The Good, The Bad, The Snuggly

Mission Resignation

2008-08-29T21:34:00Z

Giving my notice has turned into mission impossible. It's driving me crazy after all of the stress involved in actually making the decision and building up the nerve to face my boss...and it's dragging out! It's quite exhausting. By the time I can approach her, I'll have no excuse for being unprepared. In fact, after trying to accomplish this all week, I'll probably just blurt it out.

Wed.: I didn't want to do it the day I returned to work after vacation. It just didn't feel like appropriate timing and I was still a coward and not confident enough yet.

Thurs.: I made sure I attended a meeting 45 min. away in order to catch my boss. I took Ativan. I was prepared. Near the end of the meeting, she had to leave for a family emergency.

Fri.: She was out of the office due to the emergency and only responding by email from her Blackberry part of the day. Again, timing isn't right especially with her mind worrying about her poor mom.

Weekend.

Mon.: Holiday.

Tues.: Another attempt.

This is stressful! Well, at least I have 3 days to NOT dwell on it. :P

Kick my butt 2 days ahead.

2008-08-27T22:52:00Z

Counting down the days until the long weekend. I know, I'm a brat. I should be relaxed after vacation and ready to tackle whatever comes my way. Not so much the case.

My mind and body are still on vacation. I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I pouted and grumbled the entire way to work. I was welcomed back to work with 56 emails (really, can't someone handle something in my absence?) and a yawn-inducing meeting that lasted the entire day to catch my boss up after all of the vacations this summer, along with much more delegation. Great. Needless to say, I didn't accomplish much of the towering pile that needed addressed.

Poor DH has a late client. I'm ready for bed. I daydreamed during the meeting that I'd make him dinner for a change and have it done for when he came home. After picking DD up from tennis...I'll starve to death before I'll find the motivation to rummage around in "his" kitchen. (The downside to allowing him to take on the responsibility of cooking is that he goes to the store daily for dinner. Meaning = Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard is bare. I've always been the type to go once per pay ... so, cooking means going to the store. Ugh.) Pizza delivery sounds like a brilliant idea.

Tomorrow is another long day with travel for work for a lunch meeting 45 min. away and then back to the office. Then an appt. after work back down to the same area. So, I'm not looking forward to it.

And of course, with just returning today...I just couldn't muster the courage to give my notice. I just couldn't say "I'm back! But, I'm leaving." I know my boss will be upset and I am not looking forward to making her and everyone else feel more overwhelmed and upset. But at the same time, I really want to give her plenty of notice so that if I'm needed more than 2 weeks, it's feasible. It looks as if she's off or out of the office Friday. I really need to be big brave dog and face her tomorrow so she can advertise for my replacement before the long weekend. But, I'm so tempted to procrastinate until Tues. It's just something I don't want to do. I know that when I do, after piling on more stress for my company, I will be treated differently but I anticipate I'll also feel relieved that it's done and out of the way. My online classes start 9/17. Just working up the nerve and courage is so hard for me. I wish I had guts. Better days are just around the corner. I just need a push.

Our Punta Cana Vacation Pictures

2008-08-27T01:47:00Z

I've been working on this off & on all day, CLICK HERE to view our vacation pictures. So, I'm too exhausted to actually write a lengthy blog post describing our fun trip, but the photos pretty much say it all.

Hope to catch up on what's new with everyone in the next few days. :)

Good night.

Happy to be Home!

2008-08-26T18:45:00Z

DH came home early from work today with a little blue bag and these late anniversary gifts:

I expected nothing! We just had a beautiful vacation!

So, yes - we're back! It was a wonderful 8 days in Punta Cana and I'll devote my next blog post to describing our trip ... when I have more time. For now, I'm going to go kiss my DH again for being so sweet!

I have so much to catch up on too. Wish there were cliff notes for the Nest! lol

Happy to be home! I love my DH. I love surprises!

Vacation on Monday and I'm a Crab.

2008-08-16T22:50:00Z

I am taking a break. I have been cleaning all day in preparation for vacation - I just hate coming home to a messy house. I am sore. I am tired. DH is not helping. He's in my way & he's done very little today while I slave away. And the dirty looks in passing were useless since he didn't look up from his book. It's putting me in a crabby mood.

I still have a lot more to do before I feel like I can call it a night. I hope he decides to pitch in and clean the stove. It's a nightmare and he's the cook that caused it. And outside the back door looks like a junk yard with all of his outdoor cooking accessories, buckets, cut tile pieces, gas cans...I hope he cleans it to my satisfaction. He is oblivious to mess and I have been cursed with borderline OCD and while I try to overlook the disaster...sometimes I just can't ignore it anymore. Ugh.

Well, off to scrub the kitchen floor because although he doesn't see the coffee stains from when he carried the used filter from the counter to the garbage, dripping a trail of old coffee...it's been there forever and it doesn't look like Mr. Coffee Drinker is going to clean it.

Update: Another break. DH is still on the couch. My attitude has improved though. Just waiting for my second wind to get me through the rest of the rooms. With working full time, running DD to tennis every night, and yes - a DH who could be nicknamed PigPen, I just can't seem to keep up with the house so that when I do clean - it's an all day or even all weekend event.

Old farmhouse = big kitchen, small office, living room, family room, full bath 1st floor, laundry room, home office/guest room, enclosed porch, dining room, mudroom, 3 bedrooms upstairs, 2 full baths upstairs and hallway. (Total = approx. 16 rooms. And cleaning doesn't mean "clean". There is always remodeling/home improvement clutter in some of the rooms. I just do the best I can.

But, making progress. Moving to the upstairs next and I'm more of a night owl...so I may be up until 2 a.m., but it'll get done. I'll sleep in, pack and run to the store tomorrow and be ready for vacation to Punta Cana Monday! All of my efforts will be worth it when I return and walk in the door to a clean home!

Update #2: Still going strong, but break time again. I am getting so much accomplished! I'm a crazy woman with a mission. I just came up with about 5 garbage bags full of clothes for good will. Okay, so I'm not just doing routine cleaning. But, ever since DD moved out (she's 19), her bedroom became a storage room filled with tons of clutter and junk. So, I got things organized! I feel so much better. Time to dive back in! I am so going to deserve vacation after today and tomorrow!

Vegetarian Dinner with a dash of Arrogance

2008-08-15T01:19:00Z

With all of the home projects (my pictures are at roeshel.googlepages.com) we haven't had the time to put in a garden this year, but my dad just dropped off TONS of fresh corn on the cob, green peppers and green tomatoes! And since we're leaving for vacation in 4 days and need to eat them up...we just had a vegetarian dinner with just those vegetables tonight.

DH and I stood side by side in the kitchen (a rarity as I usually get banished ... since he's the "Iron Chef" in our household). Of course, his arrogance about him being the better cook (in HIS opinion...only because he enjoys cooking more than I do) was a little crowding and I stomped away once. It wasn't 1 minute and he was yelling "Mittens...come here" and we were back to a pleasant environment. That's usually how our "arguments" go.

Of course he loves cooking - he makes a huge mess, comparable to the Muppet's Swedish chef and I'm obsessive compulsive about a clean kitchen so it's more of a "chore" when I cook. I clean as I go along. Heck, it's actually even more of a chore when HE cooks! Our stove is a nightmare! I try to look at the bright side...it's a blessing that my DH doesn't notice dirt and messes, right? And the dog just LOVES to be in the kitchen. We call her the vacuum-wiener.

That was the highlight of our evening. Now he's watching the Steelers and I'm heading to bed to read until the game is over.

School Shopping Part I Completed

2008-08-13T01:46:00Z

After work, I headed to the mall with my daughter. I drove the 1/2 hour to Ross Park Mall (closer to Pgh) which has more stores than our own mall. I didn't change out of my heels, so my feet hurt and while it's fun shopping with DD, I want to throw a tantrum that I didn't get anything! lol Believe me - I saw tons of cute work clothes...but seeing how I'm not going to need to be dressing professional soon, I fought the temptation and focused on just her.

My daughter is so cute. She's been up and down the stairs 4 times so far showing me each outfit. I'm enjoying a personal fashion show and catching up on blogs in between. Even though she's 4 inches shorter than I am, we can wear the same clothes and shoes (except pants/jeans). So, she helped herself to a pair of my boots with one of her ensembles. But it's okay. I have my eye on one of her new bracelets. If only I can find it ... remember your room as a teenage girl? It's frightening!

Since we were close to DH's office, we asked him to join us for dinner. But when he was done, we were still only on the 1st floor of the mall so he went on home to eat leftovers while we finished shopping and DD and I had a nice "girls only" dinner at Outback.

We ordered her personalized shoes from converse.com and we still have to order her jeans from Delias - since she's a 0, extra short. Every pair of jeans she tried on were 2-3 inches too long. She may think she's grown up ... but at 5' she's still my little girl. :)

Vacation Countdown

2008-08-11T22:33:00Z

I really hate Mondays...today was no exception. With 3 people being off, I've become the "go to/back up" and something that's to take 60-90 days needs done by Friday - who takes time off without preparing for it, leaving it for someone else to handle? Isn't that really rude? I'm not too happy.

Thankfully only Tues. - Fri. to go and then 12 days off in a row, 8 of which I'll be spending on the beach with DH, sipping rum runners, relaxing and getting a tan! Woo hoo!

So, I'll return tomorrow morning doing the best job I can, it's all I can do. Circumstances like this reinforce that I made the right recent decision. So, even when I return from vacation...another countdown will begin! I can't wait!

This morning - in August! - it was in the 50's! Perhaps that's why DH made chili for dinner? It felt like fall. I'm not ready for summer to be over. I've only been in my mom's new pool once. I also have to take DD shopping for school clothes and supplies THIS WEEK before we leave since she returns to school the day after we get back! Yikes!