October 22, 2009
30boxes is my friend
I've decided that it's VERY important now for me to update my online calendar. This way I don't lose my way in life. I know that practically every weekend between Halloween and Christmas is booked. I just want to make sure to not forget where to be on certain days.
I'm starting to get really really excited about Gayle and Wil's Halloween party. It's going to be super! How do I know it's going to be super? Well, because it's always super...and this year it's at my house and there's just no way that can suck because I don't have far to go when it's time to go to bed. If you're reading this and don't want to kill me or get me fired and you want to come, shoot me an email at krystalc@gmail.com for directions. I'll hook you up. Gayle and fam will be in town Tuesday night so I'm hoping that means lots of folks are coming over to visit next week throughout the week. (if you come, please bring some wine...we don't get paid til next Friday teeehee)
Next week Dan starts his freakin awesome new job. I'm so so so so sososo SO glad that he is leaving georgehelper. His last job was stressful x 100 and not just for Dan, but for the entire world (meaning me). The paychecks were generous and steady, but our daily life was miserable because of that d-bag and finally we'll be able to have that period of our life over and we can move on to a job with those crazy things like, BENEFITS AND REAL CUSTOMERS OH...AND A RAISE.
Trevor has new friends. They look um, scary. Nuff said.
November 14 I'm having a Pampered Chef party at my house. I no longer sell it because I suck at selling stuff, but I do love the product and I dream about it at night when I'm not dreaming about my husband. (or that one I had last night where I dreamt that we adopted a little boy from Harlem and he kept asking me when the maid comes because the house is a mess. stupid adopted boy). So anyway, once that party ends, there is a birthday party for Tree, Tyler, Sarah and Billy. So if you don't want to kill me or get mre fired, please come and partay and BYOB and something to fondue. I'm sad to say that Sarah won't even be there but we're gonna drink to her as well. In fact, I'm not sure if Billy will be there. Whatever, since when have we needed the guests of honor to be at our parties?
If you CAN'T make it but would like to order something from Pampered Chef, you can still place an order! (I knew you were worried about that) Just go to http://www.pamperedchef.biz/chefamyskitchen, go to the Our Products section, select the link below the products you would like to purchase, and enter my first and last name in the fields provided.
Posted by krystal at 10:52 AM | Comments (1)
October 9, 2009
stop the world.
Things are going much to quickly around here these days.
My mom retired, Tess and Kendall have each had birthdays, we have a wedding shower coming up, a Halloween party to throw and Gayle and Wil will be here in a few weeks. In the midst of that we have work and daily life and meals and laundry. Next month we have Mom's birthday, Jake's birthday, Thanksgiving, a campfire party, a pampered chef party, Tree's birthday, then before you know it, there's a new month and Max's birthday, my birthday, Amy and Tyler's wedding, Christmas then Trevor's birthday! I'm not ready for all of this. I'm not ready for any of it. Help!
Those are the things keeping me up at night. My head starts going and then my feet wiggle and then I toss and turn and try to figure out how we'll manage to do all of that and still ummm...pay our bills.
I get out of bed, make my coffee and unclench my jaw. I chug 4 tylenol and tell myself over and over that these are all wonderful things, not bad things. We're so lucky to have babies to have birthdays for. We're so lucky to have friends to play with. I believe it too. I really do. I know that we're in a good place in life. I just need to make sure there's enough wine and cheese and crackers to get us through it with sanity.
I'm not complaining at all...I'm just scared that during all of this massive time of fun, someone will figure out that I'm seriously lacking in fabulosity. I want everything to be wonderful and it sometimes freaks me the hell out.
Posted by krystal at 6:26 AM | Comments (1)
September 21, 2009
covenant
cov⋅e⋅nant /ˈkʌvənənt/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kuhv-uh-nuhnt] Show IPA
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–noun 1. an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons to do or not do something specified.
I didn't post the definition for anyone but myself. I just found out this weekend that where we live, there are covenants. I guess every neighborhood has them? My bad, holmes. Luckily we did not find out about the rules for living here because we'd broken them, even though we have. About a month ago an elderly man came to the door and invited us to a HOA potluck. Now our hood has a voluntary HOA so we volunteered not to join even though it's mostly about paying dues for parades and house decorating contests. I'm not much of a joiner. I have known and liked very few neighbors in my life. In fact, I love Stacy and Al from our old place and now we've become friends with Bill and Robin. That makes 2 neighbors in my entirety that I've been friends with in my 20some years of being an adult. Anyway, Dan is a joiner and a nice guy. He wanted us to go to the potluck and Robin wanted to go so I made banana pudding for the first time in my life and we went. The gathering was in a cul-de-sac and when we got there people were already sitting in their little circle of friends circle. Per the norm, I stood awkwardly outside of the circle. It isn't as though I don't have friends, I just only like my friends and I'm not good with breaking ground to make new ones unless I'm uh, tipsy. Thank goodness for kids. I was able to spend my time talking to Kendall and Lauren and chasing Max so that I could avoid interaction with the people in the circle who I am SURE hated me just for breathing in their air. (paranoid much? yes. yes I am). Dan talked to people. Robin mingled and met and got to know people and Bill talked to the guys in the military who approached him probably because he's one of them. Meanwhile, I shifted from foot to foot feeling my stomach ache from nerves. I could not wait to leave. After the meal they had a meeting where we were introduced to the covenants. I didn't read them until we got home. It's a good thing, because I almost cried. We do not belong here. Trash cans aren't allowed to be in site of the neighbors? I knew it wasn't just a coincidence that ours were the only ones I've seen since we moved in!! There are rules for how many trees and how many shrubs we have to keep alive and maintained and groomed on our property. WHO KNEW? UGH!! I hate yard work and the only servant people we knew moved away because the economy sucked. Anyway, so back to the circle. The lady who has lived here 20 years stood up and told the group that some young boys have been peeing in her yard, which wouldn't be so bad if her 80 year old mother-in-law hadn't been flashed in the process. She said that she does not pee in our yards and we should not allow our kids to pee in hers. I guess she has a point, but we needed a meeting for this? Many times the "end of the block" got brought up because of kids gathering, throwing rocks into the road (this is apparenlty the cause of car accidents...the cars slip on rocks or something?? jeeez) and you know, just gathering. The whole kid thing seems to be a real problem with these folks. Robin and I kind of looked uneasily at each other everytime the end of the road got brought up since that's where we live, that's where our kids are playing. Right about now I decided I needed to go. They were discussing the vandalism at THIER end of the street and how you should just call the police on people selling things door to door. I whined for the 20th time to Dan that I wanted to go home and he finally helped me gather up the closest 3 kids (even though one wasn't even mine) and go home. I like our neighborhood, it's nice. There's a reason that it's nice too...covenants. But I have to say, at first glance, I don't care much for the folks carrying the torch. In the mean time, we'll get up to snuff on the rules and move our trash cans before we get arrested or something. Other than that, I'll be hiding out inside or in the back yard. I've met enough neighbors for now.
Posted by krystal at 6:44 AM | Comments (2)
September 5, 2009
head case
I've had a headache for 2 solid weeks. I believe that over the course of those two weeks I've downed at least 75 tylenol, maybe more. It got so bad that I went to the doctor and just whined that my head hurts really bad. Luckily I went to the one who said "awwww, take these pain pills". He also took my blood just to make sure I'm just suffering because I have huge brains. I'm sure I'm fine, but it really sucks when one part of your body spoils it for the rest of you. I feel fine otherwise.
This weekend is going to be pretty fun I think. Today we're going to Amy and Tyler's house for a party and then tomorrow Jake's having a surprise party for Jordan here. The really cool part about having the 25 teenagers over is that Jordan and Caylor's band is going to play. They're called A Quiet Harbor....let's hope they're sorta quiet so we don't get booted out of the 'hood. I'm sure it'll be fine though since Jake's friends are all pretty nice kids. In any case, I think Dan and I are going to go hang out w/ the neighbors and observe from their deck...that way we will know if things get loud enough to piss off the neighbors!
Posted by krystal at 10:20 AM
August 17, 2009
support
Today I'm off of work. It would be an absolutely perfect day to be off if it weren't for the fact that I'm going to child support court. Jake graduated and James wants to cut his share. I'm not really concerned much about it. I've had my bitter thoughts about how we'll be paying for his college without James' help and we've still got Jake living with us. Hell, I don't even think he'll get much of a cut since we haven't had an increase in 10 years. I woke up this morning and buried my head deeper in my pillow because I really don't like court. After 10 years of being divorced parents, James and I get along pretty well. I still care when his family is in the hospital and he and I come together when important decisions need to be made about the kids. He isn't the most active father in the world, and never parts with a penny for them that isn't his required child support, but I do think he has tried to the best of his abilities to be there. But when we step into court, it's him vs me. I sit on one side, he sits on the other and we're on opposite teams. When we were first separated, I relied very heavily on the child support to provide for our kids. Now we're at a point where the support helps more with things that they would not have otherwise. So, I kept my eyes closed and tried to not face my day. How do you "fight" to end part of your relationship with your child? I certainly can't see that as an option, ever.
Then I started to use the one coping mechanism my mom gave me. Think happy thoughts. I'm happy that for the 10 years since we've been divorced, I've never had to fight for custody of my kids. I'm happy that I have never had to hunt down my ex for his child support...it comes right on time (thanks to css). I am thankful that Jake is 18 and alive and good. I'm thankful that even though I can't stand the thought of being married to him, my kids still like their dad most days. I am thankful that Dan is in my life and that we have Tess and Max too, even if it means I don't get every other weekend off (that really is the best part of divorce...believe it).
I'm thankful that my life is the way it is and I'll be even more thankful when court is over.
Posted by krystal at 10:17 AM | Comments (2)