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| Monday, August 22, 2005 |
| Wally World, School Supplies, and a Cell Phone |
School starts next week...oh joy. That means the yearly trip to get school supplies. I load the kids into the van and head to Wally World. They have about 3 aisles of supplies. All three of these aisles are jam packed. I get in line to go down the fist aisle. The kiddies are thinner and are able to slip in and out between carts. I send them off to get folders. I start loading up pens erasers, pencils and so on. I get to the end of the aisle the kids are back with the folders. We start down the next aisle. Binders, paper, notebooks, such joy.
We finally get to the end of the section and I start going over the lists. Notebooks...check....compass...check...calculator...check...dry erase markers...check...book cover...oh shit...no books covers. Damn...back to the aisles. Ok, we can handle this. There are 3 of us and three aisle. We will each take and aisle and find them quick. We all start...no books covers. Allrighty...book covers are a big deal they have to be here somewhere. We switch aisles and try again. Nope...nada.
So we start looking for someone who works there. They've all evaporated. Not a single person is around the school supply section. Mandy goes looking for someone is a close by section. She comes back and tells me that she found a person over in paint but they are helping other people. Ok this is ridiculous. I think about it for a minute and then get an evil idea. I pulled out my cell phone and called information. A minute later I hear, "Thank you for calling Wal-mart." (grin) a person!!! I very nicely asked if they were selling book covers in their school supply section. They very nice lady states that she is not sure but she would get someone who would know on the phone. She puts me on hold (I have not told her I am in the store) and starts paging anyone in school supplies, line one. She actually does this several times. She comes back on the phone several minutes later and asks if anyone has helped me, I tell her no. She goes back to paging. Again she comes back on the phone. By this time my kids and I are cracking up. I very nicely tell this lady that she can page someone in school supplies until she is blue in the face, I'm in the school supplies section and there is NO ONE there. She starts laughing and says, "You're kidding me, you're in the store." Yeppers!! I'm here and no one who works here is.
So she puts me on hold one more time and pages school supplies...finally the last pages she states, "Will any associate take line one." She sounds totally exasperates. I hope it wasn't at me, I didn't want to annoy anyone...I just wanted book covers!
This kid finally gets on the phone, I think his name is Jim. He is very nice and I explain I was looking for book covers. He tells me yes, they are selling them. I then let him know, "OK where? I am in the store and can't find them." Oh shit-time for him to put his money where his mouth is. He asks where I am and tells me to flag him down when he walks by. I wait and look at different lunch boxes.
About 5 minutes later a kid walks by and it's him. I wave and he comes and gets me. He then starts back peddling. We may be sold out...they should be in this aisle (the most crowded one.) He goes down the aisle twice, no book covers. He tells me to try back in a day or two (are you nuts? I'm not coming back here until this madness is over.) This is where I started feeling sorry for this kid. He has wandered into territory that has had no guide for hours. After I give up and release him back into the wild, he is mobbed by other desperate mothers. Poor kid, skinny as a bean pole, probably about 19 and all of these overweight, middle age mothers were almost chasing him down aisles asking questions.
Moral of this story: Never leave home without a fully charged cell phone. There are more creative uses than you realize for this tool! |
posted by Raven @ 6:30 AM  |
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| Monday, August 15, 2005 |
| Hardwired wrong |
I have had headaches most of my life. Some of my earliest memories also include my head pounding. In the last couple of years there has been a new category of headached established, chronic headaches. My neurologist believes that is what I fall into. For the most part, they are not dehabilitating, just annoying and painful. If I have them for several days in a row they can wear me down and make me feel tired and ill.
I also get migraines. There are different levels of these, for those of you not afflicted. There is the standard, locked in a dark room, don't speak above a whisper, throw up if you eat level...then there are several lesser variants. I do not get these nearly as often as I used to. I have learned my triggers and avoid them whenever possible. Occasionally though, one will creep up on me and I have to make the best of it if possible. With such a large family, it is hard to put my life on hold because my head hurts.
Last Friday we celebrated my father's 60th birthday. I was pretty enthusiastic about this all week. On Thursday I had a ton of running around to do. I had to get Dad's present, get a new rug for the living room, do a mystery shop, and a few other odds and ends after work. My head was already hurting but these were things I could not put off. So, I went out and did my running around. The pain got worse and I new I was courting danger by having this turn into a full fledged migraine. When I got home I took a bath to try and relax and get the pain under control, but it was too late.
I got up the next morning and my head was still killing me. Hubby suggested I take the day off work, but I took so much time off to go to Phoenix, and I am still pretty new on the job, I didn't want to do that. So I dressed in comfy clothes and off I went. I kept the light off in my cube, and turned down the contrast on my computer screen. I also turned down the volume on my phone so I did not have people screeching in my ear. Thankfully these things helped and I did not get much worse for working all day. I get home, and because of the nausea did not each much dinner, then we went over to the parents house for cake and ice cream and celebrating Dad's birthday. Here is the meat of the story.
My Mom has two yappy dogs. They were OK when when we first got there. But soon they saw the kids and started yapping to be played with. Every yap felt like an explosion in my head. Complete with little sparks and a moment where it seems all the air has been sucked out of the room. I finally asked if we could put the worst offender somewhere...Mom looks at me and asked where I want to put him, back to the vet (where the dogs stayed while they were on vacation.) I just looked at her and then turned away. At this point she headed into the living room. I got a hold of hubby and literally broke down for a minute. Started crying. This is a big no-no with migraine, it just makes them worse. So I got myself under control.
I was very unobtrusive during the evening about my migraine, when the lights in the living room started to bother me, I would quietly get up and go into the dining room or kitchen where the lights were off. I told the kids to watch how they played with the dogs so they wouldn't bark. I did not eat any cake or ice cream because I was afraid the nausea would make me have to leave.
We open presents and do the cake and ice cream and are talking when Mom makes a comment about starting a fire (the have and outdoor fireplace on the backyard patio) I figure I better let her know that my family will not be staying that much longer and I need to get home and lay down. She looks at me and states, well what about the other people, the world does not revolve around you. At this point I am again stunned but I have already been hurt beyond measure, so I just look back and tell her then they better be ready to walk home, because I'm not.
At this point my husband has had enough of my being abused and states we have to get up early the next day to clean and be ready for our new couch that was being delivered.
Now a quick analysis of my mother here...which never gives me any insight, but I keep trying. My mother raised me...she knows about my headaches and migraines. Some of my first sentences were along the lines of 'head hurts.' When did she become so unsympathetic or at least nice?
The main moral of this story is try to be understanding of those with chronic headaches/migraine. Most of us just want to live our normal lives and be productive people. We do not want to be different because of this bad hardwiring in our brains. Simple things such as a lower level of light and no harsh noises would help. Just being understanding is more of a help that you can realize. |
| posted by Raven @ 6:37 AM |
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| Sunday, August 07, 2005 |
| 5 Qs 4 U |
I got this Meme from Gwynne.
1. Spending a great deal of time away from a loved one is very difficult to go through. Tell me one thing that you enjoy about having him gone over half of the time.
I love being able to just pick up and go without any real consideration to what someone else has planned. I feel like going to get ice cream, I go. I feel like walking around the mall, I go. My kids are always game to going with me.
2. If you were given the chance at immortality would you take it? Why or why not?
No. While I am not in tune with organized religion I do believe in an afterlife. I believe in reincarnation and and working issues out. I think there are several reason to go on to the incarnation and do not want to be stuck in this one forever. In other words, I do not fear death for myself. I believe I will be a better person the next time around.
3. What is your single most important goal in life?
To raise my children well. They did not ask to be brought in to this world or ask to have me as a mother. It is my responsibility to make sure they grow up as well adjusted and as productive and as loved as I can possibly manage. While I have my moments where I want to strangle anyone under the age of 21 I do think I am a decent mother. I keep a close eye on them and try to steer them in the right directions while giving them a sense of independence.
4. What would your obituary say.
My dream obituary would state...
Raven 1971-?
Loving wife and mother
Died saying, "Damn...that was fun!"
Requests a memorial service including the high school marching band playing Sousa marches and a weenie roast. All donations should be sent to Close Quarters Pub which will be providing the alcohol for the above mentioned weenie roast. Please feel free to bring any party implements you feel would be appropriate.
5. What is your favorite room in your home and why?
While everyone in my family would probably say my bedroom cause that is where my computer is but, I love my front porch. It is enclosed so you can sit out there all year. I can watch the neighborhood go by or lightening and thunderstorms. I watch our redneck neighbors shoot roman candles at each other with my hand on the phone. I watch the little boy next door come running over to pull out the dinosaur figure I have in the front flower beds because he loves it so much. I sit in my air chair relaxed with a cat on my lap. I can read my books in that chair all day or night. The dog will come out and sit below my chair and occasionally I will feel her warmth as my chair will brush her back. I watch the leaves turn in the fall, the snow fly in the winter, and the trees bud in the spring...there is no better vantage point in the house for watching these things.
So, that's my meme. If you would like one here are the rules. As per the rules: 1. If you want to participate, leave a comment saying "Interview me". ("Tickle me" or "Caress me" are not acceptable substitutes.) You must leave your blog address so that I can think of good questions for you. 2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different. I'll post the questions in the comments section of this post. 3. You will update your blog with the answers to my questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in your post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. |
| posted by Raven @ 10:44 AM |
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| Friday, August 05, 2005 |
| We didn't realize |
Hubby and I didn't put it together until earlier this week...we have the entire weekend to ourselves. No kids at all. My two are still out west with the folks. His younger ones are on vacation with their mom and the oldest is in Texas with relatives. Holy crap!! I wonder if we will be able to find things to talk about?
Tonight we are going to Dave & Busters. I have a mystery shop to do there, but it's still fun to go.
I'll post more later. Just wanted to give a quick update on my joy! |
| posted by Raven @ 7:46 PM |
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| Wednesday, August 03, 2005 |
| I'm back again |
This is just going to be quick cause I am toasty. Got back from Phoenix yesterday late night...around 11:30pm. Graduation was fun. Last time I did that was High School. I love Phoenix...I love everything about it. I love the weather, I love the landscape, I love the decor...everything. I would have stayed down there permanently if I could have. Hubby wasn't thrilled with Phoenix but he said it wasn't as bad as he thought. He didn't mind the Flagstaff area which we passed through on our way to the Grand Canyon. So, maybe I will get to move to Arizona when all the kiddies grow up.
That's about all...both planes were late bringing me home. Had an hour and a half layover in St. Louis. Thought about calling an old friend who lives in the area, but he wasn't in the phone book. Oh well. Need to go to bed now...I am really tired after getting in so late and then working today. |
| posted by Raven @ 12:07 AM |
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