We Have A Winner!

And I'm sure Kirsten never thought that being car-jacked and basically kidnapped at gunpoint and then dropped off in the middle of a street left for dead with a gun pointing at her, fearing for her life would ever amount to anything positive but yes! She has won!

So, Kirsten, um... hmmm....so, yeah... congratulations? ... for having this ultimate, life-changing traumatic experience, because you now are the winner of a Manic Mom Gift Card! (and some other fun goodies, yet to be determined)

Kirsten--Since I don't have your email address, send me an email so we can get in touch so I can get you your prize!

Thanks everybody for playing, and I had so much fun doing this, we might just have to make this a Quarterly Contest! Stay tuned, and thanks for reading, and for playing along!

Jury Duty

I have been called to Jury Duty for tomorrow (Wed.) and Hubby was formerly a police officer - yes, believe it or not - so he has been in and out of various court rooms and knows a fair amount about the law.

Me: "Honey, since I'm like juror 32, does that mean I'll be called pretty early on in the day?"

Hub: "Yeah, more than likely."

Me: "Will they ask me hard questions? Like what if they ask me if I'm a Republican or a Democrat, what do I say?"

Silence.

Me, again: "Is there anything else I should know about going to Jury Duty."

Hub: "Nah, hon. You'll be fine. Just be yourself, they'll throw you out in no time."

Bawahhhahwahhhhh!

Stay tuned for Jury Duty stories, and the announcement of the winner of the first of what will most likely become a Quarterly Manic Mom contest cuz it was so much fun!

Contest Runners-Up!

Thanks to everyone who participated in Manic-Mom's-Get-To-100-Comments-How-Interesting-Are-You? Contest! There were some fabulously bizarre, insightful, crazy, fun, thought-provoking entries.

Thanks to my panel of celebrity judges who are at this moment choosing the final winner among these runner-ups! The judges, in no particular ranking order, cuz in my book, they all RANK! And in a good way --

Swishy, of course, Best Blogger Friend Forever extraordinaire! Author of a soon-to-be-written best seller, not yet titled!

Eileen Cook
Author of the soon-to-be released Unpredictable, and writer mentor, supporter of MM!

The hilariously funny, fortunate-to-have-met-her-in-real-life, Jess Riley
Author of the soon-to-be released Riding with Larry Resnick and fellow-martini drinker!

And, again, in no particular order, here are the runners-ups--

KRStagliano said...
I was the on air talent for a German housewares company on QVC - I ironed clothes at 7:00am and demo'd a cake holder with "In the Kitchen with Bob" Bob. He was kind of a putz.

Alani said...
My mom picked out my name while she was pregnant with me while on vacation in Hawaii. While she was grocery shopping, she stumbled upon "Alani Orange Juice". In Hawaiian, Alani means orange tree. After she purchased the juice and went back to the condo she said to my dad that they would name me Alani, not only because she loved the name, but because Hawaii was such a huge part of their lives. Now, whenever I look at that framed Alani orange juice box hanging on my wall, I know that my name, and life story, started out very unique. I've been back to Hawaii since, and in recent years, they no longer make the juice :(

LBR said...
Ok I admit. I am the anonymous poster who said he had 3 nipples. While its not true of course, the other thing about being a child model is. To make things fair... I was once mistaken for Jared the Subway guy at a bar in Chicago. Because I was heavily buzzed I went along with it and signed autographs for a few people. (Note: I look nothing like him at all). My friends sometimes still call me Jared to annoy me. I guess there are worse things in life to be called.

Dawn said...
I met my husband on match.com

Sarah said...
I was on the beach in Thailand when the tsunami hit in December of 2004. At first, as the wave was coming in, everyone was scrambling for their cameras -- and then, when we realized how big it was, all of us were running for our lives. I've been engaged twice to the same man and both times he's broken it off because he says he doesn't feel the need to get married -- although we're still together and, strangely, very much in love. He's 37, I'm 26 and we've been together for 4 years. Last month, when we were still engaged, we bought an apartment in New York. He lives one-third of the time here with me, one-third in London, and one-third in Brazil. I used to travel with him all the time but now I'm trying to focus on my own life and career (writing and, as of last week, working at a literary agency). I was evacuated from my old apartment, in lower Manhattan, on 9-11. Since I moved to New York from Nashville (in 1998 to go to NYU for playwriting) I've lived in ten apartments -- though this is the only one I've owned. We've only spent eights nights here and I'm still afraid to buy anything for it that I don't love. In the interim, it's paper plates and plastic sporks...

Kirsten said...
I don't know if this is unique or interesting, but I was car-jacked, at gun-point. I was getting out of my car after picking up my bridesmaid dress for my best friends wedding. We'd had a great day of shopping. I had left my dress at her house (luckily), got home, and this guy came up from behind me with a gun. I tried to run. Left my keys in the car. He could have it. But he forced me back into the car -- I had a little 2-door Saturn -- his pregnant girlfriend was in the front seat, he was in the back seat -- holding on to me with the gun shoved into my side. Made me go to the bank and withdrawl all the money in my checking account (which again, thankfully wasn't much, as i hadn't deposited my pay check that week and it was before i had direct deposit), and then drove me to the middle of nowhere, ditched his girlfriend, got into the front seat with me .. made me lift up my shirt, but then let me get out of the car .. made me sit in the mdidle of the street pointed the gun at me, nad took off in my car. I found a house with a porch light on, and a very kind woman let me in and call the police, and then I couldn't get a hold of my parents (obviously i couldn't go to my house, as I had no keys), and so after the trip to the police station, my friend came and got me. Wow. I hadn't typed that much about the experience since it happened. It was pretty life changing, thinking back on it.

Nancy French said...
I once thought my husband David was cheating on me because all kinds of women kept calling our apartment and asking for him by name. Then, I realized that we had David Lee Roth's old phone number.

slackermommy said...
When I was 14 and Bon Jovi was just starting out I waited in line at a record store to get their autograph. They were a lot of fun and I got a kiss from Jon Bon Jovi! Yes, I kissed Jon before he was famous. You might think it creepy that he kissed a 14 year old girl but in his defense I wore a lot of make-up and dressed like a tramp so I looked much older.

Crazed said...
Okay.. I have a BFF who is also a BFF of Manic Mom... but Manic doesn't know me(maybe stories... maybe)! Love your blog... so I will give you a multiple choice. One or all are true!A) I had sex in the backseat of my parents mini-van at the age of 17... while the family was in the car!

Jennifer said...
My only claim to fame, per say, is being the survivor child of a paranoid schizophrenic mother. She tried to kill me twice that I "know" of. She believed that I was her sexual rival at the ripe old age of 11. She married the guy whom she believed I was having the affair with. She also thought that he and I were plotting her death for the insurance money (there's insurance money?). My childhood reads like a screenplay to some sick movie.She kicked me out at 12 and at 17. I stayed out at 17.She had most people in the community fooled. People like her are master manipulators. I tried to kill myself at 15, and she stood there and watched. Then was disappointed that I couldn't even do that right.I could tell you stories that would stand your hair on end. So, what is so unique you ask? The fact that I survived and intend to show my kids a whole different way of life.

T with Honey said...
I was blessed by Pope John Paul II when I was 4 years old. My grandmother scored 4 tickets to stand along somewhere near the parade route when he visited Philadelphia in 1979. She took my uncle, my mom and myself. Once in Philly we got a little lost and security directed us to the wrong place. Instead of being near the parade route we were standing on the curb 2 blocks away from the cathedral where he had said mass. Pope John Paul II walked over to the side of the road, make the Sign of the Cross on my forehead then continued on his way. Since then I have survived 2 major car accidents: 1 killed my father and the other tore a hole in my stomache and I spent 30 hours with stomache acid filling my abdomen before being repaired by a trauma surgeon.

Sophie said...
I have a huge phobia of mirrors at night or in dark rooms. I actually cover the one in the bathroom before I go to sleep. If I do have to pass a mirror at night or in the dark I run. If I can't avoid it, I literally feel like I will pass out or lose my mind. Although this probably sounds like I already lost it.

Patricia said...
I've really been having fun reading all these comments. I guess I should share something.Let's see.... I love mullets! I take pictures whenever I see one and am hoping to put them together in a book....a nice coffee table book, LOL! I've recently started taking pictures of El Camino's because I think they're the mullet of cars. Business in the front, party in the back.

Kate said...
I was married on Friday, April 1st in a ruby red wedding dress. And yes, it was for real. The night before, my now husband busted his forehead open, requiring a trip to the ER and stitches and still made it to the rehearsal before me. We went to Italy on our honeymoon with 50 other people and sang at a memorial Mass for Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's...When I was in high school, I lived in the Soviet Union for 2 years. Well, for 1.5 and then .5 in a brand-new country (Kazakstan). I saw the US flag raised over the embassy there for the very first time. And then stuffed my face with caviar because I have my priorities in this life...We moved 20 times in the first 9 months of my life...

Check out these runner-up blogs to read more about them! And being the impartial person in this contest, I couldn't vote, but I especially liked the shark entry, the blogger who was with her mom when she died, and the painted toenails by REM band-member in addition to those chosen as runner-ups!

Stay tuned as the judges make their final decision!!

F L U *Updated

Manic's got it.

And I don't think you want to hear about the violent wretching and heaving from all day yesterday, so I'll refrain, but it was one of those episodes where I would wake, heave, dry-heave, then pass back out into the deepest sleep, then be frozen cold, then sweaty hot.

Not fun. Still feeling lethargic today, but I will have the contest winner in the next day or so!

****

So now Hubby and I are second-guessing it was the flu and wondering if I have some sort of chemical imbalance? We went on Friday night, and this I swear--I only had three normal sized glasses of white wine at a party, and within 3-1/2 hours, and I alternated water with wine (just like the big man Jesus did once).

But I was S I C K. I was vomitting/vomiting (one or two Ts? Oh hell--I WAS PUKING) my guts out uncontrollably, and vascillating between the sweats and freezing to ripping off my t-shirt (get your minds out of that gutter!), and then back to scrunching up into the fetal position trying to keep warm.

What is the matter with me?

I know it wasn't a hangover because I ate normally, more than normally on Friday, and (if you don't want to read gross parts, well, you're too late...) none of the vomit had food in it -- it was just the stomach acidy stuff.

I don't know, I don't have a clue. I did start my period today, which is about a hundred and four days late, and if I wasn't forthemostpart abstinent, I would have been freaking that I was pregnant.

I'm 37, am I too young for these changes? Hubby wondered if my anti-depressants mixed with the little alcohol I had was the culprit... HELLOOO? Three glasses of wine! And I have lowered my Effexor intake since the first of the year, granted, my patience is way thin, but still...

I wish there was an internal notice or something that pops up onto your body that says:

Hangover
Flu
Virus
Cold
Fever
Chemical Imbalance
Hormonal Imbalance
You're-Just-Getting-Your-Period Imbalance
You-Can't-Even-Enjoy-Three-Glasses-Of-Wine Imbalance
None of the Above
All of the Above
You-Are-A-Screwed-Up-Mess

I a m s o o o o o o c o n f u s e d...

In other Tukey news, he and Diva are drawing pictures, and singing songs, and he just drew a picture for the girl he is in love with in junior kindergarten and Diva asked if he wanted to give it to her (her name is Carly --the note says, I LOVE CARLY--and she is the most adorable, sweetest little girl--I would love her for a daughter-in-law)... and he was all excited to give her a love note and exclaimed:

"Yay!!! I have a true love!"

Tukey Talk - Beverages & Bodily Fluids

I bet you're all so excited the contest entries are closed because now we can get back to our regularly Manic Mania, and what better way to start than by a post titled: Beverages & Bodily Fluids?

* * *

So, lately, when we go out to dinner, we've been playing TELEPHONE, you know how you whisper something into the person's ear, they then whisper to the next person and the whole thing gets completely messed up and the last person has no idea what was said? Well, we played that the other day at breakfast, where, by the way, we don't ever go to breakfast, but I had an amazing GUT-BOMB skillet that included:

bacon
loads of hash browns
scrambled eggs
cheddar cheese

Oh yeah, and buttered and jellied (grape only please) wheat toast, and fresh squeezed OJ, which I usually hate the pulp but I choked it down. They were out of vodka.

KIDDING! But keep reading, cuz I do have a vodka part coming up....

And yes, I slept all afternoon, and no, that wasn't a particular counting-points day.

So, telephone, and it's Tukey's turn and he says something that is so stupid but so five-year-old-ish we were all cracking up at the table.

"Say 'WE' two times."

Pause. Think. Crack Up.

"Say 'WE' two times."

Every time someone would whisper it back to the next person, you'd watch their faces, and then there would be an eruption of laughter.

He's just so dang cute.

Now you're supposed to actually say, "Say 'WE' two times" not say "WEE-WEE" which was the funny thing because ... well, I don't know why it was just so funny, but trust me. It was. He's my kid and if I think he's funny, then he is.

(Wee-Wee!)

* * *

I don't know what the fascination with the word is, but it's being said all around the house. Yesterday morning, as I was getting the other two darlings ready for school, Tukey, all cutesy in his Pirates of the Caribbean boxer briefs, jumps off his kitchen stool, walks to the bathroom door, stands in front of it, and raises his arms to point to the door and announces:

"Entering the Wee-Wee Station!"

OK, tell me that's not cute. Yes, there are so many times hubby and I look at each other and just shake our heads over that kid.

One final Tukey story and I'll be done. I promise.

I took coffees (OK, they were lattes, but for the sake of carpel tunnel, I will not tell you how each was prepared cuz that would just take too long) over to my neighbor's house today because we were pseudo-celebrating another neighbor's birthday. The little kids: Tukey, and two others will all be in kindergarten together next year. So we ladies are sitting in the kitchen, chit-chatting, sipping our lattes, eating quiche, muffins, and fresh fruit (cuz we all know that's what we do at least three times a week, even though the husbands have completely no clue we are being this non-productive, right? Right-O!)

The three kids are upstairs playing and I hear Tukey...

"Mrs. O! Mrs. O! Jimmy won't share God's blessings!!"

Mrs. O and my other friend look at me, and they are like, "What?"

I just smile.

Mrs. O goes upstairs to check on them: "Tuke, what is it that Jimmy's not sharing?"

Tukey: "He's not sharing God's blessings!"

So, she goes up there trying to figure out what this God's blessings toy is while I'm just laughing. She discovers Jimmy's God's blessing is the keyboard, and comes back downstairs and waits for me to explain.

Me: "That's what we say in our family; if one of the kids isn't sharing candy or whatever with the other kids... We tell 'em "Share God's blessings!"

OK, and I lied because I forgot one more Tukey Talk...

I take Tuke to school today and I'm wearing shorts because I'm going to the health club and also because the sun is out and it's like 40 degrees, so to me, it might as well be spring.

I drop him off at class and the teacher is like, "You going to work out?"

I say, "Yeah, but I really want to take a nap."

She says, "Me too. I had a couple last night."

The teacher has a hangover! I love it!

So I ask, "What were you drinking?"

"Apple martinis."

I love this woman! And then, a moment of panic seizes me and I think, "OH My God, she reads my BLOG! She knows that's my favorite drink in the entire world, and she must read my blog and how I talk about puking and poop, and sex and parenting and hangovers and all that other stuff I talk about!"

Then I think, "Nah, she's not reading my blog." And I figure it's safe to continue the conversation and I ask her, "So, how many did you drink?"

"Two."

"Yep, that'll do it, sometimes three though. How do they make 'em?"

And then she and I go into detail about how we like our appletinis made, where we've had the best appletinis, and what should be on the rim of them (cinnamon, sugar, apple Jolly Ranchers crunched up, caramel), what kind of garnish we prefer, and if we like Grey Goose or Absolute and how we cannot stand when they mix in that sweet-and-sour mix because then they just do not taste good, and how I save the apple slice, if that's the garnish and suck the vodka off it before eating it.

Meanwhile, the other teacher has the class settled into their circle, and Tuke, who was in the bathroom, comes out crying because he hurt his fingers, and here's me and the teacher discussing the pros and cons of a great appletini.

Man, I love Tukey's teacher!

OK GUYS!

You did it! You got Manic to 100!

You all rock!

Part of the reason for me wanting to do this contest was because I am interested in what Y O U have to say, what Y O U are about. And thank you all for sharing so openly. Some of you have had some amazing experiences in your lives, some tragic, some hilarious, some sentimental, some life-altering, but don't you think that what you have shared here is something that has greatly shaped you to be the person you are?

Anyway, thank you for opening up to share a piece of you with me. I really appreciate it and think it's cool! And if any of you want to hold a contest like this on your own blogs, feel free to do so. This has also helped me to find some more interesting blogs to visit! There are MANY of you out there!

Stay tuned for the winners... sometime this weekend most likely. My celeb judges are busy people ; )

Peace UP!

Not at 100 Yet

DO NOT COMMENT HERE. CLICK ON CONTEST link to share your story!

Feb. 20--CRABBY is my mood, but I can't blog about why I'm crabby because I still need 40 more comments ...

Lots of funny Manic moments to write about, but am unable until I meet my 100-comment quota for the CONTEST, and let me tell you, some of those moments involve attempting to ice skate and giving up after taking two steps on the ice, and having Ajers reject me as I asked him to hold my hand just for one round on the rink, and also bawling my head off at what I thought was going to be a terribly scary Disney movie, but turned out to be an emotional-stun-gun of a flick.

But, I can't tell you about all that stuff until we hit 100, so pimp me out to all your blog readers. I've got a great line-up of near-celebrity judges for the contest!

OH! And I think it is sooo awesome what you are sharing with me. I think I crave the feedback, of feeling connected to those who are peeking into my little Manic world. And I hope we get to 100 by this weekend, because there are some taxi-driving-appletini-drinking-'80s/'90s-band-watching weekends ahead!

Peace Up!

CONTEST WITH A REAL PRIZE

OK, this is my weak attempt to get more of you to comment on here. I share a lot about my life, my family, my writing, my appletini-drinking-Xanax-induced episodes that leave me yakking in the toilet, so now it's YOUR turn.

(Not the yakking part, the sharing part!)

Here's the deal. I want you to post a comment and tell me something very unique and interesting about you. Something that makes you feel you are different from all the rest. Something I N T E R E S T I N G.

I truly believe each one of you has an interesting story about you. Why are you so interesting? Did something interesting happen to you when you were 12? Seventeen? Thirty-nine? Have you ever sky-dived, swam in the ocean nekkid, screamed at the top of your lungs from a mountain? Shoplifted a tootsie roll and felt so bad about it you couldn't even eat it? Apply to be a contestant on Price is Right?

See, if you think hard enough, dig deep enough, there is something really cool about you. Maybe everyone knows it. Maybe you've got a birthmark that looks like the Bahama islands like I do (well, not sure if it looks like the Bahamas because it's on my backside so I can't really see it that well).

Enlighten me. I want to hear something about Y O U.

To further this contest, I am hoping for 100 comment-entries. Until then, I will not be blogging and the contest will be judged in an interesting way after we hit 100 comments.

You do not need to reveal who you are in real life, but you can't sign in as ANNONYMOUS. You'll have to make up a name, again, something unique, so if you win, I can say, Charmed Latino is the winner, and you will know it is you who wrote the comment. Of course, now that I think about it, if I say "Charmed Latino" is the winner, any number of you can email me to claim you are Charmed Latino... so I guess I'm trusting you to be honest here.

So, until the 100th comment, no further blogging, but there is a real prize involved -- coffee, music, books, a gift card for an undertermined about (of course, it's probably going to be under $20 since I haven't exactly hit the big time yet!), but if you feel like playing, head over to the comments, and tell your blogger pals to stop by Manic's to play.

Thanks for sharing a unique story, thing, trait about yourself. I know you're interesting. Tell me why!

The Disease

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's VD.

So freakin' what?

That's all.

Seriously. For now. Or maybe forever. I don't know. Kids are screaming. Typical. So what? Anyway. Not sure.

About much.

Is this confusing? to you? to me? To me. It is.

Hearts. Flowers. Cards. Kisses.

Smooches.

Hugs. I love you's.

What about tomorrow?

Fights. Screams. Whines.

I should be hoarse from the screams.

Pizza is good.

Is that all?

Or are you wondering where this is going?

Me too. Where is it going?

Have no clue.

Think I'll go. For now. For maybe ever.

Nah, just kiddin' witcha.

Witcha witcha coo coo.
Happy Valentine's Day to you.
Hope you got a little somethin-somethin.

Question: How many of you want sex for Valentine's Day?

Would you choose:
A. Sex
B. Candy and Flowers
C. Three uninterupted hours to yourself
D. Dinner out
E. Sleep

What's your answer?

Random

I love Swishy's random stuff and thought since I don't have anything major to say, I'd do a Random Tuesday post. And yep, Blogger caught up with me so now I have the supposedly new and improved Blogger crap.

We'll see.

Now, on to Random:

I don't feel well. It's not the flu but it might be. It's like a two-ton elephant is pressing his right foot below my breastbone, just lightly enough that I can still inhale, but hard enough that it hurts, and it makes me feel nauseous. It's not gas.

Chicago in February sucks. Snow day today. All this snow has taken away the after-vacation-glow and entered me into my usual winter depression.

I'm now afraid to take Xanax because of what happened on vacation.

Added: Just found out from my 16-year-old neighbor that I'm quoted in Glamour's March issue, about Mortifying Moments. Hellooo? I thought it was the quote about my first orgasm, which will air sometime in a later issue (Dear God), so when the neighbor called me to tell me this, I WAS MORTIFIED thinking it was the OTHER quote!

I can feel the rolls of my gut settling over the elastic of my underwear.

I haven't showered since Sunday.

I don't really feel like eating.

Now that vacation is over, I can focus all my thoughts on the NOVEL. Which is annoying as heck because I don't want to be all-consumed over an editor reading it and falling in love with it (see above Xanax reference and not taking it).

It's dark in my house right now.

I'm looking around my office to try to find something interesting to write about.

There is nothing.

It's pretty sad when a family of five runs out of Mac-N-Cheese, isn't it?

The day after we got home from Cabo, we booked a trip to Florida. I love Chicago, but I also hate Chicago.

Even though I was sick the first day of vacation from five+ margaritas with amaretto toppers on them, I still managed to suck back a bunch of the freshest mojitos you will ever have, and a handful of pina coladas with Kahlua toppers. (I'm big on the added-shot-bonus)

Our drink bill for the week was massive.

It's seems like there is so much to do, so much to get started doing, but I'm not up for a project.

These projects include: showering, folding laundry, and feeding my children.

Does this sound like a whiny, snivelling, pathetic and depressing post to you? Wouldn't you be depressed if just last week you were surrounded by scenery like this,

and now you're stuck inside the scenery that evokes images from The Shining?
Yeah, me too.

Cabo Photos, More

Details to follow, but make sure to scroll all the way down as there are two posts with photos.

One important lesson learned: Never think it's OK to take one Xanax pre-flight, one Xanax mid-flight, and then have five margaritas each with a topper shot in the same day.

You'll land in the bathroom with your head in the toilet. Just sayin'...

Cabo Photos

Details to follow... but, isn't it beautiful?

Home Snow Home

Home. Freezing. Good to be back?

Details on trip later, but let's just say, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

You Have Reached Manic Mom's Blog

Thank you for visiting Manic Mom.

I will not be blogging because I will be in Mexico doing any or all of the following:

Not worrying about my weight.

Now caring what I look like in my suit.

Drinking frothy fun beachy cocktails during the day.

Wining and dining during the night.

Sunbathing, snoozing, reading, relaxing.

Shopping, watching the Bears in a cheesy Mexican bar Sunday night

Or...

Shopping while the men watch the Bears in a cheesy Mexican bar.

Doing tequila shots.

Taking naps.

Playing with the kids, a little bit.

Breathing in deeply.

Breathing in the warm air, the warm sun, the ocean breezes.

Having S E X...

Maybe... (sorry Mom, but yeah, I'll do it on vacation!)

Getting Buzzed.

Eating good food.

Whale watching (and NO, I WILL NOT BE LOOKING AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR FOR THIS!)

Playing with my nephew.

Laughing with my brother and sister-in-law.

Letting brother and sister-in-law's Nanny AND her sister help the kids with homework.

Letting brother and sister-in-law's Nanny AND her sister watch the kids while we go out at night.

Drinking margaritas.

Reading books.

Taking naps. I think I said these things already but I just have to make sure I get everything on my list.

Not worrying about the fate of 40 Weeks.

Not checking email, blogs, writing (OK, maybe some chicken-scratching here and there!)...

And, because I am already packed and ready to go, and because it is 17 years tonight that I met my husband, and because he closed the office early and made plans to get together with a couple of guy friends at a bar, I am going to take my ass up to that bar, bring him a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY balloon and have a drink with him.

THE EFFER DIDN'T EVEN CALL ME TODAY OR INVITE ME TO DRINK WITH HIM...

I'll show him!

It'll either be the beginning of a great vacation or it'll set the stage for a crappy week. Who knows? Who cares? But I am READY TO LET GO AND HAVE SOME FUN!

Peace UP! And yes, Mom and Stacy, I know it is really PEACE OUT! Duh.

So Much for That!

Yesterday, I was pretending I was Diva for a Day, going to the health club, doing a strength training class, then later, hitting the tanning spa for 20 minutes so I am not sticky-pale white in Mexico, and of course, it is necessary to have a pedicure before a beach vacation, as the toes will soon be nekkid for all to view.

And the color I chose is quite a popular OPI one: Oh To Be 25 Again.

Have you ever read all the colors on the OPI nail polishes? I think that would be my dream job--to sit in a room all day and look at colors and decide what would be a fun name for it. The names are so original and fun and funky! And they even now have a timely OPI Mexican Collection of colors. How fun.

And today continued a little like yesterday; I bopped around the house, and actually packed for all three kids and me completely today! And we don't leave till Saturday. I am on the ball! Then I went and got a waxy-waxerson, did the treadmill and then hit the tan bed for another quick 20-minute zap-o-matic.

Things were moving along pretty well. I figured out clothing choices for the trip, felt like I had done well enough on the diet, working out prior to this trip, and was happy to get all the packing mostly out of the way.

Then the bus came. And Diva got out. And her ears were cracking, and they hurt. I ignored it. I took them all to get beach-vacation haircuts, then as we got into the car, she started crying about her ears.

I took her to the pediatrician.

Ear infection.

I am SUPER MOMMY!

Don't you just love it when you sense something is not quite right with your kid, and you make that split decision to call the doctor two days before you leave for Mexico, just to have her ears looked at, and YAY! It's an ear infection!

I knew it.

And now we've got the antibiotic here, and she's started it, and she'll be hopefully fine on the plane and we can all go enjoy a family vacation. And just in time because it's supposed to be a high of eight degrees here on Saturday.

Hasta La Vista! Baby.

Peace UP!

PS--Tomorrow marks the 17th (OMG!!!) anniversary of the day I met hubby.