What Time Is It?!

Come on, really.  What time IS IT?!

THAT'S BETTER.

On the bright side, if I can't tell what time it is, I don't have to feel guilty about oversleeping, right???

This post brought to you by the recent outbreak in storms that caused the power surge that broke my iHome.  Thanks, Mother Nature!  You owe me $40.

It's Like Breaking Up with a Boyfriend, on the Day He Was Fired.

I have learned through my year of blogging, that I have an amazing resource right at my fingertips.

YOU GUYS!

Oftentimes, I have confided in you on an individual basis regarding some sticky situations, and have sought out your advice on how to handle them.

From family, to business, to friendships gone awry, you always know how to navigate me through those less than comfortable situations.  Instead of confiding in you all individually, I decided to lay it all out there for everyone, so I can receive a consensus on how to handle this bit of a pickle.

Let me tell you a little story*.

There are many things in life that Roon is better at than me.  Yardwork, is one of those things.  Even though Roon is completely capable of mowing, edging, and landscaping our yard, he doesn't always have the time or desire to do so. 

One day, when I realized that our yard looked particularly sad, I suggested that Roon do something about it once winter was officially over.  He thought about it for a day or so, and then came to me with a suggestion.  Why not hire a professional?  I had a little bit of money of my own, and I could use that to pay someone to make my yard look EXACTLY how I wanted it, and things wouldn't get ugly between the two of us.

I thought he was brilliant!

I soon found a small landscape company to do the work, and as luck would have it, he was running a bit of a special.  If I paid the full estimated amount in advance, (Before lawn mowing season began) I would be added to the mowing schedule from day one, and Roon wouldn't have to push the mower even once.  Not to mention the fact that I could "bundle" my landscape requests together for a discounted rate.

I was all over it!

I received an estimate, and paid it in full within 24 hours.  I could hardly wait for spring to come, so I could see some improvement in my yard!

Normally, the idea of paying in full for work yet to be performed makes me very uneasy, but he came VERY highly recommened by neighbors and friends, so I went with it.

At the first signs of spring, I would see him in my neighbor's yards, sprucing things up a bit.  Planting a tree, adding some flowers here and there.  The anticipation was killing me!

Along the way, Roon and I decided to add some things to our plan.  You know, a fruit tree in the backyard, a tulip border, and some rose bushes on the side of the house...that kind of thing.  Each time, he would bill us, we would pay, and then we would wait.

When the grass began to grow and look unruly, I called our landscaper to find out what was going on. 

He was very nice, and explained that some things had come up, but that he would be out very soon to take care of it.

A week later, with the threat of an HOA fine looming, Roon went out and cut the grass when our guy couldn't be reached in time.

Through the course of several months, our guy never came once.  We were handled with kid gloves, reassured that we were on his schedule, but no concrete dates were ever offered.

Towards the end of the summer, we heard rumblings that the landscaper was experiencing some personal hardships.  His wife was ill, money was tight, and he was doing his best to handle it all.  This was all speculation, though, as we hadn't actually heard the information from HIM.

We took pity on the guy, and made do the best we could.  Eventually, we contacted the guy, and asked for a refund.  Our contract was terminated, he apologized, and we were promised a full refund.

We found, and hired a replacement landscaper, who has done an amazing job!  We love him, and are so glad to have found him in our time of need.

So where's the problem?

Our original landscaper has yet to reimburse us.  I've contacted him a few times, offering to make arrangements with him to pay in installments, and the offers have been embraced and appreciated by him, but no arrangement is ever made.   At the close of every conversation, he offers the possibility of paying me back with his services, or gift certificates for friends. 

If I wasn't happy with the service I was given in the first place, why on EARTH would I want more service in lieu of money?

To add insult to injury, our landscaper has officially started publicly announcing his hardships to the community.  How am I supposed to request a refund when he's standing at a pulpit telling everyone his woes?!

Is it so unreasonable of me to want what I was promised? 
If you have any suggestions for me, I would greatly appreciate them.

*Certain details have been altered or deleted to protect the guilty.

Love Bug

Five years ago, Roon gave me this:

Exactly one week later, I gave him this...



Fair trade, right?

It was the BEST late birthday present EVER. 

In honor of our Bug turning 5 years old, here are 5 things I LOVE about that little boy.

1.  He is SO much like his dad, in every way.  Thank goodness that's not a bad thing.

2.  His love of animals.  Especially HIS animal.

3.  He's always been a good sleeper...

4.  He's AMAZING at sports.

5.  He's a bit mischievous, but his charm makes it impossible to stay mad.  (Did I mention he's like his dad?)

 

Happy birthday, BUGABOO!

        

 

My Forever Friend Turns 30!

About a year ago, I perfect stranger commented on my blog.

I did what I usually try to do, and I followed her back to her blog, to see what she was all about.

By the time Roon got home from work, I announced I had found a new friend. 

I had completely lost track of time, and had stalked her blog ALL AFTERNOON, commenting here and there.  (This was back in the day, when I was still going by "Symply Me")

Wouldn't it just figure that a matter of days after I found this little patch of sunshine, that she would announce she was going PRIVATE.  I was so bummed.

I didn't feel like I "knew" her well enough to ask for an invite to her private blog, and I wasn't smart enough to bookmark or start following her NEW blog before she went private. 

GAH!

What's an obsessive stalker wannabe friend to do?

Enter- FATE.

Not out of character for myself at all, I signed up for a SWAP.  When I received the info for my partner, I was ECSTATIC!  It was none other than my "missing" friend! 

It didn't take long at all for us to become great friends.  Texting, Facebooking, Emailing, Skyping, and so on. 

I can honestly say that she is like a sister to me.  She knows things about my life that I've only shared with 2 other people (aside from Roon, of course), and I know I can tell her anything without fear of judgement.

And to think I've never met her!

Well, we're fixin' to (I blame Texas) remedy that.  About 40 more sleeps until we can claim to be REAL LIFE friends!  I can hardly wait!!!

So, who could I be talking about???

Ugh.  After watching the video, I realize I looked REALLY gross, and you can hardly hear the dialogue from the kids.  Sorry.  I was in a hurry to get this done.  I wouldn't let myself do a second take. 

Head on over to HANGING BY A SILVER LINING, and wish Evelyn a very happy 30th birthday!

Happy birthday, Evelyn!  I've said it before, but I'll ay it again...you are the Wally Kessler to my Harold Green.

Vlog #2...The Mature Years

There are so many things I want to point out before y'all watch this video. 

First, the angles are really bad.  Sorry.  I did one take, stumbled all over my words, and did a second take, and couldn't keep in the frame.  Oh well, I'm not trying for a third take.  Just tilt your head, you may not even notice.

Second, The lighting was really bad.  There were moments that I looked at my complexion, and my face looked orange compared to my body.  I can assure you that I CAN match my makeup to my skin color better than it appears. 

Finally, please ignore any major messes you can see.  The maid took the day off...for her birthday.  Whatcha gonna do?

Here's the list of words and questions for your personal reference.  After all, I'm probably saying them all wrong...

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Antenna, Root beer, Ambulance, Museum, Milk, Orange, Apricot

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped

body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry

groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Where do you buy your groceries?




Thanks so much Mamarazzi and Shawn for hosting!  It's been fun!

Roon Has Spoken

All my life, I've never had any trouble making friends.  Don't get me wrong, I was a nerd, but I've always made friends easily. 

I've had all types of friends, as well.

My fliratious nature has awarded me many a male friend in my day, one of whom eventually became my husband.

My fierce loyalty, has provided me with many long term friends.  You know, friends whom I have known for 25+ years.

The friendly/outgoing side of me has acquainted me with lots of interesting people, and has occasionally thrust me into some uncomfortable situations.

While I adore my friends, the law of averages implies that in an ocean full of really terrific friends (y'all know who you are...), you will on occasion come across a stinker or two. 

When I was in middle school, I had a "friend" who hated me.  Well, more accurately, she hated me MOST of the time.  Round about October 8th, she would declare me her "best friend", and hold on tight, just long enough to get a  birthday present from me on October 10th.  Once she had what she wanted, the teasing and utter torture would resume.  She did this same thing for Christmas and Valentine's Day as well, for several years.

My mom pointed out how wrong this was on several occasions, but when you're in middle school...your mom doesn't know anything, so I ignored her. 

To this day, I am still a people pleaser, and it drives Roon CRAZY.

Probably because he can see something that I can't.

Usually, he gets quietly exasperated, just shaking his head or rolling his eyes when he doesn't agree with the way I'm allowing a friend to treat me. 

Until recently.

Over the past several months, I have had several interactions with a "friend" I refer to as "Toxic".  (If you're a real life friend of mine reading this...don't worry, I don't think it's you, or someone you know)

This person is a taker.  They take your time, they take your energy, they take your generosity, but they never leave anything behind. 

Have you ever had a friend like that? 

After every interaction I would have with them, I would walk away feeling defeated.  Feeling "less than". 

One evening, after our most recent encounter, I was talking to Roon, and as I started to cry, he put his foot down.

Now, if you know Roon, you know that he is just about the most easy going man in the entire world.  He would do anything for anybody, and RARELY gets upset.

But he was LIVID.

"I don't want you doing anything else for that person."  He said.  "In fact, if you volunteer to do one more thing for them, I am not going to be mad at them anymore, and I'll be mad at YOU!"

And I know he means it. 

So, I'm respecting his wishes.  The people pleaser in me is screaming to be heard, but I love my husband, and I basically only tolerate the other individual.

The whole experience has made me question myself, and how I treat others. 

On the bright side, every time I encounter a "stinker" in my vast ocean of friends, I learn from it, and it makes me a better friend. 

And that makes it all worth it.



Because De-Whiskering Kittens is Inhumane...

This, I tell ya, is the little blog post that could.
Let's just say that my laptop has been experiencing more than it's share of "user errors" lately, and no...it's not Roon who has suddenly become computer illiterate. 

At least I have a computer guru as a husband, who can fix all my technological faux pas.

ANYWHO!

I GOT MY FAVORITE THINGS SWAP PACKAGE!!!

About 4 days ago.  (hanging my head in SHAME!)

I was partnered with the completely hilarious Jessica from Duck Duck Cow.  Right off the bat, I knew she and I were destined to be friends, because, well...all awesome people tend to travel in the same herd, right?

Alright, onto the loot!  Please excuse the picture quality.  They were taken with my phone, by a complete photography dummy...me.

The first thing I saw when I opened my package was this:

In case you can't read that, is says:  "Quick!  Give this to your kids so that you can open your package in PEACE!"  This girl thought of EVERYTHING!

Under that, Were all my goodies, lovingly wrapped in wrapping paper and ribbon:

It doesn't happen very often, but I got to open my ENTIRE package MYSELF!  Which means, I also got a picture of EVERYTHING all laid out, but first I'll start with some highlights...

Yes, you read that fuzzy picture right.  That is a GLAZED DONUT scented candle.  Since it smelled so good that I almost licked it, I am keeping it up high, so that Boo doesn't get any ideas.

I think I may be the only person on the face of the planet that has NEVER tried these things.  I know they're "all the rage", but I've never been one to give into peer pressure.  UNTIL NOW!!!  YUM!

I laughed hysterically when I saw this!  I don't know if you can see from the picture, but that soap has GLITTER on it!  I haven't mentioned this to Jessica yet, but I think she was inspired to send this to get the werewolf stink off me.  That's right...I'm a Jacob girl.  BUT this soap smells SO good, I'm willing to make an exception.

Here's a rundown of everything I got, in no particular order.

1. FUNYUNS!  (These didn't stand a chance of survival in my house.)
2. Glazed donut candle.
3. Cadbury mini eggs
4. Halloween cupcake liners
5. CD of Jessica's favorite tunes.
6. Nail polish, with the CUTEST tiny little bunny toe separators EVER!
7. Gum.
8. Pens
9. Tide to Go (Sissy LOVES this stuff.  SHE insists we keep it on hand always)
10. Cow magnet (SUPER cute!)
11. Beetlejuice, the movie.  (WOW!  Blast from the past!)
12. Flower shaped ice cube trays.
13. Edward Soap and soapdish.
14. Makeup bag, complete with a full set of samples from CLINIQUE!  (I'd never tried Clinique before, but I've already tried some of it, and I LOVE it!)

This was an awesome swap!  Thanks so much, Jessica, for making it so!  Also, thanks to Mamarazzi for hosting, and for keeping everything running so smoothly!

Symfully Sweet RETURNS!

I know you won't believe this, but I really tried to get this posted on Friday. 

BUT, my internet wasn't working. 

Luckily, Roon was going to come home a little early, so I had him fiddle with the computer/router garbage. 

You know what was wrong with it?

The WiFi was turned off on the laptop.

That was ALL that was wrong with it!  All I would have had to do, is push a stupid button!

Have I mentioned I'm not very tech savvy?

Okay, so moving on...
Have y'all missed Symfully Sweet?
Did you even know it was missing?
Probably not.

Okay, well it WAS missing, and I apologize for those of you who were really looking forward to it. 

If you have absolutely no idea what the dickens I'm talking about, click on the "Symfully Sweet Saturday" tab, and read all about it. 

So, what candy did I think would be absolutely perfect for the April Mission???

PEEPS!

Now, just to be clear, I do NOT like Peeps.  I don't.  I think they're gross.  BUT, when I think about Easter, I think about Peeps. 

If you dislike Peeps as much as I do, remember you DON'T have to use the actual candy for your project.  Use them as inspiration for a project, instead. 

Answers to a few anticipated questions:

• YES you can use the Peep bunnies instead of the Peep chicks, if you feel so inclined.
• NO, I don't care what color Peeps you choose.  They all taste the same...
• YES, you can use the new Peeps that are partially or completely covered in chocolate.
• YES, you can use plain old marshmallows to replace peeps, if you also use the crystal sugar sprinkles, to complete the "essence" of the Peep.

If you have any more questions, just ask me.  I promise, I don't bite!

Linking will open on April 30th.  If you keep track, Xazmin's "Mod Podge Mania" will be linking that day too.  If you do a project containing BOTH Peeps AND Mod Podge, you can kill two chicks with one stone...

You may recall that I never posted my project for December's Symfully Sweet.  The mission was "Candy Canes".  If you did a project for December, you can link it up with April's projects, and will be judged separately from the April projects. 

Good luck on your projects!  I can't wait to see what you come up with!