Never a Dull Moment: May 8, 2006

7:00 a.m. Rise and shine, pack hubby's lunch (wait, did I do that?), get the fam dressed, find something for me to wear that won't land me on that "What NOT to Wear" show, put on makeup! Feel so put-together.

8:33 a.m. Roll out the door with coffee, banana and a piece of deli ham for protein.

8:34 a.m. My purse is ringing....it's SARA! "Hey, Girl...just one more week of college and then you're done!" BEEP BEEP call waiting....

8:42 a.m. It's Donna. She's have a lousy day, but at least she has a cute dog.

9:00 a.m. SHARP: Drop hubby at work, say hello to his sweet co-worker, Cathy.

9:05 a.m. Post Office run. No mail til 9:30, but at least I can mail the pop bottles I promised to a buyer for a stage play.

9:15 a.m. Hobby Lobby run for Mother's Day doo dabs.

9:30 a.m. Items collected, standing in checkout line. Calvin grabs himself and says he is going to pee his pants if I don't take him to the bathroom RIGHT NOW.

9:40 a.m. Back in checkout line and proceed without incident.

9:50 a.m. Post office again. Get the mail this time.

10:00 a.m. Stop at Thrift store for quick look since I have the car.

10:45 a.m. Arrive home, kids hit their bikes and I prep for Mother's Day project.
Scratchy noise in kitchen area.

11:37 a.m. "Mom, I"m hungry."

11:47 a.m. "Mom, I'm hungry."

11:49 a.m. "Mom, I'm hungry."

11:50 a.m. Look up distractedly and mumble something about being almost done.

12:05 p.m. Finish Mother's day project except for finishing touches. More scratchy noises.

12:06 p.m. Mother's day project slips out my hands and smashes.

12:09 p.m. Make lunch. Notice I left out three bad minutes.

12:20 p.m. Scratchy noises continue. This of course is some kind of animal trapped in the region of my stove hood vent. I waffle about calling Phyllis, because the house is pretty dirty and I don't want her to think I don't clean. (I mean, I haven't, but I...never mind.) On the other hand, there is a critter in my kitchen. Compartmentalize and ignore.

12:30 p.m. Put kids down for naps. Mommy time.

12:30-2:30 p.m. Make menu, plan week, research some ebay stuff, rsvp for birthday party, read blogs, make coffee, read newspaper online, collect rental ads, do laundry, contemplate scratchy noise.

2:30 p.m. Begin calling through list of rentals. Curiously, the only place my cell phone works is standing at the stove. Scratchy noises intensify.

3:30 p.m. Check Mattie's schoolwork, only to discover she doesn't have half of it done.

3:55 p.m. Do or die time. Put on gloves, open the kitchen door, barricade the door to the living room, begin dissassembly of the hood, fully expecting rodent of unusual size to drop on my face at every moment.

4:10 p.m. Tin flap holds mad-scratchy critter out of sight and from freedom.

4:22 p.m. Poke tin flap with broom handle. Feel life-force through the handle. Scream, shudder, scream.

4:32 p.m. One last mad poke with broom handle... Large black bird flutters wildly past me, and straight for the door...the one that isn't open. Hits window and falls on the floor. Flies wildly around the room, while I simultaneously scream, try to find the camera and scream some more. Bird finally makes its way to the great outdoors.

4:40 p.m. Congratulate self. Leave message on hubby's phone. Call Mom.

4:45 p.m. Scramble to get kids ready to go pick up dad, while contemplating the mysterious nature of the Almighty with Mom on phone.

4:55 p.m. Sit in traffic.

5:30 p.m. Arrive at bookstore.

5:45 p.m. Hubby able to leave bookstore.

6:01 p.m. Appointment to see rental. Cheap, five minutes from work, Christian Landlord, flexible lease, big fenced yard, pets okay, hardwood floors, 3 bedrooms, one bathroom, tornado shelter, busy, loud highway out front, small, but again...cheap.

6:20 p.m. Grab supper at Mall. First time ever eating Chik-fil-A. Might be because I'm starved, but it is wicked good. Kids have fresh fruit salads with their meal and servings are not obscenely huge...I think...I think I LOVE Chik-fil-A!

6:30 p.m. Meet A and J at the movie theater to check it out for Vintage meeting place. It'll do. Hang out til...

7:30 p.m. Divy up signs, take pictures, laugh a lot.

7:40 p.m. til 11:00 p.m. Put up signs all over Northwest Arkansas. It only feels illegal. Used my hazard lights more than I ever have in my life. (Click on the title to see pics on the vintage website)

11:15 p.m. Had a glass of wine to counter the "buzzing" feeling of still driving, watched "The New Adventures of the Old Christine" which makes me laugh for some reason.

11:30 p.m. Collapse into bed, exhausted.

P.S.

4:00 a.m. Awake and staring at the ceiling.

4:30 a.m. Still awake.

5:30 a.m. Start composing this blog entry.

5:45 a.m. Finally drift off and start dreaming about camp. Why do I dream about camp so much???

7:01 a.m. Time to rise and shine or... something.