Monday, September 29, 2008

A bit LESS whiny...

Ok. So. I did some cleaning. Organized my scrap space (that alone made me feel better.) Watched Heroes tonight (I don't care how cheesy Josh says it is, I LIKE it!) There have been no crazy parent attacks in the past week. Even after my poor soccer team lost on Sunday (they tried so hard!) Things are looking up in the Missy household.
In honor of my improved mood, I wanted to share a cheerful photo. I realize those of you who are friends with me on Facebook have seen this picture, but there are those who are not on Facebook, and they, too, deserve to share the delight that is this photo.


Saturday, September 27, 2008

A bit of whining

Forewarning: this is a pitiful post full of very personal details and a lot of boohoo-ing about my present psychological state. You may want to stop reading now.
You ever have one of those weeks? One where you felt just ugly and stupid and low? Your house is a terrible mess, but you can't summon even the a smidgen of the energy needed to clean it? You need to exercize and eat well, but you can't be bothered? This has been one of those weeks. And I'm feeling ridiculously sorry for myself. Even though I have friends who are going through so very much more than I have ever faced, I can't bring myself to get off my rear and do something about the pathetic state I am in.
I chat with a group of friends online, and I tend to feel a bit like an unpopular idiot when I talk to them...which is stupid, because it's nothing they say or do. I had a dream the other night that my husband was finding...extracurricular entertainment...if you will, and it was more disturbing than my usual dreams. When I confronted him about it (in the dream, not in real life), he laughed at me and asked, "what do you expect?" Yeah. Pathetic. Anyway, I've been overtired, watching way too much television, and not doing any more than absolutely necessary this entire week, but still feeling put-upon and crabby. And I'm nowhere near my time of month.
Before you ask, my medically minded friends, it's not an issue with my meds. I know what that feels like, as I've experienced it twice already this year. This is more a...self-esteem crisis. Something I need to attack. I feel this is sort of a first step in that process - a venting of the issues, a journal entry of sorts.

Thanks for listening.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Gotta rant...

...singing in a high-spirited, Broadway style. Oh, and I apologize - I was a day behind in my "Talk Like a Pirate Day" festivities. I don't know where my head was. Off the plank, I suppose. It really should be celebrated for a whole weekend, anyway.
So, I mentioned recently that I am coaching Monkeybutt's soccer team. I need to say from the get-go: I am not a good coach. My soccer experience includes P.E. class and seven years of watching my son's teams play. However, MB wanted to play, he likes to win, but doesn't really require it, so we found a local rec league. They had a coach shortage, I wanted my kid to play, so I volunteered. The end. Well, I have a kid on my team. She is loud, obnoxious, and overly aggressive. Throwing elbows, kicking ankles, shoving. As irritating as she is, however, her parents are far worse. They yell - nonstop - through the whole game. Telling the kids what to do at every turn, and insulting me. So, today I pull the girl off the field (she had been playing for a long time). She stomps in, collapses on the bench in tears, yelling at me about how our players don't know how to play their positions, I don't know how to coach, and she knows far more about soccer than anyone (she's 8, by the way - the players range from age 8-11). After 5 minutes of this tearful ranting, I tell her to hush, we'll talk about it later. After the game, the father stomps up to me and yells at me, "What, my daughter's not allowed to talk now? You hushed her at practice, and you hushed her today. You'd better not make it three times!"
Uh huh. I sincerely do not think I was out of line. I didn't tell her to shut up, that I didn't want to hear her opinion, or anything else unkind. If I didn't hush her up once in awhile, we would never get anything done. I responded that she continued to yell at me about how our players didn't know how to play, and he tells me, there are 8 players over near the goal, obviously they don't know how to play!. I glare at him in response, and say, basically, what I said above, that I was up-front from the beginning, I am a volunteer here, I never said I was a good coach, but that I liked the kids, and wanted them to have fun. Here is when he threatens me with the "better not make it three times" line. I am proud to announce that I kept my dignity through the entire encounter (I am not a confrontational person - I do not handle that crap well.) I didn't start sobbing until I reached my car. Thank you very much.
Anyway...was I out of line? Am I not allowed to tell a player to "hush?" Would you lay into me, "get all up in my grill" so to speak if I told your child to hush? Ya know, so I could coach the game? (and by the way, yes we lost, but the opposing team was very good, and the ref told me we played very well - the score did not reflect how well our team played. So that's a good thing.)

Le sigh. Anyway, that's my sad story of the day. My mom was there and wanted to beat the guy up. My son looked like he was going to jump on the guy (I"m glad he didn't.) But we got home, and proceeded to go to the Octoberfest at the Catholic church down the street, where we had great mounds of fun. Time to put the girl child to bed.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Ahoy there...


It be Talk Like a Pirate day...so be sure to guzzle the rum while you still have a chance.


Saturday, September 13, 2008

Watch out, arachnophobes...

Every evening, this young lady builds a brand new web and catches herself a yummy morsel. She's lived here long enough to be considered a part of the family, really. I call her Alex (I don't know much about spiders, so I wanted to pick a good, gender nonspecific name. I certainly don't want to play favorites, so I took pictures last night:

Friday, September 12, 2008

Reflections on yesterday



I'm feeling very neglectful for not addressing the fact that yesterday was September 11. I certainly thought about it throughout the day. I thought about how thankful I was that I didn't lose anyone during those events. I considered what I did that day, and the days following...watching the news constantly, mourning other people's losses, keeping my son close. I suppose recognizing and observing 9/11 each year reminds me to not become too complacent. To recognize that my comfortable little life is just as transient as anyone else's, and to not take advantage of what I have. To hug my kids just a little closer, tell my husband I love him, and be a kind and loving friend and relative to all the precious people in my life.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Lalala, happy lists.



It's raining right now. I went out to take the garbage to the curb and could feel the earth sighing happily. It's blissfully cool and it smells so fresh. I came downstairs and caught up on one of my favorite blogs, Soulemama (check my links), and her most recent entry was talking about what she's loving right now. I love those lists, I make them regularly. So I was inspired:




1. My youngest cat is sitting in the windowsill right now, tail flailing about wildly as he stalks the birds looking for worms in our front yard. He is a trip and a half.

2. Soulemama's book, The Creative Family. I loved how calm and sweet it was, and the projects were inspiring. It motivated me to find some ways to add time for creativity into our lives.

3. Shadowbox Cabaret (Newport), and specifically, their cutie patootie lead guitarist. My sister turned 21 the other day and we celebrated there. We had a great time, and I drooled profusely. He's a wickedly talented guitarist. The whole troupe is pretty freaking talented.

4. My new owl stamp. I've been kind of owl-obsessed (in my crafting, not generally), and he has made his way onto everything from layouts to birthday cards to wallhangings.
5. Law and Order: Criminal Intent. I stay up way too late to catch up on the lives of Detectives Goran and Eames. I watch Logan too, but I am enamored with Vince D'onofrio's performance as the quirky Goran. I have never been one for crime dramas but some of my favorite chicks told me to check out some Law and Orders and CSI's. Yeah, I'm hooked. Thanks ladies.
That's good for today, I think. What are you loving these days?

Monday, September 8, 2008

Procrastination Update #2

I edged my lawn this weekend. Motivated by my brother. Perhaps another time I will write out a whole "why I adore my brother M" post, but I am not feeling eloquent enough right now to do him justice. So we'll just go with, thanks M, miss you already. Whoohoo, another step down!

I know I have a hundred things to chat about, but I am not feelin' it tonight. Maybe tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

ouch

I was having bizarre dreams all night and I freaked out during one and fell out of bed (how old am I, 5?). I bumped my head on my bedside table, and now I have a lump, and a broken bedside table.
Weird.