I fail...I need priority help

I have now taken public steps to admit I need help. I am an addict! Not that I cannot live without these items or that I would go to great lengths to neglect my family or important responsibilities but I am neglectful. I am a total, utter, and complete addict to reading my daily blogs. I have my blogs that I subscribe to, follow,m read to see how my friends are (since we don't always chat), I check on their Tweets (Yes, I now Twitter, OMG), and of course, I Facebook. I am everywhere on the net......except class.

My second to last class before graduation, by far the toughest class I have and I cannot build up enough enertia to log on to class and complete my assignments. OMG!!! I have senior-itis!! That has got to be it. I mean I would rather clean my house than to work on homework....how sad is that! Plus my sister got me hooked on these reviews, so now I have to devote more time to doing that because I find that on a greater entertainment plane than my financial forecasting. Sigh....I must go log in before I lose anymore time, but sigh, I also have to start dinner, at least I made a fantastic 2-layer strawberry cheesecake. Thanks to the folks over at Kraft Foods I could whip that yummo dessert out in 20 minutes flat, plus some dinner ideas for the week. So I'm off to see my grill about a flame and make some dinner.....maybe I can get some homework done and still get my cardio done....or just get my cardio in. Sigh....

Wordful Wednesday

I am such as slacker....I have not posted since last weeks Wordful Wednesday, but I have an excellent excuse! Not that last week was Spring Break, but this week's Wordful Wednesday will explain.

Have you ever been able to start a project and finish within a few short hours or a day? Yes how nice that would be in my world of complete, total, and utter organized chaos. You see I love a clean house, but I never get to enjoy a clean house because the task takes me ALL DAY. Not that I have a large home, but having two gnomes follow your every move, defeating each completed task, a five year old who has no concept of the word "clean" at all...except that it's something that has to do with Mom, and a husband who will put a recently dirtied dish into my empty kitchen sink when the dishwasher is inches away. Ah yes, the joy of cleaning a home. I truly love to clean my home, sick I know, I suffer from some serious OCD so when my house is clean I feel like I can do nothing and that my fruits will be appreciated. WRONG! They will be appreciated in a manner which yields dirtying in a short matter of time. My stainless steel appliances will once again be tattooed with little hand prints, smegma, and other stickinesses, my floors will be littered with crumbs, toys will be strewn, pillows will be tossed, clothes will be piling. But in my cleaning pursuit, that I was able to accomplish TODAY, in ONE DAY, which NEVER happens, I took pictures to prove, I do clean my home and it is clean...if only for a few short seconds....maybe a few minutes....and if I am REALLY REALLY lucky.....hours.

So I have G's Room, My room, the Squids' room (with them in it), my Pride and Joy (kitchen), and my bloggy multi-purpose TV area (see the laptop to your right...that is my perch) and they are all spotlessly clean!! Dusted, vacuumed, fans are cleaned, beds are semi-made, no clothes on the floor (even my room....which is amazing!) and all my windows are open to let in the fabulous fresh Arizona spring air.

Thanks again Angie for starting, sharing, and letting others share in the Wordful Wednesday!

Ten Things Tuesday...on Wednesday

This is my Ten Things Tuesday on Wednesday (DUH, I know), but yesterday I was bombarded with school stuff since this is my second to last class. I decided I needed to rant, but I was taught to show some gratitude so enjoy my spin on Ten Things Tuesday, on Wednesday and make sure you thank Mrs. Brownstone.

1. I am so thankful I have a MIL who offers to babysit all the time. However, she always makes sure to find a reason why she can't and or puts stipulations on babysitting.

2. I am so thankful I have a house that I have to clean daily.....as I so LOVE to clean my house everyday, ALONE. Because you know I fired Yolanda....oh wait....I'm Yolanda.

3. I am so thankful that I had classmates who worked as hard as a prima donna socialite, but I am thankful for the learning experience of working in teams.

4. I am so thankful that I have a yard and wonderful plants that are in dire need of watering, since I am the only one who ever notices they need watering....and get watering from me.

5. I am so thankful for the Mexican food I had for dinner tonight....I can't remember the last time I had Mexican food.....but I couldn't enjoy it since the Squids were fussing to take a bath, so I had to leave my love to care for my other loves.

6. I am so thankful my kids have grandma's....because I know at least one of them spends quality time with them...

7. I am so thankful I have someone who takes good care of me.....which is me.

8. I am so thankful I have a blog....that I wish I could devote more time to....like the time I devote to my 3-4 loads of daily laundry.

9. I am thankful I have a great dog.....but wish the rest of the family would love on her as much as I do.

10. I am thankful I have some audience to listen to my thanks....and in this case....my rant.

Wordful Wednesday

I have to say that one of the most awesome joys of being a stay at home is to be able to watch; to just watch how your children grow, react, learn, and how they become his and her own person. I took this picture tonight actually, not for any reason other than I just love these two little people and cannot believe how I, Karie Herring, carried them for 36 weeks and 4 days and brought them into this world and how this world is now their world. They no longer wanted to eat in their high-chairs at the island, so it's now their world and their little dinner table to chow on some good eats. I love my Pickles Magoo and Little Bity with their mouths full of Macs-N-Cheese and strawberries.

Be sure to thank Angie over at Seven Clown Circus and share your wordful Wednesday.

Wordful Wednesday

I was planning on letting this photo speak for itself, but in the spirit of Wordful Wednesday I will provide a little background and some 'splaining. The Squids love these fluorescent green golf balls and they were always fighting over who would get one.....well....Pickles always ended up with it. He ended up with it because he had a secret hiding compartment....his mouth. The picture is of each of them with their golf balls and Pickles Magoo expelling the ball from his mouth. Yes, the boy got his mothers mouth in more ways than one we think. I just love that he looks like a chicken laying an egg with this photo.

Thanks to Angie over at 7 Clown Circus I am hooked for the "Wordful Wednesday".

Who's to Blame?

I have to say that I am totally and utterly sick and tired of bullshit emails reaching my inbox about the economy. I mean really, we see enough of the gloom and doom each night on the local news and then top it off with a sugary version from Brian Williams. I love our country for all of the greatness she possesses along with her weaknesses, this is what American culture is all about.

However! I have to say that I am so sick and tired of our new president and the poor folks (such as myself) who work in the mortgage industry continue to take the blame for the current state of the economy, union, and world.

Yes, I am in the mortgage industry. By trade. My educational background is business and finance, however, you can make a mean living on commission and live larger than most doctors or lawyers. Funny thing the mortgage industry. We have been called greedy bastards, we forced SOOO many of these poor souls who have lost their homes into to terrible loans, we might as well be the devil's advocate. For a moment, lets pretend that the mortgage crisis did not happen. Then what? We still have greedy bastards who want to buy more house than they can afford. I mean truly this is the case. I live in one of the hardest hit areas in the country, I am at ground zero and I watched folks grasp, steal, lie, pillage, and damn near thieve their ways into these homes and loans. In the mortgage industry I helped folks refinance their homes, purchase homes, and extend lines on their homes. But I refuse to be blamed as the sole contributor to the state of things.

My job and duty as a personal loan consultant is to advise my clients about their finances, the future of their finances, and tell them what they can and cannot afford based on lending guidelines. I lost many loans this way. Fine by me is what I can say. i can say that I did not put folks into stupid loans unless they insisted and I basically informed them of the inherent risks and would do what any professional would do......tell them they are going against sound advice. Just as if you were a patient seeing a physician and decided to go AMA (Against Medical Advice). Don't get me wrong....there are some really shady MoFo's out there that conned someones aunt, uncle, sister, mother, brother, father, who ever into a crap loan that defaulted....however, everyone has a choice. The choice to sign the documents at closing, the choice to not sign documents at closing, or rescind the loan altogether. Which means they void the loan within the three day grace period allowed on all refinance loans.

I think another big beef is the carry over of blame....lets blame Obama. I mean really???!! Where were you guys the last eight years? I remember in 2004 the Fed was putting the stops on interest rates because they foresaw these events, economists saw as the bubble was growing like a monster, the economy was doomed. I think the only ones to really blame are ourselves....for wanting too much, for nothing (Yes I had morons calling me for 4% loans with no money down....sorry that ship has sailed), and blaming everyone else but ourselves. This goes for the corporate heads who also reaped the rewards and were so sinfully blind with greed they too are now paying.

That's my rant for the day....I just had to share....especially because I am on the front lines helping folks reorganize their mortgages and helping folks to still buy homes...the old fashioned way.

TEN THINGS TUESDAY

I haven't done one of these in quite some time. In such a dismall time in our world we need every bit of joy, sunshine, and happiness to keep our hopes alive, well, and provide reassurance that a light will be at the end of this dark tunnel we travel through at this time. Please pass on your thanks in the blog world and don't forget to thank Mrs. Brownstone. Please post what you are thankful for, happy about, or just want to share some good feelings.

1. I am thankful I was able to wake-up this morning so easily and enjoy a HOT cup of coffee without interruption.

2. I am thankful that G had a great day at school and didn't get another ticket sent home.

3. The twins took TWO naps today....and at this moment are still asleep...I will pay later, but Im happy they are getting some much needed rest.

4. G asked me to come outside and play Star Wars with him....I am so glad I am cool enough to play with the boy....most of the time DH is the one being summoned to be Darth Vadar.

5. DH got home early enough this evening from his trip to Salt Lake to spend time with the fam.

6. The Squids both jumped up and wanted to be held by DH when he got home.....this warmed my heart to know they adore him as much as G and I do.

7. I got to check in on my fellow bloggers today.....I don't always get to do so and today I very much enjoyed the opportunity.

8. I get to do my nightly constitutional tonight....my 1.5 mile jog.....just me....the road....the full moon and my iPod....

9. Tomorrow is Wednesday....the middle of the week and next week is Spring Break....HALLELUJAH!

10. With next week being Spring Break, I am looking forward to my nephew spending some boy time with G and they get to have all sorts of fun boy time, which also means, girl time with my sister.

What are your TEN THINGS.......

Sing Us A Song....

The lyrics are ones that pretty much everyone knows. At least I hope you know the lyrics and tune to the ever famous Billy Joel song "Piano Man". Billy Joel is by far one of my favorite artists, as I have so many.

Seems my youngest son has joined me in my love for Billy Joel. The soothing sounds of the ivory keys on the piano seem to set him at ease......or maybe the sound of Billy's voice touches his soul, I am not quite sure.

One day while driving on the freeway with Pickles Magoo fussing I tried everything from the Binky, a blanket, a bottle, you name it I tried it and the poor boy wouldn't quit. So I couldn't handle the screaming and thought I would turn on the music and turn the volume up a little louder to help drown the crying. (I know...bad mommy....but we have all been there at least once) Little did I know that the musical genius permeating from my speakers would put the boy in a DEAD SILENCE!

"Scenes from an Italian restaurant" came through the speakers and the Pickles Magoo was hypnotized! No one believed me....and I mean no one! Until one day when my mother was riding in the car with me on our way home from Sun City that she became a believer. (Cue Monkeez music...HA HA) Since those moments I have been trying to capture the elusive actions of Pickles Magoo as he is a fuss budget and then suddenly is in the trance of the Piano Man himself. The best I could do was the other day on our way home from our trip to Costco. Unfortunately the picture from my cell phone is less than desirable, but from my perspective you can see Pickles Magoo fighting the inevitable sleep creeping in and just seconds before I turned on the camera and the radio he was screaming as if someone was pulling him limb from limb. Enjoy what you can see...and hear of the Piano Man.

For the ailing heart

My love recently moved back to Arizona and I have to say that I am so selfishly excited, exuberant, wetting myself in joy, bouncing happy to have my sister home again! I know she is happy to be around her family again, but I know her poor heart cries for the South. My sister should have been born in the deep South with the Confederate flag and all I swear!

For one, I named my sister. I named her after my best friend from Sunday school and her name was Brittany. So because I loved my best friend so much I thought what a fitting name for the person who was destined to be my best friend! So my sister was born and she has been a feather in the wind floating around to everyone and everywhere. From a very young age my sister would spastically wave to everyone.....and I mean everyone! I remember she would talk endlessly to the bakery staff at Bashas' market, partly because we got free cookies, but my sister was friendly to everyone. If we moved, she had friends that day. If we went on vacation, she had friends to come with, new ones she would meet along the way, and she was by NO means shy. My sister was dainty without tact. By that I mean she was very lady like in she would wear a sweet night gown and put her hair in curlers, but then proceed to do kart wheels in the front yard....WITH NO PANTIES!

Yes....my sister was born to be a Southern Belle.

So to ail her poor aching heart for her southern pleasures in the dismal desert we call Arizona I have found some "Southern Comforts" replacements or close seconds:

Apple Ice Cream - The best I could find, which is right down the road from her house is The Apple Dumpling Cafe and they serve everything under the sun apple...including her ice cream.

Crickets - We got crickets. And later this summer she will her the never ending chirp, hum, hoop, and purr of the Arizona locusts, or as we call them "secadas" (suh-kA-duhs).

After the Rain - In Arizona she will get to see rivers flowing....literally, so no more crying your own as the Almighty will provide you with flash flood rivers through the neighborhoods and dry river beds, quite a sight!

The Deer - In Arizona, we don't have the axis deer frolicking through the wood of the south, but we have PIG! Javelina will wander through your yard, maybe even a stray skunk, foraging for food. On a good day, maybe some coyotes, jackrabbits the size of a Bulldog, and your occasional Gila (thats HEE-LAH for you Yanks) Monster.

Wildflowers and blue bonnets - Those will be replaced by dandelions, sunflowers, Mesquite blossoms, tumbleweeds, Bouganvilla (BOO-gun-vee-yah), and the Fishhook Cactus blossoms.

Lightning bugs - We don't have the glowy butt bugs that I miss too from a childhood spent in the midwest, but we have some SPECTACULAR lightning to be seen and FELT here during the Monsoon. We also have grasshoppers and locusts that fly in droves in early June through August that look like a dust storm. Only here too can you see a dust devil as high as a house.

So while I know your heart yearns for the dirt road, where everyone knows your name, and the pace that is just barely faster than a snail........the desert and all her beauty are your South-Western home. And we are glad you are back and love to be able to spend so much time with you and your family.

She is Possessed

The spring air brings all sorts of funny stuff. I like to call it the seasonal full moon. People are frolicking about like dogs and cats in heat, bugs are mating on my wall under the porch light at night, birds are chirping and chasing one another.......and then Little Bity decides to act like a demonically possessed child straight out of a Poltergeist sequel.

I swear to you she is just the sweet little dainty girl of 30 inches and 19 pounds (hence the Little Bity) who smiles at you with her six teeth sucking her thumb and then.........the demon awakes! Yes the demon awakes inside her as you try to set her into her high chair for feeding time, dressing her, and or changing a diaper. Changing her diaper is bar none the WORST! Thrashing, kicking, screaming, hysterics as if she was trying to escape someone who was bludgeoning her to death. I mean she gets so worked up that she has these HUGE crocodile tears, is gasping for breath as she calms herself, and then......you walk away from her. OMG!!! Then the process starts all over, I just can't win!

The worst part about her moments of complete and total demonic possession is that she only does this for me!! WTF???!!

Yeah, DH comes in to get her dressed and she is all smiles and babbling and just hangs out while he gets her into her jammies. Which leaves me totally bewildered and thinking, okay, maybe I just did something and didn't realize, she will be better next time.

WRONG

The demonic kiniption fits have gone on for, oh say, the last three days and I am about on my last raw nerve of her screaming. I can handle screaming, but her scream is ear drum shattering, psycho thriller, girl being chased and scared awful scream. I am thinking about investing in a good set of ear plugs for her.....if anyone knows where to get a great set I would love to know.

Hypnotic!

Something can be said about the Phoenix metro area.....and NO not that it is F'ing HOTTER THAN HELL....yes, that is true, but not for at least another month. Something can truly be said for the early spring mornings and cool evenings that bring an extra something to the air.

If you are a native of Arizona, and especially Phoenix, you know what I am talking about.

CITRUS BLOSSOMS!!!

Yes, the smell of citrus blossoms are so strong that the scent is purely hypnotic. Almost borderline makes you want to puke the scent is so strong. I love it! I was on my nightly constitutional last night (my evening jog) and I was excited by the new scent I was able to enjoy. Not the typical city scent of warm evenings past and not the scent of the mule and two quarter horses taking residence in the pasture just a block from my home. Nope, I received the sweet, hypnotic, brings back childhood memories smell of the citrus blossoms. If you ever get to the Phoenix area this time of year just take in that smell......one of a kind! Man I love Spring!

Love the Look!

So I needed to give a HUGE shout out to my baby sister who so lovingly spent time working on my blog so that it looks SUPER FISHY for this Herring family. Please check her out sometime over @ The Greer 5.

I love you Bri!

K aka Mrs. Fish, aka Two Fish

Easy BBQ Potatoe Salad

The Herring's (Us) had a fantastic BBQ get together with the Greer 5 and the 'Rents on Sunday. I took my first stab at Potatoe Salad to which DH said I should have bought it. Only because he thinks I show off by cooking everything from scratch.....to which I do! So here is my super simple, super tasty, easy peasy Potatoe Salad:

10-12 medium Russett, Gold, or Red Potatoes (all depends on your taste buds)
1/2 c. Mayo
1/2 c. Miracle Whip (or Yogurt for a lowered fat alternative)
3 T. Yellow Mustard
1/3 c. Dijon, Horseradish
2 sticks of celery, diced
2 branches fresh Rosemary, or 1 T. Rosemary
2 green onion sticks
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut potatoes in half and boil in water for 15-20 minutes. Be sure to blanch (dump in ice water)the potatoes as they will continue to cook even after being removed from the boiling water.

2. While potatoes are boiling in a large bowl, mix mayo, Miracle Whip and Yellow Mustard. Begin to dice onions and celery.

3. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove from skin as best as possible, dice into bite size squares add to bowl with wet mix and begin to slowly churn. While churning, slowly add onions and celery.

4. Continue to stir and add Dijon horseradish while adding spices to taste.

5. Serve immediately or put in fridge until ready to serve.

Serves 10, 136 calories per serving!

What's Mine is Mine and What's Your's is Mine

A life lesson every child should learn and learn well is to not get into people's stuff unless asking permission and keeping your hands to yourself. However, some children grow into adults and fail to keep their hands to themselves and root through every one's belongings as if they have a right to them.

Today I have been dealing with the quarterly rotating of clothes. I so hate this daunting task of going through the Squids' clothes to see what fits, what doesn't, what is to be donated, what is to be traded, what is to be sold. (Yes I am very anal about the clothes.....I am so OCD about this) So I am fighting with Pickles MaGoo about not getting into the boxes I have so properly organized based on size and the aforementioned. I fail, however, to keep anything in a box since he finds taking the items out of the box and tossing them all over the room to be great fun! I, on the other hand, do not find this at all funny. But I finally am able to finish and have all my boxes labeled and stored neatly until the next rotation, which should only be semi-annually now. (*crossing fingers)

Finally after dealing with that I go to take a reprieve and see DH and see how his workday is going only to find out he has dealt with one of my accounts and taken it upon himself to reorganize without consulting with me first! THE NERVE!!! I mean the account is mine, yes you have access, HOWEVER, this does not give you the right to DELETE something because you have your own OCD clutter issues. MY STUFF IS MY STUFF! I know, let it go, but seriously the fact he did this unnerved me because I just finished dealing with 2 gnomes digging in the middle of my project that I was hoping to only take an hour..........3 hours later!

To top off the rest of my (ever so organized) day (HA HA!), I find that Big G has decided to take buttons off my laptop keyboard........AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GO! They are not the typical, QWERTY keys, nope, these are those stupid keys you rarely use, like Page Up and Page Down. So my brand new laptop has been reduced to the value of a tin can with no wrapper on it to determine the contents.

*Sigh

Tomorrow is another day with a whole new list and another set of aggravations that I will laugh off after they all fall asleep and I am burning my excess frustration through massive quantities of cardio.

Peace

I have to say that I really have had ZERO motivation to post all the cute, adorable, pant wetting stories about my kids this week. Terrible, I know. So while feeling in the pooper, which I think PMS has a bit to do with this I came across this FANTASTIC site that I wanted to share with all of the bloggy world:

http://www.billionacts.org/

This site brought a huge smile to my face while feeling totally crabby and agitated. Check it out and I hope to read someone else's story that I know on there.