Pony or Poo?

Isn't this the metaphor for Life? In looking through the Chaos (A.K.A., Life) are we looking for that elusive Pretty Pony or just muddling through the Poo? The Christmas Season seems to really bring the question to a visual fore front. Aren't we all looking for something? And isn't it all just your attitude? Granted, Life Events/Situations can definitely sway your attitude one way or another, and I would list chronic to severe mental illness as the exception to the rule. With these 2 elements aside, are we not in charge of how we view our experience? And isn't it what we do with our choices that really matter? Hmmm... More deep thoughts with Suzette McD.

We Survived the Holidays!!!!!

Whew...

Breathing, once again.

It is so important to listen to your heart & gut. I feel so much better now that I've decided to stop being stepped on by insane people. "Walk away from the bitter coocoo..." Maybe I'll just stay in my this house. At least I know I can trust the owner.

They are insane.

I have had it up to my eyeballs with wishy-washy-non-committal behavior, interjected w/ blatant rude comments. The owner of the property essentially verbally sucker-punched me instead of saying thank you for the flowers. Enough. I am walking away a better person w/ my dignity in tact. And I've rented a movie for my kids & mixing a stiff gin & tonic.

Mr. Mdme. Butterfly

Oh my Gawd!!! Laughing so hard! My dear friend, Mr. Hee, (shown in the sequence of 4 photos, below) is just a riot! He is my BFF's Lover Pie. We took our little peeps to Disneyland for 5 glorious days this past October. This photo series occurred during the Halloween Party @ CA Adventure. BFF's daughter dressed as a Monarch Butterfy Fairy & thus, became the Costume Director for my little project. Most satisfying!

The Mating Ritual of the Princess Butterfly

The mature queen of this species is quite stealth as she ambushes her unsuspecting host. The process will kill her but her offspring will flourish.

The host is impregnated.

Timing and speed are essential. The process is brutal.

The pain of transformation is horrific!

Some of this subject matter may inappropriate or difficult for some viewers. Avert your eyes, if you must.

"The Metamorphosis of the Princess Butterfly

... Is complete!"

Trying to Woo the Rental Gods...

OK. This is it. If they don't bite at this, they're truly insane & I'm better off w/out this house. I dropped some quid on a charming floral gift basket (white roses, ivy, sprays of pine...you get the picture)and wrote a direct, heartfelt mini soliloquey essentially stating the Universe has made this match perfect, so wise up & accept my application and my money. The note card was an antique-ish English painting of a magnolia blossom & the hand writing was in my best calligraphy. I am insane. My Basket of Drooling Hope was left on the desired doorstep this morning. We'll see...

Holiday Traditions. Is it worth it?

"And she settled down for a long Winters Nap... (in a fetal postion, drunk & unconscious...)
"We HAVE to have a REAL, tall Christmas Tree! With snow on it!!" they whine. I don't know about you, but my budget this holiday season is a tad stretched. This year would be a great year for my ATM card to simply buy a wreath or swag and call it a day.

So I cave & purchase a truly pretty 6' tree @ Target for $40. Not too shabby. We get it home, out of the over-stuffed-kid-cluttered mini van, into the dining room & set the tanenbaum up. The kids disappear. Driven more by OCD than holiday cheer, I set to putting lights onto the tree. Kip reappears. I suggest decorating OUR tree with his favorite Littlest Pet Shop zoo members & all their accoutremonts. An hour & a half of 6-year-old artistic ferver. Very nice.

The following morning I enter the dining room and notice all of the Littlest Pet Shop animals & their belongings have been evicted to the dining room table. Hmmm. Kip flashes past me snarfing epithets of death to his brother under his breath. "What's up?" I stupidly ask, knowing the answer. "I hate my brother!" "Does that have anything to do with your de-nuding the Christmas tree? (I didn't really say "de-nuding". It just like the way it sounds in writing this.) "He made fun of me!" Of course. The Joy of The Season is upon us.

I go to plug in the Christmas tree lights and... the extention cord is missing. My eyes are furtively shooting left and right looking for the missing cord. ("Did I have an extention cord? I swore I plugged it in...?") Then Izod beckons me from the family room. "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOm! Moooooooooooooooooooooom! Hey MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!?!?!?" "Yes, Dear Heart?" I greet him. "I can't get my video game to work on the TV. Help me." I ask, "Is the system plugged into the outlet, because I think I used the extention cord for the Christmas tree." "I know." He replies "'cause I took it back and now the game won't work."

Why do I bother? I'm considering shoving the tree into the fireplace 'cause Mrs. Claus is seriously getting it up the ass right now. And not happy about it.

Renting Hell

At writing time, I am still a home owner. Daily looking to rent an affordable, hopefully charming, 2 bedroom house w/ garage in my kids' school district. Soooooo over the lottery system we endure every year as an intra-district transfer family.

The process sucks. It's as bad as trying to woo a home seller during the peak of the real estate market. First, just try finding a house of any size for rent in the desired area. Then making contact with the owners & filling out the application. Make 2-3 friendly visits to check in on the process. Now, I'm being compared to people who have shown only mild interest in the rental and complete wishy-washy neurosis. Last time we talked I was a shoe in! My credit is amazing, I'm a home owner, I'm healthfully enmeshed in my community with schools & my job, and I'm consistent and offering the amount they want - RIGHT NOW! What??!?!? It's as if I have to promise them family tickets to the Price is Right, Dinner & 2 weeks at my time share!?!? (Which I don't have!) And what really sucks is I still want the place! So many pros for me & my kids! Grrrrr.....

OMG!!! I have been SOOOOO busy!

Crazy. So sorry to have been away so long. Laundry list of things to gossip & rant about! Where to start?

Went to Disney land with my peeps the first week of October. 5 days of non-stop entertainment. Went with my BFF, Irenie, her hunky man, Mr. Hee, and her daughter, Madamemoiselle Goobers. It was great! I highly recommend going on holiday with friends. The kids loved it and there were fewer fights. What's not to love?

the people in this photograph have been blurred to protect their privacy (& my camera decided not to focus!!!)