Daisy's Petals

After working the weekend I’m just confused. It wasn’t a bad work weekend at all as far as those go. I did have to drive over 400 miles during the weekend, saw a 6 car pile-up, more construction than is necessary, and then at 10 p.m. on the way home last night passed a one car wreck that really didn’t look good.

I had planned on sleeping in since I didn’t get home until after 11 p.m. but my husband had different plans. I think he just hates for me to sleep in when he can’t. So he made noise and woke me up and I’m one of those people that can’t go back to sleep after being woken up. SO…here I am…at work ON TIME when I’d fully planned on actually strolling in late.

On another note I did take a detour after the meeting on Saturday (that’s when I saw the 6 car pile-up) to see my parents. My mom said she wished that my sister and I were closer and got along better. I didn’t realize we weren’t and didn’t. Odd. I just chalked it up to my family being…just.who.they.are.

It’s Friday again, for some, but I get to work the weekend. It is 2 short conferences, only 2 hours of actual lecture (though I have to tag on an hour before and after for administrative things and then count the drive it is close to an 8 hour day) but it is 100 miles away and I’m driving both days. Sure I could have stayed with my parents overnight, but my poor husband doesn’t do well alone for a long time and I was just gone for a really long weekend 2 weeks ago and I’m gone next weekend to D.C. So…I thought it best to stay at home the nights during this weekend. And I really don’t mind driving.

Then my poor husband woke up yesterday with a “crick” in his neck. A terrible muscle spasm. He stayed home and tried to see the doc but she was out of the office. So I left work early and took him to the ER to get some meds. I really hate doing that, but this small town ER wasn’t busy so they probably enjoyed getting to see someone. The copay is a bit more than a clinic, but they gave him a quick shot in the bottom and the pain eased. He’s still has the spasm and the muscle relaxer they gave him was REALLY strong (and makes him dizzy as well as sleepy) so he’s staying home today too. I hope he feels much better after today and doesn’t need the strong medicine since I leave the house on Saturday morning at 5:30 and won’t get home til around 6 pm or so. Then I’m home most of Sunday but have to leave at 3 p.m. and won’t be home until around midnight (then work on Monday…it would be nice if anyone really noticed my hours! I suppose I could mention it but that always feels wierd).

So…anywho…busy times…cricked up husband…that’s life.

I want to save some money. The husband’s profit sharing check was much, much less than in previous years. I do understand that it is somewhat due to the bad economy and well…we won’t talk about my feelings of the possible other reasons, and we’ve always looked on it as free money, but still this year, we’d made some plans with the money and sorta spent it before it came in, if you’ve ever had THAT happen to you. It’s not that we can’t do what we’ve planned it’s just that now there isn’t as much for saving as I’d hoped. Also, in addition to the new windows we think the hot water heater is about to go, and we’ll need to paint the outside of the house this summer, etc…

So I started looking at our expenses and I’ve just about decided that we need to make some cuts and the first will be movie channels (is this a stupid complaint or what?)

We have ALL the movie channels and our cable bill is ridicuolous (it does include the phone and internet too tho). But when I’ve thought about it I’ve realized that we hardly EVER watch the movie channels except maybe on the weekends. So really? Paying SO much money for weekend entertainment? We could probably just rent the movies and still save a lot. I’d want to keep the DVR because then we could just “tape” other shows to watch when we think there is nothing else. I mean we go to bed at 9 p.m. (I KNOW!) because we get up so darn early. The husband, per his usual response, was do whatever you think best (I hate always making the decisions) and I’ve just about decided that this is best solution for now. I’m still bringing out the old standards…no more buying lunches, eating more at home, etc…I’m always amazed how much you save by doing that. I’m also going to take what that expense would have been out of the checking account and move it to the savings just so I can actually SEE what we’re saving.

Do YOU watch a lot of TV, have a lot of channels, utilize those options?

Because it just shows my age, but I’m excited that we’re going to the Billy Joel/Elton John concert tonight (postponed from NOVEMBER!). Yay. As well, I’m taking tomorrow off work to make up (slightly anyway) the fact that I worked such long hours over the weekend.

Someone I haven’t seen for 30 years is in town for a conference. They are meeting someone else I haven’t seen in a long time for dinner. Do I go? My husband said he doesn’t mind (he doesn’t want to go) if I go, but he’s been so down lately that I hate to not go home and spend time with him. I was gone all weekend after all. And, while I will be home this weekend, he has a basketball game that will take a few hours on Saturday. Then I’m out of town for work the next weekend and the weekend after that.

I don’t know…

I know! Who ever says that? It was a long work weekend away from home. My husband sometimes doesn’t seem to manage well when I’m away from home. I don’t know if it is ME being gone or just circumstances, but this was one of those weekends too. I have this coming weekend home, but after that the next two are traveling as well. I need to get him a doctor’s appointment and find out how to help him deal with his stress levels. He hates working with his brother and it just eats him from the inside out. I think he has an ulcer.

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My new windows are finally being installed. After arriving in the wrong size in January, “discussion” with the company that it was their issue and not MINE, new windows ordered (at no cost to me), arriving 2 weeks ago, snow, snow, snow, FINALLY getting installed. The problem now is you can actually see out and IN our windows. I was so used to them being dirty and non-cleanable (inside the glass) that I got used to it. Now I’ll actually have to clean windows!

Of course our handyman works on his own time and he could only install 4 today. Why? He ran out of grout. Time? 2:30 p.m….I’m pretty sure the stores were still open. Oh well…we know this about him (he’s a family friend so what can you do?) and he’ll do the rest today.

Of course now my house is full of dust from the installation and I start a 3 day meeting in the morning. Do you think my husband will do all the dusting, sweeping and laundry required to get the house back in order before I return Sunday night?

It’s that time of year where I have my “big” conference over the coming weekend. It starts on Friday afternoon and I don’t see the light until Sunday evening. It’s exhausting, especially since I’m a one-gal office, and I have to do most of the work myself. I did wrangle some helpers for registration on Saturday after a bit of begging. I’ll go to bed late and get up a few short hours later. For example, on Saturday (after a late Fri night) I’ll be in the meeting room by 4:30 a.m. to set up for the day’s meeting, then I have exhibit0rs arriving at 6 a.m. and registrants at 7 a.m. It will then be non-stop until 9 p.m. that night….wash, rinse, repeat for Sunday.

However, I do like my job a lot and I’m used to this but, on occasion, I like to complain about lack of sleep and helpers. I can’t even talk my family into helping me like I used to (guess I burned them out). I was about to have to dip into the “friends that owe me” pool but the organization that is attending the meeting was able to send me a couple of people for Saturday morning. I’m sure THEY aren’t pleased they have to be there by 6 a.m., but hey! I’m there by 4:30 a.m.

V-Day is just a couple of days away and it is really a least favorite of mine. I hate that there is pressure to do something romantic on one day. THE PRESSURE! It’s just too much, especially when you live with a fairly unromantic type of guy (really, I still adore him).

And, even tho I appreciate that he usually buys a card (from the grocery store either the night before or he gets up really, really early and makes a run if he forgot!) himself I wish he just wouldn’t do a gift because he always sends our daughter to pick it out. I’m sorry but I wish he’d pick out the gift himself. It wouldn’t have to be expensive or impressive but just something he saw that he thought I might like. Instead I do get a lovely gift, but he didn’t pick it out. This also happens on birthdays, anniversaries, just about any gift giving occasion so I should be used to it. Before our daughter was old enough to do it for him he would always call one of my girlfriends and go shopping with her and let her pick something.

This makes me sound unappreciative I know.

Really? More snow? At least it is snow and not ice. Who knew that you could get white stuff and still be able to drive? I’m shocked!

I’m also getting a bit worried about Mother Nature and her practical jokes. I have a BIG conference coming up in 9 days. I would rather NOT get snowed/iced in with these folks. Sure I’ve booked a room in the hotel where the conference is being held and sure with this conference I never see the light of day anyway and feel like I’m with these folks 24/3(days) but if the weather is bad then it just feels different.

I’ve been snowed/iced in with these folks twice in the past 10 years so I know what I’m talking about. It’s not so much ME but just listening to THEM complain about their families not being able to get out and get around the town for activities, like it is MY fault Mother Nature is cranky, gets very tiring.

So, Mother Nature, do me a favor and be a good sport and get this out of your system before 2/19. Please?