Look what I found!!

I took this picture the day we put up our Christmas tree. If you look to the left of the tree, you'll see a speaker. If you notice, there is an orb on top of it! Now, look at the picture of the rose to the left of the tree. Can you see the face that is in it? It is to the right of the vase. To my eyes it appears to be a man but Boo thinks that it's "Catherine". Can't wait to show the paranormal investigators tonight! BTW...I took other pictures of the tree that night but this is the only one that had an orb or a face. Cool, huh?

Of ginseng, "Inga" and a fishy couch..

I recently started taking ginseng to pick up my energy. I thought that it would take a few weeks for it to reach it's full effect. Apparently, it doesn't. Not for me, anyway. Friday, I decided to wear my new shirt to work. It's a little snug so I decided to capitalize on it. I pulled my hair into a braid and danced around the restaurant declaring, (in a Swedish accent) " Hello! My name is Inga!". Well...the sight of this 42 year old woman prancing around is not pretty. But do I care? NO! Did people tip me extra? NO! Most importantly...did I have fun? DAMN STRAIGHT! I crack myself up on a regular basis. I keep me sane!

As for the fishy couch...is leather supposed to smell of fish oil?! Didn't think so. My husband tells me, "Oh, hon..it's only the leather couch! It's supposed to smell like that." Um...no, it's NOT. I have plenty of leather in my house (shoes, purses, whips..ooops! too much info! LOL) and not one of them smells of fish oil. So, YUCK...no snuggling on THAT couch.

On a more somber note: We here in the Northeast are expecting 4-6 inches of the white stuff (sorry...can't bring myself to say it) and windchills in the minus degrees. Anyone for blackberry brandy shots?

Funniest thing I've heard today: Child# 2 and I were watching the rose ceremony of "The Bachelorette" (a guilty pleasure) when, upon the giving of the last rose, she asked, "Mommy, is that a dead frog?!" I LMAO!! It was a white rose and she thought it looked like an upside down dead frog! Ah, from the mouths of babes!

Out with the old, in with the new!

The Christmas tree came down today..Hmmm..looks kinda bare there. So...what should we do about it?! The couch that was in front of the tree was broken a year or so ago by 1 or 2 of the children. (They took a flying leap at it and broke the back spine of it..I have the bruises to prove it!!) Ok, yes..it matched the rest of the furniture but it was BROKEN, dammit! My husband took children #'s 3& 4 to the mall and checked out a furniture store while he was there. He saw a nice saddle-colored leather couch. Came home and told me about it. "Do you think it will match the dark brown ottoman we saw in Costco yesterday?", he asks me. "Hmmm...why don't we go to Costco, buy the ottoman and THEN decide?!", I reply. Ok....ottoman in hand (truck,really), we take off to the mall in search of a matching couch. And we found it! Yes, the saddle colored leather couch matched PERFECTLY! (In my world, yes, it does!)

Got hurt carrying (ok..helping..) the couch in. Couldn't make dinner. Besides, color co-ordinating is SOOO tiring. Took children #'s 3 & 4 out to dinner. Really..would it have been fair to them if their suffering mom had to make dinner for them? I knew that you'd agree!

Looking forward to cuddling up on the new couch and ottoman with husband tonight. Leather needs to be "broken in", right? ::devilish smile::

G'night and see you in the 'morrow! LOL!!!

Hold me back...!!! ( AKA "The In Laws Are Here")

(This story told to you as I hide in my basement whilst they all watch a movie..)

Ok, soooo..This is pretty much the only thing that I DO NOT like about my in-laws..They are total NEAT FREAKS. True story: When I decided to take this past summer off so that I could babysit my teen aged children, my mother in-laws reply was, "Oh good..now maybe you can do something around the house." <Gritting my teeth as I tell this story.>

So, tonight we hosted my sister in-law, my mother and father in-law, my niece and my nephew. (My sister in-law's husband and my other nephew couldn't make it due to a hockey game that my nephew had to play.) We were sitting at the dinner table after finishing a lovely dinner that included garlic shrimp in rice, ribeye steak, pasta, king crab legs, etc...My sister in-law says to me, "Have you seen your daughter's room?" to which I reply, "Now why the hell would I wanna go and upset myself like that?!" "Well, I don't know what your standards are but it's a disaster up there!" I just laugh it off, but go upstairs to see what she meant by "disaster area". Apparently "disaster area" is a relative term and subject to interpretation! Mind you, I've owned this house for 4 years and have only ventured upstairs MAYBE 10 times. My husband can't understand why. "Self preservation and the distinct probability that some child may die if I DO go up there", I tell him on occasion. So, the room is not in all that great of shape, but hey! They're 14 1/2 and 16 years old. I do not expect to walk into a showplace, for pete's sake!

I came back downstairs and asked her if she'd like to see MY room. She passed. She knows better.

What pisses me off is that of course her house is ALWAYS clean. She and her husband own their own business and she works in her own home. Oh, yeah...and the little fact that she has a cleaning person that comes 5 days a week.  I think that explains a bit, doesn't it?!

Trust me...my house is no sty..But I do worry about more important things in my life other than "is my house clean enough for my in-laws approval?". For me, enjoying life and living it in a messy home is more fun than stressing out over getting the bathroom floor clean enough to eat off of.

'Nuff said..

Feeling oh! so efficient today!

Well...I am NOT a morning person but I find myslef at 843am this morning already typing away! Have already made my bed (usually make it right before bed!), had 1 of my 2 cups o' tea, sent numerous emails to people at Church re: Blood drive in May, Womens's Luncheon, our next Deacon meeting...whew! Should I just head on back to bed and forget about work today?! LOL!!

Received an email from the paranormal researchers..they'd like to come back on Jan 17 and do a follow up investigation! They'll also install a webcam for a few days to monitor the basement for "activity"... Unfortunately, the public is unable to view this webcam site because it's for THEIR research purposes only.

This weekend is looking to be rather busy as I will be hosting my in-laws (all 7 of them) for a belated Christmas celebration/ mother in-law's 74th birthday party. My sister-in-law and her family were in Floirida for the holidays so we haven't seen them yet. Should be nice...but when the hell is someone gonna invite US to THEIR house so THEY can cook and clean up after US?! LOL!!Seems like every weekend there's a party going on at my house! (Is it because we have a hot tub and everyone eants to use it?)

Anyway...time for cup o' tea #2 so I'd best be heading upstairs..If I don't get back here, have a great weekend!

A pet peeve..

Sorry...I woke up on the wrong side of the bed..and late, to boot!

My husband wakes up at 650am every morning to wake up our 12 year old son. My son is usually pretty good about waking up but once he's downstairs, he can often be found cuddled up under a blanket on top of the heat vent! So begins my morning.."Son! Did you eat? Are you dressed? You're gonna miss the bus!!", my husband yells...several times between 710am and 725am..(The bus comes at 733am). My husband gets out of bed shortly after my son gets on the bus..Now starts the screaming up the stairs for the 2 high school-aged girls to get up...Except they NEVER get up on the first scream. No, it takes a good long time for them to get up. They have to leave at 810am. The next door neighbor drives 3 days and I drive 2 days. Well, JUST yesterday I was saying (complaining) to my husband that he really shouldn't be waking them up, that they should have an alarm clock and we (he) should only be a last bell kinda thing. He totally disagreed, stating that we are their parents and we are ultimately responsible for everything in their lives, including getting up on time. I pursued it further, but he stood firm.

Ok...so today I woke up in time to hear my son leave. My husband "claims" that he set the alarm for 800am as it's my day to drive the kids...I heard him yell up the stairs several times for the girls to get up and even heard him go upstairs to toss their butts out of bed. So why is it that I woke up sans alarm clock at 840am?! I guess the next door neighbor took her kids when I didn't show up at their front door..

Thanks for listening...and BTW...I'm hitting Target right after work to buy 3 alarm clocks..That'll show ALL of them! LOL!

I'm still here!!!

Ahhhh...me and the laundry..a love story that will NEVER end..

When my sister and I were younger, we used to play "Chinese Laundry" (is that racist?)..we used to talk in reallly fake Chinese accents and sort laundry to our hearts content..oh, for those good ol' days....

The paranormal researchers want to come back and set up a webcam in our basement. It's been a hotspot recently..altho the youngest's bedroom has been active, too...Christmas Eve the big one and the youngest were sleeping and were awakened by "someone" strumming the bass guitar! Then a week later, while daughte#3 was home alone, SHE heard the bass guitar being played! The big one felt like someone was tickling her feet in the middle of the night when she was sleeping in the basement....Ahhh, hopefully the webcam will pick up something..

The holidays were great..busy, but fun...Until New Years Day..the big one came home vomitting blood, swearing that someone had put something in her non-alcoholic drink...ROFL..yeah, my 21 (almost 22) year old, heroin addicted daughter had NOTHING to drink on NY Eve..yeah...remind me..exactly WHERE does it say "STUPID" on my forehead?! Long story short: Apparently she snorted cocaine while she was out and she became violently ill...blood from her stomach and her nose.....all the time swearing that she didn't do ANYTHING...some one poisoned her, as per her...

Well...tonight is her 1st night home from hospital..her blood sugar was up to 700 at one point..(she has juvenile diabetes)..Did I visit her? You may think I'm a horrible mother but, NO..I didn't.....But you know what? Walk a mile in my shoes..You'd might have left her in the ER for a few nights (no beds in ICU available) and let her deal with it...I've been thru this TOO many damn times..couldn't deal..

What a way to start the new year...