Generation Exhausted

The meaning of irony

Point of observation: I get more comments when I don't post than when I do.

I'm just sayin'.

This is my sheepish face

If I've ever wondered how long it would take my nearest and dearest to notice my absence (from the Internets), now I know - about a week.

It's a gray, gloomy day today - a stark change from the sunshine and mild temps that saw everyone out working in their yards and soaking up the season over the weekend. Me, I've been chained to my desk. Hopefully, the warm weather will return now that the chain is a little longer and I'm able to wander out of the office once in a while.

Tonight should have been my second prenatal class but the pregnant mom I accompany (HA! Fooled you.) bailed on me. Probably not a bad thing, seeing as I can barely stay awake. My body seems to be trying to decide if I have allergies or a cold, and today, the cold is winning.

Baby-sat a darling ten-week-old baby last night. He's just at the age where he's smiling and starting to babble, and I swear, he was flirting with all of us. However, I'd forgotten about that inate ability babies have to start a crying jag five seconds after the phone rings. Much as I love holding babies, there's a relief in sending them home with their mommies too.

The pile of work isn't quite finished yet, but it's near its end. Back soon.

I promise.

You think my eyebrows look okay?

It truly hurts my feelings that AGK does not think I'd be getting my eyebrows waxed. I mean, I MIGHT. Someday. The day I start caring about my eyebrows, maybe. Also, I would first have to forget that one time I thought that waxing my legs using some kind of home kit might be efficient. You know, the time hubby yanked open the bathroom door and said, "Those blood-curdling screams make it sound like you're cutting your actual legs off, slowly, with a Swiss Army knife, did you know that?"

Shiny thing: Does the real Swiss Army carry those little knives? And do they just call them Army knives in Switzerland? These are the things I wonder sometimes.

But. BUT. I do need to find out how much eyebrow waxing costs, as the Prom is coming up and I told Oldest I'd pay for it. That's right. The PROM. I never had a Prom, but I know it's a big deal, so I'm encouraging her to go. Although apparently, Proms come with After Prom Parties, and this news fills me with terror and makes me realize that I really should have thought this through more carefully. Like, before I said, "Oh, but you HAVE to go to the Prom sweetie!!"

She'll have the best eyebrows there, I bet.

Miss me?

Time to solve the AWOL mystery of last week. Bob gets the prize for most creative, although I certainly appreciate those who speculated that I was off signing a book deal/becoming famous/etc. And my mother is living proof that I come by my sense of humor honestly.

But the real truth is much less exciting. Hubby had some surgery, and spent a week in the hospital, so I was holding the fort on my own. He's home now, and on the mend, but I'm still holding much of the fort, as he's not allowed to hold anything heavier than a quart of milk. Please note - the children have not yet starved to death, but are getting tired of eating things that come out of boxes and have actually been heard to say "Not pizza again!"

Lesson learned: If you want to get rich, own and operate a hosptial parking lot. I figure I spent about 60 bucks on parking in 7 days, not including the $20 ticket I got for getting back to the car TEN MINUTES late. However, there is no hospital bill. God bless Canada and God bless universal health care.

Also, God bless nurses. There's a definite ick factor involved in nursing, and I know I could do a lot of things if I absolutely HAD to, I'm glad I don't have to. And I'm in awe of those who choose it as a vocation.

One of these things is not like the other....

Here's a rundown of this week's to-do list. One of them is made up. Guess which one?

File two articles and edit six.

Take two kids to two different baseball practices.

Attend a photo shoot.

Start prenatal classes.

Attend a track meet.

Get the oil changed in the minivan.

Pick up a copy of What To Expect When You're Expecting.

Colour my hair.

Find out how much it costs to have eyebrows waxed.

Celebrate a birthday.

Add 2000 words to my WIP.

Well? Leave your guesses in the comment section.

Stop children, what's that sound?

I love stories like this:

By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play. (Washington Post)

Found the link over at Miss Snark's place.

Who knew I was such a needy person?

Joss started it and all the cool kids are doing it, so I figured - why the heck not?

Google your first name and the word 'needs' in quotation marks, like so: "Shelley needs".

Once you skip past the matches that are other bloggers named Shelley doing the same thing, here's my top ten or so - or at least the ten most interesting:

Shelley needs to step down... (if you say so)

Shelley needs to step forward... (but I just stepped down!)

Shelley needs 63 points... (and then I win?)

Shelley needs to get to the drugstore... (nope, been three times already this week)

Shelley needs help... (it's been said before)

Shelley needs a boyfriend... (no thanks, a hubby keeps me busy enough)

Shelley needs answers! (except I can't remember the questions)

Shelley needs actors... (because all the world's a stage, after all)

Shelley needs to know... (of course I do!)

Shelley needs no last name... (shucks, I had no idea I was such a celebrity)

Shelley needs to get away on vacation... (I can get on board with that!)

I could go on - this could get addictive!

AWOL

Sorry for the prolonged absence - life is very hectic right now, and in the spare moments I have, the urge to blog has left me. Hopefully, I'll be back sooner, rather than later.

Meanwhile, why not amuse yourself with a rousing game of "Where's Shelley?" Speculate on what's been keeping me away from the Internets, either in the comments or on your own blog (leave a link) Think of it as a creative exercise. Just remember, we try to keep it PG-13 around these parts.