Thursday, June 04, 2009

Amazingly... its barely my fault

okay. me and The Guy are on the skids. there. now you know. and i'll tell you why.

he travels in his job. also, he likes to travel. a global nomad, he calls himself affectionately. he likes the idea of it. moving all the time. i admit - it works for him. for a long time, i liked that about him too--he's not around all the time. so he is usually gone for 3 - 10 days at a time about once a month. its not unusual that he'll schedule a series of short trips. A three-day business trip then home for a day, to fly out the next day on a 5-day pleasure trip.

so he's gone for sprints at a time. often.

from the beginning, now almost a year ago, he becomes invisible while he is out of town. i say that i become a stranger whenever he gets on a plane. it's an exaggeration, somewhat. he texts. irregularly. usually he will call once. sometimes he won't. so not a total stranger. but an acquaintance at best.

it's weird, because when he's home, we talk all the time. text back and forth all day. meet for lunch. squeeze in an hour of squeezing in the hour between work and my getting the kids. he'll talk to me up until the seatbelt sign comes on in the plane. when he's here: we're good.

but when he's gone, he's gone. our lives swim in a river of technology from texting to email to skype. but still. he doesn't return texts. sometimes for days. lately when he does text, he doesn't even send "i miss you" or any sweet little nothings, like he used to. i feel disconnected from him. i question if this is a one way feeling and i'm the only one going that way.

plus it just irritates me. it hits my "don't-trust-this-guy" button.

this is not a new issue in our relationship thingy. he knows it irritates me. he knows about the button. he knows i feel like he doesn't care... we've passionately discussed this subject ad nauseum.

and every time he says he understands and he's not going to do it next time. ANDs he still does it.

but this time. i don't know. this time when he did it. i was done with it.

he's been gone 7 days. i've barely been in touch with him at all. aside from a few short texts--mostly informational texts (water temp is nice here, our show is going good...bleh bleh ) we talked once on skype. which was nice. but he won't answer my texts. then texts "sorry" he was out til 3am with clients. he's in latin america in a beach resort hotel overlooking the water. what do you think i think about when he says he's out till all hours? yep. my button's going off. you know what i'm sayin.

then yesterday we had a text tiff.

you know, i sat down and started writing this post so i could pour out all the thoughts that keep clogging up my brain. and now that i'm sitting here writing it out. it seems ridiculous. but nonetheless. we had a text tiff. a fight. by text. yes. it is childish. i see that now.

he said i remind him of his ex wife. i said to call me when he gets over his ex wife. he said 'be more positive'. i said, 'come get your shit'. all in text. that was yesterday about 3:00.

so now he's back in the US. not home yet, but on american soil, texan soil even. he text when he got to IAH (his usual "got back ok") and he did call. feeling me out. he'll be back in houston on sunday. i'll have to fish or cut bait at that point.

on Saturday, my kids leave on daddy duty for two weeks. traditionally, i have dubbed these two weeks a summer as "the debauchery tour". i'm thinking it will depend on how much fun i'm having between kidless saturday and The Guy Returns Sunday as to how i'll play this hand.

i'm open to suggestions. it's been six years since i had to manage a relationship. that didn't go so well.

am i rambling? it seems like i'm rambling.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

because i have to post something

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Somewhat Silent Saturday


Friday, April 24, 2009

Benihana Birthday


big time fam fun at our benihana birthday last night. i have no idea why this pic is so small...most irritating because we look so dang cute.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Stall Etiquette

Okay, so i'm in the bathroom at work. i'm in my stall, doin my bidness... and someone comes into the bathroom. click, click, click... i hear the heels so i know someone's there. she's crying. i can hear the sniffling and the deep breaths. it's not sobbing, not big boo-hoos, just a little office crying, broken up with a few deep breaths--like "okay, get your shit together" deep breaths. and i'm listening. i'm done with what i'm doing. but ... i can't just walk out tucking my tank into my skirt... ta-da! i heard you crying. i'm just going to wash my hands and pretend i dont' see you there blowing your nose.

i can't do that.

so i sit. and she goes into a stall and pulls some toilet paper. at this point, i realize she doesn't know anyone else is in there. so now i'm paranoid about making noise. about that time it hits me that i need some toilet paper. silent toilet paper unrolling is a little-known skill of mine. it's a chick thing. why do we not want anyone to know that we poo? have you ever been in the stall with your poo-time and someone comes into the bathroom and time stops? you sit there, holding your poo (or worse -- your poot!), waiting for sally someone to pee and pull up her pantyhose and get the flock out of there so you can poo in peace? what is it about chicks and silent poo syndrome? blog fodder for another day.

so i sit.
sounds like she's about stabilized by now and then the stampede hits--quarter til five bathroom rush. with all the hub-ub, no sense in me sitting there trying to avoid her be polite.... i get out of there with little more than a "glad monday's over" from the chick at the sinks and i'm free.

yet i'm left to wonder -- why do we hesitate to let someone know we're there... when they might need us?

even if just to spare a square.



Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Resolution Revolution

get out your #2 pencils kiddies, time for a Pop Quiz:
who remembers my new years resolutions?

anyone. anyone. bueller.

i remember them. they burn in my belly like midnight jalepenos. reminding me of things i regret. eating at me.

yes fair weathered blogosphere buddies, it's time to revisit the resolutions and take inventory of my inventory.
It is
End of First Quarter - 2009
Actually, April 1st was the end of the first quarter, but like the good procrastinator that i am, i put off assessing myself until now... tax day. and it is a taxing process. but necessary. avert your eyes if voyeurism isn't your thing because here's your peep show into my own private idaho. well not really a-ho, just a girl. my own private idagirl.

New Years Resolution List 2009
First Quarter Overall Assessment = C

* Clear Your Workspace : B+
Bright Spots:
--Kitchen is organized and working well, as hoped for.
--Daughter1 has a freshly painted and organized room, although there are no pictures on the wall and given that D1 is a typical tweenage slob, the room continues to look like an experiment in wall-to-wall clothes as floor covering.
--Breakfast room has new table and full walls. Looks great.
Gloomy Spots
--My closet is cleared of clutter, but still bursting with out-dated, non-fitting or unwanted clothes. Needs Improvement
--Desk still piled with shit. Must sell desk.
--Must take down christmas tree before it goes up in a pine-scented spark.

*Celebrate Your Beauty : C
-- Weekly beauty treatments lasted about ...well, a week. rather than google new music from pandora all night i need to carve out an evening every week to plunge my toes into hot wax, put a healing, rejuvenating mask on my face and polish up my little piggies. needs improvement, but you're still an adorable little sex kitten you.
--Hair needs work. Color. Cut. and don't go to the beauty school again. ever.

* Get to Your Goal Weight : C-
--okay so the thing about getting that gym membership is that you actually have to GO TO THE GYM for it to work. damn. that's what you call the fine print. read it. live it.
--i've said it before, but it warrants repeating: i am sick to fucking death of not liking my body. sick. to. fucking. death. i am considering trashing all other resolutions in pursuit of losing 30 lbs. so that i can NEVER DEAL WITH THESE BODY ISSUES AGAIN. ever.
--in the meantime, i try to cultivate and nurture a slight case of anorexia, since that's the last time i felt really good about my body.

* Workout at the Gym -4xs- a Week : F
--see above. and also, bite me.

* Be on Time for Work : F

-- Needs Improvement. Nuff said.

* Grow your Blog : B
--even though the blog itself hasn't grown much, i've put a few things in place and that can increase traffic in the coming months...i'm just waiting until i get situated on my admittedly super-sized ass and post some shit i can be proud of.
--along with grow the blog, my intention in this resolution was to grow my writing, and that is working. i had a small article published locally last month and i'm working on another. although i have no goals in place, i'm not a very goal-oriented person, so as not to set myself up for failure.
--keep up the good work.

* Eat Breakfast Every Day : A-
--i don't feel the need or desire to expound on this, but for you true voyeurs. i know you. i am you. typical breakfast is bran buds with milk or a poached egg on a toasted english muffin. soak it up people. this is my life.

* Bedtime 10:30pm / Waketime 6:30am : D
--dang i hate that i'm so bad at this one, but ain't it cute how how the colon and the "D" make a smiley face. most twee. anyhoo...i either go to bed about 9:30, slothed out and spent, or i stay up til 1am smoking on the porch and googling music off of pandora. i know no middle ground.
--so far, 7am is getting up early for me... typical roll-out time is 7:30am...unfortunately school starts at 7:50, so i'm totally out of the running for mom of the year. like those tardies are what pushed me over the edge. right.

* The Sacred Dinner Table : A-
--I had set a shooting target for 3 days a week to eat at the table with no television. if i can count the tables at mcdonalds, chick-fil-a or chili's, i'm pumpin an A on this one. By sacred dinner table though, i mean home-cooked, quiet meals at the new kitchen table surrounded by recently hung pictures that used to grace my closet floor. so there's a little room for improvement.
--The key to success on this one is meal planning. if i know WHAT we're going to eat, i've got a better shot at putting that stuff on the table for us to eat it.

* Movie Morning Every other Saturday : A
--Although there have been several Saturdays when we've been busy, the girls have been out of town or we've had to be somewhere for something at sometime...all in all, we've been pretty faithful to the every other Saturday movie committment.
--in that vein, can someone please make a movie that my kids will like that isn't boring to me, or makes me want to shove straws into my ears out of stupidity.

* Sunday is the Sabbath : C-
--the grade looks kinda bad, but i've got high hopes for the future here. We have started visting a church (okay twice) and prospects seem good for return visits. I definately chaulked up some spirit-points over "holy" weekend, hitting church both for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Next weekend is D2's birthday and the next they'll be gone (halleluah!... but what's the point of going to church if i don't get kid-credit), but along with church, i've tried to make sunday a day of rest. rejuvenation. and having sex if the kids are gone.

speaking of sex, which i encourage whenever possible, keep an eye on the blog for an upcoming update on The Guy. by The Guy, i mean the guy i've been having sex with... see the tie-in there?

up on my soapbox

what the hell are all yall out there yelling about? taxes? really?

i get cranky at the world. but i don't get cranky about taxes.
taxes feel like investments, but opposite, i guess. taxes is money i earned that i never see, that i never sense in my bank account and that never feels like mine. i remember when someone told me they tithed their before-tax money and i was like, "before taxes? that money was never really mine, so i don't feel like i have to tithe on it...and also, how do i know my before taxes salary???"

naive, i know. but without a little self-imposed ignorance i'd never sleep. know what i'm sayin.

so when a few in my circle of influence got their flag on today and milled around city hall in protest of taxes... i opted for the pass. i hate taxes as much as the next guy, but i don't feel it every month. i don't feel the burden of my tax every 2 freakin weeks when i pay my bills. you know what pisses me off. every month. without fail. credit card interest. this vinny-the-loan-shark of corporate america. i'm talkin to you compass bank you degenerate whore.

once i had a $18 balance on my compass bank card. i paid it late, got a $39 late fee and because it was late, my interest rate went from 9.5% to 24%. 'cuse me? just break my kneecaps. thanks.

over the last three years i've needed a little extra income here and there and i've used my credit cards to fuel my need for all things luxurious and extravagant... like my electric bill last august. and the air conditioner i had to replace. and the pipes that leaked, staining the ceilings and ruining the carpets... that had to be replaced. and also going out to eat about a hundred times.

it's really not the debt itself that is the problem. had my interest rates remained constant, i would be way ahead of the game, having not used credit in the last year... (i had a 0% with MBNA before they sold to bank of america, who are filthy booger-eating mom-hating poo-heads. after the transition, my interest rate went to 14%. from zero to 14%. for no reason, this time. i hadn't even paid late.

seems like the more i pay, the less gets credited to my debts. what the fuck. i have two credit cards at 25%. twenty five percent!!! what the fuck people. that's like charging me $25 for every hundred dollars i owe.

this is bullshit. these credit card companies are making shit piles of money off of me and everybody else and it's time we stood up and said, i'm not going to pay you such high interest rates, it's just sinister.

suze orman can kiss my fica score. look, i have debt. the very last thing that is helpful to me is for YOU to make me feel like i'm dumbshit for having debt. it is what is, oprah. now someone lower these fucking interest rates. ...hey, hand me that foam finger. you got a map to city hall?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Anatomy of a crappy day

Monday, February 16, 2009

Best. Valentines. Ever.

first, i write this with apologies to my bloggin buddy bejewell, who i wholeheartedly support in her recent sweater-lady assault...and second, i quantify this whole thing by saying that i've had many a year when i'd like to hang the founder of valentines day by a couple of nipple clips over a murky louisiana swamp.

But not this year.

for this year, oh anonymous blogfan, was the Best. Valentines. Ever.

i think we're all well aware of what makes valentines day suck..... so what makes for a wonderful, memorable and delightful valentines day? having a guy like mine helps.

he didn't go for the cheesy roses in a vase, which shows he knows me. he didn't overdo it -- no hundred dollar meal, no limo rides and thank god, no wacky over-the-top surprises like waiters bearing gifts on a tray or finding jewelry in my dessert. which shows he understands where we are with this thing, wherever that is, and also that he has good taste.

everything he planned for us was punctuated by an undercurrent of thought and consideration for me. okay, and him... he's lucky that our thoughts sync up, so he has the advantage of figuring out an evening that he would enjoy, then just tweaking it with a little front seat hand-holding, throw in some dirty smooch time at the end of the night and i'm as happy as a little girl.

quick detail summary: couples reflexology massage in little vietnam (i love that he didn't take us to a boring spa in this stepford-clone town i live in; besides those asians are serious about workin you over); then dinner in chinatown: hot pot with shrimp, kobe beef and a pile of noodles and vegetables.

there were little extras to the night that made it special for me. freakishly hot chinese tea waiting for us when we came out of the massage room. perfect for the transition from the tranquility of the dim room to the evening street lights. chatting up the tiny asian fireball that owned the restaurant where we ate, letting her order for us, getting over-the-top, but comfortable service and giving her big props for jacking up the cool-factor in her little place.

then there was the recognition. the acknowledgement that this evening represented. i'm his girl. he's my guy. it's out there now.

the next night, we did the traditional valentine thing: nice dinner, romantic evening. movie. overflowing bubble bath. sex. cards. flowers. all the typical stuff that couples do. on valentines day.

This V day, i started out ahead of the game in that i have someone. just having a some one in my life seems to slightly elevate the plane on which i operate from day to day. the fact that i like to be with him more than i like to be away from him, is better than box full of chocolates. any day.






Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Vive Les Resolutions

i wrote a new years resolution list. my first one. i was inspired by a wonderful friend, who we will call The Guy. The Guy evidently writes a list every year. and while he sat scribbling in a quiet room on New Years Day, i sat in the living room thinking: i'm bored. guess i'll write a list too.

so i did.

i've decided to let you in on my list and every few months or so i'm going to give myself a check-up: a status report.

and you , oh you lucky little anonymous blogfan, get to know how i'm doing.
sound boring? it's my blog, i can do what i want to.

***drum roll in the distance* trumpet fan fare ---dum da da da da da DUM...

ladies and gentleman (there's only dude that reads this), it is my honor to present to you:
New Years Resolution List 2009

* Clear Your Workspace -- declutter the house, declutter my mind. This resolution includes cleaning out my closet as well as disconnecting permanently from a few people in my life that are nothing but clutter. this is a year-long goal; eliminating distractions (like worthless stuff, negative people, junk mail...) so that i can work and think clearly.

*Celebrate Your Beauty -- take time to pamper your beautiful self. do the hot wax pedicure; get a massage, pluck your eyebrows. weekly beauty time for hair, face and nails and monthly beauty days for max treatments.

* Get to Your Goal Weight -- i've been talking about this number for -3- years. i'm not going to tell it to you, but it is my goal weight. it's funny how i can talk about sex, my divorce, how i sometimes want to abandon my children: all these really personal and serious things, i just put out there on the open inter-lines for all to see. but my weight carries an anchor of shame around it's neck. guess that's part of the problem. i'm sick of talking about this number. i'm either going to reach it this year, or put "Accept Your Fat Ass the Way it is" on next years resolution list.

* Be on Time for Work -- pretty self explanatory. i am super duper lucky and love love love that i have a boss who doesn't jump my crap every time i'm late. dad's cool like that. but he would like me to be on time. and so would i.

* Grow your Blog -- i resisted the urge to set a number of posts per week, or month, whatever. the purpose of this resolution is to keep my writing in the present. write more. write consistently. along with "grow blog," this resolution includes -get back into freelancing-. This will be replaced with "Write the Book" on next years list.

* Eat Breakfast Every Day -- again, not a complicated goal here, but way off the mark for me. i've never been a breakfast eater, unless you count the occasional gluttonous sunday brunch buffet as breakfast. Breakfast: it's good for my metabolism, starts my day off right and sets a good example for the rug rats. eat it. just eat it.

* Workout at the Gym -4xs- a Week -- easily written, tough to do. i got out of my workout routine after the hurricane (yes, that was september...takes me a while to get back on the bandwagon). i miss that time with my ipod. i miss the feeling of sore muscles. i miss being able to see my feet when i look down. .. ..

* Bedtime 10:30pm / Waketime 6:30am -- of all the resolutions thus far, this one has seen the very least success. building routine into my life will help the other pieces of this self-help puzzle fit together. plus, i don't sleep enough. but i love sitting up late at night and shit i hate to miss colbert report.

* Movie Morning Every other Saturday -- movies before noon are five bucks every saturday. small price to pay for a little family bonding, especially when i fill my purse with booty from the candy drawer. i committed to this and i've only missed one saturday since the year started...

* The Sacred Dinner Table -- my goal here is at least -3- times a week. Dinner at a table. no television. food cooked in my kitchen served on non-disposable plates. milk. there are some old fashioned ways that should never get modernized.

* Sunday is the Sabbath -- Remember Sunday and keep it holy. easier said than done. sunday is our day to sleep late (sorry god) and go to IHOP (hey, breakfast!). then we usually run errands, get gas in the car, maybe wash it. laundry. shopping. but sunday should be the first day of the week. recharge day. rest. be quiet. go to church for god sake.

So there it is people. Bask in its beauty. soak up it's bounty of wisdom and potential for a kick ass rockin new life in this kick ass rockin new year. what do you think?

did you make resolutions for change in 09? are they as cool and smokin as mine?