Category: Home Life

Fiendish Friday: Legoland

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

So a few weeks ago the hubs and I took the kiddo and went with another family to SoCal. We went to Universal for Harry Potter World and then to Legoland because my son was desperate to see the new Ninjago ride.

So we fly down. Go to Universal, drive to Lego, first thing in the park we beeline for Ninjago Village and discover the ride is closed. For refurbishment. For the next 2 weeks. The ride just opened Memorial Day weekend, it needs refurbishment already?

So we go complain and this is what Guest Services says “We have a sign out front which tells you which rides are closed today.”

Wow, a sign out front. That doesn’t help when we booked the trip in July. And no they do not tell you online which rides will be down when or even which rides are down NOW. Disneyland does. Universal does. Even Knotts Berry Farm does. But not Legoland. Boo, Legoland, boo.

In the end between our various complaining we got some front of the line passes and some fees taken off our hotel stay. But of course the kiddo still wants Ninjago and wants to know when we are going to Legoland next year so he can ride.

BLEEEP. I am so done with Legoland.

The trip was actually fab other than the damn ride issue. sigh. I almost feel bad complaining about it but since the kiddo is still asking when we’ll go back so he can ride Ninjago, I’m irritated. And how do I know if next time I pay a couple hundred dollars each for a flight, a hundred plus each for a ticket, plus rental car, hotel, etc – the ride will even be open?

Fiendish Friday: Black Friday

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 11 Comments

Happy day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday. I’m not out shopping. I go to the PJ write in now and eat delicious omelets.

But once upon a time, I loved Black Friday. Back when it was a sport of iron will. Back when you had to have the determination to get up at 330 in the morning and brave the freezing cold to get the best deal. Man I loved Black Friday then.

Seriously, the hubs and I would go to the Target in his parents area. They would keep the kiddo and we would creep out of the house at like 345. Be at the Target by 4 and then the Toys R Us by like 530. The shopping was so fun because the in-laws lived in a nice area. So the Target had a different vibe. It was down the block from Tiffany’s, Burberry, and Gucci. People didn’t shop it much. So there were employees standing at the end of every other aisle waiting to help you. They would load your new 70 inch TV onto a dolly and roll it out to your car for you. They handed out free lattes and mochas and coffee cake. Heaven. And the deals were amazing. I could buy pajamas and games and books for the giving tree without needing to worry about my bottom line.

Then we’d go get breakfast and be back at his parent’s by the time the rest of them were rolling out of bed.

Now it’s lame. The stores start their Black Friday deals a week or two in advance. They open on Thanksgiving evening. Not only is that jacked for people who work for these stores but anyone can go shopping after a day off work doing nothing more than eating and watching football. The sport has been ruined, diluted down to nothing. Bah.

So like I said, no shopping for me. Pajamas and omelets and write in.

Fiendish Friday: Sing!

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 6 Comments

I found myself singing in the car on my way coop. On a Monday no less. A Monday. And not just the cool songs. I was singing everything. And when the commercial came on, I stopped and took stock. Yep, I was feeling happy and content. Such a good place to be.

So what was different? Well I managed to yoga, shower, and home school my kiddo prior to leaving the house at 9. That’s nothing short of a miracle. Ok not exactly a miracle, more like daylight savings time. 720 became 620.

But I think the deep level of contentment has more to do with me giving up Zevia soda. I haven’t been able to drink diet soda for a long time. I am included in that 20% of the population who’s brain chemistry is drastically effected by diet soda. I get depressed, like clinically depressed, lock me up before I kill myself depress. So I don’t drink diet soda. I used to drink Zevia now and then with no issues but this fall I started to feel different about it and so gave it up for a couple of weeks.

I think the results sing for themselves, because I love rock and roll, put another dime in the jute box baby. LOL

Fiendish Friday: Cheating

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

Spoiler alert: this is not about marriage infidelity.

So the kiddo and I belong to a homesteaders club. The idea is to learn to do some of those skills that have fallen out of the main stream now that society can run to Whole Foods or Home Depot at will. We went to a Beginners Archery Class for example. The kiddo and I had a great time and decided to take part in a special tournament the club puts on every year at Halloween. Essentially it’s a newbie tournament. An instructor takes each group through a walking hunt course and helps you figure out where to shoot from, how to improve, etc.

So as we are making our way around, I notice I’m not doing as well as I thought I was. Everyone takes turns shooting. Then we all go to the target and figure out our scores. And I just was scoring not quite as well as I thought I was when I was doing the shooting.

At the 8th or 9th target I had this huge ah-arrownadsha moment. See the target was a werewolf and my second arrow had hit him in the nads. Everyone made jokes about it. But after everyone finished their shooting and we went up to score our arrows, this girl claimed my arrow as hers. And I knew it was mine, because HELLO, nads.

After that I started paying really close attention and she was doing it every target. Every time she could get away with it (if both her arrows hit the hay bale, she didn’t try to claim mine).

Really? Really? This is a newbie tournament where the prize is candy. Candy.

On the plus side it lead to a super interesting discussion on cheating with the kiddo.

Oh and I still had the high score for the group. na na na na na. LOL

Fiendish Friday: Piles

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 11 Comments

In my master bathroom, above the toilet, there is a cabinet with a little open shelf. I frequently stick books there that I am reading while occupying the restroom. Today I realized there were four open books there. Then when I left the rest room, I saw three more books on my bed side table all in various stages of read. And then on my desk, 3 more. I dash out of the bedroom to escape, ahhh, one on the table next to the couch and one in my purse. All in some stage of reading. Don’t even get me started on the piles of history, geography, archeology, and literature I am scrambling through for develop my class plans for the coop.

Help, before the piles of books devour me, tell me, how many books are you reading right now?

Fiendish Friday: The Loaded Gun Theory

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 3 Comments

I’ve briefly alluded to my time in 12 step before. There are lots of maxims one picks up in 12 step programs. Many I embrace whole heartedly, many others I struggle with daily.

Maxim: Keep your side of the street clean.

Translation: Try to behave as best you can and when you screw up, clean it up.

I have no problem with this one. I am forever fixing mistakes. Eventually I’ll run out of mistakes to make right?

Maxim: It is none of your business what other people think of you.

Translation: Mind your own business even when it’s about you.

Fuck me. This one slays me all the time. I want to be a 100 dollar bill and adored by every one. Bah

Maxim: If you find yourself shot, did you hand the shooter a loaded gun.

Translation: People might do sucky things to you, but don’t help them do it.

I frequently find myself handing people loaded guns. I know I should get out, or stop, or something but I go along because I want every one to adore me. And then something nasty happens and I have to take a long look and then admit to myself, I knew better. What’s worse is when occasionally, I see the moment I should pull the plug while it’s happening and I ignore it. Gibbs head slap myself.

Tell me I am not the only one…do share….

Fiendish Friday: Grief

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 7 Comments

A lot of people consider me a cold fish. I’m not really outwardly demonstrative of my emotions. When the hubs had his rush to the emergency room – lost vision in one eye incident, I took the kiddo to co-op, I smiled and nodded and literally no one knew what was going down. Part of that is my anti-drama reaction.

When my MIL got diagnosed with the big C, I spent a couple of hours researching. Her brand of cancer, 16 month average life expectancy for ALL stages. And hers wasn’t caught early. I grieved, quietly, at home, while everyone else talked about how she was going to beat this, next year the family would, etc etc etc.

But I am the one she talked to about dying because I could let her without denying it or crying hysterically. I could let her vent her grief without laying mine upon her because I had already grieved.

A good friend just got diagnosed with the big C. I immediately researched her brand. It’s probably going to be ok. But when I got done researching, I spent the afternoon grieving. Sure, some would say that’s creepy, or premature, or ridiculous but now I’m prepared. When she needs to talk or needs someone to take her kids for the night, help her into the shower, or clean up her vomit, I’m prepared. I’ve grieved and my emotional needs won’t keep me from helping her. And if she doesn’t need me, if everything goes easy….It will be a pleasant surprise for my emotional base.

Fiendish Friday: Ickaroo

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So I’ve been reading this fun Ken Jennings book lately, the book review will post eventually, and in this book he is debunking all the things adults tell kids that may or may not have a basis in fact.

Our our third date, I cooked for the hubs. He used my bathroom and didn’t put the lid down. I called him on it and he started to give me shit, why couldn’t I put the seat down, he put it up. I was aghast. No, no, close the LID, every time, before you flush. When you flush microscopic particles of ick fly all over the room. He gave me this very long look and then said ok. Knowing my hubs as well as I do now, I can practically guarantee he went home to google it up. He never said a word about it again but the LID is closed every time.

Jennings covers the toilet spraying germs thing. I am vindicated. LOL

Fiendish Friday: Typecasting

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

I think I’ve mentioned before, I don’t have actual TV. I watch things as the season comes out on Netflix, generally a good chunk of time after broadcast TV. LOL “Broadcast”. Moving on. So lately I have been watching Hawaii Five 0, from last season.

The second I saw Julie Benz on the screen, I wondered who she was really working for. Yeah, right, SF PD is going to start a squad like Five-0. Sure. I buy that. But they wouldn’t send her if they did. Hello, It’s Julie Benz, she plays I’m your friend because I’m using you better than almost anyone.

Roswell: Topolsky – trust me as your friendly neighborhood school guidance counselor it’s not like I want to lock up your alien boyfriend so we can perform experiments on him and his friends.

Buffy: Darla – Seduced Angel into becoming a vampire. Enough said.

I’m pretty sure she was the bad guy in all the CSI episodes she guest starred on. She’s just bad. Every time.

Sigh. Poor Chin so easily led around by his…surfboard…

Fiendish Friday: NCIS – Season 13

~ tahenryauthoress ~ 1 Comment

I don’t have cable TV. Or satellite. Or whatever other cool stuff that has been invented. I have the internet and netflix. It serves me well. No commercials. I don’t have to wait a week between episodes. Of course I do have to wait until the entire season comes out. But once it does, I can binge watch it to my little heart’s content.

In late August, NCIS season 13 made it to netflix. I’ve watched NCIS forever. I adore Mark Harmon and he’s the reason I started watching it but over the years, of course, I got interested in other characters. Ducky, for example, is blooming amazing. And I would love to be friends with Abby. I always really liked Kate. And her death, so early on, was a shock.

So I should have known what was coming. I should have. But I thought maybe, just maybe, they’d give Tony a happy ending. I thought Ziva would show up with their child, I predicted a son though. And she and Tony would ride off into the sunset together. I mean come on. Like enough bad stuff hasn’t happened to Tony? He got the plague. He fell for a mark and then had to break her heart and his own.

Did they really have to kill her?  I don’t think we can be friends anymore NCIS. I think I might need to break up with you.