The corn jungle

We had a very Halloweenish weekend. On Friday after lunch Connor and I went to the a little roadside pumpkin patch. We picked out some pumpkins but when we got up to the front to pay I found out they only took cash. So Boo. We had to leave without our pumpkins. I never carry cash. Then later that night Larry and Maddy went to a costume Father-daughter dance. Totally cute. I didn't have a costume for Maddy so I improvised and she went as Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz. She wore the same dress she wore to my brother in law's wedding, which means I have now gotten 3 uses out of that dress. It's a blue and white plaid and we got her little basket that she carried a stuffed little dog in. It was pretty cute. They had a good time. Larry was a pirate.

Then on Saturday we went to the farmer's market down the street. They have a cornmaze, or a corn jungle as Connor calls it. That was fun. Connor really liked it. They also had a barrel train and a bounce house. They had animals too but not a petting zoo. Which I was happy about. You could reach through the fence and pet them if you really had to do that. Connor pet a pig. We ended our day at the farmers market and got some pumpkins and desert honey. Mmmmm.

Hot dogs

Today I skipped my first class so that I could go to the library and work on my Math homework. I worked for about a half hour and realized I had some major questions. So I decided to sit in on the class before mine. I knew we were going over the homework and I figured two sessions in a row would probably do the trick.

Pause that story, while I talk about the hot dog guy....

There's a guy at my school who sells hot dogs from a little cart. That's a killer gig, I would assume. I've only seen him a couple of times because he parks near the library and I don't usually go that way. The first time I saw him was a couple of weeks ago and as I walked by I overheard a conversation he was having with a student. I don't remember the whole thing but I left with the distinct impression that the guy was the owner of the cart. Expected.

Today I walked by on the way into the library and overheard that hot dogs cost $3 and he only takes cash. Then, on the way out I was wondering how much he makes from his little cart. Even if he has a whole dollar in costs per hot dog (which I highly doubt) he is making $2 per dog. I have no idea how many he sells each day, but I did think... if he was making good money he would have hired someone to run his cart for him. So it must not be that good.

Ok, so I went to the first round of Math. I've never sat in on this class before. It was kinda weird. It was my class... same teacher, same material... but it was filled with strange faces and inside jokes I didn't get. Anyways, so the girl sitting next to me turns around and asks the girl behind her "So, how did it go?"

The other girl starts talking about an interview she had with the hot dog guy! Seriously! I couldn't believe it. Turns out the hot dog guy makes $600 a day with his little stand. I don't know if that is sales, or profit, but either way... a killer gig. Just as I suspected.

Sherlock

Our across the street neighbor and their neighbor had their cars broken into the night before last. My across the street neighbor had her gym bag stolen and her neighbor had the window broken of her car and her purse was stolen. Sucks. The cameras on our house do actually have a view of their houses so I said I would see what I could see. Which isn't much since it was still dark out when the break-ins occurred. We can see them happen but the quality of the tapes is so bad that it's not really helpful.

First off, I don't know if I have ever really explained my neighborhood but I live on a cul-de-sac that has a grassy area in the middle. Starting from the left is a big area with landscaping rocks and some utility boxes, this is also the bus stop. Then my across the street neighbor who had their car broken into, then their neighbor, then 4 houses, then the idiots, then two houses, then us on the edge of the cul-de-sac.

On the tapes you can see see a white figure come from off screen on the left (the rocks) and walk towards my across-the-street-neighbor's house. He starts to walk by and then turns and goes up to her passenger side and looks in the windows. Then goes to the back and lifts her tailgate and steals her gym bag. Then he walks off camera on the right. He is gone for a few mintues and then comes walking through the grassy middle with the gym bag and walks just off camera on the left bottom. He immediately comes back into view on the left top without the bag. I assume that he put the bag down behind the utility box that is right there and then went to grab a big river rock to break the window. He then walks across and off camera on the right. He's gone for a few mintues and then walks back across and off camera again. Almost immediately on another camera we see a car coming down the street. It's a car that clearly doesn't live in this neighborhood. You can tell the driver is lost in our maze of cul-de-sacs. They drive in one cul-de-sac, drive around it, pull in to the next one and then back out, then drive into ours, drive around the whole thing, once having to back up because they drive in someone's driveway on accident, and then leave the cul-de-sac and drive off camera.

Strange. But it was fun playing detective for a couple of hours. The whole thing makes me want to invest in some better cameras and get some more of them. I wish I could see if that car picks up the theif.

Puzzled

Connor has found puzzles. We bought a 25 piece Mickey Mouse puzzle at the dollar store before we left for Disneyland. Thought it might keep the kids busy in the hotel room for a few minutes. Luckily we forgot about it because I see now that it would have caused a nuclear meltdown for everyone involved.

Puzzles are Maddy's thing. She has been whipping 25 piece puzzles together since she was 2. She was impressive with them, really. Connor has different interests. He has never shown any interest in any of the things Maddy liked to do as a toddler, puzzles included.

However, Larry got out the new Mickey puzzle for him yesterday morning and the two of them sat down and put it together. Connor was frustrated with it. Doing typical boyish things like forcing pieces together and then throwing them across the room. But he was also determined to get it. Him and Larry did the puzzle together several times, then him and I did it once. Then we were both tired of it and Connor worked for the rest of the day on it by himself. Seriously, he probably spent a good 5 hours working on this puzzle.

He did finally get it though! He isn't one to give up. He KNOWS he has the ability and he just can't let it go until he figures it out. He is obsessive about it. We went out while he was working on it and the second we walked back in the house he yelled "My Puzzle!" and went running over to the table. That determination pays off most of the time. But I can see that if Maddy had been around she would have wanted to do it for him... you know, to "help"... and Connor would have flipped out.

Disneyland

We are back from Disneyland. I know I didn't mention it on here. We really weren't sure if we were even going til like two weeks before we left. Which is totally unlike us. Normally we plan this stuff like a year in advance... but we are doing lots of things lately that aren't like us. I don't know what's going on. Too busy I think. We are too busy to be ourselves.

But it was fun. It was a different type of trip than we usually have. Normally I'm all amped up for the trip and while we are there I'm trying to get the kids (and me) to see everything. Go on every ride, see every character. Like our lives depend on it. But on this trip I just wasn't that way. I just wanted to sit down! The whole trip was more low key than normal. So we didn't do all the things we normally do. But we had fun. It was all decorated for Halloween, which was cool to see. We got to eat at the Blue Bayou which I've always wanted to do. It's the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. That was cool. And I've finally admitted that I don't really like "It's a small world". Afterall.

We also went to the beach. I haven't been to the beach in like 7 years. Crazy! That was nice. We had an extra day in California and we just kinda hung around and rested. I needed a vacation from my vacation.

It was Maddy's birthday while we were there. 8! I can't believe it. We got her the Monsters vs. Aliens movie, Bendaroos, Pixos, and a big Costco size pack of Littlest Pet Shop toys. Big hits all around. It was also our 5 year wedding anniversary on Friday. We did spend the whole thing driving home from California, but hey... we were together. So it could be worse. We spent our anniversary last year driving home from the Grand Canyon. Seems to be a trend.

New hair

Hello. Larry brought up the fact that I haven't posted anything in like 10 days and my last post was me freaking out. I'm not still freaking out... if you were worried about me. I'm good.

I finished my Math project and that relived a huge amount of stress. I felt so light and airy after that. Like I had won some homework award.

I went to the very ritzy hair salon last night. I'm lookin' fine, let me tell you. I haven't been there in two years and my regular lady there had two babies since the last time I saw her! Two babies! How the heck? Anyways, I had to pinky swear that I would go more often. I plan to. I can't commit to every six weeks like they want because, well... that's insane. But I did promise to come back in 6 months. :) It fits in with my new years resolution to be more stylish. Yeah, I'm still on that.

Oh! I forgot to mention the whole reason I brought it up. Dixie Carter from Designing Women was at the salon too. I didn't know it til after she left, but still... I felt fancy. I told you it was a ritzy place. It has golden frames around the mirrors, strategically placed fake pillars, B-list celebrities... and me.

I come home with my new hair and Connor wouldn't leave it be. "Oh, I love your haircut, Mommy." "Such a nice haircut, Mommy." "You look so pretty, Mommy." Seriously, he must have told me 10 times that he liked my hair. Then Larry said he kept bringing it up while Larry was putting him to bed. I think he's afraid Connor is going to grow up to be a hairdresser. hehe. I wouldn't mind... I would be his first customer everyday. :)~

Breakdown

I've had several nervous breakdowns in my life. Some big, some little. But they all start the exact same way. They all start with me thinking "It's cool. I got this. I know things are kinda stressful right now, but look how well I'm handling it. I'm fiiiiinnne. " And then within minutes I'm a sobbing disaster.

Today I was sitting at a red light thinking those famous last words. I turned onto the freeway and about a mile later I missed my exit. That was it. That was the last straw. The tears started and 14 hours later they haven't stopped.

While you read this story keep in mind that I am either crying, or hold back tears this ENTIRE time.

I got to school, I wasn't late but I was right on time. I walk in to drop Connor off at preschool and this lady stops me to try to get me to register for their new daily sign in thing they got going. I have to do it eventually but honestly right then I didn't have time. She asks if I can do it when I come pick up Connor. I tell her I can't. (I really couldn't, I'll get to that in a second.) "It only takes 5 minutes." (Which I know is a lie because they said it takes 15 minutes to register when they sent the paper home last week and I'm not going to let her get me into that trap.) I tell her I really can't today. I promise to do it on Monday and jet on out of there.

So I go to class. My first class was normal. Then I went to Math. We started our group projects today. Click here for my opinions on group projects. For the project I need to buy a program from the Math department. I had planned on getting it today. For weeks my teacher has been saying how you can pick it up in the Math department for $10. Today he mentions that first they give you a code. Then you put that code into a website. You pay the $10 and then you get another code. Then you take that second code to the keepers of necessary program and they give it to you. CRAP! So I call Larry to make sure he will be near a computer after class so that he can enter this secret code into this website and give me the second secret code so I can get my damn program today. (Silly me thought I could just walk in a buy it. Ha! I forgot who I was dealing with.)

So after class I go to get code #1. Of course there is no code #1. You just go online and pay and then bring in the receipt. God Damn it!! So Larry has been waiting by a computer for 30 minutes for no reason. Instead he could be at school with my receipt right this very second! So I call him back with the website they gave me so he can do his thing.

It doesn't work. He tries Googling it. Nothing. So I go back to the Math Gods and tell them their website doesn't work. This middle aged [censored] who probably can't even check her own email looks over the top of her half glasses at me and just shakes her head no. What the [censored] kind of response is that?! So I say it again. "This website doesn't work." pointing to the sheet of paper they have taped to the counter with half a roll of clear making tape. This time actual words came out of her mouth. "Someone was able to use it yesterday." Oh wow! Thank you so much. That solved all my problems!! It's ok Larry, someone was able to use it yesterday. We are saved! Someone was able to use it yesterday! Hooray! Is that person here? Maybe THEY can help me?

I have a very hard time with rude customer service people because I have been in customer service so long myself that I know ALL the buttons to push. I have to make it a point to say as little as possible.

So while I'm standing there glaring at her Larry is able to figure it out. There is supposed to be a slash at the end of the URL that they failed to write on their super helpful note. So I tell the old [censored] this and she just stares at me. So I say it again "There is supposed to be a slash at the end of this." Thinking that maybe she will... oh I don't know... try it herself. Or at the very least remember this tidbit for the next poor soul who is put through this torture.

During all of this code getting fun I'm getting and making calls for work. I literally have a phone in each hand saying things like "hold on"... switch phones... "did that work? no? ok. hold on"... switch phone... "I will find that out and call you right back."... switch phones... "you got it? yeah? ok. hold on"... switch phones... ect.

Don't forget... I'm crying the whole time.

So while I'm waiting for Larry to come with my receipt I decide I should probably go pick up Connor since I'm way late. I walk in and immediately get ambushed by Register-For-The-New-Sign-In-Thing lady. I figure I might as well. I now have time, believe it or not. I literally have to sign my name 17 times during it. No joke. But I'm now registered on their high-tech device that will secure the saftey of my child. Either that or I just bought a house, I can't be sure.

I get and then make another set of work phone calls.

Finally, I'm ready to pick up Connor... a full 25 minutes late. Which is saying a lot since my class is within site of the daycare. I go and get the van, fight through insane bumper to bumper traffic in the parking lot, and get to our designated meeting spot and wait for Larry.

Larry shows up with what is the most ridiculous "receipt" I have ever seen. It basically just says my name and the name of the program. The website never even asked him to pay the $10. Which at this point I'm not sure what to believe. Nothing else anyone has told me about this adventure has been right, so who knows. Maybe it's free.

But just seeing him make me want to fall into his arms and never let go. I can't hug him or I will really lose it. All I want on this whole earth is to go home with him.

I go to park Larry's car. I do a few switch backs looking for a spot and my phone rings. It's Larry. He needs something out of his car. ARG. So I go back to the meeting place and wait for him. We meet again. He gets what he needs and return to looking for a non existent parking spot.

Finally, I take my paper back to new best friend. But first I find a seat in the air conditioning and take a few deep breaths. When I think I have pulled myself together enough to face her I go around the corner. She sees me, buries herself in her keyboard, and calls some guy to come help me. He takes my paper and furrows his brow. I'm just about to lose it when he says that I need to go to the cashier's office to pay. I curse everything at the thought, but I'm happy to be over one hurdle so I just sigh and begin the quarter mile hike to the cashier's office.

I pay. That was not eventful, thankfully.

The Math department guy accepts my papers! As he opened the door of wonders angels began to sing. A golden light poured from the closet and two doves flew past him and out in the room. It was glorious! He made sure to point out he magical "key code" inscribed on the fine paper that enveloped the program that is so special, so valuable that only the most hearty souls ever have it bestowed upon them.

I walk out with my prize. But the glory doesn't last long because in my frustration I have NO CLUE where I parked so I walk around the hot parking lot for 10 minutes looking like a fool. The van is easy to spot since there are very few minivans in a college parking lot. But a white 4 door sedan is practically impossible to see until you're on top of it.

On the ground next to the car was a full sized piece of corn on the cob on a stick. Think about that. Someone was eating corn on the cob on the way to school. I giggled through my tears.

[I finished the above post at 1:17 am. Before I could even hit "publish" Connor started screaming from his bed. Jumped up and went to his room to find him covered in puke and, upon further investigation, diaherra. I can't make this stuff up people! I wanted to leave you with an a funny corn on the cob image. But the day refused to end that way. Good night!]