from both sides

I went to the courthouse today to get an official copy of the custody and child support agreement for the adoption case. Don't get me started on why I'm doing what I paid a lawyer to do... it's just easier.

I called to order the documents yesterday, they were ready for me today after noon. I had Yago come home to watch the midget while I drove to the courthouse. I'd like to know what it is that makes a person feel guilty just going to the courthouse? I had to go through a metal detector which is widely practiced but still makes me feel weird. I just felt like everyone assumed I had either done something wrong or was associated with someone who broke the law. It wasn't pleasant.

I found the office I was looking for. The clerk asked if I wanted regular copies or certified copies, "Certified, please." It occurred to me after the request that I'd have to pay for them and I didn't have any money on me. I found an ATM and went back up to pay $7.50 for the certified copies. I left the building from a different door than I entered so it took me a few minutes to find my car. I finally found it... with a gosh darn parking ticket on it! Three minutes. Are you kidding? $16. I guess that's why everyone feels like a criminal at the courthouse.

fall

Last weekend the inlaws came up for Schmitty's birthday (parents, brother and sister-in-law). We all went to Vala's Pumpkin Patch for the party. It was really fun, we rented a campsite for a couple of hours. We roasted weenies and marshmallows for s'mores. I stuffed myself beyond belief. It was kind of a harvest theme park. There were train rides, pig races, bouncy pads, all kinds of things to keep everyone entertained.

This Friday is Schmitty's Halloween party at school, I volunteered to be a room parent. I'm supposed to bring a canister filled with candy and have the kids guess how many candies are inside. Gumballs painted like eyeballs were recommended so I've been searching all over for stupid eye/gum/balls and can't find them!! I'm taking Ralph with me to the classroom, we'll see how that goes. I'm dressing him in Schmitty's old dinosaur costume. He'll be in to everything, I'm sure.

That's about all I've got going on this week.

tmi

Schmitty had a friend spend the night last night, he's still here. I feel like I've gained a whole other insight into Schmitty's life. He has a "girlfriend" in his class and other such things. I see his innocence diminishing before my eyes, he's almost like a different kid. Why couldn't he just stay five?

I'm preparing dinner for another guest this evening. It's really difficult with the friend still here because the place is a wreck! I have them pick up but it just gets destroyed again as soon as they're finished. I mean that's what boys do, right? There are tinker toy weapons strewn across the house.

I'm going to go continue my futile attempt at cleaning and picking up.

lil' shopper

I went grocery shopping with Ralph today, which is always an adventure. We got the kiddie car cart because it usually keeps him entertained, he steers and honks the horn. Today he couldn't keep his little hands inside the cart, he pulled item after item off the shelves. He smuggled two pad thai bowls, a bag of dried beans, and a can of yams into his front compartment.

Sam's having a friend spend the night tonight, there's no school tomorrow. He's very excited, I hope they have fun.

i'm a jerk

Last week I totally blew off the piano tuner. I had an appt for him to come over and tune our piano last Wed morning but was so preoccupied with my suspended license I forgot. I didn't realize it until Thursday night when Yago asked me how it went.

It took me until today to screw up the courage to call the tuner back and try to reschedule. He wasn't happy or eager to make another appt with me, I can't say I blame him. It was an uncomfortable phone call and I couldn't decide if I should launch in to the ridiculous DMV story or just bite the bullet. I mean, does he really care why I wasn't here? Probably not. I just sounded a little pathetic.

I'm not sure what's wrong with Blogger but I'm going to try to post this for the second or third time.

there was a gorgeous lady who lived in a shoe...

I met my neighbor three doors down last Friday. She saw Jacob staring at her jack-o-latern one morning and came out and introduced herself. While making small talk she disclosed she'd recently miscarried at 32 weeks. She told me the story about how she went in for a regular checkup and they couldn't find a heartbeat. They induced labor and she had to deliver the baby stillborn. Her memorial was on Sunday. We both stood in her front yard with tears in our eyes, it was a strange moment we shared. We apologized to each other profusely and she invited the midget and me in.

Since we have the same floorplan she asked what I did in this room and that room. They (her and her husband) had turned in the keys to their apartment the day before and he'd invited 15 people over that evening so she had a lot of unpacking to do. I told her I'd kill my husband if he ever did that to me!

I invited her over to our house to look around and she said she'd come over when her husband got back from the hardware store. I hurried home to clean up the breakfast dishes and waited like a girl on prom night. She never came.

This morning when I saw her she explained she planned on coming over but was so busy with everything she didn't have a chance. She said maybe she'd stop over today after school but she hasn't. It's weird to feel stood up by someone you barely know, I think I'm too eager for a neighborhood friend.

I'm sure the moment my house is in a shambles the doorbell will ring. My mistake is probably picking stuff up, no one ever stops by unannounced when your house is tidy.

i don't believe it

I went to the DMV this morning to get a current Nebraska license. (I still have my Texas license with my maiden name on it.) I was feeling unusually lucky this morning because the clerk reluctantly agreed to use a photocopy of my marriage certificate showing the name change since I also had my military ID. Plus, when I got there I was the only person in line.

Things changed when she entered my information in to the data system. She asked if I ever got a ticket in NC and I couldn't immediately recall. Let's be honest, I could have an outstanding ticket in several states and a couple of countries. I said, "I don't think so." Turns out someone with the exact same name and birthday (except she was born in '73) got a ticket (or something) in NC. On a military installation.

The clerk couldn't verify it wasn't me and I'm not sure she really believed it WASN'T me so I couldn't get my license. She gave me a phone number of the DMV in Onslow, NC, to call. I have to prove to NC that it wasn't me who got the ticket. How am I supposed to do that? I don't know, they don't know. I called and after getting passed around three times the supervisor said she'd call me back. It might be tomorrow before she has an answer of what I need to do.

My main concern in this whole thing was registering to vote. The Nebraska clerk said I needed a clearance letter from NC before I could get my license and god only knows how long that would take! I asked about voting and she said no problem and took my registration form without question. I thought that was odd. I can vote without proving who I am, and I can keep my TX license and drive around until 2010 but I can't get a current license.

say no to gnocchi

I spent HOURS making homemade gnocchi yesterday just to have it turn in to a pile of mush last night. That kind of stunk.

Last night was Schmitty's first CCD class, he wasn't impressed. It was 3rd and 4th graders together, a large group of kids. It sounded like they just sat there and played a quiet version of Simon Says most of the night while the 4th got their instruction. Oh well.

no-key

I'm a litte annoyed, okay more than a little. I've searched high and low in probably half a dozen different grocery stores for gnocchi and can't find it.