so the house construction across the street is achieving a strange metamorphosis. when we last left the structure, it had been completely taken down except for the brick front.

now, the structure is up. the brick has just been painted grey. interesting. then they put on cedar shingles. they didn't go with the grey brick, but what the hell do i know? then, they painted the door a maroonish-red. ok, methinks i am not the stylist to the stars, but i know a house not matching when i see it. in short, i am perplexed.

so tonite, i am taking out the garbage, and in the span of, oh, say 2 hours, the cedar shingles have been painted a dark bluish grey. unevenly, i might add. hmm.

things i don't understand:
1) why paint bricks?
2) why paint CEDAR SHINGLES?
3) why did they keep the brick front only in the first place? they knocked the whole rest of the house down, so i guess maybe i don't get it all….

do me a favor… the center for science and the public interest is now doing an e-mail campaign to get mickey d's to offer veggie burgers. please take a minute and send them an e-mail — you can get to the form here.

and hell, while you are at it, check out the other campaigns. little things, like improve the way meat comes to your table, etc… you might care a little about that.

there is a dearth of nursery schools/early childhood centers where we live. we applied for two public school montessori programs here in our fair county, just for fun. BC is in a terrific day care, and we really probably would not move her anyway, but sometimes, you figure, y'know – like NY Lotto – “you've gotta be in it to win it.”

we knew that the chances were slim and none. not only do siblings of already-enrolled students get priority, but kids in the neighborhood get priority in one program. not to mention that 2/3 of the scant slots are for people of modest income (which, in these parts, is $52,000 or less – unbelievable, huh?) so out of a class where there might be 10 three-year-olds, BC has a shot at 3 or 4 slots at most.

can you say “snowball's chance in hell?”

in the spanish immersion program, BC is listed at #12 out of 68 on her part of the wait list. i figured this was next to impossible since this program gets applications from all over our county. statistically, though, she is better off than at our neighborhood school.

at our neighborhood school, BC is listed at #14. out of 14. as in last. of the last.

i am incredibly grateful that BC is in a terrific daycare. i had hoped to move her into something a little closer to home. but frankly, i should be grateful i got her in anywhere AT ALL.

christ. who do you have to sleep with to get your child into nursery school?

i made myself into a mermaid. but you try it yourself and see 🙂

i am tired. i think i need eugene to cheer me up.

today i had the genuine pleasure of meeting maddening IRL for lunch along with karly-warly. karl was on KST (karl standard time); but since i have grown fond of de guy, i didn't mind one whit. in fact, when akadashi-san and maddening-san showed up, i was merely annoyed because i had been watching a lady who was so busy talking on her cel phone that she couldn't see how her ridiculous parking abilities were impaired and she selfishly took up two spots in the process. G-d, i hate stupid people.

but i digress. we had yummy thai food; we two chicks are vegetarian in our fashion, so i didn't feel like a freak of nature 🙂 i never did figure out what was in the pink sweet sauce that came with the veggie rolls, but no matter. it was a lark, and i am glad to got out of the house — it definitely was better than the trip to home despot i had planned 🙂

heehee. thanks for lunch, el karlo.

Here is your horoscope for Friday, April 26

Pisces:

“Your message must be heard. Original content and style are vital
to any kind of recognition. Once you have everyone's attention, it's
easy to follow through. There's no time for cold feet when you're
only just getting them wet.”

lately, i have been feeling like i am the world's worst mom.

at night, BC doesn't want to go to sleep. she only wants me to sit and sit and sit with her forever. which, of course, i would be tempted to do if only i didn't need sleep. so after stories, chocolate milk, and sitting in my lap for two songs on her nighttime CD, i put her in her bed. i sit for two more songs as she gets settled on her own, then i tell her good night. i tell her that she needs to go to sleep so i can check on her while she is sleeping (something she loves, even though she is never awake to see me do it. but i am a mom, and i keep to my word – i check on her once each night and give her a kiss.)

the past few times, she fights me. she wants me to staaaaaaay. i have squirted away the monsters with my special anti monster serum (a cheap squirt bottle i filled with water). i have helped her to go the bathroom one last time. but still, she screams and wails. and i pick her up and i put her back in her bed. last night, i lost my temper and screamed at her. she laughed in my face. this, of course, made me madder. but i just started to tell her of the things i would take away if she didn't get in bed. (TV, swim class this weekend, etc.) she still does not grasp consequences.

we don't spank in our house. and there are times when i can understand why people spank. the frustration level when you are tested by a three-year-old mastermind can be excessively high. i am ever so grateful that i kept, and keep it together and still don't spank. eventually, i got her back into bed and, ever the keen manipulator of mom's heart, BC said, “mommy? i love you.”

after all the screeching, wailing, uncooperative behavior, i get that.

some days i wonder if i am doing something terribly wrong.

will someone PLEASE help me get that @#$%@#$% “Bittersweet Symphony” riff out of my HEAD? ARRRGH.

many thanks to graham for sharing this with me. let's pray libby isn't mic'd.