I'm the treasurer for the parent council at my kids' school this year. Last year's treasurere whooped with delight when she heard someone was interested in an executive position; she'd been doing the job for the past 4 years. Then she tossed a binder in my lap and told me the GST report is due Wednesday, so chop chop. Heh.

C joined Brownies last week, she is *very* excited. The uniforms have totally changed. I guess even Brownies need to be hip these days.

My Organizational Behavior class is really interesting, but man oh man does she pile on the homework.

K has been having issues with the same little boy as last year. I told his teacher and she had a very long talk with all of her class about personal space and safety.

To make K feel especially loved and safe, she let him be the Happy Helper yesterday even though it wasn't technically his turn, and he got to take hom Kiki the Kangaroo, which is a little stuffed Kangaroo with a little Joey in her pocket and everything. K gets to take care of her until next class and write down all of her adventures in her "journal". K was proud as a little peacock yesterday when I went to pick them up because of Kiki.

THAT is a good teacher.

Yesterday I also stayed at the school for most of the morning setting up all the books for the Book Fair they are having this week. This is more difficult than you can imagine because I have to sort of "censor" some of the books and not put them on display. My kids go to a Catholic school and while most of the grades have books that you don't really have to watch, it was the teen section that gives the most grief. There is an actual list of books we aren't allowed to sell them. They can purchase these books from other places, and read them during their spare time if they choose, but we cannot sell them said books.

Mostly the problem is that scholastic sends us a lot of books that aren't age-appropriate for the 11-13 crowd. A lot of the books are targeted towards 16-18 year olds. Which is fair enough.

SO anyway, about that bomb I wasn't supposed to drop until I was told I could: My friend ME is splitting up with her husband. He's moving out on the 15th, leaving her the house since she'll have main custody of their four kids. She told me on Saturday because she couldn't keep it from me anymore, and she needed someone in her corner when she told all her other friends at book club last night. She told me in particular because she knew I would not interrogate her, I would not prod at her, I would let her say whatever she wanted to say and leave it at that. And because I wasn't very surprised when she told me. Not at all. I've seen this coming for a long time. She said they had officially discussed the separation in January and that BE was more or less sleeping on the couch since then, trying to save up money to get an apartment. ME finally told him that he may as well move back to his folks' home and save there, because you can't save money in a house full of kids when there are bills to pay, etc. Every time he had almost enough saved up, was when someone needed sports money or the car blew up or whatever.

She hasn't told her children yet. She wants to wait until closer to the time BE moves. I give her a lot of credit for knowing when to call it quits. What sense is there in staying together and being miserable? People who "do it for the sake of the kids" really don't have their kids' best interests at heart, because kids are not stupid and they know misery when they see it. Why raise them in a miserable home? Why raise them to see mom and dad fighting all the damn time? Yeah. No thanks. It wasn't anything either of them did, the just grew apart. ME married BE at 18, pregnant out to here with her first son NE. She has said herself, had she not had kids with him, they'd have split up long ago.

Tonight's wing night. Mmm, chicken wings.

Avast ye landlubbers! It be Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Nothing says Sunday Morning quite like getting trounced by your kids at Uno.

Went in to work and picked up my letter. Here's what it said:



To whom it may concern:

Re: Employment Reference for G.

G was an employee with our organization from May 1999 to August 29, 2005 at which point she was affected by an organizational restructuring. During her tenure with our organization, G held positions of increasing responsibility. Most recenty G was employed in a dual role encompassing the responsibilities of Receptionist and Customs Coordinator for our Canadian facilities.

During her employment with our organization G maintained an untarnished employee record. G conducted herself in a very professional and courteous manner and displayed an ability to work with multiple employee groups to provide prompt and sound support. G approached her work with a positive attitude and demonstrated the ability to manage the day to day challenges presented by our dynamic working environment. G was able to manage the complexity of her position while at the same time displaying an open and inviting demeanor.

Had we not been faced with the necessity of restructuring the organization, G's employment would have continued into the future. I believe that G's strong work ethic and personality will serve a future employer well.

I wish G all of the best in her future endeavors. Should you require any further information, feel free to contact me at

bla bla bla bla bla.

Nice huh?

so i had bought this crazy fabric a week ago with the intentions of making something out of it...



pillows! i've got plenty leftover fabric too. hmm...





K & i also went to mcblah's because he wanted to play in the ball crawl a while, and i figured what the heck, why not?

now to toss together a meatloaf & pick up C...

SO could only too easily get used to me being home.

this week's menu:

monday - bbq burgers, sausage, hot dogs, coleslaw, potato salad, and corn
tuesday - chicken wings
wednesday - pineapple rice, ham slow-cooked in honey & brown sugar, green beans, home made sweet n sour sauce
thursday - spicy spicy chili
today - home made lasagne & home made garlic bread & caesar salad

tomorrow however, will be leftovers day, sucka!

it's nice having time to actually cook the way i'd like to.

they all gobbled up the lasagne today like it was going out of style, and JG has begged me to teach him how to make the chili because he hadn't eaten chili that good in a long long time. the boys took the leftover chili to lunch today only after i assured them i wouldn't want any.

the truth is i am not much of a chili eater. plus last night they threw together a dinner party for all of us rejects that got laid off at falstaff's, so after i'd made the chili i left the boys to their own devices and went to that instead. i had the luau chicken & rice. deeeeelicious. it was nice to see everybody again, and there were some co-workers who were very distressed that i was gone.

today my dad dropped off a rose that was delivered to me at work from a vendor that wanted to thank me for my gracious company and constant help during the transition from soliciting our business to becoming our main supplier. i was rather surprised but also had a bit of a chuckle over it because i guarantee you the lady that is doing reception now looked at the card and i can also guarantee you that everyone there knows about it now. which is probably exactly why the vendor did that, because he knew i was gone.

he also left his business card for me in case i wanted any help.

i can honestly say i haven't felt this free in a long time. it's such a precious feeling, i want to wrap it up and savour it. i have sad moments too of course, because i put a lot of myself into my job, and i miss some of the co-workers, and because i'm a big sap. but mostly i feel better than i've felt in a very long time.

So I applied for a business management course today. I've already signed up for Organizational Behavior and Introductory Financial Accounting I class. I start on the 17th. Yes I'm crazy. Shush.

I figure, I'm so bossy anyway, I may as well get paid to do it. Ha!

how much i love johnny cash's version of personal jesus?





i will deliver you know i'm a forgiver

Today was K's first day of Senior Kindergarten. He was quite miserable though because his molars are coming in and he wanted to bring his blanket and teddy bear and I said no, Mr. Bear has to stay home and keep me company while he's at school. He seemed to be okay with that.

He was also ultra-excited to show his Spongebob Squarepants backpack off to his teacher. His teacher is an absolute gem and I loved her when she taught C in SK so I know what to expect.

I had more to say but one, I have a nasty hangnail on one of my fingers which is making it difficult to type, and two, I have a bit of a headache probably due to lack of sleep. I haven't slept much the past two nights for some odd reason. Probably the change in season bringing it about, but definitely not a habit to be forming.

I might go to the library later today, I might not. This having time to just myself without being sick or otherwise engaged is taking some getting used to.

I haven't said much with regards to the tragedies occuring in the south because it's all been said before, and I really hate the futile feeling I get. I can't donate blood to red cross because they won't take it anymore, and while I've donated money, I don't feel like it's enough.

Today is C's first day of Grade 2. We dropped her off at the school and I checked out her classroom... The teacher seems nice but firm. That is a good combination for that grade I'm thinking.

Then K & I went and got a snack and came home and played Madagascar on the gamecube.

Now I have to figure out lunch.

This stay at home thing is... interesting. Though I still feel like I am missing something. I don't know.

My dad told me over the weekend that my boss approached him and asked him if I'd be interested in training people some time in the future... oh boy did I laugh at that. I have a feeling that the person who made the decision to let me go (neither of my bosses made that decision, fyi, and both were pretty pissed about it) is starting to feel my absence in the sort of way that may cost him his job in the long run.

Anyway. I told dad that if my boss grows a pair and asks me himself, and is willing to meet my terms, then I'm in.

Ok, off to make some home-made pizza!

took the kids to african lion safari yesterday, where by luck or chance we got to witness a buffalo giving birth! taking the car through the safari, it was in the last stop (the americas area) and we noted all through the safari that there were babies everywhere this year! we saw some baby buffalo and then K said "mom look that big one is pooping" but no she wasn't... she was giving birth! i explained to the kids what was really happening and they were pretty impressed.

a few minutes later, placenta hanging out of her behind, she was cleaning up the baby, and a few minutes after that, the baby was running around.

we went to the station and told one of the rangers, who said not to worry, they have safari rangers going through the pavillions all the time, and they would take care of it. which was total bullshit because we were in the americas pavillion at least 20 minutes and no ranger. so i went to the front desk and told them, they said "WHAT she wasn't due for another week!" and started scrambling around. hehehe.

i am sure the momma was fine, i mean they have kids in the wild all the time, but i know they tag most of the animals so that they can account for them all, so i thought i was doing them a favor letting them know. bah.

came home to 3 phone messages from co-workers who were absolutely devasted by my loss. the workplace is reaping what they've sown because it's total chaos and trucks have been lining up angry waiting for paperwork and they've been expediting and the ditz they have doing my job now has *no clue* what she's doing.

the decision to let go of me was a political one, and i could name names and reasons but why degrade myself by slandering anyone? needless to say, reap/sow will come into effect very shortly.

that isn't sour grapes talking. s'truth. i for one am very happy they did what they did, as i had wanted to quit anyway, but had put it off because SO started a new job this week. he quit his old job and started at another company, and it's a cut in pay but worth it because he's so damn happy i don't even recognize him.

JG managed to sell his house and today is the closing date. so now begins the time he looks for an apartment in earnest, since he'll have 1st & last month's rent handy now. was hard for him to save for that what with a (now-ex) wife who spent money like it was water and paid no mind to bills. to say he is relieved that it's over between them is a bit of an understatement. there's a lot more to tell on that front but none of mine to say.

we left lion safari early yesterday because my head exploded in a magnificent cold, and i needed to go lie down and die for a while. i still feel all stuffy and not myself, but this is the first time in i don't know how long i've been sick but not stressed and i think i'll mend quicker for it.