Timing is Everything

A few weeks ago I put in paperwork to promote. We have had a watershed of retirements and I thought hey, I do six months on 3rd shift and get back to first, with a little more pay. Well, I then thought of how long those six months on third shift would be, coupled with the fact that I've gotten divorced and Peanut Butter is starting school how much change can she take? How much can I take? I said I'd take an interview and then immediately regretting saying I would. I talked with a friend of mine, who is one of my supervisors, about the whole mess, she said just take the interview, if anything it is good practice. She understood where I was personally and said she just do what is best for me. I resigned myself to just cancel my interview, I can't guarantee that it will only be six months on third, there are people with my seniority or more also promoting and well, that is how jobs go. I know that there will be another round of people retiring in January when my six months of probation would be up, but it is anyone's guess how many and from what shift. I went on break later this afternoon an in the hallway I was stopped by basically my head supervisor and she asked if I'm interviewing, I said I have one set up, but I think I'm going to pass. She said I should take the interview and decide later, she said she'd work to get me a days off group I needed, which basically told me, show up and don't totally blow the interview and your promoted. I now feel obligated to show up for the interview.  I told J about it and said I feel like I have to interview as to not blow my good terms with the higher ups. He said you know she is going to want you to take the promotion, they want people with seniority to promote. Argh, why didn't I do this a long time ago, but where I am is finally getting good, I'm finally getting almost any day off that I want the right way. I'm finally getting within a person or two of decent, not deal with inmates everyday, jobs. I will lose all of that by promoting. There are so many what ifs.

It's a Very, Very Fine House

So, I debated which blog to post this in and as you can see I've picked this one so here goes....

The past couple weeks have been unbearably hard. I went through a week where I was mad, ragey mad. I don't know if it is the onslaught of having the divorce become final next month compiled with Peanut Butter's birthday. I started obsessing over the house. How dare them take the house from me? I put good money into that house and she just waltzes in and takes over. I think how my place is so inadequate, what was I thinking? I have no idea where it is all coming from. I really didn't want the house, getting something monetary out of it would have been nice, but since we owe more that it is worth that isn't happening. I meet with my head shrinker and tell her I don't get what the deal is, my obsession with the house, I can't afford the house, the house needs so much done to it, the house is just a reminder of us. She said what does it represent to you and "ding" we have a winner, it was a home, it was happy, safety, family, it represented so much in that matter, and the fact that it is Peanut Butter's home and I moved out of it. That and someone wasted no time moving into it. 

I know my place isn't a palace and I know it isn't quite home yet, it is hard. It is hard to hear my baby say, "Mama someday you get a new house." Someday I will, but for now I have to make due with what I have. A nice little place in a nice quiet neighborhood that needs paint. 

FIVE

Peanut Butter turns five today. She will be headed toward kindergarten next month and I cannot believe it. It has been a hard week for me, I think a lot of it has to do with not having a "family" birthday. I tried to work something out with J, but it never came to. So what do I do I go overboard and over compensate.  I had the tea party on Sunday and yesterday before we met Nana for a birthday dinner I took her for a pedi to make her toes cute.

Then we walked by Claires and I though  hey maybe we should get her ears pierced. I asked J if he minded even though I knew he didn't since he wanted to do it a while ago. I asked Peanut Butter if she wanted it done and she said yes.

She did pretty good. They shot both ears at once, she cried a little when it was over, but she seems pretty happy with them.

We had dinner with my Mom and her sister. PB slept through the first 20 min or so on my lap. Apparently I wore her out at the mall. But she perked up and opened some presents.

This morning we have birthday morning. Peanut Butter opened presents:

She was pretty excited, I got her to Playmobil room sets to replace most of the Playmobil stuff that has been left on the floor and stepped on, destroying them. Hopefully now that she is a little older she will take better care of the stuff. She does love playing with the stuff though.

We did Birthday pancakes since PB doesn't like cake.

It was hard when her Daddy picked her up today. I know he should get part of birthday too, but I admit, I cried after she left. 

10 Days of You: 1 Picture

Last one

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To

I planned a Tea Party for Peanut Butter's birthday. I found cups and plates at Goodwill, I got some foam crowns for the girls to create their own and JoAnns had great stuff on clearance so I was able to get make your own princess wands too. I was worried that no one was coming because I only had one RSVP by my deadline, but then a few more came in. Here's the set up:

Peanut Butter was up early and anxious all day for the party. I wonder if she was up a little too early. Her friends arrived and they went to town on the tiaras and wands. It was a hit until one of PB's friends used a ribbon from the wands on her tiara and PB had a huge meltdown about it. I felt horrible for her friends with her screaming and crying over a ribbon. She some how composed herself and the kids ate, I had turkey and cheese sandwiches, I did make pb&j too, but one of the girls has a peanut allergy so I didn't bring them out, fruit salad and my apparently famous carrot muffins. PB doesn't like cake so she asked me to make the muffins for her, they have received rave reviews from the daycare. 

Then something else threw PB off the deep end.

She sat and pouted, then she took the balloons for a ride.

She blew out candles, yes I had regular cupcakes too.

She opened presents the kids played in her room and then out in the backyard when the chaos started. I put up a swing in the back yard and it was a huge fight over who was on the swing, and PB went crazy that she had to share and take turns, OY! Luckily it was pick up time and the Parents started showing up. I hope the girls had fun even though Peanut Butter was a screaming crying mess for some of it.

Shoes

I just ordered two pairs of shoes I would have never ever thought to order before. I know what possessed me to order them, except I liked them, they were on crazy clearance and I had a 20 coupon so I got them both with shipping for 21 dollars.

This pair

And this pair:

Normally I would not have bought anything with a heel since J hated when I was taller than him, since I don't have to worry about it, and Peanut Butter is all about getting me to be more "girly" so I pulled the trigger. Piperlime has some great shoes on clearance, I just hope they fit since there are no returns on final clearance items.

10 Days of You: 2 songs

This is going to be really really hard......

Current songs
1. Learning to Breathe - Switchfoot
2. Waking Up - OneRepublic

Run songs
1. Wait so Long - Trampled by Turtles
2. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco

Older Songs
1. Colorblind - Counting Crows
2. Pale Green Stars - Everclear

Only in Gooberville -long and possibly crazy

There are certain things that really only happen in certain places. Where I grew up is one of them. Recently the city has made national news for being the 4th kinkiest in america. Seriously, it has a population of less than 2000 and Kathy Lee and Hooda were talking about it on the Today Show. I would have to think it has to be close to having the most bars per capital too, because there are 32 for the 1500 people there, so ya'll know what the local pastime is. 

So anyway, it has been about a year since the last time I was up and I really only keep up on the local sports action when checking out the daily paper. Occasionally I check the obits and if I see a familiar name, I'll read the brief article there is. After our fantastic finish yesterday we headed to one of the local taverns and took in some refreshments. Blue Moon must be popular with the running crowd because the 2 places we went in were out of it. We decided maybe we should head out and grab some lunch. On the way out my friend Jill's Dad said something about our shirts and she said we got them at the local screen printer(I'm avoiding some names to protect the innocent) he said well he may be off to jail soon. I didn't think much of it because there are a number of offenses that the locals go to jail for on a routine basis. We then decide before we go have lunch we have to stop at the local screen printer's to thank him for the shirts. Number one thing that would only happen in Hurley, my friend Jill asks the owner, "hey, you still have the stripper boots?" "yeah, they are in the other room around the corner." Sure enough, he not only prints up shirts for the locals and tourists, he rents tuxs and has a large selection of stripper shoes and boots, along with a few outfits for the working girl. I about died. I know the girls gotta get their kicks some where, but it just seems like an odd pairing, but "that's how I roll." he says as he's starting to plan shirts that say, "where hwy 51 ends and the Kink begins." He also said the gem, "in Hurley you don't lose your girlfriend you lose your turn." NICE. My friend Jill's friend from the Twin Cities is just flabbergasted, but actually tries a pair on. Our other friend, Jason, asks him how the apartments upstairs are going. He goes on about how much money he has stuck into them and says let me set this shirt up and I'll give you a tour. 

We head up and people you will not believe this place, The first apt you walk into is like a fantasy hunting cabin bar. Horned chandeliers, weird wood clocks, and even the famous leg lamp. He says oh be careful of the table some girl was dancing on it the other night and it broke. In one of the bedrooms is a massage table and one can only imagine what goes on in there, and then a normal bed room. We head to the next apt and I can only imagine what is to come, I am surprised when it is a nicely done studio with a murphy bed. But, at this point he starts on about all the people who come through and he entertains customers, friends what have you. And again my mind goes to the bad place, "what in the world goes on up here?" We head over to the third apt and it is like a tiki lounge living room with a bedroom with a north woods theme and what everyone needs a room with a tanning bed and a shelving unit with any type of tanning oil you should need. He flips it on like one of us is going to get in a tan while we're there. We then go into the last room in this place which is a little bar area that has of course a fresh keg. He sets up a pitcher for us and says hang out, I gotta go check on the shop. The five of us, just look at each other, pull up a stool and about all of us just laugh as we are in awe of the total themeness and weirdness of the joint. At one point Jason has asked him which one he lives in and he said, "hell, I live in them all." He also went into how he was being set up for dealing a controlled substance. Where else in the world would this happen to someone.? All I can wonder is just how many strippers have frequented the place and am a bit creeped out. After we have a couple beers we decide we really should get lunch.  We end up sitting in the number of chairs outside the business waiting to say our good byes because he has gone off around the corner. Who just leaves their business, not only to give a 30 min tour of the upper apts, but to take a stroll leaving his dogs on the front stoop? He comes back and we say our thanks for the tour and such and say we're off to Don and GGs for lunch. He goes on about how we should do this other stuff and we say, yeah, sure and head out.  I wish I would have had my camera. Jill, Brent, and Caroline took quite a few. What was extra crazy is he at one point said, "my life is like a movie, it is Jumanji everyday." Jumanji, who compares their life to Jumanji?

So I meet up with a couple who are friends of mine later that night and say, "You will not believe what we did this afternoon!" I tell them about going to the apts and they look at me like I was bat $hit crazy. The wife was like you are now on a bunch of surveillance tapes, there are police cameras everywhere there. It was the craziest thing that would only happen in Hurley.  It ended up being quite the talk later in the the evening too when we told Jill's sister about it. Apparently, I need to read more than the sports section when I look at the local paper.

5 Miler in the Book

I did it. I ran the whole five miles of my part of our marathon relay. My team finished its 26.2 miles in 4:16:22. We were hoping to finish in 4 hours so we were pretty close. 

It seemed to take me forever to drive up. I had to drop Peanut Butter off at her Nana's and then go up from there. I think I was in the car for over 6 hours total. My hips were aching by the time I got there since they are already sore from running. I picked up our race packet and met my teammates to get our game plan. We decided to meet at 6:30 am and get to the start. I set my alarm on my phone, but where I was staying has poor cell reception so my phone searches for a signal and kills my battery. I heard it die and it was 5:00 am. I wanted 30 more minutes of sleep and there was this clock that chimed every 15 min. I heard it after the first 15 and didn't hear it again. I looked at the clock on the wall and it was 6:00, yikes. I quick showered, for reasons unknown since I was going to go sweat, and beat feet to our meeting spot. We headed out to the start of the race and my friend Jill started. A friend of hers, Jason,  from high school that I also know ran our second leg and the other 3 of us went to cheer him on since we couldn't watch Jill. After cheering we headed to the start of the 3rd leg. I was still feeling good at this point, it was still cool and I was still relaxed. But after meeting back up with Jill and Jason and my leg being next, I started stressing, can I do this, I can do this, good lord what did I sign up for. Caroline ran our third leg and we went to wait for mine.

This is me and Brent who ran our last, longest and fastest leg waiting at the start of my leg. I got ready for the switch and I heard, "Robyn?" I said, "oh hey." it was one of my best friends from high school's parents. They were like we haven't seen you in a long time. I said I know, I don't get up a lot.  And then Caroline came in and I was off and wouldn't you know it my right shoe felt weird, I though crap, just run with it, and then I turned the corner and the behemoth hill loomed ahead. I charged the hill and my crew drove by yelling on their way to the next split. After mile 1, I was not in my normal run mental mode, I was so worried about finishing and it started to get really sunny and hot and that is all I thought about. The shirts we wore just held the sweat and I couldn't get my sleeves to stay up, I was uncomfortable and just kept plugging along. I stopped to retie my shoes and just kept plodding along. I caught up to a group of 4 full marathoners who were walking/running. I said finally someone I can pass. I think it took me a mile and a half to actually pass them. I hit mile 19 and was so happy to only have a mile left, but it was a long ass mile. I finally saw Caroline and said, "How much further is it?" She said just around the bend. I'm like kick ass and begin to "sprint" to get this over with and I turn the curve to this awful hill. But I climb it and send Brent on his way.

According to the split times it took me an hour and ten minutes to run my five, which is really slow 14 minute miles. I walk 15 minute miles  and I ran this whole thing. My mom says the split times aren't always accurate and of course I forgot to wear a watch.

Here's my team at the finish:

After it was all done, everyone felt great and then some were talking crazy like, we should find a 6th and next year do 3 half marathon relay teams. Um, yeah, not quite ready for that yet, nearly died doing the 5 miles.

Stay tuned to my next post, things that only happen in Hurley.

10 Days of You: 3 Films

This is going to be a hard one, I like so many movies.

1. Life is Beautiful. Watch this one with subtitles it is so much better than the dubbed English, you hear the inflections and it is just that much better, trust me. Another WWII movie that is superb is The Pianist, I can only wonder what I would do to stay alive in similar circumstances.
2. Pretty in Pink. John Hughes was a genius. The music, Duckie, Iona, Blaine "that's a major appliance it's not a name, and James Spader is the perfect slime ball. I always wanted Molly's red hair. My other favorite 80's movie is Breakfast Club, my brother and I would go back and forth with lines from this movie all the time. 
3. Good Will Hunting, I just relate to Will, I wish I was a genius, and I wasn't abused, but I just seem to understand the character.  I also love Matt Damon in the Bourne series.

Ok, I sneaked a couple others in, but hey that's how I roll.

More Than I can Chew

Saturday I will be running in a marathon relay in my hometown. I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew here. I have yet to break five miles. I have come close 4.7 and today I did 4.5 hoping it was closer to 5 than it was. My problem here people is the sun. The brutal, harsh, hot, bright sun, it saps all of my energy as soon as I get started. I also took the leg of the relay that has horrible hills that I didn't think about when choosing the leg, I just thought about the pretty lake I'd be running through. My only ray of hope is it is supposed to be a high of 70 on Saturday. I'm hoping that is cool enough for my run forever feeling to kick in. There is a chance of rain too, since every race I've been in it has rained, I'm thinking it will probably rain too.  I'm looking forward to seeing some of my friends and hanging out at the party after, so I will run that 5 miles if it kills me. 

So my goals for this week are:  get a shift of overtime in, try and get a 5 miler in on Tuesday, make invites for Peanut Butter's birthday party, finish my 5 miles of the relay, and have a blast. Peanut Butter is going to hang out with Nana for the weekend and is super excited about that.

Keeping the Girl Busy on a Budget

I need a day to keep the girl busy, but not spend a lot of money. Peanut Butter mentioned going bowling, and I got a family fun pass from the Isthumus and it had 2 for 1 bowling. We headed out to the lanes.

In the middle of the 2nd game Peanut Butter had her fill and we finished the game and settled up. $9.50 for 2 games and shoes, not too bad. We went to Goodwill to hunt down some items for PB's up coming tea party for her birthday. Old Navy for some clothes for school and Target for glue sticks for school. We ate dinner at Pedro's which I also had a coupon from the family fun pass for and went to the Madison's Children's Museum. The first Thursday night of the month is free from 5-8pm and Peanut Butter had a blast.

Making pizza.

Making Shadows, this was pretty cool you stand against this white wall and there is a blast of light and your shadow is captured on the wall.

Feeding the chickens.

They had a beautiful rooftop garden. Peanut Butter is in the refuse to pose stage and it is impossible to get a photo of her.

If I could only get her to do my windows.

They have this amazing climbing apparatus. It was packed all night. Peanut Butter got lucky at the end of the night as no one was on it when we were leaving. Not that she didn't spend a ton of  time earlier in the night on it.

It was a pretty good day!

10 Days of You: 4 Books

One thing I like is a good book.

1. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

A few others could have made this list, Harry Potter, In the Shadow of War, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel. Apparently I like books with a good struggle, whether physical or mental. These are all books I have no problem reading again and again. I'll also admit that The Road can be a hard book to get through. McCarthy does have his own style of writing. Yes, the other books that I have loved, I love a good Lee Child book, fast paced, kick ass, a good thriller/mystery, I like Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane, and a good novel, This Much I Know is True by Wally Lamb is wonderful, The Spellman series is a hoot, and I like the YA with Hunger Games and The Book Thief.