February 6, 2010

Dana Who?

I’ve been sitting at my laptop for several minutes, contemplating what I will write on here on this blog.  I’m drawing a blank.  Again.  I haven’t been here much these last few weeks.  I am not even sure anyone still reads the blog, considering that I haven’t written in a month.  Dana who?

I could give you a list of excuses as to why I’m not here, but you already know the answer.

Two weeks before Owen was born, I stopped working for BlogHer as a headline editor.  My contract ended and the financial difficulty that has followed has been miserable.  We’ve made drastic changes to our lifestyle, and have become very frugal.  The last thing I wanted to do on maternity leave was hunt for another job when I was nursing and bonding with Owen.

Just after Owen was 3 months, I began my job search only to discover there are no jobs.  The few positions available in the job market here in Wisconsin are being filled quickly.  So many applicants applying for the same jobs.  It’s depressing.

I’m grateful that my husband is still employed, although his company is making cuts, too.  Sixty people were let go in the last month due to this crappy economy.  It makes us both very nervous.  No one is safe from a lay-off.

I’ve been through two interviews this last month.  I was offered a position with one company and completed paperwork, only to find out later that their corporate office decided to down-size.  Several new hires were let go.  I never got to start the job.  The other position was filled by someone with more experience in the field.

Because of this insanity in the job market, I’ve decided to go back to school.  It’s time to finish my degree while I’m not working.  I’ve finished the application process and applied for financing (student loan) and now I wait for acceptance into the program.  I’ve got one year left and it’s now or never.

Dawson is still loving 4K.  He can’t wait to go to school each morning.  He tells me how much he loves his friends and his teacher, and his favorite part of the day is story time.  Last month his class took a field trip to the local library.  Dawson was so excited to check out a book under his very own library card.  We spend a lot of time at the library now that he can use his own card.

Owen is growing leaps and bounds.  He’s barely 4 months old but he weighs 20 pounds.  He’s my mini-linebacker.  Lately he’s been refusing to nurse on one side and is very fussy, mostly in the evening.  I thought he had an ear infection, but his pediatrician thinks he’s just got a preference and he’ll grow out of it.  I hope it happens soon.  Fussy baby makes me a little crazy.

Last month my grandmother’s house burned down.  She passed away in 2005, but my aunt and uncle still lived there as they run the farm.  It was caused by a chimney fire and it ruined the 100-year-old house.  My uncle is staying with his another uncle who lives down the road, and my aunt is staying with my parents.  I’m so thankful they made it out of the house alive.  They lost everything.  It’s devastating.

2010 has not started off on the right foot.

January 11, 2010

Yahoo Sports: Did refs botch epic NFL playoff game?

You bet your arse they did!!!

So the Packers lost to flippin’ Arizona, and let me tell you I am NOT PLEASED.  This game was good.  Edge-of-your-seat good.  Ninety-six points scored in this game, and a victory seemed tangible for the Green Bay Packers.  But we lost because of this little play picture above.  NOT ONE FLAG WAS THROWN.  Read more here.

Cardinals defensive back Michael Adams(notes) hit Rodgers and then facemasked him on the way down. Again, it drew no yellow laundry. You can see it in the picture above, and you can see it in the video here. It wasn’t glancing, incidental contact. That hand was on the facemask for awhile. Hands to a quarterback’s face are illegal, period, let alone grabbing his facemask and not letting go for a couple of seconds.

Ugh.  I’m still fuming.  But then this jackass on Twitter says:

The referee, Scott Green, stands behind the pocket and has to watch first for the loose ball. Once the ball is out, Green’s job is to watch ball for possession. He can’t watch the QB then. If he saw the facemask, it’d mean he wasn’t watching ball. It’s a quirky rule, but it’s the referee’s call — and the ref is charged with possession once the ball is loose.

SERIOUSLY?  ARE YOU JOKING?  UNBELIEVABLE.

I’m not saying the Packers played phenominally, because really, their defense didn’t show up to the game.  We have a good defense, but yesterday they were lacking.  Offensively, Rodgers got the job done when he had an opportunity, but it’s bullshit calls, or the lack of a call at all, that added to the Packers losing a game they should have won.

Yes, I’m still upset and depressed.  Yes, it’s only a game.  I know this.  I just get sick and tired of the referees and their inconsistency in making play calls.  I know the Packers have a lot of penalties (and stupid ones, too) under their belts, but last night was a major crock of shit.

I hope last nights refs get fired.  Canned. (I can dream. right?)

I’m gearing up for the Cowboys vs. Vikings game next weekend.  I love Brett Favre (and hate him.  I can do that, I’m a Green Bay Fan.  It’s allowed.) but I despise the Vikings.  I’m rooting for Romo all the way (plus, he’s a Wisconsin native.  It would be sacrilege not to cheer for him, even though I hate the Cowboys, too.)

Are we ready for more football?! Go Romo!

January 10, 2010

Back to Blogging. Yes, Finally…

So, I’m back. Back to blogging. The 10 day hiatus was wonderful. I didn’t announce that I was going to take a break; I didn’t know how long I’d need to refresh.

Our holidays were great. Christmas was the highlight of my kids’ lives. The each received too many toys, and over the holiday break I sorted through their old stock and made some donations to Goodwill. No child needs that many toys.

I’ve been trying to gain some control over the house.  Owen keeps me busy.  I’m constantly nursing him, holding him, rocking him, and entertaining him that every other priority has been pushed to the back burner.  I’m happy to spend so much time with my children, because I know they won’t be little forever, but I’m also annoyed by the fact that I’ve only done the minimum in regards to housework.  The kitchen and bathrooms are clean, but my living room is a tornado of toys and games and a certain 5-year-old’s socks.  (He’s learning to put them away, so I can’t be too upset.)

My husband is suffering some knee pain and last month he went to the doctor to have it checked out.  He discovered he has a torn meniscus, and humorously he tells his family and friends it’s a torn hibiscus (as in the tree) which gets a laugh every time, but the poor guy is in a lot of pain and will need surgery very soon.  Since I’m not back to work yet, he’s putting it off until March.  Thankfully his doctor has prescribed pain killers and anti-inflammatory medication to help my husband feel better until he goes under the knife.

Just after Christmas, Owen had his 2-month check-up.  He weighed 14 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 23 inches long.  He’s off the charts for weight and in the 36th percentile for height.  He’s going to be a linebacker.  I just know it. NFL here he comes.

Dawson is growing too quickly.  He loves 4K and he tells me such hilarious stories about school and his bus ride.  There’s a girl on the bus who lives down the street and apparently she is not very nice.  Dawson told me he had to sit next to her one day and she kept pinching me.  I said, “That’s not nice at all.  Did you tell her to stop?”  He replied, “Yeah, I did.  But, man, she’s evil!”  I had to fight back laughter.  Kids say the funniest stuff.

Today we are gearing up to watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Arizona Cardinals (again) in their wild card playoff game.  I’m very excited.  The whole family is dressed in their green and gold.  Go, Pack!

And lastly, you may notice new ads on the right sidebar. If you haven’t heard of The Savvy Source, it is a fantastic network for parents which has launched a separate social media site that you can connect through Facebook.  I love the Savvy Groups and have joined the group for parents of 4-5 year olds.  Also, you can take the Savvy Quiz to see how your child is progressing developmentally.  The Savvy Source is wonderful.  Click the ad to take the quiz or to learn more about connecting with other parents in their online community.

I’m off to make game time foods!  Happy Sunday!

December 31, 2009

New Year’s Eve, Past and Present

My husband and I don’t go out on New Years Eve. Not since we had kids, I mean. He says it’s “a night for amateurs.” Also, all the crazies crawl out of the woodwork on NYE.

When my father was still in the bar business, he had a New Year’s Eve party every year. He bought a few cases of champagne and made sloppy joes and appetizers for his customers. He gave his regular bartenders the night off, and Doug and I would work the party so that everyone could have a good time.

Every year, people that did not regularly patronize our establishment crashed the party for the free food and champagne. One couple in particular comes to mind. I can’t remember their names, but we called them “The Toothless Wonders” because both husband and wife were missing several front teeth. Doug would joke that they must have gotten into a drunken brawl one night and knocked each other’s teeth out.

The NYE party was not the first time I had to wait on these people. In college I was a waitress at South Point, my aunt Kelly’s 24-hour diner, and this couple would come in for a cup of coffee and stay all night because we offered free refills. They never ordered anything else. They never left a tip. The Toothless Wonders were the epitome of freeloading.

On New Year’s Eve in 2003, the TWs came in right before the party was scheduled to begin. I think the man’s name might have been Dennis, and her name still evades me, but for the sake of this blog entry, we’ll call her Wanda. They secured two bar stools closest to the food table, and Dennis slammed a wad of singles on the bar. Wanda ordered two tappers of Miller and lit a Basic, full flavor cigarette.

“What’s on the menu tonight,” she asked. “Sandwiches or somethin’?”

“Barbecues,” I told her. “And there will be taco trays and cheese and sausage, too.”

“We didn’t eat all day for this,” Dennis told me.

I remember laughing to myself. I’m imagined they starved themselves all day just to make sure they’d get their fill that night. The couple was never dressed very nice. They seemed to wear the same clothes all the time. Dirty jeans, worn out shirts and sweaters, and worker’s boots, despite the fact that neither worked. They lived off SSI and food stamps, and I think Dennis was receiving disability, too.

They were usually very polite, that is until they had a couple beers and began shouting and rudely bumping into other customers on the way to the bathrooms. I didn’t dislike these people, I just found them to be kind of creepy.

On this particular night they were strangely quiet. Mostly because they were constantly refilling their plates and slamming Millers like shots of whiskey. Speaking of whiskey, Dennis decided after the midnight countdown he would like two shots of Kessler. I poured the shots and rang $5.50 into the register.

“Five-fifty!” He yelled. “I’ve been robbed!”‘

I worked throughout the night, tending bar, refilling the food trays and making sure everyone was having a good time. As I was emptying ashtrays into the garbage can, I turned around to see Dennis and Wanda making out by the jukebox. I nearly puked. Customers began to notice it, too. Everyone was uncomfortable with the PDA. I didn’t want to be the one to break up their intimate moment, so I made Doug go over to them. I don’t remember what he said, but The Toothless Wonders stopped sucking face and sat back down.

The rest of the night was uneventful, save for the local lush falling asleep at the bar. This, I could handle.

“Joe! No sleeping on my bar. I don’t drink in your bed!” I hollered.

“Well, ya could if ya wanted to,” Joe slurred.

New Year’s Eve is definitely a crazy night I’m sort of glad I’m too tired to party all night. It’s amazing what becoming a parent does to your social life.

This New Year’s Eve is a quiet one. Dawson and I watched a few episodes of Spongebob. Owen fell asleep in my arms. Doug is listening to old Bob & Tom shows on the radio. Maybe I’ll switch over to ABC for the ball drop in New York City. If I’m awake at midnight, I mean.

Happy New Year! May 2010 bring you much luck, love and happiness!