Not quite the same as Tuesday Tootsies, but better late than never! These adorable flip flops were another Wal-Mart find, I love the flowers on them. You can even see my sunburnt feet, which is why I had to wear flip flops to work! The joys of summer :)
Sometimes it is the little things that you never think about, things you just figure will happen on their own and you really have nothing to do with it. Like what your children will grow up to find fascinating and entertaining. I guess maybe I shouldn't be so surprised that some parents have such an influence on their kids. After all, I am very involved in their lives so some of the things I like shouldn't surprise me that they also like.
In all the years I have been working I have never had a performance review. Today I am having my first one and I AM FREAKED OUT!! Is it possible to have a mental breakdown from this? Because I am well on my way. I know it will be okay, and I know any criticism will be constructive, but I take my job very seriously and having my boss tell me what I am doing wrong is going to kill me. I have already told him I will walk out of his office feeling like a whipped puppy so he shouldn't take it personally. I really like my boss and I know he appreciates what I do, but I also know he is going to have fun with this evaluation, if for no other reason than to torment me, but I am so nervous I could pee myself. I am doing a good job, I am helping, I am an asset to the company...I just need to keep telling myself that over and over and over...
I really need to get my s*#t together and blog more often! How boring for the few people who actually read this to only have something to read every couple of weeks. I guess my life is just too boring to write about, which is probably a good thing.
Anywhoo...latest news is that the job is going well and that is good. New opportunities are being offered and I am snatching them up. Can't, and won't, say what they are, but it is exciting and time consuming.
Brian is scheduled for surgery on his ankle/foot the end of August, he was told the first time he had surgery on it "the surgery was not successful". Gee, you think? Ten years later and the kid can barely walk some days, I would say that was not successful. Hopefully he will have a better outcome this time. The downside is he will have to be on crutches for 6-8 weeks afterwards so that means no work and no play for the boy.Ugh!
He moved into his new house officially last week, although he still has a ton of stuff at my house. One of these days he promises he is going to come get it all, we shall see. It is the perfect little house for him and he has made it quite adorable...although he will hate me saying that :p
Had a wonderful visit with Miss Rebecca when she was home last week, always good to see her. She got some time so spend with friends too so that was nice. Only worry was that her kitty was left home alone the entire time, but luckily Meeko was alive and well, and very happy to see her, when Becky arrived home.
Big day for Kayla tomorrow, she has saved enough money to buy herself a professional clarinet and tomorrow is the day she is doing it. She has her college clarinet professor meeting us at the store so that she can listen to Kayla play and make sure she is getting the right one. The store even throws in a free barrel and bell so that makes it even better. Before you even question it, yes the clarinet comes with a barrel and bell, but the free ones are better and fancy! Ooh laa laa! Although for the price of the clarinet the store should throw in a little more than that! She is trading in her intermediate clarinet so that will help with her total cost too.
Tomorrow is a big day for me too, I am going to do a 5K and hope I don't die half way through :p Kayla and Deb are doing it with me so they won't let me quit, which is a good thing to have motivation and to have someone to talk to so it doesn't seem so bad. We are not running, just walking, but I have a feeling it is going to get interesting. We normally do 2 miles on a regular basis, but adding that extra mile could be the end of me. Sunday might find me unable to get out of bed!
Anxiously waiting to hear about the birth of a baby boy from a blogger that I read on a regular basis, she already has three little boys so what is one more! Crazy that I care about someone I have never met, but that is the way it is. Also anxiously waiting for September/October for Amy and Jason to have those Twinkies! I ordered them a little surprise so am waiting to get that too...I know they will like it!
So another day, another blog post. Going to try to keep them coming a little more regularly...maybe I will start up my Tuesday Tootsies again. Who knows?!
Not much newsy news around here, I guess that is a good thing though! I have some awesome changes coming my way at work in the not too distant future, but I can't really spill the beans about them just yet. Suffice it to say, I may need to get a passport :)
Brian is gearing up to move into town at the end of the month, Kayla is counting the days. It will be nice to have my sewing room back and have him close, so I get the best of both that way! Kayla is liking her summer job of babysitting and the kids like her so that is always a good thing. Becky needs to look for a different job because her boss is interesting to say the least, but jobs are hard to come by. Dan got the corn and beans in the ground and is looking to cut the rye, busy time of year for him.
We are going to do some "remodeling" to the house, nothing exciting though. Just shingling the garage and putting siding on the east side of the house. Also putting in new windows on that side since that is the thing to do when you put on siding. Putting some ceiling tile in the entryway and bathroom hallway, of course the stuff that I like costs and arm and a leg so we have to go with plain stuff :( Also wanting to put new flooring in the bathroom/hallway/office/entryway but just looking at that for now. I would love to put new flooring in the kitchen too, but for once having a big kitchen is a bad thing!
So that is the news at the Josephson house, nothing exciting at all. But, mundane isn't always bad either, keeps life easy :)
If someone tells you you get to do something then they should hold up their end of the bargain, not make a change at the last minute. I don't care if their witch spouse wants something different, if you already made the promise then you should have enough backbone to stand up and say no, this is what I already promised so this is the way it is going to be. But apparently that is not how some people operate. I am a big girl, I can deal with disappointment, but that doesn't mean it won't piss me off. I make the arrangements, procure the merchandise and then at the last minute am told the witch doesn't want me to participate in the fun. You know, karma can be just as much of a witch as you.
No matter what language you want to put it in, I have a lot of shoes. Thirty four pairs to be exact :) Beside our main door into the house is a basket where we put our shoes, and today it was overflowing so I decided to sort it out and take the less worn pairs upstairs. I took out two pairs of Kayla's and left two pairs of hers. I left one pair of Dan's. Brian has one pair on and two pairs in his room. I took out five pairs of mine and left at least two pairs behind. I have a shoe rack on my closet door that holds 18 pairs, it is completely full. I have several pairs on my closet floor...I think I have a shoe addiction! I have everything from flip flops to sandals to tennis shoes to flats to boots. Not only boots - high boots to wear with jeans tucked in, snow boots, mud/pig boots. Flats in black,brown, red, purple and gray. Tennis shoes in green and pink and white and gray. Flip flops in every color under the sun. Tan sandals, black sandals. Yep, it is definitely an addiction...but what a fun addiction it is :)
In honor of Becky's 21st birthday here are 21 names/nicknames Becky has had :)
1. Becky
2. Rebecca
3. Beck
4. Rebecky
5. Rebeckytha
6. Becky La-laney
7. Looney
8. Wooboo
9. Wooboo Grill
10. Sissy
11. Sissy Grin
12. Pokey
13. Pokey dot
14. Dottie poke
15. Bossy Becky
16. Rebecca Elaine
17. Rebecca La-laney
Okay, so there are only 17, and some are just the same name mixed around, but still! Seventeen nicknames for one kid! Crazy! Speaking of which, crazy describes the last 21 years with that multi-named girl :) But I loved almost every minute of those years...gotta be honest, some minutes I want to forget! Becky is still a goofy girl and I hope she never changes. Happy birthday to the girl with the newest nickname...Birthday Girl!
Name the two major religious holidays...Christmas and Easter right?
Now someone explain to me why those two holidays are also the most non-religious? Christmas means Santa and presents under the tree. Easter means a bunny hides eggs with treats in them.
There are no presents or goodies for St. Patrick's Day, Memorial Day, President's Day, Labor Day, New Year's Day...I guess there is for Halloween, but that day is about as non-religious as you can get! Don't know what made me think about all of this today, but really, it confuses me!
First of all, how to you get a fat man coming down your chimney (breaking in!) and leaving gifts from the birth of Christ? I guess you could stretch it and say the three wise men left gifts for Jesus, but I can say with confidence that none of them were dressed in a red velvet suit.
I want to sit in a rocker on a front porch, with Dan in a rocker next to me. I want to look out onto my front lawn and see lots of green grass and sunshine. I want to see on that green grass my children, grandchildren and maybe some great-grandchildren running and laughing and enjoying life. I want to grow old with my family around me.
What a crazy couple of weeks it has been! We started off with Brian moving back to Iowa. I won't say moving home because he is only living here temporarily, that is the decision of both his parents and him! Dan talked to him and told him we needed a hired man, so Brian became that man. The two of them had it all worked out before they said a word about it to me, Brian was going to move here and just surprise me, but ended up spilling the beans before he came.
Dan has done a little job "rearranging", he is doing turkeys for a different person now and has quite a few odd jobs lined up that need to be done for people. Plus he still has two hog buildings and the hogs here at our house, hence the need for help!
Dan, Kayla and I went to Spearfish to visit Becky and Nik the first weekend of March. As usual it is a long, boring trip...but we had a great time when we got there :) Dan had never been to Mount Rushmore so we spent some time there and also went to Crazy Horse, which none of us had been to. We had to pay $27 to get into the Crazy Horse park and then since it is the off season we could only see the sculpture from a mile away. Granted it was easy to see, but what a rip-off! We also spent a day driving around Spearfish Canyon and went to a very high hill (that we had to climb up) to see a rock where a man carved his final words before the Indians killed him (actually it was a replica, not sure were the real one is). It was neat to see and of course the scenery was gorgeous.
The day after we got back from Spearfish I started my new job. I have a fancy title (Executive Administrative Assistant) and a nice office. So far things are going well, of course I have the "idiot feeling" everyone gets when they start a new job, but it is getting better. I am enjoying it a lot and learning a lot. The people are nice and easy to get along with, and boy do I have enough to keep me busy all day! But I like that, sure makes the day go by faster.
Kayla spent last week home for spring break, and after the week was up she was definately ready to go back to college! She missed her friends but did enjoy sleeping till noon while she was home :p She has decided to drop her Music Education major and just stick with the Music Performance and minor in psychology. Of course that means she will be getting a job somewhere far away so she can perform...sigh. But if that is what makes her happy then I am happy. After all, Brian moved away and came back so I can always hope the girls will too!
I guess that sums up the craziness of my life the past few weeks, working an hour later than I used to has made the evening seem even busier trying to get everything done that I need to. But, I am getting used to it and things are working out. Yay! Liking my job, loving having Brian nearby and happy to have had time with my girls. Life is crazy, but good.
I have a problem, and I don't see a solution to it in the near future. It plagues me daily, usually after work. I just can't ignore it and it doesn't go away until I deal with it. Sometimes I have to deal with it twice a day and if I don't, I won't sleep at night. What is this horrible issue you ask? I have an urge to never have a dirty carpet and feel the need to vacuum! *sigh* It feels good to put it out there in the open. I can vacuum and everything looks great...but then either Dan comes home and tracks in, or I do some sewing and track little threads everywhere, then I have to sweep up the mess. I don't know why this bothers me so much, it certainly didn't used to! I remember a completely messy room all the years I lived at home, and for several years after I got married. My bedroom was a disaster, I often had to iron something to wear that had lain on the floor for a couple days :p But then something hit and I hate having a messy house. I tidy things almost every day when I get home from work, and of course vacuum. In all the years we have lived here we have never had anyone stop by because they had car trouble or some such thing, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking someone might so the house better be clean! I am not a clean freak or anything, it hasn't gotten out of hand, but really? I feel the need to vacuum every day? Haha...sometimes life just isn't what you expect it to be is it? I better go now, I just finished sewing and the carpet has some threads on it....
1. My house is a mess, but I am spending my time on Pinterest and sewing.
2. Everytime I wear my knee high boots I feel bad-ass.
3. Some people judge me because I swear.
4. I am doing my best to no longer judge people by their appearance or what I think I know about them.
5. Everyone gets older, but not everyone grows up.
6. Sometimes people do something in a fit of anger and they think they are really showing someone else but in reality the other person doesn't really care so the first person didn't gain anything.
7. No matter how old you get when your parents criticize you it still hurts.
8. I miss my kids.
9. I keep the thermostat set at 62 degrees because I hate to pay the propane bill.
10. When the kids come home I turn the heat up.
11. I am addicted to Pinterest.
12. Twitter no longer holds my interest.
13. I talk to my kids through texts more than any other way.
14. I am sad for Keri and thrilled for Amy.
15. I enjoy an alcoholic drink every now and then and people judge me for that too.
16. I think I pray differently than most people.
17. I always make Dan walk into places in front of me. It looks rude for him, but I hate going first.
18. Without my calendar on my phone I would be lost.
19. I am highly organized and Dan is not, which drives me nuts.
20. I can forgive and forget almost anything, but not everything. After awhile the shit just piles too high.
21. My favorite TV show is Parenthood, followed closely by CSI.
22. People who think the world revolves around them annoy me.
23. Now that I have a Kindle holding a book to read seems strange.
24. I hate to cook.
25. People who can't or won't fight their own battles shouldn't start a battle.
26. I am incredibly stubborn.
27. Driving to and from work is my most "thoughtful" time. I come up with great ideas.
28. If I don't write those great ideas down I forget them by the time I get to my destination.
29. People who type q when they mean g or their when they mean they're need to go back to school.
30. This list has become quite long and perhaps tedious.
31. I don't care that this list has become quite long and perhaps tedious.
32. I wish my kids lived closer to me.\
33. I want my job to pay me more money and have less annoying people.
34. I hate to buy groceries but I love to shop.
35. Politics bore and excite me at the same time.
36. People's opinion of me no longer matters to me because I am happy with myself.
37. Whitney Houston was a drug addict and I don't think everyone should keep idolizing her.
38. Dan is addicted to the TV show Jeopardy.
39. I feel very smart when I can answer a Jeopardy question.
40. If I could have convinced Dan we would have had a fourth child.
41. I still hate my empty nest.
42. When I come home after work the first thing I do is take off my shoes, followed by my rings.
43. I go to bed at 9 every night to watch TV and seldom fall asleep before midnight.
44. I have over 50 angels in my collection.
45. I now have one thought for every year of my life.
Happy 51st birthday...to the guy that makes me smile, makes me laugh, makes me think, makes me scratch my head in disbelief, makes me happy and makes life in an empty nest bearable. Happy birthday to my honey, my best friend, my farmer, my bunny rabbit. I love you.
Sit in front of a blinking computer curser and write something about romance. Okay, I can do this, after all, I have been married almost 24 years so I should have lots of romantic stories. Ummm...wait a minute, this doesn't seem to be flowing out of me like it should. Could it be there is no romance in my life? Nah, mine is just a different sort of romance.
I feel bad that I haven't posted in almost a month...yikes! I guess it is because nothing has been going on to write about, which is good and bad. The kids are doing great and keeping themselves busy. Dan has been crazy nuts with pig things so I spend many an evening alone...which means I can catch up on my quilting :)
I made a list of quilts I need to get made, right now the list stands at four, two baby quilts and two lap quilts. I still need to get Dan's lap quilt and Brian's queen size quilt quilted, but since I already have two quilts at the quilter they will just have to wait.
I am loving the "winter" weather we have been having, just enough snow to make me cuss when it was here and now nice warm temperatures.We are going to pay for it when spring comes and haven't got enough moisture, but for now I am enjoying it.
Nothing else going on, looking forward to Dan's birthday in a week. Planning on taking a trip to Spearfish the first weekend in March, hopefully Dan can work something out with chores so he can go too. Life is good down on the farm :)
I have a fascination, some people might say a strange fascination, with cemeteries. I could spend hours walking through the headstones and thinking about the people buried beneath them. Although I find it difficult to walk among the rows of stones simply because I am walking on someone beneath the ground. It is strange to love cemeteries, but feel guilty for "walking on the dead".
I find it incredible how people choose to be remembered, or how people choose to have their loved ones remembered, for all eternity. For example, on the headstone of a loving husband and wife are hands shaking with one another...doesn't seem the thing for a married couple.
July 12, 2012