My boy is EIGHT today!

He was pretty surprised at his cake.



This morning I made him chocolate chip pancakes with hearts cut into them for breakfast, as per his request. Supper tonight will be sweet n sour meatballs & french fries (also his request. A weird combo but it is tradition that the birthday boy or girl gets to request their meal).



So the short term income people were fucking me over stating I had to start work today for 4 hours. My regular shift is only 5 hours. Huh? How does that equal half a shift, like my fucking doctor wrote on the forms? I talked to the medisys people on Friday and the woman was totally uncool about it - said there was no way that my company would allow for 2.5 hrs and it would HAVE to be four.

So of course I'm upset - I can barely do groceries without needing a nap afterward, whiskey tango foxtrot over.

I called my boss on Friday and he said there was "no way in hell I will allow you to come back in those conditions" and "sit tight, I will handle this" and "the medical insurance company is probably pissed that we are taking the business away from them and giving it to another company" and "DO NOT COME BACK UNTIL I CALL YOU".

I called today and left a message to see what was going on - he called back and said that he was looking into it, that HR agreed with him and said there was no way I should come back all at once, that they could even set it up that I only come back 1 hour and then work my way up slowly at my own pace. And that the medical ins co could suck it. Ha and HA. So he said even if I don't get a call back in enough time today, he would *winkwinknudgenudge* give me hours as if I had (knowing full well that I've on more than one occasion stayed an extra hour and never put it on my time sheet - this is strictly a quid pro quo move on his part).

The only reason he is being so cool about this is because he knows what I am usually like - I'm that person that comes in even though I'm dying, I'm the person that is cool about staying extra time when it's needed, and I'm the person that gets a METRIC FUCKTON of accolades from fellow employees, brokers, and lawyers that call in.

He said he would rather eat glass than see me come in before I am truly ready.

So yeah, basically, health wise, I'm better than I was say 2 months ago, but still not fabulous. I am more or less biting through the pain and trying to get my life back in order. The amitriptyline isn't doing shit for my sleeping, the doctor wants me to go up to 30mg by next week to see if that will work. And during the day I get to suck back the gravol for the dizziness and extra strength advil for the pain and just pray my vision/hearing doesn't go off on me. It isn't much of a solution but what can you do, right?

I've also been set up with "telephone counselling" that may/could eventually turn into "counselling in an actual counsellor's office", depending on my needs. The first call from them was kind of weird, it was this whole "please tell me your life story and the principal characters in it" and the lady on the other side was ok but also went into tangents about herself (which I totally expected to happen - next time you talk to me, ask me what I really think about counselling). It was ok in that I got to complain to a semi-neutral ear, but bad in that, here we go again, I do more listening than talking and feel like I've wasted my time because they aren't really listening, they are pausing until there is a gap and then talking talking talking. Ugh.

Ok, time to go pick out a movie to watch with the kids (read: fall asleep to).

So S's friend JG told him earlier this week that our presence was needed at a pig roast today, it was imperative we come, blar blar blar. Tonight we made plans to go to my friend's house and taste wine (they just came back from a Niagara wine tour) but we said sure, we'll come to the roast as it was going to start at 11 am.

Last night I got almost no sleep, and as a result, I almost sent S off without me.

I am so very, very glad I didn't do that.

JG & ME got married today, in front of a minister in their own home, with a small gathering of family and close friends.

They didn't even tell their parents. NOBODY knew what was going on for this. We all showed up in our civvies and ta-da! There they were, and ME looked lovely in her gown and JG in his suit also looked swell. The ceremony was short and wonderful, and yes, they still had roast pig for us to eat. JG had asked her to marry him back in November, and together they planned this surprise ceremony. This is the second marriage for them both, and I think they wanted it low-key, but knew if they announced an engagement it would snowball into something bigger. ME's 4 boys were the doormen, taking coats, arranging us, etc. It was very cute. All in black pants and black turtlenecks. ME's baby girl was dressed up in the smartest little gold & black polka-dotted dress. S was JG's witness, and ME's sister was hers. S was a little in shock, and kind of wished he would have known ahead of time. He felt terribly under-dressed, but then again, so did we all!

All in all, it was perfect, and suited them fine. And what a surprise! I was so glad I changed my mind and went. The kids were a bit confused at first, but in the end they were also glad we dragged them along. Of course, L and I will still be setting up a bridal shower for ME - she can't get away with that part, muahaha. It will be low-key as well, but we want to celebrate this.

So now I'm hoping this wine tasting isn't another surprise wedding - don't know if I could take another in the same day!

Um. Yeah. No idea about the subject - just popped in my head. Maybe I am channeling someone driving to Salsolito? Who knows.

First week of school = survived. The kids are back in swing of things, I'm still catching up with filling in all the damn paperwork. Bleh. I hate that part of beginning of school.

I'm still waffling about going back on council this year. Those of you who know me, know why.

Tonight is a surprise party for some friends celebrating 10 yrs of marriage (20 years as a couple). I'm happy for them but not in the mood for it - too much drama in that friendship circle of late (none to do with the couple we are celebrating though) and I just don't want that.

Tomorrow: Pig roast for JG & M. It's supposed to be a laid-back pig roast but I think they are using subterfuge and what this really is, is a divorce party for them.

I helped my brother in law choose a ring for his girlfriend last night. I'm too tired to go into details now but I will. Soon. Whoever is reading this that knows these people - keep it under your hats.

I am tired and sore and we desperately need a new mattress because I'm tired of waking up feeling like a truck ran over me.

Ok off to get coffee and fill in sister in law on the details of yesterday's excursion.

So!

I got my birthday present from S a month early... and I'm not going to complain one bit becauuuuussseee:

IT'S A NOTEBOOK COMPUTER!!!!!!

HOLY EXPLETIVE!

I was just so shocked I sat down and cried. S found this slightly amusing but he was also happy about my reaction- it meant that he got the right thing, haha. I have been wanting one for so damn long, and every time it looked like I'd squirreled away enough money to do so, something would come up like the car needing repairs or the kids needing something or getting massive traffic fines (*cough*) so I always end up putting all those other things before my needs (welcome to Motherhood, right?). As a result, I'd pretty much given up on the idea of ever getting one.

And then I came home on Monday and S was looking stern and said that we needed to go upstairs to talk... right now. This had me worried and confused because I had no idea what was wrong but he looked pretty upset. So we went up into our room and he still had this really stern look and he said "you know how [S's bank] called me about my [credit card] recently?" (they had called on Friday asking him to confirm a purchase, I took the call but they wouldn't tell me anything because I wasn't the card holder. This happens a lot when he orders computer parts online so I thought nothing of it). And then he said "Well, my stuff from [online computer resource] came in..." and I said "Uh-huh. Annnd?" because it wasn't making any sense. Then he said "Well, it wasn't for me..." and then he made me sit down and handed me a big box. I had no idea what it was - I figured a new monitor, at best.

So when I opened the big box and found a smaller box inside, I was flummoxed. I opened up the littler box and out it came... and I just sat there looking at it and I looked at him and he said "I wanted to wait, but I knew there was nowhere I could hide it on you here, and you've been wanting one for so long, I couldn't wait to give it to you..."

I just sat there and looked at it and cried. He went on to say that he knew I always wanted one, so that I could take my writing with me, and he wanted to encourage me to write more. He said that he knew it was one of the things that truly made me happy, and he wanted to encourage that as well. I kept apologising for crying and hugging him and crying some more. Eventually I got myself together but I was so damn overwhelmed and happy I couldn't help myself. He was a pretty good actor - I was convinced something was seriously wrong.

Of course, now that I have it, I am suffering from Block - hello there Irony, been a while. Don't make yourself too comfortable now.

My kids have to be "assessed" by an "occupational therapist" on their "fine motor skills" because their writing is apparently "a concern and illegible at points". Right, because when you are 6 and 9 your penmanship needs to be impeccable. Give me an effing break. S hit the roof when I told him. I gave in though and signed the damn document, hopefully they can get this "assessment" over the summer.

Hammer made an interesting point - the school is losing a lot of their special needs kids this year, so they are probably grasping at straws to keep their funding. But anyone who's met my kids would hardly find them to be falling under the "special needs" category. But whatever.

Also, report cards came in and their grades decreased (not so much for K, but definitely for C - her teacher is a cow, as some so delicately put it. Remind me to insert rant here later).

Ok, time to go do work type stuff I guess.... I find it hard to pull myself away from this thing though...

SHINY TOY HURRAH