I have returned

Yes. Here I am. Nothing since Sept 1st, and, out of nowhere on a stormy night with cats fighting on my front porch and the weather not being able to decide what season it wants to be, I'm back. Can't sleep...well, not for longer than 2rhs or so.
A lot has happened since my last post, and not a lot of it was good. Sept was the month that I officially quit caring about my job (long, stupid, typical-government story). Through it all though, I'd like to say that I'm a stronger, wiser person...I'd like to say that, but I'd be lying, and you can get that anywhere...I guess I'm just slowly losing faith in everything that's supposed to get you through the tough times...but that's why I quit blogging. All was hate and black and bitter, and who needs that? You sure don't. So I took a hiatus (which sounds, to me, like you either had a rather unpleasant bowel movement, or had an operation down there...either way, not good)
Anyway, I'm back to give an update. Sara's learning to eat enough to sustain herself at Baylor Med Ctr in Dallas (Cathy is with) for 4-6 weeks. While the treatment is succeeding, the next step is to introduce Cathy into the process (Mother vs Daughter...yay.) Anyway, if it all works out, we'll be able to stop the nighttime feedings, which, while we have it down to a routine, is, nevertheless, tiring, to say the least.
While down there, Cathy happened to lose her ATM card...someone happened to find it...and happened to use it...to the tune of $400.00 or so...good news: Our bank has refunded all refuted charges and will be issuing new cards...god, I love our bank (and you won't hear me saying that very often)
Allison and I have had a pretty good week together. While she no longer takes ADHD medicine (she does better at school without it) the ADHD is still well-represented in her personality. Trying to keep her interested in something for longer than 5 min. is 2 tons of fun! But she's so sweet. She and a couple of her classmates got together and threw a baby shower for a couple of her pregnant teachers...and it was a resounding success!
Well, I feel a touch of sleep coming on, so I'd better grab it before it slips away.

Pet Peeves

Okay...this has been a long time coming, but here are a few of my pet peeves, in no particular order:
When traffic is narrowing from two lanes to one and people stay in the lane that is closing until the last possible moment, THEN try to merge...I also don't like it when people reward them by letting them in.
When people are telling you about something that happened sometime and try to remember which day, "On Tuesday, or was it Monday....Sunday? No, I think it was Tuesday.." IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! Just tell me the story and what happened, okay?
Not flushing toilets after use, ..especially urinals. Why do you want to leave your "leftovers" for the next person to see and smell. This is why technology has had to resort to those toilets that flush themselves after you're done. I'm assuming that men are worse than men on this, but I have nothing to base this on...
Bad spelling. No excuse for it, and spellcheck doesn't help if you misspell the word and it's still a word. Typo's...okay, some leeway. But I have receive official Government documents riddled with spelling errors. These documents (trust me) have been seen by AT LEAST three people, and probably more, before they are posted.
When people, while driving, are in the right lane while you are trying to enter the freeway, and they won't move over and let you on...There's no one in the next lane, Bubba, scoot over!
When people hit the on ramp going a blinding 35 mph and don't accelerate to merge into traffic. It's called an "acceleration lane" for a reason, Missy. (why, yes, I was on the road a lot yesterday, why do you ask?)
That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure something else will piss me off soon...


...didn't take long...The "Express Lane" at Wal-Mart: The "people with more than 20 items, but can't count" problem seems to have been taken care of...but a NEW irritant has emerged: FRIEND OF THE CASHIER! They're either done with their purchase, or haven't started, but they just HAVE to "catch up" while I'm in line behind them...the worst offenders? OTHER WAL-MART EMPLOYEES - either on- or off-duty, they haven't seen this particular cashier in the past 15 minutes or so, and just have to update the cashier on their life in that time span.

...sorry for the negativity today, but I yam what I yam...

Epilogue

I lost...I lost. In the battle between me, the kids and the house, I lost...badly. I now have the utmost respect for Cathy and all single parents. The kids, I can handle. The housework, I can handle. Put them together, though, and they form a formidable force. One that hits from all sides, tossing you, like the waves on the ocean toss a buoy, until you're so tired, you'll agree to anything...and these are good kids! I can't heap enough praise on those who do this every day and make it work.

From Bachelorhood to Single Parenthood

The girls returned, not much worse for wear and tear. Two days of that necessary evil I call "work" and then Cathy left last night for a Mary Kay bachelorette part....errr...seminar in Dallas. So far, Sara's feeding pump "went to beepin'" three times during the night...and (I really am getting old) I "slept in" until 7:45...party animal that I am.
This week should prove to be one of two things: the re-appearance of the "White Tornado" that once was my househusbandly self - or - the return to childhood and playing with dollies and make-up with the girls and do just enough housework to keep the rodentia away. A mix of the two would be optimal, and I hope it works out that way.
Apropos of nothing, the song, "Sweet Victory" from the "Squidward's Band" episode of Spongebob Squarepants is from the voice of the one-time lead singer of the 80's cheese-metal band, Giuffria, David Glen Eisley (I knew I recognized that voice). Isn't this kind of information what the internet was created for?
....well, that was going to be it, until I started listening to my girls as they play with their Barbies (trademark-thingie inserted here). Apparently, one of them is a single mother who is marrying someone, that the daughter doesn't like, because "it's what's best for the family". (taken pretty much from the movie "Nanny McPhee"). I watched that movie with them (a little cute, a lot creepy) and I really just thought, "well that wasn't so bad (happy ending for all, of course). But what they (the girls) got out of it was more of a socio-economic lesson than I would've ever imagined. Always interesting to see the world through a child's eyes.

Bachelorhood Redux

Well, this morning, the girls left for Colorado with "Granny Sharon", Cathy's mom (one of the sweetest people I know). They will be gone for a whole week, leaving me here with two dogs and a fish..........the silence is deafening. I keep waiting to hear,"Daddy!" or "hey, Bear" or "Ouch! Stop it!"...but nothing. I have been alone in the house for a weekend before, and the first hour or so is sheer bliss...until that one moment when it really hits me that they're not here...and I truly miss them for the first time...and something deep inside yearns....until I realize that I have sole control of the television! Seriously, though, it's going to be a long week.

My New Favorite Quote

"Absurdity is the only reality"
- Frank Zappa -

Seems to fit the times, don't you think?

Tradition!

I watched the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" for the first time in a long time last night. It was the first time I'd watched it since I've had kids. It made me see it in a whole new light. It's the story of a poor Jewish man living in a village in Tsarist Russia (in the early 1900's, maybe?) trying to eke out a meager living, balancing his religious faith, his cultural traditions, and his desire to see his 5 daughters happy. As a parent, I watched as he struggled between his traditional beliefs and mores and the changing world around him. I had been in a bit of a struggle myself, of late. It was becoming a major struggle to get up and go to work everyday, as it was a meaningless series of motions I went through, without any real significance to it. But, as Tevye, the main character in the movie, said, "but look at my daughter's eyes". I did, and remembered that it's all for them, all of it.