Holidays (more like HOLLER-DAZE)

Well, yesterday was a crazy day (Friday, December 17th 2010). I feel like Doogie Howser at the moment, writing at the end of an episode... writing about all of my thoughts for the day and what "valuable" lesson I may or may not have learned.

Yesterday, I went to meet my fellow mommy friend and her daughter at Coffee Bean. I think Sophie is going to be Paisley's forever BFF. I just get such a nice feeling about it. Paisley was trying to hold hands with her. It was so cute! Paisley doesn't just hold hands with anyone. You know if there's hand holding going on, Paisley is infatuated.

We had a lovely time. An elderly woman named Joyce even came up to us and asked if she could "hold one of the babies." She explained that she was a nanny to twins that had moved away and she missed holding babies. She proceeded to give my friend and I her phone number and we said good-bye.

So, after our lovely coffee date; I proceed to Best Buy and BOrders to try and attempt the completion of a few gifts. My nephew's birthday is the day after Christmas, so I also have to go irthday shopping.

I end up at Smiths, after heading to my attorney's office. Well, my busy free-flowing day came to a halt by some old people. I am talking, I got stopped every twenty feet with some sort of a lecture about how I "shouldn't have that baby out in this weather!" And, " why would you bring your poor little angel out in this? She is not a doll, you know." Excuse me but, WTF?

Also, I got rammed! RAMMED! This is the umteenth time that has happened. And, it is always, ALWAYS by an elderly person. There was a back-up of sorts infront of the egg cooler. I was grid-locked. I had two people with two carts infront of me. I was pushing Paisley's stroller and then pulling a shopping cart. So, obviously, I had a lot to handle. Well, little-miss-impatience-granny decided to ram me with her shopping cart. The base of it smacked me in both of my ankles. OWWW! I felt like screaming, "BITCH!!"

Instead, I turned around and said, "I love it when old people ram me, while gridlocked and with a baby. Thank you, you old assholes!" Of course, many-an-eyebrow raised after that comment.

I finally got home at four. I am so thankful that I actually got my grocery shopping done and don't have to think about it this weekend! YAY!

No, Thank you.

What is the deal with this? Why do people feel comfortable making uncomfortable suggestions to others? I am not understanding the point of it, at all. I have had way too many "friendly" suggestions thrown my way in the past three weeks.

I get emails from people about something they want me to do. Something they know I am not interested in. Then, I get a suggestion about something else from someone. They also know I am not interested in it, but keep pushing things. It is getting to the point of being obnoxious and I am really wondering how I should handle this with out completely offending the said persons. At the same time, should I really be concerned about what they are feeling when they obviously have no concern for my own feelings?

What would you do in a situation where some one keeps pushing something on you that they know you are not interested in? Do you tell them "No, thank you" a million times because the first 999,999 times you told them "No" didn't work? Or, do you be blunt and tell them to shut the hell up? I am not sure how to go about this. But, the next time this particular suggestion graces my ears, I think I may just lose it on the person who does it. I sincerely hope this does not happen. Yet, considering the amount of times I have heard this in the past few weeks, I suspect it won't be long before I go off.

Mentally Rambling

So, I keep a running list of oddball questions/thoughts/feelings in my mind. One problem, though. I always foget to write them down. I will think to myself, "I really need to blog about this." Then, when I am finally able to get on the computer for more than five minutes sans Paisley, I draw complete blanks like I am right now.

Anyway, most people will "self-talk" at some point in their day. Me, on the other hand, I am doing it all the time. No, it's not me talking to myself out loud, it's talking to myself inside my head. Things like, "What should I make for lunch today," "Why is Paisley fussing for no reason again," " I wonder what other people are up to today." Those kind of thoughts.

It can get to be really annoying at times, especially when I am bored. That is when the real doozies come! Weird inventions or things like that. It's as if my mind just wanders....

But! Here is something that has been on my mind for at least six months:

I have this lovely neighbor we will call: "T." Oh, what a treat she is. The problem being, we had the most wonderful neighbors ever before these people showed up! Our ex-neighbors decided to move out of this God-forsaken neighborhood about a year ago to The Vistas in Summerlin (which is where we would love to move back to some day!), so they have these lovely renters in there now. Notice the sarcasm?

Anyway, they have two dogs that bark 24-7. Mind you, we have two dogs as well, but we don't allow them to bark for ridiculous lengths of time. As a matter of fact, I may just let them bark their little heads off one day... why not? The four neighbors around me don't seem to mind allowing the same for their pooches!

T loves to start her truck in the morning and let it idle. This thing is not a diesel, it just has a loud-ass muffler on it. It is such a pleasing sound, especially when it wakes up my five-month old. Lovely. Then, she proceeds to rev her engine up while she is in her driveway. What purpose this serves in 110-degree heat is beyond me.

We live on the corner house (go us!). So, every time she drives away, she manages to burn-out around the corner (she doesn't burn out around the following one though...hmmm). It is SO LOUD I cannot stand it anymore! The sound actually registers on Paisley's baby monitor. Thank you, T, for waking up my child, again! We love you! NOT.

So, we get to continue to deal with this until we move out of here. The positive side is that this is a rental. And, thank goodness because I really don't know why anyone would actually want to own this house. It's not that bad, but let me tell you about this house on another post. It has been a real gem since the day we moved in here over three years ago.... what was supposed to be a year-long stay turned into forever. Enough on that for now.

Got to run and eat my lovely Healthy Choice. Yum. Gotta love microwaveable food in tough financial times. Ahh... peanut butter and jelly was getting pretty old. Especially after months of eating it. I never want to taste jelly on bread again. Well, at least until I run out of my Healthy Choices... and that will be very, very soon.

Amazed by some parents!

We went to the Red Rock Casino tonight for their Saturday night drawing. No, we did not win. Darnet! But, we did seem to stumble upon some seriously interesting people! I also managed to win $45.00 from my $2.00 investment into "China Treasures" penny slot! Yes! I never win, but then again I never play!

Anyway, on to the story. So, my husband Chris and I were sitting in the food court with Paisley. This lady sits down with her two children, one boy, one girl. After scolding the little girl for touching her brother's pizza, she decided to leave them at the table all alone. Mind you, these children were about five (boy) and eight (girl). Mom runs over to a machine and puts her money in there. No, she wasn't just sitting there to smoke a ciggie either, she was full on gambling.

The kids continue to argue and poke at eachother. When the girl has had enough, she ran to mommy at the machine and ratted on her brother. Mommy comes back to discipline them; not once, but twice, while leaving her Coach bag sitting on the chair at the machine she is playing (a wee bit dangerous for the purse, no?). I am seriously wondering what is wrong with this woman at this point in time.

Part of me wanted to go tell security about this woman, but the other part was like, "Maybe she has had enough for the night and just needs a twenty minute gambling break." Either way, I didn't have to do a thing because security was all over that. It took them a lot longer than I thought it would, but they showed up.

From what my husband told me ( I was away at the moment playing my penny slot), the security guy tapped on the little girl's shoulder several times and was asking her "where her mommy was". She continued to ignore him. He eventually found her mommy and mom also ignored the officer. Eventually, they all left. And I do not believe by choice.

So, if you ever are questioning whether or not you are a good parent, think of this story and know that you are doing a great job!

This little munchkin is the most important thing to me, next to my husband and family. She is growing so fast. I am always a little worried about things and how they are going. OK, maybe I am not worried a little; but definitely am worried a lot. My husband always tells me that things will work out, but in the meantime I am so worried that I cannot really see his point.

We have my car registration due at the end of this month and boy is that expensive. I don't think we will ever buy a brand-new car again! I guess it is one of those things that has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. So now, it's like been there, done that. Never again. No thanks! So true about the car losing a lot of value as you (happily) drive it off the car lot!

Then, my benefits got reduced by nearly $400 a month. I mean, yes I understand that whole mantra "its better than nothing," but "better than nothing" doesn't pay the bills, OK? I cannot imagine if I were on my own right now, with a baby and trying to make it. There is no way I could even make it without a child right now on unemployment! Do they seriously think people can pay their rent, food, groceries, utilities, etc. with $700 a month? SERIOUSLY??!

I am venting here and it is what it is. I am sure some of you are like, "Well, why don't you just get a job?!" Yes. That is true. I am looking for a job. But, I also have a full time mommy-to-my-baby job. So, in essence, I am looking for a second job that actually pays me. There really isn't anything out there. And this is no lie. Las Vegas has the highest unemployment rate in the Nation right now. We are sitting at a hefty 14.5%! Are you kidding me? Some of the industries I have worked in are the two most affected by it,too. Construction and hospitality. So, you tell me where to find and keep a job.

That is the rant for the day. I am still adjusting to life with a baby. It is a complete 360 from what I was doing before. All of these changes are no fun for me, but I have no choice but to adapt. I enjoy being a mom. At the same time, I really wish people would have told me more about being a mom and the adjustments it would take; instead of the "Oh, you're having a little girl?! How exciting! You will love being a mom!" And the, "Just wait... it will be the most wonderful experience of your life!"

How about telling people the truth when they are pregnant? In addition to all those "wonderful" little things.... what about the: "You will feel like a servant to your child" or, " You will wash more  bottles than you care to remember" or, " you will worry 24/7 about your little one and how things will be in the future" or, "you will never truly have 'me time' again." That's what I wanted to know when I was asking all the moms out there during my pregnancy. I guess they thought they would save that lovely surprise for me to find out on my own.

The one thing I wished I was really given a heads up about is the loneliness of being a SAHM. I know there are mom's groups out there, etc., but they only meet so often.

Well, I am sure no one is reading this, so basically this is a very public way to vent.

what the hell state of nevada?!

Seriously. Can this state be any more ass backwards? I went online to file my weekly claim and wouldn't you know it, somehow I am prompted. The prompt tells me there is a problem with my extension. Ummm.... I have been on this extension since March. Why all of the sudden the issue with processing my claim?

So, now I get to attempt to get on the phone with those bastards first thing Monday morning and see what the h*ll is going on. Oh yes, I'm sure I will get the dummy "I don't know what to tell you until congress votes on it for the gazillionth time" excuse. But, we will see.

I also hope congress enjoys their sweet ass vacation!

I will definitely post an update. Until then, I get to figure out how to purchase diapers, formula, food and basic necessities. Thank you Harry Reid for nothing and thank you to the state of NV for nothing but a giant panic attack that is bordering a nervous breakdown…