catnip and coffee

“Maybe when you’re dead he’ll stop. Or maybe when you’re dead he’ll sniff your old bones.”

Said the boy, after overhearing me tell the cat to STOP FOLLOWING ME.

I laughed so hard I had to walk away. And then heard dh say “don’t encourage him.”

How can I not encourage that? It’s frigging brilliant.

I know you’re just dying to know what happened! It was more fun than I expected, and totally worth putting myself out there. Although some of the players take themselves much more seriously than I expected! Scary! Anyway, I actually did quite well. Out of 18 people I was 7th. And I don’t mean 7th to go out!!

I also wasn’t the only newbie. That was unexpected and very welcome news. Yay! Not the only clueless one! One fear down!

My only biggest problem of the night was, I had the biggest frigging headache. All day really. Ever have one of those 3 day headaches, that although it doesn’t hurt that bad, it just lasts so long you think your eyeballs are going to explode? Yes? Well, now try learning poker at the tail end of one. ugh.

About the learning, I didn’t find it that difficult to decide what to bet or if I had good cards or not, but I thought the hardest part of the game was when it’s your turn to deal. You have to remember how to do that on top of handling your own cards! I guess I’ll get used to it, but geez, I think my blood pressure spiked 20 points everytime I dealt!

Anyway, by 10:30, my glasses felt like bricks weighing on my face, and I really wanted out of the game. I had pretty good luck so far and way too many chips as far as I was concerned! I kept betting big and calling bluffs and kept freaking winning! At one point I held on to a 3 and a 6 thinking, eh, I’m sure to lose this one. Yeah. I ended the hand with a straight. That just about killed the rest of the table: “why did you play a 3 and a 6?” they said. Hell if I know but it still beat’em. I do admit the highlight of the night was calling the “president’s” bluff and beating her with a pair of 9’s. heh. (She’s the president of the women’s club I’m in.)

By the time I lost all my chips, it was 11:45. I know. I never stay out that late. It was a joy to go home and put my poor head on a cool pillow. I’ll definitely go back again, but probably not every month. I can see myself getting addicted! But next time, I’ll be glad to know what to expect And next time, I’ll try harder to get dh to go with me! You hear that? That’s him laughing.

There are some things that you’re supposed to learn as a kid, some things as a teenager, some as a college student, and on. Somewhere along the line there’s a few important life skills I never caught on to.

I can’t go underwater without holding my nose. I know. I probably should take swimming lessons right along with my kid. All my older siblings learned at a Y in NY State many moons ago, but when my turn came, that was about the time we moved, to the backwoods of Maine, where there are no Ys. No really, there wasn’t a public pool with 50 miles. My oldest sister tried to teach me in a pond but I didn’t want her to boss me around so I didn’t listen. Heh. Imagine that. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the water, I’m not afraid of the water. I just don’t really go underwater all that much. Cause you know, drowning and all.

I never learned to ride a bike. <GASP> Really. We had a terribly steep, gravel driveway when I was growing up and the skinny, winding road we lived on was full of mack trucks double timing it to the nearby mill. I was scared to death. The first and only time I tried to ride a two wheeler in our driveway, I fell off, scraped up my elbow, ripped my favorite pants, and forswore it forever. I have no idea why my father let me give up so quickly but knowing my personality, I’m sure he knew once I’d made up my mind, it was a lost cause.

Now, somewhere around college age, correct me if I’m wrong, but most people learn how to play poker. Maybe only once, probably drunk, but you usually get the basics down. Now I know it’s not a truly necessary life skill, however if you can’t participate in poker games, it severely limits the possibilities for social events. And when you’re a mommy, you take your Ladies Night Out when you can get it.

I’ve never been much of a gambler. Winning money in a poker game does not hold any appeal to me. I only buy a lottery ticket maybe once or twice a year - mostly because it doesn’t occur to me. The one and only time I went to Vegas the highlight of my trip was the Star Trek Experience. (I’d go again in a second!) I played a few nickel slots but it only felt like flushing a toilet. Flushing my money down a toilet specifically.

For the last two years I’ve managed to avoid the Texas Hold’em game that my local circle of friends plays monthly. From what I’ve heard, they have a great time, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. They’ve all said “you should come!” many times. Last month, I got it in my head that I might actually go. Then it was unexpectedly canceled. Off the hook for March!

Now it’s April. The game is tonight. I’m committed to go. I’m excited to go. I’m trying something new! Woohoo! Yeah, right. I know for certain, with this group of women, I will have a blast. Oh, but I do hate to be they only one in the room who’s clueless. Hate it. But clueless I will be, for I know nothing. I had to print a cheat sheet of what hand beats what. Seriously, I had never heard of a flop was until I was scrambling about on poker sites late last night, trying to learn the lingo. To me, a flop is falling off my bike and never getting back on.

Wish me luck.

Okay, I really am a terrible mother. I knew his sneakers were getting a little tight. He never complained though.

Today we happened to be at the oh-so-addictive Target, presumably to pick up a prescription. I’m not dumb, you fill your script there and it gives you that extra opportunity to wander those glorious aisles. Shhh. Don’t tell my dh. Oh, I’m rambling? Thinking about Target distracts me. Where was I? So, we’re halfway through the store and I thought, hey let’s see if they have any sneakers on sale. You know he only likes the character shoes, and they have to light up and that = expensive!

Anyway, we got down to trying them on. His old pair were 11 and a half - nearing the top of the little kids range. So we try a 12, nope, too tight, 13? nope. People! I had to buy a 13 and a half!!! He jumped two full sizes since I last bought him sneakers. It’s a wonder he could walk at all.

Oh, and they’re Hot Wheels! (but no actual wheels) and yes, they light up. In case you were wondering.

I got a surprise package yesterday!

Darling Beaglemum knows I shall soon be closer to 40 than to 30, and sent me an early gift. She picked it out based on my blog name:

Isn’t it pretty! I can’t wait to have a cup of coffee in it

Thank you beaglemum!

Now look closer, no, up a little, yes, that’s my other boy. Meet George.

George snubbed me and wouldn’t look up for the next 10 or so photos:

:

George is in fact his real name. It’s from the Bugs Bunny episode with the abominable snowman. If you understand that reference, I love you. Because you’re old like me.

the boy: lets one rip, loud, as 5 year old boys do

me: “You are such a fart boy!” (is she 12? you ask)

the boy: “NO. MORE. POTTY TALK!!!”

He turned the tables on me, yes he did. I seem to recall saying exactly that last week when I couldn’t stand the poop jokes anymore. <sigh>

Overheard while the boy was playing legos yesterday: “I’m gonna make something totally freaking awesome!”

Yes, apparently I am raising him as if we’re still living in Maine. In the 80’s. heh. Right on.

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Anyway, the snow has finally melted enough that I was able to go out in the yard today. I managed to get a bit of raking done, cleaned up the veggie garden area, and took a walk around the perimeter to see what’s popping up. It was fantastic to get out and breathe in some fresh air! Okay, it’s only 50, but I’ll take what I can get.

I was so very happy to see the day lilies are up about an inch, and are all over the place. I also have some tulip tops peeking out under the front picture window. I transplanted them from the backyard last spring but I was too late for them to bloom. Someone at one time had a flower garden smack dab in the middle of the lawn and that clump was the last of it. I have no idea what color they’ll be - I can’t wait to see! There are a few violets showing their leaves, but no flowers yet. I have thousands of violets that have spread across the entire lawn but they are the thickest right at the edge of the woods. Really they’ve become weeds, but they’re so pretty I don’t mind much! DH minds - they mess up the possibility of perfect grass

The forsythia have just the bittiest of buds. For me, the forsythia blooming is the first sign of real spring. It’s always the first thing in my yard to have lots and lots of color and it covers up all the winter brownness of the woods. I had a great photo of them in full yellow happiness from last year - and of course that’s the image I wanted to get off my old laptop to post here. No such luck. I’ll just have to wait for new blooms and take the photos over!

No sign of the hostas yet, but they are are all in the spots where the snow hasn’t melted, in the shade of course. I hope we don’t have another storm, I have a plant swap coming up at the end of the month with some friends and I’d like to take some with me. The previous house owners never split any of the hostas so they are terribly overgrown. I did some splitting and moving and trading last spring, but there is sooo much more to do.

This week my goals are to do a bunch more raking and work on my rock wall - it’s sliding down a hill! I also need to dig up the lilies that somehow ended up behind the forsythia in the woods, (who does something like that??) I meant to last spring but never got to it. Anyone want to come over and do a little yard work?? There’s plenty to go around!

I drafted a post this morning that ended up pretty emotional, and then I stuck it in my drafts folder until I decide how deep to go here. It’s a tough decision, to open yourself to the world, even mostly anonymously. The question is, is this place going to be my possibly much need therapy? Or do I want it to be a safe fun place to come hang out when I need a break? Or can it be both? I just don’t know yet.

While I think about that, I’m going instead discuss the horrible, putrid, baby poop tan color of the exterior of my house. Really. It’s awful. We’ve been here for 2 years now (!) and we’ve made some improvements here and there, painting a few rooms, ripping down some wallpaper, finishing the basement, lots of landscaping yard work, but this is the summer we will tackle painting the house. Ourselves.

I wish I had better photos to show but it’s raining today and there’s snow on the roof, again. I do have a few images we took before we bought it, and not much changed except the ugly curtains in the back windows are gone! You can click on the images to enlarge them to get a really good look. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Really, really awful. No really.

So, unfortunately, you can’t really see the color of the roof, but it too is brown, though luckily not poopy brown. It does, however, limit our options for a new house color. I would love it if the roof was a nice light gray so we could go with a dark gray or slate blue paint but I can’t really afford a new roof right now!

Working with what I have, here are the options I’m thinking about:

Sage green with cream trim (even though my neighbors have green paint, mine wouldn’t be quite the same.)

A light/medium blue with white or cream trim.

A cream paint all over with an interesting trim, like red or dark blue.

Other suggestions??

Advice? Comments please! I need opinions or will never manage to make a decision.

Realizing at least six months worth (maybe more) of photos are still on my old dead laptop and I don’t have a backup - yes, I thought I did. This is including one I wanted to post. That’s how I figured out they were missing - I went looking for the one and couldn’t find any images from last spring. Do I spend the $$ to get them retrieved or not? Of course I will, there’s pics of my boy on there! But only after I muck about with it myself and see if I can even get it to boot up.

There is nothing like starting your morning by trying to kiss your sweet cute little dimpled cheeked boy and getting head butted on the nose. Hard. Like, eyes watering, am I bleeding? kind of hard. I now have a very bad headache. The boy felt very bad, finally kissed me, and is now thankfully at school. I need coffee.