07.10.09
Funny…
Just had to post this. Taken from here, do go and take a look at the picture that accompanies the text. Priceless.
Just a little quickie, because the other day I was reminded of a funny thing that happened to me a few months ago.
A pair of Americans came into the hospital, and when I found out they were Americans I had to ask them what they were doing in Denmark, seeing as we don’t have a whole lot to come after. They then explained that they had heard that Scandinavia had great skiing conditions, and that the flight to Denmark had been the cheapest, so that was what they had come for: Skiing. Great was their disappointment then, when they flew over Denmark and noticed that there was no snow, and not a single mountain in sight.
Yes, of all the Scandinavian countries they choose the one country that has no mountains. At all.
I am awfully sorry people, but I rest my case.
07.09.09
Fall classes.
I woke up at 5 am this morning to be able to register for classes early (they open up registration for everyone with my amount of credits at 4 am. Way too early). I managed to get into all the classes I wanted! Yay! Now, if everything goes according to plan, and I get my student loans and everything, I’ll be taking 6 classes in the fall. Yes, I did take 4 in the spring. Yikes. That’s a lot of classes, I know, but I hope to be able to manage it. It will after all get me 19 credits closer to graduating next summer. In fact, if I plan to graduate next summer, I desperately need to take 6 classes.
Hopefully, I’ll survive. It’s not easy classes either. I will be taking: Environmental Biology, Creative Writing, Intro to Geography, World Civilizations, American History, and Survey of Mathematics. Well, I’ll just have to do my best and see where it takes me. I’ll put it this way, it will be one heavy bag to carry, both figuratively and literally.
Now I am going to eat some breakfast, wait a couple of hours (I was totally expecting not to get into half the classes and frantically looking for half-ass replacements for hours this morning…. which is what I did last sign up period…. I got lucky this time), then vacuum the house, go to class, have class for two hours, then take a test, then go to the next class and see “Twelve angry men,” then go to the airport and pick hubby and D up. My day is planned out.
07.08.09
Disney dad…
This week hubby has gotten to be a real “Disney dad” instead of the regular version. He has spent the last couple of days at Disney Florida together with D. So far, they have been absolutely miserable. I knew they would be. He hates the heat, and seriously… Florida in July? I told him it was a bad idea. The weather has been awful, hotel terrible (Btw, don’t stay at the Sheridan Safari outside the park. Trust me), and D has been a menace. Smart mouthed, whiny and major entitlement issues (and I wonder who’s fault that is…. *cough*disneydad*cough*…) And hubby has had to deal with it all on his own. Usually, it gets partially (ahem…) put onto me, being the mother-figure in this family. Gleeful? Me? Nah……
Anyways, I have been on my own for a couple of days, which has been nice. I have two classes right now, and go in every day. American sign language is HARD. Ridiculously hard. But fun. Will I get an A? Probably not. But I am working my ass off. So far I have a 100, a 97 and a 70. Critical thinking is just plain fun. Yesterday however, we were given a task which left me cringing. We had to create a collage’ centered around a though, concept or feeling. I don’t do the cut, paste, glue thing. I just don’t. Now, had I gotten a week or two, it might have been decent. I got less than 24 hours. As I have described before in depth, I don’t willingly do creative. However, for some strange reason, I did a great job. It turned out pretty good. I am very proud. No grades yet.
I’ve made a friend. I usually get along much better with people who are older than me, I seem to have a lot more in common with them. This time is no different. This girl (woman/lady) has kids my age. Enough said. But she is really nice, and is in my ASL class. Actually, she lives right around the corner from our new place. She is also a SM. We’ve exchanged numbers, and are going to get together.
Anyways, hubby and D will be back tomorrow, and I’ll be picking them up from the airport. I am thinking hubby will be much less of a Disney-dad from now, and will help parent, and will actually believe me when I tell him that D’s being a brat (yes he used the word himself), pushing all the buttons she can find… (Nah, his daughter? Devious? Never… She’s a well behaved little angel!…)
We are moving in a week! I am thrilled! House it a complete mess of course. I’ve got to clean up the place before the two of them come home.
07.02.09
Rough night
My little girl and my cat are afraid of thunder. Very afraid. Which is why last night D came and knocked on our door during the storm, half crying of fear. So I went with her to her room, since hubby didn’t actually wake up (amazing…) and laid down with her to provide some kind of security. Mind you, this was at like 1 in the morning. Kid was trembling. Eventually though, she fell asleep. Next problem arises; Gus. He always acts like he is big and bad, but is really a little coward. He kept waking D up with his meowing and scratching on her door, because believe me, he knew that I was in there, and he was scared too. So I left D, who was practically sleeping, grabbed a comforter and the cat and went downstairs to sleep on the couch with him. He ended up UNDER the covers, begging to be rubbed. Stupid cat. So I spent the rest of the night on our uncomfortable couch, with a cat in my face (I’m allergic…). I am beat this morning.
We usually go grocery shopping at the base. It’s because we have to be there anyways, to pick D up from school, and we don’t have to pay taxes on the food there. Which gives us savings of like $11. Now, both hubby and I was getting rather tired of the hassle of grocery shopping down there, bringing a cooler for the meat, and such. So, we had gotten some coupons (5) from Kroger, so we ended up going there for our monthly shopping instead, which is nice and convenient. We bought pretty much the same amount of groceries as we usually do, using our five coupons and our Kroger Rewards Card. When we get up to pay, everything has been scanned and paid for, and the cashier hands me the receipt and says with a smile “Today you saved 64 dollars.” 64!!!!!!!!!! That’s INSANE! From here on, we will keep shopping at Kroger. They are awesome.
06.28.09
Puberty
I hate it. And she’s only 10…. already moody like a 15 year old. Oh joy. Seriously, I hate puberty.
06.25.09
Varied long mess…
Yesterday D threw a hissy fit because I wouldn’t let her borrow my glitter eyeshadow and dark lip-gloss to wear to practice. The kid is 10. If she was having a performance in something like dance, gymnastic or figure skating, it would be acceptable. But for regular Wednesday night Tae Kwon Do practice? No. I am against small children wearing makeup in general, and I know her dad and mother is too. I still managed to look like the evil bi*** though.
I am so excited about moving. I really can’t stand the house we are living in right now. It feels like a dark prison compared to the the bright open floor plan of the new place, with its excellent location (meaning we can actually keep our windows uncovered without people seeing our every move). I am also excited, since I am positive that our electricity bill will go down. It is currently ridiculously high, seeing as it is hard to get air to circulate in our two-story town house. It is also not very well insulated, and there are small cracks everywhere by the windows and doors, letting the air out. I am telling you, I can’t wait for the 18th of July. Sure, we get the keys on the 16th, but I am in school both the 16th and the 17th, and hubby is going to need my help moving, as we don’t have a lot of friends to help us. Hubby will start driving “stuff” in the car though, for the first two days, and on the Saturday, we’ll get the truck and do the big and heavy stuff.
I start my second mini semester tomorrow. I am finishing up Mini A today. Seems as if my 4.0 is sticking around for now. There’s a wall in the main building in school which I’d like to get onto, which is for people with great grades, pictures and all. Don’t know how long you have to keep a 4.0, but hey, I can still hope, can’t I? Anyways, tomorrow I start American Sign Language and Critical Thinking. It is going to be really nice to get out of the house for almost 6 hours every day (seeing as I will leave home at like 8.30 and be home at about 2.30), REALLY nice. D is an energetic, sassy handful and hubby is very very bored (he just graduated with his MA in technical writing), since he is out of school until the end of August (he’s getting a second MA, this one in information technology). This house is small, and I need some time to breathe and some personal space, and if that personal space have to be in a classroom with like 20 others, than so be it.
I have my piano lesson today. This week’s homework has been tough, and I felt like an idiot much of the time working on it. Goodness, I’m terrified of what she will give me for next week’s homework.
Hubby was looking at me yesterday and said “You are getting skinny” which initially felt like a compliment, but his voice wasn’t terribly complimentary. Then he went onto say that “You’ve lost muscle mass…” which definitely wasn’t a compliment. No shit honey! I went from being on the ice 7 days a week to going to the gym maybe once a week. You thought it would just stick around? It’s been over a year since I stepped off the ice, I’m surprised it hasn’t disappeared faster! I am also surprised (and I know you are as well) that I haven’t gained more weight (you and 90 % of the people I met in Sweden….). Men can say the stupidest things, thinking they are not insulting, when really, they are.
It’s going to hit over 94 degrees today (about 35 Celsius) if you believe the local news, and they are usually very correct, and the worst humidity yet to be seen this year. Yay. I will have to prepare for melting today then. Oh joy. And apparently it is only going to get worse as July comes around. I hate the South.
06.20.09
Tomorrrow…
Listening to Yann Tiersen’s CD Tabarly from 2008, it’s amazing.
Tomorrow is father’s day here in the US. I feel kinda awkward about it. Even though hubby is not MY father, I got him a present, and will say it’s from D and me both. It’s a memory foam pillow, for his injured neck, he really needs one according to his doctor. I’ve told D multiple times to make him a card, but so far I don’t think she has. I’m not going to bother her about it more, as said, he’s not MY dad. It’s her responsibility, not mine, and it’s not like I haven’t reminded her either.
I do feel a little split about it though, giving him a gift for father’s day. I really wanted to get celebrated this year, on stepmother’s day, and had pretty much told him so. I reminded him again and again, yet he still forgot. I even told him the day before, “Tomorrow’s stepmother day.” The way he was speaking about it with D, I really thought I’d get acknowledged. I didn’t expect any kind of recognition on mother’s day, since I am not D’s “real” mother, and besides, mother’s day happened to be the day my father died this year.
But I really was hoping for something on stepmother’s day, but nothing. It did hurt my feelings, it actually did. I do so much for that child, for HIS DAUGHTER. And in reality, I’m not obligated to do shit. I didn’t marry her, I married her father. There are no legalities that say that I have to feed her, clothe her, hug her, love her, keep her entertained. As far as the legalities go, as long as I don’t abuse her or kill her, I’m generally good to go. But I chose to care. All I ask is for is during one day a year, just one simple day, get a little bit of recognition, a thank you.
*Sigh* So it is with mixed feelings I look at tomorrow. He will get a present, and I will cook a decent dinner, like I do most days, but nothing more. He’s an awesome dad, I’ll give him that, and D is lucky to have him. But she also has a pretty awesome step-mom. Who does a hell of a lot more than she gets credit for.
06.19.09
Happy midsummer!
Today it is midsummer in Sweden, which happens to be my very favorite Swedish holiday. It is tons of fun, at least I think so, and it is one of the few Swedish national holidays that hasn’t been scaled down in fear of insulting immigrants… Anyways, I’m not going to explain it too much further, if you want to know about Swedish midsummer, look HERE. It is also a great opportunity and excuse to win and eat tons of chocolate!
Unfortunately, I can’t make it to any of the celebrations that are being held here in the US, it’s just too far to go. Oh, well, maybe another year. Well, happy midsummer to all of you!
Me in traditional Gallersta costume.
06.17.09
Update on “evil”
D is currently in rooms-arrest, forbidden to leave her room. After multiple sassy comments and disrespect and ignoring to do what I strictly told her FOUR times, she got heavily reprimanded and sent to her room until we are to leave for martial arts.
Oh the joys of puberty. And she’s only 10. She’s been bouncing on my nerves for two days now, testing me. Well, sorry kid, I have got authority in this house too. Way more than you think. Oh, golly, I can only imagine what her mother will do when she finds out…. Hopefully hubby will back me up on this, as he is not here right now, but her mother will be furious. Oh joy. I might even take away the movie I promised to take her to tomorrow (Regal Entertainment offers free movies all summer, fabulous). We’ll see how she does tonight….
I am surely evil now.
