Bulky Items

We'll it's official....Bulky Item pick-up is by appointment only now. For those of you who don't know Bulky Item pick-up is basically the trash truck with a claw on it and it would come on the eighth day of every even month without fail. That's when an unofficial, but yet official, contest would take place between my neighbor and myself to see whose junk got taken first. Because let's face it that's how I would look at what I put out there until one day I saw that all my neighbors stuff was getting taken away. And not by the claw truck!

There are people who actually come out in their cars and trucks to canvas the neighborhood for items put out that we may consider unworthy but others see as treasure. That's when the contest started......

Now let me throw a bone out there by saying my neighbors are updating their home so they have items like fencing and cabinets and tile so they had some good stuff.

I, on the other hand, have stuff like....broken toys, a pool with holes in it, need I say more....but I was starting to get a little upset that my stuff wasn't getting picked over. That's when I started looking around and well that's when the contest started. My neighbor would take out a mirror and I would haul out a chair. Perhaps my neighbor would take out a piece of wood and I would haul out a desk. You see where this is going?

I was actually getting a kick out of this little game and now it has come to an end with a postcard that says:

1. Effective September 1, 2008 Large item collection services will change to an appointment based system."

WHAT!

2. Appointments must be made at least 48 hours in advance.

WHAT!!!!!!

3. Collections will not be made without an appointment."

WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?

My saint of a husband says I need to play a new game......who has a better lawn perhaps? I see mowing in my future.....

The Phone bill

Well I got my phone bill in the mail and quickly went into a menopause meltdown! It got worse when I realized that I really didn't understand how to read the bill. You know I may be the only person that doesn't really pay attention to the actual bill unless I notice an amount on there that requires me to dig for gold.

Well as any good person would do that doesn't want to lose their services I called the phone company and had a two hour smack down with them. FYI I lost. I waited patiently on hold and listened to promotions about new services. Which I found ironic since I obviously don't understand my current services. And then I was transfered 27thousand times (a bit of an exaggeration) and asked to repeat my problem 27 THOUSAND TIMES!

Little helper person: "How can I help you?"

Menopause Me: "There SEEMS to be a mistake on my bill."

Little helper person: "I can help you with that."

Menopause Me: "There are several amounts on my bill that I don't understand."

Little helper person: "I can help you with that."

Menopause Me: "OK"

Menopause Me: "Hello?"

Little helper person: "I'm looking at your bill"

Menopause Me: "Hello?"

Little helper person: "did you hear about our newest promotion?"

Impatient ME: "Y E S, But I'm calling about my bill"

Annoying helper person: "I'm looking at your bill."

Now I understand that there are services and things out there in "Phone world" that I don't understand but that is why I'm calling for help. And let me tell you I learned that I have lost my backbone. That little helper person is good! I mean I came out of that conversation with no understanding of my bill....other than I have to pay it....and the little helper person got me to cancel my satellite and sold me on a new service for their version of cable. Their coming to install it today. I think my bill will be less but I was so confused by the time we were done that I really couldn't tell you. I know that my children have been cut off from use of the internet on their cell phones. They said "Thank you" when I told them. "Thank you?" I said...yes sometimes we ACCIDENTALLY get on there. Ummm would that be 27 THOUSAND ACCIDENTS?

I am now hooked on a new show. At least it's a new show to me because I'm usually a season or two behind at all times. I'm very intrigued with Tori & Dean. They just seem to be....um let's see how do I put this....well, intriguing to me. I usually don't watch these types of shows mostly because I don't have time but this little nugget has caught my eye. I mean look at Tori with her cute little duster and Dean well let's just say he's no plumber that's ever shown up at our house! I would have been clogging the drains myself if that were the case! And I must say I'm very impressed with them as parents. At least what has been shown for us to view.

Monkey! Which is their son's name is just a little gem. Now he has a real name but they call him Monkey or Monk so I have embedded this name into my brain and Monkey he will remain. I've noticed that a lot of his Jammies (you know P.J.'s, Pajama's, Jams) are the ones I have for our own little nugget which makes me feel like I have good fashion sense for at least one member of our household.

On a recent episode the topic of Preschool came up during an OB check up. I personally think that Dr. OB has the hots for Tori (or the camera) and is trying to impress her with his knowledge of Preschool. I could be wrong....anyway this sent them off in a search for the perfect Preschool for Monkey. He is only fourteen months old. Now this had me questioning at what age should Preschool be introduced? When we were young it was before the age of four or at least until the year before you started Kindergarten if you got to go at all. I believe it was considered a luxury back then. I followed this rule with my children as well. Not because I did not want to send them much sooner it's just that we were too poor to make a showing before then. Now days it seems that they are being enrolled before birth.

Ahh so much has changed and so much has remained the same. The question of the right thing to do is different for all of us whether it's Preschool or not. So kudos to Tori & Dean for doing what the rest of us are doing. We're all just trying to figure life out!

The day after!

Okie dokie....so the birthday was AWSOME!! My husband is the best! Breakfast in bed and then the best gift I could ask for.....wait for it....knock at the door and oh yes....my girlfriends!!! So happy that we got away! My girls are the BEST!! Couldn't ask for a better set of friends! I read somewhere that every girl needs five girlfriends in her life. Of course I don't remember what all five were, but I have four of the best!

We went to see MAMA MIA!!!! No Batman for these girls! We love ABBA! Who doesn't? Don't answer that because I know not everyone "LOVES ABBA" and I couldn't take the truth after seeing MAMA MIA! Who knew that James Bond could sing. I only know it was him because I sat in silent support of a marathon of James Bond flicks with my husband as he introduced our boys to Bond. I'm pretty sure that they were being introduced to the Bond ladies!

Anyway after singing and dancing our way to embarrassment, without alcohol I might add, we ventured to a fine dining establishment and continued the day with not having to cook, serve or clean up. That's when a married mommy knows she's having a special day! I actually ate hot food. In fact I had to wait for it to cool down, which every mommy knows that you blow on your food and then proceed to chopping it into little bits so that you don't choke. After arranging my food into carbs, veggies, and more carbs I ate the yummiest lunch I've had in a long time! Ahhh food glorious food....and then we did what all mommies do.....we looked at each other, smiled, paid and headed for Barnes & Noble!

Ahh what a great day! When we were done we headed back to the house and found that our children have the best care in all the land! The daddies! They were all doing fine and our husbands....well let's just say they are very happy to let us have our time!

Thanks Girls for one of the best days and thank you husband for the best birthday gift yet! Told you....he knows me!

Happy Birthday!! Doobie Star!!

Okie dokie here we go!!! Tomorrow is my forty-third birthday and as a gift to myself I decided that I would attempt to B L O G! I have been a reader of blogs for the last two years and am not even going to attempt to explain why I think that anyone would want to read this and at the same time cannot explain why I have been a reader for the last two years! Strange this turn of events for me. I have no formal training in blogging ( is that even available yet?) or journalism or any form of writing at all. So bare with me...I promise I will...will... make NO promises!!!!

I am forty-three tomorrow and feeling every bit of it! Only spent five years in the sixties. I miss the seventies, eighties and regret part of the nineties. 2000? Hasn't been too bad so far. I have five biological children and one baby (long story) that we are caring for at this time! Three children are grown and live on their own and three are still at home. Age range from 24 being the oldest, to 1 being the youngest.

I am married to the only man on the planet capable of handling me. My husband is a saint! I mean it he really is all my friends say so. Of course none of them live with him...and they don't do his laundry or errands or cooking or cleaning or the yard work...hey I'm starting to get pissed. Maybe I shouldn't blog....... oh my .......that saint just handed me another Martini! Told you he knew how to handle me!!

Maybe I'll be back!