Ok, I get the message, so what do you REALLY want to tell me?

This has not been the best day for me. It started with last night. I came home from work, stopped at the grocery store to buy a few things. Before I knew it, the time was 7:30, I hadn't eaten since lunch and was feeling sick. When I got home, I ate a few multi-grain chips, had a microwave meal, and played with the dogs out in the yard. I went to bed and Sam decided to be up on the bed with me. He was panting in such a way that I got sea-sick. That feeling lingered into today, only subsiding after dinner.

Between DH's break-time phone call and my dinner, I fell asleep. Sam, Sizzle, and Harry took it upon themselves to chew up Belle's new toy, a black bear with squeakers that Auntie Goldens gave to them. Fuzz was everywhere. Oh, there is a preface to the toy destroying machines. Last night they destroyed Wisteria's toy that I left down in the bathroom. Ok, my fault. This morning they had chewed up Wisteria's favorite mouse, the one she kicked out of her crate. That was her fault.

After the black bear episode, I scolded three Goldens and sent them downstairs to the kennel since they couldn't behave.

I had to leave the house to return a cooler that DH didn't want, to purchase an item that was not located yesterday at Kroger, and to purchase Father's Day cards. I was gone less than an hour. I came back to find what Belle did. I got photos of her misdeeds.

In the bedroom I found the Special K cereal box, contents shredded. In the kitchen, she ripped open a ziplock bag to get to its contents, I have no idea what she got.

But downstairs, that was the piece de resistance. (or whatever the French term is) Yesterday I had purchased a box of 8 packs of crackers, each pack had 6 peanut butter and whole wheat crackers. I took 1 pack with me this morning to work, just so I wouldn't get so hungry on the way home. She ate every cracker.

After I picked up all her trash, she had the audacity to burp in front of me. Goldens!

Am I back to my normal routine yet?

Today I went to work, school, and home again. The Goldens were anxious for me to come home since I went straight from work to school. I stopped at the Dollar Tree to get glow-in-the-dark bracelets for Halloween. Luckily they were in packages of 6, $1 per package. I am hoping that 9 packages is more than enough for our neighborhood.

After I got home I did a little cleaning, started peeling apples for an apple pie (I had been planning to bake it last Saturday) and put pork chops in the oven. The pork chops were on the menu for earlier in the week but I was just too stressed to make them.

The Goldens were very nice and quiet while I peeled and sliced apples. They wanted to get in the way of the pork chops (of course, raw meat) so they could have a snack. The funny happening was when I was cooking the pasta, I boiled the milk, water, and butter. Opened the seasoning packet and poured it into my pan. Sam immediately started looking on the floor because I had poured something out, it should be on the floor. He looked for a couple of minutes before he gave up.

I left my husband's and my lunch in the microwave to cool, he will put them in the fridge when he gets home. Yum, tomorrow's lunch is pork chops and angel hair parmesan pasta. And a slice of apple pie if we remember to take it with us.

Lost Wallet

Yesterday I lost my wallet. I went to work, home again. Let the dogs out and ate supper. Got the dogs back inside, kennelled the youngest ones, and left for school. After school I stopped by the grocery store to get milk, eggs, and a few things we needed for lunches this week. I was a little frustrated with the cashier at Kroger. She put a blotch on chubby people's reputation. She didn't put the bags in the grocery buggy like Publix employees do, immediately after she bagged the last item she sat down to read the inquirer, and she let me walk away without my car keys. So I was distracted, I had to put all the bags in the shopping buggy.

I drove home, unloaded the car, put away groceries, let the dogs out, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom with my 15 minute cleaning system, checked email, was about to get ready for bed when I realized I couldn't find my wallet. I searched everywhere, the bathroom, computer room, kitchen, around the leather sofa and chair (I had cleaned those tonight too), in the trash (to be sure it wasn't in a grocery bag that I tossed), and the car. I called Kroger, they didn't have it in lost and found. Because of my previous experience with Kroger, I didn't trust them so I drove to the store. It wasn't there.

I called my husband, he was worried. He even offered to come home from work to help me look, and it being an opportunity for him to work overtime too. I declined, after all, we have to pay for having trees cut down and overtime is important. He was at the computer and looked at my check card records, no one had used it since I did. I had previously checked with Discover, they canceled the card so if anyone tried to use it they would be denied access. Discover is nice, I call back within 90 days and the card is reinstated.

I drove home frustrated and upset. I parked outside the garage, searched the garage, living room, kitchen, bathroom, computer room again. I searched the CR-V one last time, reaching up under the drivers seat, nothing. The passengers seat concealed my wallet. After all this searching, frustration, worry, and panic, I had the wallet all along. Now I just need to call Discover and reinstate my credit card. Today I just need sleep, I didn't get to bed until midnight, waking up at 6:30 for work, ok, so I woke up at 4 when my husband came home . . . .

Cleaning cleaning cleaning

I am not from a 'neat' household so cleaning, although I know how, is a mystery to me. I want to be able to clean the house during the week and leave the weekends free since it is the only time my husband and I are able to spend quality time together.

So far I have tried 'Real Simple' magazine's minutes a day technique. Well, ok, so it was one day. But it seems like it might just work. I only tackled 2 rooms, the master bathroom and the kitchen.

In the kitchen I made sure that all pots, pans, cutting boards, food, etc. was put away. I made sure the stove was clear, all papers away from the stove. Ok, so the area to the right is a gathering place for misc. papers, wallets, coins, cash, coupons, keys. We are still trying to figure out where to put everything. I scrubbed the sink, used an all-purpose spray on the cabinets and the stove, and washed a couple of cabinet doors.

In the bathroom I cleared the sink area (I tend to spread out a little more than necessary with make-up and hair curlers) and wiped the counter and sink with disposable wipes. I sprayed the shower with an after-shower mist, wiped the toilet tank and seat with another disposable wipe.

I called it an evening after all that work, hopefully to repeat until it becomes a habit.

http://www.merrymaids.com/cleaningtips/ http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1033650,00.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/homestyle/07/27/wlb.rs.clean.plan/index.html

Spring is on its way

This has been a beautiful week. Right now I am in my office wearing short sleeves, yet by the end of the week it is suppose to be cool again. Next week is spring break, so I will have a little reprieve from Philosophy. I am envious of the people who can just pack up and head to the beach or mountains for spring break. I wish I could join them! Instead I have a full time job (which helps pay bills, etc) and that keeps me tied down to one location.

The pear trees are about to be in full bloom. Because there are so many in the area I have become intolerant to the fragrance they produce. Well, if every subdivision, store, and office park didn't use them in landscaping it wouldn't be so bad.

I am currently working on cleaning out my closets. I have taken several bags of shoes and clothes to the local thrift store. I found a bag of McDonald type happy meal toys, I need to take those to the local hospital along with books. Hopefully they will keep someone occupied in the waiting rooms..... one of the happy meal toys has lost a nose as Carsen, my brother's cat, has chewed the dog to bits. He had it for less than one week. Carsen is Mercedes' kitten from her 1st litter.