Spring Break

So who in the heck invented Spring Break?

Teachers? Kids?

Certainly not Moms.

Is it Easter Vacation?  Maybe the Easter Bunny invented it, I doubt he had any kids if he did.  Must have been a bachelor bunny.

About two days into this wonderful break every year I ask myself "is this ever going to end"?

The candy is long gone and I have eaten enough egg salad sandwiches to last me for the rest of the year.

The weather is not good enough to throw the kids outside and there are not enough movies in the whole Erie County library system to keep them out of trouble.

Some people go on trips, I opted out of that after our famous Virginia trip where the kids wore their winter boots, forgot their sneakers, and it was all my fault.

Monday they will be back in school.

I hope I make it that long.

Annie

Thrifting "are you kidding me"?

So I have been reading alot of blogs lately about thrifting.  There is some sort of big deal going on like "try not to buy anything retail for 30 days".

You have got to be kidding  me.


Try 30 years.

I bet you could fit all the crap I have bought retail in a lunchpail.  OK, maybe a file cabinet.

No shit, I am not kidding.

I will start to post crap I get either from thrift stores, free, or crap people just give me.

I was going to start it today, but I have no idea how to take my camera off "movie" and put it on "photo".

Oh yeah, here's a great start.  1.  camera: given to me by oldest daughter when she got one on her new cell phone.  Camera number 2, gift from a friend when she upgraded.  Neither one I know how to use.

Still trying to figure out how to put the film in them.

Talk later,

Annie

Phineas And Ferb - Hey Ferb! (I Know What We're Gonna Do Today) Lyrics (HQ)

one, two , "flee"!!!

OK, I have one more kid to get in school.  After 6, I think I am on the downhill on this school thing.

I wasn't able to get Wheezer in a preschool so we are working on her numbers and letters here at home.

Our school didn't have any openings in their preschool program, and they want a million dollars a week for any preschool in our area.

For some reason Wheezer can count but has a problem with her number three.

Yesterday at the kitchen table, Grandpa was "homeschooling" her.

She also has a bit of a problem saying the word "three".

Just for the record, she can sing the whole opening song to Phinias and Ferb.  (So can I).

She starts out "one two, four, five".

Grandpa says to her " One, two, three, four, five".

After about five minutes, she is NOT listening and still can't get it.

"Do you want a crack on the butt?"

"No, grandpa, not really".

"Then pay attention."

Silence.

"One, two, pause."

"Three".

She says "flee"

"one, two, flee, four, five".

"Now, that's better"

I whisper in her ear.  "tomarrow, you better say the numbers correctly or you will have to "flee" from the wrath of Grandpa.

She sits at the table all night.

"flee, flee, flee"

One, two, flee,four, five.

Whew.

I hum the Phineas and Ferb tune under my breath.

"Hey Ferb, whatta you gonna do today?"

"flee, flee, flee"

Talk later,

Annie

YOP

YOP


OK, so this friend of mine gets a new job. I have no idea what he does, I am just glad he got a job.



He comes over for coffee the other day.



He tells me about some forms he had to fill out at work.



"The boss told me to fill out my YOP forms".



I poured him a cup of coffee, trying to look like I knew what in the heck he was talking about.



"Did you get the forms in on time?"



"Oh yeah, Annie, they were easy to fill out, you could even do them".



"Oh", I answered.



I cut some cake and still tried to look like I knew what in the heck he was talking about.



Maybe there are new forms I don't know about out there in the work place.



Maybe I am just really stupid.



He waits for a while.



"Aren't you gonna ask me what YOP stands for"?



"Sure", I answer.



"Your Own Opinion".



"Oh sure, I knew that", I answer while lighting up a cigarette and still trying not to look like an idiot.



"Oh, Annie, you would love it, they have these forms and you have to fill them out once a month and give your own opinion on what goes on at work".



I sit there for a minute.



"Do they have forms like that for house hold use?"



He looks at me funny.



"I think I should fill those out here, you know, what goes on here, or better yet, what DOESN'T go on here. You know, give my own opinion on why the toilet seat still isn't fixed and why my car still sits in the driveway waiting for a new fuel pump".



"I better go out and see what Grampa is doing out in the sugar shanty", was his reply.



Wimp.



Talk later,



Annie

Posted by anne smith at 3:53 AM

Boiling sap

OK, so you put the kids to bed and you are sitting in the dark watching Blue Collar Comedy because obviously you have no life.

It's about 10:30 at night which is really late for you to be up.

Someone pulls in the yard and you ignore it.  Probably some lost drunk.

The phone rings and it's your sister in law.

"I'm in the shanty, Grampy's boiling sap, get  your but down here!'

"nah", you reply and hang up.

You sit there, Larry the Cable Guy says goodnight.

The phone rings again, "For God's sake, get your but down here, we have home made cider'.

"Nah" you answer.

You sit there in your bathrobe.

It's raining out.

The late news comes on.

You can't stand it any longer.

You get your rubber barn boots on and throw on a coat over your bathrobe.

The shanty smells so good, like maple.

"We knew you would come down".

"yeah," you reply.

They hand you a bottle of home made hard cider.

They hand you a cigarette, you light it with the fire from the sap boiler.

Grampy entertains everyone with his stories. He uses the word Jesus about 20 times and the term "it's over", another 30.

It is good to be home with my redneck family.

Talk later,

Annie

Drug and Alcohol Rehab

OK, so your kids get off the bus and you chug down a cup of coffee so you have enough energy to listen to their stories of the day.

"Mom, we learned about drugs today".

"That's nice", you reply, "don't ever do drugs".

"Oh Mom, why do you do drugs?"

You stand there for a minute trying to think what in the heck your kids are trying to get at.  The only drugs you can remember doing in the past 15 years are aspirin and cold medicine.

"Oh Mom, caffeine is a drug, so that coffee is bad for you."

"Oh really?" you reply filling up the coffee filter for the fourth time today.

"And cigarettes are drugs".

"Oh really", you reply looking at the pack of Senecas sitting on top of the coffee filters.

"Oh yeah Mom, and you are not supposed to drink beer".

"I drink wine", you answer.

"Same thing Mom".

The kids run to watch TV.

You look for the telephone book so you can call Drug and Alcohol Rehab.

You can't find the phonebook.

You light up a cigarette, pour yourself another cup of coffee and try to gather up the wine bottles because garbage day is tomarrow.

Maybe I will call tomarrow.

Maybe I won't.

Talk later,

Annie

How to go from Super Slob to Clean Freak

The flu

OK, so you get the flu and all you want to do is lay in bed.

Your kids instantly turn handicapped.

All you want to do is lay there covered in a warm blanket.

No one can find the cupboards.

No one can find the toilet paper stash.

No one can figure out how to put in a DVD.

You call Karen to grab a loaf of bread on her way home from work.

She is sicker than you are.

Your significant other gets home from work.

For some crazy reason he can't remember where anything is either.

You lay there hoping to God you don't pass on before they do.

Or maybe not?

Talk later,

Annie

The Civil War trail

OK, so you are in Virginia and you need to find something "touristy" to do with the kids.  It is 70 degrees out.  You have just come from New York where is was 10 degrees when you left the house.

"Let's do one of those Civil War trails", I pipe up.

"OK, Civil War trail it is", replies my step son.

The next day we all head out for the trail.  We have winter boots on and long sleeve shirts, it is 70 degrees out.  I forgot my hair gel when I packed so I look like Ursula the sea witch.

We get to the trail and it show pictures of dead people on the map and cannons.  The kids think that is what will be on the trail.  You know better, but lie to the kids anyway.  No one sees the sign that says "This trail will take 60 minutes to walk".

Now whoever wrote that sign was an Olympic athlete with no kids.

We head out on the trail.  At first it's fun.  It gets hotter and hotter and there are no cannons and dead bodies laying in the woods like the picture showed.

"This sucks", you hear from one of the kids.

"Oh hang in there, I am sure there is a cannon right around the corner".

You try not to act like you are melting, you catch one of the kids dragging your camera in the dirt because they can't carry it anymore.

The trail ends and there is not a drinking fountain anywhere in sight.  Hell with water, you need a bottle of wine.

You try to still act like it was a blast and the kids can go and tell their teachers that they actually walked on a Civil War trail. 

They couldn't give a rat's ass.

You climb in the fron of the van and your step son pulls out of the parking lot.

You both whisper under your breathe at the same time "Next time, Ixnay on the Civil War trail".

You try not to laugh.

Talk later,

Annie

Annie on Vacation

OK, so your significant other tells you he has 3 days off and wants to go on a vacation.

You haven't been on a vacation since Nixon was in office.

Your mind runs wild with ideas.

You picture yourself renting a convertible, buying a set of sunglasses and a fancy scarf and driving to the Grand Canyon like Thelma and Louise.

You picture yourself drinking wine from fancy glasses and smoking those fancy cigarettes with white gloves.

You look up from your dream and you can hear Tim saying "We have to take the kids".

Your mind goes from Thelma to Chevy Chase immediately.

Now the reality sets in.  You have to take the kids.

"Sounds like fun", you mumble under your breath.

OK, here are the things I learned on the trip.

1.  Don't take kids.

2.  Renting minivans is very expensive.

3.  Virginia is a long ways from New York.

4.  When you return a rental car you have to have it clean, chocolate is very hard to get out of white seats.

5.  You need the same amount of days off to re-cooperate from a vaction, three days vacation, three days laying in bed.

6.  No one unpacks or cares less about their crap in their suitcases once you return home.

7. When renting a GPS system, get one with loud volume as you will not be able to hear the man talking over your kids screaming in the back.

8.  It takes more than 30 seconds to show a 45 year old woman how to turn on the radio, run the heater, and open up the back hatch on a new car.



Talk later,

Annie

I Classici: "Thelma & Louise"

Vacation - Trailer

you tube crap

OK, I admit it I am addicted to YouTube.  When I want to learn something or find something out, I look on YouTube.  This week I want to get my haircut, I spent half the day watching videos of people and their hair.  People really must have alot of time on their hands.

I finally found the cut I wanted and watched this girl about five times talk about herself.

I gotta go, just got another email, someone just loaded up a new video.  I can't get behind. Gotta stay in the loop you know.

Talk later,

Annie

naturally curly short hair tutorial

pictures in the paper

OK, so you are reading the paper and you see an article about a funeral.

You look close and you see a picture of an old friend of yours.

He is not the one in the casket thank God, so you give him a jingle.

You call him and catch up on crap.

Great to talk to old friends.

Life is Good,

Talk later,

Annie

What a rotten day (sort of)

OK, so you are all ready to go to church.  You have made pens with flowers on them for Valentines day for the ladies at church, you have your bibles in your bookbag, kids dressed and makeup on.

For once you are ready and on time.

All of the sudden this person pulls in the driveway that you think is your friend and starts saying the weirdest things to you. 

You try not to let the kids see you are getting upset.

You are getting blamed for doing things you have not done and getting accused of some really weird crap.

You pull away, choking the tears back.

You get to church and sit in the very back.  You try not to let the whole congregation see that you are crying.

You make it through church, you even stay for cake and coffee.

In the middle of mass there is a fire call and one of the guys sitting in the next row over runs out of church to go on it.

You think nothing of it.

You get home and find out that the neighbor has died in his driveway.

You are now trying to choke back a double set of tears.

You walk into the kitchen and there sits a box of chocolates and Tulips with a note "Happy Valentines Day Mama".

Now you are crying tears of joy.

You make it through the day, the kids eat all your chocolate and the cat wants to make your new flower his new kitty litter box.

Your sister in law comes to pick up your niece.

"Where is Mr Piggie?"

Crap.

I was supposed to watch her daughter and make sure that this stuffed piggie didn't disappear.

Of course it did.

You take the next 30 minutes looking for the pig.  He is finally found in the laundry hamper wrapped in a wet towel.

Everyone leaves.

You light up a cigarette and stare into the darkness.

It will be better tomarrow.

You take one last look at your tulip plant.

Thank you Karen, I love  you so much you will never know.

Talk later,

Annie (AKA, Mama)

Annie on car repair shops

OK, so I found two used tires for my van.  No one wants to put used tires on a van because they all want to sell you new ones.

I don't need new ones, just different ones.

I call this shop down the road and the guy says "Oh, no problem, be here at 8:30 and we will throw them on".

The next day I run down there.

Now I know why I got right in.

The guy has no business because he is so weird.

You walk in and no one acknowledges the fact that you are there.

You ring this greasy bell and no one comes out of the black abyss they call a "shop".

You sit for 30 minutes and finally holler in the "shop"  "Does anyone know we are here?"

No answer.

You go back to the waiting room where there is absolutely NO heat.

You look for a TV.

None.

You look for a magazine to read.

You find Guideposts and Time.

You read all the Guideposts and try to stomach the Time.

You holler out once more "Does anyone know we are here?"

This guy wanders out.

"It will only take a minute to do your tires."

It is now 9:30 and your daughter is crawling out of her skin.

She wants to go pee.

You look at the bathroom.

It looks like a place my Mom would NEVER let you pee in.

He drives your car into the shop.

You read more Guideposts.

You put a whole roll of toilet paper on the toilet seat so your kid can pee.

You try not to looked pissed off, but it's getting harder and harder.

There are no other customers in the shop but you.

You read more Guideposts and steal a couple to show your sister that you actually read 30 issues of Guideposts.

Finally at 11:30 the van rolls out of the shop.

You pay the man.

A while later you are driving through town you see this thing that looks like your hubcap rolling down Main Street.

You see this guy walking down the road laughing at you.

The hubcap rolls about a million miles down the road and you are trying to drive slowly and follow it so you can pull over and grab it before the next Walmart semi comes through town and squashes it.

You grab the greasy thing and toss it in the back of the van.

I actually paid someone to put that thing back on my car, I actually had my kid pee on the toilet from hell and I can't move my fingers from reading Guideposts in an office with no heat for 2 and a half hours.

"It's OK", you say to yourself.

"I am beginning to doubt that", yourself replies back.

Talk later,

Annie

Annie on quitting smoking

OK, so to prove a point, I quit smoking for 4 weeks. I don't get the whole "addiction" thing, so in order to prove my point I quit cold turkey.

I have also proved that in a mere 4 weeks it IS possible to gain 10 pounds.

Talk later,

Annie