By The Numbers

So maybe you are thinking, “Hey Crazy Lady… Facebook isn’t that bad. You are wrong.”

No.

I did a little study.

Here are the facts.

I have 130 Facebook “Friends”. (Probably less now.)

Of those 130, 3 are actually businesses and 2 are deceased persons. So I have really 125 regular “friends”.

I did a study of a random 15 friends for 14 days. I did not pick the friends, I let Facebook pick.

Of those 15 friends, 1 did not post at all during the time frame.

So we are now talking about 14 friends.

In two weeks those 14 friends posted 385 times. That is 27.5 posts per person. That is just under 2 posts per person per day.

126 of those posts, or approximately 32% of those posts, were what I am calling “Real Personal Facebook Posts”; check in at a location, a personal photo, a funny anecdote about something that happened to you…

“Suzy just checked in at Red Robin…. YUM.”

“Look at my little baby…”

“Today at work one of my co-workers told us she got engaged over the weekend.”

You know the stuff that we used to share on social media.

132 of those posts, or approximately 34% of those posts, were… DANK MEMES! Specifically, non-political memes.

96 of those posts, or approximately 25% of those posts, were political. Nope, you are not going to change my opinions with your constant memes and blatant lies. FROM BOTH SIDES! Even if I agree with you, Facebook memes are not going to change the world. No, I really do not believe that the Clinton’s have an island for child sex acts. No, I really do not think Donald Trump keeps small Asian women locked in his basement as sex slaves. And no matter how many times you post it, the Bernie Sander’s loophole is not real.

That was the bulk of them.

There were 13 advertisements shared and 13 non-political news stories shared. There were 2 recipes shared, 2 Facebook games shared, and 1 book review shared.

So basically, 68% of my Facebook feed was nonsense. NONSENSE! And that was just 14 people. I HAVE 125 PEOPLE!

I am tired of this. I am tired of it all. I am taking back my social media. Hell, I am putting the social back in it.

Anyone got a cute picture of their dog I can see?

Happy New Year!

I am really going to try to do this more this year. The baby is growing up so fast and there is so much I want to document. I got this from a blogging buddy and I thought it would be a good way to start the year.

1. What did you do in 2012 that you had never done before?

We went to Yosemite. It was so beautiful. Also, I never had been pregnant in a prison before. That was a new experience. Finally, I had never had to have a pet put to sleep before. Our cat Betty had a liver disease. It was so sad.

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make some for 2013?

I don't think I made any. Last year at New Year's I had a terrible flu that just wouldn't go away. I found out I was pregnant the day after New Year's. So I guess I resolved to have a baby in 2012. So... Mission Accomplished!

For 2013, I am going to try and lose this baby fat. I will try and exercise more and eat better.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Ummmmm..... How about me? Ha ha ha! Michelle was born in 2012, Year of the Dragon. Also, several of my co-workers had babies. And 2013 is bringing more! My sister and my cousin Wendy are currently expecting babies this spring. Also, more of my co-workers. Well, one I can think of who should be popping any day. And my friend Karen. She is also due very soon.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My Grandpa passed away in the spring. I am sure he missed my Grandma and his health was bad. So it was hard to be sad about it. I have all the memories. And I don't believe he isn't still here. He and my Grandma and my other Grandparents are with me all the time.

5. What countries did you visit?

Ummm.... This one. That is it. I didn't even leave the state. Sad. Carolynn and Catherine went to Nevada to visit their dad for the first time in August. David went to Texas for his brother's wedding in October.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you didn't have in 2012?

More money and more time off. And a kitchen table.

7. What dates from 2012 will be etched upon your memory and why?

September 5- Michelle's birthday!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Michelle. Also moving to the new house. That was a chore. And getting my brother to text me. Also, a chore. Now, if I could get him to talk to me....

9. What was you biggest failure?

As always, diet and exercise. I suck at that. Also, saving money. I suck at that too.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Well, nine long pregnant months was no picnic. And the 2 weeks of vertigo toward the end there was awesome. But it was all worth it and I would do it again. (But just one more time, and not today.) Other than that, we had a pretty healthy year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

David's car. All the baby stuff. Carolynn got a new bedroom set.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

David. He survived me pregnant. Lived through labor. Barely. And is a great dad. I knew he would be. Just look at Carolynn and Catherine.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Politicians and the cast of Jersey Shore

14. Where did most of your money go?

Moving to the new house. Wasted on eating out too much.

15. What did you get excited about?

The baby. My baby shower. It was so cool seeing that much of my family.

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?

Michelle by The Beatles

17. Compared to this time last year, are you a) Happier or Sadder? b) Thinner or Fatter c) Richer or Poorer?

A- Happier. New baby, great family, good job. What is there to be sad about?
B- Slightly thinner. Shocking, I know. Not thin enough though.
C- About the same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Again.... Diet, exercise, and saving. Also, walking the dogs or taking them to the dog park. Spending more time with the teenagers before they leave me like jerks.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Spend. Eat out. Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

I actually had the day off! We had planned on getting up and baking cookies and making a ham. However, we woke up to a broken oven. So we made spaghetti instead. Carolynn got a new sewing machine and spent the day making pajama pants for herself and the baby. Super cute. Catherine got a new computer. We may never see her again. The baby had a good time. She liked the excitement.

21. What was your favorite TV program?

Classic Simpson's. Friends reruns. Food Network and the History Channel. Disney Jr.

22. What was the best book you read?

What To Expect While You're Expecting

23. What did you want and get?

A healthy baby and a new house

24. What did you want and not get?

A baby boy... Not that I want to trade in Michelle. Also, a new car. I kind of want a mini van. I am such a mom.

25. What was your favorite film of 2012?

Brave

26. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

I was 35. I probably worked. Ugh.

27. What one thing would have made your year immensely more satisfying?

Winning the lottery

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2012?

Can you say maternity clothes? And nursing tops?

29. What kept you sane?

David. He is a trooper.

30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.

Babies happen. It is okay to not worry. And I have been off my anxiety medicine for a whole year. Everything will work out.

Auld Lang Syne

Okay, so I missed. I didn't do every day in December. Sorry. I made it through most of it. And now it's over. Tomorrow brings a new year. And for a new year.... Let's give this a try...

I got this from Red Lotus Mama who got from Razing Mayhem who got it from Pintrest...

Anyways, I think I will try it.

Starting tomorrow.

Tonight, Carolynn has her boyfriend Artie visiting. They are playing games and eating food. And waiting for the New Year. I am determined to make it.

The First Noel

Well, we did it. With the help of Carolynn and Catherine, we wrote 30 posts in 30 days! Now, can we continue this trend? Can we keep up the momentum?

Sure, why not?

Catherine and I have some good posts coming up. Carolynn might even get a few in. She is going to the town tree lighting on Saturday to take pictures for her current school project. Carolynn's tae kwon do studio is having a holiday party in a couple of weeks so there will be pictures of that too.

There should be so much fun holiday activities to talk about and photograph. Doesn't that sound like fun?

And of course, there will be some great prison related stories. Be careful of penises in the windows.

See you tomorrow.

75 Things About Us

Two of my favorite bloggers, Red Lotus Mama and Just One Miss, are doing this blog hop thing so I figured I would give it a go. Besides, if Trisha finds out, she'll probably make me do it anyway. She loves these things.

And just for fun, you not only get 25 things about me.... But also 25 things about our two junior bloggers. Carolynn and Catherine. Three for the price of one. That's the deal of the millennium right there.

And without further jabber...

25 Things About Me... Jennifer

1. No one calls me Jennifer. Except David. My whole family calls me Jenny and at work it's all last names.
2. I work in a federal prison. You might have known that if you are a regular reader. And despite that it is a scary place, I love my job.
3. I have two daughters, Carolynn and Catherine. Carolynn is 15 and Catherine is 11.
4. I have one tattoo. It's a blue rose and it is on my right ankle. I might get some more though. But I can't see spending money on that right now.
5. I was born in San Bernardino, California but spent most of my childhood years in Apple Valley, California. I spent most of my adult years in San Diego... Until I changed careers and moved back to Apple Valley three years ago.
6. I really miss San Diego. Bad. But I can't afford to live there.
7. I have a dog named Gibby. He's a chihuahua and Pomeranian mix. He's three.
8. I love pasta. All of it.
9. And chocolate. It cures all.
10. I love to cook.
11. I love the beach. When I was getting divorced I used to hide out at the beach in Torrey Pines all the time.
12. I have a serious obsession with The Simpson's. Really. I have every season on DVD and the movie. And various paraphernalia.
13. I love all things Disney. And love Disney history and Disneyland.
14. Actually, I love all things history.
15. I sang in a high school choir. But the teacher hated me. Mostly because I hated her.
16. Mexican food also cures all. Especially tacos.
17. I sing show tunes in the car. Or Abba. Carolynn is embarrassed to the core about this. Catherine sings along.
18. I lived in Wisconsin for 3 years. Three long years. Four snowy winters. Three deathly humid, bug covered summers.
19. When I started college, I was a history major with the goal of being a teacher or working in a museum. When I finished it was with a major in Media Communications. I don't even want to try and figure that out.
20. My college education has no bearing on my current career choice. I do write some amazing memos and incident reports.
21. I don't have a belly button. Just a huge scar from the abdominal hernia I was born with.
22. I don't wear bikini's. Even if I wasn't such a chubby.
23. I have a huge scar on my neck from the surgery I had as a baby. It's a long line with dots on the sides from the staples. I tell people it's where I had my Frankenstein bolts removed.
24. I have 1 brother and 2 half sisters.
25. When I was pregnant with Carolynn, I couldn't get enough french fries. When I was pregnant with Catherine, I couldn't get enough pretzels and pickles.

Next...

25 Things About Carolynn

1. Carolynn loves Glee. She loves all the characters and can't wait for the new season to begin. We went and saw Glee Live in Anaheim. Next week we are going to see the Glee tour movie and we even follow The Glee Project.
2. Carolynn's favorite color is green. She also likes purple.
3. Carolynn loves turtles. She has a turtle named Little Dude. He is a red eared slider.
4. Carolynn also loves her cats... Muffins, Two Face, and Betty.
5. Carolynn also loves her dog Bubbles. Bubbles is a mastiff mix.
6. Carolynn is a swimmer. She swims competitively and has for about a year and a half. Her best stroke is freestyle. She doesn't like butterfly too much and breast is her worst stroke.
7. Carolynn loves Dexter. She has seen every episode and has two of the books.
8. Carolynn loves Disney movies. All of them. When she was little she couldn't get enough of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She also loved Beauty And The Beast. (Although she called it Booty and Bees.) Now she claims she can't choose just one favorite.
9. Actually, Carolynn loves all thing Disney. She is wearing an Alice and Wonderland shirt right now and earlier she was playing Epic Mickey on Wii.
10. Carolynn collects Barbies.
11. Carolynn used to run cross country. She has a couple of trophies.
12. Carolynn enjoys playing the Sims 3. A lot.
13. Carolynn says the tacos at Jack In The Box are actually “moth tacos”. She eats them anyway.
14. Carolynn has a pen pal who lives in Illinois. They lived across the street from us when we lived in Wisconsin. We moved away from there in 2005.
15. Carolynn likes cookies and cream ice cream.
16. Carolynn will be a sophomore in high school this fall.
17. Carolynn can get her driver's permit at the end of October. God help us all.
18. Carolynn was born in Apple Valley, California.
19. Carolynn likes superhero movies... Batman, Spiderman, Iron Man, Thor... She even has a Batman poster on her wall.
20. Carolynn wants to be a forensic scientist when she grows up. Or an actress. Or a teacher. Or maybe a doctor. First woman president would be fine too.
21. Carolynn loves pizza. And Panda Express. She wold be fine with that for all eternity.
22. Carolynn loves shows like CSI and Law and Order.
23. Carolynn wears Love Spell from Victoria’s Secret. I think it smells like pineapple Lifesavers.
24. Carolynn wants to see Lady Gaga in concert. Because that would be awesome.
25. Carolynn didn't think I could come up with 25 things about her, but she was wrong.

And finally...

25 Things About Catherine

1. Catherine is going into the 7th grade. That's middle school.
2. Catherine is going to be home schooled for the 7th grade. It's going to be fun.
3. Catherine loves Pokemon.
4. Catherine does Tae Kwon Do. She is about to get her first belt. White.
5. Catherine loves video games. A lot of video games.
6. Catherine's best friends are Dalia and Brittney and they are sisters.
7. Catherine has a beagle named Elvis. She has had him since she was 2. He is an old fat dog now.
8. Catherine was in musical of Aladdin.
9. Catherine loves art. She likes to paint and draw.
10. Catherine played soccer for three seasons.
11. Catherine played softball for two seasons.
12. Catherine wears glasses to see.
13. Catherine was born in San Diego, California.
14. She likes to tell people she was born in a zoo, but technically she was born across from the zoo at Balboa Naval Hospital.
15. Catherine loves her some ham. Seriously.
16. Catherine's favorite movie is Despicable Me.
17. Catherine used to watch 50 First Dates over and over. She did the same thing with Mulan before that and The Jungle Book before that.
18. Catherine once had a cat named Mr. Wiggles. He pooped on everything and we couldn't get him to stop. I don't think he liked being an apartment cat. So we had to give him up.
19. Catherine's allowance burns a hole in her pocket every week. And all she buys is junk.
20. Catherine loves Payday candy bars.
21. Catherine loves cows. She is obsessed.
22. Catherine loves Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows.
23. Catherine once spent a summer throwing themed parties at our house for just us. We had a 70's party with fondue and disco music. There was a tea party with classical music and little sandwiches. There were also a few other ones I can't remember.
24. Catherine loves to watch Food Network. She used to get her party theme ideas from Sandra Lee.
25. Catherine is a straight A student and was in the GATE program at school. (GATE= Gifted and Talented Education)

Half Of A Decade

5 years ago at this time, I had just moved into my first apartment after my divorce. Now, I am looking to buy my first home.

5 years ago at this time, I had just started what I thought was a fabulous job at a basket importing company. No benefits, low pay. Jerk boss. Not the glamorous job I had envisioned. Now, I have just completed two and a half years as a federal correctional officer and that basket importing business is no longer.

5 years ago at this time, Carolynn was about to start the fifth grade and Catherine was about to start the second. Carolynn will be a high school sophomore in the fall and Catherine begins the seventh grade, and home school. Home school is not anything I ever thought we would be doing.

5 years ago, David was a friend who was helping me out while I was getting on my feet and he was finding his way. Now he is my best friend and future husband who helps me to raise my girls up right while going to college and keeping me sane. Frankly, I think he has the hardest job.

5 years ago today, I started this blog.

3 years ago today, we moved from San Diego to the High Desert. Crazy. It doesn't feel like 3 years. It feels like I have been here forever.

Anyways, here's to 5 years of our craziness. And to 5 more to come...

Dona Nobis Pacem

Happy Blogoversary!

On this day in 2006 I began this blog as I had just begun a whole new life. And on this day in 2008 we moved from San Diego to Apple Valley.

In celebration of our second year in the high desert, here is a video. Enjoy!

Light and Healthy

Since the beginning of the year, we have been trying to be a little healthier. I have been keeping up on my Wii Fit. I have been taking vitamins; a multi-vitamin, a calcium, and a vitamin C. I have been trying to get more regular exercise. We have been walking to the park near our house. It’s about 2 miles. The dogs have been really enjoying it. Drizella gets upset if we don’t go. Now if I could just do better with the dieting.

The kids went back to school this week. I was sort of sad to see them go. Since I don’t often have weekends off, it was nice having them home when I am. And Carolynn acts much more like a human being when she doesn’t spend all day with her loser friends.

For those of you who were wondering, our kitten is doing better. Her cold is clearing up and the vet says that was all she had. She will stay on antibiotics for another week or so. She will stay on immune booster for a few months and she will stay on the vitamins for a couple of months. The vet had her records going back to when the shelter got her. She basically spent her whole life there. Anyway, she is doing good. Carolynn may have named her Muffins, but we call her the IBK. Itty Bitty Kitty.

Today I am off. It’s nice when I get days off. Last week I worked two 16 hour days. Tonight we have plans to eat healthy snacks and play Cranium. Tomorrow it’s back to work. I work 6am to 2pm until Saturday, the 8am to 4pm next week. The week after that I work 7:30am to 3:30pm.

I am trying to keep up with this blog. The more I work, the harder it gets. I have a few ideas for some posts in my head and I will try and do better with some Wordless Wednesday or some Thursday 13. Maybe I will try a few new videos. I used to write everyday. Now I go a week or more sometimes. At least I am not the only one who is slacking in blogs lately. (Trisha, Pam… You know who you are.)

Until then…

A Guest Post By Rammi

All the way from London, England... Today's post is bought to you by Rammi!
**********

Hello. I'm Rammi, and I shall be taking over Jennifer's blog for today... I feel the power already! I've been ranting and raving all NaBloPoMo about random things like my laziness and my inability to give proper directions, and today seems to be no different. For some reason, I decided it would be a good idea to write about mummy bloggers... As if I didn't need any more enemies. ;)

I'll admit it. It might be sort of a blogging faux-pas to do this, but I generally have an aversion to mummy/mommy bloggers. The phrase "married and babied" (or something similar) usually sends me running for the hills. Out of all the things a girl can say about herself, is her marriage and how she squeezed out a couple of kids really the most interesting thing she can say in all the years she's been on the planet? Does she not have anything else to say than "I married [blah] and my kids are [blah] and [blah]?

A person's hobbies, views on life, her relationships with her family and friends, all the things I like to read about in a blog... These seem to be lost in a sea of "Thomas just did his first poop today! I'm so proud of him!" I mean, besides being extremely TMI - for some people like to snack whilst they work at the computer, and this can be off-putting - of all the things in the world to read about, why would I care about someone's son managing to do a basic human function that everyone needs to learn eventually? I would be worried if he *didn't* poop!

["My son is severely constipated" is a better blog title than "My son finally did it in the potty!!!111!!"]

...I think you can tell by now that I don't have any children (and probably won't for quite a long time after this post). ;)

Anyway, after reading some of the blogs that fall into this category for a while, I've started to realize (albeit a bit late) that "mummy blogs" are more than documenting their child's accomplishments and milestones, which I, as a stranger on the internet, lose interest in quickly.

One blogger I follow talks about the pain of losing her first child, the impending birth of her second, and all the feelings she has on the way. She is the only blogger that manages to move me to tears with almost every post, and I admire her strength and bravery in sharing all of this to the world.

I've also looked through a lot of Jennifer's posts. When she does blog about her children, I'm struck by how good her parenting skills are; she seems to know how to handle every situation her kids throw at her.

[I'm mentally making notes for my future kids; they have many groundings and amazing birthday parties in their futures.]

When in doubt of what to do, I've found that there are always people online who have done it before, and bloggers, whatever they blog about, are always willing to share their wisdom.

These blogs also have a ready-made audience. For close friends and family, this is a quick and easy way to keep updated with how their friends/relatives are doing, what mischief they're getting up to, and what to buy them at holidays.

[Btw, my birthday's 14th December, a month from now. *cough cough hint hint*]

But what sells mummy blogs to me after all is that there is always something to blog about, whether or not the kids are being infuriating or angelic.

Coming from a girl who spent ages at 1AM – because I don't want my family to think I'm weird or anything – taking detailed pictures of her microwaves for a future blog post due to a lack of inspiration, always having something to blog about is a good thing.

Thanks for letting me borrow your blog, Jennifer! Hopefully, I haven't managed to offend too many people...

Another One Bites The Dust

Catherine joined the grounded crew this week. Her grades are not the problem, her room was. It was nasty. Dirty dishes, old dirty clothes, nasty old trash. It was awful. The strange part is she is willing to clean everything else. She’ll scrub the toilets, clean the kitchen, and take out the trash. But she just refuses to clean her room. So there went her shot at NaBloPoMo, since her computer has been taken. I had a parent teacher conference with Catherine’s teacher today. She made the honor roll, of course, but she is slacking off on doing her work. Apparently, she thinks she is so smart, she doesn’t need to do more work. She has also been slacking on her reading, so her teacher and I discussed upping her reading time from 30 minutes Monday through Thursday to 90 minutes every day. That way she can finish her larger books. Also, her teacher would like her to expand her selections from just Harry Potter. Overall, she is a good student. Her teacher says her social skills are getting better too. She does need to learn to match her clothes. Maybe if she could find them in that mess of hers. We are getting it cleaned out this weekend.

Carolynn’s grades improved this week. She also did all of her chores and homework. So she is being permitted to go to her friend’s birthday party tomorrow. She is still grounded from internet, her phone and going anywhere else. If her behavior continues to improve, the grades climb, and the chores get done, she could be ungrounded before Christmas.

Speaking of kids in trouble… Tabi and Kathy’s son Ethan is with us tonight. Apparently, he didn’t do some school work and was told he would not be permitted to go on a family outing this evening to his brother’s choir performance if he didn’t get it done. As you can guess, he didn’t get it done. So he spent most of the night sitting at our kitchen table reading. He read all the books he brought with him, and two we had here. He ate some macaroni and cheese and now he is helping Catherine burn old school papers in the fireplace. It’s our first fire of the season.

If you’ll remember, last year at this time I made a deal with the world… If I promised to volunteer, the world would give me a job. (Check it out here.) Anyway, I went then and volunteered at the Salvation Army. Last winter I spent many of my hours ringing a bell and collecting donations. And the world provided me with a job at a prison. All was good. Not too long ago, the prison gave me a special award for my volunteer service. That is when I realized that the world didn’t think one winter of bell ringing was worth the amazing job. So when Gary from the Salvation Army called last week, I knew I had to go. Yesterday David and I went down there to fill out the forms. So starting soon, you will find me ringing a bell in front of the Stater Bros. on Saturday nights. You will find David there on Monday and Tuesday nights. You will also find us down there several days a week, counting out the kettles for deposit. We are doing a good thing.

Our TV is broken. We just got it in March so it is still under warranty. They are very willing to fix it for free, but I have to take it to the nearest repair shop. The nearest repair shop is in Yucaipa. So it’s kind of a pain, but what can you do? I can’t afford to buy a new TV. (This is what my Grandpa would probably do. But I love him.)

Yesterday was Aunt Chris’ 60th birthday. We went over for cake and took her a present, despite the fact that she specifically said no presents. Mary and Tonya (some wonderful friends of theirs, and now of mine too) were there and their friend Connie (who I have met a couple of times). It was fun. I hope she had a nice birthday.

David is sick. I have been pumping him full of medicine and he has been asleep most of the day. I have been making him drink orange juice and take vitamins too. He has no health insurance, so he needs to stay healthy.

If you recall, I am doing a blog swap for NaBloPoMo this year. I did it last year too. (Check it out here.) So for tomorrow, look for a post from Rammi right here on Tropical Fruit. And head over to her blog and look for a post by me. There are four other sets of swappers joining us in the swap for tomorrow so check out these great blogs tomorrow and see the results.

Stacey of Say Something Stacey will be swapping with Brandi Hassouna of The Day After

Bonnie Kaplan of BK's Reviews and Reflections will be swapping with Miranda of Compost Happens: An After School Special

Aurora McBride-Moore of Tales Of A Frumpy Mocha Princess will be swapping with Roxy Adams of ...snippets...

Katie Conrad of Gnomes At Night will be swapping with Johnny Pez

Social Ties

I am a fan of social networking… to a point. I don’t have a million accounts. Mostly I have this blog. And that is cool for me. I also enjoy Twitter. It’s like a mini blog. But let’s get into the point of this story…

Facebook.

Okay, I have a Facebook account, but in reality, unless someone sends me a message, I hardly go to Facebook. My Twitter automatically updates my Facebook status. My blog automatically updates my Facebook page. Sometimes, if I get on and remember, I add pictures. But if not for Facebook…

-I wouldn’t have connected with some old friends. Because of this, I have been out of the house more often. I have had friends over here and been out to theirs. I learned to play Bunco. I played trivia with a bunch of them just this past weekend.

-I can connect with a great person I met at training in Georgia. It’s nice to know someone else that does the same job.

-I have another way of chatting up my internet friends… From the blogging community or from my online book group.

-I hear from relatives I never saw before.

In reality, I think it’s a good thing in moderation. I just realized even my mom has a Facebook. She didn’t strike me as a Facebook user. I wonder what she has on her page. Do you think she’s a Farmer in Farmville? HA HA! Even my Grandma is a Facebook user.

I don’t use any other social media platforms. I don’t My Space, My Life, or anything else similar. Just Facebook. And everything else goes automatically to it. Carolynn has Facebook, but being grounded, don’t expect any updates.

So what do you use? Do you have a preference? Do you play Facebook games? Do you think all computers should be turned off?

Anyway, thank you Facebook for finding me some friends. If not for them, this place might get a bit lonely. Not for long…




Because I forgot to mention…



And this is the best and most important part of this random, stupid post (that I am just rambling through because it is for NaBloPoMo)…



This April…



A certain family that I love…



That currently lives in North Carolina…



IS MOVING TO CALIFORNIA!!!!!!!!

And that is all that matters!

NaBloPoMo

In case you hadn’t noticed, I am doing NaBloPoMo this year. For you noobs, that is National Blog Posting Month, which is November. So far, so good. That is why you may have noticed an upswing of posting this week. So look for a new post every day this month. Come hell or high water… No matter if inmates hit me with doors while trying to run away with a homemade weapon up their butt… No matter if I work 16 hours a day… No matter if the water heater explodes… No matter if a tree branch falls in the front yard onto Carolynn’s head… I promise to post everyday this month. (Just FYI, except for the hell and high water, all of those things may have happened this week.)

Plenty of my other blogger buddies are attempting this feat as well, so go and check them out and give them support during this month of fun.

Red Lotus Mama
Forgetfulone
In The Zoo
Tripping Over My Tongue
Snailbird.com
Making Things Up

Also, I am hosting a Blog Swap over on the NaBloPoMo site. Anyone who is interested should check it out.

Anyway, in other news, I am enjoying my days off. I had yesterday and today off. I am cleaning and cooking some chicken and dumplings.

Anyway, come back tomorrow for more exciting adventures.

A Halloween Surprise

On Friday, David, the girls and I were going to go to a pumpkin carving party at David’s Friends house. Unfortunately, David’s friend’s kids got the swine flu and the party was canceled. I felt so bad for them. Their party was canceled, the kids won’t get to trick or treat, and they have to be sick. Poor things. Anyway, since I had already taken the evening off, and we already had cupcakes and snacks we had made to take to the party, we figured we’d invite some friends over. Tabi came and brought the boys and Jackie and Alan came and brought their nieces. Taylor came too. There was video game playing and snacks and chit chat. It was a pleasant evening. Not exactly the evening we had planned, but it turned out pretty good in the end.

Yesterday, Catherine had her last softball game of the season. They had fun. They made it 4 innings before they called the mercy rule. After the game, Catherine’s friend Katelyn came over. There was pumpkin carving. David made a Transformer, Catherine made a cat, and Carolynn made Jack Skellington. After te pumpkins were carved, they got in their costumes. Carolynn went as Mrs. Lovitt from Sweeney Todd and Catherine as a vampire. Catherine’s costume was quite the predicament. We didn’t find out until Thursday night, that the collar was missing from her costume. On Friday, I went to Party City to exchange it, but they were all out of that one and out of all other vampire costumes. So I looked at Toys R Us, Wal-Mart and Target for a vampire cape. No dice. Then I remembered I had an old adult sized vampire cape in the garage. So I cut the bottom off of it. Done. Carolynn did the makeup and they were off. David took Carolynn to her friend’s house and Catherine to Joe and Nicole’s house so she could Trick or Treat with Allison. I hope they had a good time. I was at work, and I was up before them all this morning.

Today is the first day of NaBloPoMo. I am making another fabulous attempt and blogging everyday for a month. This will be my third year. And to start it off, I am working 16 hours today, so I can’t add any cool pictures from last night because I will be in prison. Way to start off. Better than last year’s start… Which was windy and rainy and I spent the day searching desperately for a job in the rain with my mom. (on the plus side, we had some really good coffee.)

Until tomorrow, unless I work another double… then NaBloPoMo will be over for me before it begins. But I will have extra money…

Where Time Goes

I didn’t fall off the planet. I have just been very busy. I do have a very demanding job and two children. Occasionally, I like to have time to pee as well.

Work has been going pretty good. In all reality, I am still so new. There are three institutions and many posts at each. Different shifts do different things. It is a lot to learn. I tend to ask a lot of questions. I am not afraid to ask anyone around if I need help with something. I’ll ask other officers, I’ll ask the lieutenants, I will even ask a warden if there is one right there. Most people, including wardens, are happy to answer my questions and help me learn to do my job better. I don’t see my asking questions as a problem. I don’t ask the same questions over and over and I am a fast learner. I have found a few however, mostly other officers, who find my questions annoying, and think I shouldn’t be asking so many questions. Now I was told by the lieutenants, it was the responsibility of more experienced officers to help the new ones. At this point, there are now newer officers than me, and if someone asks me a question, and I know the answer, I give it. I don’t have a problem. I only get annoyed when I have to answer the same question to the same officer over and over. Do you think asking questions is a problem? At my previous job, I learned mostly by trial and error. I had no one to ask questions to. I am thinking that trial and error in my current line of work is not a good idea and there are hundreds of people I can ask. What do you think?

Speaking of my job, my friend Tabi went there today for a job fair they were having. Unfortunately, she was not hired. It’s the prison’s loss. However, perhaps it means she was meant for bigger and better things. When I moved here, I really wanted a job with the county. Really bad. So bad I was bugging the heck out of their human resources lady. But I didn’t get hired. Instead I work for the prison… and I get paid more, have better benefits, and the county is laying people off and the state is recommending unpaid furloughs. I work a full 40 hour a week, plus as much over time I am willing to do. So even though I was upset that I didn’t get a job with the county, it left me open for something bigger and better. I am sure that is what will happen for Tabi.

Speaking of friends… David’s truck is broken, again. Some fan thing (yep, that was the technical term) just fell off. (See my Wordless Wednesday pictures) It seems easy enough to repair and the parts don’t seem too expensive, it’s just he has no tools and no knowledge of car parts… despite what he thinks. He wants to see if Jackie’s husband Alan might help him, but I don’t want them to think the only reason we like them around is for the car fixing ability. We really do like having them over. And Jackie’s husband works two jobs and I don’t know that he’d really want to spend his free time here doing that. So I haven’t called them to ask. I hope they don’t think I am avoiding them.

I am not trying to avoid this blog either. I go through blogging phases. There will be times when I blog about everything, two or three times a day even. Then there will be times when I might feel like it once a week. It comes and goes. Right now, I didn’t have much to say and, well, I just didn’t feel like it. I got a new computer game, The Sims 3, and I have been playing that. I remember way back when the first Sims game came out and Trisha and I had to have all the expansions. She would call me and tell me what her Sims were doing and I would walk to her place to see her Sim house. We made houses that looked like our houses and little families that looked like ours. (Yes, we are cool like that.) I didn’t play The Sims 2. I had gotten a copy one time, but, like much of my stuff at that time in my life, it met an unfortunate end and I never got a chance to play it. This new game is very fun. I have been having a blast. I had been playing a bunch of Facebook games, but I have been totally neglecting Facebook all together for my Sims.

The kids are fine. Carolynn is a pain in the butt. Seriously, I am thinking of selling her and her smart mouth to a hard labor camp. She is currently grounded. Her grades are slipping, she has been caught trying to sneak out of here dressed like a hooker wearing a clown’s make up. Her friends are just as bad. She thinks it is cool. She is wrong. She was trying to get out of band. But she is stuck now. She used to love her saxophone. I don’t know what her problem is, but if she is going to continue down this path, I will have to lock her in her room.

Catherine is fine. She is still a messy little pain, but she is okay. She made some new friends. She joined the choir at school. She is getting good grades. She is on the third Harry Potter. She stated softball again last week. She will be on the Red Sox this season. Her friend Katelyn is on her team and a few girls we recognize from the other teams of the Spring season. Her coach seems okay, but I don’t know if I like him. Mostly because he said some not very nice things about Catherine’s previous coach and I didn’t like that. I felt his statements were untrue and that he had no right to judge, especially since he hadn’t even been there. And I liked Catherine’s coach and so did she and she had a good time. That is what was important.

In just a couple of weeks, our little Catherine will be turning 10. That’s a big one, double digits. She wants to have a party. She wants a bunch of stuff. She has a whole menu planned out, but no cake. She has never been a huge cake lover. She wants birthday pie, apple pie, specifically Dutch Apple Pie. I haven’t decided what to get her yet. She wants so much stuff. I have a few ideas. She has listed a bunch of Littlest Pet Shop junk, but I am not buying that. She doesn’t even play with them anymore. She wants some computer games. She wants some clothes. She wants some DVD’s and CD’s. Those are better choices I think. She wants a hamster or a guinea pig, but I think three dogs, a cat and a turtle are enough.

Speaking of pets, Drizella is still here and I haven’t pitched her yet. Really, she is a good dog. She has not had any accidents. She has chewed up some stuff, but she is a puppy, and it hasn’t been too major. She needs to learn not to eat Gibby’s food and Gibby needs to learn not to take her chew toys and rawhides. But mostly Drizella needs to learn that she is not the same size as Gibby. She jumps up on the furniture, she jumps on people and nearly knocks them down (in the case of Catherine, she actually knocks her down). She pounds on doors to go out or come in. She isn’t dainty. She is getting better though. She is a puppy. She will learn. She already knows not to jump on me.

I think that just summed up my life pretty well. I am currently making a pork roast with baked apples for dinner. I got the recipe from Tyler’s Ultimate on the Cooking Network. I love that guy. He makes such good food. This should be pretty good too. The recipe called for hard cider and I could only find it in a six pack. I drank one last night. It wasn’t bad. I hardly ever drink. It tasted just like I imagined it would, like apple juice with alcohol in it.

That is all I have until next time. See you then.

And So It Continues…

Three years ago today, I started this blog. At the time, I had just moved into my first apartment after my marriage ended and I had just started a new job at a basket warehouse. Things certainly have changed since then. We have had many great adventures. We have done some traveling. We’ve had ups and downs. But mostly, I have enjoyed it.

One year ago today, I began a new life. I left my job in San Diego, left my apartment and moved to my home town of Apple Valley. I rented my first house and after a long and sometimes painful period of joblessness, I began a new career in a field I don’t think anyone would have thought I would have done. Mostly, it’s pretty good. Here is an update…

Like I said, we moved to Apple Valley. I looked for jobs like a mad woman. I worked briefly as a fish tank cleaner at a pet store. I spent a lot of time stressed. But in December, I finally found just the right thing. I was hired as a federal correctional officer. Yep, me. Tiny old me. I now go to work every day in a uniform and enter a place grown men fear, and spend my day with men who have done things most of us couldn’t imagine. And I like my job. I like the feeling that I am doing something to make the world a little better. That perhaps something I might do might help these men change their ways when they exit. And for those who will never leave, I am protecting the community by keeping secure these men who cannot be part of normal society. I am happy now. I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about bills, as I know I can pay them. Plus I still have a little left over to enjoy. This March I spent 3 weeks in Georgia for training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. I learned a lot, met some great people and had a great time. While I was there, my dearest friend in the world, Trisha, and her whole entire family, came and we went to Savannah. It was so pretty and I had a great time. Since I have been back, I have been working a lot of hours and am hoping we can take a fun vacation this fall to San Francisco. Last year, we went to Las Vegas. Plus I made a few trips to Palm Springs.

Carolynn has also had a big year. She turned 13 this year. She did her first year of school in Apple Valley. She made some new friends, ditched some classes, got caught, got grounded… Made some different new friends and learned to play the saxophone. She dyed her hair, went to Hawaii, and ran cross country on her school team.

Catherine spent her year being Catherine. She is going to a school here that is geared for kids with her special needs. She is a little bit of an overachiever. Only at school though. At home, she can’t manage to wear clothes that match, clean her room or remember to brush her teeth. She also went to Hawaii this past year. She played softball in the town Little League. Her team won the city championship. At th end of the year, she won an award for perfect attendance at her school, as well as a physical fitness award. And as usual, she got all A’s.

David has had the toughest year I think. After we moved, he has had a hard time finding a job. He got a job right away at McDonald’s, but they don’t schedule him consistently. There were weeks last fall, when he got no hours at all. Then in the winter, the McDonald’s was robbed while he was there. As a matter of fact, he has to go to court for that on Monday. He still works there part time, while continually looking for something better. Unfortunately, in this current economic condition, there are just way more people looking and fewer jobs to find. He did begin going to college since we moved here. Also, in the past year, he took a trip to Texas to visit his family and he returned with a vehicle of his own. I am glad he is here. Without his help, there is no way I could have been gone for three weeks to Georgia, no way I could work the crazy hours, no way I could work midnight to 8… He may not be the tidiest person, but he is always there when I need a back up.

This year was a big year for pets. When we moved here last year, we brought our two cats, Kitty and Cleo, as well as our turtle, Little Dude. Soon after, we were joined by our dog, Elvis, who had been staying with my mom. Then there was Gibby. Gibby was a gift from my mom. He is Chihuahua and Pomeranian. He just had his first birthday and he is filled of energy. He wears clothes, follows me everywhere, and loves to ride in the car. He was the mascot for Catherine’s softball team. Then sadly, we lost out cat Cleo. She got out one night and we never saw her again. Unfortunately, we live in an area with a lot of coyotes. We did get a new cat, Betty.

But the best thing of all, this past April we welcomed a new family member. Nathan Joseph joined us on April 6. I have a nephew. He is too cute. As a matter of fact, I was playing with him earlier today and he was giggling and grinning and I wished I had a camera.

This next year of blogging is going to be great. I hope all my readers hang in there with me. We are about to embark on a great new adventure. Until then, enjoy a look back on this year in pictures.

The Last Day

Today is the last day of school for the kids. Carolynn has a half day and Catherine has a whole day. I have to go to work later tonight (or tomorrow morning as the case may be). Of course, I only work two nights ad I have two more days off. Then only five nights after that before the shift change.

Today I have already gone to pay the water bill. I am cleaning and doing laundry. Later we will make homemade pizza.

Last night the girls and I watched So You Think You Can Dance. I don’t remember ever watching that before. It was pretty good. There were some very good dancers. We would like to thank Red Lotus Mama for tempting us and now we are hooked.

Anyway, I have a busy day today. Lots to do. I just wanted to add a quick update and here is a nice picture to share.

A little lizard buddy we found on the trail in Big Bear

Sleep

I finally got some. I slept yesterday when I got home from work, and then I slept all night. It was amazing. I finally feel all the way awake. I have a few errands to run today. I have to get over the PetSmart because Gibby keeps beating the stuffing out of his toys. I am going to do some yard work. We are planting a veggie garden in the back yard and sunflowers in the front yard. Plus I have some housekeeping to get done.

David is taking Carolynn to see the Wolverine movie later. Catherine has a softball game tonight. It’s going to be a start to a fabulous weekend… which I have off. Yes, me, I get a whole weekend off. I almost did a happy dance right there in my unit when I saw that on my schedule. Tomorrow Catherine has another game. We will finish our garden. We will finish our housekeeping. Then on Sunday, we will go to the Renaissance Faire. It is going to be fun. Then on Monday, it’s back to work. I can absolutely guarantee I won’t miss those inmates a bit.

The girls have been doing a little writing on their blogs. Be sure and check them out. They love comments. David is going to make them some new summery designs.

Catherine In The Zoo

Carolynn’s Ocean View

Well, I am off to enjoy my fabulous weekend. I hope the weather is great too. So far it has been. It’s May for heaven’s sake, warm it up already!

For The Love Of A Child

On The Beach

OMG! I forgot to mention my super cool new blog design. I absolutely love it. Thanks Nikki! Check out her design website at DesignCoyote.com.