Back to School--AAAAAAHHHHHH

So it's Saturday and Julia starts middle school on Monday.  How can it be that my tiny little Russian Beauty is old enough to go to middle school and I haven't aged a day?  She is thrilled and excited and not nervous at all-I am freaking out.  Middle school is tough.  I remember the mean girls.  I so hope she doesn't find them although I know she will. 

Thanksgiving and being thankful.

I wasn't feeling particularly festive as this Thanksgiving approached. Winterstorm Alfred left us without power and water for EIGHT days. During that time we lost Barney. I really thought he would live forever. I knew he was nearing the end and yet when it came I was completely unprepared. I know many shake their heads insisting he was just a dog. To me he was so much more. He was there for me for 12 years with a wag of a tail and a kiss. He was always happy to see me and always seemed to know when I was down and how to cuddle up next to me and make me feel better. He was here before my children. I still wake up surpirsed he's not here. Putting out our Christmas decorations of course I knew I would feel pangs of sadness as I pulled out his ornaments and stocking. He is back with us now and sits on the fireplace in his "gold package" cedar box. I miss him. Every day I look at where his bed was and I'm just a little sad. I am thankful that I had him for 12 years. I am thankful that I was with him at the end and I am thankful that he is no longer sick. I am thankful that I have Katya to cuddle now. I am thankful for a wonderful family and loving friends. I am thankful for all the blessings I have and they are so many. God has been good to me. Things are not always easy but I have so much more than most and at this time of year it is good to remind myself of that. So Barney love have fun at the rainbow bridge. God give him an extra cuddle for me and thank you for sharing him with me.




Thank you to my family and friends for sharing Thanksgiving with us. We had good laughs and a wonderful dinner prepared by so many hands. We could have held a bake sale with all the goodies we had. The first anual Black Friday lunch party was also so much fun. Olives will forever make me laugh :)

Happy Thanksgiving.

Operation Sale

Okay St. Joseph I'm waiting do your stuff! The house is officially on the market now for almost 3 weeks. Only 7 showings so far which our broker assures us is great in this market, really?

I hate this market!!!!

I know Daniella there is a chair for every ass so I'm looking for our proverbial BUTT!!!

But I suppose be careful what you wish for...where will we go and who will do the packing????

Sabatical?

Readying the house for sale has been a full-time job. Any one who visits right now feel free to open any cabinet, closet or drawer and you will find them all meticulously organized and neat. This has been hard work but the real work is in maintaining it. The only way to do that is to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. With school now out Christopher my human wrecking ball cannot be left in the house for any length of time without something getting un-organized. So I decided that I had no choice but to resign from the basement. I know you're all thinking that's what I wanted any way. Okay you know me so well--inside I was doing a happy dance. I had two weeks off while SHE was in the Cape on vacation. I had no intention of going into the basement alone or just with HIM because I know he had no vacation plans.

I procrastinated (it is me we're talking about) until Thursday (SHE'S due back Sunday). I call on her cell and SHE answers. I ask about her vacation only to find out SHE just got there the day before because SHE was so busy with work -- gulp. I then say in my sweetest voice "oh no I'm not going to make you happy then because I have to resign." SHE says "uhhh may I ask why." I know SHE was thinking it had something to do with Anthony and the computer work he did for them when SHE was less than professional. I tell her about the house and the kids, etc. and SHE says "I completely understand why don't you take the summer off and come back in the fall?" I am completely dumbfounded..."huh." So I am off for the summer and that makes me very happy now if I could get this house sold I would be over the MOON!!!!!

And now a report from the basement....

So operation healthy Alice continues although I must say it is more of a challenge than I like to admit. Old habits do die hard, unfortunately. So for now I'll keep silent on that front until I have something earth shattering to report....please don't hold your breath on this one!

Alas I have to share more basement escapades. First, have I mentioned it's a million dollar house? Yes, it is and yes she drives a lovely and expensive car and yes the girls go to private school but NOOOOOO they do not turn on the air-conditioning. It was 82 degrees in the basement today if any one cares. It was HOT!!!!

So both He and She were home this morning when I arrived. This always makes for a fun day for me. He goes outside to take a call (no cell service in the basement) and She proceeds to tell me that he has reached the end of his rope and wants to close the business and move to Florida. I'm seriously thinking that is what I want to do too, but decorum requires that I say "oh no what's going on?" He's feeling so much stress and it's getting to him. I do understand that feeling so I am sympathetic (really I am). So I mention that Anthony and I have decided to sell the McMansion and go into a much smaller home in a development where you can spit into your neighbor's windows. All our acreage is way overrated. She perks up...really where is this development? Really.... we're going to be neighbors. OMG I can't even imagine it??? I can see me as the one who is chasing the angels down the street trying to get them to go home for dinner. OIY.

Well as I walked up the stairs back out into the light of day today...I called down "if you're still here, I'll see you Friday."

Neighbors...really??????

Day Two and -- Friday at the Basement

Take that will-power! Today was day two of healthy Alice. I laced up my knock-off balance ball sneakers and away I went. I didn't go as far today, but I went faster. Today I was prepared. I had my healthy snack packed and I didn't go into any store. Yeah for me! So now my reward...cold savignon blanc.

I'm sure after my health update that you want to hear more of my basement escapades. I got to the basement at 9:30 this morning which is perfectly on-time. I march up the front walk-way and knock on the door and try to walk in because the door is usually open and the knock is just a courtesy. The door was locked. Mmmm I think, that's strange. I ring the bell and I hear a definite scamper of feet. This is odd. So I go around to the side of the house and peek in the garage. I'll bet you've never peeked in your office windows have you? Ah ha I see that only HIS car is in the garage. HERS is missing. I get back into the car and I call HER and there is no answer; I text and still no answer. So I decide as if I'm still in college and waiting for a late professor that I will wait 15 minutes and then leave. I was doing a little Friday happy dance in my head. Then I swear 14 minutes later the garage opens. It's HIM and he doesn't even try to fake surprise. He knew I was out there the whole time. I ask him if SHE wanted me to work today and HE just shrugs...seriously just shrugs. I then put on my professional hat and say well I'll just check my desk and see if SHE left anything if that's alright(of course). HE says go right ahead. Then HE leaves. Okay here I am in their house alone with well nothing I feel like doing. I figure out a few things to do and then HE comes back. Yikes I need to look busier. Meanwhile SHE texts me that SHE will be home in a bit. Whoo hoo can't wait. So in SHE comes like a hurricane (so cliche I know) with the two angels. SHE checks on me and then announces that the housekeeper has arrived (thus the screams from the angels)and SHE is off to get her hair done. The noise that ensued when SHE left was a caucaphony (always loved that word)of non-angelic sounds. Finally, it is 2:00 pm and I am on my way. I climb the stairs and emerge into the kitchen where I see one of the darlings sitting at the island being coaxed by the housekeeper to do her K*umon sheets. English is not this woman's first language but her eyes tell the story. Ridiculous and they don't pay me enough for this crap. I know, I feel you I say back with my eyes. Then the little cherub takes off and this woman chases her around the house. I just stood there watching--not believing what I was seeing. All the while HE was in the basement doing well I'm not really sure what. I yelled good bye have a good weekend and made my exit...Can't wait to go back on Monday-NOT!

Gettin' Healthy

So I've decided to get in shape. Yes I know I've said it before but this time my goal is health rather than size. Hopefully, size will be a nice side effect of health, but only time will tell. Today is the day, I get up eat a small healthy breakfast, complete with fruit. Impressive eh? Then I laced up my balance ball bottom sneakers, drove (I know what you're thinking) to Main Street for a walk. I live on a vertical hill which would be a great work out but even my friends think it is over my fitness head. I thought about parking at the bottom and seeing how far I could get back up but decided against due to the embarrassment factor. I walked 1.6 miles -- not bad I think to myself. Please do not judge...one day I'll run a 5k really I will. Then in my infinite wisdom I decide to go to the local health food store. I needed to pick up some vitamin e oil for Julia's hands. So far so good right...so where did it all go wrong? Well by this time it is 12:45 p.m. and my small healthy breakfast is long gone and I'm starving. Everything in the store looked good. Still I press on and I try to pick up only those things we need. I almost made it, sigh. On the way out I pass the ready-made counter, what could it hurt right? I promise to remain in control--NOT. So I decide to get myself a cup of soup, no harm in that. Yum, white bean soup. I ladle it out into the container and don't take the bread--good for me. Then I decide I should get a small container of the black eye pea salad. I'll have that later--again sadly NOT. I also get a package of organic lemon cookies--bad bad idea.

So the end result was I ate the soup, I ate the salad and a handful of cookies. The moral of this story is yes I should have the healthy breakfast, lace up my sneakers and take a walk and then go home and have lunch. I should NOT go to a food store when I'm hungry. I suppose I should know better and I should also know my weaknesses. I have NO willpower. At least I made some healthy choices and I found a cool app for my phone--cardio tracker thingy that will tell me how far I went and how fast I did it...very cool all while I'm listening to classic books on podcasts on my phone. Tomorrow again I will lace up those sneakers and do better -- really :)

Let's see how tomorrow goes.