You Can’t Kick Me Out, I left YOU

A few months ago I received an invitation from one of my friends to join hoverspot.com. It's another one of those social networking sites, except with this one you earn points somehow to win products like ipods and what not. I joined because my friend would receive points if I did, like some kind of referral system. In all I thought the site was pretty lame, and really worthless unless you were hard on about winning stuff. I don't give a shit about winning stuff- especially if I have to get friends to join or make new ones with that purpose in mind. Not much of a social network, I think.

In the few months I'd been a member I received 2 emails from other hoverspot members. Perfect strangers who were sending me messages as if they KNOW ME. Like one, dated 12/11/2007, asked "where are you?". The last straw, dated 1/7/2008 asked, "do you even get on here anymore?"

WTF?!!!

I don't even know you people!

Therefore I felt it was just time to cancel my account and be done with random ass people asking me about my site activity (or lack thereof).

At the end of the cancel request form there was a box. Hoverspot wanted to know why I was cancelling. Fair enough. In a nutshell, this was my reply:

I only joined to help out a friend. I'm not really interested in this site. Plus, I'm getting messages from people I don't even know about my whereabouts and it's getting to be a pest.

And you know what?

I got an email from hoverspot today saying that my account has been deleted because I "have been determined to be in violation of hoverspot terms of service".

Uh, WTF?!!!

If cancelling my account is a violation of their terms of service, then I can most certainly understand. But when I think "violation", I think of people putting porn on their site, or threatening to kill the president, or putting porn on their site and threatening to kill the president…

But cancelling an account?

I sat over this email for a minute, part of me laughing and part of me outraged (I've kind of been on a short fuse lately).

You can't kick me out! I left you!

So I sat thinking. I told dh about it. And we laughed. And then I thought some more.

I decided I wanted to send a really pissy email back to the administrators of hoverspot, demanding to know what terms of service I am in violation of? And could they kindly kiss my ass because, fuck you (meaning them), I quit before they kicked me out.

I thought better of it. Maybe that was the smart thing to do.

But why do I feel so violated?! Like some vicious rumor was being spread about me throughout the blogosphere.

And really, WTF?!!

So anyways, here's one for google:

Hoverspot sucks balls.

A Compelling Conversation With A.

A: Mama, I'm compelled to play with my toys.

Me: Do you know what compel means?

A: No, what?

Me: It's when you really want to do something.

(I realize now that my definition leaves something to be desired, but she's 4, and it's close enough I think)

A: Oh, like you are compelled to knit and I am compelled to play.

Me: Exactly. Where did you learn that from?

A: I don't know.

Me: you're not in trouble, it's alright.

A: I don't know. I just know it.

Potty Training Boot Camp

I would first like to apologize for yet another potty training entry. There may be a few potty training adventures yet to come, but I promise I'll use the utmost discretion in deciding what to bitch about post.

We've got sort of a potty training boot camp going on in our house right now. The plastic panty thing? Not so much working. For all the wet spots I still have to shampoo off the carpets and the upholstery every day, I gave up on the plastic panties and just toss regular ones on her when the mood suits. I consulted with my "source" about the dilemma and she recommended I try the actual plastic panty covers, since the all-in-ones do have a higher tendency to leak. Wish I'd a known that $12 ago?

So tomorrow I'm back to Babiesrus, where I will purchase exactly 2 packs of the plastic panty covers, for approximately $3 for a pack of 3, each. In the meantime, she will be wearing panties all day. Again. And I will continue shampooing the carpets and upholstery approximately every two hours. I'm sure that by the time S. finally decides that using the potty at home is the cool thing to do, we will have bald spots on our brand new carpets and the upholstery will have thin, wispy patches here and there. Also, my Bissell may overheat from having to keep up with the puddles of piss being left behind in various rooms numerous times a day.

The best part about all this?

I never really know exactly where S. was when she peed her panties, because she won't tell me right away. She'd walk around in wet panties all day if she could! So I have to hunt down wet spots in the common areas- the living room or her room, dragging the shampooer with me as I look. The Bissell has not seen the closet in two days, but this sure does add some excitement to my otherwise boring days…

But I am determined. If this kid knows when she has to potty while we're at the library, she's going to figure out how to use the potty at home when the urge strikes.

There's no telling how long this boot camp will last. A week, two weeks- the rest of my life…

When I was freaking out about A.'s lack of interest in the potty a year ago, I'd heard people tell me to relax, that she'll be out of diapers by the time she goes to kindergarten. And with A., that turned out to be true. But with S., I'm not entirely sure she'll be out of diapers by the time she goes to college…

The Plastic Panty Potty Training Challenge

I have a 3 year old who will not use the potty at home. Emphasis: at. home.

If we're at the mall, the library, the park, the bx- anyplace where she will have to use a public restroom, she'll tell us she has to potty, we take her and she goes. But at home, not so much. I've tried just about everything. Sticker charts (one from Chuck e Cheese, even), letting her wear panties around the house. Nothing works!

Someone recently suggested I try plastic panties, so that I'm not shampooing upholstry or carpeting every few hours. So the girls and I had a mission today. Find plastic panty covers (we had some for A., but those didn't work for her so we tossed them. Doh!)
After checking Target and the Bx, I ended up right back next to Target at Babiesrus. Why didn't I think of that earlier?

I stood in front of the stupid training pants rack for what must have been at least 10 mintues trying to figure out if I wanted the plain plastic panty covers (3 for $2.99) or the set that were actually plastic panties. The outside is plastic, just like the panty covers, but the inside is lined. What makes them so different than pull-ups, dh wondered. Good question.

These aren't as absorbant as pull-ups, so they've got to be a little more uncomfortable. Plus, they can be washed, and therefore, reused.

Sweet! I thought. This way I won't have to put panties under the plastic panty covers. I've got an all-in-one majiggy here.

S. has gone through 2 of them in the last 5 hours. 2. She will not be putting on another one tonight. One, because it's almost bedtime, and two, because it's not quite working out the way I'd hoped.

I was advised (and wanted) the plastic ones so that I wouldn't be shampooing everything she sat on every few hours. Maybe I bought a faulty pair, or maybe she's not getting uncomfortable until the liners are beyond capacity and they're leaking, but they're leaking. So far I've shampooed a spot on the sofa and both of their fabric rocker chairs.

Oh, and, both times there was poop.
Ewwwwww.

But I am prepared- I bought 4 of them, the 2 are in the wash now, and tomorrow is another day.

My advisor said it may take about a week before we start to see progress. So, a week it is.

She'll be in those damned plastic panties while we're home, and I'll just keep the shampooer handy- again. For one week.

After that I'm giving her to the gypsy's. They can return her after she's decided that using the potty at home is as necessary and cool as using it at Cold Stone Creamery.

Wordless Wednesday: Ringing In The New Year

This is how we spent our time as we waited for the ball to drop on that last evening of 2007:

Our special bubbly- sparkling cider:

Tall man, plastic pink champagne flute- it doesn't get much better than this!

Dancing the night away with the girls:


Almost time to celebrate!

One of the few pics you'll ever see with me in it:

Welcome to 2008!

Not That I'm Delusional or Anything

Several years ago, dh and I made a deal.

Well, it was less of a deal and more of an, "uh-huh. That'll happen." thing from dh, but regardless of whether or not he was being sarcastic (which he undoubtedly was), he said it. So, I get to hold him to it!

The deal was that, at our 10 year anniversary I could upgrade my ring. I don't want any other anniversary gift other than upgrading my ring.

There's nothing wrong with the rings I have now. I like them. But, you know, guys get to upgrade computers and game consoles- sometimes even cars, why can't I upgrade my ring? Just my engagement ring. And really, just the diamond. I wanted a diamond that was a tad bit bigger, and even better quality.

It all sounds terribly superficial, I know. I'll give you that. But I'm the daughter of a jeweler, who is always buying jewelry. And that's what happens.

Although I'm not that into jewelry. As in, jewelry stores are not my favorite places to shop. Usually I prefer to spend $300 extra dollars on a new ipod, or a new lens for my camera. Cuz I'm a geek like that. But every once in awhile I'll see something I absolutely love!

In the last several years I have specifically wanted 2 things jewelry related- a dragonfly pendant and a tanzanite right hand ring. I got the ring, and I'm still thinking about the pendant.

Anyways, diamond upgrade, 10 years.

So last night we were actually talking about my upgrade, and how ridiculous it was for me to want to spend extra money to get a better diamond (he says, not me, obviously). I agreed (a little... but just a little) and put the matter in the back of my mind for the next few years, when I get to take it out, dust if off and bring it up all over again.

However, I came across this jewelry website by reading a blog post by Kristi at A Beautiful Mess. She was going down a list of her wants, and she had a link to a ring she really liked. So, seeing that is was a link for diamond rings, I naturally followed. And that's when I saw this:

Yes, those are butterflies flanking the center stone.

Isn't it wonderful?!

It's incredibly gorgeous! I love every single thing about it. I love it's originality, it's detail, and I love that even with all those diamonds it doesn't look gaudy.

And the kicker- dh actually things it's quite beautiful as well (our taste in all things aesthetic differ quite a bit).

Not that I'll be getting it any time soon. Especially since this ring costs a whopping $3,900 (and that's the wholesale price). I'm not delusional or anything. Entirely.

But I'm printing copies of the images to put on my bulletin board, in my wallet, and under my pillow (you know how the tooth fairy comes and takes teeth from under the pillow and leaves $$$$ ? Maybe if I leave my rings under the pillow at night, the ring fairy will see the images of this one up here, and then trade my ring for it. And it will magically be exactly the right size! Maybe it will even come with a custom made wedding band to accompany it?).

It may be a long time before I get it. If I ever do get it.

But a girl can dream, right?

Right.

2007: My Year In Review

In 2007:

1. I learned that sometimes you have to do someone else's job for them to get what you need. Especially if you're dealing with medical clearances.

2. I realized that I can be friends with someone, even if our children aren't.

3. I learned how to knit socks and hats on two circular needles, instead of dpn's. I like it much better, except for the parts where I occasionally get tangled up in the needles hanging off the cable when moving from one to the other.

4. I learned that a lack of communication will sink a relationship faster than the Titanic. It doesn't take long to go from "extreme confidante" to "I know we share a bed, and have two kids together, but who are you again?"

Also, no one plays music as the relationship is going down…

5. I said good-bye to friends I'd made in my year in San Angelo, and learned to say "hello" to new ones.

6. For the first time in a very, very long time I was reminded of how it feels to be so far away from people whom I love and care about very much; not just family, but friends. Friends who have become family to me; who always made me laugh, who have seen me at my tired-est and absolute worst, and love me anyways; who always get my bizarre humor (and countered with oddities of their own). Friends who would actually become genuinely excited about the upcoming Pirates vs. Ninja's Dodgeball game for the Xbox 360. Friends with whom I have many things in common and great chemistry, to boot. These friends are just simply too, too far away.

I miss them all, and I miss them tons. Every day.

7. In a violent corporate-coffee-drinking coup which took place on my taste buds, Pumpkin Spice latte's were usurped as my seasonal favorite of choice and replaced by Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha (which is NOT the same thing as a peppermint mocha, or a white chocolate mocha. It is it's own entity. Don't make that mistake again!)

In 2008, I will:

1. Read at least 75% of the books I pay money to bring home, rather than having them languish with neglect on my bedside table. Or in my office. Or tucked away somewhere in the living room… (I am nothing if not organized. Ha! Had you going there for a second, didn't I?!)

2. Take better care of myself. This is a multi-faceted resolution:
Aside from actually using the gym membership my otherwise-for-coffee/yarn/books money goes to, I will remember to eat my fruits and veggies.
In non-liquid form even (although a Jamba Juice gives me more than enough of my RDA).

3. Actually include pics of finished objects (fo's) on my knitting blog (Just One More Row for those of you who are morbidly curious).

4. Worry less, play more.

5. Become a "screamfree parent"- or something very closely resembling one.

6. Spend less money on coffee and more money on... uh, ok. This one obviously needs some work. Do I even need to spend that money at all?

Haha!

Had you going again! Of course I do! Drop a habit, pick one up, I always say!

7. Overcome my complete and total anxiety and contempt for the drive up to Mt. Lemmon, and actually look at the scenery the whole way as dh drives us up there. How I feel about being there once we arrive is still open for negotiation.

How about you? What are a few of your goals for the New Year?