Happy New Year's Eve!!!

Please enjoy, but be safe!! Cheers y'all!!!

I think it is only fitting for me to draft a to-do list for the last day of 2009, so here goes...

1. Bust my ass @ work for 4 hours (I love early days!)

2. Leave work @ noon today

3. Visit my man for New Year's Eve

4. Celebrate the incoming New Year with my munchkin

5. Work on a budget for the New Year to get some of my spending & debt under control

6. Pick up the house

7. Do laundry

8. Write out my shopping list

9. Go shopping

10. Write out bills

11. Balance my checkbook

12. Write out the munchkin's soccer & school pictures

13. Return my jeans

14. Write out my New Year's cards

15. Catch up on my emails

16. Finish writing my man

17. Write my h.s. friend

18. File my papers

19. Get back on track with WWs

20. Get ready for next semester

21. Start stalking TWEN for my grades (like I haven't been already!)

22. Order my Trial Practice book for next semester or purchase it @ the bookstore

23. Pick up my suits

24. Catch up on my TIVO

25. Get me some sleep

26. Register for next semester's classes on TWEN

27. Purchase all of my book's for next semester

28. Do all of my SADO homework, if assigned

29. Do all of my Estates & Trusts (E&T) homework, if assigned

30. Do all of my Trial Practice homework, if assigned

31. Plan out my long weekend

32. Plan out my week

33. Get the munchkin's script filled

34. Take the munchkin for his blood work

35. Schedule my next pampering appointment (monthly waxing & facial is a must)

36. Schedule my next hair appointment since my stylist is going on vacation the week I scheduled for my next do

37. Reschedule my next dental appointment...why is it so hard for them to understand I have classes next semester?!?

38. Check on the munchkin's next dental appointment, it seems like it has been forever since his last appointment...hmmm

39. Make out my list of New Year's Resolutions (yes, there will be a list!)

40. Get organized

41. Get my shit together

42. Get motivated to kick ass again this next semester & this next year!!!!

The Last Hump Day of 2009

I was so cruising through my work today and then everything seemed to come to a crazy halt. I didn't wake up in the best of moods...blue is not a good color on me, so to speak. Even attempting to fake it wasn't working when my guy called this morning and proceeded to ask me if I was okay, because I sounded "off." Then I started pushing myself at work and with about 4 files left to close out down from the 35+ I started with. Then the inside calls started, "Hey j'lynn, do you know what is going to happen at next week's major meeting?" and my favorite was the third person who stopped by my office and asked, "j'lynn, someone is saying we are all getting pink slipped at next week's meeting. Do you think it is true?" Come on people!!! I know as much as you do!! Don't you think that I would be in a much more upbeat mood if I did? Duh!!

Needless to say, I had to leave work before I got those last 4 files finished today. That irritates me! My goal was to have them all done today, so I could finish up in the 4 hours we work tomorrow and maybe do my ecology day tomorrow only 3.5 months late. I'm trying to remain hopeful, but 4 hours really isn't that much time, especially when I've really been suffering from this lately!

So then I thought I would take the munchkin to his follow-up doctor's appointment today, pick up our munchies for tomorrow night, come home, relax a little, get ready for tomorrow and get to bed a little early tonight. Well, as I sit here after midnight* with things all a mess in my house I ask myself this same question, again! From 7:30pm till 10:30pm, the munchkin was a total mess, scared he was going to vomit again (last Monday night's incident is way to fresh in his little mind). So as I laid in my bed with him sitting up next to me, with lights on all over the house and a pan sitting in his lap, we finally started to drift off to sleep to be awakened to my guy calling to tell me to drive safely when I trek out to see him tomorrow...

Now I'm off to wash my face and get ready for bed, so I can get up early tomorrow in an attempt to get all prettied up for my visit tomorrow and to get my arse to work on time to get that list of things to do done before the bomb hits next week!

*~~yes, I back-dated this post to go with its inventive title!

Those are some damn clean towels

As you well know I've been running behind from day 1 (hell, I was almost a month late when I was born!), especially when it came to Christmas this year. I was so far behind this year that I just pulled my Christmas towels out of the dryer and folded them tonight. They've been in there for quite sometime...washed and dried, but not folded or hung up. So, basically, I washed Christmas towels to put them back in the plastic tub for next year... Of course the only reason that the towels were removed from the dryer tonight is because I needed to wash my jeans for the next two days @ work...

As you can tell, nothing has changed in the last 24 hours...

Accomplished: 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 30

Started: 10, 15, 24, 29, 31, 32

Untouched: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 23, 25, 26

Finding Inspiration Among My Blogging Friends...

Lately I've been been feeling down due to the holidays and various other things. I'm usually pretty upbeat with a New Year on the horizon, but that hasn't happened yet. But, I'm finding inspiration here and here. Thank you guys... Now if only my grades would start coming in.... I'm not a patient person y'all!

Accomplished: 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 30

Started: 10, 15, 24, 29, 31, 32

Untouched: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16, 23, 25, 26

Nothing Like Visiting the ER on Christmas Morning

The munchkin woke up about 8:45am Christmas Morning and by 9:30am we were at the ER. Three hours later, several x-rays developed, and two scripts later we were back home. Dinner was relocated to mom's and the munchkin and I stayed home to tend to his croup and ear infection. What happened to "Merry Christmas to all & to all a good night?"

Now my house is totaled, our sleep schedule is all messed up since we went to bed at 6pm last night, I was up at 11pm catching up on emails and he woke up again at midnight and a second time at 2:30am and meds are being taken on a three hour rotation. Santa brought the munchkin lots of legos and the croup. Santa brought me a messy house, a $100 copay, and dinner packed in a basket...

Accomplished: 1, 2, 4, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 30

Started: 3, 10, 24, 29, 31, 32

Untouched: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28

Happy Birthday Honey!!

Not only is today Christmas, but it is also my man's 40th birthday!! Can you believe it? My honey is 40 today. I hope he has a wonderful birthday today and can't wait until next year when he will hopefully be home to celebrate properly! ;)

Accomplished: 1, 2, 4, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,

Started: 3, 10, 14, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32

Untouched: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28

Merry Christmas Y'all!

I hope you & yours have a wonderful Christmas! I also hope Santa is very good to everyone because you all deserve that and then some. I wish everyone has a safe holiday and are able to send the day with their loved ones.

Accomplished: 1, 2, 4, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20

Started: 3, 10, 14, 22, 24, 29, 30, 31, 32

Untouched: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Tonight we will go to my mom's and spend the evening as one big happy but dysfunctional family!! There will be mom, dad, both aunts, uncle, bro, his wife, their 2 boys, uncle's son, his fiancee, munchkin & I. There will be presents to be opened and lots of yummy finger food to eat. I'm just praying for a peaceful night and I'm going to really, really, really try to be as nice as pie to my idiot brother! ;) Wish me luck!!

I hope you enjoy your Christmas Eve as much as I hope to!! Love & hugs to each and every one of you!!!

Accomplished: 1, 2, 4, 12

Started: 3*, 10, 14, 20, 22, 29

Untouched: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32

*~~I was making great progress on this one until my boss made her way into work @ 1pm yesterday and dumped a bunch of stuff on me. It really sucks being the only person in everyday in my little department!

A Hump Day & Holiday Edition of My To-Do List:

My Hump-Day To-Do List, Holiday Style:

1. Shave before my cleaning comes to clean my shower

2. Get my house cleaned

3. Catch up at work after yesterday's early departure

4. Go & see my man for Christmas & his Birthday

5. Write out the munchkin's soccer & school pictures

6. Write out bills

7. Balance my checkbook

8. Write out my shopping list

9. Go shopping

10. Do laundry

11. Return the pair of jeans I found at the bottom of my drawer a couple weeks ago that are now 2 sizes too big!

12. Pick up my scripts

13. Write out New Year's cards (f/k/a Christmas Cards)

14. Catch up on my emails

15. Write my man

16. Write my h.s. friend

17. Make chocolate chip cookies with the munchkin

18. Frost christmas cutout cookies with the munchkin

19. Spend Christmas Eve @ mom's

20. Get ready for Santa's visit

21. Have Christmas morning with the munchkin

22. Prepare for Christmas dinner here

23. File my papers

24. Maintain for WWs

25. Order my Trial Practice book for next semester

26. Pick up my suits at the cleaners

27. Refocus myself for next week playing boss

28. Get through this week's papers that I have not gotten to yet

29. Catch up on my TIVO

30. Get me some sleep

31. Get organized

32. Get my shit together

Unexpected Visitors

Saturday night while talking to my youngest aunt she confirms that her husband's son and his fiancee are coming for Christmas. This is great...I love my uncle's son! His fiancee I have not met, but from what I've heard I am probably not going to like her...I guess no one who has met her does except for him. I guess it is true that you can't pick who you fall in love with! The kicker was that she is highly allergic to pet dander and my aunt and uncle have 3 dogs. So being the nice person that I am, I offer the munchkin's playroom up for a place to sleep. I found out tonight that it was politely declined and they will be staying at a hotel, at my aunt and uncle's expense I'm sure. I'm actually pretty relieved because I don't like people being around when I get up in the AM.

Sunday while spending time with the munchkin my cell phone rings and after a few minutes of chit-chat I determine that it is my cousin calling from his duty station. He starts talking about how he is working on his truck, wanting to know if we are all staying home for Christmas, blah, blah, blah. It comes down to the fact that he may be headed here for Christmas...Sunday night. Um, really? Okay. Then I start to wonder if the wifey is coming with or if she is history. I ask if they are spending Christmas with the in-laws who live a few hours from us and the reply is "maybe." He said he would call back and let me know what he is doing and of course no one has heard from him since. Maybe he didn't get the reaction he expected from me, but seriously...I wrote you all the time you were in bootcamp, sent cards, letters, etc. while you were in Iraq (more so than even one of my really good friends was deployed) and sent cards, texts, etc. after you came home and haven't heard from you in a year or two now...seriously I'm not going to go on and on about you "maybe" coming for Christmas less than a week from Christmas. I know, I know...I probably should call and see if they are coming or not, but at this point I don't really care. I'm thinking maybe they should plan a little better since no one in the family has a room for you to sleep in that has a bed in it or even an air mattress. I guess maybe they can take the air mattress vacated at the aunt and uncle's...

After my boss telling me Monday that officially-unofficially-all new assignments have ceased coming our way and that the unofficial rumor is that all current work will be taken from us within two weeks, I was advised to rid myself of all the assignments I am currently holding onto with the hopes of bringing to a close directly and to get my files as up to date as I can because I will be spending the coming weeks helping bail out the hapless souls that we work with. Our goal now has changed to minimizing our little department from looking like total incompetents. The good thing is the fact that out of the 11 people in my department there are 4 of us that have our shit pretty well together. As for the rest...well, I will spend my coming days freaking out about the possibility of no longer having a job next year and bailing other people's asses out of the deep holes they've spent years digging. So I spent 8.5 hours busting my ass clearing as many files as I could off my desk with the thought that the next two days I would spend busting my ass on the 34 files I have on my desk that I need to still close.

I faced my fear at lunch time Monday and went and weighed in for weight watchers. At the rate I've been eating, drinking, not exercising, and the fact that this is mother nature's week I was prepared for bad news. Of course when I woke up that morning I was dying of thirst so I had already drank 32ozs of water and had ate an apple and some peanut butter by the time I hopped up on that scale. I was so delighted when she said I had only gained 0.2lbs! I chalked that up to the water I had already consumed and left very, very happy!! :) I know I won't hit my goal of being below 300lbs by 1/1/10; however, my goal (with the stress and the holidays) has changed to just maintaining and not losing too much control. I'll reevaluate my goals on 1/2/10! :)

After work Monday I went grocery shopping only to be disappointed again in our new Super Wal-Marts! How the hell do you not have plastic disposable plates days before Christmas? How are people suppose to cut their turkey and ham on paper and styrofoam plates? So then I had to go to Meijers as well...lucky me! I come home after hours of shopping, unload, unpack, eat and attempt to call it a night. That would be when the munchkin woke up acting all crazy and ending the crazy talk with getting sick all over my bedroom floor. Nice... With no other symptoms and him claiming that he felt fine, he went right back to sleep and slept like a baby until after 7am this morning.

I left for work this morning and the munchkin went to school only to get "the call" less than 2 hours after I got to work. My baby was sick at school. It is always nice to drive 40+ miles one way to get paid for 2 hours work to drive back those same miles to pick up your son to come home and spend the day eating chicken noodle soup, sleeping and fearing that you will be struck down next with the 24-hour bug that is going around. Of course I'm sure I'm that horrible mother talked about at school that dared to send my son to school sick to infect everyone else's child for Christmas, because my munchkin loves telling people that he puked the night before. In all honesty, both me and my aunt (the RN) thought the vanilla frosty I brought home the night before didn't settle well with him. If I had even thought he had a bug or the stomach flu, I so wouldn't have sent him to school. I'm just not that way, but this is a new school so these folks don't know. He was fine when he left the house, but not so much when I picked him up. This will sound horrible, but there were also 5 other students that had been picked up this morning from school for the same problem, so he was not the only perpetrator.

Now...on to hump day to get everything else done tomorrow plus an early Christmas/Birthday visit with my man tomorrow night. Yay!!

Accomplished: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31, 32

Started: 1, 4, 12, 15, 21, 26, 27

Untouched: 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 23, 28

The size of this post is why I try to post once a day...so sorry for the length, but with so many unexpected visitors and potential unexpected visitors I guess I had a lot to say... Hope you all are getting your last minute Christmas stuff done!

With the tree up, the stockings hung, and the presents wrapped

I wish I could say that my job here is done, but as we all know it is not! Plus I think I may be missing one of Santa's gifts for the munchkin...damn it!

Due to the economy and the potential job loss I'm currently facing, along with the serious lack of funds and available credit, I've taken the frugal way out for Christmas this year! The gifts for the family are pretty crappy. I went shopping in the closet of j'lynn this year. You know how every year you end up buying too much for someone each year and put it away for "next year," but that never seems to come. Well, this year was that year!

I also have a few gifts that I received last year that just aren't "me," that will be going to better homes this year. Yes, I am "one of those people" who regift. I keep it straight where and who gave me what, because my decision to regift happens as soon as I open it. This usually happens when I get gifts at work functions. I'm sorry, I'm just not the kind of girl who needs a cheese slicing gift set, but when your name is picked as one of the last 3 out of 50+ people there wasn't much to choose from that year...

Almost all of my presents came out of my closet. The only things that didn't was the cutest pairs of gloves for all the girls in the family, but since those were on super-sale for $1.70 each I think I did okay there!! I wouldn't have added this to the gifts this year, except everyone in the family who saw mine loved them, so why not share the joy of hobo-gloves! :)

The munchkin is not getting everything he asked for either, which as a mommy it sucks when you can't get the things your child asks Santa for! I'm hopeful that he will still have a wonderful Christmas.

We...okay, I still have tons of stuff to do before Christmas Eve @ mom's with the family and Christmas Day @ my place...it is going to be a pretty busy rest of the weekend and week!

Accomplished: 2, 7, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, 32

Untouched: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 23, 26, 27, 29, 31

My Friday To-Do List:

1. Get my shit together

2. Write out my shopping list

3. Go shopping

4. Do laundry

5. Pick up the sno-blower as it has been fixed

6. Write out the munchkin's soccer & school pictures

7. Make sure munchkin attends his Den Meeting

8. Write out Christmas cards

9. Pick up the house

10. Write out bills

11. Balance my checkbook

12. Catch up on my emails

13. Write my man

14. Write my h.s. friend

15. Plan out my week

16. Get me some sleep

17. Get munchkin's second H1N1 vaccine dose

18. Confirm what everyone's bringing to Christmas dinner

19. Get waxed

20. Get facial

21. Get organized

22. Make sure the munchkin attends his Christmas party with my mom & dad at their club

23. File my papers

24. Confirm that I'm done Christmas shopping

25. Finish Christmas shopping, if needed

26. Get back on WWs the best I can with the holiday week!

27. Refocus myself for the coming week since I'm playing my boss' roll for the next 2 weeks!

28. Wrap Christmas presents

29. Order my Trial Practice book for next semester

30. Take my suits into the cleaners

31. Confirm my munchkin's babysitter for Christmas break

32. Pick up my medical supplies

Digging My Way Out of My Hole...

Shovel by shovel I'm working on digging myself out of the hole I seem to have allowed myself to sink into. It isn't easy and I find myself exhausted this week; however, after going through my papers today I realized I am in total PMS mode. Opps... That could explain so much of the emotional roller coaster I've been on for the last almost week and it certainly explains my bitchiness and my anger! Plus I'm hopeful that the more I get done this week the smaller my list to do should be come this Friday!

So far 50% accomplished and 50% yet to finish...

Accomplished: 5, 7***, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15*****, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 26, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37

Started: 2**, 3*, 4, 20, 25, 36, 39, 40

Untouched: 1, 6****, 8****, 13, 14, 19, 24, 27, 28, 29, 32, 38

*~~2 loads to fold and put away...I can't guarantee this will be completed before the next installment of My Friday To Do List or when I need to start laundry again this weekend.

**~~same guarantee for this one!

***~~these are done; however, it doesn't appear that these will be done and back to us until after the new year. :( My own fault really. On top of that, I was not happy with how they turned out. We waited almost 2 hours to have his pics done and of course by 7:45pm when it was our turn the munchkin was in rare form, I was irritated and starving! Oh well, there is always next year! Plus I had to pay top dollar because my year-long coupon expired 4 days ago. Boo-hiss... Needless to say I didn't buy as many as I normally do.

****~~these are all in my work bag to go with me tomorrow so I'm hopeful I can get some of this done then. Of course I'm going to hold off on mailing out the Christmas cards to see if we are lucky and get these back before Christmas!!

*****~~Since there are only two days left and tomorrow night I'm going to dinner with my LSBFF I guess I can consider this accomplished! LOL

Seriously...did they expect something different?

Needless to say, the last two days I've kicked ass at work. But after yesterday's "rumor" what did they really expect? Me to work on their stuff instead of my own? Seriously?!? Did they expect something different... ;)

Accomplished: 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37
Started: 2, 3, 4, 15, 20, 25, 26, 36, 39, 40
Untouched: 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 19, 24, 27, 28, 29, 32, 38

Is the end near?

I think I've mentioned that there are huge changes coming to my job. Well...more information was leaked today. Okay, yes I admit I overheard one of the powers-that-be mentioning some things so I called my source and put her on the case. Within two hours I was advised that everything I do in my job will be gone by the end of the first quarter next year... Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to me!

Accomplished: 5, 9, 12, 16, 17, 23, 30, 31, 37

Started: 2, 3, 4, 15, 20, 26, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39

Untouched: 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 32, 38, 40

The one getting hurt here

is me! Reflecting on my weekend and the vegetative state I found myself in for the last several days didn't hurt anyone but me. :( By not accomplishing squat I've put myself so far behind the eight ball, it pains me to think about it. Of course that could be the after affect from the migraine I suffered from while at work this afternoon. I don't know why I found myself sitting here for hours on end, not being able to get out of my chair, unable to even shower...I would like to think that it was the let down of the semester, but I'm not positive. Even though I suffered a migraine today and was beyond pissed off at work today, I felt much better today than I had in several days, which is a good thing!

As for the being pissed off part... In my sub-department there are 3 of us that have the same title and the same job. As you know I was off last week for 3 days. During those days, I kept up on my emails. I checked my work email every day, sometimes more than once a day. That way if there was something I could respond to, pass to someone else to take care of or delete I did and it was one less thing to deal with when I returned today. Of course, I also knew that I would be returning to some new files plus I sent a list of things I have to do before year's end. So I wasn't surprised to walk in this morning to 7 new files. Of course after spending the entire day dealing with these new files I was totally spent. Then I opened up the mail delivered in the late afternoon and had 2 more new files. Having not gotten to the items on my to-do list I was pissed at 4:15pm, so I called one of the other 2 girls doing my job.

My co-worker was at the office the three days I was off, so I wondered how many new files she received while I was gone. I should have known better, because to be honest I knew the answer and I knew it was going to piss me off too! She received 5 new files in the last 4 work days. Seriously?!? Come on people!! She then proceeds to tell me how maybe the boss lady is taking it easy on her because she reminds her that she has 9 files she needs to close out. My response was, "I doubt that since I reminded her I have 34 files I need to close out."

Okay...Seriously?!? WTF?!? Why do I keep getting shit on? And then I wonder why I had a migraine at work today...

I'm continuing to work on my list, but haven't had much success. Of course it doesn't help that I was in the bed with the munchkin @ 9pm last night, got up at 5:40am this morning, put a load of laundry in the dryer and one in the washer, picked up the house, loaded the dishwasher, worked for 8 hours (actually busted my ass at work), rushed home, made dinner, rushed off to my son's religion class because tonight was the holiday gathering (it was a total bust), and then went pseudo-grocery shopping. It is very hard to grocery shop when you are exhausted, hot, uncomfortable and without a list...

I'm hopeful that tomorrow is another better day, that I'm not nearly as pissed off when I leave work because I'm going to see my guy tomorrow night, and I check some more things off my list... :)

Accomplished: 5, 9, 12, 16, 23, 30, 31, 37

Started: 2, 3, 4, 15, 20, 26, 33, 34, 35, 36

Untouched: 1, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40

BTW, I totally skipped WWs today on purpose, because I didn't want to face that music. I've ate like crap for over a week. Maybe that is part of the reason why I haven't felt so great...I really need to get back on track. Not just for WWs, but for my sugar too. Not that I've been pigging out on sugar or anything, but I certainly have not been holding strong either. :(

Ugh...life can really blow up in your face when you take an unscheduled time-out, huh?

Motivation is a big challenge for me this weekend

Accomplished: 5, 12, 16, 23, 30, 31, 37

Started: 3, 4, 9, 33, 34, 35, 36,

Untouched: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, & 40

The first, the only, the last...

Tonight, I went to the first, the only; therefore, the last Christmas party I will attend this year. I am not a fan of the Holidays. I usually spend it pretty depressed. I don't know why. I always have. I'm sure it has to do with my childhood. Doesn't it usually?

I remember being way younger and everyone telling me it was because I was alone and when I met and feel in love then I would like the holidays. Well, I met someone and feel madly in love and still didn't like the holidays. Then everyone said to wait until I had kids. I had my step-son and then my munchkin and I still didn't like the holidays. Then everyone said to wait until the kids were older and got more out of the holidays. My munchkin is 7 & 1/2 and I still don't like the holidays. Is there something wrong with me?

I try to fake it the best I can. I try and put on a happy face. I push myself to make everyone think that I like the holidays, but it is all fake. I will spend the next 2.5 weeks in a pissy depressed mood and irritated by everything. I will really only want to spend my days in bed away from everyone with no contact from the outside world. I will try my best to fake my way through and come Christmas Eve after spending hours at my mom's with the family and after Santa comes to visit I will sit in the chair I find myself in right now with tears streaming down my cheeks until I'm out of tears and then I will take myself to bed so I can get up the next day, fake it some more and put on the family Christmas dinner...a little happier just because I know the holidays are almost over.

Accomplished: 12, 23, 31

Started: 5, 36, 37

Untouched: too many to list...

CHI...Rumor or Fact? And who gets the last laugh...

Another piece of hilarity from my office...

When I first started at my office years ago someone told me that one of our attorneys had a CHI. I was sadden by this news, but was told that it was okay that she was okay and that she continued to practice, but if she seemed pretty flighty that this was the reason why...

Fast forward to this last Spring/Summer when I sold candy bars as my munchkin's baseball fundraiser. On a Thursday afternoon while leaving the office late, said attorney meet me at the elevator to leave and told me that she wanted to buy all of the Reese's Cups I had left. I explained to her that I had like 6 left and that they were bigger than the normal Reese's Cups. She said that was okay that she would come by the next day to get them from me. So Friday morning, I go in, pull out all of the Reese's Cups and put them to the side in my office.

I ran into said attorney a few times that day, but she said nothing about the candy bars. A week went by and I decided her closed head injury was probably at play and I didn't want to embarrass her, so I brought the candy bars home and paid the $6 myself into the pot. (Of course I ate them, but that isn't the moral of this story!) A couple months later while talking to my boss I made mention of the attorney with the CHI and she says that the attorney doesn't have a CHI.

Apparently this is a rumor that started several years ago...like maybe 15 years ago! No one knows how it started and my boss was amazed that the rumor was still being spread. She calls another attorney into the conversation and that person confirms that she heard this rumor when she first started over a decade ago and confirmed that it wasn't true!

I begin to laugh and they both look at me like I've lost it, so I tell them the story about the candy bars and said that I just chalked it up to an episode of her CHI and took the candy bars home with me...I thought all three of us were going to pee our pants we were laughing so hard.

CHI was a rumor not fact.

I got the last laugh, but I also ended up with "buying" 6 of my son's candy bars and probably gained 5lbs from it, so maybe the attorney really did get the last laugh in the end!!

Another Semester Bites The Dust

When I wrote this post, I couldn't even imagine today's post! It seemed so far away, but just like every other semester it flew by. Some days were really good, some days were not so good. Some days were horrible! After I complete a semester and take my finals I spend the next week or two thinking of all of the ways I could have done more, prepared better, studied harder, etc. Then grades will come out and I will swear I'll do better next semester. Then the next semester comes and it goes the same way the prior one does. I wonder since I only have 12 months left of school and then the bar if this cycle will ever change...

The other thing that never changes is...

My Friday To-Do List:

1. Write out my shopping list

2. Go shopping

3. Do laundry

4. Take the sno-blower in for repairs (hopefully)

5. Get the munchkin's refill or if need be, make a doctor's appointment for the munchkin

6. Write out the munchkin's soccer & school pictures to put them in the Christmas cards since it is that time.

7. Get the munchkin's Christmas pictures taken

8. Write out Christmas cards

9. Pick up the house

10. Write out bills

11. Balance my checkbook

12. Catch up on my emails

13. Write my man

14. Write my h.s. friend so I can put her letter in her Christmas card with all of the munchkin's pics

15. Plan out my week

16. Get me some sleep

17. Check in on a date to get the munchkin's next H1N1 vaccine dose

18. Go through this week's papers that I have not gotten to yet

19. Plan Christmas dinner and send out everyone's assignments for their dish to pass (Yes, this is what you do when you are a control-freak!)

20. Get organized

21. Request my pharmacy fax my specialist a request to increase the number of test strips my insurance will pay for

22. Request my specialist send a letter requesting specific lancets

23. Go to my mom & aunt's work Christmas party

24. File my papers from the last few weeks so they don't get any further out of control

25. Get back on the WWs band-wagon...stress & finals have not been pretty!!

26. Refocus myself for this coming week, because the next few weeks at work need to be performed with hyper-speed to get caught up and ahead of the game before the end of the year and the next semester starts

27. Confirm that I'm done Christmas shopping

28. Wrap Christmas presents

29. Order my Trial Practice book for next semester

30. Pay my Catherine's bill in person, because I waited to long to mail it...opps

31. Wish my Daddy a Happy Birthday on Saturday!

32. Send my man his Christmas present...

33. Take a breathe and realize that I'm done with another semester

34. Pray that I didn't fail any of my classes

35. Try to be patient waiting for my grades to start coming in over the next month

36. Passing out all of the popcorn and ornaments from the munchkin's fundraisers

37. Catch up on the back-up I have on TIVO

38. Take my suits into the cleaners since I've been carrying them around in my car for almost 2 weeks now

39. Put away the Turkey Day decorations (finally) & put up our Christmas decorations (hopefully before Christmas comes & goes!)

40. Get My Shit Together!!!

& I bet you thought my list would get smaller now that my semester is over, huh?!

More Not than Ready

but ready or not...here I go. Off to my final exam. I've scheduled myself to leave in 16 minutes. I'm so not ready for the test, which starts in 1 hour and 46 mins, but I am so ready for it to end in 4 hours and 46 mins!

Wish me luck...I so frickin' need it!

Squeaky Bladders An Excuse for a Lube Job?!?

Work is always a great place for blog post inspiration. My particular office provides great fodder for blog entries. And especially the restroom of my office...

While I was in the restroom one day I overhead a conversation between a baby attorney and a mature secretary that developed into the statement that the baby attorney appeared to have a squeaky bladder and maybe she needed a lube job. My mind immediately went into the gutter, which is where it naturally goes with no assistance needed from anyone or anything.

Upon hearing this statement I bust out laughing, revealing my presence in that middle stall. The mature secretary then tells me that I won't be laughing when I'm that age and such things happen to me. Of course, she apparently fails to realize that the baby attorney and I are pretty close to the same age and I am actually suspicious that I am older than the baby attorney. Of course because I have a mouth on me (yes, I know you are all shocked!) I fess up that apparently my lube jobs are all in order, but that the "squeaky bladder" she thought she heard from the baby attorney was the disposal in my stall because since I'm such a youngster mother nature still knocks on my door!

Of course every time I visited the restroom the remainder of that day I giggled about squaky bladders being an excuse for a lube job!

What do you need?

This is not the way to greet customers entering your restaurant, but this is how the munchkin, my aunt and I were greeted some time ago when we entered a local Chinese restaurant. Yes, I am serious! We walked in and the kid behind the counter literally greeted us this way and the following conversation ensued...

kid: What do you need?

j'lynn: Are you closed?

kid: No.

j'lynn: Then I guess we need a table.

kid: Oh.

j'lynn: Or else we can go somewhere else.

kid: No! Please come...please..how many in your party?

Okay. I've been to numerous places, but I've never been greeted with "What do you need?" Is this a new technique? Needless to say we haven't been back. It is hard enough to find a restaurant that isn't McDonald's that my munchkin agrees with or else we would have left that day too.

Is it just me or has the downturn in the economy also placed customer service in the toilet too? I really thought that it would have an opposite effect, but it seems that I have been wrong in this assumption.

PR

So this is my one and only final this semester and I'm so lacking in the motivation department. Ugh.

I know this, Professional Responsibility, is a big deal. But why is it so damn boring? Okay...I get it...keep the money straight, don't lie, cheat, swindle or screw your client. Remember to talk to your clients. Let them know what is up and god-forbid Do Not Take Longer than 24 hours to return your client's phone calls!! Don't do anything illegal, don't let your client make you do anything illegal. And if you think you might want to have sex with that client you better start in the sac first before having them sign the dotted line...

Why can't I just submit this as my final...it is so worthy of an A!! Seriously people!!

Okay, back to trying to figure out how to stay awake while studying for this final when I couldn't even stay awake for the damn class with Mr. Sexy Specs!

Urgent Care is Still A Doctor's Office, Not a Sports Bar

My trip to Urgent Care this weekend made me want to check this one off my list of future posts.

Several months ago, during one of my many trips to the Urgent Care before I was discovered why I felt so icky I wanted to scream at the people in the waiting room. I'm sitting there feeling like crap and it was a super busy time for the clinic. There are approximately 20 chairs in the waiting room and this trip all but 2 were filled.

Being an Urgent Care Clinic is apparently paying off because they also have a large flat-screen HDTV on the wall. They won't change the channel so you have to watch whatever is on NBC. This visit was a sports game. I cannot remember if it was football or hockey. Now mind you I'm a sports nut with the rest of them. When I can sit in my living room, alone, watching an Alabama football game and scream, yell, cheer, and bitch until I have a headache when the game ends I consider myself a bit of a sports nut! I do believe though that there is a time and place to cheer on your favorite teams and Urgent Care is not the place.

As I was sitting there feeling like crap, with all of these other people who I don't know, waiting to be treated, I didn't feel like I was at Urgent Care. I felt like I was at a Sports Bar! There was so much chatter, so much cheering, so much swearing, that I was looking for a waitress to bring me a drink to make me feel better! Seriously people...I just want to remind everyone that Urgent Care is still a Doctor's office, not a sports bar!

The last thing I want to hear while feeling like shit is people cheering, yelling and swearing at a TV in the doctor's office. It isn't chicken noodle soup and doesn't help sick people feel better...

Things that make you go hmmm....**

1. When you attend a team meeting to learn that all of the rumors that have been flying around are absolutely true...the entire basis of your job is being taken over by another department, which means you could be out of a job in a month, in a few months or in a year as no-one seems to know when the takeover is going to take place. I now know what companies who have endured hostile take-overs feel like.

2. When writing a blog post, this blog post actually, at 12:48am and you hear a loud bang outside and you aren't quite sure if it was gun fire or a car back firing and cannot really decide if you should call the police or not. But since you didn't hear a car after the bang you give into your fears and dial 911 regardless. (This will get your adrenaline up and the idea of going to sleep will leave the forefront of your brain immediately...at least for about 5 minutes!)

3. While visiting your man in prison you spend 2.5 hours witnessing the woman in front of you popping her honey's zit on the side of his neck and you feel disgusted by the whole act, but curiously ask your man if he wants you to do this for him and then wonder if maybe you two are not "in-love" since he doesn't want you to pop his non-existant zit in the visiting room, but you feel like maybe you should have offered the one on your hair line in case he felt compelled to commit such an act to profess his love in your relationship. (Yes, this will leave all involved except the madly in-love couple in front of you sick to their stomaches.)

4. When speaking to the 911 operator and she asks if you "need" to be seen and you tell her no that you are fine but just aren't sure if someone could be laying dead somewhere and felt like there was a duty (as a future officer of the court) to report such noises...

5. You discover that both you and your man feel like the next 9 months your Tuesday nights are empty because the (too short) season of Sons of Anarchy is over and you are both sadly going to miss it! Albeit for very different reasons...well, I'm 98% sure that he isn't going to miss it for the same reason I will, lack of seeing Jax's hot, bare ass and imagining that hot, bare ass while being placed in a trance watching him swagger all over my not nearly big enough or clear enough TV screen...

6. Even though you have drafted posts for the entire week you feel compelled to add additional posts the first two days when your drafted posts will post...gosh, there is a lot of posts here! LOL

7. You failed to mention to the 911 operator that the reason you feel there is such a duty to report this possible shoot-out at the Alamo is because even though you've only lived in this park almost 8 years there have been at least 3 murders that you can instantly recall. Of course they were all stabbings and everyone knew one another and no one knew of the stabbings until the (alleged) perps ran to their neighbor's house covered in blood...

8. Before anyone can knock on your door covered in blood where you will have to make a second phone call to 911 and you will have to remember to use the word "alleged" during that call you decide that you can reduce your own adrenaline quickly and will likely fall asleep within minutes of hitting the pillow just like almost every other night, you shut off your lights and go immediately to bed!

Good nite y'all!!

**~~C&C Music Factory, who knew that 18 years later I would still think of this song as often as I really do!!

There are boundaries for a reason y'all!

When I was airing out my issues with my friend "A" a few days ago, I made mention of a future post. Well, here it is... There are boundaries for a reason. Apparently my friend "A" doesn't maintain such boundaries. She has always been like this ever since I can remember.

I have a belief. If you are with someone and especially if you love that person, there are certain things that stay between that couple. I feel that one of these things is your sex life. Now, don't get me wrong. Little tid-bits may come out here and there, but not anything of substance. Like I have never felt I was giving out substantial information about my sex life with my man when I've said that it is amazing and I've never complained once in the last nine plus years with the exception that due to certain circumstances it has been lacking lately. However, actual details of this part of our relationship are for him and I only. I think it keeps it special just for us...

Apparently my friend "A" doesn't see things the same way. She is currently with a guy who I don't think is the best choice, but I think that goes with so many of my friends. I guess I really am a mom because I often think that my friends could do so much better than the person they are with. I do not judge as I have become a believer in the fact that we can't always pick who we fall in love with. I get sometimes daily phone calls with very detailed information as to their sex life. I don't want to know such information.

I don't want to know that it takes your significant other between one and two hours before he can finish the job. I don't want to know whether you or he enjoys playing the back 9. I don't really want to know that you have a sex swing in your bedroom that your children have seen assembled. I don't need to know how many times you've attempted to get yourself some and how many times he has said no. I don't want to hear you say "we were both so horny put some porn on and started..."

I thought of a way that would stop such conversations. I told "A" that I thought maybe she had an addiction problem when it comes to sex since every single day I hear about her sex life. She proceeded to tell me that they only "do it" 1-2 x's a week compared to when they first started dating and they were doing it everyday. Um...yeah, I'm not talking about the sex itself. I'm talking about the fact that you talk about every single day. I can't think of a day that has went by that she hasn't mentioned her sex life.

I've always placed boundaries on my relationships, but maybe I'm the only one...

Update to all of my most wonderful readers, followers and commenters...

In my drug induced state yesterday, I drafted blog entries for this entire week. They are not related and may not make sense either! However, I will be busy with being on top of work and then off for finals, but I wanted to give you all a little something everyday! :)

Before I jump off to my usual finals week(s) prep, let me give you some great news: I went up to WWs today thinking I had really done some damage (plus I'm feeling a bit bloated) and was beyond excitement that I lost another 1.2lbs!!!!!!! Holy shit! I cannot believe it. That is a grand total of 37.2lbs! That is over my 10% of where I started too!! I'm so excited, so now I'm off to lunch! LOL

Love to y'all!!

Yes, it really was happening

• I am totally finished with 3 of my classes.
• I turned in my final project for Small Firms 29 hours & 21 minutes early.
• Previously I had actually completed my Litigation MSJ over 24 hours early and turned that in 15 hours & 46 minutes early. These are major things for me, because I'm a procrastinator by trade. ;)
• In order to accomplish the goal of turning in my final project early, I did seriously stay up until 2am last Wednesday night.
• I had taken Wednesday off to finish this project and decided to make a trip to the gym when I first woke up before tackling this final project, yes, on my day off!
• I apparently pushed myself pretty hard at the gym, because during the afternoon and into the evening Wednesday my legs and arms were sore.
• So, yes...this really was happening!

On the sidelines

with a sinus infection. :( I knew it was coming but I was trying to live in denial, but when I woke up yesterday morning with swelled sinuses around my eyes I knew that I could no longer live in denial. Of course that bad-ass headache wasn't helping either. So I went and got my hair cut, called my doctor's office to learn he was taking a long weekend, so off to Urgent Care I went! One antibiotic and decongestant later I was on my way back home.

Do you know what you want to do when you are suffering from a sinus infection? Absolutely nothing! And that is exactly what I've done all weekend...nothing, but eat, watch TV and sleep, of course. This isn't exactly leading to productivity. So far I've accomplished three things on My Friday To-Do List, 13, 16, & 19.

I hope you are having a better weekend than I and way more productive!

My agenda for the rest of the night...

...a shot of NyQuil and going to bed...

My Friday To-Do List:

1. Bust my ass @ work for 8 hours

2. Write out my shopping list

3. Go shopping

4. Write out the munchkin's soccer & school pictures to give out

5. Get the munchkin's Christmas pictures taken

6. Do laundry

7. Write my man

8. Write my h.s. friend

9. Write out Christmas cards

10. Pick up the house

11. Write out bills

12. Balance my checkbook

13. Get my hair cut

14. Catch up on my emails

15. Catch up on responding to my commenters! ;)

16. Catch up on reading all of my blogs

17. Plan out my weekend

18. Plan out my week

19. Get me some sleep

20. Check in on a date to get the munchkin's next H1N1 vaccine dose

21. Go through this week's papers that I have not gotten to yet

22. Get organized

23. Request my pharmacy fax my specialist a request to increase the number of test strips my insurance will pay for

24. Refocus myself for the coming week

25. Get my shit together

26. Study for my PR Final

Could this really be happening?

Have I totally finished 3 of my 4 classes? Will I be turning in my final project for Small Firms over 24 hours early? Did I seriously stay up until 2am after taking Wednesday off from work to finish it just so I could turn it in early and skip our final (makeup) class Thursday night at 6pm? Did I really go to the gym first thing on my "day off" Wednesday morning at 8:15am to get a workout in before I started on my project from hell? Are my legs and arms sore from pushing myself hard at the gym this week? Could this really be happening?

Stay tuned to find out....

Frustration

This was how I started my day and how I'm ending my day...

I woke up late, of course, I got ready and took off only to be driving along the on-ramp to the expressway to realize I left my suit jacket at home. I had to drive a few miles down the road until I came to the next exit. I turned around, came back home, picked up my jacket, decided I was going to e over an hour late for work, swung through McDonald's for a diet coke and opted not to call my boss and waste her time with my voice mail saying I was going to be late.

I get to work, I get tons done, scarf down lunch around 3:30pm, work until 5:30pm since I was so late, type up a horrible outline for my second oral argument of the week (don't forget it is only Tuesday!), bust out of work and race to school. Arguments are running about 20 mins ahead of school, realize my opposing counsel who told me I "better be on time" last week even though I was over 10 minutes early then too was no where to be found, and try to make small talk with Prof Wine until he shows up and then (very) nervously I charge into my argument.

At one point Prof now Judge Wine asks me a question and as soon as I say "No" I realize I'm totally screwed because it was a blatant lie~~it really was a question of fact~~but all I could think about was the fact that my tongue was growing too large for my mouth and my salvia glands had shut down, so I take a swig of water while he tosses me two more questions to prove I just lied to him...seriously dude, I'm still a student and trying to learn...am I suppose to just admit that my motion totally fails by saying 'yes, it is a material question of fact, please rule against me and dismiss my motion immediately'...seriously??? (Any advice here would be great peeps!) I survive the oral arguments for him to tell me at the end I read too much from my "outline", didn't make enough eye-contact and that that is disrespectful to a "judge". When I really expected him to say I had improved from my prior argument a couple weeks back! :(

Then I come home, feeling like crap...especially after my opposing partner asks me what I'm doing wanting to take a criminal trial clinic next fall when I obviously don't like speaking in "court"... I told him it isn't that I don't like it, I'm just not very good at it; therefore, I'm taking law school classes for more practice to get better at it. Then I spend hours sitting here wondering, 'How am I going to be able to be a criminal defense attorney when I cannot even speak during a motion in school?'

So to take my mind off of that I try to set up my new school email address as a POP account through Entourage. Yeah, that so didn't work. I can receive email on it, but I can't send with it. Is there any assistance available on this one? I'm doing everything that all the websites tell me to do and it still isn't working. Ugh...

Move along to the season finale of Sons of Anarchy. This depresses me. I so fell in love with this show and am totally bummed that the season, which is only a few months old, is already over. :( I so need to invest in Season 1 on DVD so I can catch up with the parts that I'm missing...

Now I'm off to bed @ 2am, knowing I'm off tomorrow to finish my Small Firm final project, wanting to go to the gym first thing in the AM to get it "over and done with for the week" frustrated by my ineptness at lawyering and my inability to setup an email account through Entourage and really frustrated by the fact that I didn't see nearly enough of Jax's ass for SOA to be over already!

One down, three to go...

Classes that is! I finished my Litigation class tonight with an oral argument. Yes, it could have gone better, but at least I didn't have severe cotton mouth nearly as bad as last time! And the best part is the fact that this class is over and done with!! :)

Woo-hoo!!

Of course this is on top of my loss of another .4lbs. :) That's a grand total of 36lbs! :) Of course I would have loved more, but I'm just happy I lost and didn't gain! :) Of course I've been constantly hungry since Friday...which is so crazy because last week was my visit from Aunt Flo. I think it is likely stress...school, work, financial, home, family, friends...you name it, I've got it in the stress department! It is what it is!

Yes, I can move slower than I did yesterday

Today is moving no faster than yesterday. But I did finish my brief tonight, which is good. I should have immediately jumped on my small firms, but after reading through all 9 parts I seem to have mentally checked out! To get myself back in mentally I decided to make a late night run out to Biggby's to grab my DDHC and of course I was too late and they were closed. Yes, it was only 9:30pm. So I drove all the way down the road for a total opposite treat...ice cream (sugar-free) and of course they were closed too. Ugh...

Deciding or hoping that this wasn't going to be a wasted run out into 38 degree weather I decided to trek back to MickeyD's. I ordered a small hot chocolate, non-fat, and a medium diet coke to balance out the sugar since they, like Starbucks, do not do sugar-free with their hot chocolate/coffee drinks. I came home to discover that my hot chocolate is actually some coffee drink (Yuck!) and my diet coke is real coke....strike 3...I should be out! This screw up was probably because the little order taker was too busy flirting with me and he probably typed in the wrong stuff......like that is gonna help him get my number.

Then I decide to order a sub for dinner from Hungry Howie's and even though everything points to the fact that they are open until midnight, when I called at 11pm I was told they were closed and when I tried to question the lady since their recently delivered ad says they close at midnight and the bitch hung up on me...nice customer service, don't ya think?!? So now I'm waiting for my ol' faithful Tiffany's to deliver dinner so I can eat and dive right back into Small Firms...

Thank goodness this was a 4 day weekend, but the sad thing is...that still won't be enough either! Ugh...

Done: 1, 2*, 3, 4, 10, 13**

Started: 5***, 7****

Untouched: 6, 8, 9, 11, 12

*~~yeah, still not put away...

**~~sleeping in until 1pm Thursday and noon today make me feel guilty enough to mark this one done!

***~~brief is done, just need to prep for my oral arguments and I won't even think about that until late tomorrow

****~~I think reading the instructions for my assignment constitute starting this one. ;)

Could I move any slower today?

Done: 1, 2*, 3, 4, 10***

Started: 5**, 13

Untouched: 6****, 7*****, 8******, 9, 11, 12

*~~Laundry is done and folded, but I still have to make that long trek down the hall to put the munchkin's towels and clothes away. This will get done sometime Saturday, but I'm too lazy tonight. But I do consider this item done!

**~~My God...this is one slow moving Motion! I worked on this for over 7.5 hours today and in the days/week prior I've worked on it for over 10 hours. My goal is to be done Saturday morning and moving on to Small Firms and getting as much as I possibly can before crashing tomorrow night...probably right around the same time I am about to crash tonight (approx. 2:30am)! Ugh...when is this damn semester over????? Of course it doesn't help that I'm not feeling motivated today. I spent a few hours attempting to write my Brief while watching the Alabama/Auburn game, but I was continually pulled away from the computer screen to the TV and by the end of the game I had a major headache (thanks Crimson Tide!), so I watched Four Christmases to rid myself of my headache after taking 4 Motrin. Oh yeah...I went and met "The Great American Shoppers" (a/k/a the fam) for lunch too. Can I procrastinate or what?! hehe

***~~This is a little fluid due to my homework this week and the fact that my schedule is a bit mixed up this week because of school. My plan includes going to the gym on Wednesday if I'm okay with my homework, plus I will really need it. I did worse today than I did for Turkey Day, damn-it-to-hell! Ugh. Then I'm hoping to go and see my honey Friday night because I figure my brain will be mush to do anything else and Saturday I get my haircut and begin studying like a crazy fool for my PR exam, because as you well know...I haven't really done much for this class yet this semester thanks to all of my other frickin' homework! :(

**(continued)~~I have to have my Litigation homework done for Monday night as I argue that Motion and I am totally done with that class! (Woo-hoo!!)

****~~I also need to finish my PR homework in time for Monday night too since that will be the last time we meet before our final on the 10th of December. (Amen!)

*****~~Thursday night is my "make-up" class for Small Firms, because the prick canceled the night before Turkey Day and didn't feel it was "appropriate" to not reschedule...nice, huh? My final project is due on Friday @ 5pm.

******~~Tuesday night I argue my final motion for Pre-trial and will be done with that class, totally, as well! (Frickin' A, Man!!!)

Getting a Jump Start

While others are preparing to get a jump start on their Christmas shopping (this includes my mom, my two aunts, my bro & his ol' lady), I was getting a jump start on my to-do list...

Done: 1, 3

Started: 2, 4, 13

Untouched: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Happy Shopping on Black Friday!!

No Rest For The Wicked

I hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day. For the most part, mine was great. I actually slept in until almost 1pm (going to bed @ 2am and taking NyQuil will do that to a person!), got up, sent my holiday wishes to all of my friends and family, chatted with a few friends on text, hopped in the shower, talked with my guy and headed over to my mom's for dinner. Dinner was great, everything seemed to be going well and everyone was getting along well until in walked my brother, his (alleged) wife and their two boys.

I just cannot seem to get past my anger with my brother. He is just such an ass! He hasn't called or made any contact with anyone in the family since he returned from doing his 2-weeks in jail in Kentucky, didn't respond to my mom's inquiry if the 4 of them were going to be attending Thanksgiving dinner, but then comes walking in and telling us what we can buy them for Christmas. Seriously?! Then he takes out his phone and shows only my aunt a picture of his new truck so I ask him if he went off and bought another new car and he comes off with that he was in an accident and totaled his truck. So I tell him how I didn't know he was in an accident that it isn't like he ever talks to me. He then gives me some BS story of how he is working 4 jobs and doesn't have time to talk to people. Ten minutes later I cut myself a piece of pie and cheesecake, put the whipped cream on it and made my way into my mom and dad's bedroom and watched some of the Cowboys-Raiders game (Way to go Cowboys!!!) until they left.

When I think of my brother I just want to scream and when I see him I just want to punch him in the face. By the time I made my way home I almost wanted to send him a BBM telling him that we are going to have to split up Christmas because I have no desire to be in the same room as him. I wish I could get past my issues with my bro...just let it go, but he is on a list of people that I cannot get past being angry with. This is a pretty short list mind you...my ex-in-laws (I count the family as one), a former boss of mine who fired me and my brother. How can I get past my anger? For my own benefit I would be willing to try almost anything because I'm tired of being so angry...this is part of the reason why I hate the holidays.

I am very very very happy to report that even after my day of partaking in Thanksgiving dinner and drinking (I had a few glasses of wine too) that when I took my blood sugar tonight it was only 117!! Yay me!! Oh yeah...and I wore a pair of the pants I bought a month ago to Thanksgiving dinner and they are a size 22! Double Yay Me!!! :D

As the end of the semester looms and the holidays get into full swing, there is no rest for the wicked, so I give you My Friday To-Do List:

1. Pick up the house

2. Do laundry

3. Write out my shopping list

4. Get organized

5. Do all of my Litigation homework

6. Do all of my PR homework

7. Do all of my Small Firms homework

8. Do all of my Pre-Trial homework

9. Write out the munchkin's soccer & school pictures to give out

10. Plan out my week

11. Write my man

12. Write my h.s. friend

13. Get me some sleep

I kept it shorter this weekend since my focus has to be on numbers 5-8 this weekend! Wish me luck y'all! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is the day that we all take a minute and give thanks, so I would like to take a moment and give thanks for the following people and things in my life...

My family, especially my mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins and nephews...

My son...the most important thing in my life, I give thanks that he is mine and I'm lucky to have him as my munchkin

My man...who has made so much progress and is becoming the man I always knew he could be and the man I feel in love with almost ten years ago

My friends, especially my LSBFF, SillyJilly, MyMormanGirl, Captain, Blaez, and Dani

School...The fact that I am lucky enough to be able to go, even though I complain about it

Work...The fact that I have a job and for the majority of the time the fact that I do like my job even though we are going through lots of changes and I complain about it A LOT!

Mine and my family's health, even though this last year has been rough, I am still very blessed

You...my readers, my followers, my commenters and my new friends

During such unpredictable and tough times we all currently find ourselves in, we need to remember all of the things we are eternally thankful for and probably more than just once a year.

Enjoy your Holiday and remember to give thanks for all of the blessings in your life. Love to you all and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

How does this happen?

One minute I'm watching the hotness of Jax, catching up on my emails and blogs during commercial breaks and the next minute it is 2am. Time flies while watching a hot-bad-boy! I am loving all the hot-bad-boys in my life tonight...yes honey...that includes you and another wonderful visit tonight, thank you hotty! ;)

Here's to the best hump day ever, the one before Turkey Day and a 4-day weekend!! :D

I probably shouldn't be angry, but I am...is that wrong?

I honestly had no intention of posting another entry today, but I received a text message while I was in my Litigation class tonight that irritated me and this I was irritated with myself for being irritated over the text... Do you ever have that happen?

Let me back up for a minute. I have a friend. My oldest friend in fact. We have known one another since we were 5 years old. We come from different yet similar families. Our lives have taken different yet similar paths. You get the idea... I think we both had the same opportunities in life...actually at times I think she had more opportunities as she had services available to her that I didn't have available to me. I'm not complaining mind you. My childhood was no day in the park, but it made me who I am today. Same as her.

Throughout the last 28 years we have lost touch more than once, but somehow we always made our way back to one another and rekindled our friendship. Back when my munchkin was born we met up again and discovered that we were both married the same year, in 2000, and she was pregnant with her first child and due approximately 5 months after my son was born. It was actually kind of ironic. I then filed for divorce from my hubby in 2004 and her and her hubby after having another baby in 2005 filed for divorce a couple years later.

As you well know, after filing for divorce from my man, I began raising my son on my own and in 2006 went on to law school. My friend, "A", began raising her two kids on her own after the divorce and talked about going to school. This is where our differences become quite apparent. Even before "A" and her hubby divorced they were on State assistance, so after the divorce she remained on State assistance. Actually, as I think back she was on State assistance in 2002 when she was pregnant with her son.

I'm not here to judge people who find themselves in a time of need and rely on what the State has to offer in the name of food stamps, rent assistance, payment of gas and electric bills, payment of daycare, and free college. Certainly in today's economy, living in the hardest hit State, there are a lot of people who never would have thought they would be on assistance are. I even knew if I would have been laid off in July that my first stop on my way home that day would be to sign up for benefits for my son so he would be okay while I doubled my load of classes and pushed my graduation date up to this coming May. So please do not take this post wrong and think this is an anti-welfare bitch, because it is not.

Back to tonight...as I try and figure out the last possible day I can mail in my next two bills so they don't hit before payday this week and worrying how I'm going to get the munchkin the two presents I want to buy him for Christmas since my financial aid from school dried up about 6 weeks early this semester...I get the following text message from "A": Just got a call, we got adopted 4 christmas! Normally I would be happy at the fact that her children will have a nice Christmas this year, but I just can't. I cannot bring myself to be okay with this, because this will be the 7th Christmas in a row that I've received the same message from her.

I know it probably makes me a horrible person, but I just cannot make myself happy over this turn of events. I don't want her children to be punished, but at what point do you tell yourself it is time to stop living off the State and time to get a job and/or go to school to get a career and provide your kids their own Christmas instead of relying on an agency or a donor to give your children the Christmas they deserve?

So tonight...as I sat through a class, exhausted, stressed, sacrificing my time with my son...my friend shares her good news that my donations to the Salvation Army are going to her children again this year to put a smile on their faces Christmas morning while my tax dollars paid to keep her gas and electric on again this month and secured another month's rent in their home. All while I wonder if I can put a smile on my son's face this Christmas morning alone...

And while I go to bed tonight after midnight to get up early tomorrow morning to go back to a job for 8 hours that makes me angry everyday dealing with the BS, I know "A" sits in her home, smoking her Marlboros while her boyfriend smokes his dope and they have marathon sex* so she can sleep the day away tomorrow while her kids are at school and the rest of us are working I ask myself what's wrong with this picture and how horrible of a friend am I wishing just once "A" wasn't adopted for Christmas....

*~~This is for a whole different post, which we shall call "There are boundaries for a reason y'all!"

Even Knocking With Vengeance

Mothernature could not keep me down this week! Down another 2lbs! Grand total weight loss is: 35.6lbs!! (Goal remains: lose another 27.6lbs by 1/1/2010!)

Can I Ask You A Question?

Apparently I have a look about me that tells strangers that I'm open to conversations and willing to answer their questions. The idea of this post came to me long ago during a visit to a lab to have blood taken and after last night's incident at Meijers I decided it was time to write this post...

Many months ago, I went to the lab down the hall from my PCP to have my blood drawn. After I was done, the very chatty phlebotomist says, "Can I ask you a question?" Well, let me tell you I'm a very nosy person, so of course I wanted to know what she had to ask, plus no matter how much I would like to be I just cannot be rude to strangers unless I'm in a really bitchy mood or else they have irritated me already. So of course I said yes and then immediately regretted it! The question was: "What is a good amount to spend for a girl's birthday present?"

Now mind you...we had already discussed the fact that she had 4 kids, 2 of which are girls, and I had 1 boy. I don't know what is a good amount to spend for a girl's birthday present!! I don't do girl birthdays and I'm kind of cheap! I gave my opinion that $15-$25 was probably a good range. Thinking I'm home free I was stopped with a follow-up question, "But what if they only spent $3 on a gift for your daughter?" I did the whole...you don't want to punish the child for her parents lack of money or class if they have money and choose to spend very little on the present. She continued with another issue and when I shot that down with what I thought was a reasonable contribution that would get me out of the lab, she had another and another and another. After more than thirty minutes I wished her good luck and walked out.

Now fast forward to last night...I decided to go ahead and get my lunch meat at Meijers instead of driving to the meat market today just to get a small amount of lunch meat to make it through a three day work week and before I get my hands on some left over turkey & ham from Thanksgiving Dinner. That was mistake #1. Mistake #2 was responding to a fellow shopper when he asked how I was doing. Mistake #3 was saying yes when said shopper asked if he could ask me a question, because his question was "What is wrong with America today?" WTF?!? I thought it was going to be something along the lines of lunch meat or condiments or something to do with a deli counter...not "What is wrong with America today?" When I said, "Excuse me?" I was on the receiving end of a dissertation about this 52 year old's inability to get accepted into medical school, his time in Cincinnati, a book he read by some author about the Southern Bronx, his parents, his view on Republicans, 9/11, the Iraq War, etc...these are only the ones I remember. This went on for an hour, I swear to God!

I know what you are saying, "Just walk away j'lynn." Um, yeah...I did that. He followed. At one point I wondered how much time I might get if I stabbed him in the eye with my pen! He followed me around the bakery section, the vegetable area and the fruit area. I wondered if I needed to call security but he wasn't really being inappropriate...just trying to carry on a conversation and expound his theories and conspiracies upon a person. I was finally able to escape after I began yawning...okay, it was more than just the beginning of yawning and more like consistent yawning. He then walked away saying how some day maybe we will run in to one another at the coffee shop. I walked away in a hurry mumbling how I didn't drink coffee and immediately headed to the feminine products area hoping he wouldn't track me down there so I could leave the store without the fear of a stalker following me home to tell me more about his views on WWI, WWII, and the Bush Administration~that includes both I & II.

Maybe now I will learn my lesson...when a stranger asks if they can ask me a question my answer will be "No!" I'm not nosy enough to like people enough to have wasted an hour and a half of my life with them over their craziness!

Accomplished: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, & 19

Started: 8

Undone: 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, & 20

No Headbands Here

Realizing that some of my "Future Blog Posts..." have been on my list for some time, I thought I would check one of those off today, since I'm in the mood for checking things off lists! Plus I had a conversation about this very issue with my esthetician today while she was waxing me and giving me my facial.

I just cannot wear headbands and it sucks because I love headbands. I don't know why I cannot seem to wear them...I say it is because my head must be too fat, my LSBFF says it is because my hair is so fine and my esthetician weighed in on the matter today and said maybe it is because my head is too small or that my hair is so fine. LSBFF, you won this debate!

When I put them on they look so cute (the full headbands I'm referring to) and when I see others with them on they look so cute too. The idea of washing my hair and just picking it out and slapping a headband in it makes me so excited...especially on those days when I'm running uber late, but I have to wash my hair because I haven't done it in 3 days! But before I walk out the door in less than ten minutes the sucker is already sliding off of my head!

I've tried so many things to prevent this slippage...keeping the band over my ears instead of behind, putting product in my hair and touseling it a bit to give it more texture, and I've even attempted to actually style my hair by scrunching it and putting the headband in then...but nothing seems to work. It totally sucks! Even when I'm washing my face at night when I try to use a headband to hold all of my hair off my face the sucker slips right off within minutes! I've purchased several different kinds of headbands to see if maybe it was the headband and not my head! I have thick ones, skinny ones, loose ones, tight ones...I even have one that has designs on it that are sort of made out of a rubbery substance, which I thought for sure would latch onto my hair and prevent slipping...NOPE!

It is very frustrating and I spend my days envious of girls when I see them with their headbands on, looking all cute with their hair nicely kept out of their face for that "fresh" look, wishing that I could wear some of the 20 headbands I am now the proud owner of. But alas I have succumb to defeat and declared a "No Headbands Here" zone. Instead my mom leaves me notes saying, "borrowed a head band today, hope you don't mind." Why should I mind? It isn't like I'll be wearing it!!

Accomplished: 1*, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18***, & 19

Started: 8**

Untouched: 4, 7, 9**, 10**, 11, 16, 17, & 20

*~~I did the best I could with what I had, but I probably shouldn't have taken lunch with my co-worker, who just returned Thursday from her 2 month medical leave but since she hinted at it Thursday and I had already picked up my lunch I just felt bad saying "no" a second day in a row. I would have kicked more ass if my big boss wouldn't have scheduled a last minute 3:30pm meeting...but I did what I could and consider it accomplished!

**~~Technically I don't have any homework due this week in these 3 classes, but since I always have limited time and the assignments due the following week are HUGE my goal is to complete my MSJ in Litigation, begin my final project for Small Firms and prepare my oral argument for Pre-Trial and finish everything during my 4 day weekend for Turkey Day next weekend!

***~~Hmmm...sleeping in today until my guy called and woke me up at 12:27pm today (of course I didn't go to bed until after 2am last night) marks this one off my list! LOL I'm just glad that this didn't happen again. But of course, I feel like I could take a nap right this minute!

Kind of Gal Who Loves a Challenge

My Friday To-Do List:

1. Kick ass at work for 8 hours

2. Go see my guy

3. Write out my shopping list

4. Go shopping

5. Pick up the house

6. Do laundry

7. Do all of my PR homework

8. Do all of my Litigation homework

9. Do all of my Small Firms homework

10. Do all of my Pre-Trial homework

11. Write out the munchkin's soccer & school pictures to give out

12. Update my man's address with his last magazine subscription

13. Get my facial done

14. Get waxed

15. Plan out my week

16. Write my man

17. Write my h.s. friend

18. Get me some sleep

19. Get ready for Turkey Day

20. Get the munchkin's haircut

Do I smell?

This was the question I posed to a co-worker, Pixie, today...now let me tell you why...

This afternoon I went downstairs to grab a grilled chicken plain greek salad and swung by the little store in our building for my next bottle of water. When I paid for the water the guy at the store says, "I also sell perfume and cologne if you are ever interested. Along with car chargers, home chargers, and pouches. Just let me know if you are interested, whenever. I can get it for you. So if you want some perfume and cologne, just get me your name and number and I can get you that." I said thanks and moved along since there was a customer behind me.

I proceeded to go upstairs, drop my salad and water at my desk, take the cup of nasty ass dressing I got with my salad into the kitchen, rinse it out and pour my fat-free yummy catalina dressing in the cup (this allows me to measure my dressing since the container equals a half of a cup) and walk over to Pixie to have this conversation:

j'lynn: I need to ask you two questions and I need you to be completely honest.

pixie: Okay.

j'lynn: Do I smell?

pixie: WHAT?

j'lynn: Seriously.

pixie: No! Absolutely not!

j'lynn: Do I look like I would smell?

pixie: Um, No!

j'lynn: Okay. Thanks.

pixie: What the hell is going on?

I relayed the whole story about the store guy and she says, "I think he was asking you for your number." I told her I would pass...I'm not into guys whose pinkie finger nail is longer than mine when I used to wear acrylics!

On a side note...2 more things have been moved to the accomplished list leaving just 8 items off the accomplished list (of course just days away from me generating a new to-do list!):

Accomplished: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, & 40

Started: 15

Still to do: 16, 17, 20, 25, 26, 30, & 31

Come on people...Are you frickin' kidding me with this crap!

This is a line that a good friend of mine that I adopted years ago when we worked together... gosh, I miss those days.

Anywho...I went to the gym tonight after work. Yay me!! While on the treadmill for the 2nd 15 mins at the end of my workout I get an email from Prof. K. I didn't read it and waited until I got home. Um, yeah...I'm taking a class with Prof. K. next semester. His email was the syllabus for that class, along with tips on where to buy the book.

I wanted to respond to his email and say: "Dear Prof. K: I know you are excited about the class you've taught for over twenty years, but sending me the syllabus seven weeks before the class starts is a bit much, don't ya think?! I would appreciate being able to get through the current semester before I take on the stress for Term II. Since apparently you have tons of free time, I have this Motion for Summary Judgment due in less than two weeks that I could really use your expertise on. Please return the completed Motion with appropriate attachments to me by this Sunday though since I have an oral argument to give on this matter this coming Monday. Your assistance is appreciated and with your years of experience I know to no longer worry if I will 4.0 this class! Yay me!! Thanks for your early prep for Term II!! j'lynn"

Come on Prof. K, are you f'g kidding me with this shit?!? Ugh...

Two is my lucky number today!

I'm closer to my hefty goal of being below 300 by 2 more lbs! Yay me!! I had told myself in the elevator going up to the 25th floor to WWs today that I would not let my weight gain (I was convinced I gained up to 5lbs) derail me from getting back on track! So I have now lost a grand total of 33.6lbs!! I can hardly believe it myself! In order to get to my goal I have to lose another 29.6lbs. I'm quite sure I won't accomplish this by the first of the year, but with each .2lb loss I'm that much closer! I cannot even imagining saying, "I've lost a total of 63.2lbs!" Oh my goodness...just the thought of it makes me feel light-headed and giddy!! I do credit my weight loss this week to my water intake and my ability to stay away from Wendy's and their delicious doubles & singles.

Well, 2 more things off my list of things to do! I registered for classes & filled out my course evals. I was also hoping to move #13 to the accomplished line today since I'm less than a chapter away from finishing my PR homework, but alas...it evaded me today. Tomorrow is another day...

Accomplished: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 38, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, & 40

Started: 13 & 15

Left to do: 16, 17, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, & 31

Ticking them off

One by one...

#7: When I went for my oil change Saturday morning and asked if the service department's manager was available I was told she wouldn't be in. I then began to wonder in my head whether the service manager was the same chick who blew me off last week, so I decided to do the next best thing...write a complaint instead. So yesterday I wrote my complaint and will stick it in the mail tomorrow, along with my bills and envelopes to my guy (I've become obsessed with printing off stories from the internet and sending them his way so he is getting some mail since I obviously haven't had time to write for a while!). I now consider #7 on my list done too! Yay!!

#33 & #35: With everything I've been able to accomplish in the last 48+ hours, I'm considering myself refocused and am hopeful that I've gotten my shit together too! ;) I've gotten almost 3/4ths of my list done. Of course if this wouldn't have happened and if I didn't have to wait until tomorrow to register and do my course evals, along with the fact that I'm waiting on my guy's letter which contains the information to update his last magazine subscription, I would only have 7 things incomplete on my whole damn to do list! Could you imagine?! I know I can't...

#34: Also, with my successful completion of weekend #2 without having a Wendy's single or double for that matter, plus the fact that I've sucked down my 64 ozs of water for today, I'm considering myself back on the WWs band-wagon! So even though tomorrow I will likely be sadden and upset with myself, I think that will be the last motivational factor that I will need to be totally back on board...oh yeah and the fact that my goal is to be below 300lbs by the end of the year. I know...that is a very hefty goal, but we all need goals, right?!

#32: Even though I've been up until 3am both Friday and Saturday night and gotten up early (in my world) both mornings, 7:15am and 9:00am, respectively, I only had the need to take one quick nap, yesterday. I haven't felt overly tired today and never even thought about going and laying down while I worked on homework. So I think I did get some serious sleep...maybe not a lot of sleep but I think it was a case of "good" sleep. You know that deep sleep where you are disoriented when you first wake up. Heck, I woke up at 4:30am this morning and thought I had been asleep for several hours when in reality I barely had 90 minutes in! I'm checking this one off my list too!

Accomplished: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, & 40

Started: 13 & 15

Left to do: 16, 17, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 37, & 38

Yes, I am proud of me! I've busted my behind this weekend and I'm so glad I did. :)

40 items on your to-do list: Overwhelming.

28 items completed on your to-do list: Amazing.

2 items started needing completion on your to-do list: Uplifting.

10 items left to-do: Priceless!

Pictures of my pile of papers & the end result...

Holy shit! What a mess. This is 10 months of stuff...

Do you see my panties? I couldn't even put my underwear in the drawer due to this mess!

A little progress has been made...

Here is the result...

Look at this...it totally rocks!! I'm so happy I've accomplished and this kept it up...

These are now gone too...

And this is all that is left these days, minus the gym bag on top, because I carry that in my car. Just in case, ya know! ;)