Splitting Up My Boys

So I have to admit that I am not the dedicated blogger that I set out to be 5 years ago.  Regardless, here is my newest crisis.

I received an email from one of my twin boys teacher that my boys are now no longer to sit together at lunchtime, or play together outside during recess time.  Whoa.  I've always wanted to ensure that my identical twin boys grew up with their own identity and individuality but they have been separated in all that they do now.  Their classrooms are different, their bedrooms are different and now the only time they will spend together is in a millenium when I'm not so disappointed in them for effecting their teachers so much so that the PRINCIPAL was copied on todays email.  Is my problem - their behavior - that I've let them in the same room as each other or is it that I haven't?  All of the friends that I have (and husband) with twins don't have twin boys.  Or if they do, they are younger than mine and so they haven't been given this exceptional experience....  I need a group.....  For a lot of reasons...

So, I will separate them at home and follow the schools lead but I'm not sure that's right!  Because I know my boys the best and that second when they have time together, they will hug each other so tight and giggle and laugh and fall over and someone is going to try to ferb the other and then someone's going to get that someone back with a ferb of the century and then someone is going to lick the other someone and then I'm going to yell and they're going to giggle harder and louder and then it's all over......my boys have lost touch with my singleton reality and slipped back into their zone and all is right with the world!  WAIT!!!  That's what I'm trying to prevent!!  Okay so maybe I ground them from everything they love EXCEPT each other.  I will not try to break them of what is right, I will try to give them an outlet to do what they do best and that is WRESTLING!!!  I will not and I will never try to remove the 'BOY' from my boys.  I have failed them though in that I have not taught them APPROPRIATENESS and a time and place for everything.  So take that, Franklin Elementary!  I won't teach them that what they are doing is wrong because it's simply not.  I'll teach them that they need to learn that wrestling at school is not okay.  But loving each other and being a boy and taking out aggression - one thing that males produce far more than women - is a part of who they are.  I will not squash the 'boy'.  Thanks Blogger, for helping me figure that out and providing me with my latest soap box.  I'm climbing down now....

Just Get Up in the Morning

It has been tough before and it will be tougher than this some day but if it doesn't kill us, does it make us stronger? Or more jaded? Or better our skills at hiding ones head in the sand just long enough until whatever painstaking, excruciating situation is just bearable enough to pull that sandy, dirty head out of hiding? We should be a tough people by now. I'd like to know this answer. I'll weigh in and guess yes. It seasons our reasoning skills, coping skills and if there were spilled tears, well I say that just greases the proverbial mental gears. So get out there and cry your eyeballs off, embrace your shit, the more crap, the better, because when you do decide to brush those teeth, you'll be the toughest, strongest, well oiled mental form of yourself. Oh and please, I'm not ready yet so please bring me a granola bar, and lose the toothpaste..... I'll get there.

I Got It Done, Had It Checked, And We've Got Heat

So with that said, you now know that you don't have to pay $1000 for a new blower motor or any other part....  You can do it yourself and if you really can't, call me.  I'll do it.  I just don't think American's deserve to be robbed like that.  $800 in labor??  Really?  No, really.  Either way, it's 16 degrees out and I have a fire because I want one and the heat is on...

Has anyone heard the conversation with the captain of the Costa Rica Cruise Ship?  He was asked if he was on board (his passengers were and weren't even told to evacuate) and he said "No!  It's starting to keel!"  Well shi*!  If it's starting to keel, screw those passengers, I'm outta there!  Idiot.  Gnarly fail.  There isn't enough jail time for this degenerate.  He never even gave an order to abandon ship.  My heart goes out to the family members of the lost; may you somehow find peace.

Done With Phase I of Replacement

So I have the new motor mounted to the blower and have them both mounted to the housing.  This is soooooo what I wanted to be doing tonight and not going to my friend Caleb's 35th birthday celebration.  Uh huh.

Day Two of Blower Motor Replacement

Well there is an end in sight and soon fires in the fireplace will just be because I'd just like a fire in the fireplace! Here is video of day two - no make up, tired but ready to tackle this head on.

Replace Your Own Blower Motor, Chump

Think I can't?! I'll tell what I can't do; I can't pay $1000 bucks for a $150 project. Sure, I have a band-aid on every finger and went through 2 pairs of socks because my hands kept snagging them, and SURE my son said "Ow!" when I licked my thumb and gently tried to clean hot chocolate off of his face.......  I paid $150 for a new motor to replace the one that failed on me and it was work but it wasn't hard work and you can do it too.  Unless, you have the $1k to throw around.  I've blown through a lot of hot chocolate too because I've been buying the affection of my sons as they have been kind of amazing through this whole ordeal.  They have to run into their freezing bedrooms to grab clothes for the day or pj's and run down to the fire to get dressed before the frostbite sets in.  I can't thank my amazing Mother and Step Father who surprised me with a 1/2 cord of wood and a quarter pounder yesterday and insane moral support and my father who calls his youngest daughter his hero and who drove all the way across town with pizza and wine and sat on my couch in my freezing house to just be there for me.  You are my people and I love you.  Now, here is the video on how to do this work; please don't laugh, I'm so un-photogenic and hate my voice but if this helps anyone, then I've done my job..  More videos to follow  Oh yeah, this guy is the best ever!  


www.hvac-for-beginners.com

I Think 'Cloud' is Like Religion

No one can actually give it ONE perfect definition and stand 100% confident in their less than perfect statement.  Define Statement: a communication or declaration in speech or writing, setting forth facts, particulars, etc.*  I guess I don't think it would be a statement then, do I?  Because with statement, one would be setting forth facts.  So, with today's development of the ambiguous 'cloud', I will define a new industry term:  Cloud Religion.  The term used when someone defines what cloud means to them.  To me, cloud is more a private internet most popularly offered in 1 or 10G packages w/ a Mbs of some sort to connect to your illusive and quite exclusive cloud.  Done.  Next stop: The White House; as I was voted most likely to overthrow the President in High School, I might as well give it a whirl.  Albeit, I am fond of our President but questioning the world's biggest arms deal to Saudi Arabia that he just had something to do with...  Happy New Year to all!!  Please drive safe, and don't get too crazy.  Your mother could not go on without you.

*Dictionary.com 

Good Food That Tastes Good Too?? Noooooo.....

So as a 2 time marathoner, I know food.  I know food that's good for me and I know why and how it's good for me.  Like, what it will do for my body and at which extent.  However, I have eaten more turkey bacon, whole wheat, whole grain toast, organic baby spinach and beans.  The hard part is that I love Christmas sugar cookies!  I love all cookies!!  So I was told by a colleague of mine that if I don't eat sugar for 1 or 2 weeks, that I will no longer crave it.  Not sure I can even get there!!  Whatever, I'm in hibernation.  I don't think it has so much to do w/ whether I eat a turkey brat or a hot dog, I'm wondering if my issue is the fact that my indulgence in wine  sky rockets this time of year.  Again, I'll have to say whatever.  Santa would want me to be a happier, more relaxed version me right now anyway.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve Eve!!!!  

How Many Social Media Sites Do I Need???

Answer: ALL OF THEM!!  If I intend on keeping up with the ways of the world, I will require the following:
Facebook
Skype
Twitter
Google+
These are the minimal requirements.  I wonder when my subscriptions to social media and my presence in the social enterprise world will negate a need for my resume.  I'll tell you what, my social media presence looks better.  While I may not be on board for that 100% yet, (and I know I will be) I will keep striving.  Whats more, I need all of my SMS (social media sites) to communicate to each other.  For example, Salesforce.com will soon communicate with my FB profile (looks like I'll be creating a professional profile).  The feature I like about Google+ is that I won't need to create both my fun profile and my work profile; I can have "Circles"!!  Now I know where I can post those 'too risque for my boss girls night out' pictures!!  That's the smartest thing they've done yet.  I just wish Google and SFDC would play nicer together sooner.  But for now my blog talks to my FB, talks to my Yahoo, talks to my Gmail, talks to my iPhone.  I think I'm good.  Are you?  FYI, my 92 year old Grandfather text messages me.  He doesn't LOL but he does when he calls me.  Which brings me to another point.  Text messaging is the new morse code.  Get w/ that.  I just had a conversation w/ a friend which lasted for 2 days that was neither had on the phone nor via SMS.  All social media.  I can dig it.  I can sooooo dig it.

Time to go get ready to meet a friend for coffee.  I made this date via Skype.  Ha ha ha.

"Groupon Is A Disaster" | LinkedIn

"Groupon Is A Disaster" | LinkedIn:

'via Blog this'

I wondered how long this would last. I've gotten a few Groupons, all of which I had to push out my date of 'pure enjoyment' because the vendors were packed. Then I wondered how they made any money knowing that each vendor pays an inflated price to use a credit card machine for one and then to factor in the overhead..... I have never been back to the place I had tea, the place I tried to get a mani and a martini, or the spa where I will pay a reasonable amount of money for a microderm abrasion. Two more points: a majority of these businesses are sooooooo chic (not read like boho chic), and I don't intend to go back to a salon to get a microderm in this economy for one, and I'm paying 50% less than what I would had I not gotten a Groupon and I think that's almost reasonable. I'll just try to be more diligent in washing my make-up off before I go to bed.... No seriously... Anyway, it was a great idea but I really need 50% off an oil change. I hope they pull out of this disaster. Thirty something tech billionaires are so chic.

I'm Running Faster Now

After the initial shock but lack of surprise of Steve Jobs' death at 56 from cancer, I will run faster, harder, stronger.  Not just because of that but because after having heard of his death, I didn't know that the next person I would meet tonight for the first time has blood cancer.  Her name is Carol.  Carol is proud and thankful that she is a stem cell transplant survivor.  She's not especially thankful that she's a stem cell transplant survivor, she's thankful that the transplant gave her 7 more years with her now 16 year old son.  She is "mad as hell" though.  That's not because she has blood cancer.  That's because of her divorce.  =)  I get mad as hell at the sheer thought of something threatening a relationship between parent and child.  I miss my friend Matt.  You miss your friends, family members.  I miss my cat Bucky who died of cancer when I was 10.  I am not a fan of cats but you get my point.

Training is done, it's the final countdown.....  Put the air guitar away until after you're done reading, I had to.  I want to thank the incredible people at The American Cancer Society - DetermiNation Team for landing this opportunity in my lap.  I have to admit, I didn't join this team in 2010 so I could swallow my pride to collect donations for people with cancer.  I joined because I was too late to register for my first full marathon.  I am so grateful that I found them!  On Sunday, I will be running my 2nd full marathon for The ACS and I couldn't be fortunate to be such a tiny part of something SOOOOOOO BIG!!!  I have met great people who give me encouragement and don't know me very well.  You guys rock!  Thanks for letting me be a part of your team 2 years running!!  Punny, I know.  If you haven't donated and can't, don't worry, I get it.  If you haven't donated and have .50 left until your credit card limit is reached, we could really use it.  If you have someone close to you that you've lost to cancer, give me their name, I'll proudly wear it on Sunday.

We will get you cancer.

Proceed to rip air guitar off the air guitar stand and sing it with me people.....
IT'S THE FINAL COWWWWWNNNNTTTT DOWWWWWWWWNN!!

DONATE HERE:  http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11National?px=17929717&pg=personal&fr_id=35201

Training to Train Has Begun!

Training for my second full marathon begins on 4/19/2011.  I need to be running 25 miles a week to begin said training.  Hmmmmm, I'm training to train.  Why do I feel like I'm planning to plan.  ...that's because I am, I guess.  So I started this TtoT last Friday.  I ran Cherry Creek Res. last time and saw a huge, fat snake.  CC is riddled with them so it wasn't too shocking however.  It is the beginning of April though, isn't it too early to dodge snakes?  The boys and I went on a walk in Lakewood on Sunday though (it was actually an adventure if you ask them) and the guy in front of us convulsed as he dodged a much smaller snake.  So sad.  He clearly suffers from snakeaphobia like my buddy Chris.  Cracks me up!  That's not nice.  I'm not that nice.  So with the notion that it's too early for the animals to come out to play while I run past them is a farce; I know this because yesterday I saw 2 inch worms (waaaayyyy bigger than an inch), a squossom (this is a squirrel hanging downwards from a tree like a possom for my friends who can't make that connection), and 8, yes EIGHT deer.  I filmed them but am too afraid to post because I think I sound like a dude.  I'll work up the courage.  I saw some huge birds but know nothing about birds so we'll just call them huge birds.  Seven more days to go so I can say that I'm just training.  Here is a picture of the deer - more like a Where's Waldo pic but for deer.

Thanks to my great friend Amy who took the boys (their first!!) and I to the Nuggets game last night, so much fun, picture to prove it below!

This Machine...I Mean 8 year Old Is Insane!

Thank you TOC for sending this to me!  I will be putting my children in ballet and croquet lessons on monday morning.  Wrestling, however, is in their blood as they come from a long line of wrestlers and are built like brick sh** houses.  They also find that when I bend down to pick something (probably their mess) off the floor, that it's an open invitation to climb on me in an effort "to take this broad out!"  My angels also eat twice as much as I do at all meals and wash it down w/ an 8oz glass of I'm Going To Break You when they're finished.  Check this out and have a great weekend.

Pint-Sized Pin Machine: 8-Year-Old Wrestling Champ | ThePostGame
http://shar.es/3kS9E

I dedicate this to you Mike Huckabee

Because if there weren't douche bags like you, I'd still have nothing to blog about for 2 weeks.  This segment of Planet Rex comes to you today from a true, uneducated, broke, jobless, uninsured, nanny-less, single mom.  I thank gawd for idiots like you, Mike, and sit at home wondering why I'm not a republican voting for more ignorant rants to be regurgitated from the bowels of Fox News!  If you missed this, I applaud you and envy you as well, but here is what he said in regards to an engaged Natalie Portman:

"I think it gives a distorted image that not everybody hires nannies and caretakers and nurses. Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and would not get healthcare."

Anyway, here's wishing you the best to sorting out the difference between what an average lifestyle is like and that of a celebrity.  Because obviously Huckabee is finding that difficult....

Happy Friday!  What are you doing this weekend?  We're going bowling!!  Can't wait!  Also going to wish lil' pumpkin Mitch a Happy Birthday!  Happy Birthday to Kimmy this week too!  Love ya, doll!

Almost Friday! Are You Incredibly Busy?

Because I am.  So Valentine's Day has come and gone.  Another 1 day out of the year when you're madly in love.  Phewwww!  Glad that day is over, go back to disliking and loathing people.  Just kidding, please don't loathe anyone.  I do have to wonder if it's true that it takes more energy to hate someone than to love and appreciate them.  Let's discuss.  Hating someone makes you mmmmaaaaaaddddd, causes you to yell and sometimes throw things.  I run when I'm mad.  I throw things too, LIKE KNUCKLES!!  Just kidding again.  I just run a couple of miles whilst plotting my vengeance!  LOL.  Okay, I don't do that either.  I do know that I get hot and that my body does physically change when I'm upset or mad.  And many people do blow off steam by way of exercise.  However, on the flip side, being in love is a huge workout.  Mystery solved.  Love uses more energy.

The boys are getting better at hockey.  So much better, in fact, that last night, I actually thought to myself, they're skating good enough that it's not as funny as it was...  :(  They are messing around w/ each other though.  That can be  funny.  (I'm not using their names anymore because I google image'd my sons and found them so I will call them Boy A and Boy B just like the hospital did.  If you know my boys, you know that Boy A is the lover and Boy B is the fighter.  Boy B has had stitches 3 times and a broken leg if that helps)  So last night Boy B jabbed his brother in the face mask w/ the blunt end of his hockey stick.  Not to be outdone, that  jab was met w/ a yanking of the hockey skates out from under the jabber.  I took them to Target the other night and when we left, the boys were in disagreement as to where we were going next.  They stood angrily in front of the shopping cart and would not move.  I realized at that point that some day soon, unless I run them over w/ the cart, I will not have much in the way of argument.  These two gorgeous and incredibly sweet angels are a force to be reckoned with AND THE KICKER YOU ASK?  THEY KNOW IT.  A scene in "The Social Network" comes to mind: "I'm 6'5", weigh 220 pounds, and there's two of me!"

Happy Thursday

Ugggghhhh Happy Monday

Last week was a brutal end of month.  How 'bout that Superbowl?  Sorry Steelers, too bad Ben.  I wonder if his breakfast that morning was an apple turnover.  Just sayin'.

Anyway, does anyone out there actually like Bill O'Reilly?  If you're it, do you think to yourself while he's verbally vomiting, "yeah Bill, you tell 'em!  That was a brilliant comment, Bill, nice work!"  Do you?  Chime in here then, because I get you like I get Bill.

So our snowiest month is coming up, and Feb. is already a  doozy!  Did anyone drive to Castle Rock on Saturday late afternoon?  That was a mess.  And for our SUV or large Pick-up driving friends who again failed to read this note or didn't hear someone yelling at you, here you go again: BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN SUV OR LARGE AUTOMOBILE, DOESN'T MEAN YOU WILL NOT SLIDE ON ICE.  IN FACT, YOU WILL SLIDE FURTHER AND HIT THE UNSUSPECTING DRIVER IN FRONT OF YOU HARDER!  Slow your larger automobile down and quit causing all of these accidents.  Here's another note while I'm on my soap box rightfully entitled "public service announcement soap box", IF YOU ARE SCARED TO DRIVE IN IT, STAY ALLLLLLLLL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT OR BETTER YET, STAY HOME.  If you need emergency services, dial 911.  If you're out of wine, call one of your friends to bring some over.

And now here are some pics of my wonderful angels at their school party this weekend:

Their faces were stained and I did think that they would stay like that.  Shouldn't there be a disclaimer in place from the clown like, "hey lady, I'll gladly paint your child blue because he asked for it, but don't plan on getting this Sharpie-ish paint off his skin for days."  Lesson learned.

Happy Wednesday - I'm Trying To Be Nice

I'm sooooooooooo grouchy this evening.  I love love love having the boys in hockey though.  I can honestly say that I have produced very cool people.  I was so proud to see them get up with the most ginormous smile on their faces every time they fell.  We talked about how they were going to fall alllllllllll the time but as long as they could get back up and still have fun, we'd be happy.  They blew that theory out of the water.  K has put his skates on if he's been awake.  I have to let them carry their skates into school and then they give them to me and I put them in the car and that is the only way I can get the boys to go anywhere....  Weird?  OCD?  Probably more of both than I'd like to admit.  I'm just glad that they have an undying love for a sport that beats the crap out of them.

Powerball tonight.  Again, size 4.  Maybe 6 since my  leg injury.  Nahhh, 4.  And diamonds.

Monday puts the FU in Monday...er... wait...

So I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  I went to the rodeo, and no lie, the beers were $6.75.  That's insane.  A Coors Banquet!  One would think that we Coloradans would get a deal on beer made in our own state...  I had a diet Pepsi.  Thank you, Pepsi for not raking me over the coals as much as Coors does.

So how 'bout dem Bears.... I wanted the Bears to win, not sure why but I think they're cool fans.  Either way, I failed to get what I want, didn't I?  So I'm sure you and the rest of Colorado agrees with me when I say, "Wow, Cutler didn't cry?!?!"  But that's not nice.  He did take his team to the semi-finals....  Look who's not crying either, that sissy McDaniels.  I wish he'd cry.  I'd like to make him cry.  Either way, Packers?  Stillers?  I have way cooler Stillers fan friends than Packers....  I think now I probably have less friends too...  The proof?  I know exactly who of my friends is a Steelers fan.  I know that they carry their terrible towel in their lunch box and I have proof that two of my friends had 'Terrible Towel' on their guest list at their wedding.  I can't name more than 2 people that I've ever known that are Packers fans.  I do know that Packers fans are fanatic and love their team but who are you???  At the end of the day, I think I'll root for those Steelers.  After all, I like you cheese, both sharp and american alike, but I eat you and you're gone.  Steel cannot be eaten.

Congrats to my friends in Greeley, a 7' baby girl born at 4:14am today!  All our love!!

Here's a rodeo pic from the weekend:

Go Colorado! Continue To Cut Those Budgets Because I Can Afford My Breakfast

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/education/26571381/detail.html

I'm not happy about this.  This is crap.  A budget cut by people who have no problem feeding themselves and their children.  Because come on, what's 30 cents anyway?!  I tell you what, $.30 is a ton of money to a family that doesn't have it.  And that said, how many of these families that currently have children benefiting from this free meal, only have one child?!  I'll admit, I've licked my chops at my piggy bank before when I wasn't sure I had enough gas or cash to get thru the week.  If you say you have never done this, then I applaud your privilege and maybe you could loan a buck fifty to some folks who won't even attempt to look under the couch cushions because they know there's not a penny under any one of them.  Go find a charity to fund this project, he says!  Yeah, right, go do that.  Who in the eff is this guy?  My sister had a bumper sticker that read "I Vote For Kids". I'm proud of her.  I vote for kids too.  Keep cutting our education budgets, and places where we need it most Colorado, and we will gravely pay.

It is soooooooooooooo Friday

Here is your Friday movie quote of the week:  Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master.
This one is easy, you should be able to guess it.


Who's going to the rodeo this weekend?!  Yeeeee Haw!  Can't wait.  Just as soon as this day gets over and I have ensured that my angels have made only "gooder" choices in school today, I will be prepared to get st00pid kinds of excited for a fun filled weekend.

This is a very organized picture of the boys and I at the Peach Festival last summer.  I've got to get better at taking pictures...