Used, cheap and available-- and NO it's not me

I had ordered my summer class textbooks earlier this month and UPS brought them to my door this afternoon. I opened up the box (which was smaller than I imagined it would be), and saw that all three books I ordered were included. My government text had this sticker on its spine:



Ratcliffe's is the other bookstore that Rose State students can purchase books from, but all three of mine came from Rose State's bookstore on campus, so the government text must have started out at Ratcliffe's at some point.

I also got the books for my (dreaded) math class and for the video class I'm taking. The thing about the book for the video class is that the prof uses it in four of his classes, one of which I'm taking in the fall, so that's one less book I have to buy in August.

And there's no doubt the books (except the math book) are used. Not only do they have stickers on them indicating they're used, but there's a stamp on them as well... as if I couldn't tell by looking that they weren't new. The government text is in pretty good shape. The television news reporting book is not in great shape, but it's not falling apart, either. It's also got highlighting in it, too. I was always told that if you highlight a textbook, you can't sell it back. Guess the rules have changed since 1985, ya think?


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Snxxx (that's supposed to be what snoring looks like in print?)

Stayed up too late reading the new copy of The Sun Magazine I got in the mail yesterday. But I fell asleep easier. That's always nice.

I woke up later, still dark outside, and made a disturbing discovery.

New neighbors moved into the apartment next to me that had the fire right after Easter about two weeks ago. Last night, I could hear one of them snoring away on the other side of the wall from my bedroom.

And, they snore rather loudly if I can hear it thru the damned wall!

Not like my maternal grandmother, who in her later years snored like a frieght train (maybe some sleep apena going on there, I don't know). I could be on the other end of the house sleeping, and it would be like she's sleeping in the same room.

My dad snored. Saon snored. Marc even snored when he was real little, because he got sick everytime the weather changed (thankfully, he's outgrown that at 13 years old). The only person's snoring that really bothered me was Jon's, because he insists to this day that he doesn't snore. Not even kicking him in the middle of the night got him to stop.

I probably snore, but then I can't hear myself when I'm sleeping.

The snoring doesn't really bother me, because eventually, I'll get used to it. But if I'm not living in your apartment, I don't really want to hear it.

But, if you're sleeping in my bed and you snore, I'll miss it when you're gone.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

It just dawned on me

Summer classes start on Monday!

I ordered my books online from the Rose State Bookstore and I'm expecting them before the end of the week.

It's the schlepping them to school that's going to be hard on me. Still trying to get the dinero to get the water pump replaced. Until then, I'll be hoofin' it.

At least I won't be having any more of those unintentional all nighters, because I'll be too tired to stay up all night long.

Meanwhile, I've got stuff to do...

thanks for peeking, cowboy.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Uh, oh...

Someone plugged my given name into Google and it led here to MVL.

Am I the one you were looking for, Hicksville, New York? If so, please email me. If not, sorry :(



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Feeling better about some things, not so much on others

I think I finally caught up with all the lost sleep from my unintentional all nighter last week. Amazing what making a fool of yourself will do, huh?

I feel much better, and hopefully will make a lot more sense to people than I did on Friday.

There's going to be a family dinner in honor of Scott's birthday. I don't know if that going to be today or on another day in the near future.

Over the weekend, I found out that my rent will go up by $15 a month starting in July. And, the news says that my electric bill will go down, so maybe that evens everything out.

Now, if I could just scrape up enough money to get the Beretta a new water pump.

Why does everything require so much money all the damn time? But, I have faith that I can make it through, so I just have to hang in there.

And sometimes, that's not easy.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

And now, for the first time in his life...

Number 3 son, Scott, has to go to school on his birthday!

Usually, school would be out by now. But because of all the wacky winter weather we had, that's pushed the last day of school to June 1st.

Hell, when I was in school, many moons ago, we didn't even get out of school for the summer until mid-June. And the fall term started in the fall (mid-September), dammit!

These kids got it so good nowadays. I always had to go to school on my birthday, unless it fell on a weekend. Then again, my birthday is in February.

So have a great day at school today, Scott. Oh, yeah, happy 16th birthday! Love you --Mom



Scott shares his birthday with some impressive people... among them John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, and Melissa Etheridge.

(For other well known folks who share May 29th as their birthday, go here.)


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Oh, look, it's the 28th...

MVL is 4 years old! Woohoo! LOL

A lot has changed in my life in those 4 years. I've changed a lot in those 4 years. The last two have been especially life changing.

And to all of you who come by here and read my ramblings, thank you. I know I'll never be as big as, say, what's-his-face, Matt Drudge, or LaShawn Barber, but I like knowing that this is my little corner of the internet, my form of release, and that I do have some readers. It's the quality, not the quantity, that counts the most.

And lest we forget...

It's also Memorial Day. Remember those who have served our country with pride, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can remain the home of the free and land of the brave.

If you should run across a member of our Armed Forces, don't forget to say thank you.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Lucky me (insert raspberry here)

Saon calls this evening, and before I can even get "hello" out of my mouth, he says,

"Have you talked to John [his former foster dad] lately?" I told him yes, and Saon said that John had just called him to tell him that he (John) will be in the States in July (John lives and works somewhere in Indonesia).

Saon's doubtful, because last summer when John visited, he wanted Saon to meet him at the airport before his flight back to Indonesia. Saon wasn't really cool with that, because he was under the impression that since the man raised him from like 11 years old, that he'd want to spend more time than the hour alloted to him.

He had another fare, and said he'd call me later. Just as I was hanging up the phone, John IMs me, to tell me he talked to Saon. I told him I had just gotten off the phone with Saon. I mentioned to John about what happened last year when he visited, and said that it was clear why Saon had been so defensive (you'd think it would have occured to Saon to tell John this himself, but noooooooo....).

Then John thanks me for "hooking [them] up". No problem, I said.

When did I become the middle grrl in this relationship? One, I might add, that I had no part in until after Katrina hit New Orleans, and John saw one of my pleas for info on Saon's whereabouts on one of the many bulletin board sites that sprung up in the days following the hurricane.

How lucky can one grrl be, huh?



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

The Post wherein Stef discusses junk e-mail and weight

I get a lot of crap in my email. Fortunately, most of it ends up in the Spam folder on Gmail, so I don't have to read it if I don't wish to. Usually, I don't wish to.

But, I didn't have to read this email to get a chuckle from the subject: lose a ton of weight with (name of bogus weight loss product here).

If I literally lost a ton of weight, I'd no longer exist. I'm a big gal and I could stand to lose a lot of weight, but not a literal ton (ton= 2000 lbs) of weight.

The way I see it, I didn't put all this weight on overnight, and it ain't coming off overnight. I really and truly do have to work at it. If a realistic weight loss solution really came in a bottle of pills, do you think there'd be an obesity epidemic here in the good ole U.S. of A?

Lord knows they've tried it. Remember Fen-Phen (Phen-Fen?)? Turned out that people were dying taking that crap.

There was another one a few years ago (name escapes me at the moment) that I actually asked my doctor at the time about. He told me that it was for severly obese patients, and that I wasn't severly obese. Gee, thanks for the backhanded compliment, Doc!

Of course, there is weight loss surgery, which is a life saver for a lot of those who take that route.
I considered that, too. But, being the big chicken I am about "going under the knife", and the costs (and in 1997, wasn't covered by my insurance thru the call center that shall remain nameless), I quickly stopped considering it. In 1998 and the very early part of 1999, I lost close to 85 lbs. doing a paper route. Not a "ton" of weight, but enough for people to notice.

It just kills me how many things are "out there" to help one lose weight, become rich, increase the size of their manhood (and yes, I get those junk emails too!), and how many people have Viagra and/or Cialis for sale.

And no, I don't need help finding a date, thank you for asking (more junk emails from every conceivible kinds of online dating there is out there). Despite my being a plus size grrl, I don't have any trouble attracting male attention. It might be the boobs, I don't know. I'd like to think it's because I'm a nice gal, can carry on a somewhat intelligent conversation, have some knowledge of current events, and am fun to be around.

Or, as someone else said to me about a year or two ago... because they wanted to get to know me as a friend first. And I value this person's friendship, because they were up front and honest with me.

Unlike a couple of people I know (x-hubby and x-b/f).

Thank you for being my friend, cowboy.

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Stef's Horrorscope: the "See, Larry, I Told You I Was a Good Grrl" Edition

Aquarius (1/20-2/18)

You've been very good for a long time, so it's okay for you to slip a little today and do something that's 'against the rules.' You shouldn't do anything dangerous or illegal, of course -- but give yourself the green light to cheat on your diet, take a shortcut on a household chore, or make a frivolous little purchase. Don't worry -- you won't get addicted to being bad! Rather, you'll remind yourself how easy it is to be good!




That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

This might make more sense if I were seeing someone

But I think I would be a good girlfriend.

You are a Great Girlfriend

When it comes to your guy, you're very thoughtful But you also haven't stopped thinking of yourself You're the perfect blend of independent and caring You're a total catch - make sure your guy knows it too!

Are You a Good Girlfriend?

*sigh*...if only.

Can't dwell on that now. Too many other things to do.

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

PAM TILLIS - Mi Vida Loca

This is the song that my blog is named after....

I'll never forget this day 16 years ago

Today, sixteen years ago, was my due date with my son, Scott.

He wasn't even close to being born at this point.

My doctors at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia were kinda freaking out, because they knew he was going to be a big baby (and he was), and they didn't want me to go past my due date.

They tried this thing called separating the membranes to induce labor (hint-- it hurts!). It didn't work. No labor started and an appointment was made for me to come back on the 28th for a stress test.

So, I had the whole long Memorial Day weekend to wait for Scott to make his appearance in the world.

That afternoon, we went to the Pungo Strawberry Festival in Virginia Beach, with silly me thinking that I'll walk myself into labor, then go to the hospital.

Yeah, right.

I freaked out the DJ from a local radio station doing a remote there when I told her (after she asked me when I was due) that I was due that day, May 25th.

We (me, Jon, Daniel and Jeff, who were 7 and 5 at the time) walked around there for a good two or three hours, and all I got was exhausted, sunburned, and strawberries.

People who knew us were surprised that I was still pregnant on Memorial Day (May 27th). "Ain't you had that baby yet?"

The 28th comes and I waddle off to the hospital to have the stress test, and Scott is fine... just late. Then the doctor decides to separate the membranes again. Not fun. And he keeps telling me that if the baby is over ten pounds, that whoever delivers him will probably do a c-section, which does not thrill me in the least! I think Jon got a little green around the gills over that one.

So I go home and wait. That night, I was talking to my dad on the phone and he said that if the baby comes June 1st, that would be great because at that time, there was no one in the family born in June.

A couple hours after that, I feel the first pains of what I hoped was labor. I had gone into false labor on May 20th, and they sent me home after an hour. I was praying "please let this baby get born now..."

After they checked me to make sure I was really in labor, I was admitted. They were just as anxious as I was to get this baby born, as he was now 4 days overdue. The longer he waited, the bigger he'd get, and then I'd really need a c-section.

At about 1 or 2 am, a nurse comes in with the epidural. I'd never had one (it wasn't even offered to me when Daniel and Jeff were born), so the nurse explained what it was, and that I had to be very still while they did it or I'd have the worst headache in the known universe.

In no time, I couldn't feel anything from the waist down. I figured that if I did have to have the c-section, I'd be all set.

Then I slept for about four hours, until I could feel the pains again. The doctor came in, broke my water, announced I was ready to deliver and wheeled me off to the delivery room with Jon hot on my heels.

About an hour later, Scott finally arrived! No c-section. He weighed in at a whopping 9 pounds and 11 1/2 ounces!

And I won't even tell you about the baby who arrived the same day with a full head of long hair...

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Dari's Friday Flashback #3

This will be a short one...

Ford put out the first Mustangs when I was about 4 months old. When I was three or four years old, I told my mom that I'd buy her one someday.

Forty years later, I haven't. If I do buy one (highly unlikely at this point in time), I'll let my mom drive it. If she wants to. She's still kinda skittish behind the wheel, and she's been driving for thirty five years!

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Sleep... or the lack thereof

This is the worst night in a long time. I haven't been to sleep yet. Not that I haven't tried, sleep is just eluding me. I guess the pain I'm feeling doesn't help... I took Aleve before I attempted to go to bed (okay, I did go to bed, I just haven't fallen asleep), but it's not helping.

I'm watching TV. There's nothing on at 4:30am.

Well, I'm going to try and sleep. Goodnite and have a safe holiday weekend.

Hi, cowboy!

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Nothing to say

I haven't felt like writing anything, and it's been like hell pulling something out of my head to write about.

So why not write about not having anything to say?

Cuz I don't wanna.

I'll be myself again in a couple of days. Maybe I'll have something to talk about then. Or not.




That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

My curiousity got the better of me, I guess

I was checking my stats today, and saw that someone looked up "Dusty the Clown".

Dusty later became the "Fabulous Balloon Man", and since about 1997, I lost track of him.

I knew the man behind both of these personas. He and I were pretty good friends until about 10 years ago. Since then, it seems as though he's fallen off the edge of the earth.

I just wanted to say hello and how you been, and what have you been doing for the last ten years?

I've looked on the internet, and found some things that might lead to him, but I'm not sure. It's not like I'm planning a trip to Norfolk and Virginia Beach anytime soon and want to look him up. I think it's more to satisfy my own curiousity.

Unless he's now deceased, then I'll feel bad I didn't try harder or sooner to find him.

I've noticed that I've had a lot of visitors from the Hampton Roads area lately, but a lot of them are looking for info on Henry Del Toro, formerly of WNOR-FM in Norfolk. Just this one looking for "Dusty the Clown" that's got me thinking about him again.

And maybe, I should just let the past stay where it is... in the past. No use inviting trouble, now, is there?


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Not a lot to say

I think I'll go check the mail.

Put the dishes away.

Make some phone calls.

Take a nap.

Not necessarily in that order.



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Hmmm...not bad...

but I can do better. Something to work towards at any rate.

Got all of my grades, finally. The last two were probably posted this morning. I was hoping for a 3.5, but the 3.25 I did get is okay.

My goal for the semester was to get a 3.0 GPA, so I achieved that. For the summer classes, I just want to get the math class out of the way without falling flat on my face. It doesn't count towards my GPA, but that doesn't mean I can do poorly in it. For the two that do count, I want to do well.

In the fall, I want to better the 3.25 GPA I just got for the spring semester. I mean, if I'm not going to do well, what's the point of going to school?

Part of me wishes I'd done this years ago; and part of me is glad I waited until now.

It's gonna be tough asking my 21 year old son to help me with math homework though (he offered, BTW).

thanks for peeking, cowboy

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Grrrr...

This just kills me...

When I was looking for full time work, there were no jobs to be had. Now that I'm in school and really need only a part time job, everybody's got full time work.

Now that I need to get at least a water pump for the car, I need something asap. I have qualified for the Federal Work Study program, but, if I indeed get a FWS job, it won't start til August.

And I'm too old to work in fast food. It's fine for kids like Jeff. Johnnie's Express has allowed Jeff to save money for a car, but you can't live on that. Or at least, I can't.

But if that's what it takes... *sigh*

I got a call just before I sat down to do this post. It was for a full time job, but I can't take it because I'm in school full time. The guy on the other end sounded like I wasted his time.

I'm not going to give up on school. There has to be a way to make it all play nicely together.

There HAS to be.

Now, I have to go hunt up something to get rid of this headache.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Ick, look at all the crud on the floor!

Time to drag the vacuum cleaner out of the closet and give the rug a once over.

My apartment is so small, I could probably get away with one of those electric sweepers and no one would be the wiser (except those of you who read this blog). Better yet, I wish I had a Roomba to vacuum up all the stuff accumulated on the floor. Push a button and go. How easy is that?

That reminds me of this:

When I was living in Massachusetts with my three cats, I didn't have a vacuum cleaner. When I did have to vacuum, I borrowed one from one of my neighbors. Columbus, my big male Maine Coon, was scared witless of the vacuum cleaner. I didn't even have to turn it on and Columbus would hiss at it. The girl cats, Flurry and Sadie, could've cared less.

I mentioned to someone (probably Paul, who was then my landlord and not the Master of the One Line Email) that I wanted to get a Roomba, which had just come out the year before, because all I'd have to do is push a button and it would vacuum the rug itself. But, this being 2000 at the time, Roombas were prohibitly expensive, so it was out of the question to get one. But I could just see Columbus chasing this stupid little thing around my apartment and hissing at it.

Poor Columbus... he's been gone almost a year and a half now. I miss him.

But, I digress...

I probably should get up off my fat Italian ass and vacuum the rug. Who knows when a certain someone will surprise me by showing up at my door again? (soon, I hope).

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Interesting things in my referrer's list...

A few things that people are looking for when they land here at MVL:

Henry Del Toro: the late Hampton Roads "shock jock". I don't know if people who've been away from Norfolk for a while and are just now learning of Henry's death, or because the 5th anniversary of his passing is coming up next month.

What "Mi Vida Loca" means: it means "my crazy life". No, I didn't borrow the title from the Alison Anders film, but from the song by Pam Tillis. You WILL NOT find any information regarding the movie "Mi Vida Loca" here. Check ImDB.com for that.

Rheumatoid Arthritis/I'm exhausted/I'm so tired: See my other blog Look What the Cat Dragged In. It's not updated regularly like MVL is, but you can get some basic info about RA, fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

New Email: click on the "email me here" graphic on the sidebar to send me an email. If your system won't send email (you're on someone else's computer, at a library or school, etc.), the email addy is mi.vida.loca@cox.net. Please use this for emails relating to this site only. I can disable it if I feel it's being abused. Of course, you can always leave comments on each post
by clicking on the "what say you" link. Commenting provided by Haloscan.

And another thing while I'm thinking about it: if you instant message me from the Yahoo! Messenger link on the sidebar, please tell me that is where you found me. I get suspicious when someone IMs me out of the blue. I recently had someone try to talk me into a Nigerian Scam via Yahoo! Messenger, so I'm a little gun shy when IMs start out with just "Hi", their name and some fluff compliment about my looks when I have an avatar instead of a picture.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--


=====
this post updated at 16:30 CDT 20 May 2007

From the "It Had to Happen Sometime..." files

Two plumbing and heating firms are fighting over 867-5309.

For people my age, that number is quite familiar.

About 25 years ago, there was a song called "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone. The gist of the song is that some guy sees it on the wall of the men's room, looking "for a good time" and then hesitates to call it.

Here's the link to the Boston Globe article. It had to happen sometime, because for the unfortunate folks who have had that number, regardless of area code, over the years were not amused when the crank calls began. All because of a stupid song. Now these two plumbing firms are fighting for the right to use it to get potential customers to remember them...

Go fig...


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I never claimed to be as pure as the driven snow...

and this proves it LOL

You Are 71% Pure

You're pretty pure, and you have no plans on changing that. You do have a devilish side though... and it will probably get the better of you.

The 100 Question Purity Test

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Dari's Friday Flashback #2

For today, hmmm, let's see...

I was thinking about this just the other day-- the ponytails my mom used to fix my hair into when I was 6, 7, 8 years old. My hair was quite long, so Mom would give me braids, or just separate my hair into equal sections and use an elastic to secure them. It was easier for her, because she's the one who brushed my hair out each night before I went to bed, and it kept my hair out of my face when I was playing outside with my neighborhood friends.*

Then, one summer, I begged my parents to let me cut my hair. They relented and it was cut from waist length to just below the shoulder. By that time, Mom was letting me fix my own hair.

Now, it's short. The last time it was really long was 1999. The longer it got, the worse it looked, so I chopped it all off. I don't think it's been longer than shoulder length since then. It's a lot easier to manage now.

*Yes, that's what we kids did in the 70's-- we played outside until dark. No video games and crap back then.

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I gotta quit sleeping during the day

because I won't fall asleep when I'm supposed to at night.

This afternoon, I fell asleep on the couch after taking a shower. Mind you, I had a towel on my head and pretty much nothing else. I sat for one second, and next thing I know, it's two hours later, I'm in my birthday suit, and the front door is unlocked! Anyone could have walked in!

I really felt naked at that point.

So I go and get dressed, dried my hair, went out to get the mail, hang out outside for a few minutes, then come back inside and think about making dinner.

I almost can't wait for school to start again in June.

Oh, and for the first time in his life, Scott will have to go to school on his birthday (May 29th). Because of all the snow days in December and January, they have to make them up at the end of the year, which is June 1st. Usually, school would have been over for about a week before Scott's birthday. Not this year!

He's going to be 16! And he's getting his learners permit the day after his birthday. Scott? Driving? I still get nervous driving with Jeff, and he's had his license for 5 years!

Time sure flies...


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Hmmm, interesting...

In looking at the Rose State website, two of my classes have already posted my grades for the semester.

One of them was for the class where I had my first final and screwed it up royally. I actually got a decent grade out of it.

Once the grades for all four classes are posted, I might post them here. And, I might not. So far, I have a 3.5 GPA going on... but that's only for those two classes.

Interesting, indeed...


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Eye of the Tiger

I'm strong (tigers), sensitive (flower, heart), bright (stars), and loyal (fleur de lys)...

So there.

Want to make your own? Go to abovetheinfluence.com or click on the flag above.

Thanks for peeking, cowboy. talk soon

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I'm done! (Stef does Happy Dance)

Walked to school... only took me 30 minutes to get there. Still had plenty of time to do some last minute studying.

Then I went and took the final. Couldn't believe how easy it was... probably because I studied for it. I was done in less than an hour (two hours had been scheduled for it).

Walked to WalMart, grabbed a bite to eat, then headed home.

Now, if all the days this summer are like today, I could probably walk to school for summer classes. It's the rainy days and the triple digits we usually get around here in the summer than concern me.

Daniel's going to come over here this afternoon and take a looksee at the car. The water pump he can probably replace. The other thing with the steering column, I don't know.

(I've got Larry on Yahoo! Mess-up-enger, and we're talking about scooters/Vespas, and how much a used one would run... I should ask him if I do get one, will he teach me how to ride it, since he's ridden motorcycles...?)

It's a thought...

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Running the gamut of emotions from A to Z

First-- I didn't sleep in much. I got up at 8am, and started in with my studying. I was doing really well with that, and I think I'll do really well tomorrow.

Then-- I had a wonderful afternoon. And while it was wonderful, it left me with a lot of conflicting emotions. But, I think I got those straightened out. So I feel better.

Then-- I went to WalMart to pick up a few things and get gas for the Beretta. After I brought my stuff to the car, I decided to wait until tomorrow to get gas. I was feeling pretty good.

Then-- it all went to hell on a sled.

The water pump on the car died. Water was spraying everywhere!! I'm thinking, oh great! This HAD to happen the night before my last final...

But, wait, there's more... as if it couldn't get any worse

Something in the steering column broke as I was parking in the parking lot at my apartment. I could take the key out of the ignition, but the engine didn't shut off. I had to borrow a wrench from one of my neighbors to disconnect the battery so the engine would shut off.

Then-- I called Jeff and asked if he and Daniel could come over and take a look at the car. I don't know if there is anything they can really do at this point. The steering column thing has happened twice before when I was in Massachusetts (once when I was on a long distance drive), so I know that it needs to be seen by a mechanic.

I need to borrow a car or get one from somewhere. I'll probably walk to school tomorrow (it won't kill me after all), but I need to make some arrangements to get to school for Summer Session that starts June 4th.
=====

Also-- it's my friend JC's birthday. Happy Birthday!


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Be still my achy breaky heart...!

I can sleep in tomorrow!

How much you want to bet that I'll still get up at 7:30am like I have everyday since January 22nd?

Then, it's back to the US History stuff...



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Three down, one to go

Had the two finals I've been dreading all weekend this morning.

The English Comp project from hell is behind me now. I think I did a pretty good job with the parts I was responsible for. I wasn't the weak link (that's what I was afraid of the most). The only problem was that part of my presentation was on Power Point, and my version is newer than the one on the laptop I was provided, so it didn't get used... so I wrote the information on the chalkboard. It wasn't perfect, but it had to do.

The editing final took me all of about half an hour, and I actually had a fighting chance of passing it with a decent grade (i.e. I knew the answers).

US History is Wednesday, then I'm done. Summer session starts June 4th, so I have a couple of weeks off before going back to school. I don't know about the cramming 16 weeks of classes into half that time (classes are every day but Fridays), but it probably won't be that bad.

More to come on that.

I've already ordered my books for Summer, and I should get them the week of May 28th.

So now, I think I will go to sleep for a while.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Mother's Day and studying for two finals Monday

This is my Mother's Day card from Daniel and Jeff. Scott and Marc drew cards for me, but the pix didn't come out :(

Didn't really do much except study. Mom wasn't feeling well so we didn't go anywhere. I spent a good deal of the day here:

in my mom's van, running errands.

Then I put my part of the presentation for the English Comp project from hell together, read a little from my notes in my editing class, some US History stuff (that final is Wednesday), a bit from my English text, then went out and got Mom and me some dinner.

Daniel came home from work and brought me home.

I'm hittin' the hay. Wish me luck tomorrow!

(i'm gonna need it!)

hey, cowboy, ya wanna get tweaked tomorrow?

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

"All the President's Men"? or more studying? Hmmmm

Thing is, I've seen "All the President's Men" a few times. It's a good movie, and it'd be great if we had actually gotten to that point in history in my US History class this semester. But, we didn't. Besides, you know how it ends: Woodward and Bernstein risk life, limb, and career to figure out the Watergate break in, and that knowledge leads to Nixon's resignation in August of 1974.

But if I have to look at my notes for the two classes I have finals in on Monday one more second, I think I may scream.

I'll be glad to get the English Comp project from hell out of the way. I think all the grey hair I've discovered lately is tied into my worrying about it. Geez, do I have a lot of it!

I think my resolve not to dye it is starting to crumble.
=====

Last night, I felt like a complete idiot. I'm not at liberty to say why I felt that way, but I did. It's a trust thing.

You'd think I'd have learned something about that by now. But, noooooooooooooooo!
=====

I'm waiting for Daniel to make up his mind and come over here to pick me up. Both he and Jeff have to work tomorrow, so I'll be spending Mother's Day with my mom, and possibly with my two younger sons. I don't know what's planned for tomorrow. I'm always the last one to know anything in this family.
=====

When I moved here in 2002, my sister and brother in law had four dogs. Their Jack Russell terrier was hit by a car; then, Buffy got really sick and had to be put to sleep. Just recently, their husky, Nicky, had to be put down as well, mostly from old age (he was like 14 years old!). Now the only one left is Betsy, the border collie, and she's moping around because she misses Nicky. Tori and Dean don't know if they're going to get any more animals in the event that Betsy goes on to her great reward (she's still pretty healthy, but she's no puppy, either).

I'd like to have a cat, but the $200 non refundable pet deposit the apartment complex requires is keeping me from it. Right now, I'm just trying to take care of me. I don't know if I can take care of a cat, too. But, having a purring and playful ball of fluff is comforting.

There'll be plenty of time for that, I guess.
=====

I hope all you moms, grandmas, stepmoms, adoptive moms and foster moms have a wonderful Mother's Day!



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Dari's Friday Flashback #1

Since my childhood was well more than 10 years ago, I thought I'd play along.

And, since Mother's Day is this weekend, I'll start off with this:

For as long as I could remember, my dad always got my mom a card and a gift for Mother's Day. He did it for other special occasions, too, and he did it every time without fail. Sometimes, the cards were funny, or the gift was meant to represent some inside joke between the two of them, or something to just let her know that he appreciated her a lot.

My parents were not the kind to show affection in front of their kids. That's just the way they were. It was part of their upbringing. So when Dad did peck Mom on the cheek for something, my sister and I were surprised.

Dad gave Mom Mother's Day gifts long after we grew up and moved away. Mom didn't stop being a mom when we went out on our own, after all.

My dad died on October 8, 1999. The first Mother's Day after that, when there wasn't the usual card at Mom's place at the table, was the first real time since he died that she cried.

A couple months later, Mom put the house we grew up in on the market, and when it was sold, moved here to Oklahoma.

And I'm sure she thinks about Dad everyday. I know I do.
=====

If you want to play along, click the picture above. If for some reason I didn't do the HTML crap correctly, click here.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

The English Comp project from hell is still in hell...

Our English professor decided that we weren't going to meet today, but the three of us in the group I'm in decided to meet at 11am (when class would normally start), to put our collected stuff together. I showed up and the group leader showed up, but the gal that is responsible for the works cited page for the whole project and the purpose statement was a no-show. I had dragged my laptop all the way down there for nothing! Grrrr....

I don't know what we're going to do if she doesn't show up Monday. I'm going to be stressing about that all weekend. I'll get my stuff together, collect my notes, give a comparative talk equating genocide with extinction, and hope for the best.

It's not nice to fool with Stef the weekend before the English Comp I final. I don't do stress well anymore.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Daniel will L-O-V-E these!

I saw this car in the parking lot of my local neighborhood WalMart:

This is a 1968 Ford Mustang California Special. Only a limited number of these cars were made and were only sold in California (hence the name). Daniel tells me that Ford is bringing out a 40th anniversary edition next year that will be available everywhere. I've only seen two or three prior to this, but that was a long time ago in a land far, far away (um, California...LOL).

I had to take these quickly, because some people are real weird about others taking pictures of their cars. I didn't want to have to explain that my son is a car nut.

I better send these pix to Daniel. Then call him to remind him to look in his email.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Okay, you can shut off the rain now!

The rain is crazy around here! It's just now calming down out there, but there for a while, it was coming down in buckets! We've had more rain in the last week and a half than I think we had all of last year.

The bugs will be brutal this summer. I.can't.wait.
=====

I had the first of four final exams this morning. I don't think I did as well as I thought I could. I hope it won't bring my GPA down too much.

Let's see how I do on the other three before I panic. I have two on Monday and one Wednesday. Then I get a few days off before the summer session begins.

I think I will celebrate by sleeping. Seriously, that's the only way I'll ever get caught up on the sleep I've been losing the last couple of weeks.
=====

Time for a snack. I didn't realize how hungry I am.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

First final is tomorrow (eep!)

Because this class (studio production) is considered a lab, so the final is the last class. And tomorrow is the last class of the semester.

Note to self: ready everything you take, and you'll be fine.

I found out today what my financial aid for fall 07 and spring 08 will be. Suffice it to say it's a lot more than I got for the semester I'm finishing up. Wow! It pays to get your financial aid paperwork in as early as possible.

Gas here is now $3.06 a gallon. I bought gas last Friday and it was only (ha!) $2.85... If it gets to $3.30 like it did in Wyoming last summer, I'm going to seriously consider getting a Vespa or something.

I know why Jeff wants to get a motorcycle, but I don't have to like it. In fact, it makes me nervous. It's not that I don't think Jeff would be a good rider... it's everyone else who don't look out for people on bikes.

Gotta get back to hitting the books, and hoping they don't hit back.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I'm going to take a nice long snooze... right after finals are over

I told someone today that I'm going to take a nap right after finals. I haven't been getting the sleep I need the last couple of weeks, and it's starting to take a toll on me. No more of this staying up til 2am, trying to cram a whole semester's knowledge into my brain. I know the material, so for my first final on Thursday, I'll study in the afternoon tomorrow, like I did today and yesterday, and take it from there.

I'm going up to Mom's tomorrow after school, because another place has called me for an interview, and it's closer to her house than it is mine. The job, as I understand it, is near me though.

So I have a double whammy here... do well on the interview Wednesday and the final on Thursday.
=====
Warning: Rant Ahead--

The whiny kid from one of my broadcasting classes has a class on Tuesday and Thursdays in the same place where I was editing my final project, and again, he was complaining about juggling work with school (and I guess he's not doing a good job at it, because school is apparently suffering). I didn't hear all of his arguments (mostly because I've tuned him out, and because I don't think he has a valid argument), so I don't know what all he said. Nor do I care. He hasn't learned to set priorities-- if he's going to go to school, then he should strive to do well. Blaming his work schedule, or the instructor, or whatever his lame argument is, isn't going to win him any brownie points. The person he should be blaming is the one he looks at in the mirror every morning.

The way I see it is this-- if you're not going to do your best work, for whatever reason, be it work, the instructor, your classmates, or your own failings, I don't want to hear your excuses for why you didn't complete the work. You either do the work or you don't. I may have not had the best editing projects in class, but at least I did them, and got them done on time. This guy was still editing the very first project we had in that class last week. That first project, if memory serves, was due in February! It's May, dude... it's too late for all that. I don't care what kind of fancy ass equipment you've bought to help you, the project is still late. Period. End of Story.

And this ends my rant about that!



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I think this everytime I turn off my computer

My laptop "sleeps" more than I do!

Does this not suck, or what?


thanks 4 peeking, cowboy


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Storms, sleep (huh?), and school

There was a wicked storm around 3-4 in the morning. It actually woke me up out of a sound sleep.

I looked outside and the wind is blowing, the rain is going sideways, and the power kept cutting on and off. I flipped on the TV and there was Mike Morgan from "Oklahoma's NewsChannel 4" with the weather (doesn't that man ever sleep?!).

We were having 70 mph winds, heavy rain, and the possibility that all that could turn into a tornado.

Then it moved to the northeast a little into Potawotomie County, and there was a tornado warning for Shawnee and the vicinity.

It was there, and the wind and rain here where I live lessened considerably. By this time, it was close to 4am and I needed to get back to bed.

Of course, I didn't actually fall asleep til much later. The alarm goes off really early when you've only gotten 3 hours of sleep.

It was still raining a little when I took my sleep deprived self to school. I thought I was going to fall asleep in the middle of US History.

And it seemed that everyone is made of sugar, because there weren't too many people in any of my classes today. What's the matter, afraid a little rain might make ya melt? Sheesh!

And the English Comp project from hell is getting more weird. I hope she's just not feeling well, but another of our group has gone AWOL (or UA as it's called in the Navy. UA= unexplained absence). This project gets more bizarre by the day. C'mon, there's only a week of school left... can ya stick it out that long?


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

For all moms, and those who love us

I got this from a friend on myspace who's also a mom. I thought instead of passing it along to all the rock bands and college students I have on my myspace list, I'd post it here for everyone to read. If you feel the need to pass it along to your mom, or a mom you know, or if you're a mom, then feel free...

=======



This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here." Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted.

(And for those of us who sit in a hospital room with their grown son, because he asked you to, after an emergency appendectomy, and because "sometimes, a man just needs his mama.")

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.
And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."


This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.


This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers who have lost a child, and had to deal with the pain every morning, knowing that they can't go and wake their child up fifteen times, saying, "You're going to be late!"

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.



This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway?

Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?



The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...
And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all.

For all of us.

Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can.



Tell them every day that we love them.

And pray.

Please pass along to all the Moms in your life.

"Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."

Please pass this to a wonderful mother you know.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Stef's Horrorscope: the Why in the Hell am I Still Awake Edition

Aquarius (1/23-2/22)
for Monday, May 7, 2007

Your mental energy and your physical energy are out of sync today, and you will need to adjust on a dime in order to preserve as much harmony as possible. Luckily, a lot of people close to you today are ready to calm your mood or give you an energy boost when you need it. Humor will have an extremely invigorating effect, so whenever you start to feel tired today, visit a funny website or take a few minutes to chat with someone who can always make you giggle.


(Of course my mental and physical energies are out of sync! Finals are nigh! LOL)

Say go to bed, Stef
==>Go to bed, Stef

he he

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

My hair is saved!

in that I won't be pulling it out in frustration for the time being.

My homework is done, and the studying will start anew tomorrow.

My first final is Thursday. Help?!


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

The All-Nighter?

Maybe not, but sometime in the next week, I'm going to be one exhausted grrl!

I may need some help in getting some things done, homework-wise. Or else, stuff is going to suffer.

I really need to go to bed, but I'm not tired yet.

I need to go somewhere where I'm not tempted by other things. Maybe I'll make a trip to the Rose State library tomorrow later today.

The essay that is due Monday in English Comp I is done. Still working on the group project stuff. It has to be presented on the 14th. It's something like 50 percent of our grade, and I have an A in there now.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get

That's how I'm feeling about the studying, the homework, and the English Comp project from hell...

I need something to calm me down and mellow me out.

I already asked someone for a massage, but the timing is off...

damn.

So in the morning, after I run my errands and stuff, it's back to hittin' the books.

And, the books hit back!

cowboy, take me away. always, cowgal

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I wouldn't mind if someone sent me this...

It's at virtualflorist.com, and it's called (believe it or not!) "Sweet Stephanie"...however, when you click on the pic to go to the ordering page, it's called "Sweet Sounds of Summer".
(and no, this is NOT a hint...)


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

It's a matter of trust...

I am too damn nice for my own good.

And it comes back, time and again, to bite me on the butt.

I want to trust that people are going to do/say/act the way they say they are, and not pull a fast one on me. While they're getting a big laugh out of it, I'm the one who looks bad.

If you're going to call/visit/email me at a certain time, then call/visit/email me at that time. You made a committment to me, and I expect a result, or a damn good reason why it didn't get done. "Just because..." doesn't cut it with me; neither does "I forgot..."

My father taught me that a person is only as good as their word. If you ain't gonna do it for whatever reason, don't tell me you are.

When I give my word, I follow through with it. If extenuating circumstances keep me from fulfilling my word, then I will call/email/ get in contact somehow with an explanation. I often arrive places well ahead of the scheduled time, because I gave my word I'd be there. Unless I am at death's door (i.e. in the hospital), or one of my kids or my mother is seriously ill, I'll be there.

Back to trust for a sec. I trusted a lot of the wrong people in my lifetime, and that's something I'm not particularly proud of. I can name three people off the top of my head that I shouldn't have trusted, but did anyway.

When you give me your word (or vow, or promise, or whatever), I expect results. Period. You want to earn my trust? Keep your word. Don't lie to me. Don't tell me what I want to hear, tell me what I NEED to hear. Don't sugarcoat things. Be honest. Be faithful. Be someone I can count on. Be a true friend.

This is what I try to be every single day of my life. You can trust me. Can I trust you?

Prove it.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Whew!

Perhaps The Master of the One Line Email moved on to something else and will now leave me alone for a while...

But someone else always has an open invitation to come visit.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

fuel - falls on me

I posted the lyrics about three years ago... here's the video via You Tube. I still love this song!

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

I'm so frustrated, I wanna cry

I don't want to talk about it, because it will turn into a rant, and I'm not going there today. I'll calm down first.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Stef's Horrorscope: the going out of my mind edition

Aquarius

Daily Extended Forecast for May 02, 2007
Provided by Astrology.com

One of the hottest opportunities you've had in a long time is losing momentum, but that doesn't mean it's going to come to a complete stop. Do not assume the worst in this situation -- in fact, you can safely assume the best. Chances are, this delay has nothing to do with you. While you're in this holding pattern, feel free to investigate any interesting new opportunities that pop up. Channel your impatience into curiosity and creativity.
=====

I'm trying to think positive, but sometimes it's so damn hard!



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Not enough time on my hands...

Or so it seems.

I'm trying to recreate all the research for my English Comp project for the person who up and left us with nothing to work with. I keep hoping to get an email from one of the other members of my group saying that they now have this gal's research, and all we have to do is put it in outline form, and we'll be done. Until then (which I'm now convinced will NOT happen), I'll be writing my ass off probably right up to the 14th when this thing is due.

I have a quiz in US History in about an hour. That final is the 16th, I think (I'll have to double check that though).

And, I still have an editing project to finish.

I need a break. I watched all of about an hour of TV last night, then it was right back to hitting the books, and the internet looking for information about the Nazi's persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. There are a LOT of places on the internet to find that information, but also, a LOT of sites for hate groups and groups who deny the Holocaust ever happened. I stay away from those like the plague!

That's what our now missing member was writing about: the Holocaust. And it's the first thing in our talking document (an oral final, how nice).

I wish I had a printer here at the house, instead of having to go to the library to print stuff out.

Help?!

cowboy, can u come out and play and clear my head for a little while?

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

The Post wherein Stef's past comes back to bite her in the ass

All these emails from The Master of the One Line Email (two more this morning!) are giving me a lot to think about. Not all of it good.

I keep wondering about a motive. Maybe, just once, he doesn't have one. Unlikely, but what the hell. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

He has a certain reputation around his neck of the woods. It's not a good one. The apartment he rented me in December of 99 wasn't the best in the world, but it put a roof over my head, was reasonably inexpensive (more than what I'm paying in Del City though), and got me away from my ex husband, who I thought I was going to strangle if he and I had to spend one more day under the same roof together (how we managed to stay married long enough to have four kids is a miracle).

The apartment was not in disrepair, and if things did need fixing, he'd come right away to make it right. I'm pretty sure that his attraction to me accounted for some of that. One of my neighbors complained about him to me constantly, and cautioned me not to get too involved with him, because his reputation preceeded him. Being new to the area at the time, I had no clue what she was talking about, nor did she explain much beyond what was supposedly common knowledge.

When he evicted me, we came to a mutual understanding and parted amicably. We exchanged emails for a while after I came to OKC, but then that stopped and I thought no more about him.

Until January of 06, when I thought I'd take a chance and reach out and wish him (and other people) a Happy New Year. When I didn't hear back from him, I figured that I'd let bygones be bygones.

Then there were emails in October, February and the ten we've exchanged in the last week. One of today's emails had a picture of him at the beach, on a pier or something. Might be Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, but I don't know. He still looked the same as I remembered him, perhaps a little older (after all he is 60 years old!).

Some of those ten emails made clear that he is still attracted to me. I'm flattered. I really am. But I made a committment when I enrolled at Rose State, and I fully intend to honor that committment. If there was a way I could get to New England to visit the friends I still have there (and deal with Jon), I might take advantage of it when I'm not in school.

I'm just scared he might get a wild hair up his ass and come here. That I don't think I could handle. I have enough going on without that. That would upset the delicate balance of my life as I've lived it in the last 5 years. I have enough on my plate without adding that.

I think I need a hug...


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--