WTF?

The elementary school my youngest children attend recently sent home a survey for me to fill out.  It was an Indicators of School Quality survey and the information compiled is used to help improve my children's school.

The instructions stated that 'our research shows that these questions will provide enough information for a through evaluation of the school' and that it 'measures important aspects of school quality'

I start filling out answers to statements such as 'parents at this school support their child's education', 'teachers at this school are well organized' and 'instruction at this school is innovative'  

The final section had questions such as 'Are you comfortable talking to your child's teacher about problems?', 'Is your child bullied or teased at school?' and 'Was your last interaction with the school positive?'  and then I was got the last question...

'Does your home have more than one bathroom?'

If someone knows how the answer to this question can measure the quality of the elementary school my children attend, please fill me in!

Yesterday's News

After being rather lazy yesterday, I realized around 4pm that I had not yet brought in the newspaper.  I looked outside, but no paper.

I have had the payment on an auto withdrawal for years, but over the last year there have been some problems with the paper's payment system cancelling my payment and I have had to re-enter my billing info.  I pulled up my account online and saw that not only have I not made a payment in months, but my subscription had been suspended.

I really wanted my Sunday paper so I tried to make a payment...well, since they had suspended my subscription, I was not able to make an online payment and was told to call customer service.  Guess what? Customer service is closed on the weekend.

After much cursing at the automated phone system that wouldn't help me and my frustration with not being able to fix my subscription online, my son had finally heard enough.

He asked "Why are you even paying for a day old paper?"  My husband told him it was not a day old paper.  My son said "Yes it is. Everything printed in it happened the day before so that makes it a day old paper.  You are wasting your money and should just use the internet to get the news as it happens."

Hmmmm...he has a point that I really couldn't argue with.

Unfortunately, I had the bright idea to start a new subscription since that was the only thing I was allowed to do online.  I now have an old suspended subscription I am afraid to see how much I owe on, a new paid subscription, and NO SUNDAY PAPER.  My to do list tomorrow includes maneuvering through the newspapers automated phone system in an attempt to straighten out the mess I have made with my account. 

Wish me luck!

Look What Came in the Mail!

I was told to expect a package in the mail containing my birthday present.  I couldn't wait for it to arrive so I could open it...I love getting presents in the mail!

What did I get?

Dill Pickle Pop-Corn Salt

Crunchy Dill Crispy Minis

Dill Pickle Sunflower Seeds

Lays Dill Pickle Potato Chips

Intense Pickle Doritos

Do you sense a theme to my gift?

Sadly, I am unable to eat my pickle present because I am on a diet.  I have 14 days left on my diet...until then my pickle present will remain hidden away.

If you are curious, I have already lost 3 pounds in the first 3 days of my 17 day diet.  Please don't tell me it is just water weight, I don't care what kind of weight it is as long as it is not showing on my scale.

Thanks for reading!

My Butterfly Can Fly!

A while back my mom and I got matching butterfly tattoos.  If you want to know why, then read this post.  Since it was for my mom, I let her finalize the design. It took over a month of texting and emailing butterfly photos back and forth before she finally decided on one.  My indecision was over placement.  I wanted it on my hip, my husband and my mom thought is should go below the tattoo I have on my lower back.  It ended up on my hip.
 

I was worried it was going to hurt when the needles went over my hip bone, but it just tickled which caused me to twitch.  Greg, my tattoo artist, kept telling me to stop wiggling, but I really couldn't control it. The last ten to fifteen minutes hurt...I preferred the tickling even if it did annoy Greg.

Today while I was taking a bath, I looked down at my butterfly and realized that when I breathed, the roll of fat I have grown around my middle causes the butterfly to look like it is flapping it's wings.  If it was tight abs making the wings flap, I would say that is pretty cool, but it is not...it is belly fat.

My little bathtub experience just confirmed that it is a good thing I started the 17 day diet today.

I prefer my butterfly to be flightless.

Wish me luck!

Decisions, Decisions

Recently while browsing around Pinterest, I saw a pin by Hockey Wife Tales for a site where you can send in your child's drawing and they bring it to life as a stuffed toy.  The site is Child's Own Studio.

Check out some of these cute stuffed creations

I could post photos from Child's Own Studio all night long! If you want to see more, check out their photostream on flickr.

Of course, this site got me thinking about my own children's artwork...two pictures in particular.

The picture above is a mermaid in case you were having trouble getting past the 'tail'

You can read the story behind this picture here.

So...what do you think?  Which one should I have brought to life as a stuffed toy?

Thanks for reading

Super Bowl XLVI

It is once again Super Bowl Sunday.  Usually I am excited for this game, but also sad because it marks the end of football for awhile.  This year I really could care less.  I only watched a handful of games on TV, both NFL and college.  I only went to one game and did zero tailgating.  Even watching my son play little league football for the first time did nothing to put me in a football mood.

I remember the last Super Bowl match-up between these teams...the Patriots were going into it 18-0 and the Giants were 12 point underdogs.  I took the Giants on the money line and won a fairly large amount of money.  If you are not familiar with sports betting, when you take a team on the money line you are just betting that they will win.  I could have taken a safer bet and taken the Giants and the points which means as a 12 point underdog, they could have lost by up to 12 points and I still would have won, but not anywhere near as much money.

Graph borrowed from here.  I don't know if it is accurate or not.

I also remember how much fun I had at the Super Bowl party I went to that year.  Our best friends were hosting it. They are die hard Broncos fans and also despise the Raiders so to antagonize, I wore my Raiders shirt.  They almost made me watch the game from outside, but since neither team was playing, I was allowed in. 

We have been friends with this couple for 11 years.  We have shared so many of the ups and downs of marriage, kids...life in general.  Sadly, they are going thorough a divorce right now.  They are in the preliminary stages, but I feel it is going to get ugly.  It is also hard because I have been friends with both of them for so long.  My husband has taken his side, but I feel I am in the middle and it sucks.

Also at that party was another couple my husband has known forever. I have been friends with them since my husband and I got together 14 years ago.  They were wild and crazy...sometimes almost too much so.  Since that last Super Bowl one half of the couple died.  Her breast cancer that had been diagnosed the year she turned 40 came back and killed her...she was only 46 when she died. 

Some good has happened in the last 4 years.  My husband finally acknowledged he was an alcoholic and is working on his 4th year of sobriety.  I am very proud of him.  I also enjoy having my own personal designated driver.  My family thought I was a horrible person when I didn't quit drinking with my husband, but my husband feels that just because he has a problem with alcohol doesn't mean everyone around him needs to change their lifestyle.  I would quit drinking in a heartbeat if he wanted me too, but he doesn't have a problem with it...our arrangement works for us.  Some people told me that having alcohol in the house would tempt him to drink again.  If he wanted to drink there are hundreds of bars and numerous liquor stores around.  If he wanted a drink he would find one. 

This year instead of getting amped up for the big game, I am feeling melancholy and reflective.  I will be going to a Super Bowl party, once again with long term friends.  I have known the wife for over 20 years and my husband has known her spouse since elementary school.  I wonder what lies in store for all of us in the future and if I could see...would I really want to know?

I Learned Something New Today

Today in my mailbox was a copy of Women's Health.

I don't know why I received a copy since I don't subscribe, but I was pretty excited to read it thinking it would help me make my body look like the cover model, Elizabeth Banks.

I poured myself a vodka tonic and sat down to read how I could sizzle in my skinny jeans, burn tons of calories with one simple move and erase zits and wrinkles.  Instead, I read how I should not drink alcohol or eat sugar.  I am glad I am not paying for this garbage.

I did learn something I didn't know...men can fracture their penis! According to The Journal of Sexual Medicine cheaters have the greatest risk of a broken boner.  Researchers studied 16 cases and found that most of the 16 were having affairs.

I wonder if that is really how Elin found out

Thanks for reading