Wine Please

Folks…I know we are our own worst critics, but all of you who know me IRL (in real life) never told me I make those faces all the time! GAAA!

Anyways…watch, point, laugh, mock. And thank you very much to Playtex for the opportunity–it was a lot of fun and I enjoyed watching the other women’s interviews (and yes, Andrew, I saw that part where I started smiling while you were trying to hold the door from the hordes of women on the other side–consider yourself lucky that you didn’t have to try to edit-out one of my witch cackles…ha ha).

Went to Best Buy to look for a b-day gift for Justin last weekend and had both kids with me. I try to get one of those little carts they have just so that I can give my back a break from hauling around Cooper. I yank on a cart and it’s stuck on the next one. So I mess with it, jiggle it a bit, have Gavin pull on one cart while I fiddle with the other to let go. The way the carts were set up I would have to pull those two completely out to see if I could get the next one, and since there are no guarantees the next one wasn’t stuck to its neighbor, Gavin and I just kept fighting with the two carts in front of us, all while Cooper is moaning and whining and becoming difficult to hold. This whole while the guy at the door checking for folks coming in for returns, or who set off the alarm while leaving, is just watching me struggle. Didn’t offer to help, didn’t call someone else over to help. Nothing. So once we got our cart freed and I got the kids situated, I gave him my dirtiest look that I typically save for the most obnoxious people I come in contact with. I felt a lot better when he looked away shamefully.

I won’t go into the cashier who started ringing out the next customer before I had even stepped away from her counter with my crazed toddler trying to hurl himself out of the cart and my preschooler not hanging onto the end of the cart properly, so that he nearly fell and busted his skull. Stupid Best Buy.

Has anyone ever noticed there seems to be a higher ratio of men sporting mullets that have chosen automotive repair as their career than in the general population? When I picked up my car from the shop yesterday, it was parked around the side of the building near all the bays. As I walked past the mechanics all chatting, enjoying their coffee, and skyrocketing the labor costs of the repairs they were doing, out of the seven or so men, there were three with mullets. But there was one that stood out from the entire group. I’d like to call him Mr. Lovely Locks.

Mr. Lovely Locks had hair that was thick and wavy, so it was poofy and feathered nice on the top and the sides. But the back of his hair? Were these gorgeous, just-past-shoulder-length bouncy Shirley Temple curls.

I really wanted to touch his hair, but he had a face like Walter Matthau, circa “Grumpy Old Men” years, and I had to go to work. But I really really REALLY wanted to touch his hair like Aunt Voula touched Ian’s hair in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”.

Hey there. Sorry I’m late on the giveaway results. But I had a good reason: My little Chevy Cavalier got a flat tire on my way home to cook Justin’s birthday steak dinner last night…you know, cuz having a still-busted catalytic converter and a “check-engine” light on all the time wasn’t enough.

I was waiting in a very long line at a light when some guy in the car next to me starts yelling at me. And like the good city girl I am, I rolled my eyes and ignored him. Until he kept yelling, and honking, and scootching up closer to the car in front of him to better get in line with my front window. I sigh loudly, turn towards him and he says “hey, you’ve got a flat” and points at my rear passenger tire. I reply lamely, “really???” He nods the affirmative. I holler my thanks to him and start calling Justin to get him to pick up Cooper.

I felt really bad telling him about the tire because he answered the phone in a really nice, happy voice, and he sounded disappointed when I said I had a flat. While I had him on the phone, I could tell that I still had a little air in the tire (once traffic allowed me to move). No “wop-wop-wop” noise, so I rolled slowly on it because around the corner was a bunch of restaurants and a gas station. I’d rather be in a parking lot near lots of food than sitting on the shoulder of a 6-lane highway. As I made my turn, I heard the tell-tale noises and had my faith in the kindness of random strangers renewed (see “city girl” above).

I pull in the gas station, open my trunk, and start pulling items out so I can get to the spare and jack, all the while cursing the latest changes in the dress policy at work outlawing jeans. Then I found my savior:

So after arguing with Justin some more on the phone about the unknown, and seemingly, undocumented dangers of using Fix-a-Flat with nitrogen-inflated tires, I threw caution to the wind (after reading their caution three or four times), inflated my tire about 10-15 psi, and drove off into the sunset towards the closest Goodyear Tire & Automotive shop.

Left the car there, waited for my chariot to pick me up, and after noticing how late it was, opted to grab dinner nearby instead of hiking home 40+ minutes and still needing to make dinner.

We got home late, opened Justin’s gifts, put the kids to bed, then sacked-out on the couch, tired, exhausted, and annoyed at my tire (turned out it was a tiny sidewall puncture and required a new tire instead of just a patch…argh!). So in my attempts to cheer up and stay in good spirits for Justin’s birthday, I watched TV and chatted a bit with a few friends online while Justin did some work, and promptly forgot about the giveaway.

So now that you’re thoroughly bored, annoyed, and are all “come ON already!”…the winner of the $25 VISA giftcard is:

Yay! Congrats! Winner, winner, Chicken Dinner!* Weeee!

Ahem.

Well, Cara, if you don’t mind emailing me your preferred mailing address, I will get your giftcard on its way to you. And even more exciting is that Cara is meeting me for breakfast at BlogHer-DC this coming Monday! Sooooo excited! Total win-win for her, eh? Er, uh…or win-win because we each win? hmmm…I think the wine is speaking.

And I know a few of you out there may be at BlogHer-DC as well…if so, feel free to join us for breakfast…we’d love to have you! Hmmm……I sure hope Cara doesn’t mind I invited my entire readership of possibly 60 people, which includes my family, my In-Laws, my cousins, two childhood friends, and at least one very evil troll. That leaves maybe 12 normal folks. And at least three have said they’re not coming to BlogHer, so…hmmmm…carry the one, uh, so potentially nine folks might show up, Cara. Hope that’s not too much. Oh, and maybe the troll, but last I heard, that person was still chained-up somewhere in the Chicagoland area.

And on that note, I think I’m going to sign off for the night. And find more wine.

* I just recently saw the movie “21″ and have been DYING to say that phrase–it’s so fun!

Happy Birthday, Honey!

I’m glad to have you around another year, and I’m especially thrilled that earlier this year you took the initiative to improve your health by making the conscious effort to eat healthier and to exercise regularly. Those are great steps to making sure you’re around many more years to terrorize, poke the angry bear, tease the crap out of, love and cherish your loving wife and adoring boys. Plus, with all the muscles you’ve built up, you’re better able to toss Gavin and Cooper around (thank goodness, since my arms are like T-Rex arms). And with all the weight you’ve lost since March, you’re lookin’ pretty hot! MWAR!

You’ve been there for me, tolerating my chronic moodiness, supporting me through tough personal times (despite your own hectic work schedule), celebrating our children’s milestones with me, and covering for me when I start cracking up at Gavin when I should really be scolding him. I hope that I have been just as supportive to you. I love you, I’m so grateful to have you in my life, and hope you have a fantastic birthday!

Love,
Colleen

p.s. don’t forget to act surprised when you open your gift since I’m 99% sure Gavin already told you what you’re getting.