Is it just me?

I don't really understand putting a Pay.pal button on your blog and expecting people to just give you money.

Does that work? Cause hey - we could always use a little more over here at the Stiletto Casa.

The high cost of raising children

This weekend was the early registration for The Boy's hockey league. You got $30 off if you paid in full. We've gotten several email notices and at least one mailer addressing this event. Also, for the first time, the league is collecting a deposit from each family - $150 per child but it is capped at $300 per family - to ensure that each family donates 15 hours of time to the rink. The notice clearly stated that AT THE END OF THE SEASON, IF YOU HAD FULFILLED THE REQUIRED 15 HOURS YOUR CHECK WILL BE RETURNED. They are not cashing the checks, but holding them in a safe.

See, our rink barely stays afloat. They count on the kindness of the families donating time to run the clock, help in the concession stand, coach, clean the stands, etc. so they don't have to hire it out and pay wages.

Oh the people had their panties all up in a bunch. "This hockey is the most expensive sport ever!" "No wonder we can't recruit new people!" and my personal favorite, "Whatever happened to good old fundraising? We could sell stuff like they do for soccer."

Look lady - I am tired of buying crap from all the neighborhood kids, and I don't want my kid selling any of the said crap.

What astounded me is that MFH spearheaded a fundraising event/opportunity to fulfill some of the donated hours this weekend. We had a national motorcycle hill climb event here, and we needed volunteers to work in four hour shifts checking coolers to make sure nobody tried to take alcohol on the premises. The hockey kids also sold programs for $1.00, 50 cents of which went to the league. We figured that we have somewhere around 300 families involved in hockey, and only 10 of those families stepped up.

It's the old adage where 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Nobody wants to give the cheapest thing to give - time.

5-0

1825 days.

26,280 minutes.

157,680 seconds.

HALF A CENTURY.

I really can't believe it. But I also find it hard to believe that I've been with MFH for 20 years or that my son is already seven years old.

My how time flies.

All of my days have been good. Even the bad ones.

Cesspool

Does anyone know if it's possible that pool water could give someone the crud?

The Boy is down for the count again. His ear is draining, he is feverish, and his stomach is flu-like. This is the third time this summer, and the common denominator is swimming lessons.

Any thoughts?

Pregnant tattoos

One of my co-workers has a son about The Boy's age. They have become friends. She has taken The Boy on a few occasions, so last Saturday when we ran into them and she was busy and he was bored stiff, I offered to bring her son home with us for the afternoon.

I have tattoos. More than several but less than a dozen. Only a few of them are visible in public. I was wearing a summer shirt, so the one on my right shoulder and the one on my left bicep were uncovered that day.

The boys were riding in the back seat. This was the conversation I heard.

AJ - What's your mom's name?

TB - Karen

AJ - Karen has tattoos. Did you know that tattoos can give you poison? They get it in your body and you can't get rid of it. Sometimes it can kill you.

TB - Maybe my mom should get the tattoos erased!

AJ - No! She can't! They're pregnant. Just like some of those markers that are pregnant. You can't get it off!

Who knew?

Done

We withdrew The Boy from his summer camp program today.

We treated his hair on Thursday and picked him clean like a couple of mama monkeys, kept him out on Friday for good measure, and he returned to camp on Monday. Miss.Michelle looked him over (this chick could find a needle in a haystack, I'm telling you), and he was able to stay for the day. When MFH took him back on Tuesday, with hair freshly washed again just in case with the treatment shampoo, the head picker found ONE EGG. He was sent home with The Boy in tow.

I envisioned the entire rest of the summer going by in much the same way as the past two days. I would have gone mad. Not only that, but we both would have used up our entire bank of paid time off.

So, it's back to Grandma's care for the remainder of the summer.

She doesn't have head lice.

Yet.

Results

The MRI shows a disc protrusion in my neck.

I am waiting on an appointment with a neurologist.

They are booked into September.

M.R.I.

I have one scheduled at 6:45 Monday morning.

I am still having issues with my neck and upper left shoulder following my motor vehicle accident on July 11, 2008.

My last PT treatment was October 23, 2008. Yes, PT made it feel better - much like massage therapy would have. But my range of motion in my neck has never improved, I sleep most nights on a heating pad, I take A.leve daily, and my left arm has pain down to my elbow. If I bend my head just so far forward, with my chin toward my chest, I get shooting pains down my left arm. It's getting progressively worse, and I refuse to live the rest of my life this way.

I mean really. I may be turning the big 5-0 this month - but the females in my family are graced with longevity. I am not living 40 or 50 more years in this condition.

I called the insurance adjuster to ask permission to seek further treatment. He basically scolded me for waiting so long after my final PT treatment, and added that any further treatment I seek will go under review.

Review all you want, MoFo. I have sought legal counsel thanks to the loving tone you used with me on the phone.

In case you are wondering....no, I have never signed off on any paperwork. And, no, in all these months since Oct. 23, Mr. Personality has never contacted me asking how if I am satisfied with treatment. It's almost as if he was waiting for the clock to tick tick tick my time away.

Because I had a sinus infection, I doubled that appointment with my MD to seek a consultation about my neck issues - on two separate bills, of course. She ordered the MRI, saying that she needed it in order to give me a referral for a specialist. Yes, my body should have healed itself by now. And because it didn't, let's find out why. Thank you very much.

I hope he just pays the friggin bills. I only want to feel better without a fight.

Now I've pissed somebody off.......

I have a sinus infection.

And pink eye.

Summer is my favorite season up here in Montana, and with all the rain this year, and all of our personal trauma, it's been a real picnic so far.

We are finding a few more "nits" here and there in The Boy's hair, but his hair is very long and thick so I'm not surprised. So far no live bugs. I don't want to sound like a snob, but I just don't understand that he was introduced to lice. This is an upscale daycare - brand new and expensive.

I'm off to medicate and rest.

Bring it on!

Because we haven't had enough crap for one summer......

Got a call just before 4 today to come and get The Boy from camp. He has head lice. Not full blown, just a few eggs.

I asked who he got it from. "He's the only one so far," she replied. I said, "Well, keep looking - he hasn't been around anyone but us and the kids at camp so that pretty much narrows it down."

Sure enough when I got there, he was sitting next to a girl with very dirty looking hair. I treated him immediately, and we went through his beautiful long hair with a fine toothed comb - literally. I think we got it all, but we'll keep checking and treat again in a week just in case. He's been in daycare situations all his life, and we've never had to deal with this.

Now I am itching all over!

Loss

While I wasn't a member of the M.Jackson fan club, I do remember him performing as a child - seeing how we are ALMOST the same age. It's been interesting following his life on music television over the past week. He was a performer unlike any other.

I listened to his memorial via the internet today - well, watched probably more than I listened...and I cried at the end when his daughter spoke.

Kids are resilient. Time heals. But today her heart is broken at the loss of her father. She is much too young to know how that feels.

Let's pass it around.....

I don't feel well. Ugh. I don't know if it's what The Boy had, or if it's a cold/allergies/stress...or a combination of all the above.

Today is our 18th anniversary.

Honey, I love you.

My life would suck without you.

BBQ?

Since we moved to Billings two years ago, we have hosted every holiday event at our house.

Don't get me wrong. We love to entertain. But it would be nice for someone else to offer to host once in a while.

So, for the Fourth, we put off planning anything with the hope that someone else would. MFH's cousin and his wife texted me on Thursday asking us to come for BBQ. Would we mind bringing chips and salsa and a dessert? Of course not! We didn't have to spring for the whole meal. I picked up seven layer dip, salsa, several kinds of chips, and we made a dessert.

We snacked. And we snacked. And they never did BBQ.

WTF?

Can I have a break? Please?

Now The Boy has the flu. Sheesh.

This week's theme at camp is "Community". They have taken field trips all week to learn about the post office, bus service, police station, etc. Today's field trip is to the airport, where Grandpa works!, and he had some great activities planned for the kids. The Boy is home sick. For the third day.

Darn it anyway.

Creepy

I have a stalker. I think.

There is this young man that passes me every day when I am walking from the parking lot into work. It started out innocently enough, with him just smiling at me. Then he started to say hi. I am generally a kind, polite person so I responded appropriately.

One day I was running a bit late and when I rounded the corner to go to the parking lot, I noticed that he was loitering on the sidewalk. And just recently he was actually hiding in a store front until he saw my car. So now he knows what I drive.

We crossed paths at C.ostco. I almost hit him crossing the street when I left The Boy's summer daycare. These incidents are most probably coincidence, but still.

MFH thinks it's "cute". Me not so much. I have started changing up my arrival at work, varying from earlier to later depending on the day. I am sure he's harmless, but it's just weird.

I may have to let The Boy go postal on him.