Ok, Sorry! Her are the Pics...

I know I suck...

So, very sorry for the delay but blogger doesn't always work with the filter at school and forget posting anything at home! My children are all consuming. E is such a ball of energy. I am told it is becasue I am a spaz, but I don't think I ever had this kind of energy she has! I don't even remember C having this much energy. Then again when C was E's age, I was preoccupied with a 1 month old so that could skew my memory a bit. We went to a pottery store the other day OMG! The child would go from one thing to the next; play with a toy, take off after a piece of pottery, that gets taken away, go into the room where the items are kept for pick-up, try to climb onto the bottom shelf of a wire cart... and on and on! I am exhasuted just talking about it.

But the kids are good. C is understanding so much now. She remembers what she hears us talking about so we have to watch what we say around here b/c the likliehood of her repeating it is great! E is talking in bits and pieces. She can say puppy, mama, daddy, thank you, please, ball and other things. Just getting so big. Potty training has been ceased for the time being. C regressed when we went on our cruise so I am trying to wait until after Christmas. One of Jerry's cousins who has a 3 year old told his mom he would be 5 until he is potty trained! Love it! Kids are such a hoot.

So here are a few pics. Claire has talked about going to see Santa but when we went to a breakfast with Santa she refused to talk to him. Santa came over Sunday to the Comeaux party at her house and she was so excited! She couldn't wait to sit in his lap! E on the other hand, not liking it so much.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ramblings...

Not much going on. We leave on Saturday for our cruise so hopefully some pics to post when we get back! The girls seem to be ok as far as sickness goes (I am crossing my fingers right now!) I, however, caught a cold sitting in the freezing ass cold watching LSU beat Bama! Poo poo on that, have been congested all week! Hopefully the warm weather will cure me!

Is There Something in the Water?

Dear Lord, has this been a week! First C gets the stomach bug THE DAY BEFORE HER PARTY! Then she wakes up Sunday with congestion but no barfing...this is good. On to Tuesday when she makes the smart choice to stand on a bucket which slips from underneath her and her face lands squarely on the kitchen chair where she begins to bleed profusely! Clean her up, now on to Thursday. Daddy thinks her mouth needs to be looked at by the doctor, mom agrees...she has been acting fussier than normal. Doc says lip is fine, however, (drumroll please!) we have an ear infection. Thank God I am off of work tomorrow. I think I need a drink!

Can you believe...

I have a 3 year old...and an 18 month old! C turned 3 on Saturday! I can't believe I was pregnant with her just 3 years ago and now she is running around walking and talking! And hopefully I will be able to add Pottying to that soon!

Of course, me in my schizo self had to start planning her party forever ago and had it with Doodle. So what happens, after all the planning and cleaning and cooking, she throws up...the night before...and has fever! God help me I know there are such worse things but I was upset because she had been talking about her birthday party for so long and I was so sad that she couldn't enjoy it. Hopefully next year will be better! Everyone else had a good time though, and LSU won so life was good. And I managed to clean up the house before I went to bed...exhausted! Only 11 days until our cruise, Woo Hoo!

You Are Miss Piggy

A total princess and diva, you're totally in charge - even if people don't know it.You want to be loved, adored, and worshiped. And you won't settle for anything less.You're going to be a total star, and you won't let any of the "little people" get in your way.Just remember, piggy, never eat more than you can lift!

The Muppet Personality Test

Quote of the Day...

I still try to buy cute underwear, but not too cute, because what do you think got me into this mess?

--Tina Neidlein

E does NOT like Time Out!

We started putting E in time out this week. As soon as you set her down in the chair she starts wailing. It is a little funny!

C as Cinderella

Too Cute!

E & C playing ring around the rosie. E as Tink! Will get a good pic of C in her costume soon!

Look at my room!

Pictures of C's room!

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions.You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

Well, it seems when I don't have to deal with the loony patrons and nutter co-workers I have nothing to write about! I love this job. We do some work, if not a lot of kids are in at the end of the day, one of us goes home early. Would have never done at the old job b/c we would be going home at like noon everyday!

We did have a bit of sadness this past weekend. One of the seniors was killed in a car wreck, alcohol suspected is what the paper says. He was the passenger not the driver. It was sort of weird because I had just helped this kid last week. From what I have read and heard about him he was a great guy, it is just so sad. This class had another classmate die in a wreck last year, not a good year for the seniors of '07. It makes me really scared of my girls becoming teenagers. C fights with me now about sitting on the potty and when she doesn't want to hear something I am talking about, she just ignores me or starts yelling "STOP TALKING TO ME!" It is funny in a way but at the same time I don't want to be the parent who lost a child at a young age to death or addiction. I just hope I can help her to become a strong indiviual who makes the right choices. Help!

Random Thoughts...

C loves to tell me something is "bootiful". I was decorating a practice cake for her birthday and she tells me, "That's bootiful, Mom...Looks great Mom.." She is too cute. And then, of course, she wacks E on the head or pees everywhere and it is timeout time!

E is getting such a little personality. She is too sweet but man does she have a temper when she doesn't get her way! She gives sweet kisses and hugs but only when she feels like it, about once a week!

We are currently obsessed with the Little Mermaid.."I need to watch Ariel now, Mom!" I have a feeling I will have this one memorized by the end of the week.

Have no life lately. Been preparing for Claire and Maddie's birthday party! I stress out way to much about these things!

Lazy Day...

Not much going on today. We've had classes in the library so not much to do. I am just exhausted! Doing so much, I welcome the break of an away game...GEAUX TIGERS!!!! Auburn is going down!

We are attempting to enter the world of potty training and so far C is resisting it at every turn! She is refusing to sit on the potty while at school. I am hoping after a week or two without diapers she will realize she is not getting a diaper. She has been requesting them all week! Help!

OK, will try to do some work...

This is TOO FUNNY!!!

I just found this on www.thesuperficial.com. It is under the title Ben Affleck gets drunk; picks up TV host. It is HYSTERICAL!!!! I had to share it! It is about halfway down the page. Check it out!

Claire is a Dancer!

Claire Started dancing today! I was actually tearing her up when I dropped her off! God help me when she starts kindergarden!

Fingerpainting!

New Adventures!

Well We have been in school for a week now and I have to say, I love it! I am learning so much new stuff and I am actually working right up until I leave! It is all real interesting stuff and I don't even mind doing the grunt work. I work with J who is super cool. She is very laid back and I think that helps me b/c it makes it easier for me to ask questions. Overall I am having a great experience. Everyone is really nice and I just love it. Ok, my child wants some attention!

Balloons!

Well, the Balloon Championships were this past week. We went twice in the mornings, once on Wed. and once on Saturday. Unfortunately the nights were rained out but the kids enjoyed themselves.

Work went well today. Faculty orientation was last Thurs. and Fri. and today and tomorrow orientation for the kids, so I haven't had a full real day yet but it went pretty good so far.

Will keep everyone updated.

Busy, Busy...

So, if you haven't noticed, when not at the library I have no time to blog being that my children are yelling for me. Which I love, except when Claire is screaming for chocolate milk. Unfortunately my two glorious weeks off have not gone exactly as planned being that Sweet Em has gotten diarrhea. Why doe the gods feel the need to do this to the kiddos? Poor baby, she was absolutely miserable Monday with fever and everything and not you would never know anything was the matter except for the 8 poops a day I am changing her!

In other exciting news, crazy, nutter co-worker has been forced to retire! Why oh why could they not have done this two weeks ago when I was still there! That would have been awesome! I just got the word yesterday, her last day is Aug.1! Whoopee! Crazy bio-tch! Of course it was not me that got her fired, but a culmination of things. When you piss off patrons enough that they complain to the asst. head of the library, you are just stupid. She had just been doing it for so long and getting away with it that I think she was actually surprised when someone called her on it. Crazy bitch; see ya, wouldn't want to be ya!

Have to go to bed. Start job on Thurday! Tres excited! Ok, I just realized how old I am. It is Friday night, 10:30 and I am going to bed!! Oh well, I love me some sleep!

Just Some Rambling Thoughts...

I am just sitting her, reading one of my favorite blogs and I look over so see if she has one of my other favorite blogs listed under her "Bloggers I Adore" header and see mine! I feel so giddy to know that the Happy Villian, my blogging idol has a link to my blog on hers, how cool is that! Ok, probably only cool to the dorky other librarian types who read her blog religiously, but it is an excellent blog so everyone go read hers http://libraryosis.blogspot.com/.

So something that has me a bit perterbed in the news right now is the arrests of the doctor and two nurses from Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. I know, I don't have all the facts; the patients had both a sedative and morphine in their blood that supposedly means that they were killed on purpose, the doc wasn't their doc and theses were critical patients. But something just doesn't sit right with me. I can't place it but I really think these are trumped up charges; that people are pissed because so many patients died and they needed to blame someone. Foti is coming off like an ignorant redneck asshole. I'll tell you who to blame: our glorious governor (Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Jindal!), the idiots who run the Department of Transportation and Development and the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Mr. Chocolate City himself. I liked Nagin before all this crap. He was nobody's lackey as he proved during the governor's election when he backed Jindal. The democrats threatened to freeze him out if he did not support Blanco. That pissed him off, he backed Jindal. Then he lost it after Katrina. I really did not lose faith in him until his stupid chocolate city remarks. My husband's family is from New Orleans, my father's family is from New Orleans; we have roots there and for him to say something as ignorant as that is offensive. Dumbass! But, as usual in Louisiana politics, when you have the choice between two evils, the lesser is the one whose family is not a political dynasty!

Anyway, as everyone can tell, the fault was everyone's. This outcome was continually spoken about since i was a child. People became complacent because every year we were told it could happen, and every year the hurricane went somewhere else. It is really sad. New Orleans is ingrained in me. I never lived there; Baton ROuge is my home but it's history is so vibrant and rich. It hits you as soon as you walk down Canal, or throught the Quater; go to the French Market or walk along the levee. I miss it, and hope the despair might soon be lifted.

Ok, just a rant. TWEVLE MINUTES UNTIL FREEDOM!!! WHOOPEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Free at Last...Almost!

So it is 8:30am, I am here until 2:45 pm and I am bored out of my freakin skull. Nothing to do except look up a subject request for a prisoner that doesn't know how to write sentences. "Book about wilderness area of information on the blank mts. located somewhere in the Rockies cabin is the home to wild horses----WTF*#$!!! Of course, it can't be easy. My last one! Why God Why! That is the actual requests with the punctuation that this individual put in! I guess I shouldn't be so mean. He is in prison and not just any prison, The Farm, but ignorance just drives insane. When you are obviously intelligent enough to speak why can't you learn, not just learn but want to learn. Do you not care that you sound like a moron? Or look like one. I am sorry I don't get the whole pants around the knees thing. Some cop told me it was originally a sign that you had been in prison, I forget what the logic was but it made since. Now, just a lovely fashion statement for all of us to partake!

Oh well, I guess I should work on this request before I jet!

Sweet Em!

Oh, What a Weekend...

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. Claire had to get three stitches yesterday. My child is intent on breaking both Jerry and my record on who got stitches first. Jerry's was 3, Claire has him beat by about 4 months. She tripped on a stuffed animal at Ma Mere's and WHAM! right in to a corner of a wall that juts out. Not fun. Other than the intial shock of the gash and when they cleaned and stitched her up at the hospital, you would never know the child is injured. She is bouncing off the walls! But doing great.

3 Days and Counting...

God has been good this week! The nutter co-worker has been out, I can only hope it continues through next week so I may escape from her psychotic clutches without incident! It has become increasingly difficult to do anything resembling work here. I just finished reading Break No Bones (excellent Kathy Reichs latest installment in the Brennan series!) and am back to reading my pooh book. Pooh is interesting, just not as fast paced as Reichs. And I can guarantee that I will have the Evanovich book done by the time I leave this godforsaken place! That is one thing I will miss-being able to read uninterrupted. Definately won't be able to do that where I am going! Ok, so really not much going on, just thought I owuld say Woo Hoo! 3 days left and my daddy is cooking fried shrimp tonight!

More later...

6 Days and Counting....

I am very excited that a week from today, I will be up here on the reference desk, knowing that in a few short hours I will be sailing off into the sunset and away from this godforsaken crazy place. Sure I will be dealing with 970 pubescent boys in my new position, but being that most of them will be clean and polite (I hope!) and free from serious mental defect (i.e. the crazy nutter co-worker, serial sleeper, la pedamain) I will gladly take it! I am sick to death of this place and the irritating patrons. I am sorry but I actually got a caller the other day that wanted me to list the seven dwarfs. Apparently she kept forgetting Bashful, easy to do! That is not as bad as the lady who I swear, sounds sooo normal and then wants the mailing address, phone number, email for like 20 people...and she calls like once a day. We have all had to deal with her. And it is not like it is people that actually have their contact information listed. A lot of them don't and she just can't understand why you can't find an email address for Rupert Murdoch! I am serious. This is the type of info she wants. She is a sane sounding nutter and is driving me batty.

Anyway, life is good today, sort of. I really wish we could have gone to Tennessee with the rest of Jerry's family. I don't think we have been on a real vacation since 2002 when we went to CO. Hopefully we will be able to start going on more. We won a cruise so will be going on that in Nov.

Crazy nutter co-worker is out today, Whoo, Hoo! She is making me paranoid but I talked to a few of my other co-workers and we agree, she is really looney so I felt better about it. Arguing with a crazy person is not good for my immune system. Right now, I have 3 ulcers on my tongue, one under my tongue, one forming in the back of my mouth where the last one there just went away last week, and a huge one on the inside of my upper lip. It was smaller until my Sweet Em thought it would be funny to fall on me and kneed me right in the ulcer. Just so everyone knows, that causes said ulcer to bleed profusely and causes enormous amounts of pain. So Monday I looked like someone had punched me. I actually looked like I got a toned down version of Angelina Jolie's lips...interesting.

So that is all for now, I have wasted about 15 minutes and will now read some more of my pooh book. I should be getting the new Kathy Reichs and Janet Evanovich books in the mail today, Whoo Hoo!

Lesson for the Day...Don't Piss Off the Crazies

I guess based on my previous posts you could assume that I am referring to some of the nutter patrons we get in this joint. But, alas, I would, in this case, be refferring to one of my wonderful co-workers. This chick, is in her 50s, short, fat, loud, obnoxious, has no opinions of her own (they all belong to her husband, the crazy Latin American man), acts like a child basically. Well, typically, as discussions go with her, you have one opinion, she has another, and she will argue her point, typically using old wives tales and logic that has been disproven long ago. I mean centuries people, not years. So I tend to have to stop myself because I will get all worked up about something that she absolutely believes in her small-minded, ignorant head of hers. She has the manners of a genteel southern woman until you piss her off and then the nutter comes out full force. She loves you until this point and then it is all out war.

So a few months back, a few things occurred that irritated me so I complained to her boss, whom I am friends with. The boss is basically trying to make this person quit so is writing her up for everything and she got brought up to the second in commands office for a tongue lashing. Crazy nutter co worker somehow figures out it was me that told on her and just stops talking to me. Then the crazy onslaught begins. She comes over so she can ask me before she leaves what she did that was so horrible that I would have her hauled off to the bosses office. Instead of just playing dumb, I bit. And did I come up with all the logical defenses I had thought up all weekend. No, I became a bubbling, blustering idiot trying to speak over a nutter who kept muttering how nasty I am, she was good for me to take coins and stamps but I am so nasty to have done that to her.

She had to say something now. Why not next Monday when I only had to deal with her with a few more days. Now I have a crazy person telling, probably anyone who will listen to how nasty I am. So in my life, I have few regets, but one of them is not telling the crazy bitch off when she did what she did. I have come away with two bits of knowledge. I should have handled the situation myself, and the bitch is whack!

Your Hillbilly Name Is...

Your Hillbilly Name Is...

Lil' Pearl West

Hillbilly Name Generator

What has happened to me?

Ok, I know some of you are going to be like WTF?! But I am in absolute love with Justin Timberlake's new song! I hated 'NSYNC (sorry mouse:( ) and thought his solo album was pretty good (especially his diss to Ms. Spears in the Cry Me a River video) but I heard his new song on the radio and I LOVE it! It is called SexyBack (one word) and I really think I am going to buy the album. I never thought I would buy a boy band alums album but it is really good song, very much not like his last album. To hear it, go to www.justintimberlake.com. I am also in love with Nelly Furtado's new song. I must be high or something!

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Light Blade Your Superpower is Mutant Your Weakness is Water Your Weapon is Your Wind Amplifier Your Mode of Transportation is Skateboard

What's" your Superhero Name?

See Ya Suckers!!!!

I just quit! WHOOPEE!!!! I never knew how exhilarating it could be! I was going to tell them yesterday but sweet Em got the vomiting bug so I had to stay home. I was dying! All I wanted to do was get that over with and she got sick, a pretty nasty 24 hour thing too! But she is better today. No vomiting, just a bit fussy. Ok, I must work some since I only have 9 working days left at this stop on the misery tour!

Recipes!

The following recipe is one of my favorites. It is a different take on potato salad that I make often because my husband detests mayo, mustard and eggs; all of which go in the traditional potato salad. It is also a lot healthier that the traditional type, the sauce being made of olive oil and tarragon vinegar. Make sure you use PURE olive oil, NOT virgin or extra virgin. It will taste weird, trust me! I did not have pure one time and tried it with one of the other types--Yucko! It was nasty. Also I sometimes have problems finiding tarragon vinegar so I just use regular white vinegar and add some tarragon leaves and let it sit a bit. For those of you on weightwatchers, I put the recipe in the recipe builder on their website and it said it was 2 pts/serving! It serves 16. Anyway, just thought I would share with the 4th coming up and many BBQs occuring. Also, y'all should check out the latest copy of WeightWatchers magazine. There are some yummy recipes in there.

Italian Potatoes (from River Roads Cookbook by the Junior League of Baton Rouge)
Ingredients
15 medium cooked red potato(es)
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup green onion(s)
3 clove garlic clove(s)
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
8 oz pure olive oil
4 oz Tarragon Vinegar

Instructions
Boil potatoes. When done peel and cut in 1 inch chunk size pieces. Sprinkle parsley and green onion over potatoes. Make sauce from the rest of the ingredients; strain so there will be no garlic pieces in sauce; pour over potatoes. Stir well. Let stand all day. (At least 4 hours or longer.) Do not refrigerate. Serves about 16.

Is It Over Yet?

I am sooooo ready to be done with this place! I am sick and tired of the stupid meetings that should only last 15 minutes but drag on for 2 hours b/c my boss begins to regale us with stories about her children that I would be better off not knowing. You know like when her 35 year old daughter (who works upstairs and just moved out of my bosses house a few years ago) has gastrointestinal problems! Like I want to know this! We had a meeting about a week and a half ago to discuss the Leadership Team Meeting (this is what used to be called the heads, as in heads of the sections, meeting but with the new people at top, they felt a name change was needed. Whatever! This place is losing employees everyday but let us change something innocuous like the name of a damn meeting!)

I am tres tired right now so I may not be making much sense. Apparently I can't have coffee late in the day b/c it kept my brain running like crazy last night and then Jerry woke Emma up and she was up for like 2 hours so I am exhausted. Not to mention Jerry's snoring! God help me I was about to start beating him.

So I think there will be no working out this evening. I already did a pilates this morning and a walk away the pounds on my break.

More later....I am fading fast!

Ok, I am back...and somewhat rejuvenated! Jerry had a headache so I got to bring the girls this morning. Claire is too cute sometimes (well most of the time except when she needs to go in timeout!). I was flat ironing my hair and she says to me, "Mama make me pretty too" while holding a piece of her hair. It breaks my heart on one hand b/c what makes her think she is not pretty and then on the other hand it is kind of cute. As crazy as my kids drive me, I love them bunches!

Trying to get in as much reading at work as I could the last few weeks being that I won't be able to to that much longer! Just read And the Band Played on: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic. My God, talk about thoroughly researched! As you can tell by the title, this was about the early years of the AIDS epidemic and how the disease was basically allowed to run rampant by the federal government, the medical community and even the gay community itself. The first documented case of AIDS was reported in 1981 but they did not know what it was. All the doctors knew that many gay men were coming down with a form of skin cancer that was a very treatable cancer, Kaposi Sarcoma, but would eventual die of just really weird and unsettling diseases; disease caused by bird droppings that normally had no effect on someone with a healthy immune system were killing these men.

What is so sad about this whole affair, and what upset me the most, was how the medical community seemed to dismiss other doctors when they said they had cases that were not in homosexual men. The pediatrician who knew he was seeing AIDS in babies born to drug addicts was written off, the drug addicts had to be gay, etc. This type of thinking from people with degrees and whom we trusted with our lives. It is gay cancer, it does not effect us. To me, it is logical to assume, that while it may have shown up in gays first, it would eventually spread. How many men were still in the closet in the late 70s and early 80s unknowingly infecting their wives, or bisexual men. And what really floors me is the attitude of the blood donor clinics. When the CDC had an inkling that AIDS could be spread through blood, they wanted to blood banks to begin testing the blood for the hepatitis antibodies. There was no HIV test at the time (they had not even found the HIV antigen that cause the disease). This was effective in getting 88% of the infected blood out. But the blood banks wouldn't do b/c of what else...MONEY! The banks said the CDC had no proof, just a few possible cases! What how many people have to get it before you do something! They agreed to ask the donors if they participated in any high risk lifestyles. What are they going to say "Yeah, I like to have sex with men!" Please, the donors would lie and then end up infecting the people who received transfusions.

The hoopla about violating peoples civil rights and their right to privacy was ludicrous and it was being touted by the gay leaders! Hello, thousands of gay men are dying b/c you won't close the bathhouses and you will not encourage the city to put forth any type of very direct educational programs b/c no one can tell you that you can't have sex anymore blah, blah, blah!

The book just sickens me. How the scientists had to fight and fight real hard to get any money from the Reagan administration who was trying to cut domestic spending. Ridiculous. The treatment of AIDS patients by the doctors and nurses assigned to care for them, in some cases was atrocious. I hope if I had been of an age where I was aware of what was going on, I would not have acted in this manner.

What was really heartbreaking was the knowledge that so many of these young men (and they were young) had just recently come out of the closet into a very hostile world. Many did not have the support of their families and died alone. The author was gay and also had contracted AIDS. He took the test about a year before he finished the book but did not want to know the results until he finished b/c he was afraid it would taint his reporting. He died in 1994.

This is and awesome achievement, well written and is seen by many as the definitive account of the spread of the AIDS virus in America. If you have seen the movie, I would read the book b/c there seemed to be a lot more in the book. It is not light reading, 600 pages, but it is fascinating.

Settle Down Kayne, Settle Down!

No one irritates me more than Kayne West. I hate his music, he can't rap for shit, and he grew up in the SUBURBS!!!! What the f($% kind of rapper is that!!!! I do however LOVE LOVE LOVE Carlos Mencia and he apparently would like Kayne to shut up as well. Too funny!

http://www.jokaroo.com/funnyvideos/carlos_mencia_disses_kayne_west.html

Friday...Yeah!

Finally, this week is over with. Knowing that I only have 5 1/2 weeks left in this dungeon helps to pass the absolutely boring days but the days seem to be dragging on longer and longer. I am about to scream. We have a new weirdo. I have dubbed him the Serial Sleeper. He originally would come in, sit at one of the desks behind the reference desk and read reference books, atlases, etc...you know, normal books everyone reads. He would do this ALL DAY LONG!!! I mean really, I think we all know that he was just trying to get out of the hot Louisiana weather. And we do have a lot of people that do that. But this guy is just creepy. He is basically here from 8-5 everyday. Like I said, he started at this desk which we had to pass to go to the bathroom and he would like stare you down as you passed him. He is stinky and I try not to make eye contact with him or even acknowledge his presence.

As he has become more secure in his surrounddings, he has moved into the serials room, started trying to make conversation with the staff etc. He calls the security guard sweetheart which I just find icky beyond belief. He routinely sleeps in the serials room, even going so far as to take off his shoes and socks and get mighty comfy. That is just too nasty and in really poor taste. I mean, how many people would walk into a public building and just take off their shoes and socks and settle in for a nap! I just do not understand how these people's minds work. He also will come in and out of the building for no apparent reason. He will be here for like an hour, walk outside, as if to smoke a cig and then walk back in like 1 1/2 minutes later, definitely not long enough to smoke. I figured out where he was going one day and one of the buildings and grounds guys told me there were some beer cans were back there. Great! He is drunk, that has got to be it. I wish he would just stay away. I am waiting for a full out crazy attack to happen with this guy and we will have to call the cops.

On a lighter note, apparently there was a big brewhaha outside of the capitol building today, lots of cop cars (we are located right in front of the capitol gardens which is in front of the capitol). My source in buidlings and grounds said the cops were attempting to corral a naked guy who was making circles around the aresnal (a museum). Not sure if they caught him, but I can promise you that he was probably one of our patrons! Thank God I am leaving soon!

Will the Dixie Chicks Shut up Already!

I just finished reading the Time interview with the Dixie Chicks. You know, I could really care less what Ms. Maines says about the president. He is irking me a little bit lately too. But what turned me off 3 years ago was what seemed like catering to a crowd to sell more albums and on top of that another celebrity actually thinking I give a shit about their political beliefs. I don't. I don't care what Streisand or Affleck or Clooney or any of these civic minded (ha ha!) individuals has to say in that arena. It is like once they become famous enough, they think the public actually votes based on what they say when in actuality, many people I know do exactly the opposite. What does a comment like "We are ashamed the president is from Texas" or whatever she said have to do with the music they were playing? Nothing because the last time I checked they did not exactly record socially concious songs. I was actually about to buy whatever album was out at that time and then she had to ruin it so all I heard was political crap when I played her music and that is not what I want to do when I listen to my music.

So, if you have not read this article, it is basically a liberal "journalist" (are there really any more of them out there) blathering over how wonderful they are, so anti-establishment, willing to speak their minds. It basically ends up coming across as 3 selfish, patronizing women who apparently are always right. They never make mistakes and everything they say is correct. Maguire not only disses Toby Keith (who they have a sort of feud with) but Reba who I was not aware had made disparaging remarks about the Chicks. Robinson says they ask theirselves now what would Bruce Springsteen do, as far as a talk show, would he do the View? No, so niether are they--ok, being that they have only been popular for about 8 years, I think comparing yourself to Bruce is a bit of a stretch! Oh, and did you know that Ms. Maines skipped school in high school to show that she didn't get caught but all the Spanish kids did so the truancy policy was racist? God, she has been soooooooo active in the immigration debate that it is totally believable that this spoiled little twit skipped school for such a noble cause and not because, you know, she did not want to go! Oh and when the reporter mentioned something about this album might tank, Maines said something to the effect that she was not ready to ride coach again. And they were also having some type of discussion about which one of their nannies were going to get some on tour this summer. Nice classy stuff. I certainly won't be buying this album...and this isn't called censorship Ms. Maines, it is called my freedom to not listen to something I find in poor taste.

Silly Patrons!

We had a pretty nice Memorial Day Weekend. I have decided to give weight watchers another shot and get rid of this extra 10 pounds that seems to have made a comfy home on my body. Emma has a molar coming in so she was a joy and, of course, where would be with the requiste bumping of the head and face continually all weekend. Poor Em, she must have bopped her skull on 4 different occassions. Claire is on the potty training trail so hopefully we will be able to report success in the next few months. She has been asking to go more frequently and even went when we went out to eat for the first time this weekend! It is so funny what can get you excited with kids!

Anyway, so I come out to the desk to weirdo grunting man and Connie Francis, who has thankfully left the building after going on a diatribe about how much paper he has in his apartment and they (who they is I am not quite sure!) told him he had to get rid of some of it and blah, blah, blah! I can stare right at my computer, cause occassionaly I have to work, and he will not shut up! Dear God man, leave me the hell alone!

So the first call I get is someone who needs the number to the Zachary library. The EBR library system feels the need to put their number in the yellow pages and no one has figured that out yet so they call us all day long to get these numbers. Three college degrees and bascially all the phone calls I get are transfers or someone wanting a phone number! Anyway, when one wants a phone number shouldn't one have the proper writing implement in hand to take down said number? Apparently, this would be logical and the people who call are not. They ask for a number and when I begin to read it, "Wait, wait! I need a pen!" Did you not just call me to get a number? Why don't you have a pen???!!! And then a lady coming in wanting a book on travel...and doesn't say anything else. So I ask "what about travel?" And she answers, "You know in Georgia." Ok, if you want travel books on Georgia, why not say "I need travel books on Georgia" and not I need travel books????!!!! Dear God, I need a valium and a drink otherwise there be some serious ass kicking going on! I mean really people, are ya that stupid that your questions can't be formulated in ways that will give you the info that you need and crave??!! Throw me a bone here! And God help me if the nut case that can't control his gas comes in today! He must have farted 4 times when I was on the desk, loud explosive ones. I get off the desk at 2:45 and leave at 4 and in that hour and 15 minutes, he managed to make all 20, 000 sq ft of the first floor smell like total ass!

Calgon take me away!

I Never Thought I would Say this...

Ok, those that know me know I absolutley detest Britney Spears. She is white trash, dresses like it and is married to it! And while I think she is an idiot relating to the child's car seat(every mother knows that the seat faces backward until the child is 20 pounds AND one year old, not OR), the newest debacle the media has placed her in makes me feel sorry for her. I know there have been many times where I was holding one of my kids and holding a drink and tripped. It happens to everyone. It is called multi-tasking. The press is making too big of a deal about this. She was trying to get through the crowd, she tripped, end of story, leave it alone. God help me if every minute of my life were under a microscope. I am sure someone would see me having a brain fart moment too!

Poor Bear Bear!

I had a relaxing Mother's Day until 11:30am. That was when Claire's face morphed into Angelina Jolie's for just a few hours! Jerry was swinging the girls in the double swing which hangs from a branch at his parents house. There was another branch close by that was broken so when he swang them high, the rope for the swing got caught on the broken branch and when it realeased it dropped the girls several feet. Both were screaming hysterically. I ran over and grabbed Emma because Jerry was trying to get both of them out which doesn't work tha well when both are freaked the hell out! Emma calmed down so I went to see about Claire and noticed blood was pouring out of her mouth. Ok freak out time! Her face had apparently hit part of the plastic swing pretty hard and pushed her top teeth into her gums which made them bleed but did nothing to her teeth, thank God! She also bite a hole on the inside of her lower lip. The top one was pretty swollen and bruised but subsided after awhile. Of course the nurse says no salty or citrus foods. We go over to my brother's later and we are having crawfish with lemonade! And she ate them! You would have never thought it, but the 2 1/2 year old LOVES crawfish! I thought it would be to hot, but she begs for it everytime we have some.

Stupid People!

Ok, I have been on the desk since 12:30pm. It is now 1:55pm and I have only had 2 calls both of which were from stupid people. Some guy is stupid because he was very rude from the get go. Instead of politely asking a question he begins with rudly begins a diatribe how he wants to ask a question but on our website when you click on ask a question it goes to a default email which he doesn't have, blah, blah, blah, why can't I request a book if it is in and there is a request item button, bitch, bitch bitchy, blah. Shut up old fart! Maybe if you would have been nice I would have helped you more. Stupid Ass! Then the next lady calls and asks if we have any books on how to make a purse out of a cigar box. Why would you want to do that? Of course, after I said that I seemed to remember some when I was little I think maybe at my Grandmother's house. It is still kind of nasty and trashy. We didn't have any. Go figure.

Thank God We Have the Flowers!

Ok, so my euphoria over the job has diminished somewhat with the realization that I still have 1-2 months in this hell hole. We have some new patrons that oh, so make my day. Stinky, dirty white guy who basically reads the different atlases and reference books all day (I mean ALL day 8am-5pm), crazy black guy who wanders around the library in search of a paper and pencil but never uses them. I saw him coming in today wearing long pants with a pair of boxers on top of them. Nice and classy. Then there is crazy, stinky black guy who goes into the foyer in front of the conference room on the first floor, spreads out all his papers on the floor like it his own personal workspace and turns on his portable tv to watch the local news. Then another guy who is also carrying every personal paper he owns as well as a large metal stick (I am not asking why he has a large metal stick, and as far as I know it is not a weapon!). So weirdos #1-4 have been accounted for today. I am sure by days end #5-10 will have shown up as well.

I am sure some of you may be perplexed by the title of today's post. Well, I will tell you, it is in reference to my boss- the grinch. I call her this not because she acts like the grinch but rather looks like him. The Dilbert Principle could completely be applied to her--you know "the most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: management." God, I love Scott Adams!

She is such a dolt! She will sometimes refuse to sit at the reference desk, a gig she only has to take 1-3 times a month when someone is sick or out, because she has SOOOOO MUCH work to do! Whatever. Our department as a whole has way too much busy work. REALLY stupid shit that is so monotonous and time consuming, absolutely unnecessary and boring! I truly don't understand why everyone in the reference department has to go through all of the serial publications which contain bookreviews and everyone looks at the same ones! Why don't you split it up and everyone has a different one to look at. We don't get these journals routed to us until last and by that time we either already have the book or it is on order. Why have I just wasted my time scouring this crap when it has already been purchased!

Anyway, her mountains of work keep her from the desk, but she has time to make flower arragements, while at work, and other decor that goes with the holiday or time of the year at hand. Stranglation would be so easy but I really don't want to go to jail. She is sooooo not worth it!!

Fun weekend ahead--getting the girls pics taken tomorrow, crawfish boil for the twins who are now 21 (how is that possible!) and then steaks for lunch on Mother's Day and crawfish again for dinner! Whoopee! I love me some crawfish! One of the best parts about living in Louisiana is definately the food!

More later.

Whoopee!

I got it, I got it, I got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell I am soooooooooooo excited! I got the job! It is a private high school here in BR. Summers and holidays off to spend with my babies, hopefully work that is meaningful and keeps me on my toes! I am sooooo happy! This is just the type of job I have been looking for! I have told one person at work b/c I just cannot contain myself!!!!! Ok, I need a snack. All this excitement has made me hungry!

Emma's 1st Birthday!

Just Another Lazy Day at the Library!

Well I was hoping to put off posting until I had my second interview, but I went to an interview at a local private school for a librarian position a week ago, was suppose to go back yesterday for the second interview but the asst. principal had to reschedule so I will be going in on Monday morning so everyone pray (or hope or whatever ya'll do!) for me because I REALLY want this job! It is just what I am looking for and I wouldn't have to go through the teaching certification thing. For those of you that don't know, to be a school librarian at one time you had to be a certified teacher and have your MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science). (I know--you did not know you needed a Masters to be a librarian. Correctamundo! If you do not have a MLIS you are a library paraprofessional, not a librarian.) Anyway, the teaching certification is becoming a non-issue and my first interview went so awesome I am really hopeful.

So in other news, we are going mad crazy to get Emma's party together. Yes, our little pixie is going to be one tomorrow. Last year at this time I was calling Mouse crying my eyes out because my Dad had just taken Claire since I was going in the next day for a c-section. And now Claire is talking up a storm and Emma is walking (just started last week!). Of course we had drama yesterday. Claire was standing over Emma who has kneeling down looking up at her big sister and Claire dropped a full 8 ounce bottle of water on Emma's face. The bottle made a perfect cute right along her orbital bone under her eye. I almost had a heart attack. Once she calmed down and the bleeding stopped all I could think about was "crap!" Birthday Party(and a 1st one at that!) and pictures next weekend and she is going to have the biggest bruise on her face or a stitch and the damn party was suppose to be a splash party! Luckily the doctor said it did not need stitches and he just cleaned it real good. She of course was fine after the intial hit and once she calmed down, just wanted to play. She did not like, however, the cleaning of the cut. We had a very mad little baby!

So hopefully, I will have news of my interview and pictures from the party next week.

The Greatest Products Ever!

These are two of the most awesome items I have EVER found to get that nasty cracked, tough skin off of you heels. Even after I go get a pedicure I can still feel that nasty callus. I hate the razor thing because I always end up cutting myself. The scrubber stone to the left is really sharp. Just a warning because I cut myself when I was holding my foot and the stone slipped over my thumb. I scrub on my heel and my big toe right before bath time, put the lotion to the left on after I get out and I no longer can either fell or see my callus and I have only been using it since Firday! I so highly recommend these products!

I AM NOT MY MOTHER!

I am officially old. This cute guy is in the library and he calls me ma'am! And he is serious! God help me I still have not lost all of my pregnancy weight from Claire, my hair has still not grown back from Emma, and my skin is doing some weird flaky "you are really old" shit so I am feeling absolutely sexy right now. Ma'am! I mean really. It is one thing when a high school kid or a young child says it but a guy in college! He is maybe 22. Ok, so that is 9 years younger than me but still. I have no idea why it bugs me so much, but I absolutely loathe it when people call me ma'am!

What is wrong with people?!

Ok, everyone knows my tolerance for ignorance or stupidity is zero. So one of my co-workers gets subject request and I am just floored how stupid some people are! For those of you that don't know, we get subject requests from the parish libraries when they can't fill the information from their own collection. I actually got one that wanted the entire list of banned books. Ok, this is not a set list. It is fluid so it changes quite frequently, but this is just the kind of mindset people have. If I need it for a report or whatever it must be there in the form that I need it in. Guess what, not so.

Anyway, the request my co-worker got was so absolutely ridiculous that I am not sure who is the bigger moron, the person who came into the library and asked for this information, or the person who actually typed it up and emailed it to us. This was the request "How to use a tape measure"! WHAT! ARE YOU SERIOUS! What kind of idiotic person could not take the time to explain to the patron how a tape measure is used. I am really hoping that this library worker was just laughing to hard to actually answer the guy or he/she just told him that they had no books on the subject and would have to send it to us to get rid of him. But unfortunately, this is all to typical.

I don't think the library workers are trained properly as to how to use things like the databases that we have available throughout the state or even in some cases how to use the internet. In the cases of the lacking of any type of computer savvy, I would suggest putting these people in positions that do no require them to use the computer. In the other cases, I would suggest that they train their staff on what databases are available, how to use them, which ones the databases are accessible through their patrons home computers. Many of the questions we receive here are very simple ones that could be answered using the databases. We are paying a lot of money for them and it is like the parish libraries don't even use them.

Ok so our resident noise machine has made an appearance again, first time in a month. I get off the desk in 17 minutes so I am praying that he does not have any printing problems. He has too many physical and mental problems to count, but I know that I am not mentally prepared to deal with any of them. He is at the computer right now grunting and humming. Yesterday we had a guy who started coming in after the hurricane. He was coming in pretty regularly for awhile, everyday for at least a month or two after the storm. He is apparently from Luling which is right outside of New Orleans. I know this b/c he would come in, get on the computer and proceeded to fill out every pop up add for a credit card, car loan, you have just won this that came up. And he doesn't understand when you tell him it is a scam, or when you try to explain the computer to him. He is not old, only a few months older than my mother but my God he is frustrating! So yesterday he came in, sat at the computer and proceeded to fall asleep 4 different times. Each time he was awoken by the security guard.

I am certainly not telling these people anything. We used to have this schizophrenic woman who would cuss and curse the computer, stand up and talk to imaginary people about the racists, verbally attack any of the police officers who told her to quiet down, ask for their badge number and threaten to sue them. Oh and all of them were racists, kind of funny since most of them were themselves black. Anyway, she would repeatedly not just fall asleep at the computer but get comfortable and lay her head down next the computer before snoring loudly. She wasn't just drifting off. She was a bit of a loose cannon and I did not know when she was going to explode so I let the security guards and police officers wake all sleeping patrons since then.

I soooo love my job! Sorry venting!

Things I Love about my Kids!

How Emma can get so excited she will just move her head from side to side for several seconds to release some of that energy...When Claire sees a camera she says "Cheese!" but it sounds more like "Chayse!"...When Claire wants something and she must be prompted with "what do you say?" she says "Playse!"...When Claire is so excited about something she scrunches up her shoulder and smiles with those apple cheeks...How Emma laughs in anticipation of the tickle that is coming...When Emma sees her bottle she starts chuckling , "ha, ha ha" like give it to me I cannot wait to taste that yummy formula (I am gagging here!)...When Emma smiles with her sweet apple cheeks and shows those new baby teeth...Emma's crazy crawling at super warp speed...Claire's absolute love of anything to do with the Disney princesses, especially Princess Aurora (that's Sleeping Beauty for those of you that are not Disney aficionados!)...How Claire must dance like Princess Aurora--hands holding her skirt or imaginary skirt if she is wearing shorts...

Finally Some Pictures!

Claire LOVES the parades! Here she is with Daddy at Bachus, Sunday February 26, 2006. The Mardi Gras nazi (Jerry) was upset because we couldn't get out there earlier due to a christening in our family. Apparently he wanted to get out there at like 10am. Um, we have a 2 year old and a 10 month old, don't think so!
Sweet Emma! This was taken Mardi Gras day, Feb. 28, 2006 in Metairie, LA. She is almost 10 months old here.

The Drama of Editing the Blog!

Ok, so as you can see, I added a few things to my blog this morning. I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I realized I had erased a pretty important tag and could not for the life of me figure out where it went. I think my main problem is that this was a template that I was able to just answer questions and it was placed in the appropriate spot been when I try and customize it I can't figure out where to go. Yes, I know mitersaw is laughing at me right now, ha ha ha! Unfortunately, the only time I am able to do this is at work and I haven't the time to fully investigate this thing. What is sad is I did one of these with tags and everything for a library class in school and understood everything wonderfully then but I had to do it from scratch and I knew where everything was. Confusion! Now if I could get off my a%$ and download some pics I could show pics of the beautiful babes. Little one will be one year old in May! I can't believe it!

Anyway, just thought I would give everyone a laugh with my ineptness!

The Story of Emma Boo and Claire Marie

Kids are so funny. Claire is a parrot right now. She hears it and immediately repeats it. She now thinks Emma's name is actually Emma Boo. Both my mom and myself call Emma that so Claire has joined in. Other variations of her name, according to Claire are m&m and Emma Cake-for those of you that don't know, Emma's full name is Emma Cate but Claire thinks it is Cake. I'll be cooking dinner and I will hear "Emma Boo! Emma Cake! M&M!" She must use every name she knows for you if you are not responding to her. If I don't react immediately, it goes from "Mama! Mommy! Mom! AMANDA!" Talking up a storm!

Emma is crawling around like mad getting into everything. Still not walking, but really has no desire to walk. Would you if you had someone carting you around all the time! She is still an easy baby. Goes down around 6pm, wakes up around 6am. If we could get the other one on schedule now!

Nothing more to report now. Will try and get some pictures up this week.

The Boredom unfolds!

House is coming along nicely. I was able to unpack several boxes last night and get almost all of the clothes folded! Whoopee for me!

Connie Francis just left and yes once again the most pressing questions on his mind were once again are the babies walking and can he have this paper. I really need to get out of this institution. I call it such because I feel like I am in the insane asylum!

I was on such a tear last night. I was finally able to find my pots (thank God!) and was able to cook and spent the next 5 hours bathing the girls, putting them to sleep, folding clothes and unpacking boxes. And as much as I feel that I got accomplished, the boxes keep coming! Hopefully the kitchen will be done by the end of the week.

Saw the Oscars Sunday and was so happy for Reese. Why is it the media is so insistant that while it was expected that she would win, she shouldn't have gotten it b/c the transgendered person Felicity Huffman played was so much an important role. Last time I checked the award was for the best performance, not who had the most weird, out there character! And God help us, Brokeback Mountain did not win best picture! Who F*%$ing cares?! I have not seen it, but am sure I will eventually. I do not think the filmmakers and actors are going to hell for making it and I don't see anything wrong with a gay love story, but Jesus, it is about the performances not who has the better or most risque storyline!

Hollywood really irritates me sometimes! Go Reese! You did an awesome job, in a great movie and gave a great speech. I saw where some "journalist" said it was "nice" but not spectacular. So I guess b/c she did not kiss Jamie Foxx, leap off of chairs or begin crying hysterically it wasn't a good speech but it was and I think she deserved it.

Anyway, back to "work". Connie Francis has left so I may now go about my business!!!

Unpacking

So we moved in this weekend. The house is great I just absolutely HATE unpacking. I can't find anything. I can't cook b/c I have no idea where my pots are or any of the plates have gone. Nightmare! I have at least been able to wash one load of clothes and dishes a day which is not bad. Folding the clothes, however, is another story!

The kids love it b/c they can explore through the piles and piles of boxes. We of course don't have there rooms set up yet b/c my dad was painting them but hopefully Jerry can get Emma's bed set up so we can put her in there. She has been sleeping in the pack n play. It will be kind of weird when we do get it set up b/c her room is at the other end of the hall. She is SOOO far away! Oh well!

Emma is just an awesome baby. Doesn't really fuss unless she is hungry or tired. The child had a double ear infection for I don't know how long and I found out b/c I took her to the doctor for a cough! She is just cute as can be, trying to walk but not quite getting that balance yet. Claire is adorable too but man can she throw a tantrum at the drop of a hat! She is at such an interesting age. It is hard for me to believe that 3 years ago I had just found out I was pregnant with her, and now she is walking and talking like it is nothing. I am constantly amazed at how much kids learn in such a short period of time. Now time to tackle the potty! Loads of fun!

I still can't get any pics up. I am more disorganized than normal (which anyone who knows me knows that is really bad!) so bear with me!

Obsession

Ok, so most of you know how completly obsessed I get about a person or event after I see a movie or documentary on someone or something. So I rented Walk the Line this week, and now need to know every piece on information about Johnny and June Carter Cash. I bought the Collecter's edition DVD, the soundtrack to the movie and the Essential Johnny Cash cd. I know I am insane, but I really liked the songs in the movie. Some of them I had never heard before, actually I don't remember hearing any of them except maybe Walk the line and Ring of Fire. It was a really awsome movie and I think Joaquin and Reese did awesome jobs as Johnny and June, especially with the singing. Claire watched it with me. She was quite enamoured!

It is just funny watching this and realizing how little I knew about Johnny Cash. I mean, he was making movies and records throughout my childhood but I just never was that interested before, but he really was one of the pioneers of rock and country. You know he the first person to be inducted into the rock and country halls of fame. I think there are a lot of artists now that are considered in both genres, but back then, that was unheard of. I like country music ok, but always love these biopics about country artists. I know I am wierd!

Anyway, I guess I will talk about other stuff. We are suppose to finally close on the house today. Pleas pray for us!!! The kids are getting so big. Claire is looking more and more like a big kid. Her legs are losing the baby fat and getting long and skinny. Emma is figuring out how to open all the cabinet doors. She realized about two weeks ago that the shiny knobs actually open the door and there is so much to play with inside! We had to put a latch under the sink since she began to see the recycle can as her private toy box. And man does she have a temper! Close the door and you would think someone had just smacked her. I am sure in a few short months she will began utilizing her older sister's favorite phrase, "no, no mommy!" Of course this is done with a very pouty face!

As soon as I figure all this HTML crap out I will have a more interesting blog for y'all to examine!

Have a great day!

Fun times at the Liberry

Ok, so I am not sure if I am going to like this but mouse is forcing me into the land of the blog. Being that she is the only one that I communicate with regularly that I do not see regularly, I am not sure how often I will do this but will hey there is a first time for everything.

So I am at work at the glorious library. Thank God I only have 2 hours left b/c unfortunately I have had to deal with 2 of our most irritating patrons. One guy obviously has a neurological disorder. Feel sorry for him you say? Poor guy deserves your sympathy. I guess one that does not have to deal with his range of noises from the two main orifices of his body would say such things. I had to leave one of the public service desks when he stood at one of the computers behind me and began farting loudly. Did I really get three college degrees so I could listen to his farting and grunting all day, punctuated by his calls for help he can't tie his shoe? Today he swore someone was stealing his printouts of the credit card pop-ups that were coming up. Yes, you caught me. I have nothing better to do than steal your pages of crap so I can hear you yell louder and louder at the top of your lungs. He reminds me of the charcter Will Ferel used to play on SNL, the one with the voice modulation problem. That is so him.

And then we have Connie Francis. He is called such b/c, his age is somewhere betw/ 75-85 and he comes in 3-5 times a week (we are only open M-F) and spends hours upon hours of printing every picture he can find on the web of Connie Francis. We then have the added bonus of his ramblings on a multitude of things such as: is he wasting paper, can he take the paper back to his apartment, are my girls walking yet. The kids are 2 and 10 months, he has been asking this question everyday since the older one was born. FOR GOD'S SAKE, YES THE 2 YEAR OLD IS WALKING. NO THE 10 MONTH OLD IS NOT!!!!
Help Please, I am slowly drowning amidst the weirdos and freaks!