Five Things I Am Thankful For...

• 1. My husband. I sometimes sit back and wonder in awe that I have met this incredibly smart, talented, funny, compassionate man and he loves me back and that is so awesome! Alex is amazing and I can't tell him or the world enough.

• 2. My family. My parents did good. They raised good people. And those people raised good people, my siblings. And those good people are starting to raise good people of their own. So much love all around. What an amazing bunch!

• 3. My humor. I work with a lot of heart ache and depression - in situations that try the human spirit. Without a sense of humor it would be all too much. Way too much.

• 4.My health. It could and should be better, I know, but it's a work in progress. I have aches and pains but I am breathing. The struggle is real - but hey, at least I am here to struggle!

• 5.My strength. Even on those days when I would rather not, I get up, I go on. I have to. People rely on me. I can take it. I am Mrs. Kelleher's daughter. My mother taught school for 28 years and in that time only took time off when she had children - literally to give birth. She never called in sick, never took a personal day. She knew those kids relied on her. I am Mrs. Kelleher's daughter. I wish I could say I haven't had a sick day but that's not true. I can say though that I try to get my ass to work on every single day I am able. Knee surgery? Back in the office in 4 weeks rather than 8. Hysterectomy? Back in the office in 2 weeks rather than 6. I'm her daughter! And I must heal pretty fast too! Ha!

Stuff stuff and more stuff....

I had zombies in mind.

Sometimes thought bubbles crowd my mind.

Metal and microbes. 

Purple is good.

Red's not bad either. 

Ribbons.

This was inspired by ants. Don't ask me how...

Flowers

Fish

Stars

The two pound battle...

So I've been pretty frank about my struggle with losing weight. It's been a long battle and right now I'm in a hand to hand combat with two pounds that just won't quit. I lost it one week, gain it the next. The same stinking two pounds for the past four weeks. I'm almost ready to just lop off a foot or something and lose it for good! Maddening!

Another maddening thing...Paranormal Activity 2. Sounds like a sequel...SURPRISE!...it's a prequel. And it has all the same tension building moments as the first one. It has all the GOTCHA moments of the first one. It has some truly creepy moments too. So why didn't I like it? Because I HATE it when they take premises like this - paranormal activity - which doesn't really need some rubbish explanation because, by the way, it's PARANORMAL! Sheesh! They always feel the need to explain what's happening and why it's happening and how the sequence of events goes and blabbity blah blah. That always ruins it for me. Scary creepy stuff can happen for no reason. We don't go to these movies for reason, we go to be scared and creeped out. Trying to explain it just sucks all the creepy out of it!

Another maddening thing...the local news. Why, oh, why do these news anchors have to be so cordial, making jokes, teasing each other as if they're life long best buds. Just give me the news already! The weatherman is really not a comedian so why do they insist he act like one? I blame that one on Willard Scott. He started a trend and now they all follow it. Curse you Willard. Curse you forever.

One last maddening thing...and this one will probably get me struck by lightening but here goes...Oprah Winfrey. Ms. Winfrey gets on my last nerve and I don't even get the chance to watch her show. The commercials for her show get on my nerves. The entertainment news about her gets on my nerves. She was on TMZ of all places and it got on my nerves. There's just something about her that rubs me the wrong way. No one is that caring, that giving, that magnanimous, that generous all the frickan' time. I just want to see her completely go ape shit on someone just once. I would have undying respect for her if she did.

Okay, that's my rant. And I'm sure it's all just frustration started with that damn two pounds. It's getting to me dammit! I wonder how much one of my feet really weighs...

Where do they go?

So, the summer heat is on here in Wisconsin. I really don't mind it...except for the humidity. But what I can't figure out is where did all my summer clothes go? I mean, last year I clearly remember having summer shirts and light weight clothing that I wore to work. Where in the blue hell did I put that stuff?

While I'm on the subject, where in the blue hell is my swim suit? I have two of them...can't find either one. I'm hoping I've left it at my sister's house. She has a pool and it's likely to be the last place I wore. Still, where the hell...

And flip flops...I had at least three pair of them. Where the crap are they now? Are there flip flop fairies in my house? Did I have some weird episode of sleep walk/cleaning/purging of my things one night that I'm totally unaware of?

I want my stuff, damn it.

Odds and Ends....

On the news this morning, I heard them say that the CDC now says this last strain of swine flu has turned out to be no more dangerous than the regular flu and that there were more reported cases nationwide of the regular flu AND more reported deaths than there have been with the swine flu. I bet that makes all those mask wearing idjits out there feel awfully silly right now!

I came into my office today to fine this.



It's a monkey wearing pearls holding onto some rubber teeth. I have no idea who did this or why it was just sitting in the middle of my floor this morning. This is reminding me of the "Great Teletubbie Kidnapping" that went on here a few years ago. I had these little stuffed Teletubbies in my office. One night someone kidnapped them and left a ransom note. A day later Polaroid photographs started showing up of my Teletubbies being made to work, drink, and get tortured, all with additional notes. I left the kidnappers a note refusing to meet their demands because though I would miss my little Tubbies, I would not be bullied into leaving chocolate and sodas for the evil doers. Then it happened. I came to work one morning and found the horrible remains of Tinkie Winkie, La-la and the rest hanging from the arm of my desk chair. It was awful...but, later that day, a new bunch of Tubbies arrived on scene so all was right with the world. Teletubbies are disposable that way.

It was hard getting going this morning. Sure I was tired, but I had no idea what to wear to work this morning. Before you think I'm some kind of fashion snob, I'm not! It's just that here in Wisconsin the morning will start out cold but sunny and by noon the temp will have risen at least 20 degrees. It can get warmer by the end of the day but sometimes it will completely switch up and get freakin' cold! It's not winter coat season but spring coats aren't warm enough OR they're too warm and you have to carry them around all day. It's just weird.

So that's odds and ends...just stuff that's on my mind. Now it's on yours! LOL

What?

I'm having one of my ADHD days. Physically, I am present and I really look like I'm working and being productive. Realistically though, I have done little else than shuffle piles of paperwork around my desk which is a very effective way to appear to be uberbusy. I have to admit my mind feels a bit fractured today. Not sure why! Just an example, to give you some idea of what I mean, it took me three tries to log into this blog just now. And each time, I SWEAR I was typing the right thing.

I took some time last night to make myself a work plan to get the things done that need doing before Alex arrives in June. Yes, in June...I'm planning way ahead here to allow for my usual procrastination time. I read the list I made this morning and the first thing to do today when I get home is "bag up living room". It's in code and only I know what I mean. Essentially, it means I have taken a good look around and. decidedly, I have too much stuff. It's all getting Heftied tonight and out the door. I am a pro when it comes to the accumulation of stuff. It runs in my family. My oldest sister moved into a new apartment last week and, since she is the Queen of Stuff, the neighbors were having a field day with what she was putting out on the curb. She tried to pawn her stuff off on me but I was strong and resisted. My mother, on the other hand, fully succumbed to the wayward, soon to be homeless stuff and now she has more stuff to contend with at her house. My mom's house is like a no-kill rescue for other people's stuff. Sometimes if you go over there stuff just follows you home.

What's funny about my sister's stuff is that some of it was stuff I pawned off on her. I gave her a RubberMaid bin full of craft supplies once. The night before she moved she presented me with a bag. Turns out that my grade school, high school and college diplomas were all in the bottom of that bin. Good thing she looked in there! My whole educational lifetime could be sitting on her curb right now waiting for the garbage pick up!