The Post wherein Stef talks about the Comedy of Errors her weekend turned out to be

or, "How an innocent trip to the Redhawks game went horribly wrong".

Granted, it didn't go horribly wrong until after we got home, but still and all, it was quite an interesting weekend.

Dean had won an auction at Marc and Amalia's school for a block of tickets, in a box, no less, so all ten of us in the family, plus people that work for the medical group that Dean practises with to the Oklahoma Redhawks game last Saturday night.

We were in a corporate box, where food and snacks and sodas were provided, and we watched the Redhawks get beat by the Round Rock Express (the Redhawks left their pitcher in much too long, IMHO, and he got tired). It was pretty fun, even if Dean, Scott and Marc left in the third inning to meet up with a group of Boy Scouts to go camping in Colorado.

Scott got his learners permit, and he has this habit of not smiling in pictures (he got it from Jeff), and he looks more and more like his father every year. It's almost scary.

He's also getting a job this summer, so he's one of the throng of teenagers looking for work, but not until after he gets back from Colorado next Sunday (Father's Day).

It took us forever to get out of Bricktown after the game, and Daniel took me, Jeff and Mom home to Mom's house, and he went to Tori's because she had to go pick up Dean's Yukon from wherever it was parked. When Daniel got to Tori's, he somehow slammed the car door on his thumb, and the nail was getting black. Tori didn't think it was broken, but it hurt like hell.

Daniel ended up calling in to work, explaining that he may have broken his thumb and was going to have it looked at. Then he went back to my sister's to get his medical insurance papers. On the way there, he lost control of his car because his thumb was swollen by this time, and hit another car.

He eventually got to Tori's and she took him to the emergency room, where he found out that his thumb was not broken, and that his insurance only covered injuries suffered at work. The ER doc poked a small hole in Daniel's thumbnail to let the blood collected behind the nail drain out (which is why it was so sore and swollen). He was given a prescription for pain meds, and took one at Tori's and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, I had no way to get back to my apartment, so Mom said I could borrow the van if I stayed over, then drive back to my apartment to take a shower, change my clothes (because I was still wearing the clothes I'd worn to the ball game), and go to school. I have to return the van this afternoon, and Daniel, hopefully, will take me home this evening so I can go to school on Tuesday.

I have a test in math, so I have to be there.

So, that was my Comedy of Errors weekend. I should have read my horrorscope first, ya think?

miss you cowboy

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Nine pairs of khaki pants! Count 'em: NINE!!!

I'm in Edmond and spent the night at Mom's house. Got some of my laundry done, because, after all, I can't hand wash everything...

Daniel has to wear khaki pants to work as part of his uniform. He washed all the ones he has last night (why he waits until he has nothing clean to wear to work, I don't know. I've never been a 23 year old man). I took them out of the dryer this morning and there were NINE PAIRS OF KHAKI PANTS!!! I'll bet my last dollar that Daniel goes out and buys a new pair when he doesn't get a chance to wash the ones he has. I do know now that Daniel wears 34 X 34, so at least I know that I can get him pants for his birthday and Christmas. I doubt very much that he'll be growing any more (He's 6'2").

Jeff's here at the library with me reading a book on how to draw anime, and just asked me when I was going to be done. I told him it better be soon or his grandmother will start calling and my bra will be ringing (no pockets in the pants i'm wearing, so guess where my cell phone is).

Better wrap it up here for now. More later after I get home... oh, wait, I better go to bed when I get home because there's school tomorrow.



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--

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--

I'm so tired!

I slept past dinner... I'm so mad!

I don't like to eat past a certain time, like 8 or 9 pm, because a full stomach so late causes me to be wide awake instead of sleeping. But, I was starving, so I went and made fish and chips at 10pm. Now, I'm going to be up later than I want to be.

Just as long as I can sleep til 7:45am tomorrow morning...
===

Yesterday, I got my US History quiz back and learned that I got all 25 questions right, in addition to four of the five bonus questions. I knew the answer to the fifth one, but was hesitant to write it down, so sure I was that I was wrong. Turns out that I wasn't. I should have just written it down!

The thing that gets me is that some of my classmates were talking about not studying for this quiz, and still getting what they felt were "decent" scores. Coming to class regularly and taking notes (and not talking to the girl next to you while the prof is lecturing), does help.

But, I guess that they will figure that out much later. As long as mommy and daddy are paying their way, they don't really care about grades. So why in the hell are they in school to begin with? Probably because their parents expect them to go on to college.

Daniel didn't go to college after high school. That was his choice. I wasn't sitting there bugging him to go if he was not ready to move on to that next step. It would've been nice that he went, but if he wasn't ready, then what's the point? Now, he says he's ready, but worries about the costs. I told him that if he's serious, to look into financial aid, or maybe go part time so he can still work full time.

On the other hand, Jeff went to college after high school... for a year. He liked it, but I think that he was still a little overwhelmed by the college experience, even at UCO. He might go back someday, if not at UCO, then somewhere else.

Clearly, some of my classmates are only in school for the social and monetary aspects. Attending classes is not real high on their priority list. Of course not all teenagers/early 20 somethings fall into this category. Some work their butts off. They have a plan, a goal they want to reach. At Rose State, a 2 year school, it's to go on to the bigger 4 year schools like OU and OSU.

Whether I do that or not is not really a concern at the moment. Maybe I don't need that Bachelor's degree. I don't know yet. After all, if I graduate when they say I will, I'll be 45 years old! I want the Associates. That's a given. After that, I don't know.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Big comfy couch

This is the free couch Jeff found for me. Jeff can scrounge anything from anywhere! Except maybe his house keys out of his room...

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Hey, Mom... ya wanna couch? It's free...

Jeff calls me this afternoon to ask me the question that is the title of this post. I told him, yes! I'd take it if he could find a way to get it here to my apartment.

So, thinking nothing more about it, I went on about my business... doing homework, reading all the uncomprehensible stuff going on in Darfur that is going to be part of a group project in my English Comp class, and baking chocolate chip cookies.

Then, I heard someone using the doorknocker to knock on the door... it was Jeff. He and Daniel had borrowed their grandmother's van to get this big blue couch to my apartment. It barely fit in the back enough to close the tailgate (2nd and 3rd row seats removed, of course).

And the damn thing was heavy! Turns out that it has two recliners at each end, a fold down "table" in the middle, and, amazingly enough, a drawer under the center seat! It took the boys about 1/2 an hour to figure out how to get it inside my apartment, because it appeared to look like the doorway wasn't wide enough. But, they got it inside, and now all I need is a real bed.

That, however, I will gladly shell out money for. A used mattress? Ewwwww!


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Happy Easter...

Daniel finally came to fetch me about 20 minutes after the last post.

I dragged the laptop to Mom's, and I can't even get a wireless signal there. So I messed around on MS Word 07 and watched a couple of old cartoons on DVD that my sister had left there.

Easter was good. Joe is talking better now, but he's still not going to be able to go to Pre-K in the fall because he's still not completely potty trained. He's just now, at just past his 4th birthday, grasping the concept.

Jeff, Scott and Marc were climbing trees and generally goofing off. Daniel had to work :(

Dean brought home yet another new computer a few weeks ago. He got a Mac! I swear that man collects computers like I collect pens. And I have a lot of pens... but the draft of this post is being written on it, after I asked to have the parental controls removed because Google is blocked.

Hope your holiday was grand...

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

The Post wherein Stef declares that she's not into all that April Fool's crap

Why restrict it to April 1st? People become fools, or are made fools of, on any one of the other 364 days of the year.

So don't even start the April Fool's crap with me.

The only thing I ever did on April 1st (in 1986) was sign Jeff's birth certificate. And that was only after we went round and round with the Orange County, California vital statisics folks about giving Jeff a middle name. Apparently, at that time (and maybe now for all I know), California requires that all children born in the state must have a middle name. I wasn't planning on giving Jeff one because Jon and I couldn't agree on one. But, since he HAD to have one, I gave him my name --or rather, the masculine version of it-- as a middle name. So, this is how my second son became Jeffrey Stephen instead of Jeffrey NMN (no middle name).

And that's no April Fool's joke... and, NO, I'm not posting Jeff's birth certificate as proof. You'll just have to take my word for it.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Waiting for the tornado that never came to wipe my house off the map, and Jeff's 21st

Larry and I have some of the strangest conversations on Yahoo! Mess-up-enger. Yesterday, we were talking about tornadoes after I told him I heard the tornado sirens going off.

So for what seemed like an hour, we reported (okay, to be fair, I reported... Larry just came back with one and two word answers) what we were seeing on TV, since the weather people were dominating the airwaves around here.

There was one up near Mom's house, maybe a little north of her. Then there was a ton of rain here, and the weather guys were saying that there were heavy thunderstorms near Rose State and the surrounding area (where I live), and that they were going to keep an eye on it. Nothing ever happened with that, it just rained a lot.

We're supposed to see more of the same today, but so far, it's been grey.

Tornadoes scare me. I've seen what they can do, and I have no wish to go thru that. But, I live in tornado alley, so at some point (waaaaay in the future, I hope), I'll probably go thru one.

Not looking forward to it, though.
===

Today, 21 years ago, I gave birth to my second son at about 6:30 pm pacific time. That particular day happened to be Easter Sunday.

Fortunately, I will not be waiting up to see if Jeff comes home drunk. He's probably not going to go out (unless Daniel and Kathy have their way... don't ask!).

Happy birthday, Jeff. Love you-- Mom


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Jeff decided not to buy the Camaro

He says he chickened out, but then he told me that he didn't feel comfortable about making the purchase. He feels bad because the guy selling it had come all the way to Edmond from my neck of the woods only to find out that Jeff changed his mind.

After all, buying a car is a major purchase, even if the car is 16 years old. Maybe Jeff just wasn't ready to make that purchase after all. I told him that maybe he'd feel more comfortable in a smaller car, and to keep looking. The right car will come along.

Meanwhile, tomorrow is Jeff's 21st birthday. He has to work tomorrow, so we're not doing the birthday thing until next week sometime.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Jeff's buying a car!

It's a '91 Chevy Camaro (Chevys are our family's car maker of choice. I have the Beretta, and Daniel has the Cobalt. Jon has had 2 Caprices, but now has a Ford), white with red interior, with see thru t-tops. Jeff is paying the majority of the money for it, and Dean's helping out. Jeff is, understandably, excited beyond all belief.

Now he can drive himself to work! No more dragging his grandmother or his brother out of bed to get him to Johnnie's just down Danforth from the house.

I'll post pix when I get some.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Now that I've survived spring break, it's back to the academic grind

And found out that my version of Word (2007, that came with my computer) is not compatible with the computers at school. When I tried to print my extra credit essay this morning, I got gibberish instead of words! So I couldn't turn it in this morning.

However, my English professor is allowing me to turn it in late when I explained to her what had happened. I hope I can still get the extra credit points for it.

Now I have to work on the biography essay. The rough draft is due Wednesday, and the final draft is due Friday.

Friday is Jeff's 21st birthday. At least I will not be staying up all night to see if he comes home sober. Jeff has no real interest in drinking. He's gotten all the good things from his dad. Jeff is the man I wish Jon had been. Sadly, Jon will never be able to hold a candle to his any of his sons.


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

What part of "Don't call me in the middle of the night" didn't he understand?

If you had spoken to me around midnight, I wouldn't have been in such a great mood. For once, I fell right asleep after I went to bed.

Then Saon ruined it all.

Shortly before midnight, the phone rings. Thinking it might be family, I got out of bed and went into the living room to get the phone.

When I saw the number on caller ID, I didn't even bother to answer.

I told him the last time I spoke with him that because of my school schedule, I won't be taking calls at all hours of the day and night. I know that he's driving the cab now and all hours of the day and night are his working hours, but I need to get a lot of rest if I'm going to have a fighting chance of doing well in my classes.

He didn't leave a message either. So, if he's pissed that I didn't answer, too f'n bad.

Now, I'm all dragged out, everything hurts (or it seems like it does), and all I want to do when I get home is take a nap.

Unless someone happens to drop by... then I'll take a nap.
===

We finally did my birthday dinner on Saturday. I wanted to go to the Texas Roadhouse, but when we got there, there had been a fire in the restaurant, and they were closed for a while so they could clean up.

When asked my second choice, I just said Outback, for lack of anywhere else to go. And, off we went.

And it was very nice. Amalia gave me a bracelet she made with my name on it. Mom gave me money, and Daniel gave me a gift card from WalMart. Jeff had already bought me a TV. Tori and Dean were going to get me something else for the house. Probably a coffeemaker.

I could use a couch and a real bed, though. Even more than a coffeemaker.
===

I might be able to actually pay for my books and tuition soon. I finally got a copy of my 2005 return in the mail on Saturday, and I hotfooted it over to the Financial Aid office at school this morning. I should know something within two weeks.

Hell, I've waited all this time, two more weeks won't kill me.


Talk soon?


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

First B-week Friday: felt like Saturday

Even though I knew better, it still felt like it should have been Saturday.

I did go up to my mom's in Edmond on Friday, after I put some power steering fluid in the car. Once she steered better, I felt I could go anywhere, so that's what I did. I took I-40 and I-35 with few problems. Even the gas gauge seemed to work right, and I was pleased to see I still had about 3/4 of a tank of gas.

I showed up at Mom's, and as soon as I rang the doorbell (since I no longer had a key), I heard the phone ring. Mom got the call first, because she was expecting a call from her doctor.

Pinky was pleased to see me, and that set her tail a-wagging.

Jeff and I went over to the Goodwill store on 15th and Broadway and he bought the only TV they had. I also bought a lamp. Then we went back home and Mom wanted to go for Chinese. She actually wanted to go to a restaurant and sit. We went to the only Chinese place like that in Mom's neighborhood. I was a little disappointed. They had more stuff on their take out menu than they did on the eat in menu.

I ended up spending the night, and Mom and I went out to breakfast and grocery shopping before I went home.

I had some studying to do.

After I got home, I realized that I couldn't get the TV out of the back seat of my car by myself. It required flexibility skills that, at almost 43 years of age, I no longer possessed. So Daniel drove all the way out to "da hood" (aka, where I live, in his humble 23 year old opinion) and helped me out. I felt kinda foolish about that.

It seems to be my week for feeling foolish. And on it goes...

Four days and counting...

That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

It's all very pretty, but please make it all go away

I'm finally back home after spending the weekend of the big ice storm in Edmond at Mom's house.

Daniel was supposed to bring me home Thursday night after he got off work at the grocery store. More on that in a sec.

Jeff and I were running around most of Thursday trying to get supplies and stuff to tide Mom over what would be a very long weekend.

We went to WalMart to do some grocery shopping, and the place WAS A ZOO!!!! You'd think the end of the world was coming, instead of a major winter storm. I've never seen so many people in that place, not even at Christmas time!

Couldn't find half of what we went there for. Bread? All we saw were empty shelves. Milk? Slim picking there, too. And forget trying to find Ice Melt or a snow shovel... those things were gone!

So we headed over to the grocery store where Daniel works, and believe it or not, it was WORSE than WalMart! We waited in line to check out with our two or three things for a good 40 minutes. Just looking around the store, Jeff and I knew that there was no way in hell that Daniel was going to get off work at 8:30pm.

And he didn't. At around seven, he calls and says he's going to stay late; real late. I knew then that I would be spending the ice storm at Mom's house.

We here in the Oklahoma City metro were lucky: we just got a lot of sleet (which is bad enough when there is 3 inches of it on the ground), but other parts of the state got ice and power outtages and a messy clean up. It's the thawing and refreezing of the stuff we did get, and that salt loses its effectiveness as a melting agent in really cold temperatures (which I didn't know). So the Oklahoma Highway Patrol was discouraging travel on the highways because it was dangerous.

So, when the storm was over and the roads were somewhat clear, Daniel brought me home yesterday around 1pm.

I had prepared for the storm days before the storm hit, so I still have all my supplies and stuff. Good thing because they're calling for another storm this weekend!

Great. And with school starting next week too. This'll be fun...


That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Stocking the larder

This time next week calls for a "major winter storm", including, I'd assume, snow.

Well. That's just... great. As if winter couldn't get more bizarre this year.

We're getting Boston's weather and they're getting rain. Perhaps, just this winter, it's just as well I'm not there. Let them be jealous of me for a change. Unfortunately, there isn't anywhere to ski here in Oklahoma. Most people go to New Mexico and Colorado for that.

Even though I'm sure I've bought enough groceries for the entire month, I still have a little money left over to stock the larder, um, my pantry. I wish I had a big dutch oven to make some stews and chili in. Those are great cold weather foods.

Daniel and Jeff just better not get any ideas about going to Barnes and Noble next Friday night. Jeff really needs to save his pennies and buy a car of his own, instead of having Mom or Daniel take him everywhere he can't walk or bike to.
===

It just dawned on me that Scott will be 16 in May. Scott... driving? Help?! (just kidding... he hasn't had the driving course yet, so he will have to do that first. It's only offered during the summer, though). I'm sure he'll be a good driver...



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

do you ever peek from home on the weekends?

My computer at home is toast... for real this time :(

I can turn it on, and that's about it. Sorry for the disappearing act for the last 4 days.

In other news, I signed a lease for an apartment yesterday. Now all I need is a couch and a bed.

Oh, and a real job, of course.
===

I'm at UCO's library trying to catch up on 4 days worth of email, and other stuff that I really need my computer for. This is not a good time NOT to have a working computer at home.

Well, there is Jeff's laptop, but he won't let anyone use it unless they give him something in return.

I take him to work everyday since it's been cold out at 7am, but that isn't good enough. Wonder how he's going to get there after I move into my apartment next week.

Guess I better save my pennies for a new computer.
===

Man, this sucks...
===



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--

Please give to the Thirsty Van Fund?

"I can't," Jeff said as I drove him to work this morning. "I'm already contributing to the Injured Cobalt Fund."

(What I didn't say is, "and the Cobalt is injured because...?")

I told Jeff that because Daniel's car is in the shop, I have to take both of them to work and bring them home, and that takes more gas than usual. Jeff just shrugged.

"Certainly you're not going to make me and your grandmother foot the bill for this?"

Jeff: (shrug)

Okay, Jeff is very careful with his money (an admirable trait, considering his father is so irresponsible with his), but he has to contribute more to the smooth operation of the household. That means paying for the gas the van needs to go occasionally. Combustible engines don't run on fumes and a wing and a prayer.

So pony up the $2.17 a gallon, kid.



That's all from where I sit.

--MorelaterZ--