peter paper

Well, just paper. I have a paper due and it's kind of kicking my butt, mainly because I've never had to write a real paper. The university I went to wasn't exactly stellar so my rambles passed as work and I did fine, well actually. I feel like this is different though, I should at least be able to produce a good paper if I'm going to finish this program.

I've had the topic decided for a while but have had trouble finding the trade model that my problem fits and then figuring out how to prove it graphically. (graphically = with a graph, not in a bloody or XXX kind of way.) I've imposed a deadline of today so Yago can get on with his course instead of trying to make sure I have time available to work on my stuff. (He's very thoughtful like that.) I will have it done today and it will be the best I'll be able to produce (for better or worse). Tomorrow we'll be back on track with our Library Wednesdays. I plan to start our week of the letter "Aa" tomorrow.

I need some new blogs to follow but I'm a little lazy on the busqueda. I had a few that I followed but most of them have been abandoned or update monthly instead of daily now. I enjoy following people, not writers. I'd prefer to read about someone's encounter with an a-hole at the grocery store instead of a polished philosophical piece on "love at first sight." Ya know? Actually, I don't need more blogs to read. My time could be better spent doing other things...

On to other things.

nummer vier

Yesterday Yago and I celebrated our fourth anniversary. We'll go out to dinner and a movie Saturday night to mark the occasion, but yesterday wasn't celebrated with jewelry or a dozen roses. That's okay with me because when I made my coffee I found a little note from Yago that made me smile all today. This morning when I woke at 5 am for bootcamp he said something about starting our fifth year together. He's a good, good husband. ;)

brilliant

I'm watching the local news, there's a petition filed to recall the mayor of Omaha. The mayor is proposing additional taxes to cover a significant budget shortfall. His proposal increases property taxes by an average of $60/year and a 4% restaurant tax. The guy that filed the recall, Mr. Fasthorse, listed unfair taxation as a reason to remove the mayor but the brilliant part of the story is that he previously filed a petition to have the mayor recalled because the mayor wanted to close a library as part of a budget cut. So there's a huge shortfall but this guy doesn't want his services cut or to pay any additional taxes. I'd like to hear his solution...

unbelievable

I stumbled uoon a new (to me at least) reality show Sunday afternoon. It stars RuPaul and is called Drag Race. It's a bunch of drag queens competing for a chance to be a spokesperson for some products and an LGBT something or another. It was interesting but boy was I embarrassed when Yago caught me watching.

novelty

On Saturday I started my first master's class working toward a degree in International Relations. It's exciting and fun to be in a classroom again, I'm sure the feeling will dissipate shortly but Saturday and Sunday were good.

Yago got up early Saturday morning to pack my lunch and make me homemade, from scratch, whole wheat pancakes with fresh raspberries to accompany. We ate our breakfast outside and read the paper. Did I mention he also packed a thermos full of coffee for me take? Is he the grooviest husband or what? He's so funny too!

Since I went to bootcamp this morning I need to go take a shower. We were outside running sprints so I smell like sweat and bug spray. Mmm.

I saw a new spelling of ciao from a Spanish speaker the other day on fb, it was chau. Entonces, chau.

rainy fourth

Our neighborhood is supposed to be having a huge block party today but it looks like it may be rained out. It's been raining since about 7:30 this morning and is forecast to rain all day.

The Vietnamese neighbors are rumored to have bought 100 lbs of meat for grilling and have a shipping crate full of fireworks. The Venezuelan neighbors said they were buying 50 lbs of meat and boy can they cook! I don't know what Carlos was planning on making today but I'm positive it will be delicioso! (If you recall, last year the Vietnamese people gave Carlos a shark they caught on a fishing trip in Florida and he made some spectacular empanadas.)

We'll see how this all turns out but it's not looking good right now.

fb

Is it wrong that I'm tempted to correct people on Facebook? Just now I was reading a comment that read, "It looks like your having a good time." and I wanted to comment directly underneath, "AND it looks like you're having a good time." Of course, I would never actually do that but I do have the urge. Oh. And what is it with "shld of"? That throws me every time.

Don't get me wrong, I make my share of mistakes. ("Whose" gives me trouble for some reason.) But seriously. I also find it interesting that the people who make these errors all seem to be friends with each other. You know what I mean? I can count on regular errors from the same five or six people and they are always commenting on the other four or five's updates.

Hmm.

warden

This past weekend we sentenced Schmitty to 24 hours of solitary confinement except for meals. He spent Friday afternoon and evening giving me plenty of lip and yelling at everyone. Yago was so angry he couldn't even talk to him. We decided to make up the guest room and put him in there with nothing, no books or toys. He's been charming since 7:30 Saturday night. I think it was way more effective than any lecture or other punishment we could have given.

I can't believe the 4th is coming up already. My in-laws will be here Saturday evening and leave Tuesday morning, they're troopers for driving up again. They came a couple of weeks ago for a wedding. There's supposed to be a huge block party including homemade fireworks. I've been told it's amazing (we're usually out of town on the 4th so we've never seen it) but I anticipate Ralphie hating the noise and becoming a quivering mess.

I think this morning we'll head to the zoo and then go to the pool after lunch and naps. Maybe I'll get some studying done this afternoon, my class starts in a week and a half.

a good laugh

I had a good laugh this morning with Yago and we all know how much I LOVE a good belly laugh! We were talking about our honeymoon and some of the funny things that happened. I was still giggling and holding my side when he pulled out of the driveway. Then it occurred to me that we were on our honeymoon four years ago and planted a little Ralphie seed. That's funny too for some reason. Anyway, it feels like more than four years ago, it feels like life has been like this for much longer but not in a bad way.

We are currently suffering without our Jura-Capresso maker, it's in the shop. We had to part ways for a couple of agonizing weeks to get him fixed up. I called to check the status the other day and told the customer service guy that I missed that lil' fella, referring to the machine. I bought some folger's single bags but those are really a poor substitute.

Yesterday we had another realtor come over to look at our house and give us some advice. I feel more optimistic now, this lady seemed to really know what she was talking about. She gave us advice that made sense and was definitive. I almost wanted to hug her when she left. I mean our situation and the market are still not ideal but at least we have a little hope of not losing our pants next year.

Ralphster is up, gotta go!

in stitches

I haven't updated in a while. Earlier this week I posted a rant that was over the top and deleted it the next day.

I've been trying to start a project where I journal for the kids every night but it lasted one night. A short paragraph for each of the boys about something they said or did that day, maybe even with a couple of pictures pasted to the page. Like I said, it seemed like a great idea but my follow through is lacking.

Last night as I was finishing up the preparation of dinner Ralphie took a header off the deck. Yago and Ralph were covered in blood, I may have panicked a little bit... We wound up rushing him to the ER for stitches, staples actually. Schmitty was so squeamish he couldn't stay in then room when the doctors or nurses were there, he had to step out.

We topped off the evening with a trip to Don & Millie's for burgers and margaritas.

help me

Help me understand exactly what was SOOOO deplorable about Helen Thomas' comments. The "go home" part was a little over the top but I kind of agree with her. I think if I lived in the Middle East I'd be annoyed with Israel too. I know living in the US I get annoyed that we defend almost everything Israel does when I lot of it (settlements) I strongly disagree with. Anyway, any parcel of knowledge that would help me understand I'd greatly appreciate.

brutal

I've been taking an online cyberspace course at work. Ugh. It is AF training at its worst. I'm not even close to being finished but have surely exceeded the number of total hours they estimate it'll take. I want it to be over! I'm sure Yago will breeze through it quickly but it's really not my kind of thing. (or thang)

Schmitty had a piano recital yesterday, it went pretty well. He got a certificate for scoring well on his theory test, cool beans! (I think Schmitty's cute when he plays the piano.) The other day he was playing at home while I was making dinner. I happened to look over and saw that he was practicing bowing while he thought no one was looking. I thought that was funny in a cute way. He's already up to my shoulders, I can't believe my lil' buckaroo is so big, he won't be "cute" much longer.

Off to Whole Foods today, I hope they have a Whole Foods wherever we PCS to next. I really like that place. (I think it has something to do with the free cheese samples and occasional muffin samples.)

Congrats to StuckinMD for graduating today from acupuncture school!

schedule

Yesterday I started making what will be a schedule for myself. I felt much more "on task" yesterday. I need to schedule play time in there and some work with the alphabet and counting for Jake.

I enrolled in two classes yesterday. They're economics classes that will count toward an International Relations degree. If I finish those classes and decide to switch my major to Economics I could do that as well. I've been trying to figure out what to do because I realize an IR degree isn't all that useful unless I plan to work for the State Dept. I think I read somewhere a while back that there was an age limit on entering the State Dept though... Anyway, I could do Economics and use that anywhere (it's similar to an MBA) but I'm not sure I'd be as interested in it as IR. When I finished my undergrad I swore I'd do something I wanted to do, not just check a box. That's why I'm leaning toward IR right now. Plus? Maybe it'll come in handy when Yago and I join the Peace Corp in 16 years. ;)

In other news, Yago almost died riding his bike home Tuesday afternoon. It had been threatening to storm all day but by 5:30 I was pretty frightened. I tried calling his work number to come pick him up but he'd already left. I decided to wait at home because I wouldn't be able to get to him on the bike trail anyway. By the time I decided to go find him the rain started and it was seriously raining sideways. I hadn't seen anything like it since the hurricane I rode out in Biloxi about eight years ago. Luckily by the time I pulled out of the garage he was on our street. He got inside when the tornado sirens started going off. Yikes.

planning

I need to work on my planning. Right now Schmitty and I are scheming our Father's Day surprise. I won't give it away on the blog but we've been working and brainstorming on how we're going to do it. I'm really wanting to get organized this summer, maybe a spreadsheet or something. (That statement will probably make Yago giggle a little.)

We just got back from Oklahoma yesterday, we went down for Memorial Day weekend and attended a wedding. It was a good trip the boys had a blast but the drive back seemed to take forever. We normally leave around 8:00 am but this time we left after lunch so by 4:00 we felt like we should be close to home but were still hours away. That wasn't so terrific.

I gotta get a move on to pick up our dog. Ralph can't wait to see her. I've also got to get to Whole Foods. I did such an awesome job with shopping for the month that come June 1st we're completely out of food! No cream for my coffee, no milk for the cereal...

pancakes? no, cupcakes!

I'm waiting for the cupcakes to cool so I can frost and decorate before taking them to Schmitty's school. They do something called the cake walk, I still don't understand what that is. Sounded something like musical chairs but I guess I lost interest when it was being explained. Ralphie keeps calling them pancakes and then laughs when I emphatically correct him.

Bunco last night was a hoot. One of my friends there is so funny sometimes. Her comedic effect comes from the dichotomy between one's perception of her and her actual personality. She looks like she'd be very shy and meek but when she starts telling a story that is certainly not who she is. It's hysterical.

The book club is tonight. I'm a little apprehensive because I suggested the book. We'll see how it goes. (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time... or something like that.)

I should finish dishes and frost some cupcakes...

almost summer

I'm super excited because this morning I officially enrolled in a master's program. I'm going for an MA in International Relations at OU, a real university. My undergrad was at Bellevue University which was more like a buy here, pay here diploma. I mean, it served its purpose but I feel like I didn't really get much out of it. Maybe that's how everyone feels when they finish college?

It's been excruciatingly hot and humid here. I think it's cooling off a little today, the low 80s. The weather has been making me feel lethargic.

Thursday is Schmitty's last day of school and then we're off to Oklahoma for Memorial Day weekend. Yea summer! No more commuting!

Incidentally, I read Greek Tragedy yesterday and it made me shake my head. I feel sorry for her kids. Sometimes I can't help but think how dumb she is/was. Why the heck did she marry that dude? I've had this discussion with Mickity before, clearly it was mostly about money but still...

As far as I can tell he was a jerk from the beginning, although it has clearly escalated. I think his first (or one of his first) messages to her had something in it about he'll be the smart one and she can be the pretty one. I think that was before they had even met. My impression is that she needs constant validation so why she would choose someone that, from the beginning, belittled and minimized her is beyond me.

I started reading her because Yago did. Before we started dating he told me about her blog. He thought she was a good writer and gorgeous so I had to look and see what it was about. Now that I've been reading it for years I can't imagine Yago ever being interested in dating her. He quit reading the blog years ago.

Anyway, their arguments are appalling.

progress

I'm making progress on my list. I just enrolled in two master's courses at OU. I'm not sure what I'm going to major in yet, either Economics or International Relations. A lot of the coursework is similar so I'm taking a couple class that would count toward either one. The IR degree would mean a couple of weeks in Oklahoma to get all the requirements. It's entirely doable since Yago's family is in OK. It'd be about a two hour commute from his parents house though. Therefore, I might just stick with an Economics major.

I'm doing the course for the cyber transition in the Reserves too. All good stuff. Got me feeling more productive. I still need to work on the espanol though.

I ran across a blog the other day that had someone's list of 100 things she wanted to do this year. It included things like; go to a Catholic mass, plant something in a garden, go to ten new restaurants, etc. The last one was something like donate $10 to a charity for every item I don't mark off by Aug 24th. She lined them out as they were accomplished, it was a nifty idea. Of course coming up with a list of 100 things would take me a year! Still... I'm mulling it over.

The spring luncheon with the PTA is today. I'm not sure if I'm going. I'm a little sicky and although I'm looking forward to the salad I ordered I'm not really friends with the other moms. At least I know who some of them are this year. I'll go. But I'll be dreading it the whole morning and feeling uncomfortable during.

seriously?

I am having a bonafide crappy day. Maybe it's karma for my earlier post. I am so irritated with the Reserves right now I'd like to go scream at someone after I punch them in the berries. If I can't find someone in the Reserves to take my punch I'd settle for someone at the MDG.

I can't even explain all the ways I've wasted my day today without spending the whole afternoon writing about it which would just be another colossal waste of time. Suffice it to say, grrrr.

judging a book by the cover

I'm not sure if it's really a new phenomenon or not but I've noticed a LOT of memoirs recently. Maybe it's just because of the blogs I read... I also heard a story on NPR not too long ago about it. It's a symptom of how egocentric our culture has become. I'm always puzzled by people that want to spend their lives over analyzing every single thought they have and then express it to the world. Really? Who cares? I'm caring less and less. As soon as I see the word memoir on a cover I keep walking.

I'm generalizing but it seems everyone who has one of those blogs is chasing a book deal or some sort of media. So you were fat and went on a diet, big deal. So you went to two ivy league schools to become a lawyer and are still insecure, big deal. And? How many memoirs do we need from each of these self-absorbed noodle brains? You couldn't cover your dumb stories in one book? You need to write several books about your pedestrian struggles for everyone to read? Why are publishers lining up for this?

Honestly. I have my own life. Don't we all? Aren't we all a little too busy to spend entire days picking apart every decision we make or every encounter we have? I'm too busy to care about yours and I'm certainly not going to pay you to be so self-indulgent. Get real and do something worthwhile with yourself.

Am I snarky or what today? :)

phew

Today is over. I had my hearing with the VA DRO (decision review officer) today in Lincoln, NE. By last night I was extremely stressed and snapping at everyone. ("Stop blinking so loudly!") I stayed up late with a pile of paperwork from the VA and the Internet to write a statement.

After I finished the statement I felt much better, I'd expressed everything I'd wanted to. Even if the VA didn't change its mind I knew it wouldn't be because I'd been misunderstood or filtered through a doctor. Just that was a great relief.

So at the end of my testimony I read my statement. The DRO said she was inclined to reinstate my compensation and winked at us. (us: Yago went and testified with me) I won't know anything for at least a month but I'm cautiously optimistic.*

*Not as cautious as Yago... because he's one cautious motha@#!* ;^)