CAUTION: Woman In Progress

I should totally be equipped with a hard hat and steel toed boots for this book shifting project I'm currently undertaking. I've got books flying at my head and feet almost daily. Yesterday it was a set of two coffee table sized two inch thick books on the Battle of Vicksburg that nearly took off a toe. Fortunately I have good enough reflexes to get out of the way. This morning it was a four inch thick tome on General Sherman that flew off the top shelf and aimed itself right at my face. Again, good reflexes saved me. But one day, I fear, I'm not gonna be so lucky. I wonder if workman's comp covers being attacked by an angry dead librarian's ghost... In other hazardous news, a man type person who normally pretends I don't exist actually stopped and spoke more than three sentences to me while I was working in the stacks yesterday. Of course I was not overly quick with any whitty responses and in fact may have babbled incoherantly and/or replied with something...

Okay, just had a minor freakout moment. But...I think I'm okay now. Sis1 emailed and said BIL was applying for a job in Portland, OR and was really hopeful in getting it. FREAKOUT!! But then she emailed me back and said they wouldn't hafta move and it's a long story she'll tell me later. That girl really needs to learn not to give her baby sister heart attacks like that. LOL You know, I know if they had to move for a job I'd hafta just suck it up and get over it. But...boy I wouldn't hafta like it and no one can make me. I cried for weeks MONTHS when they announced they were moving to T-Town...a mere 1.5 hours away. And yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds to a lot of people. But a lot people don't understand for squat. Not only do I have a weird co-dependant friendship and insanely close relationship with both of my sisters, I also have a fierce mamabear love for Emmy (and Lyssa and Ethan, of course.). The thought of not being there--or at le...

The lights just blinked off here for a second, though. If they go out again, I'm crawlin' under my desk and having a nap!

Boy.  Last night was the most intense 2.5 hours of my LIFE. Well, the part of my life that I relegate to television viewing, anyway. Last night, as you may have heard, was THE END for LOST. If you haven't been watching it for the past six years, what were you doing with your life? LOL No, I know. It was one of those things you were either fully emersed in or you didn't want to expend the energy it took to follow it. Because it did take a lot of energy to follow it. And as much as I was held captivated by it, I am really too stupid to really full grasp it. No, seriously. I've read the discussion boards. I've followed other blogs about it. And I'd always be like, "Why didn't I catch that?" or "I completly missed that." My brain is merely too simple to comprehend all the little mysteries and tie-ins and connections that were hidden throughout six seasons of this show. It was no different last night. Honestly, the finale was gripping an...

In recent weeks I've been having pancake Thursdays. Not pancakes for breakfast--pancakes for supper! Why do you need to know this? You don't. I just thought I'd share because it's something that makes me happy. Especially since I've only recently been able to afford to buy milk to MAKE pancakes. And actually, I buy milk now because I eat cereal for breakfast now. Yet another thing you're probably asking yourselves why you need to know this. Again. You don't. I'm just into oversharing. So yes. I've had pancakes (or "panny cakes" as I refer to them to the DP. Why do I refer to them that way?No idea except that it's fun to do so.) every Thursday night for the past month or so. Which means that I have leftover pancakes for breakfast every Friday morning. Which also makes me happy. What doesn't always make me happy are the movies I rent on movie night--which also happens to be Thursday night. Last night's movie was Up In the ...

Back during Mother's Day weekend I spotted these roses at Wal-Mart for $5 and thought, why not? Certainly no one else is going to give me roses for any reason. It isn't as though Libs can go out and buy me flowers for Mother's Day, right.  And I love yellow roses. They're my favorite. And these with the orange edge? Gorgeous. They lasted me until earl this week when I finally decided to take them out and hang them to dry. Roses are one flower that I can't force myself to toss. I hang them upside down for a couple of weeks so that they dry without discoloring before adding them to the vase in my bedroom .Besides these, I've so far gotten about four roses dried and saved. These two will make six. A gift that keeps on giving! :)

I nearly cried yesterday afternoon when I ordered a caramel iced latte at Sonic and when it came to me it had very little caramel and way too much latte. Botched drinks make me wanna cry. Yes. I have so little in my life that I depend on fancy coffee drinks to bring me joy. Oh, and her. She brings me lots of joy. And pain. And frustration. But mostly joy.

My left knee, formerly known as my "good" knee, is giving me fits lately. I don't know what I did to it. I don't recall twisting it or doing anything funky but I must have done something. It's been stiff and sore and difficult to bend since Friday morning. Well, actually, it was starting to ache as early as Wednesday but it really started giving me fits Friday. Probably because I went ahead and did my 15 minute walk workout with Denise Austin Thursday evening. *groan* I've iced it, taken some Advil and tried to stay off of it. But you know how hard it is to stay off your leg when you're trecking to softball games, dance recitals, work, etc? Not to mention hiking all over the yard with the DP. In other news, I've been super excited to hear that my beloved  Chuck has been renewed for at least 13 episodes next Fall. And, wow, last night's season finale (it was the season finale, right?) was AWESOME. Can't wait to see what happens next season ...

So, Saturday Mama and I (and the DP) loaded up Mama's car and hit the highway. We were headed to T-town (otherwise known as Tuscaloosa) for a weekend of Emmy. That girl is a busy little bee and she wanted to show off. Started out months ago making plans to be there this weekend for her dance recital. (She's in hip hop dance, if you'll recall.) Sis1 had put the screws to us and said, "Be there or you're dead to me." So Mama sucked up and we went. (I had already intended to go but Mama didn't want to because we'd have to spend the night.) Then BIL went and signed the poor overworked kid up for their church softball team and she had a game scheduled for that day and we were told, "Come early enough for her game or you're dead to me." (Sis1 is much the drama queen in case you didn't know.) But honestly, we hadn't really intended on going to the softball game. Mostly because it meant we'd have to get up earlier to leave earlie...

Want to hear a new one??? Let me tell you it. So, I watched The Lovely Bones last night--a deeply haunting story of a girl murdered by a neighbor in the 70's. I figured it might give me nightmares or strange dreams because it was a disturbing film with some rather psychedelic imagery at times. But I don't think that film had altogether too much to do with the dream I had. Dream started out at home on movie night. I was going to watch Hurt Locker (a movie I have no desire to see in my concious state). As I was pulling the DVD from the sleeve, suddenly I'm at what may have been the pshych ward from LOST (the one Hurley's flashback found him at)--we were all wearing blue robes and sitting at round tables--and instead of the DVD, I'm reading a newspaper with the review for Hurt Locker.  Catherine Bigalow (you know, the director of that movie?) is there. She's wearing the dress she wore on Oscar night (because possibly that's the only time I've ever see...

So. Yeah, this morning sorta sucks. I thought about trying to be cheerful and positive about it but what's so dang cheerful about a) no coffee b) no snack and c) a headache. If anyone can come up with any positives for THAT, I'll send you a cookie. So I woke up this morning not entirely rested. Weird dreams do that to me. I think it also caused this mild headache. Figured the day would get better, though,  because I'd been told the day before that we were going to make a field trip to Chick-fil-A for chicken biscuits this morning at break. And I was looking forward to it, too, as I've been extra hungry for some reason this morning. Well, not only DIDN'T we go to Chick-Fil-A but when I got to the lounge, THERE. WAS. NO. COFFEE. Someone dropped the ball on making coffee so there was none in the pot. I made some but by the time it got finished dripping, I had to come back to work. So, ergo, no coffee. No snack. And I've still got this nagging headache. Someon...

The ankle that bled is healing quicker and hurts less than the one that the vicious beast merely bruised. Chihuahua's are mean! Thank goodness some of the DP's mean-ness got bred out of her by her half Pomeranian mama! Or did it??

Or, "I was attacked by a chihuahua and survived to tell the tale." Friday marked my eighth Staff Appreciation Day (SAD) at work. The yearly event where all of us lowely staff are allowed to let our hair down, get sunburned and eat BBQ and ice cream until the supplies run out. Only this year, they didn't give us Cokes or Snow Cones so we felt undervalued and insulted.  And it was around 90-95 degrees out so we were all hot, sweaty and stinky. It was mildly fun, anyway. Mostly it was just nice not to be chained to my desk or locked away in the stacks buried under a pile of books! Once the "party" was over, Mama and I took off an hour and a half early and went to run errands. Meaning, she needed to make her fifth stop at Kroger for the week. I had her drop me off at Lowe's (its in the same shopping center) and I terrorized the staff there for about thirty minutes while waiting on her. And by terrorized, I mean I walked around sporting this weird melting fac...

It's no secret that I do not care much for Valentine's Day. I'm not even going to lie anymore and say that it's because it's a stupid holiday (even though it so totally IS). It's more because I never have (and have never had) a special fella to celebrate it with. It's depressing to be reminded that I'm such a loser that no man wants me. (Let me wallow, people.) What I never expected was for Mother's Day to have a similiar effect one day. Never. I haven't wanted kids of my own since I was in my early 20's. Wasn't even sure back then that I truly wanted them. But certainly, Mother's Day wasn't ever a day for wallowing in self pity at my childless state. It was about Mama. But this weekend...oy. I was weepy and sad at the thought realization that I will never be a mother. Yeah, sure, furbabies are awesome. I so utterly love Libby as if I'd given birth to her. I'm not ashamed to admit that I love her more than I love m...

Oy. I iz not so brite. So, okay. I have these shoes. I mostly wear them when I take Libby out in the mornings. They're my "work shoes" I guess. Just a pair of old corderoy clogs that I tramp around the yard in and don't care if they get dirty or nasty. The past several weeks they've been getting pretty wet in the mornings because the dew is so heavy in the grass it's like walking in a puddle. Yesterday they were so soaked that I set the shoes on the trunk of my car so that they could dry out. I know. Totally redneck, right? But I'm half redneck so you shouldn't be shocked. Anyway, last night was council meeting night at church. (You see yet where I'm going with this?) I got in my car and drove to church and back and did not even THINK about my shoes until 10:00 last night. I took Libby out for her pre-bedtime constitutional and wore my "outdoor flip flops". (Yes. I have a pair of tramping around outside flipflops, too!) But fo...

Does anyone else remember the song "What If God Was One of Us?" It was popular back when I was in high school. I think I was a sophomore. Possibly a junior. I don't really remember. I just remember how much I loved it. I didn't listen to a lot of popular music back then, being the country girl I am. But Sis1 did. I first heard it while riding in her car on our way to somewhere and thinking, Gosh, this is a great song. I'm not sure what I liked about it. The melody, the sort of free floating vibe. Or maybe the fact that it made God sound cool. Either way, I really liked it. One day in school a friend and I were talking music and I mentioned that song and how I liked it. This girl was one I admired mostly because she was pretty and popular and even though I know now that I had no business desiring any kind of lifestyle like hers, back then I didn't know any better. When I told her that I liked that song, she grimaced and scolded me, "You shouldn't lik...

I have a brief rant. Bear (or is it bare? I dunno. I'm stupid.) with me. Dear Hoity Toity Snotty Egotistical Morons Who Think You're Better Than Me, You suck. And you could at LEAST say thank you when I unlock a door for you. Or you know, at least pretend I'm not invisible to you? I have a degree too, you snobs. Just like you. Same level as you. Get over  yourselves and kiss my big fat butt. Sincerily, The Invisible Dirt Beneath Your Shoes AKA, Jana

The big buckets of rain this weekend flooded three creeks and took out countless pasture land. Hope there were no cows in residence to float away. I ate left over pizza for breakfast, lunch and supper all weekend long. YUM. We had almost a whole pie left over from our party Friday. (Did I mention we had a work party Friday? 'Cause we totally did. Plans are in the making to have Mother's Day Lunch at my house this coming Sunday. Much cleaning needs to take place. The mop, I needz tuh findz it. I got Mama's Mother's Day gift Saturday. It's totally rad. I put together a "Mama Repair Kit" because she's always having little disasters and never has a Tide pen or a band aide or whatever. So I bought a few travel size things (hairspray, handy wipes, lint roller, first aid kit, etc) and tossed in some safety pins, rubber bands and paper clips along with some chocolate and a Tide pen and some tissues put it all in a little clear plastic bag and labeled it ...

I took a mental health day yesterday. Actually, I took off to help Sis2 decorate her bedroom. We'd been working on getting stuff together for a couple of weeks but I never could seem to get over to her house to get the actual putting in place done. So, with yesterday having been my day "off" from working our reference desk I asked to have it off entirely. I made a 'round the world trip to get there. Honestly, I drove for an hour. First I had to go around through my hometown to pick up the last few little things we needed (and could afford for now) and then down the four lane to get to her town and then aaaaaalll the way to the boonies to pick up the DP's heartworm meds from her vet. ($85!?! What the...) Finally got to Sis2's around 9:30. Fortunately I'm an early bird, huh? Do you know how hard it is to "work" with a 2-year-old jumping around on the bed beside you and a 6-month-old who doesn't want to sit on his own in the floor? lol It...

Somedays there just isn't a whole lotta good stuff to say. Today, I thought, would be one of them. It started out really crappy. It was bad enough that tears were involved. There's a lot of crap going on in Jana-land these days and it's really dragging a girl down. This morning was just the culumnation of it all. But you know, my Father has a way of jumping in and speaking to me just when I need Him most. I won't get into everything that's going on because it's mostly church related but some of it also me-being-an-insecure-pain-in-the-butt related. And at the lowest angriest part of my morning I asked Him to fix it. And I got my wish. He sent my buddy Mrs. B up to see me. And I know her words came directly from Him because she had no way of knowing what I needed to hear. I was only talking about the church issues and she somehow shifted it to my insecure-pain-in-the-buttness. She addressed so plainly the hot button issue that I'm so insecure about and ho...