I can't wait for June 5th!

June 5th is the day that kiddo gets out of school.  That certainly is a wonderful day to celebrate.  She gets to rock out at work with Hubs the following week at an Advanced Fishing Camp.  What else am I so darned thrilled about with the coming of June 5th?  Hmmm . . .

My time of being PTA President will be over!  

Today was my final meeting to conduct.  It was all OAA infected, so things were a little out of sorts there.  The teachers provided breakfast for us. They cooked wonderful things and we were very well fed.  

We celebrated the retirement of our previous librarian.  She is a super lady and we're glad that she was able to visit with us today.  

We celebrated those coming forward to take board positions.  Though the OAA prevented the kids from coming down to present us with candles, the room was so packed that there wouldn't have been room for them.  I did my annual jaunt to the Root Candle Outlet store.  I'm sorry, but I won't give someone a cheap, stinky candle to celebrate their willingness to come on to PTA board.  My previous candles were always put into the White Elephant at family Christmas. 

Our incoming president is a wonderful woman who stands on her own two feet and assures me that she isn't there for a popularity contest.  She said that she isn't afraid to say no if she needs to.  She is very OCD, so I believe that will serve her well.  I have no qualms about passing the presidency on to Erin.  She's a lot like me in ways, but about 8" taller, so she won't need the tiny step stool that they bought for me.  :)

As the meeting ended, I asked if there was any more business needing to attend to.  It ended up that a few members were irritated that we spent all of the budget and budget extension on popcorn already and the popcorn chair and I decided that cutting popcorn after tomorrow would be fine.  They gave me a whisker lickin' about a budget just being an approximation . . . but if we hadn't already voted on one extension, I wouldn't so much have an issue.  It isn't a fundraiser.  We augment the 25 cents per bag we charge.  Prices for materials have gone up exponentially.  I told them I wouldn't support another vote on popcorn budget when we just voted on it the previous months.  In the end, we voted to transfer some funds, but I hate that people always feel slighted about something.  It's popcorn.  It's the last month of school.  We have 10,000 things going on.  They got their way and walked away happy.  I walked away from the last moments of my last meeting feeling as if I had been run over by a speeding train.  

Then I texted Hubs.  I won't repeat here what I texted.  We'll just say that I was a bit irritated.  His comment?  "1 more month."  "27 days," was my response.

I'm still on PTA board next year, but never again.  I will always support the PTA and their mission.  I have no issue with that, but I would like to reclaim my life at a certain point.  After grade 5, I will be the minimally participative PTA parent.  They have officially burned me out. 

The reaction that customers give me when I tell them that we don't eat out.

"How is [this new] restaurant?  Do you know where it is at?"

"Because my husband has food allergies*, I don't get out much.  I'll ask a coworker for you."

:insert look of horror from the customer:

"WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"I cook a lot."

Her mouth dropped.  I don't know why.  Do people not cook anymore?

"I cook things at home with items that I know are safe for him to eat.  I buy soy or rice cheese, different things like that."

"Oh."

I get this from people a lot.  Actually, I get it far more often that I ever would have imagined.  Here is my blog reaction:

1.  Some people do cook.  I have a crock-pot that allows me to cheat on Soccer Sunday and such.  It's wonderful.  Last week, I made Taco Soup.  It was very delicious and we enjoyed it very much.
2.  Some people like to cook.  Every now and then, I'll hit a clinker.  By and large, things generally work out.
3.  Some people have to cook.  I can regulate salt and spices that I know won't work for us.  I can make otherwise illegal foods such as pizza for Hubs, but only homemade.  Grant you, it does cost more for us to have homemade pizza, but I like homemade better.
4.  *I say "food allergies" not to misinform but because I don't feel like dragging through the whole thing of this makes him ill and that makes him ill.  It's easier, though inaccurate, to say food allergies.  Janeen, I feel you flogging me with a wet, gluten and dairy free noodle as I type.  I know.  I know.
5.  I know that this seems like a simple thing that people don't think about.  Not everyone can afford to eat out at those fancy restaurants that you talk about.  It's not that I wouldn't like to.  I would dearly love to.  I'm not going to dip into the savings account in order to go to a nice restaurant.  We just don't have that extra flow on hand.
6.  We like to eat healthy foods and we find them to be more readily available at the farm market that we visit.  Produce, hummus & chips, and other dinner fixins. Yum.  By going to a small mom and pop, we're helping to support the little guy.  The grocery that I go to is a local chain.  That way, I'm supporting local business.
7.  I pack K's lunch on most school days, Hubs and I always pack our lunches.  By cooking, it gives some of us leftovers for lunch the next day.  (Typically me.)

So yes, there are those of us who cook.  Don't worry.  My people and I won't starve.  We always have food in the cupboards.

Yes, we do eat out-- a couple of times a year.  That is generally a trip to Panera.  Those trips are rare.

Those blasted phone people.

We are not in love with AT&T right now.  The salesperson gave us an public employee discount, but never bothered to tell us that our plan didn't qualify for that discount.  She also stated that tax and all, our bill would be $96.00 for the 4 non-smart phones.  (We have three phones like below and one old man flip phone.)  We're not high tech here with the phones.  We didn't get new phones, so we kept on with the old even though she insisted that we all go with smart phones.  

No. Thank. You.  Do you know how many times I drop this thing?  It still works.  God bless all, it still works after being dropped in a heap of snow, bounced off concrete, Pergo, gravel, parking lots (plural) and even all the way down the basement steps.  Mine is well used, but why fix it if it ain't broke?  You can all agree that an iPhone can't survive all of that! 

I have now spent 2 hours of my life that I cannot get back on the phone with customer service from AT&T.  The first lady talked with me about setting my billing up on autopay and online.  Well, she succeeded in setting up autopay, but I didn't receive a bill this month.  Enter Donna, Friday's customer service lady.  I asked that she check my e-mail address because it could have been entered wrong.  It seems as though Monica didn't enter one at all.  Hmmm.  Could be a problem.  L, the sales rep at the store, misquoted our price.  Our bill is $24 more than she quoted us.  

 Hubs is now on the hunt for a new carrier.  In the meantime, my beat up old phone that everyone makes fun of will just have to continue keeping on.  Someone asked me the other day if my phone was covered in duct tape.  "No.  The pattern is coming off of the case."

At least no one wants to steal it.

"Mom, you can go down to the Name Society and change my name to Pig A. Wiggle."

She had a 1/2 hour clean on her room. She decided to deep clean, then got overwhelmed, hateful and we had a bit of a room argument.

Y'all, it wasn't pretty.

My heart was broken as I saw things of true sentimental value just chucked into piles.  Necklaces that got tangled into knots.  Piles and piles and piles of papers jammed into desk drawers that needed to go away.   I went in with a garbage bag and was rather ruthless.  K was not pleased.

For a long time, I threatened to take her to the Social Security Office (AKA The Name Society to her) and change her name to Hester Pester.  Pig A. Wiggle works just as fine.  Just think of the wedding invitations.  She'll have some explaining to do.