Night Driving, Computer Issues, and Busy Season

Yesterday, Kevin turned on his computer to find that it had crapped out.  I imagine it's a virus (again) but I can't whip it this time.  Yet.  LOL  We'll see.  We have the key, if we could find someone with a Windows XP operating system disk.  Most computers do not come with a disk these days.  Now, we're screwed.  I'll keep trying, but my hopes aren't extremely high.

Also, I don't have a ton of time.  We are in full-on busy season.  I have to brag that I took the most calls today.  Well, it only counts the calls that ask for "anyone in customer service."  It doesn't count the calls that ask for you.  Anyway, the school portrait season found me off the phones a lot, so it's great to get in and do my part.  It just sucks that it's dark when I get there, and dark when I leave.

I don't mind driving at night.  I don't mind driving in the rain.  I DETEST driving in the rain at night!  The road glares back at you, the windshield is glarey (not a word? Too bad!) and people ride their brakes non-stop.  I hate it, but I got home without dying, so I guess it's all good.

Now I shall relax and then go to bed.  Yup.  I'm tired.  It was a great weekend, but I think I'm still getting back into the swing of the work week.  LOL

Excitement

The excitement is killing me.  I have to work tomorrow, and should be sleeping.  Yet, I have friends coming to see me from VERY far away, and knowing they are coming is keeping me awake.

My mind is going 40 different directions, and I keep seeing things that need cleaned.  Mind you, these friends wouldn't mind if it was filthy when they got here, but I don't want them to come in to a mess!  Clean clean clean!

They land in the morning, will meet me at work for lunch, and then they'll come to my house.  They'll enter when nobody is home.  What if???  What if there is dust on the TV stand?  ACK!  Dust it!  What if there are dishes in the sink?  Wash them!

Thanks to Kevin and Monica for helping me and not telling me that I'm crazy (much.)  I simply HAVE to sleep, but I'm not sure how I'll do it.  I'm EXCITED!

My Girls

"Raising teenage girls is like trying to nail Jello to a tree."  No truer words were ever spoken.  *sigh*  Lord, help me.

I think I may have a date with my husband tomorrow.  I hope it's true.  We shall see.  I have to do some work in the morning, and I need a haircut, and we hope to be a bit selfish at some point.

And I'm going to have a couple of new grandkids within the next year, and for that I am thankful.  And old.  Thankful and old.  That's me.

I choose to laugh.  What else are you going to do?  Get depressed?  Nope.  Deal with issues as they pop up, work as much as you can, love your family, and love your life.  I love my life.  Please remind me of this when I'm complaining about something, OK?

What a Race!

If you don't like NASCAR, stop reading now.

Wow, what a race.  What a SEASON!  Tony deserved it, and I won't take that from him.  I really wanted Carl to win it, but Tony had more wins, and more wins means a lot.  Seriously?  The race ends with a points tie?  A tie broken only by the number of wins?

I sat in this chair and held my breath, yelled, sweated, and laughed.  Amazing.  Simply amazing.

I shall go to work tomorrow and know that, although my driver did an awesome job, Michelle's driver did better.  I'll sit next to her all day, knowing that she picked this year's winner.

Watch out next year, Tony.  Watch out.

She Passed!

Monica took her driving test today.  It's her sweet 16, and she REALLY wanted to pass on the first try.  Our plan was for my dad to take her.  Sunday night, I was looking over the rules and see that it has to be a parent or legal guardian.  CRAP!  I make arrangements at work for me to take her.  She says that you can take the test in Richmond any day of the week.

This morning, as I go to the website to verify the hours, I see that they only test on Thursdays.  WHAT?  Oh NO!  I don't let the girls see me panic as they are getting ready.  The closest Tuesday testing spot was Carrollton, which is 40 minutes or so away.  40 minutes in the opposite direction of my work.  Oh, and one more small detail...they don't start until 10:30.  *sigh*

We dropped Natalie off at school, and headed right over.  We knew we'd be painfully early, but that would allow Monica to drive around this new town, figuring things out.  We arrived around 8:40.  I let her drive around, giving her instructions like they would.  She did great.  She was freaking out more by the minute, and so was I, but we held it together.

We entered the courthouse about 9:30, and started our wait.  At 10:20, the three (are they cops?) entered and told us to give them a few minutes.  Monica started sweating bullets.  I felt so bad for her that my stomach got upset.  She asked, "What if I need to puke?"  I said, "Do it before you get in the truck."  That was the end of that conversation.

The hag lady called us in, and said, "What kind of test are you here to take?"  Monica said, "Driving."  The heifer mumbled the word "permit," but neither of us knew what she wanted.  Monica said, "Excuse me?"  Jerk-face barked, "PERMIT!"  Monica dug it out and handed it over.  We were told to wait in the hallway.  Soon, the same ass-hat lady came out and asked for Monica, and said, "I'll follow you to your car."  I almost cried for her, as she headed out, away from me, and away from my protection, advice, and love.

There was another mother there, who had a son taking the test for the second time.  We talked about it and she helped me keep my mind off it.  He is the youngest of 5, so she's done this a time or two.  I wish I'd asked her name, because I'd love to thank her again.  I waited 2 1/2 hours 15 minutes, and Monica came walking back into the courthouse.  She looked scared to death, and I gave her the "So?" look, but got no reaction.

Crap.  She wasn't crying, and didn't shake her head "no," but she didn't nod, either.  The bitch lady was walking ahead of Monica, looking like the stick hadn't been removed from her ass, but had been driven deeper inside.  Finally, I made eye contact again and mouthed the word, "So???"  She finally nodded slightly, but never smiled.  She was SO freaked out.

The dried-up waste of oxygen kind officer told her to "work on the things we talked about," as she was filling out the paperwork.  I wanted to punch her for her attitude, but I didn't have time for a ticket or arrest.  I had to get to work!  She finished with, "You can go down to the license bureau to get your license."  I went into the hall and asked the nice 'other mother', "Where is the license bureau?"  She said, "You go down by the bank with the drive-through and...oh yeah, you're not from here.  You can do it anywhere."  THANK YOU!

Monica wanted to drive at this point, but I had to get to work (break some speed limits) so I told her I'd drive.  I flew like an idiot continued on to Lexington to the license place, and found the most laid back, chatty people I've ever met.  Good LORD but that took forever.  After that, we grabbed some McD's and I flew back home, kissed her, and jumped in my own car to go to work.

Thank goodness I didn't get a ticket.  I got to work, caught up on all I'd missed (email, voice mail, orders, etc) and left at 5:15.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but I'm home and good for tonight.  PHEW.

Oh, and my little baby girl is a licensed driver!

Evil Yard

One morning, Kevin heard something on the side porch, and it was Radar.  "How did YOU get out of the fence?"  We found a place that he had dug under a gate, and figured he had squeezed through, so we filled the hole.  Tuesday morning, I opened the front door to take Susie out to potty, and Radar was sitting on the front porch, staring at the door.  What the HECK?

We found another hole that didn't really seem big enough, but maybe, and filled it.  He got out again.  I went out to walk the fence Tuesday night, and couldn't see anywhere that he was getting out.  He wouldn't even try it with me in the yard.  He wants to lean on me and play.  I don't know what made me do it, but I pushed against the bottom of the fence with my foot.  The whole back stretch of fence is loose enough that he could lean against it and get out.  Yes, this is the fence that is less than 2 years old.  *sigh*

I told the family that he was to be locked on the back porch during the day yesterday, and we borrowed electric fence supplies from Dad.  By the time I got home from work, Kevin had most of the posts in the ground.  Natalie and I strung the fence, letting Kevin do the corners, and Kevin hooked up the charger.  I sent him inside to eat and relax while I watched the dogs to make sure all was well.

Almost immediately, some folks rode by on bicycles.  Sure enough, Radar ran along the fence, barking.  He was a distance from me when it happened, but I heard the yelp I'd been expecting.  I think it got the front of his leg.  He was up on the deck before you knew it.  I thought he would have to get bit a couple of times before he figured it out, but he's far more cautious than that.

He didn't know what got him, but he was sure that the back yard HURTS, and he wasn't going to go into it ever again.  He laid down on the deck with his back to the yard.  It was kind of pitiful.

I'll have to play with him in the yard some, to show him that it's OK, as long as he stays away from the fence. He'll figure it out.  Poor thing.  Better scared or shocked than hit by a car, though.  I would hate for that to happen.

Dang Dog

Monica spent the night at a friend's house, so Susie slept in our room last night, and Radar slept in Natalie's room.  Susie decided that, since she can't read a calendar, we should awake at 5:30.  She's little, so she has to get creative to wake us up.  She jumps on the bed, off the bed, on the bed, off the bed, etc until one of us says, "Dangit Susie!"

I let her out to potty and then decided I was awake to stay.  Dang dog.  However, it's nice to sit and sip coffee, enjoying the quiet of the morning.  It's my weekend to work, so I remotely logged in to my work computer and got some stuff done, came back in to watch some music videos and drink more coffee and surf the 'net.

I want to get some yard work done today, so I went ahead and cut down the hibiscus this morning.  That was one of the main things I wanted to do, and it was done by 7.  Yes, maybe Susie helped me after all!  With a Chiefs game, a NASCAR race at our home track, and more yard work to do, I think it's good we got an early start.

Thanks, dang dog.