Lifetime Friendships

One of my close friends had his 40^th birthday party this weekend.  I must admit that it is nice to get together with people in my age range before my big birthday hits.  It helps me realize that it is not such a big deal and that I’m very lucky to be living somewhere that I have so many wonderful friends.  I spent most of the evening catching up with another friend’s wife.   

By the end of the party, a group of us ended up standing around talking for a while.  Several of the guys got sentimental and appreciative of our long lasting friendship.  Sometimes I can't believe how many great friends I have had for over 20 years. Now, I can skip closer to my birthday feeling even happier for friendships that span a lifetime.  

Lice Prevention Fanatic

A little over a year and a half ago before I moved back to Texas, one of my good friends here quickly became a lice expert.  She would treat it, but it kept going around her school and coming back again.  She ended up doing a lot of research on the internet and driving herself half insane trying to completely rid her family of this problem.  I remember her horror stories too well. 

For some strange reason, I started talking about lice two weeks ago to another friend.  We were talking about how horrible it would be.  Like me, she has long hair and so does her daughter.  She commented that she would probably go to a specialist and pay the $500 for them to get rid of it.  I didn't know that was an option, but realistically, it is not an option for me to pay that kind of money.  I was just glad that I hadn't heard of any cases. 

Last Monday, I decided to shave Jordan’s hair.  I had been thinking about letting it grow a little since winter is coming, but I pulled out the clippers and buzzed it off without even thinking about it.  On Thursday, I was so glad I did.  I got a note from his school saying a child had lice.  All the kids were checked, but they wanted us to keep an eye out.  Suddenly, I was so thankful to have a son that is too energetic to cuddle or lie down where other kids have been lying.  Good thing, they don’t have nap time for his age at pre-school. 

My alert level was definitely kicked up another notch this weekend when a friend whose kids attend a neighboring elementary told me that her daughter got lice last week.  She said that the best treatment is olive oil in a shower cap for about an hour and using a flat iron.  The chemical shampoo sold at the store is not only very harsh, but the lice have become resistant to it.  She also recommended tea tree oil.  I already use tea tree shampoo for the kids, so I didn't think too much about it.  She lent us one of her flat irons in case we would need it. 

I made sure to wash Lexi’s hair with tea tree shampoo last night.  Another good practice that I already do is that I RARELY let Lexi go to school with her hair down or even in a pony tail.  I was feeling pretty safe.

This evening, I took the kids on a walk.  We saw one of my neighbors/friends and I asked her how she was doing.  She said, “Horrible!”  Then, she proceeded to explain that she just noticed her daughter in 4^th grade came home with lice.  I told her about the olive oil and cap.  As my kids and I walked home, I decided to kick up my lice prevention a notch. We headed to the grocery store and bought 2 bottles of tea tree oil (one for us & one for my neighbor).  My kids will get a little drop on their necks every morning.  Lexi will also not only have a braid; her hair will be up in a bun.  I'll have to get creative.  I have cautioned her about hugging other kids and laying her head on their shoulders.  Sadly, this is no time to be affectionate.    

Just Vote

Since it seems like the whole world is taking to Facebook to express what they are thankful for as well as presidential candidates, I'm going to dedicate this post to both topics.  For the record, I voted 2 weeks ago in the early voting.  It is off of my To Do List.  Voting early has made it easier for me to ignore all of my strongly politically opinionated Facebook friends.

This year, I am thankful to be living in a state that is clearly not a swing state.  When I lived in Florida and California, the months leading up to a presidential election were torturous.  Getting bombarded by political ads, mailers, hand-outs, signs and is rather horrific. 

Several years ago, I got to see local political corruption at its worst.  I witnessed it at the City of Miami Beach.  It left me sick to my stomach for a few months.  Ever since then, I have an aversion to the whole system although I recognize that Miami is known for their corruption and it shouldn't taint my view of all politics.  Don’t get me wrong, I see the value of the government and I appreciate what they do.  I just hate politics – even office politics. 

This year, I am happy I live in Texas.  We all know who is going to win here, so the candidates don’t even bother to campaign to Texans.  Maybe they do a little, I don’t have cable or even local television channels.  Almost all of the bumper stickers and signs that I've seen have Mitt’s name on them.  I haven’t even received anything in the mail. 

I don’t consider myself a Republican or a Democrat.  I like to look at the issues and vote for the candidate I like best.  A few months ago, I took one of those online matching tests that identifies which candidate lines up with your views best.  It was back before the Republicans had picked their candidate.  The results were that 77% of my views were shared by Mitt Romney and 75% of my views were in line with Obama all of the other Republican candidates were a distant 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, etc.  I just laughed, so much for Romney & Obama being polar opposites. 

I think that is as far as I want to go with my political talk.  I am not here to convince you to vote for either candidate.  I believe that we give too much credit to the office of president.  Whoever wins will not have nearly as much power as we believe they will unless congress sides with them.

This post isn't over yet, I do want to mention our celebrity sighting.  It has been a while since I posted one of these:

Photo from Oprah's Magazine

My kids happen to be rooting for Mitt Romney, because he goes to church with my mom in La Jolla, California.  He is there almost half of the year.  My mom, the kids and I have been around him and his family.  First of all, his hair really is that thick.  He also LOVES his grand-kids more than you hear/read about in interviews. They sit in his lap at church and adore him.  He is very cute with them.  I’d say more than most men in his generation.  He is very funny and personable.  

People often talk about his handsome sons.  It is true, they are.  However, the thing I remember the most was how absolutely GORGEOUS his daughter-in-laws are, especially the mom of the two on the far left (one standing & one waving).  Sadly, I can't tell you her name.  I am better with faces.  She is a complete knock-out.  In fact, she is so perfect that you would expect her to be the biggest snob you've ever met.  I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely nice she is.  She, her husband and kids ended up living in the Romney's La Jolla house for one summer while we were living in California.  Her sons were in the nursery at church with Jordan so I saw and talked to her quite a few times.  

By the end of today or maybe in a few days, we'll know if Lexi & Jordan can say they met the president.  

Burning Up

It is certainly time to pray for some REAL rain for Texas. We are burning up. I am glad that I live in an area where there isn't an active fire. However, we have fires to the west of us and fires to the north. Sadly, there are choking clouds of smoke everywhere. I am tired of smelling and breathing it.  We even had ashes falling around our house on Monday evening.  The weather has finally gotten a little cooler and now the smoke forces us to stay inside.

On Sunday, my son started announcing to people that a hurricane is coming. I don't know why.  We hadn’t been discussing it or anything. I am simply hoping for a very wet tropical storm, one that lingers for several days and soaks everything.

Two Months In Texas

Today marks the two month anniversary of our return to grand ol Texas! Yeehaw! What’s not to love???? Overall, I can say that I am thrilled to be back, but it hasn’t been all dreamy easy. Basically, it is a mix of inner peace/pure happiness and worry/adjusting.

Adjusting hasn’t been an issue for me specifically. In fact, right as we were first pulling in I felt like I’d never left. Two years flew by. Everything is familiar and my friends all look the same. Their kids had grown up a lot, but that didn’t take long to get used to. My house feels normal too. Mostly, I just put things back the way they were. The sad part is that the house needs quite a few minor repairs and I just have to be patient while I get other things going so I can get to it. Lexi & Jordan have been trying to adjust though. They have loved being back, but they get sentimental now and then when they think about their grandparents or my sister.

Another issue is money. Isn’t it always though? Money is extremely tight (actually slipping back a little), but promising. In addition to my job, I have two clients that keep me jumping. Once those take off, I am looking forward to the cash flow improving. They both seem quite happy and I know I will be able to work better once school starts and there are more moments of quiet around here.

I guess another topic is my social life, which involves friends. I love being around old friends. I have quite a few here. There is just something too special about someone who knows you over more than two decades. They know my family and who I really am. It is comforting and still fun.

My love life is exactly where I want it to be, which is essentially nowhere with a little twist. The kids and I have gone on three play dates with that guy and his kids that I mentioned in the last post. He is SOOOO nice. He doesn’t want to date yet because his divorce isn’t finalized, which I think is the right thing to do. Plus, he is clearly suffering from heartache in the emotional rollercoaster of divorce. He wants and needs a friend just as much as I do. Although I am sad he is going through this, I am very comfortable with our platonic friendship that involves a little flirting. I quite enjoy talking to him too. I think this friendship is therapeutic for both of us.

Not bad or boring for two months of my life. In one more month and a few days, my little Lexi will be starting kindergarten. More adjustments with life moving onward.

Leaps of Faith

When I got out of college, I took huge leaps of faith several times. Twice I decided to move to a different city (Denver & Miami) where I didn’t know anyone, didn’t know where I would live and didn’t have a job. I just packed up my car and hit the road. I was quite nervous about whether or not it would work out, but I have moved almost every year of my entire life so I just went for it.

It is one of the things about me that my friends laugh at/half admire/think is insane. Getting older has slightly decreased my desire to do that, but it is clearly still part of who I am. This recent move back to Texas wasn’t completely into the unknown. First, I am still working for the company that I started with in 2002. Second, I knew that I would be moving back to my house. Unpacking has been easy since I mostly just put things where I had them before. Third, I know my way around town. Not only did I live here for two years before going to California, but my family has lived here off and on since we moved here when I was in high school. This feels like home for me. Fourth, I have lots of close friends here many of whom feel like family. There is nothing like having a long history/friendship with people. All of these points lead me to be being truly happy.

However, life is never completely perfect. I have had to get use to sharing custody. Not that there is anything wrong with it or that it has been difficult, but I am a little over protective as a mother in some ways. I think I have been doing a pretty decent job of sharing though. Unfortunately, my main concern is our financial situation. I am currently only working part-time for my company. With the very slow (practically stopped) economy in Florida, that is all they need from me. I have decided that the best way to cover the bills is to do a little consulting on the side. I know I am great at my job, but I just have to find clients. That is why I have been absent on my blog. Basically, I’m busy with another one of my leaps of faith. I just pray that this one goes as well as all the others have.

Happy New Year & Goodbye Shopping!

It is that time of year again, when many people make resolutions. I always like to spend at least a few moments to review the previous year, think about the upcoming year, and re-set my priorities. This year, I don’t have much to rehash, but I am looking forward to possible big changes this summer.

I am planning to move back to my house in Texas. Now, I wish I knew how or if it will all work out, but that is my plan. My tenant’s lease ends on July 31st. I would really like to get Lexi enrolled in kindergarten there, which starts the middle of August. My dream/ideal situation is for my company to put me back on full-time in September. I can enroll Jordan in the same place that Lexi was going before we left. He would start right after Labor Day. Sounds like a great plan, but I know life often takes us in different directions. I still really want this one though.

While my company is doing ok, the economy in Florida has been suffering. There are not a lot of contracts out there. I am desperately praying we win one so that they don’t have to worry as much about agreeing to the full-time. My other option is to look for a job, but I am hoping I don’t have to go that route.

In order to make this transition easier, I realize that I am going to need money. Most situations in life are easier with money, right? Knowing that, I have decided that it is time to become an extreme penny pincher. I have never been very good at it, but I am certainly going to try.

So, here is to a New Year of penny pinching for the greater good!

Lightning Speed

Our place was listed on the MLS on Thursday night, so things were completely crazy this weekend. It turns out that keeping it spotless isn't nearly as bad as having to evacuate every time someone wants to see it, especially around nap time. We had a showing on Saturday, two on Sunday, and three on Monday. Apparently 5 out of the 6 wanted it, which means that we should have asked for a little more. Perhaps another $50 a month. Oh well. We took the first good applicant. The realtor is running a credit & criminal background check. We should have a report by tonight. The future tenant wants to move in on August 1st, so we have approximately 3 weeks.

While this is very good news, it has also added a whole new level of stress. This makes it all very real. We have to start packing. Plus, Steve still doesn't have a job and doesn't know what he is going to do at the end of this month. That makes us both very nervous, but him more so of course. I am just glad we'll have someone giving us enough money to make our mortgage payments.

The job hunt is going fairly well considering the poor economy. Steve is great at networking and talking to anyone and everyone. He also has an amazing gift of being able to talk to strangers. I am hitting the e-mail and internet side hard. He has two companies that are interested in hiring him. Unfortunately, one of them THINKS they'll have a project for him the middle of August. The other one wants him if they get a project. Basically, the search continues...

~Heat Wave~

With record temperatures and heat advisories, you can bet that we are quickly melting here in the Houston area. I am not writing to complain though. In a way, I am glad to be experiencing this. After spending some time in San Diego, I have realized that it never really gets hot there. In fact, my mother, sister, and step father have mentioned that they kind of miss the heat (at least a little). No matter what time of year, they have sweater weather whenever the sun goes down. I am not sure that is for me. I barely know what it is like to have sweater weather in the winter. So, I am telling myself that this heat waver is going to carry us over for a while.

To beat the heat, we have been going to our community pool (actually more like a water park) most mornings. We have been staying in during the afternoon while Jordan sleeps and I work. Then in the evenings after dinner, we usually go out to our backyard, which is completely shaded at that time. The kids eat ice cream cones and go down the slide. We also usually end up hosing them off, but mainly to clean them.

As with everything in life, this will not last. Next week, the highs are only supposed to be about 98. After this week, that will feel cool.

The Swine That Flew

We’re home and I think I should have seen the torrential rains that followed us from Fort Stockton all the way home as a bad omen. We were slip sliding our way across Texas with a few very scary hydroplaning incidents and times where we could only see a few feet in front of our vehicle. The rain didn’t even clear up once we arrived. It rained enough for severe flooding and school closures.

Now that the rain has subsided, the big issue in Texas is swine flu. Quite honestly, I’d heard the reports throughout our road trip, but figured that it wouldn’t come to our area in the suburbs. WRONG!

Yesterday afternoon, I took the kids for a walk right about the time school was letting out. There is a junior high about a block from our house. We have to pass by it to get out of our neighborhood. As we were rounding the corner, I saw news helicopters flying over the school. I thought that there must have been a car accident. We kept walking, but I didn’t see anything except kids excitedly leaving the school. I overheard one kid talking on the phone saying that the school was being closed because of Swine flu.

When we came home, I turned on the news to see if it was true & it was. I couldn’t believe it. Lexi decided that she wanted to break the news to her dad. She said, “Dad, the school is being closed because the swine flew.” She even added arm motions for effects. It is always nice to have a little laugh.

Unfortunately, my kids seem to be coming down with something. I don’t think it is the flu. I am guessing that Lexi has an ear infection and Jordan is getting a cold. Never the less, I’ll be keeping them away from everyone for a while until their immune systems are back to normal.

Not Ready to Leave

Our time in California is quickly coming to an end, and honestly, I am not ready to leave. I know I have been here for about 6 weeks, but it feels more like two. Time certainly flies when you are mostly having fun. I would probably stay longer, but there are some pressing issues I need to attend to in Texas. Besides, I am not sure that a working vacation is considered "real life." Then again, who wants to deal with the reality of life?

One of my friends from Texas called about 2 weeks ago to see how we are doing. She jokingly asked me if I plan to stay indefinitely, because she knows that I am not exactly the kind of person that establishes roots. I had to laugh. I really like Texas, besides I just can't imagine how people can afford to live in San Diego.

After talking to her, I decided to do some simple price checking. First, every item in the grocery store seems to be at least $1 more than it is in Texas. Also, gas is about $0.40 a gallon more. Now for the big things, a tiny studio apartment is slightly more than we pay for our mortgage, property taxes, and home owners association fees put together. There is also a little church on the corner by my mom's house that has a child care program. I checked out their website and discovered that sending one child there 2 half days a week costs the same a month as sending my two kids to 3 days from 9am to 2:30pm. That was a big shocker. I didn't look into anything else, but I am guessing that things like car insurance and utilties are substantially more too.

So, HATS off to the Californians for finding a way to make it all work. I know there is no way to put a price on some of the benefits like the beach, moderate weather all year, and of course the ability to go to SeaWorld every day for one low price. I will miss it all.

**Should I even mention that the thought of adding California to the list of states I've lived in seems exciting? Yes, I am crazy.

Yeehaw!

I love this time of year in Texas. Between Texas Indepenence Day and loads of Rodeos, there are plenty of opportunities to wear our cowboy and cowgirl gear. What could be more fun? I guess I need to buy some boots for me.

Great FALL

I am finally starting to enjoy my favorite time of year, Fall. Unlike places up north, I don’t get to gaze upon the colorful leaves or even think about wearing sweaters and jackets. However, the temperatures are starting to cool off enough that we no longer need to hide from the scorching HEAT (now the highs are only in the high 80s). This is the time of year when Houstonians start to live again. We can hang festive Fall décor in our yards and houses. Plus, there are lots of festivals (pumpkin festivals and the Texas Ren Fest), county fairs, fund raising events, and activities that don’t require bathing suits. I am also looking forward to my favorite holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Not, that we have anything planned, but I can’t help getting excited every year, especially this year since I am NOT pregnant. I just get to drag my husband and kids around to a million activities and get them pumped up about the upcoming fun.

Not Normal Yet

Even though we are/were lucky, things are still crazy out where we live.

Two days ago, the grocery store shelves were empty, but people were lined up to buy anything they could. Last week, I didn't buy any perishable items. We went to the store on Monday figuring that most people would be buying ice and canned foods. We made the loop along the sides of the store and found that the refrigerated sections were 95% empty. I forgot that stores here don't have a back-up generator. They probably had to throw everything out. The only items on the shelves were from local companies like Blue Bell Ice Cream (my favorite). I went again yesterday because Jordan loves Yobaby yogurt and we are out. I'd say the shelves are back to 50%, but still mostly stocked with local Texas products (no Yobaby).

The gas stations have long lines, but nothing compared to other parts of Houston. We hear that most places have 4 - 5 hour waits. I haven't needed gas, but I've seen the lines and they don't go on for miles. I would say there are about 8 cars for each pump. I think people from other places are coming here.

Schools even in our area are closed the whole week, which means that kids in Lexi's class will be doing the whole first week crying again next week. Fortunately, Lexi was fine and will probably be looking forward to playing with the kids again.

Some neighborhoods around us still don't have power. People are buying ice and going out to eat a lot. We only know one couple that is still in the dark, but I'm assuming that they are staying with their daughter who has power.

Steve had to report back to work on Monday. His office didn't have electricity so everyone sat outside for about 5 hours just chatting. Suddenly, the big bosses thought it would be a good idea for them to head to Galveston to help with clean-up. Once they discussed it, plans changed. While that is a nice idea, it would have been better if they started that morning. By the time everyone would get down there, they would have to turn around because of the curfew. Steve's normal projects are in the Medical Center, which is still not letting most of the employees back to work. He was asked to take over a store renovation project for another guy who needs to focus on his house.

With all these upside down things going on, there is one good thing - the weather is GREAT! After a whole summer of 95+ temperatures & humidity, we're so happy that the high yesterday was only 79 with low humidity. It almost felt chilly. It is slowly going to increase, but will still only be in the mid 80s this weekend. I hope they are able to restore power to most people before it gets HOT again.

Lucky Ones

I just wanted to do a quick post to let everyone know we are doing very well. Our neighborhood was extremely lucky and only suffered minor damage (our property had NONE). We only lost power for about 15 hours. A friend who lives a couple of subdivisions away invited us over when they heard we were without a/c. They didn't lose power, so we were spoiled. We actually had a nice time there. Lexi loved it, because they have twins her age.

Some of my friends & their parents who live just a few miles northeast of us were not as lucky, but still did well. The older neighborhoods in Katy lost big trees, fences and a few shingles from their roofs. We spent yesterday helping. Steve helped the most of course. Lexi picked up a few leaves. I did only minor things because there wasn't any place for me to put Jordan down.

For us, besides the power (which isn't an issue now), phone service hasn't been very good. Calls only go through about 50% of the time. We're supposed to stick to text messaging when we can, but they have been taking over 2 hours to go through. If you have friends and family in the Houston area that you can't reach, don't jump to the worst conclusion. For now, we'll all be praying for them.

I'll post more later.

Hunkering Down

The theme for this hurricane is "hunkering down." That is what they are preaching on television anyway. In Miami, that is what everyone does normally. I guess here the tough Texans need to hear it repeatedly.

Tonight, I'll be sleeping in Jordan's room. I hope I get some sleep. I am only doing it because of a story I heard a few years ago. My cousin & her husband woke up after a night with a hurricane to find that a tree had crashed through the wall of their nursery and was sitting only inches away from their baby's crib. They actually slept through that! I am a very light sleeper, so I can't even imagine how it could happen. The story still bugs me though, so I'll sleep in Jordan's room, which is right next to Lexi's. Trying to sleep in high alert mode is always a treat.

We only have a few more hours before the eye makes its way onto land. Out where we live, it hasn't been bad YET. I haven't noticed any rain and the winds only started picking up around 4pm. Now (9:30 pm), they are really whipping.

The good news for us is that the eye looks like it will fly by to the east of us. Actually since the eye is 60 miles in diameter, I should say that the middle of the eye will be east of us. The eye wall might catch us (oh fun!). Back to the good news, we are NOT on the dirty side of the storm. Most of the spin-off tornados will hit the east side of Houston. I feel sorry for them, but glad they will not be attacking us.

The bad news for us is that they expect over 5 million people to be without power. This may be my last post for a while. More than internet, I'm going to miss A/C and all the wonderful comfortableness that goes with it. Second on the list will be cooked food. We do have a propane grill for some things. Hopefully, our suffering either doesn't take place or doesn't last too long.

Bye for now. I'll catch you all when I can. Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Ike Comes Closer

Still keeping an eye on the storm...YIKES! By the way, I don't think anyone here has hurricane shutters. In fact, I don't see many people preparing yet. Maybe today? They are talking about the storm, but acting like life goes on as planned. I guess I am used to Miami where everyone knows they will be bunkering down for a few days maybe more. We'll all be learning the hard way, especially if it hits as a Cat 4 like they were talking about last night.

In the Cone

This is the time of year when Southerners suddenly become a lot more interested in the Weather Channel and sites like weather.com. This past week, we've been tuning in a bit more often. See the little red star in the cone of Hurricane Ike? That is where we live.

Before living in Florida, I would have never guessed that I would actually turn to the Weather Channel and watch for extended periods of time. That just seemed boring. I am guessing that if I hadn't lived there I would still not be able to have it on for more than a few minutes.

Should I even admit that when I lived in Miami I actually wished for hurricanes and tropical storms to come near? I guess since I wrote about it on my blog back then, it isn't a secret. I didn't want them to damage any homes or hurt anyone. I mainly wanted the county to be scared enough to shut down. That was my only chance for a day off of work due to weather. Some of those days turned out to be quite pleasant.

Now that we are living in Houston, have kids, own a place (that I still need to get home owner's insurane for the interior on), and don't have hurricane shutters; I have can't see any personal benefit of hurricanes. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that I am working at home? That means that as long we have power & internet, I must work. I am definitely NOT going to wish for the power to go out. The temperatures are still reaching the mid 90s here. We would melt!

I know I have a laid back attitude about the storms, which isn't a good thing. In my defense though, it is a good balance to my husband. The worst hurricane I have been through was Katrina & Rita (in Miami where they hit as a Cat 1). My husband was living in South Florida when Andrew hit (Cat 5). He helped with the clean-up and re-building. Because of that, these storms seem to cause a bit of fear for him. He wants to go out and buy a generator, plywood or shutters, and all of that. I just make sure we have gas, water, and food.

...So, it looks like over the next few days we will be tuning into the weather channel. I just hope we don't make the national news because of the damage it causes. Oh & Jim, you seem nice, but feel free to stay away.

Birthday Boy

Steve turns 41 today. He is actually taking one step over the hill (hahaha). We had a small party for him on Saturday with a few friends and their kids. Actually, I think there were just as many kids as adults. That really livens up a party.

The fact that it is his birthday today also means that we've been living in Texas exactly a year. We pulled in on his birthday last year. He can't believe it, but for me it feels so normal. I think it is because I was familiar with everything here. For me, it just seems like we've been here longer.

To celebrate these two things, I'll be making Steve's favorite thing for dinner - lasagna. I'll probably even run out to Ooh, La, La, Dessert Boutique and buy cheesecake (his other favorite).

Beating the Heat/Old Navy Ad