37

Today is my 37th birthday.I am almost as old as my mother was when she had me and my grandmother when she had my mother. Somehow the lyrics to Dante's Prayer seem to cross my mind every November 12th.

When the dark wood fell before me
And all the paths were overgrown
When the priests of pride say there is no other way
I tilled the sorrows of stone

I did not believe because I could not see
Though you came to me in the night
When the dawn seemed forever lost
You showed me your love in the light of the stars

Cast your eyes on the ocean
Cast your soul to the sea
When the dark night seems endless
Please remember me

Then the mountain rose before me
By the deep well of desire
From the fountain of forgiveness
Beyond the ice and the fire

Though we share this humble path, alone
How fragile is the heart
Oh give these clay feet wings to fly
To touch the face of the stars

Breathe life into this feeble heart

Lift this mortal veil of fear

Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears

We'll rise above these earthly cares

MOM

I invited my mom, to read my blog.

Reality check for Mom:

• I swear
• I am a bit bitchy
• I like to vent
• I am more like my father than I like to admit

Not Smoking

This not smoking thing is hard. Harder than I thought. I am going nuts. NUTS YOU HEAR ME?

Husband is still smoking and I don't blame him. Surgery on the knee is harder than not smoking. So smoke he may for another week.

It would be easier to quit smoking if I didn't have a stressful job. But stressful job = good pay cheque so stressed I will be.

(This is where husband should stop reading)

Secretly I love to hate my job  I guess I am a bit of a masachist. Who knew?

Appropriate Behaviour (behavior if you are American)

E goes to daycare. A lovely home decor run by a lovely woman in a lovely home in a lovely neighborhood. There is a not so lovely woman who also lives in the lovely home who clearly has had an unlovely life.

When I pick up my son I like to park in the driveway so I don't have to take a toddler across the street to get into the car. This is also helpful when it is raining.

Today, and a few times in the past, this woman has confronted me by saying "you are  blocking me in AGAIN." She then said "if SHE wants to stay in the house and chat, then SHE should park on the street.

First, I am am not SHE. I have a name.

Second, I was not chatting. If anyone has tried to get a toddler out of anywhere there are a few steps. First, get lunchbox. Then collect shoes. Put on shoes. Then find coat. Put on coat. Finally, praise child for peeing on the potty at daycare. A big accomplishment.

Today this confrontation escalated into me saying some very not lovely things. In front of my son who then proceeded to cry and scream. Thanks lady.

Here is how I see things. If you live in a house that has daycare, and daycare pick up is between 4:30 and 5:30, why do you find it amazing that people might be parking in your driveway?

I am not going to make the situation difficult on the lovely daycare lady. We love daycare lady. E loves daycare lady.

My issue with this situation is how I was talked to. I don't like rude people. I don't like unhappy people. I especially don't like it when unhappy people put their rude attitude all over me and my child.

So - from now on I will park on the street. Unhappy, rude, unlovely lady better not speak to me again. My evil, side, known as NINA to many, would have a hard time not letting loose on this woman. But for the sake of my son, whom I need to show the right and wrong ways of the world, I will be polite, as I can be.

So now I am going to cook dinner and try to relax. Thanks lady for the perfect ending to what started off as a pretty good day. 

Coffee Shops

First, I am not putting down coffee shop workers. This is more of an observation that a criticism ... well maybe a slight criticism. YOUR JOB ISN'T HARD. You are not saving babies, you are not fixing the environment, you are not dealing in high finance. You serve coffee. Granted, some orders are complicated and require some brain power but seriously, how hard it is to remember a basic coffee order.

Today at SixBucks I ordered 2 coffees. Those of you with average IQ will follow along with this OK.

ME: "I want one tall dark in a grande cup and 1 tall mild in a grande cup."

Barrista Joe: "that will be $1.75"

ME: "Did you get both coffees?"

Barrista Joe: "You ordered 2 coffees?"

ME: "I want one tall dark in a grande cup and 1 tall mild in a grande cup."
Barrista Joe: "You want 2 more coffees?"

ME: "Are you freaking kidding me. How do you not get what I am saying. Have you had YOUR coffee today. Would it help if I had long flowing auburn hair and was a size 6? What about a low cut top? Would you pay attention then? What about it I flashed my boobs at you?"

Ok - none of this was actually said out loud. But it could have been if I was drunk or even slightly pissed off. But today was a good day so I was feeling relatively neutral toward stupid people.

PS  - Jens just told me a Pteranodon is actually a reptile not a dinosaur just in case you were wondering.