When Excited Turns Anxiety

The new-ness and the excitement has faded. Okay, just the newness faded, the excitement is very much alive, but over shadowed with anxiety.

We are very much looking forward to moving home, but oh! so many decisions and so much to do.

Decision #1

Buy or Rent?

I'm 99% sure that we need to rent for a while. Yes, it will suck to pack up and move again, but our house hasn't sold and we'll need to some time to get back on our financial feet after yet another upheaval.

Decision #2

Where to Live

Various communities in the greater Sacramento are on the choosing table. We're leaning towards living as close as possible to David's store. But as I look at many, many pictures of rentals online, I'm noticing (in myself) that much of my decision relies on the kitchen in each home. What kind of coutertops? How dark are the cabinets? Am I going to have to put up with fluorescent lighting?

You would think that the schools would weigh heavier in my decision making.

Decision #3

My Job

I have been so fortunate to have found good people to work for and with here in Montana and also when I was back in Nevada. I hope that luck will follow when I find 'the perfect job' once we're settled in back home.

While these are just a few things that I am stewing over today, other decisions will be much easier to make, like after-school daycare. Easy! Jaye. Where do we go for Sunday dinner? Easy! My parents' house.

The other night I heard David mumble "I want to move, but I don't want to move". Ditto.

Then yesterday I could tell he was really looking to get a reaction out of me when he said "I don't want to move home anymore". He simply was in shock after seeing 116 degrees in the forecast.

The four of us are looking forward to being back in California. But in the weeks between now and then, I inevitably will become the ultimate basket case.

Consider yourself warned.

Would You Like to Have a Side of Disgusting With That?

With the news of our little family leaving the Big Sky State for smoggier skies, I had a hint Friday of how 'Montana' it really is here.

I went to lunch with three co-workers at a smoky bar before heading to the bowling alley for some employee appreciation.

While I studied the menu, looking for something safe, there was my 'Montana' reminder. Available under Appetizers were both gizzards and Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Need I say that I chose neither?

"Don't Make Me Come In There"

The older my kids get, I find the weirdest things coming out of my mouth. Some if it the standard parent dialog "because I said so, that's why".

But last night was less than ordinary.

Maddie had been on the phone with her beloved cousin, Paige, for what seemed like hours when I heard the bathroom door close and lock.

I questioned myself and the situation after I hollared down the hall "don't drop my cell phone in the toilet".

Huh?

Jack Go Under the Limbo Stick

Where, oh where do I begin?

I called in sick to work today. This hovering stomach flu finally attacked me. I really feel icky, but it was nice to take in some Regis and Kelly and a bit of Meredith's next-to-last day on The View.

I had to drag myself off of the couch today to take Isaac back to the doctor for allergies. More meds. This guy is on allergy medicine, a nasal steroid, eye drops and then add in today's antibiotic and another steriod. Ugh.

We got some long awaited news today. But still not as much as I'd hoped for. David's position has been eliminated. He will apply for the new position (in up to 5 locations) on June 19, but we won't know anything until mid-July. More limbo. More unanswered questions. More stress.

Our computer has been sick. It has been reformatted and software re-loaded. Email refused to back up (all I cared about really was the pictures) so I have lost all of my email addresses. Drop me a note when you have a minute so I can build those up again.

The weeds in the back yard are getting taller and taller, even though the front yard seems to be doing well. I am very anxious to dig in (literally) and get the back yard done, especially if we need to sell it in a couple of months. Does Santa and the Easter Bunny have a friend named 'Back Yard Fairy' we could call in?

This could prove to be a very strange summer, and not in a good way. I wonder who will have the anuerysm first, me or David.

My Vinyl Jacket

I found my little treasure a couple of months ago at the vintage clothes store just down the street from work. I passed it up, didn't buy it. But I loved it. The practical side of me knew that it would sit in my closet and collect dust and turn, well, more vintage.

The vintage clothes store relocated a few weeks ago. Today we ventured out to find their new digs.

The new place was just about 5 blocks from the old, and it was about 5 times the size. Oh, how I wished JP and Jaye were with me to look at the beautiful gowns, some of them in our size, even. I especially loved a orange-sherbet gown, probably made for a prom. Some of the blouses were almost cute enough to buy, others were just plain wretched. All the tacky jewelry, again, almost cute enough to buy.

I didn't find my little treasure right away. I wouldn't say that I panicked, but I was definitely bummed at the thought of someone else making off with my vinyl jacket.

Vinyl jacket? You're thinking I fell off my rocker. Well, maybe I did. But it's mine. When I found it mixed in with all the other treasures, many of them far tackier than mine, I knew it was now or never.

My little vinyl jacket with embroidered flowers made it's way home with me today to live eternally in my closet. Maybe someday I'll get brave enough to wear it with a pair of faded jeans and a white T-shirt. But for now, it's good enough to know that it's mine.