A busier week
2006-08-26...6:11 p.m.


It's been an interesting week, to say the least.

Last Saturday, my daughter's teacher-to-be called. She introduced herself, and wanted to invite us to a burrowing owl release. She said they needed volunteers to help get things ready for the owls. It was like she'd known Mercedes her whole life, because this is just the sort of thing she's always wanted to do. She loves the idea of helping out animals!

Anyway, the owl release was the next day. We got up, did some school-supplies shopping, and then headed out to the release site behind the local community college. We spent three hours in 103 degree-heat building tents like the ones shown HERE. The artificial burrows were already in place when we got there, but the tent-building had just begun. We cut pvc pipe for the frame, helped glue the pipes together, wire up the fram where needed, put up support poles, pull the screening over the frame where needed, clipped the excess wire so the birds wouldn't impale themselves on them, secured the screening by shoveling a TON of dirt on the edges. The tent stays up for 30 days as the owls acclimate to their new habitat. They're fed dead mice and given dishes of water until the tent comes off. It was hot, dirty work (Alex mostly had to stay in the shade, and even HE was a walking mud-bomb), but very, very rewarding as we watched the director release each owl into the tent.

Mercedes had a fantastic time, and I hope she carries the memory for a long, long time.

Later that day, I found out that a friend of ours, Beth, had passed away. She was way too young - only 22. I don't know why it hit me so hard, as I hadn't known her that long. I think it has a lot to do with all the people that I know that have known her for a long time, and that were very close to her. I'm sure it also has something to do with the fact that her brother took his own life (Beth did not) a few years ago, and the thought of the loss their mother and father have to bear. I myself would be devastated at the loss of one child, but to lose both would destroy me.

Anyway, it was a mixed-emotion day, because I had the joy of doing something special with my kids, then I found out about Beth, then I had the joy of spending Coffee Night with Christine.

Work was generally same ol' same ol' this week. Nothing spectacular to report, though I'm still having fun with it. It's a great job!

Today was shopping day for school clothes for the kids. I have said it before, and I'll say it again - I AM the shopping goddess. Mercedes is totally happy with her new clothes, and I paid better-than-Walmart prices for most of it, but at some of the better stores - not Nordstrom or Abercrombie & Fitch, but not Walmart, Target, or Kmart, either. JCPenney and Mervyn's had some awesome sales, and I took advantage of some of their promotions, as well. All in all, I saved more than I spent, and that always makes me, AND Corey, happy.

Speaking of Corey. Argh.

He was complaining that he wanted to be back in town because one of the bars is showing one of the stupid UFC fights and having some kind of party or whatever. I told him he didn't have to go to Vegas with us, but he kept insisting that it was a "family thing," and that he should be there. I told him that he would just be miserable and rushing me and get irritated with the crowds and such. He swore up and down that he wouldn't. Well, he basically spent the whole time sitting out on a couch with whichever kid I wasn't shopping for at the time, whining about his sciatica, or how his stomach was upset. The one time he helped with anything (shoe shopping), he bitched about how everyone kept getting in his way. And he rushed me, and made me feel bad about wanting to go anywhere that wasn't clothes or shoe shopping.

BUT...I did get some killer bargains, and like I said, Mercedes is totally happy. Alex was pretty easy. "Go pick out 4 of those shirts," and *POOF* he picked out 4 shirts it 15 seconds flat. Trying them on was another matter entirely, though. "Look, Mom, there's more and more and more and more of me!" he said as he stood between two mirrors. "Look at my BIG muscles!" he said, flexing in front of the mirrors.

"YES, Alex, but what about the shirt?!?"

*sigh*

I guess I should have figured that since he picked them out in the first place, of COURSE he likes them. Sheesh. What WAS I thinking?

So Corey's off with his buddies (for which I am ETERNALLY grateful - if I'd been forced to sit through that goddamned fight, I may have killed someone!!!) at the bar. I'm going to take the kids out and pick up a fast food dinner, and take them to the park to eat it.

the last trail...the next path

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