Oh my.....life is good and weird at the same time. Life is usually good and the weird part has become all documented by being sent via email....I don't understand creating chaos and don't really know how to play games but I guess I'd better learn. Enough about that, took the kids to OMSI today and they had fun, went to see the reptile guy at the library yesterday and they had fun at that, took them to the library the day before and signed them all up for the summer reading program and they liked that, taking them to McMinnville tomorrow and they are looking forward to that. They all seem to be doing ok but it can't be easy for them, especially the boys, but I guess it shows how they follow whatever lead they are given. I keep telling them everything will work out in the end and people do what they do for reasons of their own, it has nothing to do with them and sometimes you just have to let people be. Anyone who knows me knows my view on if you just keep doing what you know is right it will all work out, yes I still believe it lol....some things just take a little longer. I remember when I was pregnant with the boys I finally just came to the realization that in five years it wouldn't matter, everything would be fine. Same thing with this, just hopefully sooner than five years. I'm older this time.

I got a borderline burn I think but I won't get burned on my automobile insurance no siree

What does fricasee mean? I know I'm on a computer and could check it out myself but I don't want to, but I can't really say I feel like I've been fricaseed if I don't know what it means either. Regardless I've got that level of sun exposure going on where you don't really notice it til you reach over to scratch something and feel the tinge of painful skin being scratched. So not bad but just that feeling of I've been in the sun all day, what a beautiful day it was. The kids and I all went to the 4-H meeting and they just worked with the pigs.....I have never in my life seen such a mud encrusted pig as I saw today....did you know that if you let pigs free in your yard they will systematically tear a huge hole into the grass? They will....there ought to be grass insurance for pig owners, at least pig owners who let their pigs roam in their yard. I guess that's what truffle hunting pigs do but still...a nice insurance against such events could be handy....then there could be rate comparison sites such as this one http://www.automobileinsurance.me/go/click.php?tid=437270 ....but that one is for cars. It would be something more along the line of www.pigsurance.com which isn't a real link so don't try going there...well, maybe it is? I haven't tried going there so maybe it is real. If you try and find something let me know. Anyway, watched kids manuever pigs around the yard with sticks for awhile, let the owner know they were tearing up his yard....nobody else said anything, they just stood there watching til I went and said "um....do you want the pigs tearing a huge hole in your yard?" He didn't and the pigs got put away. Where was I? Just a sec......grass insurance, ok nowhere lol.....let's see after that we were driving through Stayton so I decided to call Joe's parents and see if they wanted to see the boys for a few minutes before their baseball game and they did so we stopped in there and Isaac had a ball with a whoopee cushion and the boys got to see Joe and Grandma and Grandpa for awhile, took off from there to the game where the boys team kicked some little league behind, something like 13-1. Which is unusual, such a huge point spread. Joe came and watched the game so it was cool the game he saw was a good one for the boys, then he came over and spent some time with the boys and talked for a bit....and now I am here, listening to my Count Basie CD, having a beer and blogging about lord knows what.

If I ever really considered switching my auto insurance I think I would try such a site as http://www.automobileinsurance.me/go/click.php?tid=437270 to compare a bunch of companies rates.....why not? It could be interesting and if nothing else the home page offers a good rundown of the types of insurance that are offered......there are more than the standard ones. Even though you apparently can be covered against anything possible and beyond I kind of like my devil may care attitude towards auto insurance though. Which is strange since I usually like to have all bases covered......maybe it's my guilty pleasure to take my chances with auto insurance....not that I'm driving around uninsured by any means, I have what I need.....but no Gap insurance or flood insurance. I would take a flood destroying my car as a sign from the powers that be that I should get and pay for another car. On http://www.automobileinsurance.me/go/click.php?tid=437270 there is a picture of an orange car with something that looks like a bird of fire on it's hood......and the hubcaps kinda look like daisies and it has one of those gaping maw front ends that looks like it's smiling or evil or something....kind of happy looking in strange cartoon car sort of way....check it out http://www.automobileinsurance.me/go/click.php?tid=437270 . You may regret it but maybe you won't.

I was thinking of watching a movie tonight but it's getting too late and I kind of like the music. The girls are at Katie's friends house, the one who spent the night here last night, Katie is spending the night and Anna is babysitting and spending the night......works pretty well because the parents can stay out as long as they like because their babysitter is sleeping over and Anna gets paid. Win-win. Oh.....if anyone is interested in a 1 in 250 chance of winning half a pig let me know, I have 25 tickets to sell, well the girls are selling them but I help if I can....to a degree because what we don't sell I'll pass off onto their dad because after all he's the pig guy. I really am not into the livestock though two years ago I managed to keep a rampaging pig in line at the photo place with only a board and my incredible determination not to lose the pig. A proud moment in my life. I guess I'd better go set up a Craiglist account.....I have a dining room table to sell (not mine)......goodness gracious.

Car repairs in Chicago and Saturday

Good morning, life is trucking along and after dragging myself around this morning in anticipation of a 10:00 4-H meeting the child tells me it's at 11:00. Normally I don't drag around in the mornings but I think I am getting too blasted old for sleepovers.....new rule, kids must be silent when Mommy needs to go to bed....or better yet, kids must be sleeping...or pretending really well. So today we have the 4-H meeting, last baseball game and the girls are going out to get whatever they need to do Anna's hair for the big dance thing. Not by themselves, they are going with their big sister.....yeah. Still need coffee. So anyway, well....I was going somewhere but I'm teaching Jake to fry eggs and lost my train of thought.......I think it was about my new online venture which I'm sure anyone reading will pick up on shortly : ). That's a smiley face with a blemish on it's chin. So anyway.......

If I ever go to Chicago again and have my car with me and heaven forbid my car broke down or experienced some other mysterious mechanical difficulty do you know what I would do? Well, I would look for a mechanic......but what do I know about mechanics? Nothing. I go in to a car type of place all wide eyed and "ok, I don't know anything....please fix my car". Then leave having no idea what they may or may not have done......that's why my check engine light has been on for about four years lol.....it went on when Joe was in Afghanistan. I really should check that out at a site such as this http://repairpal.com/check-engine-light, maybe someday I will but until then the van keeps on running....I should check I guess so I don't have the thing spontaneously combust and some mechanic say "Oh looks like your check engine light has been on for years why didn't you bring it in to get checked?" Anyway, back to my question about breaking down in Chicago. If that ever happens, and it may, then I would check out this site http://repairpal.com/chicago-auto-repair. It claims to be full of the top rated repair shops and mechanics in the area complete with a star rating system and customer comments. Sounds good if you ever breakdown in Chicago and need a Chicago auto repair shop.....I went to Chicago for my cousin's wedding last year, it was fun....we had pizza and I won a Cubs Monopoly game.

The site http://repairpal.com/chicago-auto-repair also has information about used cars if you are so inclined to purchase a used car anytime soon, such as this fine Toyota Camry http://repairpal.com/toyota-camry-2002 kind of thinking to stay away from the Toyotas at the moment but maybe if you go back to the older ones you're ok? Like pre-death accelerators? But you don't have to just check out the Camry....they let you search other cars too. Like say if you were interested in a Mitsubishi Eclipse or something......I had one of those once. If I ever write my memoirs I'm going to entitle it "I had an orange sports car for a month". Maybe not the whole book but at least a chapter. It was a fun car and oh so pretty but really much more pratical for a single person than one with 4 kids.....they don't all fit.

So really, regardless of if you are in Chicago or not the site http://repairpal.com/ provides some good auto repair type info and if you just feel like reading about problems other people have had with theirs cars because you're just like really super bored on a friday night....check it out.

Whew....that was fun and at the same time I taught Jake to make a delightful fried egg, sausage, and muffin breakfast for all......hmmmm....my birthday is coming up. No reason they can't make me breakfast now. Know what's kind of funny in a coincidental way? Ten years ago when I was turning 29 I was in almost the exact same marital situation as I am now at turning 39. hmmmm......this will not become a trend, kind of a change of decade ritual......no, not gonna happen. Now I really need to head out so ta-ta.

Hallo......I'm waiting around....again. I'm making a friend go make copies with me. For some reason making copies freaks me out......can't they just use the originals? Yeah yeah.....fine, accept it. Life involves copies. I think it's because there's like this stack of stuff and then there are two stacks. Strangely enough having twins didn't freak me out at all, of course they aren't identical. If I had twins now I'd freak out let me tell you. Made a call I've been putting off and was told all I have to do is bring my degree in, have them make a copy and I'll get a letter stating I'm "highly qualified" for my most desired career path....okay truth to tell isn't really aiming all that high right now but it's a start. It's kind of exciting because I don't ever want to be told I'm with someone for their money ever again.....especially since I've never been with anyone with money. But if I ever do get myself in this position again let me tell you he's going to have money because when he says I'm only there for the money it darn tootin gonna be true. I do kind of enjoy #1 telling me he was my tool because then I got the pleasure of thinking in my head...."if I'd a been looking for a tool I would have chosen a sharper one". That was kind of fun....still is actually. Oooops......gotta go....brb.

Back, yeah back. I'm tired.

I'm sort of stuck. All I want to say is what a total and absolute shit someone is but that wouldn't be appropriate....it's not a surprise, just still really hard to accept even after all these years. This whole thing started because it just had to be proven that I couldn't count on someone for anything but how in the world can someone not pull their head out long enough to possibly notice what they are doing to their kids? They are old enough to notice shittiness, and I don't have to say a word. That being said, my Grandma died this morning. She was supposed to go home today or tomorrow and everything was good.

Good day, life is good, blah blah blah....life is good. Of course I'm flipping back and forth numerous times a day......it's not really anything new though, just a bit different this time. So I've made my mental list of things to look for and figured I'd stop in at garage sales as I see them.....what are the chances of hitting one that has the sizes of all your kids? I did, mostly a jeans bonanza but that's ok.....my goal was shorts for the girls, spandex stuff for Anna and shoes for Katie. Instead I got Anna 5 pairs of jeans and 2 bras, because she has boobs....ok, I'll stop saying that from here on out, Katie a pair of jeans and 2 shorts and 6 pairs of jeans for the boys and 3 random camisoles for whoever....for $12. Woohoo......as nice as it was to have things going well and just be able to go get what you needed as you needed it it is kind of fun to have to put a little effort in. Besides life is cheap, well, life is valuable.....living can be cheap. Well, I guess that is if your kids don't get into things like cheerleading lol.....hmmmm.....Anyway, I have another appointment today, haven't heard from and don't know what's up with his end of things. I guess I'll find out eventually, at sometime in the past I volunteered for Family Fun night so tonight I'll be doing the sucker pull and Bingo....I hope it's ok for the boys to run free because my girl children will be busy building a float tonight, apparently they are going to be in a parade tomorrow.....who knew? It's in Silverton and the boys have baseball right in the middle of the day so I probably won't make it....ohhh....speaking of I'd better get their uniforms in the wash, they have pics tomorrow too. I just get them all spiffy for the pics and take my own before we get there lol. I think tomorrow will be front yard day, yeah.....get it all spiffed up in the morning then baseball stuff. Anyone reading this drivel, I really do just write it for my own sake and it's kind of fun to read later, better than a picture :). I so need to get the crock pot out and into use, it's like a mini one item buffet ready whenever for whoever. I think I am working up to mad, which is a good thing.....don't quite know what to do with it but I guess I'll figure that out. Yeah, I'll go do that now.

I've got a few minutes so here I am, I spent most of yesterday figuring out what I need to do to get real job ready.....having your last job be 8 years of night custodian doesn't prepare you for much other than more of the same, nothing wrong with the custodial gig but I would like another sort of something for the long term lol. So, yesterday I started making an imatch account at the unemployment office and got into this hellaciously long skills test which I'll have to go back and work on....I wonder if I can access that stuff at home? I'll have to check. I filled out and sent in an application for a shoe store....I like shoes. I guess? Today I'm going to maybe pick a friends brain about the best was to fill out the Edzapp application because my ideal would be to get in anywhere with the schools.....except custodial.....but I'd probably take that if I got the chance. Other than that I have an appointment today to go in and see what I need to do to brush up (create) skills needed for getting what I want. Then just the normal, baseball practice and Katie has a choir rehearsal thing but she pretty much can get herself to and from that....though she really wants me to pick her up. Poor kid just wants to quit choir and I keep trying to get her to stick it out......I might relent considering I don't want her to melt down on me. It just seems kind of lame to dropp something right before it all ties up. I don't like uncertainty.....at least not uncertainty you can't really be working on....I guess that would be uncertainty dependent upon outside influences. Gotta go.