Friday, April 27, 2007

IRON #3

Today, I just want to sleep! I think that I'm getting sick with a sore throat, sniffles, and a double earache; and I am so worn out from the 25 hours of set designing! The musical was last night, and it was so great. The kids looked so cute, and they sounded great! The show from start to finish was MAYBE 25 minutes. All the hard work was worth it, right???

Sleep. That's just what I need, but alas...it is not meant to be. Today the telephone people have to come. We have been without phone service since SUNDAY. Today is FRIDAY. They did finally tell us the little trick of plugging a phone directly into the digital service modem, so it works in one room. However, I'm not sure plugging in and checking the messages was such a great idea. By Wednesday, there were 17 messages - all wanting something! Thankfully, not a lot of people have my new wireless number. I'm trying to decide whether to keep it that way or not.
Right now, I'm leaning toward not giving that sucker out to too many people! So anyway, the phone guy is coming between 8 and 5. I'd love to sleep but don't want pillow marks on my face. Don't you love how they can't seem to narrow it down to at least a two-hour window??? This broad time frame not only means no nap - it means no gym, no grocery store, NO FOUNTAIN SODA.

The phone guy is not Iron #3. Having to be here all day will actually probably help where Iron #3 is concerned. For some insane reason, I agreed to host a group of college kids in our home Saturday night. Clean sheets need to be put on all the beds. Mattresses need to be moved in and put on the floor. The whole house needs to be de-cluttered and cleaned. I also need to get snack food and breakfast. Ten. That is the number of kids I agreed to keep. Only five of them will actually sleep here. A family member near here agreed to sleep the other five so they could all have at least a mattress. However, we will be transporting, entertaining, and feeding all ten during all but actual sleep time. Ahhh...Iron #3. I could have said "no". The kids are not even from the university we attended! I just felt so sorry for the woman at our church trying to place so many kids on such short notice. It will be fun, and my own kids will love it. It's also an iron that will be gone from my fire by Sunday morning.

Now, if I can just make it through the double-header that Mr. Brownstone has tonight, and the two birthday parties we have tomorrow...I'll be ready for those college kids. At some point, I have
GOT to get to the grocery store! And sleep, sweet sleep! I really need some sleep!

Monday, April 23, 2007

IRON #2

Tornado's scout troop. Whether it's a boy scout troop or girl scout troop is not of importance, so I'll leave out that particular information. What is important is that there are a LOT of them. It's not a small troop - 25 members to be exact. Regardless of their age - also not important - 25 kids is a LOT of kids.

Guess who is a scout troop leader. :) Now don't get me wrong...I don't ask that as a way to complain. I
love being a troop leader. I love the fact that my best jeans are currently covered with cement mix. I love the fact that there is cement tangled in my lovely long locks. The part I don't love is the cement on my favorite Aerosmith t-shirt. Actually, I might even love that, but I am sure hoping that it comes out in the laundry. I didn't remember that today was a cement activity. I might have remembered except I was at school working on those school musical sets all day...by myself.

Lots of things are going on this week and the next few weeks. There are
so many things I could blog about but right now, but I still have cement in my hair, and I've got plans in an hour!

Friday, April 20, 2007

IRON #1

OK, so technically, it's not Iron #1. There are currently too many irons to count right now, and even if I could think of all of them, it would be difficult to do so in order. So...for the purposes of this blog, it will be #1 since it is the first (with exception of blogging about beginning a blog) of which I'm writing.

Twister's school musical. It will be adorable. It needs props, sets, and background. These things are provided by the parents. Guess how many people worked on props, sets, and background? We could start with a guess of 150. There are about 75 kids, and most of them come from two-parent homes. We'll immediately half that number to 75, though, because one of the parents is working; but you could realistically figure one parent per kid might be available to help. However, let's be conservative and say that half of those remaining parents work, too, leaving us with 37.5 workers. Out of generosity, we'll round that down to 35. Since it's Spring, we can assume that maybe 25% of those 35 have seasonal allergies (like me) and just cannot stop sneezing long enough to cut and color. That leaves us 26.25 people, but again, we'll be generous and round down to 25. Out of those 25 remaining, let's assume that half of them have a sick child at home, or even a healthy preschool child at home. That leaves us with 12.5 parents - let's round it to 12 - that could come help with props, sets, and backgrounds. They aren't that difficult. Twenty minutes - that's the length of the program. It's not Broadway - there will be no Tony Award for set design! They all have a child participating. It will be adorable. Twelve people could knock it out pretty quickly, right? Twelve out of 150, or 8% - that's pretty conservative.

Now I present to you the question once again. "Guess how many people worked on props, sets, and background?" Less than 2.67% of the original 150. Less than 34% of the conservative 12. Two parents worked on props and did a fantastic job! One parent - good old Mrs. Brownstone - worked on sets and background. Three and two halves! (The two halves is actually made up of two people that worked on sets and background for about an hour each.) Now don't get me wrong, I could have not shown up, too. I could have stayed home with my sniffles. There's a number of other things I could have done. I'm not bitter, though. The sets and props look great, and it was fun! It's also for our kids. It's for MY kid! What's a school musical without the props, sets, and background anyway? And did I mention...the musical will be adorable!

IRONS IN THE FIRE

Does a blog count as another iron in the fire?

Time will tell. I've never been very good at journaling...too busy. :) I am a list-maker, however.
Lists help me keep all of the fire irons organized. Well, they at least make me FEEL organized, and they have the bonus of making me LOOK organized to other people. Ha! There lies the rub. People think I'm organized, so they keep handing me these irons... Who knows what they would think if they could get a really good look at the illegible mess on the paper. I'm one of those people that scribbles down thoughts that come much faster than I can write. As a result, sometimes I write really fast, I move around to different spots on the page, and rarely manage to get down a complete thought. Lists do, however - they REALLY DO - keep me organized.

Currently, all of the irons I've got in the fire are ones that I enjoy having heated. It's a nice feeling. Sure, it gets a little crazy sometimes, but even so, I feel happy in all the aspects of life right now. I'm not a soap opera and bon-bon kind of girl anyway - "Lost" and ice cream maybe - but not soap opera and bon-bon. It feels good to be busy!

TWELVE MONTHS OF PERSONALITY TRAITS

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

BLOGGING CHICKS BLOGROLL


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"TEN THINGS TUESDAY" GUIDELINES

To read (and link to) the most recent "Ten Things Tuesday", please click HERE!

To learn about the inspiration for this carnival, please read "The Hostess With The Mostest".

XBOX Wife Ten Things Tuesday

Updates in blue on 4/15/2008 at 2:27 pm.
  1. First thing you need to do is GRAB THE CODE FOR THE “TEN THINGS TUESDAY” BUTTON! It’s super cool, and it would be really awesome if you could put it in your sidebar and in your “Ten Things Tuesday” blog entries! (Those are real clouds, by the way!) Make sure you copy and paste the entire code!!!

  2. Each Tuesday, I will post a list of ten things that I am thankful for that day. I like to post things that have actually happened that day, so my list most likely will be up soon after the kids leave for school!

  3. Write a post listing your ten things that you are thankful for that day - no matter what time! If you find this list on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday...by all means, post and link anyway! The link is open until the following Tuesday. I don't limit thankful expressions to only one day of the week! You also do not need permission. This carnival is open to anyone that has a reason to be thankful...which is everyone!

  4. Please leave a link only if you have created a "Ten Things" list. Nothing personal, but I will delete the link if I cannot find your "Ten Things" list.

  5. Please come back to my "Ten Things" post for the day, and post a link to your actual post ~ not the front page of your blog ~ in the "Mr. Linky" section. That way, people can find the exact post for which they are looking! If you are not sure how to do this, you can learn by clicking here. If it is your first time to link, let everyone know by adding "(first time!)" by your name. (Example: Mrs. Brownstone @ XBOX Wife (first time!))

  6. Please, please, please...mention "Ten Things Tuesday" and provide a link back to my page on your actual "Ten Things" post each week (even if it's in your sidebar), so other people can join in the fun and thanksgiving; and so they will know that XBOX Wife is the hostess of this carnival. That we people can find this even if Tuesday has come and gone! If you aren't sure how to create a link, email me, and I'll be glad to help. By you providing a link to me, and by me providing a place for you to link, it will be a great way to help this thing grow! This will be the hub of all the activity, but it will be beneficial to everyone that participates.

  7. Please do not host your own "Ten Things" ~ it's something I'm passionate about, and I'd like for people to link back here!

  8. Be sure and click on other people's lists and leave them comments, too! By encouraging one another, and by celebrating what we each have to be thankful for...well, that will just bless all of us! Don't forget to leave a comment here, too!

  9. Have fun with it, and be thankful!

  10. Come back each week for more of "Ten Things Tuesday"!!!
To learn about the inspiration for this carnival, please read "The Hostess With The Mostest".

To link to (and read) the most recent "Ten Things Tuesday", please click HERE!