Ouch!!


It's been a busy week. Wednesday, I should've stayed in bed. I was to take the kids to a kid concert at a park with their cousins. After ruining my favorite shirt, finding that another of my shirts shrank, I finally threw my last clean t-shirt on only to spill juice all over it. I was screwed and I hadn't even left yet.
Map quest gave crappy directions that left me wondering over a field with the stroller and a cooler for our lunch. The kids had a great time at the concert even though we were 30 minutes late.
Things were starting to look up until the bees started bothering us. One kept landing on Baby Boy and I was worried he'd get stung. I tried one final time to shoo it away and got stung instead. Bugger got me on the palm of my hand up by my middle finger. My whole hand felt like it was on fire for hours afterwards. The swelling finally went away today and it just itches like mad!
Still, I had to somehow manage to cross that field with a stroller, a cooler, and one hand in an ice pack.
I should have stayed in bed.
Tonight Mr X lost his John Wayne fan club card. We were watching Jeopardy and he missed the final question. I told him they were coming to take his club card away and I think he said he will now have to get rid of that felt painting. I think it's just wishful thinking on my part.
Incidentally, it's still hiding in the closet. I turned it around so I'll no longer have to face John Wayne's pleading eyes. Please burn me! I'm on freakin' felt! For that is good and manly, burn this thing!
Thankfully Mr X has a wonderful sense of humor, if not good taste in art.

I've been following this story lately:
Texas Man Makes History He Receives a Kidney Transplant from a Texas Stranger
Found On MatchingDonors.com. This is the first surgery in Texas history where the both a Patient and Donor from Texas met on a commercial website.
Site Endorsed by Various Health Officials, Ethicists and Doctors across the Country

So far, things are going fairly well. I have placed a lot of hope in this working for him as I know that someday too soon, I could be sitting in that man's wife's seat. We know that Mr X will need a liver. He has Hepatitis B, got it as a child and never knew. We found out Christmas 2003. His Dr gave him maybe 10 years before he'd need a liver then. That time is already moving too quickly.
I find myself looking closely to see if he's at all yellow. I know that his best hope will be with a living donor. Someone who thinks that perhaps his life is worth saving. I try not to think about it too much though. I can't imagine my life without him. He's my partner in crime. When that moment comes, I want to have these happier days to fall back on for support.

I also got this e-mail last night (names changed to protect the stupid):
My name is Scott @@@@@@@ Internet Sales Manager at Hyundai of @@@@@@.You may have worked with Ray @@@@ in the past. Ray was in my deptment and has choose to seek a new line of work. I would like you to know that there will beno changes in the quotes that you may have gotten from Ray. In fact I may be able to in most case sweeten thing up a bit. Please feel free to contact me for any of your needs. If you have boughten a car from Ray I would like to let you know that I would be happy to aid you in any contact that you may need at this dealership. My goal in the Internet Sale has always been to make it a team effort. Please stop in at anytime so that we can take time to meet and look over you auto needs. Once again thank you for your interest and business at Hyundai of @@@@@. I know that I met alot of Rays customers whenthey were here so the change should be very easy. I'm still always here to help as before.Come on in the coffee's always hot and I'll save you time and money like always.

To me, this screams unprofessional. I may not always be the best speller, and often I think faster than I can type so I mess words up, but that's what spell-check is for. For the record, we 'boughten' our car from a different dealer 4 months ago because this dealer lied to us.

Then tonight, another e-mail.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THE Hyundai .ONCE AGAIN WE HAVE MORE CARS THEN OUR RETAIL OR STORAGE LOTS WILL HOLD. IF YOU HAVE THE TIME THIS WEEKEND TO WADE THROUGHHUNDREDS OF NEW HYUNDAI'S TO FIND THE PERFECT CAR FOR YOU I'LLPAY YOU TO TAKE IT. BY THAT I MEAN THAT I NEED TO MOVE CARS NOW.I WILL DISCOUNT ALL THE INTERNET CARS TO ATLEAST $495 BELOW DEALERINVOICE PLUS YOU KEEP ALL THE REBATES FOR SUMMER FUN OR USE IT AS YOUR DOWN PAYMENT. THIS INCLUDES THE ALL NEW 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA'S. BRING ME ALL OFFERSTO GET THIS SPECIAL INTERNET OFFER JUST CALL ME OR E-MAIL ME AND LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU ARE COMING IN. YOU MUST SEE ME FIRST SO THAT I CAN SIGN YOU UP FOR THE SPECIAL OFFER. PLEASE BRING IN THIS LETTER AND THE INTERNETDEPT. WILL SAVE YOU A TON OF DOE. THIS OFFER IS FOR IN STOCK OR INCOMINGREGULAR STOCK CARS ONLY. DEALER TRADES WILL BE MADE IF I CAN NOT FIND YOU THE PERFECT CAR IN STOCK OR INCOME. AND THE COST OF THOSE TRADES WILL BE PASSED ON TO YOU IF IT IS A OUT OF THE AREA TRADE. I WILL FIND YOU THE VERY BEST HYUNDAI OF @@@@@ REP. TO HELP YOU IF I CAN NOT HELP YOU IN PERSON. SO SEE ME FIRST SO I CAN SET YOU UP TO GET THE VERY SPECIAL OFFER FOR THIS WEEKEND. DON'T PAY RETAIL THIS WEEKEND ANYWHERE. BRING ME ALL OFFERSBRING ME ALL OFFERS, I'M HERE TO MOVE CARS AND SHOW YOU THE SERVICE THAT WILL BRING YOU BACK TIME AFTER TIME. WE BECAME NUMBER ONE THROUGH HARDWORK, AND ALWAYS DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR CUSTOMERS. WHERE OTHER DEALERS BUSINESS IS DOWN OURS IS UP 40 %. WHY ITS ALL THE REPEAT AND REFERALS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS AND THERE FAMILYS. COME BE PART OF THE HYUNDAI OF @@@@@ FAMILY. I'LL SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY WHILE MAKING THIS THE BEST CAR BUYING TIME OF YOUR LIFE. BRING ME ALL OFFERS Scott

No it didn't format funny. That's really how it arrived in my inbox. Although, I must admit, I'm a little curious about how he's going to save me a lot of 'doe'.

LMAO, I just ran spell check for my entry and it went nuts trying to get through those e-mails. :P

Where did my rampage go?

We had a recall on our brand new vehicle. I call the dealership to arrange a time to come in and have it fixed and they inform me that they won't have the part to fix it until the end of August because it's back ordered. She says this so nicely as I'm staring at a piece of paper that says the malfunctioning part can cause an accident. I'm imformed that my best bet is to call their consumer assistance number and complain.
Of course I do.

This is where I had a little run around with Felicia. Felica told me, and I quote, "That part isn't back ordered, it's back-ordered from Korea."
And there's a difference? I ask her to explain and she can't.
She tells me that I can have the dealership at least check to see if they are bad. Then what if they are bad? What am I going to do then? Felicia had no answer to that so I called the dealership back.
I was told that once the bearings are taken off, they can't put them back on and they can't give me a replacement vehicle until they can fix my van.
So I plead. After having been transferred through 4 different departments and talking to 5 different people about this, my head is ready to implode.
I took a page from my stepmom instead and told her I have 2 kids and I need a safe vehicle and asked if there was anything she could to help me.

Today my van is all better. They 'found' a part somewhere. I can go back to being completely oblivious when it comes to all things automotive.

I did get a new favorite saying courtesy of a dear friend:

Some people are like Slinkies. They're really good for nothing. But they bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.

We've been home from vacation for 10 days now and still not a peep from MIL. We were over at her house on Sunday, but she never showed up so we left. Their house makes me cry. I'm not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination, but everytime I step in that front door all I can think about is how I want to clean it. I think she's been on a buying binge again. She buys clothes for the kids thinking how great the sale was- and it really is- but the kids won't be able to wear the clothes for another 5 years or so. At least she's happy.

Baby X called me 'mama' yesterday. I melted. Then when I put him to bed, he started fussing a little and he used 'mama' in this pathetic weepy voice. I thought I was never going to be able to walk away from that door! He was asleep in less than a minute but I still felt like crying. Stupid, I know.

Today I bought Baby Signs. I hope that it works. I somehow doubt that he'll be able to sign his reason for constantly trying to eat my face but maybe someday he'll be able to sign that he wants apples or bananas.
Even more I hope that it doesn't end up on my bookshelf collecting dust next to my editions of Learning Cherokee and Gardening for Dummies.
My Mother-in-Law is amazing at gardening. She can make anything grow. Unfortunately for her neighbors, she does her growing in her front yard. It looks like a jungle and when they start to decay, the smell can be overwhelming.
Back to baby signs......

I can't wait to get started! I wonder if I can get Mr X to try it too. Maybe if I show him what he's supposed to do.

I'm still searching for a picture of that awful painting from the previous post. I know it's on my computer somewhere. Meanwhile, I'm devising ways of accidentally destroying it.

So what would you like to know? That is the point of these things right? To vent, to tell all. It seems like writing in a diary knowing that your little brother is going to sneak in later and read it all. I guess I'll start with the basics.
I've been married for 3 years. We have 2 kids, one is 7 the other is under a year old. I have an over grown lapdog and masochist cat. I have a great extended family. My Mother-in-law is, what's a nice way to put it........ slightly less than sane. But I've actually grown to love her quirkiness. She's this little Asian lady with a loud voice. I have a hunch you'll be hearing quite a bit about her.

Today I'd like to discuss John Wayne. Or more specifically the ugly felt John Wayne painting that is in my guest bedroom closet. Mr X bought this thing about a year ago. I think at one of those police auction sites. If there is a law against bad taste, I bet that the previous owner of this painting is in for a very long time. For a few months it sat in our living room while Mr X made vague threats to hang it. Somewhere. My idea of somewhere was by the curb on trash day but I was vetoed.
Then one day it disappeared and I thought that perhaps the good taste fairy had at last smacked my dear Mr X into tossing it.
Then I went to put some sheets away in the closet and there it was staring at me.
Poor John Wayne is up there somewhere begging someone to please just shoot the thing and put it out of our misery. It's not even a nice picture of John Wayne.
Did I mention it's felt?
Yeah. Felt.
I closed the closet door and just pretended I didn't see it. I even started to forget about it after awhile. I refused to look down anytime I had to open that closet door. I was hoping that by some miracle Mr X would have forgotten that it was there too.
No such luck.
He has once again begun making threats to hang it "somewhere".
I wonder if there's a place ugly paintings go to die?