Susan’s Journal

I ambled up to my desk this morning to find not one, not two, but three DVDs sitting there waiting for me. All three of the DVDs were full of music mp3s. Minus a couple games, there was just about two thousand songs on there. Okay, so maybe I’m a music psycho, but don’t you remember trading tapes with your friends of songs that you had made?
Today’s Song: royal guardsmen – snoopy vs the red baron

Do you remember the first album, 8-track, or cassette you ever owned? For me, it was “Merry Snoopy’s Christmas,” and this song was on there. I about shit my pants when I saw it was on one of the DVDs. What’s even funnier is I was talking about this German guy at work, and I started singing this song.

I really picked things backwards. Yesterday was a windy, not-very-nice day, and I ended up having a meeting until 3pm, but it was the day I picked to take off early and spend some time with Rain. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day, not very windy, and I got myself stuck at work all day–late even. Murphy’s law, I suppose.

At least it was a productive day. The last days of March are the last days to get in Flexible Spending Account claims, and we’ve been going nuts trying to get some paperwork in. Think of it like getting your taxes done on April 14th. Seems like we’re done, at least, so now we just need to wait.

After work, I picked up Dylan and met Scott at Rainlin’s school for her book fair. I told each of the kids that they could get one book, and I started remembering my own book fairs when I was a kid. I would come home with that newspaper-type flyer that had all the different books I could get at the book fair, and my mom would let me pick one out. Then she’d fill out a check for me to bring to school and use to pay for the book. I never really got real books, though; I always got activity books, sticker books, and stuff like that. Rain’s not into stickers like I used to be–or maybe she’s just not old enough yet. I remember what a big deal sticker books were when I was in grade school.

At the book fair, quite a few kids were running around with their little red Awana vests on. I didn’t realize Rainlin went to school with so many kids from her church class. After half an hour, we had to get to the church to bring the kids to their class. Scott and I took a little break while they were there and caught a quick dinner at Denny’s. He’s been having a really hard time eating lately, and I really feel bad for him. Most of the things he wants to eat are mushy, like scrambled eggs and pancakes. When we picked the kids up, they had each gotten a few new patches and jewels to put on their girl-scout-like vests. They really love it there, and people are starting to know us at the church. It’s really nice.

And in this picture,

Some beach… Someone offered to use my camera to take this picture for us. They did a great job. This was two or so years ago, when Scott went on our fifth anniversary cruise. Since we never had a honeymoon, we called it our anni-honeymoon. It was wonderful.

Today’s Song: sting – dead man’s rope

I can’t go very long without posting a Sting song! This song was the first one I ever set a dvd video to, and I’ll always remember it as that.

All day long, all I seemed to bump into was tired people. On the elevator, people were tired. At school today, my son’s teacher looked tired. At my daughter’s cheerleading tonight, all of the parents looked tired. It’s that holiday hangover day. Yet here I sit, almost eleven pm, typing up a journal entry while I should be sleeping.

And in this picture,
This is Luke, our wonder dog. We pour so much love into him; I’m so glad he came into our lives.

Today’s Song: jason mraz – the remedy

I guess this was a one hit wonder, since I had to hunt around to find out what this guy’s name was. I heard this song on the radio today on the way to work, and made a point to make a note of it; it’s one of those songs that you like, and you’re happy for that fleeting moment when it’s on the radio and you catch it, but then it’s gone again five minutes later.

I want to hang on to more of those fleeting moments.

Tonight Scott and I put the kids in bed and then watched “Ray” together. I understand now why it won so many awards, and I understand why Jamie Foxx is so highly acclaimed. It was really wrenching. The end was especially hard. I’m not really spoiling it for those who haven’t seen the movie; but most people know that Ray’s brother died when he was really young. At the end of the movie, the little brother George comes running out and tells Ray that it wasn’t his fault. Ray got to hold him in his arms, to hug him, to cry into his shoulder. After the movie was over, I told Scott that sometimes I lay in bed, and I wish that I could dream about my own brother, so that I could talk to him and hug him, even though he has never talked back to me in my dreams–he just smiles. I wish my mother had even the smallest inkling of how much I loved my brother and how much I miss him.

Towards the end of the movie, Ray sang “Hard Times,” and I knew it was a song I loved, but I couldn’t remember who I had heard it sung by. Then it hit me. It was Eric Clapton.

And some people think that a “day off” means no work? This is me today.

I saw one major accident today, and heard on the radio about another one that happened right near my house. I truly believe that people drive worse when the weather’s nice; something about being happy that makes you not pay attention to the road.

Let’s take the guy with the box of nails. He was working on a house or something, doing some kind of carpentry work, and he set the paper box of nails or screws, like you get at Home Depot, on the edge of the bed of his truck. He forgot about them, got into his truck, and drove off. I pulled up behind him while he was sitting at the stop sign, waiting to turn right. When he did turn right, the box of nails/screws spilled all over the road, and I swerved a bit to avoid them. At the next stop light, I pulled up next to the guy and tried to tell him that he had lost a box of screws out of the back of his truck, and they were all over the road. Being a woman, I was thinking they cost money, and he would want to go back and scoop them up. Him being a man, he was thinking I was a woman, and I was bitching about his driving. On top of that, he was Mexican and apparently didn’t speak English. All he did was smile and say “sorry” and drive off. So I called the police. No, I didn’t turn the guy in for dumping a box of nails–I wanted to tell the police about it so they could go out there and scoop all the nails up. The policeman said thank you, and I hung up.

I was out driving at lunch time because I had lunch with Rainlin at her school today. I stopped at Taco Bueno and got some food to bring there to her. Man, you’d think after eating there once I’d learn it was going to tear the ass out of me, but it tastes so good… anyways, she enjoyed her quesadillas, and I enjoyed my nachos. I got to see her beautiful smile, and all was right with the world.

Today’s Song: wallflowers – one headlight

Not many people know it, but Dylan was originally going to be named Jacob Dylan, after Bob Dylan’s son. We finally decided to name him just Dylan, and Scott for a middle name, the same as his daddy’s. One Headlight is one of the only songs I have ever heard Scott do at karaoke.

The kidlets both had soccer games today. Rainlin played a great game–I really think she’s got a natural knack for this sport. Dylan played, and he enjoyed himself, and he kicked the ball a few times, but he wasn’t as into it as I have seen him in the past. I honestly think it’s because he doesn’t really know the boys on his team, with us signing him up late and getting stuck on a team and all.

They did his soccer photos today. I snuck up behind the photographer, just like I always do, and took a couple pictures. Of course I still buy the photo package too, but I like to take snapshots while she’s working. Sometimes I even have the photographer in the picture–it adds to the nostalgia of the moment.

Speaking of pictures, I’m going to be doing photo shoots in the bluebonnets on April 9th and 10th to raise money for the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk I’m doing. If you live nearby and would like to get one of these bluebonnet photo packages, let me know!

Tonight the kids have two of their friends staying over. They’re growing up so fast… Rainlin got so tuckered out that she fell asleep on the couch half an hour ago. The three that are left are laying in her room in their pajamas, watching a movie. Hopefully they’ll be out soon too.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that I’ve gotten a paid Flickr account. I’m sure in some way I’ve been neglecting my homework for school a little more than I should have been the past few days, but I love uploading pictures and playing with albums. If you click on the icon for this post, you can see all the kids’ past Easter Bunny pictures. Cute stuff, especially that Easter two years ago when Dylan was scared shitless of the Easter bunny.

Today’s Song: blur – song 2

It came on the radio this morning, and I cranked it up. I taught the kids to say WOO HOO along with the song, and they loved it. This is one of the songs that makes me think of Emily–she used to love it when we were roomates in Virginia. When the song was over and the next song started, Dylan said, “Mommy, is this Song 3?” The intelligence there is mind-blowing. What awesome kids I have.