Top ten nine things about a rainy vacation...

1) Little to no laundry to do.
2) No sunscreen application and no risk of sunburn.
3) No real reason to shower.
4) No pressure to get out to the house by 10 AM for fear the beach parking lot will fill up.
5) Lots and lots and lots and lots of time to read.
6) No sand in the house or car.
7) No traffic.
8) Lots and lots and lots of trip to the candy store. (But note: cut kids off before 8:30 PM or else all hell will break loose at bed time.)
9) No worries about not fitting into your swim suit because of how much you are eating.
10) ........

That's the best I can do. Nine. Can't come up with another thing. We are on day 3 of a week long "beach" vacation and have had little to no glimps of the sun. No even just no sun - a summer nor'easter really. Worst still, the kids have chosen this as the time to decide they do not want to watch, or like, tv. Really? Could the timing be worse?

Here is a picture of the tide during the storm. The picture does not do it justice. Think "perfect storm."



Here is a picture of the other kind of perfect storm - kids stuck in the house for days.



And this.....we packed all this before we saw the weather forecast. Thank the lord. It may be the only thing that gets us through.



Don't worry. It's not just Jonathan and I here. No, we could never drink all that ourselves. My parents are here too. That should be enough for four people - don't ya think?

Wish us luck.

Operation Garage Organization

For the past 6 months we have talked and talked and talked about getting a garage organization system. In fact it was one of those slightly annoying things Jonathan started planning in his head when we first looked at the house. Along of course, with the surround sound stereo system which is still a work in progress. Because, you know, it was way more important than the heating system or the electrically work.

So we looked on-line. We looked through many a catalog coveting the way they made it all look so simple to be organized. We went to The Container Store and after about 10 minutes we were so overwhelmed with both the design process and cost, we left.

But there are some things that can motivate you to take action, fast. That, here in Massachusetts, is Tax Free Weekend. That's right - no tax on most anything up to $25oo. And I can tell you, we had no plans to spend that much on a garage system.

So after failing to motivate on Saturday, on Sunday we moved full speed ahead. After a very satisfying brunch with friends where we totally overloaded on carbs (bagels, coffee cake, french toast, monkey bread......seriously it was a carb-nival. Yes, I totally just made that word up! ) we were off to Home Depot. I think the carbs by the way may have been the secret to our success. Because I am pretty sure I could not have put up with the unruly behavior of my children had it not been for the carbs in my system. They were, the children that is, a NIGHTMARE. Literally, wrestling in the isles. It was horrifying. One the sales people who came to help us said he would have come over sooner but was mesmerized by the wrestling match taking place right before his eyes. It was one of those moments when you want to grab you kid and shake some sense into them. But since that would be child abuse, I went with the eyes. You know that look....when you look them straight in the eyes with a bit of a squint and say, without speaking, "If you do not stop that right now, I am going to make your life a living hell!" And they look back at you in horror and proceed to behave, for about 2, maybe 3 seconds.

Anyways, asking some questions about different options, we went with the Rubber Maid system. It is much more affordable then the Container Store option but just as functional and expandable.

Below are the fruits of our labor. (Well, Jonathan's labor really.) By the end of the night we were fully organized! I post these not because you care about our garage but because I want to remember how it looked that first day...as I know it will not last.

Love (NOT!) Letters

Dear Costco,

Please do not fill your store with candy, toys and flannel sheets, when it is mid-August. Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, and winter, are months away. To put these things in your store now only makes us feel bitter. Can you not just let us enjoy with is left of summer? Do we really need to be reminded of the dismal winter ahead and of all the things we have to do come September. Really?

I promise, we will come when the time is right. But that time is not now and you would be much better served by showcasing the margarita mix and tanning lotion. I would buy it just to keep the hope alive that summer lives on.

Sincerely,
Pissed off Customer

***********
Dear Guy at Costco who I know was only trying to help,

Please do not help me again. Yes, I appreciate your efforts to help me lift that heavy carton filled with diet coke. But when you dropped it HARD, in my cart, one of the cans popped open. When I got to the car, the carton was flooded with diet coke and leaked all over the place. I had to go back into the store and return it for another one. So next time you try to help, please do not.

Sincerely,
Not so grateful woman, who by the way is a lot stronger than I look.

**********
Dear Gisele,
I really meant to write this sooner - sorry for the delay.

Yes, you are pretty. Yes, you are rich. Yes, your husband is HOT. But no, that does not mean you can impose your opinions about motherhood on the rest of the world. You have been a mother all of.....a few months. Right?

I am so glad that breast feeding went well for you. But surely you can understand how it may not for some mothers and that it should clearly be a CHOICE that every woman has. You get that, right? Because it would be a shame to think someone so pretty, and rich, and talented, is really not so smart.

Sincerely,
Just another mom who tried to breast feed and got mastitis twice before giving up AND still tried to breast feed the second time around.

********
Dear Self,

Please stop telling yourself you want a job that you don't really want. It just makes the whole thing that much more frustrating when you don't get the job.

Now go, find something you love do and find a way to make money doing it. Go...go now....and stop telling yourself its never going to happen!

Sincerely,
Self

WooHOO - I feel so much better now!

This is why this kid gets away with murder:

ME: JJ, What am I going to do with you?

JJ: Dump me in a bowl of chocolate so I can lick myself.

Some addictions are definately worse than others

I am addicted to looking for jobs. I may even enjoy this more than I would actually working in any of these jobs. It's like the ultimate challenge - to find the perfect fit. Not just for me, but for anyone I know looking for a job.

My favorite place to look? Craigslist. There are some very decent postings there and I don't think it gets as wide of an audience as some other more advertised sites. I am, however, a little frustrated that some people who post there think they can get away with paying a lower rate then if they advertised elsewhere. Just this morning I saw a part-time attorney position. The rate? $15-$17, depending on experience. My first reaction was: Are you kidding me? I could baby sit and make more money than that. In fact that is what I pay my baby sitter! My second reaction: What experience warrants getting $17 over $15? I mean really....

If I could just figure out how to make a career out of job searching, I'd be on to something. Some may call that "Recruiting" but I don't want to work for the companies. I'd much rather find people jobs. And you can't really ask people who are unemployed to PAY YOU to find them a job. Right?