April 18, 2007

Planning a Mini-Vaca

Doug and I have never been on a real vacation.  You know what I’m talking about.  The kind of vacation that involves plane tickets, hotel reservations, event tickets in Orlando and beaches in Florida. 

We’ve never had a honeymoon either.  We have not traveled to Italy or France or Spain.  That’s what I wanted for a honeymoon trip.  Doug claims he’s “just not a travel type of guy”.

He can use any excuse he wants but it’s not right.  His sister is a travel agent.  He’s got the hook-up.  He can book something if he really wants to. 

Sure, we can’t afford anything elaborate because we have a mortgage and a car payment (soon to be done in October).  But I feel jipped.  I didn’t even get a trip to the local hotel.

I must give credit where it is due, however.  He did arrange for a week in northern Wisconsin at his parents’ cabin.  But I don’t think that counts because he didn’t have to spend any money.  Yes it saved us a ton, but I think he got out of a real vacation too easily.

This year I gave him an ultimatum:  Take me SOMEWHERE or….well…I don’t know.   But I promised I’d make life miserable if he didn’t come up with something.

Needless to say he has not (and probably will not) chosen a place to go on vacation.  Instead he’s scheduled two fishing trips for himself and I’ve had enough.

I’m not asking for the Taj Mahal or Venice for that matter.  I just want to get on a plane and fly to a warm location, stay in a nice hotel room and do some sight-seeing.  (It could even be a three day trip.  I don’t care.) Is that so much to ask?

But Doug claims we can’t spend money on leisure activities until our finances are settled yet he can go fishing. 

Our property taxes are due and I understand we need a place to live, but for goodness sake!  A vacation can’t be that expensive can it?

I’ve booked a trip on Mother’s Day weekend as my revenge against my thoughtless lazy husband.  Just me and Dawson.  Doug can stay home and sulk (actually I think he has to work). 

I’m taking my son to the Milwaukee Zoo and Discovery World and dammit!  We’re gonna have a good time.  It may not be warm and beachy, but the hotel has a bar it keeps me from becoming bitchy!  (I know, I’m already there.) 

April 16, 2007

I Couldn’t Wait to Get Back to Work Today

Monday mornings are the start of my work week like most people with jobs.  However, my Mondays are a little bit better than one would imagine.

After a weekend of being held hostage by a toddler with big demands (juice! waffles! chips! juice! candy! cheese! apples, mumma! juice!), I find myself wanting to go back to work.

This last weekend was no different. 

I went to a scrapbooking event called Memoranza, sponsored by Creative Memories consultants in my area.  As a lapsed consultant myself (soon to re-sign, though!), I love to attend these events for new ideas and to check out the latest products.

This weekend’s crop was wondeful. It began at one o’clock on Friday and ended at 3 p.m. yesterday.  I managed to get in 36 hours of cropping time with no Dawson around to get into my suff and make a mess.  I caught up on all of my photo organizing, completed sixty-one scrap pages and won several door prizes.

It was so nice to be with my scrap buddies and talk about family, friends, kids, marriage and work.  And I loved sharing photos and memories with the other women.

Saturday night we went out to dinner, had a couple of drinks and discussed the latest archival systems.  Our meal was at the Sport Plate, a normally delicious restaurant, but our steak and shrimp specials weren’t cooked to our desired doneness and we had to send our steaks back several times.  We ended up getting our meals for free because of the trouble.

On Sunday, I was so tired I left the party early to go home to my husband and son.  I actually missed the whining.  Or so I thought. 

When Dawson decided he wanted to go to the park, and threw a tantrum the size of Texas when it was time to leave an hour later, I was ready to go back to work at that moment.

I thought that being away from my demanding child, who is stuck in his terrible two’s, would make me feel like me again.  It turns out that there is no break from motherhood, and temper tantrums for that matter. 

The joys of being Mommy are wonderful and I’d never trade them in, but I just wish I knew how to deal with meltdowns a bit better.

Any advice?

April 13, 2007

Oh Rosie…

Rosie O’Donnell. The mere mention of her name makes my face sour. It wasn’t always like this. Growing up, I thought Rosie was too cool. I loved her in A League of Their Own, Now and Then and The Flintstones. Even when my parents frowned upon her obnoxious behavior and the fact that she is gay, I still thought Rosie was a good person who cared for others.

Lately, I feel she is losing her grip on reality. It pains me to say it. I like The View, it’s fun banter when I’m bored with The Price Is Right, but Rosie is starting to get on my nerves.

Her liberal, extremist views are sometimes off the wall. Her venom for anything “right wing” or conservative, and even Republican for that matter, is offensive. She often doesn’t think before she speaks and cares not who she insults or hurts.

I’m disappointed, Rosie. As a soon-to-be-ex fan, I wonder, when will you see that you’re burning bridges you may need to cross someday? I know I was just a teenager when you were at the beginning of your career of fame….but I liked you. I wonder what happened to that funny woman who made me laugh? Now, I only see the woman who makes me cry.

**Also, please visit me at BlogHer.  I’m spending a lot of my time there.  Won’t you join me?

April 12, 2007

I’ve Been Nominated!

My co-worker, Emily nominated me for Best Parenting Blog and Best Blog Design and didn’t tell me.  She didn’t even tell me she reads my blog.  I also didn’t know she read the blogs on my blog roll and that she thought it would be fun to throw my URL into the contest. 

I went to the Blogger’s Choice Awards site to vote for Hotty Momma Blogga, Queen of Spain.  While I was there, it came to my attention that my blog was listed in the ranks of Mir, BusyMom and Dooce. 

Me?  Nominated for a “best” blog?  I couldn’t believe it.  I almost passed out when I realized “who done it” and saw that I’ve got votes (other than Emily and my husband, too). 

Thanks, Mizz Emmie Jean!  I love that you thought of me, but do you see who I’m up against?

Anyone wanna vote for me?  I don’t wanna beg, you know…but I will.  If you insist.