contraband heater

It is very cold in the office building that I work in. There is no thermostat in our suite to control the temp. Apparantly, the temp. in the whole building is controlled by maintenance. My co-worker has called to complain about the air many times. They are usually nice about it. They turned the temp up a degree for us. (She asked about space heaters and they are not allowed)

Last Friday, when I was off work, the building had trouble with the thermostat. My co-worker said it was 50 degrees. Our friends on the first floor went out to get space heaters. They blew some fuses in their office because they had several of the heaters going.

We knew the heaters were illegal, but our boss said that we could have one anyway. I have been nice and toasty warm with my heater. Sitting by the window makes it very cold. When I came into the office on Monday, I noticed that my heater was hidden in my bottom desk drawer. I asked my co-worker about it, and she said our boss wants us to hide them each night.

December stinks!

I don't look forward to December. It is the busiest month of the year. There are a million Christmas parties to go to where you have to bring a gift and meal. There is always a work dinner. Somewhere you have to fit in Christmas cards and buying gifts. We always travel to see both sides of the family. (I should explain that I get panic attacks when I think of everything that has to get accomplished.)

I would complain some more but I am feeling a little better about things. I think I have my Christmas shopping done! We did a lot of ordering online this year. We aren't buying as many gifts either as last year.

I am looking forward to seeing Roamer and Dar. Their party won't be so bad or stressful.

NJ

I haven't done a baby post in awhile. So, here is a NJ update. NJ turns 5 months old tomorrow! He has already started on solid foods. He doesn't seem too thrilled about the rice cereal though. I am going to try a different type of cereal soon. I am also considering starting him on some baby jar foods. I have noticed that NJ likes his formula and cereal made with warm water. He will not eat or drink anything that is cold. I am the same way! I have been heating his cereal up in the microwave before I give it to him.

NJ has the best laugh! Dust likes to push him up in the air and say "Whose the baby?" That usually gets a good giggle out of him. I got him to laugh really good today. He was lying down on a blanket and I would get right up in his face and say "Whose the baby?" He likes the inflection of the voice going up and down. He started touching my face when I was leaning over him.

When I change NJ's diaper, he likes to grab my arm. He will grab about anything in front of him. I have to watch my hair if it hangs down close to him. He likes to pull hair!

no tree

I am considering not putting up the Christmas tree this year. It is a lot of work putting the fake tree together. There is the lights, garland, and ornaments also. I don't know when I would have the time. I don't know when I am going to find the time to shop for Christmas presents either.

We will be going out of town for the holidays, so it somewhat seems pointless to put a tree up. We will be gone for 11 days. Then there is the work of taking it down.

I helped decorate my parent's Christmas tree over Thanksgiving. I secretly still view my parent's tree as my Christmas tree. It has all of my ornaments that I got growing up on it. : )

It basically boils down to the fact that I am lazy. I am ok to come out and admit that I am extremely lazy. : )

Nine years ago today......

Nine years ago today, Dust gave me a note that said he was interested in me. It was also miss carisma's 15th birthday! Happy Birthday! Dust told me that his sister was turning 16 and wanted to know what to buy her. I was messed up on miss Carisma's age for awhile.

Anyway, back to the story behind the note. I had started my work-study job cleaning the Academic Building. I was vacuuming a room on the first floor, when I saw my friend Pete in the window. I went out to see him and he told me to follow him because it was his job to distract me for awhile. Dust was supposed to leave the note on the floor. I ended up seeing him and he handed it to me and Pete and him ran off. The note said, "Golden, I wanted to let you know that I'm interested." He attached his school picture to the note. I was so excited! I couldn't wait to get off work. Dust started work an hour after I did. He cleaned the carpets in the cafeteria. When my friend and I walked back to the dorms after work, we stopped at the cafeteria door. I jumped up and down and waved at Dust. He waved back. I wanted to give him a note in return. I took my name plate that was attached to my dorm door by a magnet off and taped it to a note. I wrote the "feelings are mutual." My friend Pete stuck it in his mailbox at the dorm. Dust came back from work and Pete told him to check his mailbox. We met in the study room and Dust asked me out on a date for Friday. It would be a double-date with Pete.

The rest is history....

the maintenance guy

On the show "Scrubs" some of the doctors are "friendly" or friends with the janitor. I had a hard time believing that until recently. I just couldn't see where the doctors would have time to get to know him. I guess it's really the janitor that "bothers" the doctors.

My coworker and I have gotten to know the maintenance guy from our building. He gets bored and chit-chats with the office workers. The maintenance guy is named Rob. He remembered that I was pregnant and asked how the baby was when I returned from maternity leave.

Rob knows everything that goes on in the building. We told Rob that our boss's Wall Street Journal gets stolen about twice a month. (All the papers for the building gets tossed in the doorway on the first floor) He told us that he knows who does it but he wasn't going to tell us who it was. He came back after an hour from talking to us and brought us our Wall Street Journal. Rob had a talk with the person and told us that this person wouldn't do it anymore. This person thought that we had taken his by mistake. Rob told him that noone from our company gets to the building before 9 am, so that is why ours is always lying there. We were glad that the case was solved. This person is going to call the Wall Street when he doesn't get it. We will see about that.

what smell do you leave behind?

One day this week I was waiting to get on the elevator at work. I was going down to the first floor to pick up our mail in the mailroom. A man in a suit walked out of the elevator. As I walked by him and on to the elevator, I smelled wintergreen gum. The whole elevator smelled of the mint gum. I thought it amusing that one person and one stick of gum could leave that smell behind. That's when I wondered what kind of smell I left behind. Sometimes I smell like formula if the baby spits up on me.

Smells certainly get people's attention. If I asked you to name someone that wears heavy perfume/cologne, I bet you would have no trouble naming them off. We all know some guy that smells like he bathed in cologne. When I pick NJ up at the nursery at church, he reaks of ladies perfume. He gets a new scent each week because a different lady holds him each time. I smell the perfume all day on him if I don't change his outfit.

I hope I leave good smells and not bad smells.

independent thought

I was telling Dust the other day that I don't think that I have ever had an independent or original thought about anything. Maybe it's because I'm apathetic about almost everything. I have an "I don't care" attitude. I know that's bad, but it's hard to change.

Dust was laughing because at my job, independent thoughts are discouraged. Usually those would be encouraged at a job. My boss doesn't take well to new ideas. He has said no to almost everything that my co-workers have asked.

Maybe I have a hard time thinking outside the box. With accounting there isn't much outside the box thinking unless you refer to "creative bookkeeping". ( "Sure you can write that item off.") I love rules and I love staying within those rules. I find safety in what I know to be true.

I always had trouble in school when an assignment asked why you thought what the answer was. Somehow I always got marked wrong for "I don't care". : ) I always knew the answer to the question except when they asked why it was so. Maybe my legalistic upbringing had an effect.

Baby Jesus

It is Halloween night and I just got back from the Hallelujah House at our church. It is a walk-through the Bible event with skits and candy. A Halloween alternative. Anyway, NJ was baby Jesus in the Nativity skit. He did pretty good. He had his bottle and then fell asleep during it. He got fussy around 7:30 and I decided it was time to get him home to bed. They were going to use a doll for baby Jesus after we left.

I got NJ's acting debut on video camera and the digital camera. Dust was in class so he didn't get to see it. I am sure the grandparents will enjoy the pictures and video also.

jealousy

Everyone at one time or another goes through jealousy of another person. I don't consider myself a jealous person though. I usually tend to be genuinely happy for people when they get something that they have wanted. What I want to talk about is other people that have been jealous of me.

I have lost friendships with others because they were jealous of me. I have the tendency to let my friends know all the good things going on with me and hide the bad. A previous friend of mine once told me that she wished that I would have considered her a friend in all seasons whether good or bad. This friend seemed to always have bad luck. She couldn't take hearing all the positive things that I had to say about my life. I didn't want to complain. And I don't brag about things either. I usually state facts and try not to gloat or brag. Also, there are things that are too personal to even tell your best friend.

I have been doing better with letting friends know when I am going through a hard time. I still like to be optimistic and positive about things though. It's a hard balance for me. I guess because I am such a private person.

Tigers or Cardinals?

For the last couple of weeks, I have been watching the playoffs for the World Series on tv. I haven't watched baseball on tv in a very long time. It has peaked my interest because my family are Detroit Tigers fans. Over the last couple of years my brother has become a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan. He even bought season tickets this year for the Cardinals. He has been selling the ones that he can't go to on Ebay. So, my brother is a bit torn about the World Series. He grew up a Detroit fan, and still is one. But he is also a Cardinals fan.

My brother and my Dad will be going to one of the World Series games. He said he wants to wear a Detroit hat with a Cardinals jersey. My brother wants my Dad to wear his Detroit jersey with a Cardinals hat. He thinks that will make a great conversation starter. I told him he might get taunted or yelled at. Especially if he is sitting in the area of the season ticket holders for the Cardinals. I think my Dad is rooting for Detroit. He grew up in Michigan. My brother is so excited about going to the World Series. He said it is the perfect father/son event.

candy corn

When I was a little girl I loved eating candy corn. My grandma always had candy corn around her house and I always ate it there. For the last few years, I have noticed that my grandma keeps giving me candy corn as gifts around the holidays. I never understood why. I had forgot that I loved candy corn as a girl. She still thinks that candy corn is my favorite thing! I don't have the heart to tell her that I 'm not crazy over candy corn like I used to be. My grandparents told Dust this weekend that Golden's favorite candy is candy corn. And they asked him what his sweet tooth was. : )

There is a particular way that I like to eat my candy corn. My OCD habit is to try to bite down on each individual line on the candy corn. I eat the white top of the triangle first. Then the orange middle, and last the yellow bottom.

grandparents

My grandparents are coming to visit this weekend. My parents are driving them up here. They live in Michigan, but they drove down to where my parents live to stay with them for awhile. My grandmother also has a sister that lives in that area and they were going to stay with her also.

This will be the first time my grandparents see NJ in person! They can't wait to meet their first great-grandchild. This will also be the first time for them to see our house. And the first time for them to visit our church. So, on Sunday we will be going to the first service-the traditional one. They have stated how they hate contemporary services. They can't stand up the whole time and they don't know the songs.

I hope the weekend goes well.

Oobi

Have you seen the Oobi cartoon on the Noggin channel on cable? I can't believe that is a show! Or maybe it's just a skit that is part of another show. An Oobi is just an adult human hand with two eyeballs on top! Did they not have money for material to make a puppet?

I can't believe that it made tv. Imagine hearing the idea of a hand talking as an idea for a kids show. I would have said that it would never have made it past the idea stage.

Do you ever have those thoughts about other tv shows or toys? Shows and toys that become popular sometimes amaze me. Like who would ever have thought talking vegetables would be a successful cartoon for kids-(VeggieTales).

my office

I just realized today that it was my first time to work alone in my very own office at work. When our company moved to a new suite, I was training someone to do my job. We worked together. She quit and I had to train someone else. Then we worked together until I had the baby. Last week, I just watched her do my job. I sat behind her at her desk. Today I got to fully enjoy having an office to myself.

It was so nice to not have someone watching me do my job. And it was nice to not have to watch someone else do my job. I love working when it is quiet and peaceful. It was so much easier to concentrate on what I was doing.

Now all I have to do is to get my co-worker to quit coming in my office and talking to me. : ) I don't mind the occasional chit-chat. It is all the ideas that she has on how to do things differently that bothers me.

back to work

I have survived my first week back to work. My boss wanted me to watch my co-worker do my job to jog my memory. So, this week I just sat back and watched. My boss demands perfection, so I can see that he wouldn't want me to mess anything up. Everything came back to me. I even remembered some things better than my co-worker. But again I have worked there 2 years and she has only been there 4 months.

I have felt a lot better this week. NJ is sleeping more hours straight, so I am too! It is nice to have a break from taking care of him. I was going a bit crazy caring for him 24/7. I had had several crying breakdowns. I am happier than I have been in awhile. I do miss NJ though during the day. I am excited to be able to spend a day home with him tomorrow!

my last weekday

This is my last weekday home with NJ before I go back to work. Yes, I am a bit sad. I am devoting this day to spoiling NJ. He is in my arms as I hunt and peck the keys with one hand. He fell asleep on my chest after I burped him. I wanted to keep him upright so he wouldn't spit up if I laid him in bed. I should lay him down right now. But, there is nothing more precious than a sleeping baby on your chest.

I will have Fridays off work, so technically I will still have one weekday home with NJ. The other four days I have superb childcare by T. That makes going back to work easier for me. It comforts me to know that NJ will be in the comforts of his own home. T and NJ will do great together.

On another note, NJ slept 5 hours straight last night for the first time! Yay for him and his tired mommy!

Bad day at SDC

Last Thursday, my mom and I decided to go to Silver Dollar City. It was a last minute decision we made around lunch time. My mom decided to take the shortcut to SDC on a new highway called the high road. She made a wrong turn which cost us a bit of time. We pushed NJ in his stroller into the park. We both realized that we were very out of shape. We were completely exhausted when we entered the park. We couldn't ride the tram because of the carseat/stroller.

We stopped at the bakery and fed NJ a bottle. We also got a snack. It was hotter than we thought it would be outside. Probably in the '80's. My mom was nervous about NJ getting overheated. She took the cloth diaper I use for a burp rag and got it wet and draped it across the car seat. It blocked the sun and hopefully provided some moisture. NJ was fussy in the General Store and it made my mom nervous which makes me nervous. He continued to be fussy in this big red barn that had a pony show going on.

My mom took a picture of NJ and I by a cowboy statue. She put her camera back in her purse. She doesn't remember if she put her purse back in the stroller or not. About 10 minutes later, my mom asked me to get the SDC brochure out of her purse and we realized that her purse was missing. We traced our steps and asked every beverage stand if someone had turned in a purse. We checked the lost and found and noone had turned a purse in. Our next thought was that it must have been stolen from the stroller. I had remembered a lady bending down suspiciously to look at NJ and make over him. Everyone wanted to look at NJ and say how cute he was.

I had my wallet in my diaper bag, so I was able to pay for some early supper for us. The cashier overheard us saying that my mom's purse may have been stolen and she called security. The security guard took our info. and said that he would look for the purse in the trash cans around were we last remember having the purse. I gave him my cell number to call if they found it. Just as the park was closing at 6pm, we got a call on my cell phone. Someone had turned the purse into some beverage vendor outside the barn. We must have missed one of the vendors. Nothing was missing out of my mom's purse thankfully. My dad was on his way to bring some keys to mom's car. We called him and caught him before he had driven to far.

I was bummed that in all the panic of the situation, I didn't get my kettle corn or big cookie. We had a terrible time. I did get to see the new kids section of rides though. Lesson learned-don't take a baby to SDC with your nervous mother.

my trip to see my parents

I am overjoyed at the bonding that NJ has had with his Grams and Gramps so far. Gramps has walked NJ around the house when I needed a break in the morning to take a shower. Grams has rocked him in the recliner and given him some bottles. They love to make over their grandbaby.

I have gotten some needed sleep since I have been at my parents house. My meals have been made for me. I feel really spoiled.

We went to the restaurant that my brother works at on Saturday. The cajun food was pretty good. My brother was our server, and he came and sat down with us for a second because he only had one other customer.

We might go to SDC later this week. I can't wait! We will also visit some friends and family and show off NJ

Labor Day weekend

I loved the Deanna Rose Farmstead when I went last Thursday for Mops, so I decided to show Dust and Miss Carisma what it was like. We have pictures of NJ in his stroller asleep by goats. I can't wait until he can have a pony ride or go fishing in the pond. The weather was awesome.

We found a 50-75% off sale of baby clothes at Penney's. Aunt Miss Carisma wanted to spoil her nephew NJ. He got a cute onesie that said chick with a magnet picture. : ) His Grampa will love the brown camoflouge outfit with a moose on it.

It was great having Miss Carisma entertain NJ while I slept or did housework. She was great at keeping him from crying. She did a lot of walking him around the kitchen which he seemed to enjoy.

This afternoon NJ has his 2 month shots. DTP-Tetanus, Pertussis. He won't be a happy camper tonight. Remember us.