Oh dammit all to hell — the contractors, the ever-elusive contractors we’ve been waiting for, nigh on three months now, finally, magically, reappeared today. It’s like having a vision, really, when you’ve been waiting for someone for so long and voila! There he is: The Contractor. He had a certain aura around him, a halo, glowing, and he said the magical words, “Hey. We’re ready to put up the scaffolding and get going.”

Then the Nasty Neighbor yelled at him and next thing you know — whoosh! He’s gone.

(more…)

“Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary.”
— Mark Twain

More later — am on Crazy Soccer & Eating Schedule that makes it impossible for us to get to bed at a reasonable hour and has left me and the kids snarling, sleepy and hungry. And ill-clothed. Sometimes when a woman wears a black push-up bra under her husband’s Bad Monkey T-shirt to soccer practice, it isn’t in an attempt to be sexy (ha!). A la Kelly Lynch in “Drugstore Cowboy,” wearing a black bra under a white lacy top, for example.

No, it’s because WM has only two brassieres (a bre, my Auntie H calls it) and can’t find one of them. I am so freaking tired and dehydrated. Thus I will drink more coffee. I may work out this morning. I will rehydrate in pool. I will ignore Skeezy Hot Tub Guys who stare at the women in water aerobics.

Coach Wacky Daddy is on sked, as always. I will attempt to follow his lead. Wacky Girl is peeved cuz she doesn’t get to sit with the second-graders at lunchtime. “They made us sit with the kinders!” Oh, the indignity of public schools.

love,

WM

C called Wacky Sister over the weekend — they’re hanging in. We went to see the Sprinkler, Crackerbash, Pond & Hazel reunion show on Saturday, me, Wacky Sister, and her friend C. Too loud, too fun. I (heart) Sean Croghan. I (heart) both the Croghan brothers. Don’t tell anyone it’s a secret.

C, if you’re reading this, we saw Sean’s brother Paul and told him you’re fine. He was glad and sends you a hello.

and now, the quote of the day: “Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.”

— Flannery O’Connor, writer (1925-1964)

Great series by Chris Raschka, “Thingy Things,” includes our Wacky Favorite, “Doggy Dog,” along with “Goosey Goose,” “Moosey Moose” and “Sluggy Slug.” Get the whole series — they’re too cool. Fanciful illustrations, funny words. Wacky Boy is ga-ga for them.

No word from C yet. I think she’s in Gulfport, probably helping more people, is my guess. Will post when i hear from her…

WM

Still no word from C and R.

WG loving school and her new friends.

WM

No word today from C. I know she’s working her ass off. C, if you read this — we love you and R and the kids and the whole family! Maybe you finally got to see your Mom? I hope…

Now, a brief word about housework. As some of you know, I have a love/hate relationship with housework. I love a clean house; I hate what it takes to get it there. Newest trick: Mop the kitchen floor right before it’s time to start cooking dinner and delay the process.

And… Does anyone have questions? I’ve abandoned the Friday Advice Column for Neurotic Mothers & Others, in case you haven’t noticed. I also answer Haircare and Daycare questions, fyi.

WM

And already with the lice? (Not us, thanks for asking.) Damn. Those school nurses do not get paid enough. Wacky Girl is itching, I’m itching, Wacky Boy is itching, scritch, scritch, scritch.

She had a great day — all is well here.

No word today from C.

Wacky Girl was playing with this “bio-dot” tester they put in with my hire packet. It’s an Employee Assistance Program handout, apparently. You paste a little dot between your forefinger and thumb, wait for it to change colors, and it gauges your mood. (Uh, I didn’t need a bio-dot kit to judge WG’s mood earlier.) It’s kinda like a sticky dot version of a Mood Ring.

“It’s brown, see?” she sez. “I’m tense. What’s tense?”

Wacky Boy jumps in, “I’m tense.”

Me: “You’re both tense?”

WB, nodding: “Very tense.”

Me, i’m relaxed as hell, being unemployed and all.

from WM:

staying home today, not going to fountain, not going to park, not going out for Last-Day-Of-Summer-Before-School-Starts-Tomorrow celebration lunch cuz Wacky Girl is morose and weepy. She is the youngest in her class. And the smartest, according to her. (And me :)

“So I guess I’ll just be the youngest, and the smartest, all year,” she said, huddled in lump in corner of kitchen, crying, in between chewing on a zucchini muffin top.

Then she came up with a plan: Flunk first grade. “It’ll be harder than kindergarten!” she said. And brightened up at the possibility of having to re-do first grade, thus being one of the oldest, next year. Good to have goals, i guess.

I’m morose and weepy still over flooding, and everyone uprooted or worse. Prayers and more prayers and off to light my candles.

Help however you can — lots of clothing drives, food drives and fundraisers going on around the country. Sean Penn took a boat around to pick up survivors. Harry Connick Jr. and Sean Penn need to run for president and vice-president.

lots of love,

WM

ps I quit my new job. Just. Like. That. Turns out they didn’t want someone part-time. Well, they wanted to pay for part-time, but have them there full-time, Mon-Fri. It just wasn’t swinging for me. You know what they say in Texas — Que sara, sara.