And the Winner Is........

Three Peas in a Pod totally nailed it - dead on. How many hours/days of diet cokes? 1.5 days. Now to be fair, Tuesday started at 8 a.m. and ended after midnight. Wednesday started at 8a.m. I took the photo at noon.

When I left the office for trial Friday, my shelf overflowth.

Yes, I drink too many diet cokes. The associate in charge of stocking our "war room" bought 2 cases. I told him it was a good start.....

I am off to trial for real now. No more playing hooky. I'll be back Friday to tell you how it went. And to Mail Sue her book!

I've Got a New Girlfriend.....

Normally I am not a gadget person. If they'd just make a darned cell phone that would last, I'd be fine.

You know, one that when left out in the rain for 3 days would continue to function.

So when Son left his out in the rain for 3 days, we had a situation. (he likes to test the waterproof-ability of electronics. So far Ipods and Cellphones? Not so waterproof....)

Amazingly Ex and I both told him the same thing, "I'm not paying for a new one...."

Lots of hours on the phone with VerizonWireless (who, by the way, are totally awesome. I heart Verizonwireless) and I discover I can get a crackberry practically free (I think it was $50) and my work picks up the email tab, my phone bill is otherwise unchanged, I no longer have to carry around the work-issued gigundo crackberry AND my phone, and besides, SHE'S ADORABLE!

PINK!

Remember, I have a Pink Thing...

So Cheri? You can have your iPhone Boyfriend. Me, I like my new girlfriend...PinkBerry...

Someone's Working Long Hours....

[The photo above is blurry but I like that you can see my view of DC! And yes those are my bocce trophies from the firm tournament...]





That's my windowledge where I collect diet cokes until I take the long 20 foot walk down the corridor to the pantry where the recycle bin is. So how many days - or hours - of diet cokes do you think that represents? Hmmm? And for those of you who know me - those are only the ones consumed in my office . The 5.a.m. and 7:30a.m. on my way to work ones aren't there, nor the on-my-way-home ones....



Go ahead. Guess. The answer will scare you....



what - a prize? you want a prize??? ok ok winner gets my book I'm reading that I won from Mama Milton...Angry Conversations With God

This book totally rocks my socks.

So drop a comment and a guess and please oh jeez leave me an email so I know where to contact the winner.

Contest closes.....ummmm....Saturday April 25 9 a.m. EDT.....

Best Google Search Ever to Land Here

"married lady next door got nice big titties" That just cracked me up. His/her search landed some doozys. But he/she chose my blog to read from the results. Funny!

Most people just google "next door 2 my ex." [really Ken just bookmark the site - or even Better, become a follower! It's so much easier!] every once in a while there will be some random google search. But this one, for some reason, just totally cracked me up. Who googles like that??!! did he think he'd find a photo of his neighbor on the website?

I looked down and thought Frick I better not have a meeting today.

Day 2 of Back to School, back to kids, back to Life - oh but I'm still in 16-hour-a-day-Pretrial Mode.

I have finally convinced the 16 YEAR OLDS to make their own lunches. Whaddaya know they can do dishes and even - gasp - make breakfast. So I'm getting help there. It's crunch time people and I need a team effort.

I awoke early this morning, took Queen Bee and Stinky out, made time for my 10 minute trainer - oh BTW in which he lies b/c they stop that little 10 minute clock every time they change moves, so it's really closer to 12 minutes plus warm up and hey I need 20 minutes to do my 10 minute training. But I digress...

After showering, listening to radio, hear Big Accident on our normal route - oh and we are out of gas in the car and it was raining too hard to go get gas last night. Frick Frick Frick.

Hurry up, yell to children to hurry up, grab an outfit. Do I have a meeting today? Don't remember - better wear at least a semi-suit. [we have "dress your day" - I can wear fairly casual business clothes or a suit, depending. On Fridays it's jeans or capris in the summer. Unless I have a meeting. Who plans meetings on Fridays? Not me]

Grab my old standby Talbots purple silk suit. Not really PURPLE but kind of deep purply blueish. Properly muted as only Talbots would. White shell? Naaah that's boring. Hey there's an old shell I never wear - has some purple in it, a little muted green, some grey a little black. Perfect. Throw it on. Realize I can't find my hair straightener - maybe it's at work. Hurry Hurry run run. Finish packing lunches (what? they need checking - yep they forgot the fruit) and do Son's breakfast to go. Get in car a couple minutes earlier than normal, which is about 10 minutes later than we should have.

Get the kids to school on time - small miracle - get in the driver's seat (kids do the driving to school) look down at myself in the now sunlight and realize FRICK I DO NOT MATCH. Not even a little. The purple in the shell? A bright lilacky purple that in no way can even be in the same color family as my suit. You know how when colors are in the same family but not right they're worse than say, wearing Green and orange? Yeah. It's like that.

And I mentally run through my day and think, "Please God Don't let me have a meeting today."

And then I wonder how awake my Daughter was this morning - you know, the one driving? the one who is quick to tell me how terrible I look? Did she really not NOTICE this ensemble before we left the house?!

Note to self: Keep white shell on back of office door, just in case....

An Easter Gift

Saturday, the day before Easter, I knocked out a ton of the chores on my list, then turned to Work and Trial Prep.



Sitting on the couch with Stinky while Queen Bee snored in her bed on the floor, around 7pm I heard my text ring. Daughter with a message: "We're heading home tonight [a full day early] - around 1030 or 11 will u be up?" YES!!!!! She said she'd come right over.



Now I am not deluding myself into thinking she's coming over to see me. No - I know after 7 or 8 days away from her Precious Stinky, she was coming over to see her Puppy. But I'll take her any way I can get her.



She came running in, bubbling with information and excitement over the prospective college visits and sharing with me the details of her acceptance into the Peer Ministry program** at her high school.



I shouldn't be catty, I know, but can I say I was grateful when I heard the words, "Don't ever make me go anywhere ever again with Dad and Brother....." And other comments about how much she missed me and how I would've understood what she wanted or expected. This the girl who gave me pretty much the cold shoulder before leaving on her trip. Ah the fickleness of a Teenager.



I am excited to know she has found a couple of schools she really likes - and that she is back to thinking she wants to go to school in FLORIDA. YEAH!! (her first choice school is currently in Florida! Yeah! But we're a LONG way from a decision) I'm glad the trip was a success and she has more of an idea where she wants to go. I'm soooooo glad she missed me. Really missed me. And, get this, apparently appreciates me and how much I understand her!



Huh?



Oh doesn't hurt that I just happened to have chocolate cake waiting for her - she gave up Chocolate for Lent. She hung out with me til midnight and then scarfed it down. And said THANKS more times than I could count. Who says you can't buy love with Chocolate Cake?!



Son came over, too, for a bit. Mostly to steal Queen Bee. DRD wasn't next door that night - she was still at the kennel, so Son wanted a Dog, too. I traded him Queen Bee for his attendance at Church on Easter. What? Can't I bribe him to go to Church? I think Jesus would approve...maybe.



Anyway, Son is a bit more into the college search thing now. He thinks he still wants to go Way North so he can snowboard. But he's keeping an open mind. Both kids have completely and totally crossed of Ex's school from their list. I'm convinced Ex is not going to be happy unless one of the kids goes there. But they both do not like his school - waaaay too big. I figured that out a long time ago, but kept my mouth shut. At this stage in the game, I want the kids to try to whittle things down themselves without being told how to think. Aren't they supposed to be preparing for college? Somehow they have to get this through their dad's head.



So Easter Morning the kids showed up. Our church is very casual, but being Easter I asked, "Please no jeans." Son went waaaay further than that and donned a tie. So handsome! Daughter took some of "our" clothes - we have a few outfits we've bought together that we technically share. We laughed when we realized we were all in shades of blue.

So my "first holiday alone"? Yeah, not so much. It was a wonderful Easter Surprise.

Lucky 8

I'm a bit behind on my Tag from ModernMom - Sorry! She cracks me up and has great music while you're reading, so check her out and her 8 things.

Here's my Lucky 8:

8 Things I'm looking forward to:

1. MEETING THE BITCHES IN MAY AT THE "MEMORIALBITCH FEST!"

2. Going to Bed Tonight

3. going to Spain with the kids in June

4. Planting my spring flowers

5. Getting in Shape

6. Seeing Billy Joel & Elton John "Face2Face" in July with the kids, the Captain and my Bro & SIL

7. Talking to My mom again - we just hung up the phone and I can't wait to talk to her again. She's just like that.

8. Seeing my CT family - don't know when that will be, but I miss them.

8 Things I did Yesterday:

1. Partied a little too hard with my Bro and SIL and co-worker.

2. Snorted out loud, several times, on the Metro. See #1.

3. Called the Captain. Several Times. Giggling. See #1.

4. Helped my Pro Bono client find a job instead of seeking welfare.

5. Hit the Partner in the head with the Flying Slingshot Monkey. No, not related to #1. Before #1. My aim was off - I was shooting for his computer screen. Fortunately he laughed and joined us for a drink. And More fortunately He left before the snorting began....

6. Successfully (?) juggled multiple cases and felt a little better about my abilities.

7. Lost a 1/2 pound.

8. Went to bed before midnight (ok passed out on my brother's hotel couch...see #1).

8 Things I wish I could do:

1. Join the Captain on his 4 week cruise to the Bahamas.

2. Fly (without an airplane)

3. Make the annoying Drummer Man STOP once and for all.

4. Write better.

5. Have more patience.

6. Lose 10 pounds.

7. Be a better friend.

8. See my mom and dad more.

8 Shows I Watch:

1. I don't watch TV. maybe 1 time every few weeks. but If I did? I might watch Idol, or Boston Legal, or Seinfeld reruns, or House. OH I do watch the Gilmore Girls Reruns.

8 People I Tag:

Well, I don't believe in tagging People. But I will share 8 Bloggers I love to read when I can take the time:

1. Jenn at Juggling Life

2. Suz at Day by Day

3. Cheri at Blog this Mom

4. Katy at Katydidnot

5. Stephanie at Bad Mom.

6. Kalynne Philosopher Mom (9 kids. really)

7. My Cousins at Oz and Duck Feet.

8. ChiTown Girl

(OK look at the blogs I follow- there are lots more!)