Meet Molly

I drive a green Honda Civic. I have never liked it since sharing it with the ex. I never felt like it was my car. I didn't pick it. I didn't put the cigarette burn hole in the driver's seat. I wasn't in the car when any of the small dents were made. To be honest, I loathed the car.

And I'm pretty open and honest about not liking the car. I've had my eye on a Murano for a while. Then Chris said to me, "I don't like your car either. It's dirty".

How dare someone else NOT like my car! So what if it's dirty. His is dirty too! (teeheehee. love conversations with self like that)

Then I start thinking. What if I DID LIKE my car. So yesterday, Bean and I spent about an hour and a half cleaning the car inside and out. did not actually wash the car, but windows, vacuuming, shoveling out lost crayons, and a really good dusting.

Man, that car was D-I-R-T-Y.

I decided to bond with the car. So off to Target we go. We bought new floor mats. and i was looking at steering wheel covers and Bean and Bu started making "ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" sounds. They found steering wheel covers with fairies on them. One with a blue fairy! P-E-R-F-E-C-T!!!!!!!

So, I put the new mats down, and put the new steering wheel cover on.

and on the way home we try to name the car. I was heading for Daisy, when Molly popped in my head. Molly was right.

I'm sure Molly had another name when the car first came into the family. But I can't remember it for anything. But she's definately Molly now.

And it is a lot cheaper to pour $2k into a car you know will keep on going than to spend $20k plus on a new car. Molly's been paid off for four years. I have now bonded with my car and I'm going to like her.

Yeah, I'm a car-dork.

You Told Me So

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.



Hear that? That's me sighing at all my friends and family shaking their fingers at me saying, "I told you so!!!!!"



I finally did it. I talked to my attorney about filing a motion for enforcement on IdiotNuts for the back spousal support.

I know. I just said I talked to him about it. But if IdiotNuts doesn't shape up then I'm prepared to do it.

I'm accepting half payments for spousal support for a longer period of time. I'm still getting the short end of the stick on that, BUT what was most important was not having the fight about money anymore. I told him when I took the new arrangement that if we had the fight again, or if he thought paying me was optional, then I would take legal action.

He's only missed one payment. One half payment that is. But we had to have the fight again. So shouldn't I give him 30 days? Yeah, I'm a wimp. but he's the girls' dad!

On Friday if he doesn't show up with what he's supposed to pay me plus some to make up the difference of the payment he just made, then I will probably go ahead and have the attorney serve him the papers. Luckily, the retainer isn't going to cost me THAT much. And we'll request that he pays the attorney fees. AttorneyGuy sounds hopeful on that part, but I know better. If I sue, i'll have to be prepared to pay AttorneyGuy.

Sigh.... I don't want to. Sigh...... But I have to.

Let's see. IdiotNuts owes me $4500 in child support arrears because he didn't pay anything from August to the end of November. I've already filed the updated paperwork this week to have that taken care of. They'll probably split it out like they did with his first wife so he pays a little more per month for the rest of the timeframe that he's supposed to pay. At least I finally sighed heavy enough to sign on the bottom line for that.

But I don't want to sue the nincompoop. I want him to do what he's supposed to! You know. Spend time with the girls! Take them for a WHOLE weekend. Help with the transportation. (okok.... that one's not required, but it sure would be nice!).

So on Friday, I'll find out if i'm going to have a long next two months. If I have to sue him, the lawyer said I should go ahead and request for an increase in child support because he's not spending enough time with them AND have medical support paid directly to me out of his check. He seems to have forgotten to pay THAT last month too.

Sigh............................

He was doing so well! Why'd he have to screw it up! Dammit!

So everyone cross your fingers and say a little prayer for us that he shows up on Friday so I don't have to follow through. I have to follow through if he doesn't though. He's behind $2400 in alimony. All he has to do is what he said he would and at the end of the time period we agreed upon, he get's forgiven of the remaining debt. How hard is that????

Just friggin do what you're supposed to do!

$4500 + $2400. $6900.

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

How much does it have to climb to before I admit to myself that if he's not going to pay anything towards the arrears when he was living for FREE, that he's probably not going to be motivated to catch up now that he's moving and will have to pay rent.

Oh. And I think he's working for some recording company. Wonder what that's all about. He's still contracting at the state too.

Ok. ramble done. All you finger-waggers who've been wagging their fingers at me can all join in unison in a huge, "I TOLD YOU SO!!!!"

Go ahead. get it all out.

My Boyfriend Kisses Monkeys... Really. :-)

Special Update Note (9/11/2008): C and I landed as just really good friends. In fact, he's probably one of the closest friends i'll ever have. But since all that was written here is so very true of him, and it DOES capture his monkey essence, I'm leaving this post up. He IS a truly glorious man. Love ya, C!

***********************************************************************


Yep. That's what I said.



I had a fantastic weekend with my bestfriend from high school and his wife (ClintNJennifer) last weekend. I was a total admitted slug and enjoyed every second of it. We did things like, watch tv, play on the net, play PS2, XBox, cook, eat and drink. Why can't I do that at home????



Time and logistics has not allowed me to introduce the boyfriend to many of my friends from Dallas. So early on Saturday afternoon Clint said,

Clint: Hey... is Chris on your Myspace?

Me: No.

Clint: Facebook?

Me: No.

Clint: Can we find him on Yahoo Chat?

Me: Um..... well, he doesn't txt. he's not on facebook or
myspace. and he really doesn't like to talk on the phone. we e-mail
a lot. He has lots of friends and I bet I could find some pics posted if I looked.

So I go a-googlin' and the FIRST pic I find is this:

Clint: Is THAT him?

Me: Ummmmmmmmm

Clint: Well, IS IT?

Me: Ummmmmmmm, uh, um, uh, well, yeah.

To put it in context.... This was his graduation party from when he got his grad degree a couple of years ago.

Gotta love the person who brought the monkey - and I gotta love my hunny for kissin' it while there was a camera floating about!

So... to all my blogging friends, meet my darlin'. He's kind, gentle, spiritual, thoughtful, playful, funny, frugal, has a a huge circle of long-term friends, thinks of all the little things, has taken my children under his wing and provided a positive male role model, helpful, an absolute glorious man inside and out.

And, he kisses blow up monkeys.

Too old to be a dad?????

WTF????????

First, IdiotNuts sends me an e-mail that he's going to be out of town memorial day weekend. Responsible thing to do, right? RIGHT???? It's always good to know when the other parent won't be around in case there is an emergency, etc.

I keep forgetting that I'm not dealing with a sane person.

So. since he was being forthcoming and I thought he MIGHT like to make some plans with the girls for the summer...

I wrote:

Hey. Summer is getting packed quick! Here are the dates that I
know we are going to be out of town. I tried to make sure they were every
other week, but I didn't do so well for the end of June because of the Santa Fe
trip. I also wanna get down to the beach for at least a Saturday and I want to go to Houston to meet Chris's family one weekend. Plus, I want
to go see Matt.

Then I bet I'm all out of summertime! Please let me know as
soon as you know when you're gonna take them to the beach so I can schedule
around you. Pretty much all but the Santa Fe trip and the Memorial Day
trip, they can stay with you instead of going with me if you can take them for a
longer period of time.

Also, any chunk of time that you want them, let me
know. Only thing that I'll not want to work around is taking them to see
your mom and Debbie in Santa Fe.

May 23-26: Camping in Kerrville or trip to East Texas

June 6-8: Trip to Little Elm - Clinton and Jennifer

June 20-22: Heidi's wedding in Utopia (This is Robin's daughter that Martin
used to poke at....)

June 27 - July 7: Trip to Santa Fe

July 18 - 20: Trip to Richardson - Dena

Aug 15 - 17: Trip to Richardson - Dena

Then HE replied:

Sounds fine. I don't make plans that far in advance. We are
trying to go to New York, and then to Santa Fe the end of August for the
opera. Our travel plans will get busier in the Fall and Winter.
We
want to go to Colombia but every day it's looking less likely because of
the
military buildup on the border with Venezuela and all the
kidnapping.

The relative from Caracas is saying it may not be safe any more to go to the
family's place in Maracaibo; so we're looking at some other ways to go
cheaply
to a nice beach.

Now, I'm confused, so I reply to him:

You're gonna take the girls out of the country? Are you going to take
care of their passports?

I'm not too comfy having the girls go out of the country where there is military buildup and kidnapping.

School starts on 8/25 so hopefully you'll be able to take them somewhere before then.

Now, I guess he's confused because he says:

No, the girls will be in school when we do any traveling like that.

So, now I'm really, really, really confused because I thought we were talking about summer scheduled for the girls:

Oh. I'm confused. I thought we were talking about summer schedule
for the girls. But, WHEW on out of the country thing. Although I'd
love to take them to the beach in Mexico, I just can't afford it!

Then, he pushes my buttons. This man is not sane. He's an idiot. IdiotNuts in fact. I just can't believe what he's able to convince himself that he's right in the head:

(you guys, ready for this one???????)

If I am invited to travel with Marta Elena's family, I will go; but I won't
invite my children along. Marta Elena enjoys the girls immensely but, like
ourselves, most of the siblings are getting older and past the age of doing
things with young children. Kids are all grown.

So... Now i'm pissed and I say:

but YOUR children are not.

And his justification for it all?????? Everyone sit down. I'm tellin' ya, he's an idiot:

Right. Regardless, I cannot ignore my age or try to continue doing
things a younger father might do. I wouldn't expect you to act ten years
older, either.

ARGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I AM PISSED!!!!!!!!

What am I supposed to tell the girls? I'm sorry dears, but your dad is much to old to act like a real father???????

A 13 year old boy could probably naturally act like a better parent. I just cannot believe the nerve of that man!

Ok. vent done for now. Encouraging words are welcome. especially if they are calming. Cuz, I sure as heck am not calm right now!

Disco Bears

Swiped from Crystal. This is so funny and so joyous!


Watch the Bear do the Disco with a tree!

http://www.livescience.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=080402-bear-rub

Bu and Me - by Bean

Beanie really is a great photographer. She takes better pics than I do!

This is a pic from Cousin's wedding.

3rd Annual Frog Party

Ever read the book, Go, Dog, Go!?

Well, it's a fave around here and about 4 years ago, I turned it into Go, Frog, Go! because I like frogs. (no, not to eat. sheesh).

So now, my kids throw me a "Frog Party" every year for my birthday. This is the third year in a row. I hope they always do it. it's such a fun thing.

However.... We seem to be a tad short on frogs this year! LOL. Anywho. the party was grand and here's some pics.

Bean and Bu and all the stuffed friends they invited. There is ONE frog in there!

Posers.

The table decorated complete with seat assignments

They invited a few ponies too...

I think my favorite part is where they take a bunch of their toys and wrap them up individually and "give" to me. Or it could be all the little froggie drawings they do. or this year, I think the Frog Habitat that Bean made at school specially for the party when's the fave part.

Most of all - I love how my children take the time and the effort to sing songs, plan a party, decorate AND clean it up, all to celebrate my birthday. I have great kids.