This'n'that

My teeth are so clean!  I love how my teeth feel after I've been to the dentist for a cleaning.  Yes, I saw the dentist this morning.  It's a lovely office, the staff is so friendly.  My dentist wasn't in today, so one of the other dentists checked my teeth.  I have a cavity, dammit.  I don't floss often enough. I go back next Tuesday to get it filled.  But right now I am full of teh happy for my dentist's office.  

It's beginning to feel just a little bit like fall!  Finally.  It is nearly cool today.  We're having a dreary drizzly day, the second in a row.  This is the kind of weather that induces me to go to bed.  It's a good day for napping or making whoopie.  Then napping.  We'll see what we can do.  Superman comes home for lunch.  Hmmmm.

Good news!  S got a job!  Yes!  He had an interview yesterday with the HR lady from K-Mart, and was hired then and there.  It's conditional on passing a background check; standard proceedure.  I'm thrilled!  He's thrilled.  C is thrilled.  There's a lot of thrill going on around here. 

 

I broke the washing machine.  S and Superman say that it wasn't my fault, that it just happened. On Monday I put a load in and started it up.  Evidently I got the thing too full or something, which is hard to do with a front loader like we have.  It seems to have gotten off balance though, and neither S nor I heard it.   S went back there to check on the washer's availability and found the dryer, which sits on top of the washer, was nearly knocked off the washer and leaning against the wall!  He put the dryer back upright, then noticed that the washer door was ajar.  The latch was broken.

It won't run at all if the door isn't closed, and with a broken latch the door won't close.  Grrr.  I called my washer repair man Monday afternoon, and he came yesterday evening and replaced the latch.  That's all that was wrong with it, just the damned latch.  This is the 4th latch that washer has had!!  The first two we broke by slamming the door too hard.  But everyone has been much better about treating in gently, so I don't know what happened this time.  The repair guy (yesterday's He-ro of the day) said he has never had to replace a latch on any other Whirlpool Duet washers, just this one. Strange. Gremlins or something, maybe.   Anyway, it works again (YAY!!) and I should be washing clothes right now.  Instead I am blogging.  

Do you recall when Manny's windshield cracked?  Well Monday I finally got a new windshield!  The window in the driver's side door shattered last week when I slammed the door too hard.  (Are we noticing a theme here?)  So we had to call the insurance dude about that, and Superman had them fix the windshield at the same time.  I have a new windshield with no big crack and no scratched and pitted surface!! It has been a joy to drive since then.  Sort of. Manny is having some starting issues.  Manny often has issues, you know.  He has issues with his windshield wipers, too.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  So far they've always worked on high, so I'm not going to do anything about it just yet.  It'll do.

I got a text yesterday morning about 11:30 from Twitch.  It said to pick him up at 12:30, they were being dismissed early.  WTF?  No other info, nuthin.  I called the bus office to see what was happening.  The boss told me the power had gone out in the school building, not to worry, all was well.  When I get a cryptic text with news like that, I worry that there's some kind of hostage situation, or a dirty bomb, or a massive structural fire, or a major terrorist threat.  I'm a mother.  We do these things.  Thankfully I know where to go for info.  So Twitch got to come home three hours early yesterday.  He was very thankful because he was supposed to give a presentation in Economics class, and he wasn't ready for it.  Because of the power outage, he got a day's reprieve.  I'm not entirely sure he used it wisely, though.  He may very well not be ready for the presentation  today, either.  He is like that sometimes.  

It was pretty cool, actually, and I didn't have to worry about picking him up later in the afternoon.  We went out to Sonic for lunch, then came home and I took a nap.  It was loverly.  

 

I think that's about all I've got.  More updates as the situation warrants.  Film at 11.

Things are looking up

I've had a good week since Monday.  Still feeling a bit ADD, but as Ur-Spo said, most people have a touch of it.  

S had a great day today.  He checked out a local social service source (not the one I recommended) that helps with GED preparation, offers the test for no charge, and helps with job placement.  As he was telling me all about it, I saw a twinkle in his eye that I haven't seen in a long time.  I showed him a new job posting from today's newspaper.  It was something I though he would enjoy: a greenhouse technician at a local nursery.  "What's that?" he asked.  You get to play with the plants.  "Oh!"  He went right over there and applied!!  He says he enjoyed the experience and feels pretty excited about the job, and hopes he gets it.  Me too, honey!!

I got my living room, kitchen, and Light's room all arranged last night, after Twitch and Diva and Sproing mopped the floor!  Yes, they did it, not me.  I like that part.  Sproing swept up the loose dirt and the three of them got in there with a mop and some rags and a bucket of soapy water.  It looked like they had fun.  I got a clean floor out of the deal, so I had fun, too.  

The things I wanted in each room are now in the desired room.  The particular arranging of things, however, is not to my liking yet.  But I can do the rest myself.  Twitch, bless his heart, helped me move the big things I really needed help with.

S hates the way I have things arranged now.  Oh, well.  

OH!  And get this!  S and C have decided to stop smoking!  Yesterday S came in and said "I've just had my last cigarette."  I saw C smoking this morning and asked about it.  He said "This is the last pack."  I hope they stick to this.  I told S about Quitnet, thank you Torn and Greg for informing me of this handy resource.  S was spouting all sorts of things about how much money they will save over a year, how much time will be added to their lives per year if they stop smoking now.  You know, the stuff Tornwordo has been telling us since July.  (Love you, Torn!)

This just in:  I saw S smoking in the back yard this evening.  He says they are tapering off gradually.  At 7 p.m. he was smoking his third cig of the day.  Interesting.

Sproing had an appointment with his therapist this afternoon.   He has been doing fairly well, pretty typical by 10.5 year old hyperactive boy standards.  She spoke with him for a little while, then let him play in another meeting room while she and I talked.  We discussed typical behavior for hyperactive 10-11 year olds with oppositional defiant disorder, things are as normal as they can be, I suppose, keep up the good work, yes it's difficult, etc.  Then she said "[Sproing] is lucky to be in your family."  Hmmm.  

I get that a lot.  You know I feel as though we are barely hanging on most of the time.  I know how many times I loose my cool, or hide in my room behind the computer screen, or when asked if they can [insert current desire here] say "I don't know.  Go ask your father."  I am all too aware of the many times I have no clue if what I'm doing is making any difference.  I know how often they ignore everything I say.  I know how often I say "How many times have I told you ..."  This woman is a professional counselor.  I'm supposed to trust her opinions, more or less.  But like I always do when people say "They are so lucky to have you as their mom," I figure she is mainly being friendly and polite.   It is nice to hear, yes, much better than something negative!  But even from the professional counselor, I don't fully believe it.  We may be a better family than the one he (or she) was born into, I suppose.  But I don't think we are any better than most families in our financial/educational demographic.  I am thankful for the encouragement, though.

After we left the shrink-wrap center (my name for the psychiatric office) I took Sproing over to Sonic, the drive-in "restaurant," for a cold drink.  As we sat in the truck sipping our slushes a red PT Cruiser pulled into the space to our right.  A young man, perhaps in his mid 20s, but maybe younger, was the sole occupant.  The only thing I specifically noticed about him was that he needed a haircut.  Sproing and I discussed the relative merits of PT Cruisers (pretty nice, I think) and red cars (about my least favorite color for an automobile).  I heard the young man place his order through the annoying speaker thing, and was surprised at his high, feminine voice.  I thought to myself "hmm, could be gay" and continued my discussion with Sproing.  A few minutes later, when the car hop brought the guy his order, Sproing was watching and listening.   He turned to me and said in an almost hushed tone "Mom, I think he's gay."  I said something like "could be," and that was that.  I was amused, and wonder what triggered Sproing's gaydar.  But I didn't ask.  

If there was more I wanted to say I have forgotten what it was.  Superman has had some late nights and early mornings the last few days, and so have I.  I'm going to pretend to get ready for bed now, as I am tired.  If I can just disconnect from this addictive box with its mesmerizing bright screen...