« October 2004 | Main | December 2004 »

November 29, 2004

Why I love Tree. Reason 23759345235

Tree (2:34:20 PM): i bought some nastyass holiday earrings at tarjay
Tree (2:34:25 PM): i heart them
Krystal(2:34:48 PM): hahahah
Krystal (2:34:54 PM): do they jingle or light up?
Tree (2:34:59 PM): waitll you see you go "oh tree, youve gone trailertrash"
Tree (2:35:02 PM): jingle

Posted by krystal at 2:39 PM

14 years ago

Jake was born.

He was really really cool too. I thought he was the prettiest baby ever born. My parents thought so too. Then 2 weeks later the pictures from the hospital came in the mail and we realized that he was splotchy when he was born but in the 2 weeks SINCE he was born, he'd grown to be the most handsome baby in the entire world. ever.

Now he needs a haircut and he needs to do his homework. I nag him a lot and tell him to shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh but I still love him as much as that day when I first met him and thought he was the prettiest baby ever born. Now, of course, he's the most wonderful 14 year old ever. I hope he does his homework though because tomorrow's not his birthday.

Posted by krystal at 4:43 AM

November 28, 2004

Thanksgiving weekend (very original, eh?)

This was the first year I officially worked on Thanksgiving, ever. I got off at 6am though so thanks for the holiday pay Verio, but I had turkey anyway so nyah.

I have to admit that I was a little (a lot) nervous about having Dan's family around my family at Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted them there, but I was really really praying that my family acted normal. I tried to warn Dan in advance that I have this cousin who pee'd on the floor once on Thanksgiving. It might also be considered odd that my ex-husband and his brother would be at my parent's house hunting on that day. Luckily James and Mike were gone by the time we got there and the cousin didn't pee on the floor this year because he'd broken his foot and couldn't get on the floor unless he just plain fell. Everyone was fine and dinner was good and it was a really happy day. Politics came up once but we nipped that in the bud super fast. Thursday night we got home by 6, wallowed around in our fatness and watched Survivor. I swear I haven't been hungry since sometime last month.

As always, the day after Thanksgiving was cookie day. Mom and Kendall and I busted our butts and made lots and lots of cookies for the holiday season. It's a good thing I kept that big freezer down in the basement for something other than dead bodies. We were done by noon and then I had my first ever mamogram. It wasn't hard or painful or anything like that. It was just a little weird having some chick flop my boobie up onto a machine. Yuck. Friday night Steph came over and hung out and we really did a whole lot of nothing...everyone was just too tired.

Saturday was the 6.5 hour trek to and from Dale City to take Jake and 2 of his friends to Van's to skate. This is what Jake wanted to do for his birthday so even on the busiest fucking Saturday shopping day of the year, I took him. We ran into trouble with the Van's waiver- form-nazi but the day was saved by Teddy's mom. Tree came to hang out with me and keep me from completely boiling over. After the kids were tucked away in the care of the skateboard park, I went to Tree's house and played with her and Jason. I got to feed him pancakes and applesauce and *gush* he's just the cutest little boy ever.

The 2.5 hour ride home was a little unnerving but we survived. I listened to the boys talk about skating and girls and some video game in a language I did not recognize. It's official, I'm unhip. I did win cool points for my boyfriend though. Jake bragged about him to the guys and suggested I keep him.

Speaking of cool boyfriends, and I was, Dan took care of Trev and Kendall while I was gone Saturday. He took them to Wawa and to the dollar store which made Kendall's day and then let Trevor join his very first ever yu gi oh tournament. I'd rather take a blunt object to the head than do something like that, but Dan was the hero of the day and Trev hasn't stopped talking about it since, especially since he came in 4th place! Saturday night we ate birthday cake and watched Terminal. Tree gave it to me since she and her mom had each bought a copy. I really thought it was sweet. (even though I despise Tom Hanks as a human). After that it was off to bed for the grownups and the kids stayed up to do a little after-hours house destruction.

Today the kids went to church while Dan and laid around reading and making out 'n stuff. I'm reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown and it kicks ass. It's a lot like Da Vinci Code but instead of the holy grail, it's about the Illuminati. I love his writing.

I hated coming back to work even though it's not bad at all here right now. I just wanted the goodness to keep going. Everything feels alright these days, it's scary.

Posted by krystal at 11:29 PM

November 25, 2004

Thankful

Last year at this time I thought that the sun might not rise again. I had to recover from the biggest heartbreak in my life and "our first Thanksgiving spent together" turned into something way too wretched to think about.

Lots has happened since then. Tree had Jason and I got to be there for that. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. The kids have developed the most bizarre and hilarious senses of humor ever. I love hearing my dainty daughter make an off the wall joke. If the kids get anything good from me it'll be that they don't dwell for too long on things they can't control. My parents went to Honduras and came back safely. They dewormed some children while there. yay! I joined fredtalk and found a very active social life, I made some awesome friends. I had Peggy live with me for a while and then Bridget. Gayle and I established a "girl lunch" routine, I learned to fry twinkies. I got a new job that I start soon rather than being laid off. I got a sweet new boyfriend who hasn't dumped me yet...this suprises me daily. If I post tomorrow that he's come to his senses, don't be surprised...I know I wear his patience thin. My finances still suck but I'm closer everyday to being fixed. I have a reliable car that gets 40 billion miles to the gallon. I weigh 10 lbs more than I did last Thanksgiving but I don't smoke now.

There are more things I'm sure, but you get the point. I'm thankful for all of those things. I'm glad the sun came back out.

Posted by krystal at 4:39 AM | Comments (2)

November 23, 2004

November where have you gone?

So, I went to Boca Raton to see Steph. We ate and drank and talked a lot. We saw some old men in speedos on the beach at Del Ray and we drank chocolate martinis at a trendy snooty restaurant called Da Da. Steph has 2 cool kitties that she got from the humane society. They'd been abandonned during the hurricane. The boy cat, Var was way talkative and friendly. Etc was a bit more reserved but she's super cute. Florida is ok, I love Virginia though.

Today was mom's birthday and Trev got his white belt. I missed the festivities but everyone seems to be content. My days are spent arranging for things that will make my family content. Today we firmed up plans (that's for you Tree) for Jake's 14th birthday. I'll take Jake, Teddy and Max to Van's in Potomac Mills while Dan watches Trevor and Kendall. This breaks my "no going north of the Rappahanock on weekends" rule but it must be done. Besides, this will give me a chance to hop over to Tree's house and play with her and Jaybird for a little while.

Tonight Dan upgraded my blog to the newest MT. I like it so far...lots of nifty little extras that I didn't have before. He's the best boyfriend ever. *swoon*
I haven't really got the brain capacity to learn anything about it tonight because I'm tired as fuck. The neighbor had a tree company at his house chopping down and grinding up trees all day. I do not live in a vampire friendly neighborhood.

I'm pretty much scatterbrained and unfunny right now so I'm gonna wrap this up. I also noticed that my right eye is crying. I'm not sad though, so it's ok. mmhm.

Here's the rest of my week in a nutsack:

Tomorrow: work, Trev has karate, mom will babysit all of the kids
Wednesday: the kids are out of school, I have to work...also have to make pickled eggs and bread dough for Thanksgiving. Dan has to make pumpkin dip.
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: cookie day with mom, mamogram at 4:30 and then The Loft w/ Peggy and Alex at 9.
Saturday: Jake's birthday skating thing
Sunday: The kids have play practice at church at 11. Back to work.

Posted by krystal at 3:36 AM | Comments (3)

November 19, 2004

Off to Florida!

This afternoon I'm going to see Steph. Last time I was on a plane we were on the way back from Cancun.

I'm delivering the kiddies to their dad's house and then heading to Dulles for the 2nd time in a week.

It feels funny leaving Dan. I'm a terrific dork.

Posted by krystal at 11:42 AM | Comments (1)

November 16, 2004

These apples are delicious

Jake got 2 D's on his report card. They were both in classes taught by Mrs. Sapp. He said to me "She hates me, that's why I got D's" I said to him "I'd feel more sympathy if you hadn't spent the last 3 years bringing home bad grades."

He says to me "she called me an idiot".

I say to him "then stop being an idiot".

I know that teachers aren't allowed to call kids idiots. I would normally rush to defend my kids. I'm not buying it though.

James is.

He informed me tonight that he's going to visit Jake's teacher to get to the bottom of that "idiot" comment. I told him "good, you go meet with her". It's not that I don't care, I just don't really see it as a huge deal. I'm more concerned that Jake doesn't show respect to his teachers and other adults in his life (including me). I hope that with James talking to the teacher and me hounding Jake for good manners, we'll get things smoothed over quickly. If not, we'll just keep trudging along. It's not like parenting gets easier or ends once an issue is resolved.

Boy, I'm tired.

Posted by krystal at 5:35 AM | Comments (1)

November 15, 2004

Why I love Nicole...

lyliidaoc: i just cut tylers hair
lyliidaoc: with a beard trimmer
r333th4x0r: hahah
lyliidaoc: NEVER AGAIN omg
r333th4x0r: those are for beards, not kids
lyliidaoc : yeah well i figured . .his head is small . . .
r333th4x0r : HAHAH
lyliidaoc : works same as clippers right? cept smaller right?
lyliidaoc : smaller head, smaller clippers
lyliidaoc : NoooooooooooooooooPE

Posted by krystal at 7:15 PM

Owl Run revisited

The first time I met beamz for real and in person he was 16. His mom let him fly into Va and hang out with me for 4 or 5 days. He was so sweet and gentle and intense for his age. I could not have been more impressed by this kid who acted more mature than I did. He visited a few more times over the years, first alone and later with his then-girlfriend, Jessica. I took him to see a hole in the ground that was supposed to be the childhood home of George Washington, we did touristy stuff, and hanging out being comfy stuff and the last time he was here we found a place called "Owl Run" out in Madison county. It was just a big old farm place that we decided we'd move into with our significant others and the kids and all live happily ever after.

Times are different now. Ed and his wife came to visit this weekend. At last my life is peaceful. I'm a lot less on edge. The kids and I have Dan, the anti-James, who keeps our house in a giggly uproar which is quite different from the atmosphere of our house when he'd visited before. Ed's married and all grown up. He has a big boy job and a brand new house. We went back to the hole in the ground childhood home of Geo Washington and back downtown to do touristy stuff (which turned into shopping...v. fun) and Ed's still the same sweet and gentle person, still intense and more mature than I am. Kris is lovely. I'm so glad I got to meet the person who makes my little owl so happy.

This was also the weekend for moving Dan into his new house. I felt guilty for not helping more. Jake and Trevor were sent in my stead and today Kendallpops and I went to help for a little bit. It's all done now though so...yay. Moving is way less fun than hanging out watching movies. I think we should get right back to that now that this is done.

I got a new job. It starts Dec 16. I'll be the Executive Assistant (glorified secretary) for Carolyn, our VP. I am so stoked about this job. It's daytime hours, decent pay, more stable than being laid off in March, and an opportunity to do different stuff and work independently. I'm excited to get started with it. I think the coolest part about this new job is that I won't be working nights in this freezing cold office so my boobs will not fall off. The scathing letter to the facilities girl worked for 1 (ONE) day and now I'm freezing again. Bugger that. I'm also excited that I'll be back on days because my metabolism can start working right again and hopefully I can drop some weight. (although I have to admit I'm anxious to have sushi for lunch again, it's been ages).

**

We made the pumpkin dip this weekend. The review goes like this: it's awesome. It's not awesome with the hard as a rock ginger snaps I bought but I think it went over well with butter cookies and with graham crackers. The fat girl in me wants to try it with fat free cream cheese or perhaps fat free plain yogurt. I'm not sure how that'd do though. *shrug*

***

Netflix has been profitable for me so far. We always have a movie to watch. This weekend was Run Lola Run and Eternal something for the somethingsomething. They were both good flicks but I enjoyed Run Lola Run the most. I still have The Station Agent to watch. There's no rush though...it's my short week. Yeehaw.

***

I was going through my buddy list reading everyone's away messages on AIM. Here's the most sappy pathetic one:

sad hearts aimlessly
searching, wandering, alone
in solitude....hope.

I will not call out the person who used that, I'll just say : STOP BEING A PATHETIC FUCK. hah. ok, sorta just kidding. (but it really is pathetic, no?)

***
I've loved http://dooce.com from afar since hellza mentioned her back while Tree was pregnant. I'm also so fond of her husband's blog http://www.blurbomat.com/

His entry for 11/10 made me cry. I know how he feels about having a difficult time opening up. It's cool that he can open up about his not opening up. heheh. It's scary shit man, that opening up stuff, very scary.

Posted by krystal at 5:41 AM | Comments (1)

November 10, 2004

Quickie

I'm leaving work in 46 minutes so here are just a few things that crossed my mind in the last 24 hours.

1. I like the way Shep calls Tree's baby "beepbeep". It's adorable and I'm going to call him that now too.

2. I learned a new word by reading fredtalk. Peggy and John have the best vocabularies ever. I'm always at dictionary.com trying to keep up. Here's the word: drollery - A comical or whimsical quality.
A comical or whimsical way of acting, talking, or behaving. Cool, huh?

3. I'm wishing I had a beer way more than I'm wishing I had a cigarette. I hope that's a good sign.

4. Dan's got his new house. I'm all proud of him. Homownership is sexy.

5. Jealousy is stupid and it wastes precious time. I'm done with it. (for tonight).

6. Pineapple upside down cake is just an old habit. I hardly think about it anymore. It's in the past.

7. I don't trust people who talk in code or aren't forthcoming. If you have something to say, just fucking say it and don't lie when you do.

8. Fashion faux pas...wearing these white tube socks with my black clogs. I just didn't think. Luckily I take my shoes off as soon as I get to work so nobody noticed.

9. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat dies in a Paris hospital. He was 75 years old. Funny how I still feel the need to rush and report a celeb death. Old habits die hard.

Posted by krystal at 11:36 PM | Comments (3)

<3

I'm drinking a cup of coffee. It's 4:41am so that'd be ok if I were just starting my day but it's not ok because I'm 1 hour and 18 (17) minutes away from going home. I'm just so cold though. My boobs ache and I've composed a scathing email to the facilities chick begging her to turn some heat on in this office before I lose my shit and kill someone.

Tonight's magazine was "cottage living". It put me in the mood to paint my rooms. There's a shade of green that's just dying to go on my walls. I'm going to do it soon. I wish I had 10 weeks and an unlimited budget...I'd get the things in my head done. Not just my house but also my blog would rock! It'd have cool stuff like that neato amazon "what I'm reading/what I'm listening to" thingy like Ed has. I'd have a little picture up in the corner like Manda has. I'm gonna update to the latest MT and then there will be no stopping me. Thassright.

Speaking of reading...I'm now (finally) done with Linda Howard's "Cry No More". It took me a mere 4 months to read. The book was ok. It had a decent story and plenty of intense sex but it was predictable and I never found it impossible to put down. I've got a lot of books to read next. I guess I'll close my eyes and pick. mmmm books. I <3 books. I'm leaning towards Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

I don't want to jinx the job interview I have for Thursday at 2pm (for a job I reallyreallyreallyreally want and need) so I just won't talk about it. If anyone reads this and wants to send me good vibes though...feel free. (also send vibes that tell me to not fuck up the interview by saying the wrong thing, as I'm apt to do).

I ordered some of these buttons from a really leet haxor guy (leetcore.com) and I have some left so if you want one, let me know. It appears I cleaned him out so don't go trying to order them (I know you wanted to)

The rest of November in my world:

11/10 I get off of work 6 hours early.
11/11 Ed comes to town and it's report card day (and I have an interview at 2...it's a phone one though)
11/17 I get to hang out with Tree for her birthday.
11/18 Trev tests for his first taekwando belt.
11/19 I leave for a weekend in Florida visiting Steph.
11/22 Mom's birthday
11/25 Thanksgiving
11/26 Cookie day (and my first ever mamogram...joy)
11/27 Jake's birthday party (we're just going to Vans)
11/29 Jake turns 14. oy veh.

Posted by krystal at 5:11 AM | Comments (2)

November 8, 2004

What I did do...what I didn't do

I did go to taekwando and hockey on Thursday night and Jake's team lost.
- eat little caesars pizza in the car in the rain.
- go to Richmond Friday
- have beer for lunch 2 days with Gayle
- go to Buffalo Wild Wings on Friday to have beers with an urn and get called a male basher (puhfuckinlease, I love men)(otherwise it was very fun)
- get the car inspected
- go to the church craft sale to get my annual pineapple upside down cake.
- watch Big Fish, Last Samurai (most of it), Man on Fire and Van Helsing
- wrap some Christmas gifts.

I did not go get my blood work done.
- play racquetball (my car was blocked in by Dan's flat tire)
- cook dinner any night after Wednesday.
- go see the Incredibles, even though I really wanted to. The kids would be so mad.
- get Dan's apartment ready for moving
- eat anything that was very healthy
- hang out with Stacy & company, as previously discussed
- shave my legs after Friday (I did shave my armpits though, I'm not *that* gross)
- get out of bed unless it was important most of the weekend.

If I were one of The Incredibles, I'd be the one who is incredibly lazy.

Posted by krystal at 5:25 AM | Comments (1)

Hamchovie Houdini

This week Jake's hamster, Hamchovie, was given the cage that Kendall's cannibalistic hamsters left behind when they decided to do their freaky hamster murder/suicide thing. I figured he'd like it better since it's got this little wheel sunroof thing and another sunroof feeding area. Now, Hamchovie's not much of a people-hamster. He's morbidly obese and pretty lazy. He likes eating and sleeping and not much else. In fact, if you dare to walk into the boys room and disturb his slumber, he starts screeching at you and clings to the side of his cage acting like he'd rip you to shreds if he could just get OUT of the fucking cage. He's a real gem; a great addition to our family. The other night Dan and I were listening to Hamchovie in his new cage making all sorts of noise. We giggled hysterically about how fat he is and how he's out to eat the entire family. We figured we're safe since we weren't in the room with the little darling but the boys might be gone when the morning came.

Sure enough, when the sun came up, Hamchovie was not in his cage. He'd busted out through the extra little skylight feeding area thing and was hanging out under Trevor's dresser. He wasn't very hard to catch since he's so fat, so Jake put him back in the cage and taped that skylight thing closed.

Yesterday we checked on ol Ham and he was in there, clinging to the side of his cage, screeching like a banchee and shooting little hamster eye daggers at us as we laughed at his girth. He's a turd of misery for sure.

So tonight, it wasn't his escape that shocked us. Instead, it was his condition when he was found...

Xenophod (1:14:57 AM): guess who escaped again?
Xenophod (1:14:58 AM): well
Xenophod (1:15:02 AM): you don't have to guess
Xenophod (1:15:03 AM): byt
Xenophod (1:15:04 AM): but
Xenophod (1:15:05 AM): yeah
Xenophod (1:15:11 AM): he busted out again
Xenophod (1:15:13 AM): hahaha
Xenophod (1:15:22 AM): his cheeks are STUFFED!
Xenophod (1:15:32 AM): I'm suprised Kasey didn't eat him
Xenophod (1:15:42 AM): she was playing with him though
r333th4x0r (1:17:05 AM): er
r333th4x0r (1:17:11 AM): shit
r333th4x0r (1:17:20 AM): hehe i was dozing off at my desk
r333th4x0r (1:17:26 AM): uh
r333th4x0r (1:17:28 AM): did you catch him
r333th4x0r (1:17:40 AM): i guess he has to go back to the old cage :-(
r333th4x0r (1:17:56 AM): hamster at large :-(
Xenophod (1:21:09 AM): hehehe
Xenophod (1:21:10 AM): yeah
Xenophod (1:21:12 AM): I got him
Xenophod (1:21:14 AM): he was easy
r333th4x0r (1:21:20 AM): he's too fat to run fast
r333th4x0r (1:21:20 AM): heh
r333th4x0r (1:21:35 AM): how'd he get out this time?
Xenophod (1:21:35 AM): his cheeks were too full for him to get anywhere fast
r333th4x0r (1:21:39 AM): hahahaha
Xenophod (1:21:44 AM): the door was wide open
Xenophod (1:21:46 AM): the side door
r333th4x0r (1:21:51 AM): weird
Xenophod (1:22:00 AM): he had a ton of shit
r333th4x0r (1:22:03 AM): HAHAHA
r333th4x0r (1:22:06 AM): piggy
Xenophod (1:22:11 AM): he spit out a little in the bathroom
r333th4x0r (1:22:28 AM): was it seeds n stuff or crap he'd gotten from the house?
Xenophod (1:22:30 AM): after I put him in his cage he spit the rest out
Xenophod (1:22:35 AM): well
Xenophod (1:23:05 AM): it was valentines day candy, old popcorn stuff.... kendall's beads
Xenophod (1:23:24 AM): other gross stuff he got from the floor I guess
Xenophod (1:23:31 AM): hard candy
r333th4x0r (1:23:34 AM): hahahah
Xenophod (1:23:34 AM): a mint
r333th4x0r (1:23:37 AM): HAHA
r333th4x0r (1:23:52 AM): he's very weird
r333th4x0r (1:23:52 AM): :-(
Xenophod (1:24:02 AM): I grabbed most of it from his cage, but I think there might still be some candy in there
Xenophod (1:24:13 AM): I didn't want my hand in there too ling
Xenophod (1:24:14 AM): long
r333th4x0r (1:24:23 AM): yeah you'd pull your hand out and it'd be a nub
Xenophod (1:24:30 AM): I put a baseball trophey in front of the door
Xenophod (1:24:36 AM): so he couldn't get it open
Xenophod (1:24:38 AM): I hope
r333th4x0r (1:26:06 AM): i hope you don't have hamster nightmares
Xenophod (1:26:15 AM): I'm all wigged out
r333th4x0r (1:26:32 AM): awwww
r333th4x0r (1:26:33 AM): :-(
r333th4x0r (1:26:43 AM): don't be
r333th4x0r (1:26:49 AM): it's just a rodent
r333th4x0r (1:26:50 AM): !!
Xenophod (1:27:16 AM): he was coming for me next!
r333th4x0r (1:27:22 AM): HAHAHAHA
Xenophod (1:27:36 AM): he was going to stuff me in his cheeks
r333th4x0r (1:28:12 AM): i won't let him get you.
r333th4x0r (1:28:19 AM): tomorrow I'll send him to hamster fat camp.
Xenophod (1:28:21 AM): hahaah
Xenophod (1:28:27 AM): lock down
r333th4x0r (1:28:40 AM): yep. he's going to the rock.
r333th4x0r (1:28:56 AM): although
r333th4x0r (1:29:03 AM): if we let him out once a week, i might not have to sweep as much

***

I don't think we've heard the last from this hamster...I just hope Dan's still alive when I get home from work tomorrow.

Posted by krystal at 3:39 AM | Comments (1)

November 3, 2004

Election day (after) blues

How come, 4 years after the last FUBAR election, we're still unable to get a fucking election tally in one night? HOW COME?!

In other news...

* I found a recipe for pumpkin dip. You dip ginger snaps in it. I'm going to make it to take to Thanksgiving dinner. Yum! Mom asked if I'd invited Dan to dinner yet. I did and he agreed to come as long as it's not some weird Williams family initiation. I know we're weird but we've yet to have a single Thanksgiving shotgun wedding.

* The kiddies raked the leaves in the front yard into a huge pile today and then jumped in them. It'd be really impressive if I could talk them into putting the leaves into bags.

* Dan took pics of the pajama'd Jake and the other kids outside skate boarding today and surprised me with em on my website. sweet sweet boy!

* Thursday goes a lil something like this: racquetball/bloodwork/pool brunch with fredtalkers/karate/hockey/survivor. It's my only busy-scheduled-to-death- day this week and I'm very pleased about that.

Posted by krystal at 4:25 AM | Comments (3)

November 2, 2004

vote!

Posted by krystal at 1:28 AM

November 1, 2004

Halloween

This is the first year I didn't take my kids trick or treating. I had to work and James was glad to get a shot at it. I don't remember him ever trick or treating with us in the past, so it's good that he'll get one chance. Jake's too old for trick or treating but the two little ones most likely bagged enough loot to share with him. I'm sure they'll share. (also with me). Dan stayed at our house tonight so he got to hand out candy to the little neighborhood kids. I think he had fun, he sat on the porch with his laptop and told me about all of the kiddies who came up. It just made me want to be with him more.

Saturday we went to the Fredtalk Halloween party at Gayle's house and had a good time. There are lots of pics on my gallery and here's one of the powerpuff girls and mojo jojo. Gayle worked her butt off on the party and our costumes, she rocks!

I'll write more later. Right now I think it's nap/lunch time.

Posted by krystal at 1:09 AM