Conversations with Jessie

At dinner, we were discussing at what age our parents allowed us to reach certain milestones as growing young girls. One thing, for example, ear piercing. For me it was 12, for Jessie, 10...whatever, no bitterness here. Make-up came up as well. I think the first time I got to wear make-up was to 6th grade promotion and it was tinted lip gloss. Junior High was the first time that we both started experimenting with all the wonder that is make-up. Oh, the make-up techniques of a 13 year old in the early 90's. The color combinations we concocted on our face were criminal.

Heather: When did you start wearing make-up?
Jessie: Junior High. I think Mom let me wear, you know, powder and clear lip gloss at first. But then I started to use your make-up and it was all over. I think at that point she didn't really care. She would just look at me and say, "Fine. Whatever. But you look like a damn fool."
Heather: I really doubt Mom said you looked like a damn fool.
Jessie: Yeah well, she was thinking it.

Could be worse I suppose.

Since the day we moved into our house, the downstairs bathroom had a mysterious and unexplainable scent of vanilla. I have searched for the producer of the smell that haunts the room to no avail. I assumed it would dissipate as the moths went on. This is not the case and instead I have just gotten used to it. In fact, about a month ago, my sister used the bathroom and when she came out she asked me, "Did you guys ever figure out why that bathroom smells like vanilla?"

Tis' a mystery indeed.

The plot thickened the other morning when it was not vanilla, rather toasted marshmallows that I could smell. Now it is just messing with us.

I only have one request

Even if you hate the very ground that American Idol walks on, you have to watch it for one reason and one reason only. Watch it only to see each contestant stand next to Ryan Seacrest and gaze in wonderment at the fact that they all literally look like giants next to him. GIANTS! As in "fee-fi-fo-fum" giants. I swear to God, I am not exaggerating. He looks like he is the incredible shrinking man. Especially next to that Jordan girl; her Dad is a football player and it i looks like she could step on Mr. Seacrest. It is worth a moment, I'm telling you.

Confession...

I did something for the first time today. Today was the first time that I have vacuumed the cob webs from the corners of the ceiling and wall. Appalling, I know. And I admit, they no longer fell in the "web" category. Cob business parks would probably be a better description.

Cleaning and I have a very love-hate relationship. Part of me wants so badly to really care about having a house that is clean nearly 100% of the time. But the larger, albeit lazier, part of me seriously would rather be doing something else. I would never call my house dirty, mostly thanks to Grant, who cannot leave the kitchen after dinner until it is clean. Messy at times would be a better word to describe it. There are already so many tasks that I have to do constantly. For example, as previously mentioned, the kitchen. I cook a lot. I also tend to use every dish, bowl, pot and pan I own when I make a meal. If I want to cook again the next night, the kitchen has to be clean. Then we have the laundry. How two people can generate enough laundry to warrant washing several loads on a weekly basis is beyond me. I am still not convinced that there is not a boarder living discreetly in our guest room who plays dress-up while I am at work.

Laundry and basic kitchen cleaning is time consuming in and of itself. By the time it is all done, sometimes I just want to moved the pile of papers off the couch and on to the floor, watch some TV and enjoy a glass of wine. (It should be noted here that this pile of papers that I speak of was moved to the couch after being on the kitchen counter. I can't cook dinner with a pile of paper on the counter!)

The problem I struggle with is that I do love the look and feel of a freshly cleaned house. When I do go all out and really clean up, it is usually sparked by a comment like this to my husband, "Hey, we should have a party. I need to clean the house again." And to the people of the world who are able to keep a tidy house all the time, I am envious. Honestly though, I can handle a little mess if it means that I am a happier person. There will always be time to clean up, but if the world is going to end tomorrow, wouldn't you rather want to go out knowing that you spent your time doing what you wanted instead of making sure you had a clean house that only you would see anyway? I would...and the spiders thank me for that.

Good Morning!

One of my favorite ways to start out my morning is to pay $3.03 per gallon to fill my 12 gallon tank. If you are like me and are unable to do the math in your head yourself, it was $39.00!!

I hate cars and the fact that they are so necessary. Maybe I could try to popularize blading again...

Son of a.....

We got a new oven. It is quite a sexy piece of machinery. As Grant and I gazed lovingly at the new member of our family, we were holding each other and thinking how lucky we were that this oven was actually ours to love and care for. Just when I thought I could not be happier, Grant looked at me and said, "Did you empty the drawer in the old oven?" (The pan that contains all the lids to my pots and pans)

It was about this time that I started swearing.

Conversations with Jessie

Call time: 3:40 pm on Tuesday

Heather: Hello?
Jessie: Hey. What are you doing right now?
Heather: Um...I'm working.
Jessie: Oh, right.
Heather: Why do you always ask me what I am doing when you call me between 9 and 5 on a Monday thru Friday? What do you expect me to be doing?
Jessie: I don't know. Maybe one of these times you will say you are milking a cow or something.

Silence....

Jessie: So, are you busy?