I've posted a few pictures of our adventures.
Posted by Margaret
11:53 AM
|
On the River Seine, Paris, France July 2004
Posted by Margaret
11:52 AM
|
P and I in Interlaken, Switzerland Feb 2004
Posted by Margaret
11:29 AM
|
Covent Gardens London Aug 2004
Posted by Margaret
11:25 AM
|
Because I love my job pickin' cotton (it pays da bills!), I lumbered out of bed to get to work for a few reasons (even though the hacking cough is still here):
- I know if I stayed home, P would want to go to daycare bright and early to see her 'friends', so if I leave the house to take her ALL the way to daycare, I should go on to work.
- I work with one other cotton picker and the office is pretty chill.
- I don't want to waste any of my 100+ hours of leave on something like being sick, when I'll need it all for my '05 summertime excursions (to Greece, St. Lucia, and in May we'll venture to Turks & Caicos).
Posted by Margaret
1:32 PM
|
Remember the hacking cough?? Well, it's still here.
I left work early today to take the Crazy Dog to the groomer. Once finished, P, CD and I were going to visit a friend to show off his $50 hair cut that makes him look like a canine crack head. On the way to the house, I had a cough attack! I coughed so hard and so much, it felt like I swallowed hot cinders.
I'll just say that what happened next was a flashback to my way-too-much-Heineken-returning-from the-club-just-in-time-for-work Army days which earned me the title of 'The Roadside Hurler'.
As I was getting back in the car, P started yelling:
LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY CAR!We went on the my friend's house, where I douced the car door with water.
Once we made it home, I laid on the couch, and P was playing with a new toy. I drifted off to sleep, and P woke me with:
Mom, you didn't make me any dinner!!
So I took her 'order' of french toast sticks, eggs, oatmeal, and strawberry milk (at least I knew she'd eat it).
I gave P her food, and looked at the clock, IT WAS ONLY 5:00!!!
Hopefully, I'll get to turn in early tonight, but I know I'll have to deal with the hacking cough all night.
Maybe I'll stay home tomorrow. Uncle LeRoy won't miss this little cotton picker.
Posted by Margaret
6:27 PM
|
This is how my day began:
- I woke up late~~at 5:37!! I NEEDED THOSE 37 minutes!
- Boston won the World Series~~IN St. Louis!!! Poor Cardinals from 5,000 miles away, I feel your pain!
- The only thing to watch this morning on Uncle LeRoy's 10 channels was the game.
- Outfit #1 was too big for P, she didn't like outfit #2, and I HAD to iron #3~~all before 6:00!
- Once the St. Louis celebration for the other team went off, NO JUDGE JUDY!
- Barney came on~~at least P was happy.
- The Crazy Dog was being...crazy.
- I missed the eclipse at 3:15.
- IT IS RAINING!!!
- I was up all night with my hacking cough that won't go away (maybe I should try some Jagermeister).
When I was leaving the daycare after dropping P off, she asked me to come to her room again, she had summtin' to tell me. I went back to find out what it was, she said:
'I lub you, have fun at work today'.
It's better already!!
Posted by Margaret
7:40 AM
|
If you were trying to fax something to my office between 3:15 & 4:00 this afternoon, CHECK THE DAMN NUMBER!! You were using my phone number, so everytime I answered the phone, I had to listen to the annoying piercing sound of your fax machine.
I know that I'm just a little 'ol cotton picker for Uncle LeRoy, but at least I know if I attempt to fax something to someone, and 15 minutes later it's still sitting in the fax machine, THERE IS A PROBLEM!!! I would make sure I had the right fax number, if nothing else. This is why there are 'altercations' in the work place.
CHECK THE DAMN NUMBER!!
Just a small piece of advice. Thank you for your understanding concerning this matter.
Posted by Margaret
11:22 PM
|
Guilt is a TERRIBLE thing!!!
My philosophy is that a child's 'job' is to be happy.
Even though P is only 3 years old, she has EVERYTHING (except a pony) a 3 year old could want (including a $900 crazy dog). In the first 2 years of her life, because of the guilt factor, I did not buy more than the essentials for myself.
When she was getting into Barney and Blues Clues at about 18 months old, I decided that I would not allow that on my tv in the living room, so she got her OWN tv AND dvd player (I didn't get one in my room until 4 months ago).
Last year, I was taking a programming class, I was quickly becoming a C++ tard, so my instructor suggested that I take a laptop to class. The problem was I DIDN'T HAVE ONE!!
So, off I went, trolling the internet, looking for the BEST deal around. Even while searching, I started feeling guilty because the money I was going to spend on the laptop could buy something for P instead. After changing my mind many times, I finally bought one. My justification to myself was that it could ALSO be my Christmas/birthday present for the next 3 years. Most of the guilt was relieved.
Here I am, a year later, and I just finished my last class for my Associate of Arts-Computer Studies degree. When I knew the end was in sight, I decided to buy myself something...what did I need? A WATCH!!! Back in the pre P days, I had a SWATCH collection, and when she came along, what's mine became hers, plus who over 30 actually wears a Swatch??
The watch I decided on is a TAG Heuer~~but the prices are OUTRAGEOUS. I wasn't too sure if I wanted a watch to be the most expensive thing I own besides the car. I found the style I liked, but kept looking, then FINALLY 10 days ago, I found it, on sale online for a fraction of the cost!! Even though I still felt guilty, I ordered it. While waiting on it to get delivered, I was thinking of reasons to return it and spend the money on P.
Well, I picked it up this morning, and IT IS GORGEOUS!!!! Although I do feel a bit guilty, I guess I'll keep the watch. We'll just go DVD shopping for P this weekend (like she needs more DVDs).
Posted by Margaret
1:34 PM
|
As expected, the hoop d'ville was fixed today. I had my I'm-just-a-broke-single-parent-trying-to-make-it story ready so I could plead my case, but, for once, I didn't need to use it. She didn't charge me any labor!!! The total bill came out to 63 Euro (about $79), so I didn't have to dip into P's college fund. Should I mention that it took him 7 minutes?? Ok, I will. IT TOOK HIM 7 MINUTES.
Now that it is fixed, P can stop telling random people in public that I broke HER car (she claimed the new one, and 'gave' me the old one), which made total strangers give me the evil eye.
Since I saved all that dinero, maybe I'll buy P yet another DVD to add to her collection (like she needs it).
Posted by Margaret
7:21 PM
|
You may not know this, but the FIFA World Cup will be held here in Germany in 2006. This is all good for the economy, but NOT GOOD FOR US REGULAR FOLKS!!!
The highway system here is awesome~~mostly 2 lanes each way, and the suggested speed limit is 130 km/hr (80.7 mph)~~but you can go as fast as you want, weather permitting (in 7 years, I've never seen an accident on the autobahn).
Is it great planning to begin construction on the autobahn 3 years early?? I'm not too sure!! I'm not talking about small construction, I'm talking about construction so big it caused a stau (traffic jam) last week 4 miles long!!! This is what happens when folks here are stuck in a stau:
- Cars run out of gas while idling (if you must be rescued, there WILL be a heavy fine)
- People get out of their cars and walk around the autobahn (just a meetin' and a greetin')
- People turn off their cars, get out the autolawn chairs (autobahn+lawn) and sit on the autobahn
- If there is a restaurant (McDonald's is EVERYWHERE) within walking distance, I've seen some WALK TO THE RESTAURANT AND EAT, leaving the unattended car on the autobahn
- You see numerous men with their back to the traffic relieving themselves on the side of the road~~it's TOTALLY legal (but don't flash your headlights, flip someone the bird, or blow your horn, because you could go to jail)! This is not something you want to explain to a bored 3 year old (heaven forbid if the Crazy Dog is in the car, too!)
I live in the largest military community outside the US. When I see people in US plated cars do things like this, I want to yell out the window
"YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE THAT NICE MERCEDES ON HWY 70 IN ST. LOUIS WOULD YOU~~NO YOU WOULDN'T! PRETEND YOU ARE AT THE CRIB AND GET BACK IN YOUR DAMN CAR!!!"
They are also working to improve the train to Paris. When completed, the ICE train will go 175mph, which will make the trip to Paris a little less than 2 hours as opposed to 4 hours by hoop d'ville. So when P wants to see the Apple Tower (that's what she calls the Eiffel Tower), we can go and return home in the same day! NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL PLANNING AHEAD!!!!
Posted by Margaret
10:29 AM
|
As promised, here is a list of things I'll miss upon my return to the US:
- Cheap Heinekin and Hpnotiq
- Beer factory tours~~FREEBIES!!
- Being 4 hours from Paris, Amsterdam, and Switzerland
- Snowboarding in the Alps
- LOTS of IKEAs
- Disneyland Paris~~for the Princess
- London's West End (the Lion King was WONDERFUL!!)
- Basically no speed limits on the Autobahn~~no, they don't drive on the wrong side of the street in Germany
- NO pennies
- Public transportation~it's a way of life here (and the BEST!!)
- Priority roads (outta my way, I have the right of way!)
- Gyros (thanks Rose)
- My BMW (even with no shift knob)
- Belgium!
- Oma (grandma) next door giving the Princess and the Crazy Dog strawberries from her garden
That's all I can think of for now. The next list...things I DON'T miss about being in the US.
Posted by Margaret
9:32 PM
|
If Uncle Le Roy can convince the world that we put a man on the moon, why can't he convince local contractors that 6:30 am is NOT a good time to start a NEW construction project on base (complete with detours, missing bridges, and LOTS of cones)?
I'm just trying to get P to daycare, and then to work (pickin' cotton) on time for once!
Posted by Margaret
10:19 AM
|
The Princess decided to watch a particular DVD this evening.
Of the 150+ DVDs she owns, this is the ONLY one not located!!
Me: Are you sure you looked for it in chaos corner (her room)?
Princess: YES
M: Did you leave it at daddy's house?
P: NO
M: Is it in the other DVD players?
P: NO
M:Just choose another movie (you DO have 150+ others), how about Eloise?
P: NO
M: Blue's Clues?
P: NO
M: The Wiggles?
P: NO
P: I think I left it at J's house, it was in my bag when I went to her house.
So, I call J's mom, and the DVD is at her house, it was left there 3 weeks ago.
Is it enough to locate the dvd? NO!!
P: We have to go get it, because I NEED to watch it tonight.
The saga never ends...
Posted by Margaret
6:35 PM
|
If the Princess tells you at 9:30 Saturday night that she wants french toast sticks and grits with strawberry milk for breakfast Sunday morning, don't wake up and make her scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice. If you do, this is what you'll hear...
"I DON'T WANT THIS, WHERE ARE MY FRENCH TOAST STICKS???"
Next time, just be the obedient servant and make only what is requested!!
Posted by Margaret
9:31 AM
|
I have been living in Europe for 7 of the last 9 years. Occasionally, I miss a few things about being in the US:
- Door knobs~~here, they have door HANDLES (now that I think about it, I don't think I've EVER seen a door knob ANYWHERE in Europe).
- Toilet handles
- The GIGANTIC Sunday edition of the St.Louis Post Dispatch, complete with sale ads.
- Right turns on red
- White Castle
- Being able to make a FREE local call
- Watching sports events on tv at a decent hour
- 7-Eleven
- 4 lane highways
- Target
- Any national chain electronics store
- Malls, complete with food court
- 24 hour grocery stores
- Banks that are open on Saturdays
- Being able to visit my friends on a moments notice
- Blockbuster
- GALLONS of milk
- Listening to Tom Joyner Morning Show in the MORNING
These are just a few things that come to mind. There is certainly a list of thing I'll miss about Europe when I leave (fall 2006 is just around the corner). Maybe that will be the next list ...
Posted by Margaret
9:35 PM
|
Hey, hey, hey, get your mind out of the gutter...
After dropping the Princess off at daycare this morning, on my way to work, the gear shift knob BROKE off my hoop d'ville!! WHO BREAKS THE SHIFT KNOB??? Maybe that means I drive too much!
So, I go on to work, and call the trusty folks who work on the d'ville, and the mechanic said the part is over $100, including labor (maybe BMW really means BREAK MY WALLET)!!! THERE IS NO LABOR!!! Buy the part, take it out of the box, and shove it on the post until it clicks!!! All of about 15 seconds of 'labor'~~that works out to about $200/hour! I am in the wrong line of work!!
Because the part had to be ordered, it won't get fixed until Tuesday. So all weekend, I have to risk my life and shift with a post, or maybe I'll just tape one of P's shoes on top.
Posted by Margaret
8:45 PM
|
After spending LOTS of time cruising the blog world, I've decided today is the day I would attempt this.
The quote that comes to mind is 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life.' WOW, what a powerful statement!
I know you are wondering 'what gives her the authority to do this?' ABSOLUTELY nothing~~I just know I have a lot to say (some even serious).
Enough with the fluff~~the Cardinals have won, and it't off to the WORLD SERIES!!! Let the games begin!
MI VIDA LOCA~~Thanks for the encouragement!!
Posted by Margaret
7:44 PM
|
