so, there i was...minding my own business...just got home from work...bringing the boy in the house...taking his coat off...unpacking his bag...and my cell phone rings.  i didn't recognize the phone number (only noticed that it was a MA #)...so i answered:

"hi this is mindy" 

"hi is this Traveling Girlfriends?"

(i proceed to bust out laughing) "uhh...i think you've got the wrong number"

silence - click

 

now, after i hang up, i first laugh hysterically some more.  then, i run to the computer and search like a mad woman to find "Traveling Girlfriends"...nothan...damn google!  then i decide...hmmm...i wonder who the guy was that called me...so, i search the phone number (oh, how quickly google got back on my good list).  well...meet Clark Colton...and the even funnier part...he called from his work number...yes, the one listed on that webpage.

 

now...as i'm writing this blog entry, i tell jon this story and he first busts out laughing, then he gets all nervous and the lawyer in him says..."what if you write this and this guy isn't really the one that called...and his wife reads...etc"  i say - "yah, that's fair...i'll call to make sure."  jon says "what, you can't do that!"

 

bbbbrrrrriiiiing

"hello?"

"hi is this Clark?"

"yes it is"

"ok - thanks, i think i dialed the wrong number"

 

Clark may be a little confused right now, but i did my research...it was him. 

 

so, the moral of the story...

a) don't call Traveling Girlfriends

b) if you're going to call, don't call from your work number

c) if you're going to call from your work number, make sure you dial the right number

d) if you're going to call the wrong number, don't call someone with a blog...esp. someone like me

 

p.s. anyone ever heard of Traveling Girlfriends?

 

 

i wouldn't say i enjoy painting rooms, but i will say that i take pride in the paint job and try to do a perfectionist-type-job.  since we've moved in to the new digs, the 2 living rooms have been painted sage (did that in one LONG day with help), the 1/2 bath was just painted brown (in 1 day) and then most recently - our bedroom - painted "velvet red"...

 

so, i've never needed to use more than one heavy coat to paint a room...maybe a second touch up coat.  well, this bedroom wasn't the normal room.  i started doing taping and prep'n and outlet removal/etc. on a Sat, which took about 4 hours.  then Sunday i started with the first coat - 6 hours.  i waited until the following weekend to paint again.  Sat. - 4 more hours of a second coat.  then finally, just this past Sunday i did 6 more hours of a 3rd coat and all the touch ups.  from all these hours of work, this is what i've learned:

 

1) unless you're ready and mentally prepared for red - don't do it - it's a painful process

2) painting tall walls on a step ladder is great for the abs and the calf muscles ... it just sucks when you've gotten to the touch up stage and your whole body is shaking

3) painting for 6 hours straight makes your arms feel like they don't exist on your body (again, not helpful during touch up process)

4) radio commercials all repeat every 15 to 20 minutes (if you'd like i could tell you all about the breast cancer walk happening in May or about how Jordan's furniture doesn't sell used/returned mattresses)

5) even if you're a perfectionist, there are always going to be flaws...back away slowly from the flaws or you'll go insane

6) find soft lighting (which i'm in the process of doing so) so you can see less of #5

 

anyway...it's now done and we just need to get somethan to cover the windows.  and yes, we've lived here for 7 months and have NOTHING covering our bedroom windows.  my theory - if people really want to look in - go nuts - if it's what floats your boat, well then i guess i'm honored.  but, those windows will be covered in like four days - so get your peeps in now!

 

 

so, i sprained my wrist, i guess.

how, you ask?  well, i wish i could tell you…but, it’s this odd thing (most things w/ me are)…

we got back from the CO trip at 2am and i passed out cold in my own bed with my glorious Tempur-pedic pillow.  i woke up new years day and my wrist was killing me. 

now for the back-story…i have random wrist issues.  i’ve always been able to pull on my hand/fingers and pretty much dislocate my wrists.  it doesn’t really hurt, just an odd thing and it grosses people out.  well, since i’ve gotten my heavy pillow (about 2 yrs ago) my neck and back issues have subsided – which is a very good thing…but, i think bc of the weight of the pillow and my head, my hands get ‘stuck’ under my pillow and then i move while sleeping and my wrist get dislocated while i sleep.  it has happened a couple times in the past, but NEVER this severe.

so, i think that’s what happened.  probably bc i was so tired, i didn’t even feel any pain and just slept through hours of a freak’n dislocated wrist.  well, that was 10 days ago and i’ve since been wrapping my forearm/wrist/hand with an ace bandage and icing it, with the hope that the pain will die down.  i’ve also got a new ergonomically correct mouse and keyboard at work, with the hope that it’d help, as jon blamed it on carpel tunnel…which makes no since given that i was on vacation for 10 days from a computer…if anything, it was probably the lack of computer that caused my body to freak out…i’m actually surprised i didn’t have full-body-turrets from the lack of a computer.  anyway, the crappy part of this whole thing is that i can’t use my right hand/wrist…everything i do…driving, opening a jar, typing, opening a door, lifting/carrying Aiden…adds to the pain.  so annoying.

the story is so absurd, i thought i’d share.  seriously – who dislocates their wrist while sleeping and makes it basically unusable for 10+ days?  yep – that’s miss gimpy hand over here.  appreciate the use of your hands.

 

i feel this entry is more of a public service announcement...

 

the three of us traveled to Boulder, CO this year for a week to celebrate the holidays at my sis's place.  for some reason, i always manage to have a story with everything i do...and there were definitely some nuggets to share from this excursion regarding my darling 2 yr old...

 

we showed up at the airport - we went to first check our bags.  The line we end up in - the guy's computer freezes - seriously?  so, we wait and wait and wait.  meanwhile, Aiden is NOT wanting to be held or stand in one spot, so we're basically holding him sideways as he kicks and screams.  finally, 30 mins later we get the bags checked - we allow Aiden to walk toward the gate and all in the world is calm again.  oh wait - the security line is next.  yah, now let's stand in a line with a 2 year old and a bunch of people inches from us as he REFUSES to stand for another 30 mins.  he wants to run/walk/move...yah know, everything you as adults want to do to, but don't bc u've been trained.  Aiden becomes that child.  no matter what we bribe him with (toys/pacifier/drink/snacks) he somehow manages to scream, kick us, throw trains at fellow line-folk, and most impressively throw his body on the floor and have a complete nutty.  jon & i try to manage him and attempt to ignore the wonderful 'looks' we're receiving from people.  aiden finally calms w/ a lil travel dish of cheerios...thankfully!  so, now we're next up in the security line...shoes off...grey bin filled...i go through...jon has aiden and the guy stops him and says "you need to put the cheerios through the xray machine."  i thought for a moment jon might kill the man...i'm not kidding...it was a look i don't think i've seen on Jon's face before.  so, big surprise - once the cheerios are taken away, aiden loses it again!  at this point, there are 5 bins before jon's lone cheerio bin so, we have to wait for the bomb-filled cheerios to make it through the machine while they triple examine everyone else's bags prior to those cheerios...and remember...he's screaming/kicking/hitting while we ever so patiently stand next to the xray belt.  DONE - we walk away from security.  i'm in a full back sweat from the one backpack we have.  i proceed to walk about 10 ft in front of jon & aiden bc i wanted to pretend, just for a minute, that i wasn't with the most insane child in the airport.  then i felt guilt - returned back and took over while jon took a breather.  all this time...we're thinking..."omg...only a 4.5 hour flight to go...you gotta be f'n kidding me!"  but, alas! - aiden was PERFECT on the plane bc we had packed that backpack full of activities and a DVD player to occupy him.

 

lessons learned...on the trip back we paid an extra $15 and checked all bags at the curb.  the security line was quick at denver, so we blew through that hurdle, and we as a family made about 75 trips on the movable walkway in front of our departing gate prior to departure to pass the time.  my overall advice: don't travel with a two year old unless you're ready to be belittled, embarrassed, ridiculed and horrified.

 

my thoughts for the outsiders...don't judge those freak'n suckers that go through a child meltdown in public.  i used to think "omg - learn how to discipline your freak'n kids"  ...  now i think "omg - poor people".  trust me from experience, those parents are as horrified as you are and would do anything to make it stop. 

 

so, other than the travel stories - we had a great time in the snowiest part of the US for the holiday season.  merry xmas 2006.