Thursday, February 26, 2009

Police activity...we can't seem to escape it...

So Jenn was just getting ready to go to bed, so she was filling up a cup of water in the kitchen to keep on her nightstand and noticed that a car had been pulled over by Antioch PD. There were 2 cop cars, so I made an excuse to have a smoke and go outside to investigate. LOL. I'm nosey like that.

The driver of the car was on the sidewalk with one of the cops (who was wearing a beanie. Granted, it was a police issued beanie, but still. LOL) while the other cop was in his car checking up on the guy's info, I assume. The cop from the car comes out and talks to the suspect too quietly for me to hear, and then arrests the dude. Then I can hear that they're going to park the guy's car in our parking lot and the dude's friend can pick up the car tomorrow.

Our first thought was "No! Don't park it on our lot! It's private property!" then we were like "Is the cop gonna drive the car into the lot? The suspect is already in cuffs and is being put in the cop car, so he can't do it." Sure enough, Mr. Beanie Cop gets the car keys and drives the suspect's car up the street, turns it around, then pulls it back around and into our lot. LOL. It was kinda funny to see. Jenn wondered if it was legal for the cop to do, I said "Why not? They're allowed to comandeer cars." She laughed at me saying it's something they only do in the movies. LOL. I mean, it seems like it'd be an OK thing to do. LOL.

Hopefully the suspect's friend does come by and pick it up tomorrow. Jenn's going to give it until Saturday morning before she calls to have it towed. We'll see what happens.

Cars get pulled over all the time in front of our place. It seems to be the place to do it, I guess. LOL.


(For those who don't know, Jenn and I used to live/work in one of the worst communities in San Francisco, so we saw a TON of police activity on a daily basis. It was not unheard of to have cops pull people over, stop people on the street, arrest people, and get into near gunfights in front of our home/store. It was an off day not to have something happen on any given day.)

On the job front

So I have decided to go ahead and get a part time job for now. It's going to be rough because I do need to be off for about 6 weeks 2 months from now, but we'll see what happens.

I dropped off applications at Bed Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble, and JoAnn Fabrics. Neither of the three are currently hiring unfortunately. Those were my top 3 retail choices for work. I don't want to apply everywhere because I don't want to be stuck at Coldstone or Quizno's - I'm better than those. Jenn agrees. Honestly, I'd rather stay unemployed and not be able to do as much fun stuff than be stuck in a job that's made for teenagers.

But Jenn had a brilliant plan. She suggested I go to the "Ghetto Mall" the next freeway exit down and see who's hiring down there. There's a Torrid and a Hot Topic. Our friend's sister used to work for Hot Topic and absolutely loved it there. The employees always seem to be in a good mood and generally don't seem to hate their jobs (as opposed to most other mall employees). I'd love to work at Torrid - can you imagine how huge my wardrobe will get? LOL You'd better believe that I'll be using my employee discount every time I get paid. haha But I think I'd love working at Torrid because I already shop there and I love the store and (most of) the products. Hot Topic would be fun, but I wouldn't do as much shopping in that store (though, Torrid, I believe, is still owned by Hot Topic, so maybe I could still get a discount. LOL), but it would be fun.

My only concern is that it's in a mall. Teenagers hang out at the mall. I hate teenagers. There's a lesser chance working at Torrid that I'd have to worry about them, but at Hot Topic, I know I'll have to deal with the kids there.

PLUS (and this is a huge bonus) at both stores I wouldn't have to worry about covering my tattoos!! I could get MORE tattoos and not have to worry about it! I could repierce my eyebrow! I could pierce my lip! LOL.

I shouldn't get ahead of myself...I still need to apply. LOL. I'll be doing that tomorrow (we had some issues at home that I needed to deal with so I didn't get to go today) and see where we go.

Wish me luck!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Blog Stalker

I've often wondered if people think that I'm a blog stalker. If you look at the list on the right side of the screen, I do read a lot of "Mommy Blogs", but then am only being followed by 3 people (one of whom is my own GF. LOL). That's not to say I'm trying to be popular by any means, it just appears to me that not many people read me. But that's neither here nor there. I blog to remind myself of things that I'm thinking at the moment they pop into my head.

I've never been good at keeping journals (the paper kind). I always start them, but get distracted and forget about them. This is the second blog that I've had since the internets were invented. I still have my other one - I've had that one for 8 years and it carries a lot of history. I have met dozens of people in real life that I knew for years on that blog. It's not easy for me to make friends, but I've definitely made some good ones over there.

OH...sorry...got ADD for a second and went off course.

Blog Stalking. It's not my intention to be a stalker. I began this blog, initially, to follow the McNulty Quads. I discovered them through a silly Christmas photo contest on the SFGate's The Poop blog. The posts there were hilarious and I thought I'd continue reading to see how one raises 4 kids of the same age at the same time. LOL. Through her, I found other Quad blogs, then Triplets, then Twins (and mulitple twin families). I continue reading these blogs because I am inspired and awed by their stories (all of which are completely unique). I'm learning from these blogs (even though I categorize them as Mommy blogs, there are Daddies that contribute as well) and, in some cases, have become emotionally invested in these families. Families that I've never met in person, probably will never meet in person, but people who were brave enough to let the world see a snippet of their family life.

I've tried to comment where I can on these blogs when the mood strikes, but about half of those blogs don't even know I read them. Sometimes I feel kind of silly making a "de-lurking" comment on one of their blogs, but how else will they know that I'm not some crazy person that goes to read their blog everyday? LOL.

So I guess this blog is a giant de-lurking announcement. LOL. I think I've made one before, but I figured I should make another just to reassure anyone new to my blog reading list that I'm not some crazy baby blog obsessed lady. Think of it more like this - I'm your student, learning what it's really like to raise kids. You all show me the ups and downs of parenthood. It's preparing me a lot (I often thing "OMG! I dread that stage of babyhood!" LOL) and let me know that some things are just inevitable. I'm glad for that because there are a lot of people out there who make parenthood out to be all Sunshine and Rainbows. Thank you for that!

Anyway...now you know - I'm not a psycho. LOL.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Stupid People

So I've been watching a lot of Cops-style shows on TRUtv (on Dishnet). They have a lot of chase scenes which I find incredibly interesting to watch. I sit on the edge of my seat waiting for the accident that's sure to come. But what I find to be almost more disgusting than the suspects running (or why they're running) from the cops is the people on the streets and highways that don't get out of the way of the cops!! These people are completely oblivious to their surroundings and make the jobs of the cops that much harder.

I am also highly annoyed by the clips of "peaceful protesters" that quickly turn into riots because these people don't want to be repressed by "the man", aka the police trying to keep things orderly.

Ugh...just 2 more reasons why I hate people.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Culture

So Jenn and I were watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations tonight. He was in the Philipines this time. I was really excited to see this one because I am 1/8 Filipino and like to explore all aspects of my heritage. Well, explore isn't the right word - I like to find out new things about my heritage when I can.

It made me wish that I had known any of my Filipino family so that I could go to the Philipines and explore the non-touristy parts of the country. Unfortunately, I don't know of any of the Filipinos in my family. (My maternal grandmother's father came from the Philipines).

I also wish that I knew my mom's Mexican family better. As a kid, we went to Stockton all the time to spend time with my mom's immediate family (my maternal great grandmother, my great aunt and second cousins), but we didn't know my mom's cousins from her dad's side of the family. From what I understand both my great grandmother and my grandfather emigrated here from Mexico and still have family there. Unfortunately, because my mom's so anti-social, I never knew that side of her family. Because of this, I don't know my family that is still in Mexico.

I mean, on my mom's dad's side of the family, there are like 30 cousins in my mom's generation. I probably have somewhere between 30 and 100 cousins just in the states alone!

Jeezus, my mom has a baby brother (he's only about 6 or 7 years older than me) that I didn't even know about until a few years ago!! Sure, she might be bitter because he's from a different mother, but he's still her brother! She doesn't even talk to him! My aunt Kathleen has a relationship with him at least - she's hosted him out here a few times and has flown to Germany to visit him (that's where he grew up - his mom moved back there with him after my grandfather died, I think).

My dad cut off his family for somewhat good reason, but my mom, as far as I know, has no good excuse!

I feel dumb wanting to try to insert myself into this other family that I have now that I'm almost 30. How do I do it? Do I really want to do it? Will they accept me if I did do it? All I know is that I'm not going to do that to my kids. My kids will know all of their families and will get to know their Nicaraguan family, too (that's where Miguel is from). My kids aren't going to be alienated from their blood relatives, and even those that aren't blood related (Jenn's family).

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm never going to become my mother.

Yumm-O

This is my new favorite snack item! It's 30% less fatty than regular chips (though just as salty, I think). They're from Costco...give them a try!

~Sent via email on my Samsung Blackjack~

Sunday, February 15, 2009

My Birthday

So my birthday is in 3.5 months (May 30th). It's my 30th birthday. That's kind of a big deal, I suppose. I won't actually be here in town for my birthday as I will be in Oregon with my good friend helping her with her brand new baby (she's due May 27th). I decided I'm going to celebrate my birthday in the middle of May with my friends here in town, I just don't know what I want to do.

Earlier today, I had the brilliant idea of having a wine party at some point at our house since we have about a dozen bottles of wine stacking up on our rack. With that we could do fondue. But I'm not sure I want to do that for my birthday, maybe just a random Saturday evening at any time. Shauna's doing bowling for her birthday next week, so I'm not sure if I want to duplicate that.

So I need suggestions. I have no clue what to do. For a long time I was dreading the big 3-0, then I welcomed it, and now, since I won't be home for my actual birthday, I'm kind of feeling very blase about it.

Hmm...Maybe we can do Dave & Busters in Milpitas and rent hotel rooms to stay the night so no one drives home drunk.

I need advice. suggestions. help!!!

Friday, February 13, 2009

I'm a PC

This little girl is just the cutest thing ever!! I want to steal her. LOL

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Not feeling well today

Last night I knew I was getting sick. I had a tickle in my throat, was hot & cold, felt sluggish. I went to bed around 1ish and got up at 10:30 this morning. I woke up feeling mostly normal, but I am very sleepy today and have a horrid headache. My appetite is OK, though, so it's not a tummy issue (thank God! there's nothing I hate more than having the stomach flu). I did take some DayQuil, but I think I'm going to pop a couple of Excedrin Migraine and lay down on the couch.

I want some fruit salad. I want melons and strawberries, grapes, orange segments and bananas. Too bad it's not the season.

I guess I'll settle for Netflix movies and a Minute Maid Tropical Punch Cooler (it has 100% of my Vitamin C!).

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Not in the cards

So Miguel didn't come over on Thursday. He didn't even text me until around 9pm to tell me that he had thrown out his back and had been at home in bed all day. He said he might try to come by on Friday before Jenn and I went out of town, but he never called. I didn't call him when we got home yesterday because a) I was tired from driving home from Oregon, and 2) I'm a little mad at him. So February is a total bust.

The reason I'm mad is because I don't believe that he did hurt his back last week. I think he had other things to do and didn't want to come by. Last month, I was waiting for him to come by after he got off work at 2:30...since he should have been at my house by 3:30, I finally texted him around 4pm asking if he was still coming over or if he was stuck in traffic or whatever. He texted me back and said traffic was really bad. He finally got to the house around 5:30 with his BF and 2 other friends in a second car. It was then explained to me that Miguel's friend had called and asked him to help him move - that was the real reason Miguel was late. He was supposed to come back the next day to do a 3rd insem and he just didn't show up.

I honestly don't know what to do. Part of me thinks that he's just as frustrated as I am about not getting pregnant yet. I think he's frustrated with having to come out here all the time, but I am more than willing to go to his house, too. He just seems to prefer coming here. This really is just a window into the future, I know that. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when we have kids and we make an agreement for Miguel to come by and see the babies and he changes his mind or he gets sidetracked. It worries me. He's supposed to be a 3rd parent, not just a sperm donor.

I'm really kind of at a loss right now. I'm going to take the rest of this month to think about if this really is the best thing for all of our situations. Honestly, Miguel is the only way I can get pregnant right now and I have no idea how long it would take to find someone else (who would be just a donor, not Daddy) or how much money it would end up costing us. We are far from rich, but I'd have to get a full time job with insurance before even thinking about going that route.

Ugh. This sucks.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Fun on the farm

So Jenn and I kind of took an impromptu trip to Oregon this weekend. When Jenn got her schedule last week, she saw that she was going to have a 3-day weekend this weekend and suggested we go see Riki.

We'd actually been trying to plan this trip for a month or two, but didn't think it'd work out because Jenn is trying to hire a new assistant by the end of the month and that's conflicting with Jenn trying to take time off. So earlier in the week, Jenn made a reservation with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to get a compact car for the drive up. Come Friday morning, Enterprise tells us that they require a $350 deposit to take the car. Yeah, they didn't disclose that on the website when Jenn made the reservation, so we didn't get the car. Instead, we took the Montero (Jenn's car) and made good timing getting to Central Point (Medford).

Riki moved to her mom's little farm in October and lives alone. I hate that she lives so far and lives alone because she's pregnant (currently 24 weeks). I'm actually coming back here at the end of May so that I'm here when the baby's born and I'll stay a few weeks with her to get settled into a routine and stuff. Plus I get to play with a new baby!! LOL

Anyway...the farm has goats and chickens and feral cats. Oh! There's a koi pond out back, too. It's super cute!! Riki is being very hospitable. She cooked us french toast for breakfast and currently has a corned beef simmering away on the stove. Yummy!!

Jenn and I came bearing gifts as well. We made chocolate chip cookies for Riki and brought a tub of baby clothes that Jenn and I have been buying for months. LOL. So much cute stuff!!

Anyway...that's how we're spending our weekend. Now we're off to Fred Meyer to get more giant coloring books (that's our crafty project for the weekend. LOL).

Friday, February 6, 2009

How long have you been heterosexual?

This is a repost from Queers United:

The Heterosexual Questionnaire was created back in 1972 to put heterosexual people in the shoes of a gay person for just a moment. Questions and assumptions made of Gays and Lesbians that are unfair, are reversed and this time asked to the straight people.

This is a fun survey, but also an activist survey. Please repost this to your email list, myspace bulletin, use it in a group setting, have fun with it but also let the point be made.

1. What do you think caused your heterosexuality?

2. When and where did you decide you were a heterosexual?

3. Is it possible this is just a phase and you will out grow it?

4. Is it possible that your sexual orientation has stemmed from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?

5. Do your parents know you are straight? Do your friends know- how did they react?

6. If you have never slept with a person of the same sex, is it just possible that all you need is a good gay lover?

7. Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality... can’t you just be who you are and keep it quiet?

8. Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex?

9. Why do heterosexuals try to recruit others into this lifestyle?

10. A disproportionate majority of child molesters are heterosexual... Do you consider it safe to expose children to heterosexual teachers?

11. Just what do men and women do in bed together? How can they truly know how to please each other, being so anatomically different?

12. With all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?

13. How can you become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive, exclusive heterosexuality?

14. Considering the menace of overpopulation how could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual?

15. Could you trust a heterosexual therapist to be objective? Don't you feel that he or she might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his orher leanings?

16. There seem to very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that might enable you to change if you really want to.

17. Have you considered trying aversion therapy?

- Martin Rochlin, Ph.D., 1972

25...err...35...more random things about me

Cindy posted 100+ random things about themselves, so I was inspired to come up with more stuff about me...here we go...let's see how far I can get.

1. Over the last year or so I've become a lot more sensitive to sounds. Things that didn't bother me before are now like nails on a chalkboard (like someone rubbing their hand on their pants, crunching chips, etc). I think it may have something to do with the 4 ear infections I've had in 2 years.
2. I almost flunked out of high school. At the end of the first semester of my sophomore year, my GPA was 1.5.
3. That year I was extremely depressed and tried to kill myself.
4. I attempted suicide once more after that incident, but never since.
5. I went to fat camp in southern California the summer before high school. I lost 25 pounds in 7 weeks.
6. I almost lost my virginity to a boy there.
7. I also started cutting that summer.
8. I haven't cut in almost 2 years.
9. I love cooking, but hate the clean up afterwards.
10. I have a 33" inseam. It's very difficult to find the right length of pants.
11. I have an obsession with Converse shoes. I currently have about 5 pairs, but one pair (the black on black low tops) have been replaced 4 times.
12. I'm a huge procrastinator, but I always get my jobs done on time.
13. I had an affair with my boss for almost 2 years. He had (has) a girlfriend, but he made me believe that he loved me and that he'd leave her if he could. Turns out he was a lying sack of shit.
14. I love Disneyland and aspire to go there during Halloween before I die.
15. Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love to decorate the house and get in the spirit.
16. Any excuse to decorate the house makes me happy.
17. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a big drinker. At home, I'll have a couple of beers here and there, but unless it's a special occasion (a party), or I'm at a bar with friends, I don't drink more than 2 or 3 beers in a night, a couple times a week.
18. Strawberries are my favorite fruit.
19. I detest lima beans.
20. I believe that my Papa (my mom's dad) watches over me. He passed when I was 2.
21. I seriously have a crush on Edward Cullen.
22. That makes me a HUGE Twilight nerd. LOL.
23. I love having my nails done with acrylic tips, but often, I'm too lazy to get them done, so I'll keep a set for a few months, get lazy, take them off, then get them again 6 months later.
24. I love reading, but I don't make enough time to step away from the internets and the TV to read.
25. For this reason alone, I desperately miss my giant bathtub in San Francisco - that was my reading spot.
26. I have 8 tattoos. Even though there's an even number, I feel unbalanced because 4 of them are on the right half of my body, 3 are on the left, and one is smack dab in the middle. I feel like I list right because of it. LOL.
27. When I fall in love, it's with my whole being. It's both a curse and a blessing.
28. Because her mother hates me, I've only seen my ex-stepdaughter twice in the last 8 years. I loved that kid like she was my own. I helped raise her from the ages of 1 - 5.
29. I still haven't quite forgiven my first love for shattering my heart and making me distrust everyone I date (he cheated on me with 7 or 8 women in the 5 years we were together).
30. I would be totally happy if I could stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning and sleep until noon everyday. As it is, I stay up until 2 and get up at 10, but I have to set an alarm so I don't sleep all day.
31. I am trying to grow my hair out. It's taken 2 years to get it down just past my shoulders (from being a super short crop - about 2 inches from the scalp).
32. Even though it's "long" now, I always have it up.
33. I may not have the best grammar, but I'm a stickler about misspelled words.
34. The ones that bug me the most are the misuse of their/they're/there, your/you're, and to/too. It makes me want to punch a koala in the face.
35. I wish I was more artistic so I could use it as therapy. Unfortunately my brain doesn't work that way. LOL.



Ok...turned out to be 35 instead of 25...maybe next week I'll pump out some more. ;o)

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Cycle 7 Update

I texted M and asked him to come by tonight so that we can do an insem. I didn't get a solid positive on the OPK (it was a medium dark color, not a true positive, but showing that my hormone levels are slightly elevated), but Jenn and I are going to be out of town tomorrow night through Monday evening so I figured we should get a jump on it anyway. I'll have him come by again on Monday night when we're back. Both of those insems are going to kind of bookend my ovulation, so we'll see what happens. Today is day 15 of my cycle, making Monday day 19. Cross your fingers! ;o)

Twilight Fun

OK..calling all hardcore Twilight Fans!! This Twilight Riddle was posted on the Twilight Lexicon a couple days ago by a web design student. This riddle will take you HOURS to finish, but it's tons of fun. It's more of a scavenger hunt than a riddle, really. Make sure you have your books on hand, as well as a Google window open for some help (yes, it's allowed and definitely encouraged!). I kind of wish there was another one I could do. LOL. Anyway...have fun!! (And make sure you read the directions!!)



Tuesday, February 3, 2009

A little something to make you tear up

Now I want to go watch Rudy.

a little history

this started out as a reply to a friend's post about her family, but i thought i'd just post it here...i kind of went on a tangent and it became unrelated to the post, but i wanted to save these words and not let them go back into the cosmic void.


my dad was raised with alcoholic parents who both died before he was 13. then he lived with an alcoholic aunt and grandfather, the latter of whom molested my dad's little sister. my dad's older brother died when he was 24 of heart disease. my dad's sister tried to fix her life - she got married and had 2 kids - but, in the end, things got to be too much for her and she killed herself. my dad got married at 17, pretty much by force because he got his gf pregnat. he was divorced by 23.

by the time i came along (when my dad was 27 and he'd been married my mom for 2 years), my dad was a well adjusted guy. he didn't want the same for me (or for his other kid that came before me - he did the best he could, but it didn't work out). my dad came from bad, bad history, but he made the decision not to be that way. i have issues because of my mom being evil to me when i was a kid, but that's just cuz she didn't want a daughter. but my dad was amazing.

my dad made me feel loved. my dad wasn't his parents. my dad taught me that liquor was something to be savored and not drunk in mass quantities everyday. my dad taught me to be tough and not to take shit from anyone. my dad stopped the cycle. my dad's one of the smartest people i know.

i don't tell him often enough, but i love him with every cell in my being. my world will stop spinning the day i lose him. but because he chose to not be his parents, i know he's going to be around for a long time and allow my future children to have him in their lives. since i was cheated out of a set of grandparents, i'm looking forward to my kids having a gaggle of them.

i know women always say that they hope to never be their mother when they have kids. i hope that, too, because i want to be my dad.

Monday, February 2, 2009

25 Random Things About Me

A little something as a "getting to know me" type of thing. ;o)

1. I was a skinny kid. I didn't get fat until I turned 10. It happened almost overnight.
2. I've convinced myself that my first pregnancy is going to result in twins.
3. No matter what size my cup is, I can never seem to finish my coffee.
4. I love Twilight. Seriously. I saw the movie twice and have read the entire series more times than I can count.
5. I love musicals. I love to sing along even though I can't carry a tune. lol
6. I love dancing movies. I think I was a dancer in a previous life, so I have a strong love of dancing movies.
7. I've developed adult allergies. I take Claritin D everyday now and my sinuses are much happier.
8. I'm socially awkward. Mostly it's around new people, but I don't know how to talk to people.
9. I'm kind of a gypsie...I like to move around and explore new places.
10. I want to get a 1/2 sleeve of tattoos on my left arm. The theme would be Nightmare Before Christmas.
11. I love to cook. I do 99% of the cooking in my house.
12. I'm a bad friend. I don't call people or text them very often. I wonder why they don't tell me to fuck off. LOL.
13. I own Schindler's List and Boys Don't Cry, but they are both still in the plastic. I want to own them because they are very good, very powerful movies, but I can't bring myself to watch them again because they are so emotionally powerful.
14. When I was a kid, I took metal bangle bracelets and wore them like a retainer. I wished so badly that I had to get braces and retainers, but I was lucky enough to not require them. People ask me all the time if I used to have braces because my teeth are so straight.
15. I used to be obsessed with butterflies. I still love them, but not as much as I did when I was in high school. That being said, my family still thinks I love them and have given me a few butterfly things for my house (a painting and 3 ceramic butterflies to hang on the wall).
16. My new obsession is really cupcakes. Jenn even got me a pair of cupcake Converse for Christmas.
17. I have an obsession with journals. I rarely write in them, but I like to collect them.
18. I don't know how it started, but I am obsessed with playing Solitaire on my phone. Once I get started, I have to play until I win. This happens at least twice a day. lol
19. I plan on cloth diapering my children and am going to make the diapers myself.
20. In addition to making diapers for my own kids, I'm going to open my own Etsy store and sell some as well, along with cloth wipes, wet bags, and slings.
21. I would like, someday, to adopt an African baby from an orphanage.
22. I love taking roadtrips. I like to drive, so it's kind of relaxing for me to just get in the car and go for hours.
23. I want to be a photographer. One day I'll own a really nice camera and try my hand at it.
24. I rarely wear shirts with sleeves. Tanktops are my best friend. Even when it's cold, I wear tanktops...I just wear a sweatshirt or jacket over the top and I'm good to go.
25. My hormones have been going crazy for a few months..I cry over EVERYTHING! It's kind of annoying, actually. LOL


Holy crap. That took way too long. LOL. It's not as easy as it seems.