Imagine My Surprise

So I'm not a huge fan of Facebook. I think it's cool, it's cute, it's a way to keep in touch but I'm a blogger at heart not a social networker. Well, not an online social networker.

But I talked to my cousin today, and she's been updating my sister on Facebook and I realized if nothing else, I want to stay in touch with her.

I had the time to talk to her because I was driving four hours today to Connecticut and back.

On the way there, I placed a series of calls, leaving messages etcetera. Hoping to catch a few people. My cousin was later on the list, but when I reached her, boy did I. We talked for almost an hour.

During that time several people cut in. Thanks to the magic of caller ID, I saw their names flash across the screen. First my husband, then another, then a third. I didn't pick up but as soon as I ended the call, I hit redial and grabbed the last caller.

She proceeded to chit chat with me amiably, letting me know that she had received my message, did I get hers, and basically what she had said was a. b. and c. and not to bother listening to it.
All very chatty and happy.

Which was great. So time passes. I get home and tonight finally decide to join Facebook.

Where lo and behold my friend that I had JUST spoken to today left me a friend request. Likely lurking in the system from when she uploaded her profile.

I clicked on it.

and read her Wall.

Where she remarks that it REALLY annoys her when people say leave a message but dont check voicemail thus she has to repeat the whole call.

I have to say, I hear her point. That IS annoying.

You know what ELSE is annoying, that the voicemail notification app on my cell doesn't work when I'm on the phone and someone else calls in.

Passengers Wanted

I hate driving my husbands car. I don't mind that it's a Ghetto Saab Hyundai. It's actually cute. Zippy. Red. Sunroof. Sirius radio.

It's just that it's filled with papers and neckties and old Wall Street Journals in dirty plastic wrappers from the front yard.And installed within this otherwise cute as a bug car, The Ugliest Car Seat Ever, as purchased at Costco, by my impatient husband when I refused to make a decision on Ellie's "Big Girl" carseat.

Apparently he thought functionality was enough.
Shesh.

Point is, I hate driving it, because it's dirty.
I hate the carseat, because it's ugly.
And I hate the fact that every time I'm in it, something goes wrong.

The car alarm goes off randomly, the windows freeze - locked, the battery dies because the radio was installed wrong and he never went back (let's jump start it daily, shall we?) the back flap over the cargo area flips up. It's all very distracting. Very pain in the ass. It's like driving an extremely temperamental wedding planner.

So the other day, of course, I consent to driving his car with Ellie and her door doesn't work. I use the key fob, press the litle unlock button, I hear all the doors unlock, save for hers. This happens about three different times, all one after the other. I try using the btoon on the door. I tryy locking them all the unlocking.

Inconvenient. Inconvenient in the slush as I drag her across the back seat out the rear drivers side door.

I call him.
"Did you do something to her door? Like one of those safety things?"
Him: "No"
Me: Grumpy. "Fine"

I get home.
"Something's wrong with the door."

He assumes I'm an idiot.
This is a frequent occurrence.

"Did you try locking then unlocking them all?"

Honestly, my husband should work on a help desk. You know, one of those guys that asks about 17 obvious questions before getting to the point you were at when you called.

I advise him of everything I've done.
He's skeptical.

We go out together over the weekend.

And hallelujah glory be to the powers above, it happens to him.
Several times.

"Hmh. I hope it's under warranty"

A couple of days later, I open the back door to take out my bag.
I look over my shoulder to tell him that I'll get Ellie and I notice him leaning over laughing.

"What's up?" I check my butt, my hair. Back in the car. "What?"
"I think I know what happened to the back door"

And I look in and see Ellie with her shoe in her hand, and the toes of her right foot gliding over the door lock. Pushing it firmly then pounding it with her heel.
The door lock that she can't reach in my car.

She's so freakin cute that Ellie.

Good To The Last Drop

Like the good mother that I am, I plopped my daughter in front of (ugh) Yo gabba Gabba while I made various and sundry annual appointments.

A two year for her, an eye exam for her, a wisdom teeth extraction for the hubby and a mamogram for me.

I didn't feel old making the mammogram appt.
I felt old when I watched the little "cool trick" girl on Yo Gabba Gabba do the coffee grinder.
No. I wasn't feeling old because I saw it the first time it was invented (yeah, I was born before Flashdance)
I was feeling old because I fell on my ass trying to do it in Ellie's playroom.

Seriously.
Thank god I ran around rolling down the shades first.

It Takes a Village

Or more specifically it takes a Fisher Price Family Village #997 from 1973 with lithos gorgeously intact, both cars, the bridge, the restaurant furniture, the mail truck - with mail - the police car, the dentist chair, the firetruck, the phonebooth, some cheap ass plastic people switched for the real ones, and little rose, the girl in the red dress.


Seriously.
I'm the shit.

I bought the village for a crazy steal in Salem over the weekend from a guy standing out near a gas station.

I mean, he wasn't opening his raincoat for it, we had an appointment but it was eirily remincent of the time my girlfriend and I thought if you worked for Temporarily Yours Escort Service, all you had to do was go out to dinner with guys. Nothing else. And we were supposed to call Joannie from the payphone at the Chinese Restaurant at 3pm and they'sd send someone over to meet us.

It felt sketchy.
Dirty.

Like I was on a packey run circa 1985 waiting for Sully, Obie, Bri, Bri and Flash to come back with one sixpack of Heffenreffer.

Oh but the glory is mine.

I bought it for Ellie then promptly decided she was too young and put in in the empty china cabinet.

After playing with it for 1/2 hour.
Now if only I had the Merry Go Round.