No job.
At least we know. And Granny needs him now. (Did I tell you she has a collapsed vertebrae now? He took her to urgent care earlier in the week in pain.)
No career, but there is work.
7/23/11
7/22/11
Remember when I was stuck in California for three days?
I'm hanging out with those friends again, only this time we're in the Great State of Texas so I don't have to hang out at any airports.
not like this trip.
But since I'm one of the people with a car, I get to spend my time picking people up from airports and getting rather lost.
But I have no kids. And I get to tour HQ of woot.com today. And stay up late giggling with friends.
After nine straight days doing the solo parenting thing with the kids, I may try to figure out a way to get stranded in a different part of Texas for three days. Since Dowlan never reads my blog, he won't catch on.
But mom does. Dang . . . *waves*
I'll be picking them up on Monday, as planned.
not like this trip.
But since I'm one of the people with a car, I get to spend my time picking people up from airports and getting rather lost.
But I have no kids. And I get to tour HQ of woot.com today. And stay up late giggling with friends.
After nine straight days doing the solo parenting thing with the kids, I may try to figure out a way to get stranded in a different part of Texas for three days. Since Dowlan never reads my blog, he won't catch on.
But mom does. Dang . . . *waves*
I'll be picking them up on Monday, as planned.
7/21/11
Back with the Daddy again
I've had a solo road trip planned for months, so I brought the kids to my mom's for the weekend. It's the same town Dowlan's been working at and, after nine long days, we are reunited for a bit.
Charlie said, "Now my heart can be happy again."
In further news, Dowlan got an email following up from Monday's job interview. It included a long-form application for the job, which he's got filled out and submitted already.
Ooooh, I want this to work out.
Charlie said, "Now my heart can be happy again."
In further news, Dowlan got an email following up from Monday's job interview. It included a long-form application for the job, which he's got filled out and submitted already.
Ooooh, I want this to work out.
7/20/11
Charlie has lost his GWEEN light sabre from his happy meal
And nothing could be more urgent.
He gave me 100 minutes to look for it before 'dere is an emergency' and is counting backwards. It goes something like this:
One hundred
ninety-nine
eighty-eight
seven-n-seven
seven-n-eight
no, dat is not it.
One hundred
ninety-nine
eighty-eight
NO YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO FOLD DA LAUNDRY! IT IS INSIDE AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS!
one hundred . . . .
He gave me 100 minutes to look for it before 'dere is an emergency' and is counting backwards. It goes something like this:
One hundred
ninety-nine
eighty-eight
seven-n-seven
seven-n-eight
no, dat is not it.
One hundred
ninety-nine
eighty-eight
NO YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME TO FOLD DA LAUNDRY! IT IS INSIDE AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS!
one hundred . . . .
7/19/11
A Very Urgent Conversation
While driving home from the library yesterday, I was talking to Dowlan on the phone. This, naturally, meant that Charlie must speak to me about a pressing matter that could only be discussed at that moment, without delay.
Charlie: Mommy, are dere imbisible tigers?
Mommy: I'm talking to Daddy right now, can one of your sisters talk to you about this?
C: Dey do not know about imbisible tigers. I dest need to know if dere are tigers dat are imbisible.
M: Not that I've ever seen.
Back to Daddy, if just for a moment.
C: But are dere imbisible tigers dat you've never seen?
M: If they're there, I haven't seen them. They are invisible.
Back to Daddy.
C: Mommy, do imbisible tigers scratch with dere huge, imbisible claws?
M: No, they only tickle bellybuttons.
C: Do imbisible bite with dere sharp, imbisible teef?
M: No, they do not bite little boys named Charlie. They lick you with their big sloppy tongues and give invisible kisses. You might like that about them, really. All their kisses are invisible, not real.
C: But what if one of dem ate me all up?
M: Well, you'd never know, would you? If one of them swallowed you whole, you'd be in their invisible tummy. But you'd still see around and be able to walk and talk . . . hey, you could be inside an invisible tiger's tummy right now and not even notice.
He ponders this. I talk to Daddy.
C: Mommy, dat is dest too silly. Dere is not an imbisible tiger's tummy dat I am in.
Oh, you may think that. But how would you know???
Charlie: Mommy, are dere imbisible tigers?
Mommy: I'm talking to Daddy right now, can one of your sisters talk to you about this?
C: Dey do not know about imbisible tigers. I dest need to know if dere are tigers dat are imbisible.
M: Not that I've ever seen.
Back to Daddy, if just for a moment.
C: But are dere imbisible tigers dat you've never seen?
M: If they're there, I haven't seen them. They are invisible.
Back to Daddy.
C: Mommy, do imbisible tigers scratch with dere huge, imbisible claws?
M: No, they only tickle bellybuttons.
C: Do imbisible bite with dere sharp, imbisible teef?
M: No, they do not bite little boys named Charlie. They lick you with their big sloppy tongues and give invisible kisses. You might like that about them, really. All their kisses are invisible, not real.
C: But what if one of dem ate me all up?
M: Well, you'd never know, would you? If one of them swallowed you whole, you'd be in their invisible tummy. But you'd still see around and be able to walk and talk . . . hey, you could be inside an invisible tiger's tummy right now and not even notice.
He ponders this. I talk to Daddy.
C: Mommy, dat is dest too silly. Dere is not an imbisible tiger's tummy dat I am in.
Oh, you may think that. But how would you know???
Technology attempted to defeat him
but he got through his interview nonetheless.
For some bizarro reason, his phone went straight to voicemail when they called this morning. He tried calling the number back, but it was not a direct line to anything. There was a helpful recording suggesting check his voicemail but no voicemail was left.
He called back the person he'd spoken with last week to set up the interview. She couldn't get through either, so she did the interview herself.
90% of the way through, his phone battery died.
When he called back he did include something about how you sometimes have to be persistent to get technology to work for you. I'm hoping she bought it.
He'd gone through the job listing the night before, taking notes on how he was qualified to do the things listed. Jotted down what experiences he'd had and how they prepared him for this job. Said he felt it went okay.
She said to check his email over the next few days for the next step.
For some bizarro reason, his phone went straight to voicemail when they called this morning. He tried calling the number back, but it was not a direct line to anything. There was a helpful recording suggesting check his voicemail but no voicemail was left.
He called back the person he'd spoken with last week to set up the interview. She couldn't get through either, so she did the interview herself.
90% of the way through, his phone battery died.
When he called back he did include something about how you sometimes have to be persistent to get technology to work for you. I'm hoping she bought it.
He'd gone through the job listing the night before, taking notes on how he was qualified to do the things listed. Jotted down what experiences he'd had and how they prepared him for this job. Said he felt it went okay.
She said to check his email over the next few days for the next step.
7/18/11
finger-crossing time, again
I keep staring at a wall, thinking that I don't know what I'm going to do if this one doesn't work out either, but I do. I'll keep going. It's what I do.
He has another job interview in the morning--a phone interview at 8 a.m. for a job that would be an excellent fit for his skills and areas of interest.
It's a job involving lab work, which would finally put that engineering physics degree to use. It would tweak his inner geek. It's not exclusively lab work, which means he'll still get to interact with other human beings and perhaps witness the sun shining from time to time.
It's a solid starting salary for this area, which would mean we can once again put money into savings, get (back) out of debt and focus on retirement. It would mean gymnastics and ballet lessons, co-pays and therapies. It would mean affording gluten-free again. It would mean my stomach could stop hurting and I could sleep at night.
It's nearby, which means he could come home again. It's 158 hours since he left and, as Charlie put it, "How can we be Team Smif if we're not all togedder?"
But it's a phone interview, which is not in his favor. As much as he struggles to present himself as the intelligent and competent human being in person, he is at an even greater disadvantage over the phone. It's not his strong suit.
They're looking for long-term and committed? He's their guy.
They're looking for a scientific thinker with acute attention to detail? He's their guy.
They're looking for someone dedicated and friendly to work with vendors? He's their guy.
He's their guy.
He's their guy.
He's their guy.
He has another job interview in the morning--a phone interview at 8 a.m. for a job that would be an excellent fit for his skills and areas of interest.
It's a job involving lab work, which would finally put that engineering physics degree to use. It would tweak his inner geek. It's not exclusively lab work, which means he'll still get to interact with other human beings and perhaps witness the sun shining from time to time.
It's a solid starting salary for this area, which would mean we can once again put money into savings, get (back) out of debt and focus on retirement. It would mean gymnastics and ballet lessons, co-pays and therapies. It would mean affording gluten-free again. It would mean my stomach could stop hurting and I could sleep at night.
It's nearby, which means he could come home again. It's 158 hours since he left and, as Charlie put it, "How can we be Team Smif if we're not all togedder?"
But it's a phone interview, which is not in his favor. As much as he struggles to present himself as the intelligent and competent human being in person, he is at an even greater disadvantage over the phone. It's not his strong suit.
They're looking for long-term and committed? He's their guy.
They're looking for a scientific thinker with acute attention to detail? He's their guy.
They're looking for someone dedicated and friendly to work with vendors? He's their guy.
He's their guy.
He's their guy.
He's their guy.
Confession
My favorite restaurant in our new town is the gas station.
There's a local chain called Stripes that was bought out buy a guy who owns the Laredo Taco Company. Each store contains a short order grill for burgers and also has a window with about 2 dozen items under heat lamps.
It started with the jalapeno corn dogs that are 2 for 99¢. They are just the right amount of spicy. Then I started going there for a burger at lunch, as my school is far from any fast food establishments. They butter their buns and put them on the grill while the meat sizzles. Mmmmmm . . .
As their menu expanded, so did I. You can get any entree and two sides for 3.99. A 32 oz Diet Coke is 99¢ and brings my lunch total to $5.32. It's usually enough for two or three days.
My very favorite thing on the way home from church is to stop for the half rotisserie chicken, wedge fries and mashed potatoes. We come home, add some green beans and salad and split it five ways. During the school year, I'd go for a half chicken for lunch on Monday. Eat the thigh and one of the sides. Debone the rest and stick it in the lounge fridge. Tuesday, I'd eat the breast and the other side. Wednesday, I'd bring a tortilla, salsa and beans and have a chicken fajita. (It always comes with a little bell pepper and onion that are grilled to perfection!) and Thursday I'd bring a bowl of greens and cover it with whatever chicken was left.
No matter what I ate on Friday, it was always a disappointment.
So I just ran Dixie over to a friend's to play and went in for some enchiladas. I was thrilled to discover they have branched out and now have both red AND green enchiladas. I'm a bit disappointed at the first bite when I realize they use tomatillos instead of chiles verdes for the sauce, but they are worthy of culinary respect and will easily last me three meals.
You wish you had my gas station, don't you?
There's a local chain called Stripes that was bought out buy a guy who owns the Laredo Taco Company. Each store contains a short order grill for burgers and also has a window with about 2 dozen items under heat lamps.
It started with the jalapeno corn dogs that are 2 for 99¢. They are just the right amount of spicy. Then I started going there for a burger at lunch, as my school is far from any fast food establishments. They butter their buns and put them on the grill while the meat sizzles. Mmmmmm . . .
As their menu expanded, so did I. You can get any entree and two sides for 3.99. A 32 oz Diet Coke is 99¢ and brings my lunch total to $5.32. It's usually enough for two or three days.
My very favorite thing on the way home from church is to stop for the half rotisserie chicken, wedge fries and mashed potatoes. We come home, add some green beans and salad and split it five ways. During the school year, I'd go for a half chicken for lunch on Monday. Eat the thigh and one of the sides. Debone the rest and stick it in the lounge fridge. Tuesday, I'd eat the breast and the other side. Wednesday, I'd bring a tortilla, salsa and beans and have a chicken fajita. (It always comes with a little bell pepper and onion that are grilled to perfection!) and Thursday I'd bring a bowl of greens and cover it with whatever chicken was left.
No matter what I ate on Friday, it was always a disappointment.
So I just ran Dixie over to a friend's to play and went in for some enchiladas. I was thrilled to discover they have branched out and now have both red AND green enchiladas. I'm a bit disappointed at the first bite when I realize they use tomatillos instead of chiles verdes for the sauce, but they are worthy of culinary respect and will easily last me three meals.
You wish you had my gas station, don't you?
I just woke up
to the words, "No fair, Charlie! I can't spit that far!"
Then Charlie responded, "Miss me, miss me, now you gotta kiss me!"
Before he knew it, I ran in and gave him a kiss. He has now revised his taunting to, "Miss me, miss me, now you gotta imbisibile kiss me!"
Dang. He's on to me.
Then Charlie responded, "Miss me, miss me, now you gotta kiss me!"
Before he knew it, I ran in and gave him a kiss. He has now revised his taunting to, "Miss me, miss me, now you gotta imbisibile kiss me!"
Dang. He's on to me.
7/17/11
If you need a bathroom coach
Charlie is your man. Not only is his bathroom time a constant monologue, he is willing to accompany you to the bathroom and offer advice. Examples include:
"Pee is easy. It's just pee. It's not hard."
"Dat poop is being tricky, but I know it can make it out."
"Dest stand dere and hold it. Da pee knows where it's supposed to go and it will go dere if you just stand dere for a little while."
I wish he'd been there coaching me on this morning. Instead, he was out back in the sand box with Dixie, where the following occurred:
Dixie was building a sand church.
Charlie wanted to put toys in the church.
Dixie said he couldn't.
Charlie said, "You're not part of this family," (because that's what she always yells when she's mad at me).
Dixie told him he could 'build his own damn castle'.
Charlie spit on her.
Dixie threw sand in his eyes and mouth.
Melody looked up from her chapter book long enough to observe, "I don't think Charlie wanted that sand in his eyes."
It was a lovely, long morning.
"Pee is easy. It's just pee. It's not hard."
"Dat poop is being tricky, but I know it can make it out."
"Dest stand dere and hold it. Da pee knows where it's supposed to go and it will go dere if you just stand dere for a little while."
I wish he'd been there coaching me on this morning. Instead, he was out back in the sand box with Dixie, where the following occurred:
Dixie was building a sand church.
Charlie wanted to put toys in the church.
Dixie said he couldn't.
Charlie said, "You're not part of this family," (because that's what she always yells when she's mad at me).
Dixie told him he could 'build his own damn castle'.
Charlie spit on her.
Dixie threw sand in his eyes and mouth.
Melody looked up from her chapter book long enough to observe, "I don't think Charlie wanted that sand in his eyes."
It was a lovely, long morning.
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