Beginning in January I decided to get a job. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile and now I finally went out and did something about it. As I went out for job interviews I realized that I’m really good at interviews and I can basically get any job I want. It was great to go out and be offered jobs at various great companies. It’s nice to know that I still got it. I had one interviewer tell me that I was so fun and she wanted to hang out with me and be my friend. I thought that was weird, but I ran with it.
January was Brandon’s 5th birthday. I made him a dinosaur cake with a volcano with lava made out of red candy pouring down the sides and sparklers for the fire. I need to download those pics then post them, cuz the cakes were amazing. We went to playtopia for his party. He had a blast. This year he wasn’t inviting and uninviting everyone he got mad at in the family. January was quite cold and just whirrled by. I got a job offer at West Jet and unfortunately had to turned it down. After I factored in driving cost, childcare, time spent on the road, I would end up with $100 a month. That blows billy goats.
February came around and it was Joshua’s birthday party. He turned 7. He wanted a volcano cake with real fire and army men. Done. I made a carrot cake square 10x13 cake for the base and made an angel food cake then put a chocolate coned cake on top of that. for the volcano. I cut a hole in the middle of the cone and dropped a shot glass down the middle. Thanks to Dave for the advice on liquor. I got some Everclear from the liquor store to pour into the shot glass. Unfortunately liquor burns blue. *sigh* So I panicked. I was up until 4am trying to figure out my problem and I solved my problem! Thanks to the internet I found a picture that had the volcano cake like Josh wanted. I blew it up and saw what they had done. Brilliant. How people survived before the internet I just don’t know. It sure makes life easier.
I packed 30 candles around the shot glass, around the candles I put 8 sparklers. I had army men and tanks surrounding the volcano, palm trees and a small blue lake that turned into a river then into a waterfall that spilled down the side of the cake. I made volcanic lava out of fondant and draped orange, red and yellow down the side of the volcano. It looked fabulous. Joshua’s eyes lit up when he saw his cake. It was exactly what he wanted.
We went to Mountain Shadows and lit the cake. We were 1/2 way lighting the cake and the flame shot up 1 foot. After we lit up the entire cake the flame jumped to 2 feet in the air. It was crazy! LOL… Josh tried to blow it out, but couldn’t. The flame would separate from the main part of the flame then jump back. He was just blowing flame everywhere. Ryan had to blow it out. The smoke that rose from the cake was crazy. I was waving a paper over the fire detector so it wouldn’t go off. All the kids were in awe over the cake. Dad’s who saw the cake loved it and wanted it for their birthday. LOL… It’s the fire. It was so cool. I loved it. Josh had a blast playing with all his friends.
February I started working as a manager for a movie theatre in Calgary that a friend of mine owns. It’s ok, but I want more of a ‘customer service’ type job not a ‘chasing after teenagers to get them to work’ job. The bonus is that I get to go to the movies for free and take a guest in for free. So over the reading week break I took my kids to see Enchanted (LOVED this movie), Waterhorse (Great kids show), and the Golden Compass (It sucked rotten bananas. I don’t see what the big deal is over this movie. It’s stupid. Not even worth a video rental. My kids were bored and so was I.)
Stupidly I agreed to work on Valentines Day. I totally spaced it and forgot it was Valentines. Ryan came to work and brought me a rose plant (which I’ve already killed), chocolate kisses and a card. Awww… how sweet. On Friday, we went out to Il Songo. It was amazing. There was a live jazz band playing. The food was incredible. It was a great restaurant. The service was impecible and the price was through the roof. However, despite the lovely ambiance and food. I was bored out of my mind. I must have ADD or something. I was soooooo bored. I’m tired of always being the fun one. For once in my life I just want to be entertained. I just want someone with the ability to make me laugh. I saw this older couple a few tables over. They came in, sat down, ordered, then just sat and stared at each other or looked around. They said all of 2 words to each other, ate their meal then left. I pointed them out to Ryan and was having him watch them, pointing out their behavior and boringness…. To which he replied…
“Isn’t that great! We’ll be like that one day.”
I just looked at him wide eyed and didn’t say anything. It took everything in my being and all my will power in the world, not to get up and leave that very second. I do NOT want to be like that one day!!!!!!!!! I feel like we’re like that now, if I’m not chattering or being silly then there is just silence. A feeling of dread just filled my entire being. I felt sick to my stomach. Tears welled up in my eyes, I smiled weakly and I quickly looked away. I bit my lip and blinked quickly to try to stop the tears from falling. Finally, I just excused myself and went to the women’s bathroom. I glanced in the mirror and I looked so sad. I tried to smile to shake the look off my face, but my eyes wouldn’t lie. I busied myself with the fun soaps and lotions in the bathroom until I was able to push the feelings down far enough. *sigh* It’s my own fault. I chose a guy for looks over personality.
Then my life picked up speed. I’m exhausted. Ryan and I volunteered to do the food for the scrapbook convention with all the benefits and proceeds going to the Women’s shelter out here. Plus I’m working and I have a huge ward activity in 2 weeks and Laura’s 10th birthday party in 3 weeks.
Wednesday, Feb 27, I worked until 3am. Came home, was up at 8am Thursday morning worked on the scrapbook convention for the women’s shelter all day Thursday didn’t go to bed until midnight. Friday I was up at 8am then did running around, picking up the food for the convention and went to Costco with 5 kids. I got so many sympathetic looks as I dragged 5 kids around with an overflowing shopping cart at Costco. I met Ryan at the theatre, swapped the van for the car and went to work. It was a Friday night and I didn’t get out of the theatre until 4am. Home by 4:30am, up at 8am and got ready for the convention that was happening at 9am. I ran and picked up all the fresh food that needed to be picked up that day. Ryan didn’t make the salad dressing like he was suppose to so I was scrambling on making that for lunch. Then when I did food estimations I was thinking Costco size not regular grocery size so I had to run out and buy more groceries because I didn’t have enough. I had a huge crew helping me in the kitchen prepping the food for 150 people. It was great.
For lunch we had Spolumbo’s deli subs, a fruit tray and a mandarin orange, strawberry salad with a poppy seed dressing made from scratch. Everyone loved it. For supper we had smoked pork sliced really fine from Hirsche Fraiser meats, a loaded baked potato with cheese sauce, chili, real bacon bits, chives, sour cream, cooked broccoli, grated cheddar cheese, sea salt and grated peppercorns, and a veggie tray. For dessert we had an assortment of Crave cupcakes. Everyone loved the food. When people filled out their surveys and were asked what was the best part of the convention 60% said “the food!” LOL… after that people loved the prizes that was given out. It was an amazing, fun, crazy and hectic day. The convention raised $10,000 for the shelter. How awesome is that! My friend who started this event and oversaw all the details is the most amazing woman I know. She truly is the power of one! She’s so generous, so fun, so upbeat, so charitable and positive. It was great to be a part of this wonderful event.
My birthday came and gone. I didn’t even celebrate it. Didn’t go out, didn’t have anyone over. I just wanted to sleep. I didn’t do anything. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Does it matter? No. I think when you get to be a certain age, you just don’t matter anymore. You just become insignificant. Ryan didn’t do anything. *shocker* I’ve stopped expecting anything. He gave me a new apple computer. He won it by selling lots at work. I don’t like the Mac. I can’t figure it out. I like Microsoft better. There’s some aspects I like, but some I don’t like. I just still use my slow computer cuz I know where everything is. I play around on the Mac a little, but really, when do I have time? I don’t. I wanted a gift certificate to go shopping and buy something just for me for once. I wanted to be left alone so I could sleep and have peace. I still had to take care of the kids and I ended up getting mad at Ryan cuz he just sat back and did nothing. He didn’t take care of the kids or help clean up. I hate birthdays. I’m so busy that we can’t even go out on a date to do anything until maybe the end of March, but that won’t happen.
Sunday, my birthday, I was promoting the non-talent show at the church. I worked 3 days that week and managed to switch my Friday so I wouldn’t have to work. The non-talent show happened on Saturday, March 8. It kicked butt! We had a stage and curtains. Ryan and I were Kermit and Miss Piggy. I wrote a 16 page script for the event and it was hilarious. We had acts like Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Abbot and Costello, Def Leppard, the RCMP musical ride, Burping Champion, Double 0 Donut and Licence to thrill (break dancing mom-son team), muppet opening song, Waldorf and Statler, the Muppet News anchor and tonnes more acts. It was soooo much fun. I wanted to tape it and only 1/2 of it got tapped because unfortunately I assigned someone who was video camera challenged. Next time I’ll make sure to have 2 video cameras working. I did 5 costume changes throughout the hour long show. A green bridesmaid dress, a red ball gown dress, a black sparkling evening gown, my wedding dress and hip hop clothes. I had a prosthetic pigs nose that opened and closed when I talked. I also had a blond wig. It was great. My favorite part was Karate chopping Ryan after every bit that we did. The kids loved “Miss Piggy”. During the show they would chant “Miss Piggy!” or scream, “Hi! Miss Piggy!” or “Miss Piggy you’re crazy!” My voice was dead on. I found a talent. I can sound exactly like Miss Piggy. Everyone was saying that I was a perfect Miss Piggy. Well, I do channel her in real life. Ryan is like Kermit and I’m like Miss Piggy. It was so much fun. People were asking us to do it again in another 3 months. Nope. That was a once in 5 years deal.
Then I worked Sunday - Tuesday. I switched my Wednesday and Friday shifts. I’m exhausted. Everyday I wasn’t getting home until 2am, 3am and 5am. Then I’d be up at 8am only taking a 1/2 hour nap during the day because I am chasing after a toddler all day. Thursday I crashed. I slept from 11am - 4pm. I put Luke down for a nap at noon after he trashed the house very well and just slept hard.
I don’t like working late hours like that. It sucks. The house is a disaster. (I’ve got cleaners coming on Tuesday! Horray!) The kids school work hasn’t been getting done because Ryan doesn’t do it with them or think it’s important to do. Things just are not running smoothly at all. I’m so exhausted and tired all the time. This blows monkey brains.
I went to a police recruiting thing in Feb. After I looked at all the really personal questions they ask, I realized that I don’t have a problem with any of the questions except for the integrity questions. Yep. Got to have integrity to be a cop and I obviously don’t have any. One of the questions asks about software issues. I’ve got software issues. I’m not going to say what. Don’t want o convict myself here, but ya. So cops want honesty and integrity. Dammit. Don’t got the integrity part down. I’ll be honest about all the things I’ve done wrong. I don’t have a problem with that at all. Ryan laughed at me, “Ya, you’ll be honest about your dishonesty.” Dang rights I will… just don’t want to be tossed in jail for it. Really truly I don’t think it’s a big deal, but I’m sure the powers that be would. So being a cop is out. I told a few people I was thinking of applying and they all laughed and said the same thing, “What! YOU with a gun!?! Are you crazy?” Obviously I am.
I was hoping that by going to work, I’d feel happier and not so discontent with my life. I’d find a purpose and be happy. Nope. Staying home with the kids frustrates me, going to work frustrates me. I think I’m one of those people who are just not content or ever satisfied with anything they do. I’ve realized that is my challenge and my trial in life. I’ve always wondered what it was and now I know. No matter what I do, I’m just not happy. Sure, I have moments where I laugh, am silly, goofy and crazy. However, am I happy? No. Am I content with my life the way it is? No. I just don’t know or cannot figure out how to just be happy with life the way it is at this moment.
Sometimes I feel that maybe I will be happy if I just up and leave everything behind. The husband, the kids, everything. Just disappear. Start over. But I’ve seen other people who are like me attempt to do that. They have an affair, leave the wife and kids, start over…. yet they STILL are NOT happy. They are not happy with themselves and not happy with where they are in their life. So, might as well learn from other people’s experiences and mistakes I figure. What is my problem? Ryan thinks I need to go see the shrink again. I think I can work it out on my own. I’m not depressed, just not content and frustrated. I feel like there is something I should be doing, that I’m not doing. What? Despite the obvious - taking care of the family. What is it? There’s something else. I just can’t figure it out.
I’m so restless. I keep reminding myself on a daily sometimes hourly basis to stay. Not to leave. That the life I have is good and that Ryan is a good guy. I repeat it over and over in hopes to convince myself of these truths. All the while I’m antsy. Restless. Discontent. Unhappy. I try to keep myself so busy that I don’t have time to think about how annoyed at life I am….How I’ve done this to myself and there’s no escaping. That’s why I work and take on as many projects as I can. To help me forget that I’m miserable. To help me cope. I’m ridiculous. Life is insane. I know what I want, just don’t have a clue as to how to get there.
Everyone has their trials and challenges in life. To help them learn, grow and be a better person. When am I going to learn? How do I learn my lesson? When will I learn it so I can get on with my life already. Life sucks rotten tomatoes. I’m just being so negative. I’m trying to keep it in check, but I’m worried. I’m worried I won’t be able to keep this pace up. I’m worried I’m going to snap and do something I’ll most likely regret. *sigh* I know that others have it worse than me, others have it better and everyone has challenges. I just need something… I’m floating through life accomplishing nothing. My 20’s have passed, what have I accomplished? Nothing. Here I am in my 30’s and I’m just not living life the way I imagined it to be. I’m just wandering though a fog. A fog that swirls around me constantly. I can’t see ahead of me, behind me or beside me. I just follow the little yellow dotted lines along the highway and try to stay between the lines in hopes that eventually this fog will lift and life will get better.