stopped for a minute or so to see if the cramps subsided. They didn't. But I kept going anyway.

Then, the headache started. Again I stopped, and my legs felt like they were going to fall from under me.

Still, I kept going.

About 3/4 of the way through, I started feeling nauseas. I asked one of the course workers how much further and she thought about half a mile.

I couldn't do it, y'all. I went back to the starting/finish line, where Jason was waiting with my camera.

I thought I was going to pass out. I was over heated.

Never in my life have I felt so badly, both physically and psychologically. I almost started crying as I sat in the lobby, trying to drink some water.

My Weight Watchers leader, Carolyn, came in. (She, by the way, won the Grand Master, meaning she's the fastest old lady there! No kidding!) She told me that it was OK I didn't finish, especially if there was a chance I'd have ended up in the ER.

That would've been especially bad considering I'm one of the uninsured.

I called my mom and told her. I didn't want Anna Marie to be disappointed, but mom said she was happy because she FINALLY had stinky feet.

You read that right. She was excited about having stinky feet she could smell.

And no, she didn't win her race. That honor, of course, went to Peyton, her arch nemesis. And who will also be starting the same school as her in the fall, as she lives around the corner next door to her grandparents - her grandmother who is a kindergarten teacher at the school, and her grandfather who is a retired judge.

And did I mention her dad is the president of a bank branch in our county? And she's blonde? I see a "most popular girl in school" in the making.

Anyway. I'm not bitter.

I don't know what went wrong last night - I tried to drink plenty of water through the day, and I ate a turkey sandwich about two hours before the race. Last year I did so great, I even won a trophy for third place in my age group.

(Know who one first in my age group last year and this year? Peyton's mom! How's that for irony?)

Even this morning, my legs are weak. And that's after just a mile and a half!

Next year, though, will be different. I think. I'm going to train better, and maybe drink some water closer to race time.

And hopefully not get overheated and have to quit.

Official Thursday Weigh-In

This post can also be titled "Deja Vu," because I've been here before.

160 pounds this week, down three pounds from my last weigh in (which was, if you recall, two weeks ago due to our little eastward jaunt). And 77 pounds total.

I really, really hope this is the end of the roller coaster of the past few weeks. I had a similar thing going on back in October.

I realized tonight that it's taken me roughly a year to lose 27 pounds, and that's kind of disheartening. Especially since it took me less than a year to lose the first 50. I guess it's that thing where the more you need to lose, the easier it is, yada, yada, yada.

On another note, I have once again signed up for our town's Five Star Races tomorrow night. Anna Marie will be running in the 5-year-old toddler race, and I'll be participating in the two-mile walk. It took me about 33 minutes last year, partly due to me not remembering to double-knot my shoes and having to stop about three times to tie them.

Because I didn't learn the first time.

I haven't had time to "train" much the past week or so, which makes me a wee bit nervous.

At least I'll get a cool T-Shirt out of the deal.

World of Coke, Part Deux

Am I the only one who finds this guy just slightly creepy?

This was apparently one of the original soda fountains to serve Coke.

Guess they found the original soda jerk and bronzed him too.

Moving on.



This was in the Coke museum. It was a capping machine, from when workers had to manually cap the bottles. Like several other things in the room, it was interactive - Jason, Anna Marie, and I all took turns trying the foot pedal.

Those bottle cappers must've had killer calves!



This exhibit was supposed to simulate a living room, where someone could watch - wait for it, wait for it - American Idol! I know, how clever and original!

The picture was taken by one of the many hovering WOC employees. You'll notice Anna Marie still wearing the 3-D glasses from the 4-D theater we'd just left, after having our faces misted and the wind run through our hair and our backs poked by imaginary dragonflies.

Good times.



This was the "New Coke" exhibit. There was a looped video explaining the rise and fall of the ill-fated beverage.

(On a slightly-related note, I remember the first time I tasted "New Coke." Probably the only time I tasted it. My dad drove us to Memphis to this little convenience store where it was sold. We were not impressed. And apparently neither was anyone else.)


Next up: Anna Marie's favorite part (other than the Nintendo Wii in the gift shop).

World of Coke Part I

(So named because I figured out that I'd taken way too many pictures for Blogger to let me upload on one post.)

For instance:

The look of anticipation as we waited for Jason to finalize our tickets.



The ginormous Coke bottles in the foyer, in front of which an employee took a picture of us for our purchase later. Until later, when we discovered that picture costs $19.99.



And the entryway, filled with Coke memorabilia, where we waited for the first movie ("The Happiness Factory" or something like that) to begin. Luckily, we went first thing in the morning (8 a.m.!) so there was only us and a couple from Wisconsin. The bad part was, with such a low staffer-to-guest ratio, they tended to hover.




More to come!

An iPod meme

Borrowed this from Susie Q.

(And it's been in my drafts for about two weeks. Sorry Susie. I'm bringing it out now because I'm leaving for Georgia in the morning, and I don't know how long it'll be before I can get back online. Except for Saturday night, because I'm having to miss our state's press convention for this wedding, and I've won something, and I have to wait until then to see it posted since I'm missing the awards luncheon.)

(But anyway.)

Know what? It's harder than it looks, folks.

INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Put your music player on shuffle. 2. Press forward for each question. 3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense. NO CHEATING!

How do you feel today? Grey - Barlowgirl

(Not today, so much)

What's your outlook on life? Diverse City - Tobymac

(Why, I guess if you looked at my music library, it might be called "Diverse City" so I guess my outlook may be too.)

What does your family think of you? Take it to the Streets - Matt Redmon

(Well, I guess I know when I'm not wanted!)

What do your friends think of you? Jingle Bells - Jaymz Bee & Royal Jelly

(I honestly have NO idea where that song came from!)

What do your exes think of you? This Week the Trend - Relient K

(Know what? I don't have any exes! Jason is it! How's that for a trend?)

How's your love life? Breathe - Anna Nalick

(Guess I need to relax?)

How will your love life be in the future? One Girl Revolution - Superchic(k)

(Ok, I don't like the sound of that one!)

Will you get married? Go Power at Christmastime - James Brown

(Is that all it takes to snag a man - go power?)

Are you good at school? Let Your Voice, Becky Cruse

(Why, yes, I do talk a lot, even in school)

Will you be successful? She Walked Away - Barlowgirl

(Guess that question was too hard for her!)

What song should they play on your birthday? The Weight - Aretha Franklin

(Oh, uh uh. That's not the least bit funny!)

The Soundtrack of your life? O Holy Night - Truth

(I do spend a good deal of time at church!)

You and your best friends are? All I want for Christmas (is to get crunk) - Dirty Boyz

(Ok, Amanda gave me this one from her iTunes. Honest!)

Are we crying because we are sad or because we are laughing so hard?

Happy times: I Don't Know - Third Day

(Sometimes, I don't know, I think we have to laugh to keep from crying.)

Sad times: Just Between You and Me - DC Talk

(I've had some sad talks that began with that phrase!)

Every day: He is Exalted - Shane and Shane

(Good plan, don't you think?)

For tomorrow: Look Away - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

(Is it that bad, that we have to look away?)

For you: Jingle Bells - Smokey Robinson

(I'm not that big a fan of that song, it's just on a lot of Christmas CDs!)

What does next year have in store for you? Rise Up - Third Day

(Cool! I can agree with that!)

What do you say when life gets too hard? Entertaining Angels - Newsboys

(That's what I need - more angels like y'all in my life!)

What song will you dance to at your wedding? Down in my Heart - Veggie Tales

(I happen to have some of Anna Marie's CDs loaded on my iPod - but the title sounds like a good wedding song!)

What do you want as your career? Bridge Over Troubled Water - Aretha Franklin

(A bridge builder! Cool!)

Your favorite saying: All Around the World

(I'm destined to be a world traveler, I knew it!)

How will you die? Frodo - Flight of the Conchords

(Not quite sure to make of that one!)

Phew! Glad that's over! Now it's your turn!

Day late, meet dollar short

Man, it's the story of my life.

Happy Belated Father's Day. I don't know what it is about Sundays (actually, I do - I'm at home, having to fight the two red heads for computer time) but I can't seem to post.

Anna Marie got very personal with her gift - when I suggested on Saturday afternoon that she make her dad a card (tatmount to the resplendant one given to me on Mother's Day) she whispered "Disneychannel.com/fathersday."

Yes, she said the word "slash."

We went to the site, while her dad was distracted in another room, and she made a card, a certificate, a piece of "stationary" and a bookmark. All containing the likenesses of her favorite Disney Channel stars, naturally.

When printed, they needed to be cut out. She didn't.

She handed them to him yesterday morning, and said, "Here is a card. You need to cut it out. Here is a bookmark. You need to cut it out."

And so on.

After church, we went to Aunt Debi's house, so she could get started hemming Jason's suit pants (you know, the black suit he had to buy, to be an usher in his sister's wedding? The one where he's going to be the only usher, because the other guy they asked didn't have a black suit that fit? Like Jason didn't, except he went out and bought one?)

She and Anna Marie at some point found a bowl that one of them imagined looked like a crown.

Then, they got out some of my aunt's old evening dresses.

Hilarity ensued.










Anna Marie is convinced that to be a monarch, you have to look menacing.

On another note, we were informed today (three days late, mind you) that because Anna Marie had new insurance, she could either get just the new lens for her left eye, or she could get a whole new pair of glasses. Being the college-educated folks that we are, Jason and I opted for the new glasses.

(We are planning, also, to buy a new left lens out of our own pocket, so that we still have the pink butterfly glasses as a backup pair. Just so you know.)

In a week or so, you'll be seeing the new look. I took a picture with my camera phone, but at the time she wasn't digging the new specs, so she looks rather sour.

Not a good look, even on her.

Having just dropped Anna Marie off at her hairdresser's church for Vacation Bible School, I'm back at work now to get a little more done. We're leaving later this week, and I not only have to get my regular work done, but a special section as well, in three days time.

Guess I'd better get on it.

I've been tagged! I've been tagged!

Well, I've been tagged. By Valerie. Is anyone surprised?

Kidding, Valerie!

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so:

These Are The Days

Steff

College

Random Thoughts

Melz World

Next, select five people to tag:
Sheila
Susie Q
Lissete
Heather
Paige

What were you doing 10 years ago?
About to enter my senior year of college, and being "engaged to be engaged" (i.e., everyone knew except his mom, and I had no ring.)

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Doing our busy summer special edition season with no intern, thanks to some "magic brownies" and a failed drug test.

Five Snacks You Enjoy:
dark chocolate
grape tomatoes
yogurt
black bean salsa
string cheese

Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics To:
Border Song - Aretha Franklin's version (sorry, Elton, hers is better)
Blue Skies - Frank Sinatra
Philosophy - Ben Folds Five
Jenny - Flight of the Conchords
Boomin' - TobyMac
And lots, lots more.

Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire:
Quit my job
Fix some problems for my mom
Take Anna Marie to the beach
Buy Jason a new truck
Buy a house

Five Bad Habits:
Biting my nails
Twiddling my thumbs
Tapping my fingers
Biting my lip
Spending too much time on the internet

Five Things You Like To Do:
write
read
scrapbook/do crafty things
hang with the Husband
hang with Anna Marie

Five Things You Would Never Wear Again:
leggings
tunic tops (for the leggings, natch)
shorts
horizontal stripes
gauchos (but I never wore those in the first place)

Five Favorite Toys:
my camera
my iPod
the laptop
the Internet
dvds

Your turn now!

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Man, I did so much right this week.

And then, my Aunt Flo came a callin'.

(Not to be confused with Jason's Aunt Grace, who lives in South Carolina but called today to say that she and his uncle Mac were dropping by. To our house. In Mississippi. And my house was a wreck. Good thing no one looked in the closets or under the beds.)

Back to my point.

Some weeks, you can do everything right, and then something like that happens (Aunt Flo, or Aunt Grace, or both, coming over) and it's blown to smithereens.

I gained two pounds this week! I was so hoping to get to an even 80 lbs. by the time we went to my sister-in-law's wedding (which, did I mention, she called and asked if I could take the pictures for? Next week? Me, who has never taken wedding pictures?) But, I'm here at 163, meaning only 74 pounds lost.

And next week, no Official Thursday Weigh In, because we'll be on the road. (Because did I mention, she also asked Jason to usher, and he had to go buy a black suit because he doesn't wear suits to church anymore? And NO, I'm probably not getting a new dress, because he got a new suit and we have buy the gas to drive halfway across the country?)

But anyway.

It's going to drive me crazy, this not knowing where I stand for two weeks, much like it does at Thanksgiving. I haven't missed a weigh-in (except for holidays) since I started over a year and a half ago.

Good news is, maybe I'll have a bigger loss in two weeks.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

The eyes have it

A cataract, that is.

But not in the traditional sense. No, Anna Marie never does anything like other folks!

Her lens is clear, unlike most cataracts where the lens becomes cloudy. She has a bubble on her left lens, which is distorting her vision. Apparently any defect in the lens is called a cataract. And she was apparently born with it.

She can't see very much at all in her left eye without using the right one too - which causes the right eye to overcompensate.

So, she will have "therapy" of sorts, until her eyes finish developing (about three more years or so). She has to get a stronger lens in the left side, and wear a patch on the right side to cause the left eye to learn to focus. The patch only has to stay on for 2-3 hours a day, and she can put it on after school once that starts.

All things considered, it's not that bad. There won't be any surgery, because the lens is clear. She only has to wear the patch for two or three hours, and during one of those hours she needs to do "close work" like reading, drawing, or playing on the computer.

I want to thank all of your for your prayer the last few days. Y'all are great. No, really, you're too modest. I love y'all!

And for the patch - my friend Marcia said she could now be known as Captain Anna Marie Sparrow.

I think she'd like that very much.

A little comic relief

From my mates Jermaine and Bret.



I downloaded the full first episode of the Flight of the Conchords new HBO show from iTunes yesterday (it's a podcast.) I'm so sad that I don't have HBO, but if they'll offer the episodes on iTunes, I'd definitely spring a buck ninety-nine to see these guys.

And maybe I could pay for it by being a part-time model.

And the winner is . . .

Sheila!

Anna Marie pulled her name out of her very own handmade Cat in the Hat hat.

Ok, Sheila - email me your address, and I'll get your Really Cool Prize from the First Annual Melz World Really Cool Prize Giveaway on its way north!

(You can find my email link in my profile!)

I'm sure there must be a Beatles song to go along with winning something, and I'm sure if there is, she knows it!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment. I'll have to do this again!

Anna Marie's eyes - an update

Jason took her to the optometrist today, and you'll never believe what he was told.

The doctor sees a slight "shadow" which she thinks might be a cataract!

Anna Marie has an appointment with a specialist on Wednesday. I was going to just let Jason take her, but the more I think about it, the more I think I'm going. We have a meeting with the publisher on Wednesday afternoons, but I talked to my general manager and she seemed to think it would be OK.

(It's not that I don't trust Jason or his mad doctor-appointment skillz, mind you; it's me. Totally me. Totally me and my hand-wringingness and the thought of having to concentrate during a staff meeting at the exact moment my daughter is seeing a pediatric opthamologist. Is all.)

Dr. Sallye (her first name, not her last) thinks that if it is a cataract in her left eye, and if it's removed, she may have perfect vision out of that side.

Her other eye will be another matter. I suppose the new doc will look at both on Wednesday.

So, please continue to pray for all of us. Anna Marie is (understandably) nervous at the thought of going to a new doctor. As much as I've tried to keep cool these past few days about her eyes, I'm sure she knows something is going on now. And she'll probably have to have her eyes dilated, which she really hates (can't blame her!)

I'll keep everyone posted.

(Funny story - I had a friend in high school, and we were on the phone one night talking about an assignment, and I told him I'd keep him posted about something. He burst into fits of laughter, saying he had visions of Melissa-shaped Post-it notes everywhere.)

(I failed to see the humor.)

My new favorite picture

Isn't my sister amazing?

The sweetest sound at 8:00 a.m.

No, it's not the sound of Anna Marie's voice, or Jason's. Or even those aforementioned birds outside my window.

This morning, it was the doorbell.

It signaled the arrival of my landlady's handyman brother, and he was going to fix our water!

And yes, we were all still in bed. I'd been awakened at quarter-of-six with an aching mouth and took some ibuprofen, but it took me a good while to get back to sleep.

He worked for about an hour and a half, and said he had to go get another part. He came back about another hour after that, and was finished by noon.

Praise be!

And, you aren't going to believe this part. That water pipe, the one that some plumbers were supposed to have fixed last year but charged an arm and two legs and just patched - we don't even need it.

That's right.

It runs off the house to the ruins of an outbuilding in the backyard. It probably had a roof at one time, but now it's just a concrete pad with broken-down concrete-block walls and a gate. We keep the lawnmower back there. Which doesn't require water at all!

So, Mr. Handyman Brother just shut the line off altogether. He said there's also a gas line run out there, and that he'd be back in a month or so to shut that off too before it started giving us trouble.

He's great.

We have water.

I'm so happy!

(And an update on the mom and aunt - the aunt is still really, really shaken up, because apparently the wreck exacerbated some fibromyalgia she already has. Plus she's contracted poison ivy from living in the woods. And now my mom has it too! So I think, for the weekend at least, they're sharing one tube of steroid cream. It's all very touching.)

If it's not one, thing, it's your mother.

Well, not really.

Ok, maybe partially.

What a week this has been!

Monday: In with the Board of Supervisors for 2.5 (million) hours, then working late until 10:15 p.m. with the County school board. Oh, and then going to Walmart, making me close to 11:00 getting home.

Tuesday: Drag myself out o' bed. Get a phone call from my mom at 11:00 a.m., asking me to call the police, she'd been in a wreck. (Don't ask me why she called me instead of 911.) Spend most of my afternoon at the emergency room with her and the aunt, who'd been rear-ended by the owner of one of our local clothing stores. (They got to the ER at 11:30, but didn't get seen until about 4:00.) When they were discharged at 5:00 p.m., I was already in a meeting with the city's Board of Aldermen. Jason had to go pick them up.

Later Tuesday: I discover that the cold water in the tub isn't turned all the way off, so I try to turn it off. And the knob turns, and turns, and turns, but the water never goes off! Dash off a note to Jason, who was already in bed and had to work at the Auction the next day. He then dashes a note off to me at 3:00 a.m. the next morning, ON THE COMPUTER, prints it out, and places it in the medicine cabinet where I'll be sure to see it.

Wednesday: Anna Marie's (disasterous) eye appointment and (pretty good) dentist appointment. Later that night, we went to the motel where my aunt is staying while the company from whom she purchased her manufactured home was putting her up, because immediately upon her residing there two leaks occurred and now there was mold growing in the walls. Anna Marie swam (sort of).

Thursday: Teeth! Out! Painful! Cause me to miss another meeting of the Board of Supervisors! Bite the dentist! (In my defense: I had no idea my jaw was moving, or that his fingers were in my mouth.) Jason fixes the faucet (Yay!) Lose three pounds at my weigh-in (Yay!) Pull into the driveway after working until nearly 9:00 p.m. at a city school board meeting, to find puddles of water and a shovel in the back yard (Huh?)

Last winter, we noticed the sound of water running, even though no faucets were on. Then, we saw the back yard full of water. Before we figured out what was going on, we'd run up a nearly $200 water bill! The landlady gets someone out to fix the leak, but they apparently charge her a couple of arms and a leg.

Fast forward to yesterday: same spot, smaller leak. Jason digs up the area this morning, to discover that the plumbers didn't replace the old pipe - just put a compression clamp on it to stop the leak! And now there was another leak! So, he went to the hardware store and bought a suitable clamp. (The landlady fell earlier this week and broke her leg in three places, and is scheduled for surgery next week, so we were trying to take care of it without bothering her.) Problem solved, right?

WRONG! He clamps off the leak, to find at least two more next to it! So, we called her to see if her handyman brother knew anything about replacing pipe. She's going to get back to me. And, she's going to look at the last invoice to see what exactly the plumbers said they did. (Oh, and she's also apparently on some GOOD DRUGS because she sounded great!)

So now, the water is off at the house. If we can't get it fixed shortly, we'll either have to camp out at the Raney compound on Senatobia Drive (that being my mom and aunt's place) or go scrounge up the cash for a motel room. Sheesh.

Oh, and also Friday: My blog's one-year birthday! Yay! And like so many others, I am offering the First Annual Melz World Really Cool Prize Giveaway for those who leave a comment! Just my little way of saying "Thanks, y'all" to everyone who supports Melz World. And to garner more comments.

(See, you had to read through all my other crap to get to the good stuff! I'm sneaky like that.)

So, leave a comment. I'll draw on, hmm, let's see - how does Tuesday evening sound? Ok. Tuesday it is!

Oh, and once again - Thanks, y'all!

Official Thursday Weigh-In

Not hiding anymore!

I lost the three pounds I gained last week!

I'm now back down to 161! Just a couple more pounds till I break the 160's!

Wohoo!

(I'm a little excited, can you tell?)

The longest day

This is the longest short day I think I've had here at The Democrat.

I didn't even come in until 10:30, and went to lunch at 11:45, so you'd think today would've practically flown by.

And you'd be wrong.

It's only quarter past four. Five is never going to come!

Anna Marie had two doctors appointments this morning - the optometrist at 9, for a six-month checkup witht her glasses, and the dentist at 10.

The dentist went well - no cavities. The optometrist? Not so much.

First, we were there at 9:00 a.m. Almost no one else was. The receptionist was there by herself, and she had to run between another patient in the next room, and the telephone, and Anna Marie.

Then, when the doctor finally did come in, she was not satisfied with the exam results she was getting and wanted to run more tests. Except, it was getting to be like 9:45 and we had a dental appointment at 10.

So she has to go back Monday.

Apparently, Anna Marie gave better results to the receptionist (you know, the test where you cover one eye and try to look at the letters on the chart) and she suspsects the girl didn't adequately cover the eye in question. That Anna Marie was "peeping" and using both eyes, and skewing the results.

I need y'all to pray. I'm seriously getting concerned about her eyesight, and Jason will be taking her on Monday. (He had to work today, but he forgot that when he made her dentist appointment, so I made the eye appointment for the same day so we'd just miss the babysitter/work the same morning).

So, while they're down the road at the eye doctor, I'll be sitting here with bated breath, trying to work.

That may be the second-longest day here at the paper.

Reason #1,395,287 that I love living in Senatobia

Relay for Life.

Actually, it isn't so much the relay that I enjoy - it's the sense of community it promotes.

And in that sense, it's a lot of other things around here that I think are pretty neat.

There's Relay, and MayFair, and the Pickin in the Park concerts, and National Day of Prayer - they all center around Gabbert Park, which happens to be one of my most favorite places in town. And they all help us gather together for a common cause.

Anna Marie and I went to the Relay on Friday night for a couple of hours. When she realized that some folks were spending the night there, she wanted to do that too! I guess I'll have to find a team next year. Or something.

Anyway.

I really, really need to remember to take someone with me to these events I'm covering, because Friday night reminded me how hard it is to do my newspaper job and my mom job at the same time. Even though we're in Senatobia, I still didn't feel safe just letting her run around without my (at least partial) supervision.

I'm just so darn proud of our community, and how they come together to support this. It's the third year, and last year over $30,000 was raised. I haven't gotten this year's totals yet, but I've heard they got even more.

That may not sound like a lot to some people, but for a town of about 7,000, I'd say that was pretty good.

They got all 10 of the dollars I brought, too - for three separate blow-up games,



face painting,



a ride on a horse named Reba





(Who apparently didn't eat before she came)



A couple of raffle tickets and two pickles.

It was nearly 9:00 p.m. when I had to tear Anna Marie away from the park. She was watching a dunk tank where some of the (dozen or so) candidates for this year's sheriff's race were taking turns getting soaked. She laughed like it was the funniest thing she's ever seen.

(I didn't tell her that as a reward for good performance on a practice standardized test, the principal of her future elementary school did the same thing a few weeks ago.)

I love summer. I love Gabbert Park.

And I love our little community.