Time

Time is really a relative thing. If I wear a watch I find myself continually looking at it worrying myself into a frenzy of what needs to be done and by when. Although an occasional glance at the clock is necessary while teaching or we might miss lunch! I'm never late, I'm never early, I'm always on time.

Today Father Time passes the torch to the Baby New Year. The current year has not been overly kind to me. I'm not sad to see it end. (although the summer was mostly awesome) I'm looking forward to the possibilities the new year will bring.

While I don't really believe a date on the calendar can change anything, I do know for certain that time really does heal all wounds. So in that respect "time is on my side." *grin*

Happy New Year dear reader, I do wish you the very best of everything in 2011!

Goovers on Ice

I wish I had brought the camera, but I was afraid that because I was on skates I'd fall on it and smash it to bits. Make no mistake, I can skate, and skate well, but when there are children on ice you never know what's going to happen! Hannah is definitely ready for a pair of skates. When she learns then I can take on teaching Tater the Terror. I don't know how many times that child clunked her head on the ice. They were supposed to be boot skating, but of course she was boot running.

We left the house around 4pm and right as we're heading out the door Caitlin has to go potty. I help her undo the jacket, snow pants, mitts, and send her off with a "You had better make sure you go because we are NOT fooling around with the porta potty at the rink." I look at her sister with a questioning glance. "No Auntie, I don't have to go."

I think this is going to be a three part blog, because there are two other stories that run along side this, and I can't tell it all in one shot. We'll focus on the goovs for now.

So we arrive at the rink and head on into the warming house. The goovers are warned to park it on the bench, no running wild, and they do. Ash and I quickly lace up, the reason why will be in my next blog. Yes, of course, my "creeper" was there. We head on out to the very poorly laid ice, and begin our ice/boot skating adventure!

The girls all seemed to have a good time, although we were back in this house by 5pm. We skated about five minutes when Tater spied the porta potty. "Auntie, I have to go potty really bad!" "No you don't. You just went." Two seconds later. "I really have to go potty NOW!" "Caitlin Ruthmarie, you just want to get a look at the porta potty. You aren't fooling me at all." Five seconds later "Please, I'm going to pee my pants." So I stomped off to the porta potty, as much as you can stomp on ice skates, undid the jacket, snagged the mitts as they fell toward the porta potty floor. EW! Helped her up and shut the door. I made her take her jacket off, it's just too gross to contemplate and it wasn't that cold. When she was done I took her out of the potty to redress her. Evil little....

So we stumble bumble back onto the ice and Tater sees a little boy she knows, so off she goes to torment him for awhile and the rest of us skate. Hannah seemed to do really well balancing on the ice, and it's time she got some new skates and really learned a couple of things. During this time I am continually calling Tater back to us, she's heading off to the shack, the hockey rink, anywhere else she can possibly go.

We took a pic and sent it off to the parents in sunny Las Vegas, and then Caitlin's little friend left. "I wanna go home. I'm tired. I wanna go home. I'm tired." Bah! So we packed it up. When we got to the car Ash and I were talking with Hannah, and Caitlin walked around the other side to get in. Then instead of getting in she sat down hiding. I about had a heart attack when she was suddenly "gone." We were standing not 10 feet from the highway. I raced around the car and there she is grinning at me. She is SO lucky that I am trained not to beat children. I barked at Ashlyn to "Get your sister buckled in." and quickly went to the other side to help Hannah. Caitlin was quiet for awhile, she's no dummy. :)

After a brief stop for milk at the gas station we were back home. It's raining now, so there will be no more outdoor adventures with the goovers. We will be trapped in the house for a couple days. HELP!

End Of An Era

Finally! I am no longer employed by the YMCA. Ok, technically I'm on vacation til the end of the week, but I'm not "working" there any longer! It's a weird feeling, elation mixed with relief, a little sadness, and a bit of apprehension. This is a big step out of my comfort zone! No matter how I feel about working there, it was familiar anyway.

I have given up my full time, full benefit, (including retirement) four week vacation job so that I can do something I love. Mind you, the old job probably wont exist in six months anyway so that's kind of a moot point. It might not look like bettering myself on paper, but believe me, it's for the better. I get to teach again, and it's what I do best. I get to be part of a team, and be surrounded by people with a positive attitude about what they do. I get to be a VALUED employee. Most importantly I can respect the people I work for, and myself for working there, and that's all I have to say about that! :)

Got Milk?

Well, I have gone and done it. Here she is folks, the infamous Got Milk. We call her Milky, or Miss Snooty Pants which really fits her to a T. I would like to change her name, but Milky just really fits her for some reason. I toyed with Molly, or Millie, but they just don't seem to fit.

Leon called yesterday afternoon to tell me they were on the way, and that Milky was in the front seat and NOT happy about it. "Maybe you should bring a box or something out when I get there." Hmmmm..... at the vet they wrap cats in a big towel if they're fractious. I contemplated using the new blanket Ti-Ti got her for Christmas, but Milky is really strong, and has a temper. All I could envision was me in tears, Leon yelling, and Milky running off down the snowy street. So I grabbed an AVON box and hoped for the best. That must have been an interesting car ride, with the unhappy cat in front and the dog in back who couldn't fathom why "that damn cat" was coming along.

Surprisingly it went as smooth as butter. Popped her in the box, scurried quickly into the house and let her out. She was glad to see me, rubbed up all over me, and started to explore. I filled up her new dishes and her new litter box, fed the dog, and settled down on the kitchen floor with both of them. Milky seemed genuinely happy to be here, but Sam was pissed. She moped for about an hour on the kitchen floor after finishing her dinner.

Leon always says Milky hates him, but if he could have seen her desperately trying to follow him and Sam when they left later last night he would know that isn't the case. She sniffed the door, she pawed the door, then she paced the house and kept running back to the door. Everything was o k when we went to bed though. She and I are old friends, and we've shared covers on several occasions. I can already tell that the bottom of the bed on the opposite side is going to be her spot in the house. She claimed it immediately and anytime I look for her that's where she's hanging out.

I had a bit of holiday cooking to do today and every time I was in the kitchen she was playing between my feet. It's nice to have company in the house. However, when I started taking loads to the car she tried like heck every time to get out the back door. :( I don't know if she was trying to run off, or come with. However, she was hiding under the bed when I got back. Poor baby. Gee, wait til next week when I'm gone a night or two and the girls are here a night or two. She'll have her country bags packed and ready to go!

So Milky and I are working on our first goal. Drinking out of the toilet is frowned upon in this establishment! I have to remember to put the seat down EVERY time, because she continually checks. Milky needs to learn that water bowls are the appropriate place to hydrate. :) Wait til she finds out that she's going on a diet! We'll leave that one until she's more settled in.

When I thanked Leon for giving me Milky it went like this: Thanks for giving me the cat...... I think. He laughed. I continued with, "I don't know if she will be my baby, or my nemesis, but she'll be company anyway."

Today she has been great company. It takes my mind off of things for a moment, although honestly there have been a lot of tears shed in the past two days for my kitties. Nothing can, or ever will replace them, but I have space left in my heart and home for Milky.

Blue Christmas

Here's another phrase that I have never really understood until now, being "blue" at Christmas time. I'm not sheltered. I have had loss in my life, and have had to learn how to re-tradition the holidays. I always miss my parents, my Grandma's, Aunt's, Uncle's, etc, etc,etc. There isn't a year that goes by without a tear or two upon hearing "I'll be home for Christmas." Heck, I've even been divorced and had to start my life over.....twice, but I have never felt like this. I have always decorated, found something else to focus on, and somehow dug up some holiday cheer.

I went to a Christmas party tonight with the girls, and some of their guys. It was a fun time, but I am really just going through the motions to please other people. I missed Leon terribly. It wasn't that I needed a partner at the party, I wasn't the only one without someone. I missed HIM being with me. Listening to him joke and talk with Don, his general goofiness, talking about it on the way home, etc etc etc.

When Misty died I turned Christmas over to my sister in law. I was just done. There have been a few brief moments of "Christmas Spirit" for me, but for the most part I just wish it was over. I feel like "Brick" from the show "The Middle". He whispers things under his breath, and I feel like that is what I'm doing every time I choke out Merry Christmas *bah humbug*. Happy Holidays *Go away*.

I was a pretty good girl this year, and I do believe that Santa is going to leave me a present under the gingerbread house. There isn't a tree this year. Milky the cat is coming to live with me tomorrow. Yes, she needs me. * I need her more*