Hello Again!

Hello strangers, I'm back! Did you miss me? I have to say the past few months have not been the most banner in my life but I think I'm through it all, and ready to write again. (And I can't believe my blog is a year old! WOW!)

February - I lost my job; lay-offs, or if you want to put spin on it, "my assignment ended". After working since college, I felt very untethered. I loved my job, my schedule, my boss, my co-workers. I had been working which feels like forever, and then it was taken from me. I felt lost sad, and without direction. I hadn't even been on an interview in over ten years; heck, I didn't even own a suit. As of today, I still don't have a job, but I have found great joy in being home with Charlie. He starts first grade and a full-time schedule in the fall, and I've really loved the time that we've had to spend with each other. A friend of mine once told me that you can always make up money, but never time. This is become my mantra when I start to slip back into that feeling of being directionless. For me, this is my time.

March - My grandmother dies. That's two family members in one year. Seems like I'm losing everything this year but good stuff like weight. What keeps me going this month is that this long horrible winter is almost over and spring is around the corner, full of new hope, as well as some well deserved warm weather.

April - Spring has sprung! I was able to take my convertible out of storage, and spend a few rare 90 degree days at the beach. There is something so healing about the warm sun, the sound of the waves hitting against the shore and the smell of the salty air. Day by day my bitterness is being replaced with inter-peace. Charlie and I are into our stay-at-home routine, and life feels like it's getting back on track. We celebrate Earth Day by seeing Disney's "Earth" when I'm nearly in tears when any of the animals gets lost or eaten, Charlie turns to me and says, "Mama, that's just the way life is.."

May - Mother's Day was low key but not any less special. Charlie's class had a mother's day tea with all the heart tugging sweetness that all us mother's eat up. The class sang songs about how much they loved their moms. They gave us painted portraits that each student did of their moms. (I thought it was funny/awesome that Charlie painted me with a black shirt, Angelina Jolie lips and a tiara.) Then they served us tea in china cups and handed out these "mad-lib" type fill in the blank cards; which have things on it like "my mom has blond hair and blue eyes. " You got to love kids. Charlie's card said, when my mom was little, she - fill in the blank- liked to play guns. (Great! I'm sure the school has opened a file on me!) As well as, "I know my mom is angry - "when she yells." "I would not trade my mom - "for Legos!" WOW! That's something if you knew Charlie. May also brought me thinking a lot of Julie. I still can't believe it's been a year since she died. I think of her always, especially what a great mom she was. She really taught me a lot about motherhood, and thinking back, I'm always in awe how effortless she seem to raise her four amazing children.

And now June is here. My blog is now a year old. I'm excited to start writing again. And while the premise of the blog has changed temporally, from "working mom" to "stay at home", I hope you'll stop by every once in a while to say hi! I'll be here!

XOXOXO

Are You Looking For A New Career?..Become A Ho!

I HAVE to share this job posting that I found on Craiglist today!!

PERSONAL ASSISTANT
Date: 2009-02-04, 1:55PM EST IDEAL CANDIDATE MUST BE A ATTRACTIVE FEMALE, WHO IS OPENMINDED AND HAVE A VERY FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE. YOU WILL BE WORKING FOR THE CFO OF COMPANY AND HOURS VARY.. WE WILL GET TOGETHER 2-3 TIMES WEEKLY TO WINE AN DDINE CLIENTS DO UP PROPOSALS, AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE . LADIES PLEASE READ BETWEEN THE LINES BEFORE APPLYING AS THIS IS A BUSINESS/PERSONAL ARRANGEMENT EXCELLENT SALARY WEEKLY AND SIGN ON BONUS AFTER 60 DAYS OF LOYALTY.. PLEASE LEAVE NAME AND NUMBER ONLY FOR A CALL BACK START THIS WEEK AND START EARNING A VERY GENEROUS PAYCHECK FOR A FUN JOB.

Compensation: 1200 WEEKLY
This is a part-time job.

AND NO I'M NOT APPLYING FOR IT!!!!!

Random Thoughts

If you watched Paranormal State on A&E Monday night, you were supposed to see my friend Bob Murch being interviewed as a "spirit board expert".

A&E cut his interview...BOOO! (I'll never watch them again). OK, maybe I will as they posted his interview on-line.

Check out Bob's interview on Paranormal State!

Great job Bob!

Charlie just got over the stomach bug. I was feeling like a rock star mom for jumping into action once I saw him start to heave and got him the bucket just in time. However, two seconds later he dropped it and spilled it all over the rug and me. Needless to say, I didn't have dinner as I was nauseous the rest the night because I couldn't get the smell out of my 'minds nose'. I had all he misery of feeling like I was going to puke but didn't have the benefit of actually puking and losing a few pounds.

He must be feeling better because this morning he came into the kitchen, with his hands on his hips, and said, "Where's my breakfast? I don't see it, I don't smell it, I don't hear it."

He's in rare form, because after sitting on the radiator, he feels the need to share, "Mama, my buns are hot. I mean hot like 'temperature', not hot like in 'attractive'." Oh, my!

It's a snow day, so I'm balancing working from home and watching him. I hope we live through the day without killing each other.

I did something the other day that I haven't done since Clinton's first term. I colored my own hair. *GASP* But it's really expensive to have your hair colored professionally, and desperate times call for desperate measures. It's only a little brassy, plus I could use the extra money for botox.

I'm so ready for summer and we're not even into the February part of Janufeb.
Why is it that January through March goes by so slowly and the rest of the year flies by?

Wishing you a happy Wednesday!

XOXOX

Friday's Commute

I'm just going to come out and say it! It was traumatic and horrifying.

If you're my friend on Facebook, you may know that my status as of Friday morning was:

"Sarah believes (OK, is hoping) her check engine light is a dealership scam."

I actually did believe this, until I was driving home and my car DIES in the middle of the expressway, in BOSTON FRIDAY COMMUTER TRAFFIC, in a place where there was no space to pull over.

People drove by me giving me the finger, screaming swears, pointing and yelling at me.

YES PEOPLE! I STOPPED HERE ON THE EXPRESSWAY TO PISS YOU OFF AND TO RUIN YOUR DAY/COMMUTE. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO GET HOME TO EAT OR SEE MY FAMILY (don't read into the order there...GARY)!! INSTEAD, I LOVE JUST STOPPING HERE IN DORCHESTER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EXPRESSWAY TO TAKE IN THE VIEW OF THE GAS TANK!!

I called AAA. It is amazing for me that I have the presence of mind to do this, as my normal gut reaction in a crisis situation is to curl up in fetal position, suck my thumb and mumble.

But I came very close.

The AAA call center lady, needed to know my exact position.

I couldn't not articulate where I was. I couldn't remember. I travel that road all the time and I couldn't remember if it was route, 1, 128, 95, or 93. I was shaking.

As I'm "talking" to AAA call center lady, the Mass Care highway van pulls up to offer assistance and at the same time this African American family pulled along side of me to ask me if I was OK.

I was panicked and disoriented in my thoughts... All I could get out was..

Dahh...

They asked again, "Mame, are you alright?"

Dahh...

They probably thought I was one of those Volvo wagon driving white chicks who believed that they were going to rob me.


I hoped they laughed at me when I got home.

I would have.

To me I say, "You want some cheese with that 'cracker'?"

I did make it off the highway, and I was picked up by a tow truck and made it home 4 hours later.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or to cry.

Thank goodness my mother gives me AAA every year for Christmas. She always get her moneys worth. I think I've call them 3 times in the last twelve months already.

I think they should have punch cards, because by the next time I call them, I should have enough hole punches for a free sandwich or something.

Here's to happy commuting for the rest of the week, year, life?

XOXOX

For Fun! Look-A-Like Of The Week

Charlie is cuter and doesn't smoke, but you can see some similarities....

Breakfast at Reds

This weekend we met the fabulous and not so ambiguous gay duo Gary and Bob and their friend Danielle for breakfast, and Salem’s breakfast/lunch hot spot Reds.

Charlie was being shy and basically hid under the table while, we all caught up.

We were in a heated conversation on whether or not it’s fair to have to split bill equal parts when you’ve had nothing to drink e.g., cocktails, wine, beer etc.

Most times I’m like whatever; but I was telling them about the one time I went out, and I wasn’t feeling well, barely ate and had nothing to drink. The bottles of wine were flowing, and in the end I got screwed.

It’s at this point Charlie perks up from under his chair.

Charlie: Mama, did you just say you didn’t eat anything?
Me: Yeah, I was sick so I didn’t eat anything.
Charlie: Mama, you eat all the time.
Me: Thanks Charlie.
Charlie: No, I mean it. You eat more then anyone I know.
Me: OK, gotcha.
Charlie: I mean you EAT ALL THE TIME!
Me: Understood.
Charlie: Daddy did you hear what mama said? She said she didn’t eat anything, when she eats all the time.

OK KIDDO, I'M PICKING UP WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING DOWN!!

Gary was amused as he thinks I eat like a linebacker and that my secret to loss weight has to do with me putting down my fork.

OK, so what if I ate all my breakfast……and half of Bobs.



Remember Bob is on PARANORMAL STATE ON A&E, January 26th at 10pm.

They asked him to be a regular on the show, but he wants to see how they portray him. When I asked Gary if he went, he said that since they weren’t going to film him, he saw no point in going to the shoot.

I hear ya Gary. I hear ya...

XOXO

Wii think SUE ROCKS!

Today I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. My best friend Sue B. was able to secure me a Wii Fit!! I didn't have to buy it from Target, (Not like it matters since there still is not a Wii Fit to be found in our area) and I didn't have to pay for the outrageous cabbage-patch-type-mark up on eBay or Amazon!

IN YOUR FACE SASSY PANTS ASSOCIATE FROM TARGET WHO OPENLY MOCKED ME !

IN YOUR FACE!

happy dance, happy dance, happy dance...

I know that's being small, but it's all I have.

It's very good thing when you have a best friend who works in New York City, and has to walk by Nintendo World on her way to work.

Yes, there's actually a place called 'Nintendo World' and Charlie must never find out.

Sue said that normally there's a crowd waiting in line before it opens, but today it wasn't so bad. She thinks it's because the tourist have all gone home now that the holidays are over; but I think the sub-zero temperatures have something to do with it too.

Luckily they didn't make her wait outside, and they let her in. She said today there was maybe 5 people waiting for them.

Thanks SUE! I'm so excited to integrate this into my current work out routine of basically nothing. I'm not sure what exercises are on Wii Fit, or exactly what Wii Fit really is, but....

YEAH! I'M SO HAPPY!!!! Summer swimsuit, you better watch out!!

Rich Clapp's Reality Prediction??

I'll never use it and it will be come yard sale fodder.

:P

XOXOXO