Pansy: January 2006 Archives

HEY!

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Two Sleepy Mommies is 3 years old today!
Peony, we've been together longer than some people have been married!!!!!

Design on a Dime Food Stamp

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Our new apartment has a pathetic, little bathroom. I went right to work sewing a matching curtain and sink skirt set to liven it up. My sewing machine is calld a Singer IZEK, which means the stitch controls are actually programmed on a Gameboy game, and the Gameboy hooks up to the sewing machine.

My husband put the game away for me from a place I knew where it was, so I wouldn't lose it, and lost it, so the project was on hold for awhile until he found the game. While we were waiting, I had all the materials I needed-thread, fabric, and velcro to hang the sink skirt up on the sink. The kids got hold of the velcro, and one day while I was looking under the couch for something, I saw the roll of velcro there. I figured "oh good, now I know where it is" and left it there. If it was hidden, so know one else should have been inclined to bother it, and I knew where it was for future reference. I am not one to store things under the couch, I just really did not have a free hand at that moment to put it away-away.
My hubby found the Gameboy game, so I proceeded to finish the sink skirt. When it was all done, and I was ready to hang it up. I looked under the couch, and the velcro was gone! I called my husband and asked if he saw it.

"Yeah," he said"I put it with your sewing stuff."

My sewing stuff! Who would have thunk!There he goes again, disturbing the careful balance of my sewing things! I plunge into one of my sewing boxes, and there it is! I proceeded to take it out of the package and start to unroll it-there is only one side! I look at the package and it says on the bottom along with "SELF STICK!" "HOOK ONLY!"
Hook only? Wha? Why would anyone want that? Was this like some kind of mortification task? "I could use this velcro if I had the other side, but since I don't, I'll stare at it, let it annoy me, and offer it up!"I know, there are probably lots of uses for hook only, but right at that moment, I could care less.

After all that nonsense and finally finishing the darn thing, I wanted it up.I knew if I didn't put it up, I ran the risk of my husband putting it away. I did the next best thing-got out my husband's wide roll of masking tape, made lots of donuts and taped the stupid thing on until I got velcro the next day.

Rosey Posey's reply to this was "Mom, that looks nice, but taping it on-that's so ghetto."

Yep.

I Hate Home Depot

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They have the worst customer service in the world. Everytime I go there, it is always filled with people who know nothing about the products they are supposed to be selling-that is if you can get a hold of one.
Last year, they were supposed to repair my husband's chain saw that he purchased there, and was thankfully under warranty. They fixed it wrong, and when they fixed it again, they lost it. Finally they called a week after he went to pick it up, to say they found it. When he returned, they could not find it for a half hour. I have tons of HD stories like this, so it is my fault for returning there.

Today I had a cut and simple chore. I went to the customer service desk, and when I finally got the attention of the woman behind the counter:
Pansy: Hi (smiles), do you have lye in stock?
CSR:(bristles and speaks very loudly and very slowly) IIiiii don't know. That would be in the garden section which is mostly empty now, and I can't guarentee it would even be there...
Pansy: Um, OK.(baffled...considers walking away, but just had to ask)Why would lye be in the garden section?
CSR: Lye! Lye! Isn't that what you put in a garden?
Pansy: (Even more baffled, and resists the urge to say "no, you are thinking of lime which is calcium chloride, I am looking for lye which is sodium hydroxide" but figured I would sound like a smart ass, because if I said that, my purpose would to be a smart ass...)No, it is what you pour down a drain...
CSR: Well Honey, what you are looking for is (long, and slowly again) draaaaiiinnnn cleeaaner(at this point, the woman thinks I am nuts for wanting to put calcium chloride down my drains...). That would be in the "plumbing" section.
(Incidentally, I looked down the wrong aisle in the plumbing section, but with my husband's aid, not the CSR's I did find the right aisle.)

People annoy the heck out of me.

My horoscope...

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"Answers to your problems are not at the bottom of a bottle-they are on Wikipedia. Have you seen that thing? it's incredible!"

Black Women on the Altar of Choice

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Found this informative article through Cemetery of Choice.

Blacks comprise about 12 percent of the US population, yet Black woman are sold roughly 25 percent of abortions. (Strange, since Black women are more opposed to abortion than are their white sisters.) But most disturbing is this fact: Black women account for at least 50 percent of known abortion deaths. (Of abortion deaths identified by Life Dynamics, Black women accounted for 50 percent of deaths in which the race was known; a CDC study found the death rate among Black women to be even higher.)

This bears repeating: A young Black woman is twice as likely to be sold an abortion as a young white woman, and once she gets on the abortion table, she is at least twice as likely to suffer fatal complications as a white woman.


Tag! I'm it!

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Four Jobs
1.Sales girl @ Piercing Pagoda in Quakerbridge Mall
2.Acme Supermarket Checker
3.Infant Caregiver at a daycare
4. Cashier at Burlington Coat Factory

Four Movies I Would Watch Over and Over:
1.Patriot
2.Signs
3.LOTR
4.Knight's Tale

Four Places I Have Lived:
1. Bronx, NY
2. Lawrenceville, NJ
3. Pacific Harbour, Fiji
4. New Orleans, LA

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch:
1. CSI
2. House (thank you Peony)
3. Buffy and Angel
4. Any goofy Discovery Channel show about haunted places

Websites I visit daily:
1. My bank account to make sure everything is going the way it should
2. Many of the blogs linked on the side
3. Mothering With Grace
4. IMDB.com

Fav Four Foods
1. Buffalo Wings
2. Cheeseburgers
3. Anything Italian with tomatoes and ricotta
4. Any green, leafy veggie (broccoli rabe, collards, spinach)

Four Places I Would Rather Be:
1. Bed
2. A beach
3. Heaven
4. In bed

Four People I Am Tagging:
1. Peony
2. Coucoumelle
3. Erik
4. I am going to stop because I have a list...

I Am Confused

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I questioned in the comments box over at Fr. Rob's, why did Michael Schiavo want to get married in the Church? He totally shown disdain for any Catholic perspective the whole time he killed his wife, what did it matter to him?

More Cynicism From Pansy

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GAY RIGHTS GROUP: 'AMERICAN IDOL IS HOMOPHOBIC' On the programme, Brit Cowell told one effeminate wannabe to "shave off your beard and wear a dress,"
Actually, sarcasm aside, that was awful what Simon said there, but in fairness, Simon says just terrible things to a lot of the people who come to audition and don't make the grade. Everyone hates him for it. That is why he is there, I guess.
...while Jackson asked another audition hopeful, "Are you a girl?" Both contestants were rejected.
Did anyone see that guy? He had on high heels, a low cut shirt, and girl's hair. On top of that, he couldn't sing...

I apologize, if I read the AOL news page too long, I start to find it really funny about what is deemed newsworthy.

Just in Case You Missed This...

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The Important News!

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"Brokeback Mountain" this month won the Golden Globe award for best motion picture drama and top honors from the Producers Guild of America. Through Sunday, it had earned $42.1 million and had been remarkably successful in the conservative, red-state towns and cities that helped reelect Bush.

"Brokeback Mountain" is showing in at least two theaters in Waco, Texas, the closest city to Bush's home near Crawford. And it is doing quite well, said Ben Reynolds, manager of the Hollywood Jewel 16. It was the second most popular film in the complex last week, he said.

But Bush on Monday gave no indication that he intended to see the film when a young man raised the issue near the end of a lengthy, unscripted question-and-answer session.

Imagine that!George Bush has no intention of seeing Brokeback Mountain! How can this be you say? You know what, I am speechless and out of sarcastic remarks on this one. I mean for the life of me, I can't figure why anyone has any desire to see a friggin gay cowboy movie. I don't even really object to it as much as the whole thing looks sooo boring and silly to me.

Why is this news? Who gives a @&*(?

I am a horrible photographer, but I guess bad pictures are better than none.

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Polo, Gorbulas, Posco, Rosey Posey, and Fastolph looking at meat-eater fossils.

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On the Saturday before last, we took a trip to the American Museum of Natural History. Things went pretty well as far as the trip goes. We left Amsterdam early armed with lots of muffins for breakfast, and only stopped twice for potty breaks. Amsterdam is approximately 2.5-3 hours from the city. The kids are used to this trip as we make it often to visit family.

The parking situation was awesome, thanks to a heads up from Dinka for site to make parking reservations. (We did ask the Souzeks if they wanted to hook up in the City, but Dinka is too busy doing this and being uber-pregnant and tired).

Neat

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I was looking for info on deodorizing the microwave, and I came across this page:

Natural Cleaners

Ammonia - cuts grease and strips wax; also a great window cleaner. DO NOT MIX WITH BLEACH.

Bleach - great for whitening, removing mold and mildew, and most general cleaning. Best used diluted with water. DO NOT MIX BLEACH WITH AMMONIA, VINEGAR, OR TOILET BOWL CLEANER.

Baking Soda - Baking soda is a great all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. It cleans, deodorizes, scours, polishes and removes stains. (Note - There's a great article on this site about baking soda, "The Manifold Magic of Baking Soda")

Borax - It deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap. It also prevents mold and odors. Great alternative for those who do not want to use bleach.

Cornstarch - cleans and deodorizes carpets and rugs, and can be used in place of baby powder.

Ketchup -cleans copper.

What Happened To Music?

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Music sucks these days, or is this what happens when you reach a certain age-you detest the current songs? Rosey Posey is having issues and saying "This is why I can't invite friends over!" because I am listening to More Than A Woman by Tavares. But there are no romantic songs anymore. Look at the lyrics:

Girl, I've known you very well
I've seen you growin' ev'ry day
I never really looked before
But now you take my breath away
Suddenly you're in my life
Part of ev'ry thing I do
You got me working day and night
Just tryin' to keep a hold on you

Here in your arms I found my paradise
My only chance for happiness
And if I lose you now, I think I would die
Oh, say you'll always be my baby
We can make it shine
We can take forever just a minute at a time

*More that a woman
More that a woman to me babay
More than a woman
More than a woman to me
More than a woman

There are stories old and true
Of people so in love like you and me
And I can see myself, let history repeat itself
Reflecting how I feel for you
Thinkin' 'bout those people then
I know that in a thousand years
I'd fall in love with you again

This is the only way that we should fly
This is the only way to go
And if I lose your love, I know I would die
Oh, say you'll always be my baby
We can make it shine
We can take forever just a minute at a time


I mean that's just a disco song and the lyrics are so much better than anything I have heard on the radio recently.What's up wit dat?
If I felt like thinking hard, I could say how our society has embraced simply using people of the opposite sex for sexual gratification rather than commitment...but I just wanna hear a decent song.

As promised!

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Salsa Chicken

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I am usually a bit of a food snob, and do not care for the open-a-can-of-soup-over-chicken-breast dinners, but I was stuck one night with no imagination, and even less ingredients, and even less energy. I pulled out Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker and tried this. The family was pleasantly pleased.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 lb), trimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups thick prepared salsa of your choice, medium or hot
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of pure ground red chile powder
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and arrange the chicken in it. Pour salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 3-3 1/2 hours. The chicken will make some of its own juice, thinnning out the salsa a bit.
2. Stir in the cumin, chile powder, and lime juice, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes before serving.

I served it over brown rice and topped with some shredded cheddar. You can also put it in tortillas with the usual fixings like chopped tomatoes, sour cream, avocado. shredded lettuce, etc.

A Prayer Request

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A few weeks ago, I finished a 120 hour class in medical transcriptioning. I really enjoyed the class, but I need a job. Very few places are hiring entry level transcriptionists. Please ask St. Anthony, or the Blessed Mother to put in a good word for me. TIA.

Don't Buy This

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It sucks. I made the mistake and bought it on an impulse because it was on sale for $19 at Wal-Mart. Even though many of the prices I saw online were for $50-$70, $19 on crap is $19 on crap. I could have gotten a V-8. And a bag of bread flour. And some cream cheese. Or a copy of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. But I have been coveting these pod coffee makes since they came out. I drink on average one cup of coffee a day. If I make a pot, I drink more, but not because I want more, but because I make a pot. I also (like evryone else) love cappuccinoeyesque coffee beverages, so I was very excited.
The darn thing does not work right. The water resovoir does not empty everytimie, the coffee is not so great. And the frsutrating thing about impulse buying is after the fact I started reading reviews and everyone has the same thing to say. To add insult to injury, I cannot find the receipt to return the darn thing. So I will just wait for it to explode like everyone else's.

I think in a couple of years this will be the butt of the segments "2005" VH-1 show "I Love 2005".

Oh, Peony, Clown of God...

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I am just horrible with that book. It is one of my favorite children's boook, and I think I have two copies. I bought it when Rosey Posey was very small. But to this day, I cannot read the whole thing, I always break up and start crying.
It embarrases the heck out of Rosey Posey. She always starts saying "um, Mom...Mom, stop it..." so I had to hide stop reading it. I think she started saying "You are not going to read that book that makes you cry again, are you?"

I am ridiculous because ever since I had kids (not before) I cry very easily. I cry over Publisher's Clearinghouse Commercials. Well, I was always silly, but I got worse after having children. Hormones.

This year we are doing Five in A Row with Fastolph, and Clown of God is on the reading list.FIAR I think is widely toted as a homeschooling resource, but I do not think it is limited to home schooling. It is a lot of fun and doesn't take too much time, so I think it would be an equally great school supplemental.

But What Does That Mean?

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I hear this over and over again: "I am not religious, but I am spiritual..." or "God doesn't appreciate religious people, only spititual people..."
This is one of those buzz sayings that sounds "deep", but what on earth does that mean? I think it means that following rules is bad, but following your "conscience" is better?

I don't know. I heard that saying yet again yesterday, and then saw a bumper sticker that said "Exercising my right to piss off the religious right!" and got really annoyed. I guess her buymper sticker certainly worked.

Kill Me Now, Please...

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Baby Fredagar during the day is the cutest, happiest baby. He spends his time exploring with a sweet smile on his face. He is very pleasant and easy going until come evening.

At night I have to be his human pacifier. If I roll over, he wakes up. If I go to the bathroom, he wakes up. I am so tired. He becomes the exact opposite of his day self. I do hope he outgrows this soon.

I Want Plastic Surgery!

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OK, not really. I think plastic surgery is cheating, it can be dangerous, it is expensive...But I am sooo depressed and have issues with this whole postpartum-body-image thing.It has been incredibly hard to get back into shape after Baby Fredegar. Then one sleepless night I was watching some plastci surgery show on the Discovery Health Channel (it's really bad what happens when you give someone who has been living off-grid for two years a remote control) and your skin stretches out after so many pregnancies, like those 800 lb people who lose weight-you need to have it either surgically removed or deal.They have show after show of women who have had children and are unhappy with their saggy guts and saggy boobs. Then they just dish out a few K and bam! Good as new!
That is so not fair! Well, I guess it's fair, I am just not happy about it.I want my body back! I want to be this gorgeous Mommmy person that people look at and say "Wow! You've had how many kids?" and not "Oh yeah, you've had 5 kids!" (Incidentally, is there an in between reaction?)

Anyway, I work out every morning, my diet has been so so. I hope to do better with the New Year. But in the past, with this much effort, I snapped back. It is a year later and I still feel like I have a figure like Augra from The Dark Crystal

Howdy!

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Man oh Man, what a few months!

1. We tried to buy a house, but got thumbs down from the mortgage company after a preapproval, and after 6 weeks of waiting for approval. I was so heartbroken, but timing was bad. My dh lost his job in June, then the records we had of rent payment for the previous 12 months were insufficient because we paid with money orders, blah, blah, blah. It was nightmare because I really had my heart set on this newly renovated Victorian. So we moved and are renting for another year to tie up all those loose ends that prevented us from getting the mortgage.
2. So we moved the day after Thanksgiving to Amsterdam, NY (home of Judge Going of The Judge Report). We have a nice apartment. We planned on staying here for only a year, but I am soo tired from the move, I am not rushing.
3. We have electricity again, and my kids do not know what to do with themselves (that is a pro and a con).
4. My father got a stem cell replacement on December 6. His prognosis looks pretty good. He is just feeling pretty crappy.
5. We have been homeschooling using St. Thomas Aquinas Academy. I am so far very pleased with them and recommend them highly.
6. My brother, Thomas, returned from Marine basic training December 2. It was so good to see him and spend time with him. Sadly, his visit was short lived as he returned for combat training New Year's Day. Then he has some sort of other training, then he is off to Iraq. May God look out for him.
7. Please pray for the repose of the souls of two women-one is Lee Shelton. She was a family friend, and a very classy lady whom I will always think fondly of. The second is Marcia Hill, whom I did not know, but is the sister of another family friend, and I said I would pray for.
8. I have taken my brother's old job washing dishes at the diner on weekends. I enjoy it very much because I get out for a bit, and make a few bucks for my Ouidadery, and other materialistic feminine urges (such as my cloth diaper fascination), and John the cook and proprieter feeds me. Not sure if that is good or bad because I have no self control. When I am watching him every morning create Eggs Benedict, French Toast, and walnut, blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes, it takes too much will power to say "oh yheah, I'll have the oatmeal." My grandmother said "oh you're going to gain more weight, and you can't gain anymore!"
I have lots of stuff mulling around in my bizarre mind to talk about. Stay tuned...


Di Fattura Caslinga: Pansy's Etsy Shop
The Sleepy Mommy Shoppe: Stuff we Like
(Disclaimer: We aren't being compensated to like this stuff.
Any loose change in referral fees goes to the Feed Pansy's Ravenous Teens Fund.)


Pansy and Peony: The Two Sleepy Mommies



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