Virtual Pumpkin Carving

I stole this from Alice Bunnie. It's Virtual Pumpkin Carving. It takes a little practice to get the hang of it, but I think it's pretty cool. Try it!

I'm Having An Allergy Attack - Someone Alert Homeland Security!

First of all, I've changed the name of my blog. I liked the title of my previous post, "I Miss My Sanity" so much, that that's my new title. I don't really think I'm a Bad Mommy, anyway. Well, not always. So, to the 2 or 3 of you that have me on your blogroll, just thought I'd let you know about the change.

I'm having an allergy attack today. It doesn't happen often, but right now my eyes and nose are watering and I constantly have that feeling of having to sneeze. I had to go to Target this morning anyway for...you know, other stuff, so I was definitely picking up some Drixoral while I was there. Drixoral is my allergy wonder-drug. Sudafed doesn't work worth a crap, and I know that Drixoral will dry me right up. Only problem is, when I asked the pharmacist, he said they didn't carry it. Drat. Asked him if he knew anywhere that did carry it. He said he saw it at Wal Mart a couple of months ago. Wal Mart. Drat, again. I hate that store. But if that is where I must go to get the one allergy med that I know will work for me, then I'll brave the unwashed masses and do what I have to do.

Thankfully, I don't really have Wal Mart experiences like this (although my blog might be funnier if I attracted the crazy like Crystal does), but nonetheless, I hate the place. Little did I know though, that I'd be signing my life away just to purchase my beloved Drixoral. I had to go to the pharmacy counter, of course. They don't have it on the shelf anymore, because it's got that Pseudoimgonnamakemethouttathisephedrine in it. But now, not only do you have to get it from the pharmacist, but you have to show a government-issued ID (driver's license), give them your phone number, and verify that the address on said government-issued ID is correct. I can only assume this is because "Homeland Security" wants to send me a card, wishing me well and hoping that I am over my allergy attack soon. Frankly, I'm touched by their concern. I didn't know they cared. Compassionate conservatism, indeed.

I Miss My Sanity

Ok, honestly I'm about ready to snap. Anytime that one of my two older kids has a friend over, Kylie has to act like a baboon. I mean, more than she normally does. Yes, she's showing off for attention. But it's the worst when Danni's boyfriend is here. She's acting like a freaking lunatic (Lunatic Fringe, anyone? Because it's playing in my head right now.) Finally, I'd had enough, it's 8pm, we bring her up to our room. She starts screaming that she doesn't want to go to bed. Screaming. My head hurts. I'm still sore and tired from last night. Isn't five a bit old for this?

Since she needs an excuse to keep crying, she starts wailing, "BUT I MISS GRAAANNNNTTTT!!!"

Grant is her "boyfriend" in her preschool class. She saw him at school on Friday, and will see him again tomorrow. She is as full of crap as a constipated cow. I point out to her that she will see Grant tomorrow, because apparently I still haven't learned not to try and reason with this behavior. So then she shrieks, "BUT I MISS SOPHIE AND PHILLIP!!!!!" More crying. Ok, Sophie and Phillip are the twin niece and nephew of my friend Kati. They are more or less Kylie's age. They live in Germany, and Kylie met them ONCE, when they were here visiting about two years ago. This is totally fake, I know it and she knows it...it's just an excuse to keep up the crocodile tears. Seriously kid...shut it. Does anyone else's kid besides mine INVENT reasons to be upset? Like, if there's no real reason to be upset, she/he will pull something totally random out of thin air?

One of these days I'm going to completely lose it, and run around my house shrieking "I miss my SANITYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!" I wonder if it lives in Germany? Oh no, I know where it lives: 1990. You know, before I had kids.

ASU vs. Cal, Homecoming 2007

Yesterday was homecoming for ASU. Since I used to be in the band, I decided to go and play in the alumni band this year. I haven't done this since BK (Before Kylie), so the last time I went was 6 years ago. The alumni band not only goes to the game and plays in the stands but we march (yes, MARCH) the pre-game show. Fight song, national anthem, alma mater, etc, while MARCHING on the football field. Ok, sometimes standing still and sometimes marching. I have had so many people say to me, "You mean you guys actually march, on the field?" Yes, we do! And let me tell you, that marching-and-playing-at-the-same-time stuff is easy to do when you're 19, but let's just say I am sore this morning! I'm really glad I went though, because I saw a few old friends and had a great time, and the game was AMAZING!

We had a marching rehearsal in the morning at 9am yesterday that lasted until 11:30am, where we learned the show. Yes, we're so good, we can learn a whole show in 2 1/2 hours. I met three sax players that were about 10 years younger than me, who had attended the same high school my daughter now goes to! That was fun, and they were cool kids. After marching practice was over, we pretty much had the afternoon to ourselves, as the game was in the evening. Here are some of the people that I partied with all afternoon had lunch with (read: the "older" crowd, were in the band in the 80s, like me. People I actually knew back then.)

Here is the entire alumni band warming up on the steps of the Student Services building before heading over to the stadium. We had 230 people playing this year! There weren't too many people from my four years in band there, most were more recent (within the last 10 years) grads, but there were some of us older folks there too. One guy in the sax section was in the band from '69-'73. He didn't look that old! There was one sax player, some girl that was only out a couple of years, graduated in '05, or something. She was all snotty and trying to tell us all what to do. She was one of those band geeks (unlike me, who was a cool person who just happened to be in the band) who take this kind of stuff way too seriously. Shut up kid, you bother me.

That's me in the sunglasses, playing my sax:

After we marched our show, we were waiting on the field for the team to come running out. We were standing there for a bit, while they were playing video, cheerleaders were running everywhere, music, fireworks, etc. There's my best band-buddy, Debbie, holding the piccolo. Hi Debbie! We were in the same class at ASU, so we both had the pleasure of turning the big Four Oh this year. Ha!

This is what it looks like to be standing on the field as the team comes running right past you. It's blurry, yeah..those guys were running fast, plus there were lots of fireworks and smoke! I was probably supposed to be playing the fight song at that point, but I was taking a picture instead. Hee.

The game started out a little slowly, and we were trailing 20-14 at halftime. But as usual with this particular team, they kick it into high gear for the second half! I didn't take any pictures during the game, but at the end, after we beat Cal 31-20, the students poured out onto the field. I remember doing that, back in the day.

ASU is now 8-0, baby! We're ranked like #4 (or #6, depending which poll you look at) in the country! Next week is an even bigger challenge, playing Oregon, who beat USC yesterday. That's gonna be a good one too, I wish it was a home game!. We also get to play USC on Thanksgiving day. This season is so exciting, I can't wait for next Saturday. Go Devils!

You Lying S.O.B - But Now I Don't Care

This post was going to be a rant about something that happened to me this morning when I was dropping Kylie off at preschool. Long story short...I was backing out of my parking space, and my back bumper bumped into the back bumper of another car. No damage to my car... paint came off the bumper on the other person's car. He decided to be real dick about it though, and I found out later that he's even filed an effing MEDICAL CLAIM with my insurance company. Dude, I was going like 3 mph when I bumped you. You are SO LYING. And I've been pissed off about it all day, and I may tell the story later. However, I was interupted by my phone just now, and some much more important news:

Shannon made the 7th grade soccer team!!!!!! I'm so happy for her, because I know she's been struggling a bit to figure out where she fits in at the jr high. The thing is, she has never played organized soccer before. She's definitely an athlete, and an awesome softball player, but has never been on a soccer team. They had about 35 girls trying out, and they only took 18...and she made it!! I am so proud of her. Wtg, Shay Shay!!!

Purell is Trying to Kill Us

I was just sitting here, clicking away, reading some other mom-type blogs, because it's a good way to kill time and avoid folding the laundry. I came across one lady who said something very interesting. She said she was sick, and that she feels like she's always getting sick, and can catch anyone's germs. Then in the next sentence, she said,

"The thing that is bizarre is that I'm very much a clean freak. I wash my hands in scalding hot water many times daily. Lysol is my friend on all kitchen and bath surfaces."

Well, I have some news for you. I don't think Lysol is your friend at all. In fact, I've been meaning to talk about this very subject. All you obsessive users of the hand-sanitizer and the Lysol just need to stop. Really. You're going to kill us all.

You may think you're keeping yourself and your kids healthier by trying to maintain a germ-free environment, but what you're really doing is sanitizing yourselves right out of an immune system. Your body needs to be exposed to germs to build its defenses and immunities. That's the way our bodies are designed.

Case in point: I had this friend (actually, she was a friend of a friend, she was too full of crazy to hang out with for any sustained period of time) who cleaned her house with bleach. Every surface in her house was sanitized, and she obsessively washed her own hands and those of her two small daughters. She disinfected every shopping cart, every fast-food restaurant table, and anything else that might have those nasty germs on it. The girls were pretty healthy, until guess what? They went to school, and they were sick constantly. They had never been exposed to...anything, and therefore their little bodies had no immunity to anything.

I have a confession to make: I don't use hand sanitizer. Ever. I don't make my kids wash their hands every time they have a cracker. If there is visible dirt, then yes, we wash. We wash our hands after using the toilet. I don't wipe down the shopping cart handle before I touch it. I didn't use one of those shopping cart cover things for the babies to sit in. I *gasp* don't use paper toilet seat covers in public restrooms. In other words, I'm really not concerned about coming in contact with germs in everyday life. None of us has ever had a flu shot, and coincidentally (or not), none of us has ever had the flu, either.

Guess how often I get sick? Never. Guess how often my kids get sick? Hardly ever. Kylie had strep this past June, but other than that, I can't remember the last time any of the three of them were sick. Oh, and just to add insult to injury, I didn't breastfeed any of them. So according to the "research", they should be less healthy than their breastfed, hand-sanitizing, Lysol-mom-spraying counterparts, right? Only that's definitely not the case.

I'm not saying that occasionally washing your hands with soap is a bad thing. It's probably a good thing. But the quest to have our kids living in a germ-free environment is not doing them any favors. Let 'em eat dirt once in a while...it's not going to kill them, I promise. It'll probably make them healthier. ;)

You're Lucky I Didn't Kick Your Ass

Dear Dirty Middle-Aged Pervert with the Beard and the Horse Racing Forms at Starbucks,

That girl that you are so obviously looking up and down is my daughter. She is FIFTEEN. Do you happen to see me, her mother, standing right next to her as you are so blatently ogling her? I let it go the first time I saw you do it, when she was ordering her drink. But the second time, as you walked by her as she was waiting for her drink, and holding her five year-old sister on her hip, you did it again. And you weren't subtle about it either. Again, I suppose you didn't happen to see me, her mother, STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO HER? I hope you were just a little bit embarrassed when I told you, loudly, that she was fifteen and to stop staring at her. Skeevy bastard. It's a good thing I'm not Matt Parkman, because I don't even want to know what you were thinking.

You're disgusting,
Bad Pissed-Off Mommy