http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/index/ en chell@bucketofnutz.com Copyright 2008 2008-01-16T13:04:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/too_pooped_to/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/too_pooped_to/#When:13:04:00Z I have been avoiding putting my thoughts in text lately because I’m not sure even I want to read whats swirling around up in my dome. I should be excited with anticipation on our up coming move.  I should be thrilled that soccer season is “almost” over so I will be getting my free time back to do with as I please.  I should be joyous that the heat has been squelched a bit lately.  I should be enjoying having all 3 of my kids in my life.  I should be relaxed now that one of my kids is back on track after a short venture down a dark and ugly path.  I should be proud of myself for the recent steps I have taken on the path to a better me. I feel like I should be a lot happy about a bunch of things, but I am just too worn out and stressed over some stupid crap to get to enjoy any of the above. I didn’t just hit a wall, I ran into it at full tilt.  I have been working recently to help my kiddo make some positive life choices.  In doing that I have had to deal with the ever cooperative and kind ^insert sarcastic eye roll here^ school board. She has stepped back into the light, but the errors of her ways are in her face on a daily basis in her current school situation.  By in her face, I mean negative peer influence and access to substances.  She has been avoiding the above, but it has been emotionally rough.  She has had difficulty staying focused on her school work.  She has brushed toes with a couple teachers who think once a bad kid, always a bad kid.  She is attempting to alienate herself from her circle of friends but is exposed to them every day.  And need I remind us adults how cruel teenagers can be to other teenagers who are choosing a better way for themselves??  After much brain bending with one of her schools officials, it was agreed that a school change was in her best interest and in keeping with the continued positive forward movement of her scholastic goals.  It took me a week to get a response to phone calls and e-mails to petition a school out of zone request.  Once we finally got in touch with a human, we had to write a hardship letter.  Delivered last Thursday.  Today we finally heard the request was denied.  It seems that because my daughter is not seeking treatment in a facility and is not on medication or under a doctors care...she isn’t in need enough.  Therefore, throw her back to the wolves, translation-we don’t give a shit.  BUT “you may come into our office (during your working hours) and make a face to face appeal.  Even though you spilled your heart in text, we want you to come talk to us so we can look you in the eye and tell you that we don’t give a shit.  “Do you know, Mrs. Wedontcareaboutyourkidswellbeing, that your daughter has had numerous referrals this school year??” Oh you do?  Well we just wanted to make sure you knew the whole story.” Is it not possible that those referrals stem from a couple teachers who just have it out for her??  See any similarity in the signatures on said refferals??  Did YOU read the referral that began because she had a lollipop in her mouth BETWEEN classes??  Or maybe the one for being in the bathroom for 15 minutes??  And did anyone ask her WHY she was in the bathroom for 15 minutes?  Did they notice her red swollen eyes from crying?  Of course not.  It was just assumed that she was up to no good. Is it any wonder kids feel lost and worthless...surrounded by adults who can’t see the forest for the trees. That's life 2008-01-16T13:04:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/rsshugger/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/rsshugger/#When:02:32:00Z Well I am working on setting up my own blog on my domain..again!  Yes again. I have been blogging for almost 4 years.  I have used numerous blog engines.  Most have been web based services. It has afforded me the opportunity to meet a pile of awesome folks who, like myself, enjoy sharing their thoughts and opinions on the net. The unfortunate down fall to using web based blog software is that you can’t always predict or control how long the service is available. I thought I had finally planted my feet over at efx2.com.  But after a couple years, things collapsed.  The site has been rebuilt with a new look, feel and name. But it just isn’t the same.  I have just decided that I don’t like having all my hours of blogging in someone else’s hands. The community feel is awesome, but the constant uncertainty is unsettling.  So prompted the birth of Candy Coated Sarcasm.  Hosted on my generous Sissy’s server. I will maintain my cre8buzz.com page (myspace for grown-ups) My efx2blogs.com blog will point to my new diggs here. I have decided that I blog for me.  If someone wanders by to read my rants Thank You.  But that is not my purpose.  I plan to play around with the ever changing blog toys available.  I am shocked at the things available now to us bloggers. I am a new subscriber to rssHugger rssHugger is a very cool rss reader. It is place where you can submit your rss and get your blog some visitors. You have the option to view the new subscribers in search of like minded bloggers.  And when someone clicks your link, they are taken to your page that lists all your available posts.  They offer a Top 100 list of blogs that resets each month.  Very cool feature that will allow for a wide variety of folks to get some glam and glory. rssHugger is a free service.  Well I consider it free.  The only requirement is a promo post (like this one) and in exchange you get a 10 year site page.  Since words and opinions are free, I see it as my bargain of the day.  If your not inclined to write a post, you can pay a small fee to get your page. Their claim to fame is “rssHugger will be the first ever quality, spam free, and viral rss directory strictly for bloggers.” Spam is annoying.  Quality is priceless.  And I am hoping it proves to be a nice way for us bloggers, both on hosted sites and personal servers, to unite and find other bloggers to create a World Wide Web community without being bound by a particular sites software. If your looking for some traffic or just some good reading, go check out the folks over at rssHugger.com I’ll be watching for you. happy blogging. Opinions-we all got em 2007-12-15T02:32:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/love_me/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/love_me/#When:18:52:01Z I am living my life as though I could care less if I die tomorrow. Yet the thought of dying frightens me to tears. I guess it is selfishness that motivates me to not want to abandon my children while they are still young. To not want to leave my husband to be swept up by some other woman who will discover how lucky I was to have the love of such an amazing man. I do not know why I abuse myself. Habit? Vice? Emotional issues that I feed to avoid dealing with? Yet after a day of failure, I lie in bed and swear over and over that I will make a change...tomorrow. But what if tomorrow never comes? I am ashamed that I am my biggest embarrassment. I focus on loving everyone around me yet I don’t nurture myself with the same energy and passion. What if I live the rest of my life ashamed that I didn’t love myself enough to nurture ME? It is my life and I have but one. The time has come for me to love myself...flaws and all. I’m not waiting for tomorrow, I am starting today. Kid Bones 2007-12-07T18:52:01-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/one_small_step_for_familykind/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/one_small_step_for_familykind/#When:20:16:00Z one giant leap toward insanity. We are moving. There I said it out loud! I’m scared. Nervous. And surprisingly excited about the idea. Last time we moved it was 70 yards. From one side of our current building to the other. Time before that was about 20 miles. Same town, same job, same friends etc.. This time, it’s going to be about 700 miles. New state and town. New jobs. No family or friends. Everything foreign. I knew the day would come. I love Naples, but it is expensive. The summers never end. The job market is going nowhere and we would need to hit the lottery to ever own our own home again. We have spoke about once the kids were out of HS, we would find a new location that better suited us. Low and behold, this is the kids idea. Girl child is in 10th grade this year. Her thought process is that she will be leaving her friends in 2 years anyway so why not do it a couple years earlier. Boy childs reasoning is that he starts HS next year. Since he goes to a middle school out of his zone, he will have to make all new friends anyway. Why not do it in another state. Our first journey of exploration is happening in 6 weeks. After celebrating the holidays with the family, we are packing up for a few days to go check things out. We won’t be making a move until the end of next summer, so we have time to plan and plot. We are doing this as a family venture. All 4 of us on board. We have each picked a different region of the state to research. Seems to be all we talk about. We’re counting the days. I will report as things progress.. I know there will be giant mountains to scale. And not just the type you drive over or hike up. Look out South Carolina....here we come. That's life 2007-11-04T20:16:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/3_little_words/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/3_little_words/#When:10:08:00Z One of my biggest bitches lately has been my lack of time to do the little things that I enjoy. One of which is my blog. I sign in and start typing but get pulled away for a million different reasons. I drive in the mornings, and I am always listening to my favorite morning gab show via my mp3. Yesterdays hot topic was the recent ABC spotlight i-caught. The premise is that people would sum up their lives in just 3 words. And then video tape their message. It was put into a montage and aired on the show. Most people wrote the words on their palm or other body parts. Some made signs. It is amazing how much 3 words can tell about a person and where they are in their life. So why not use this as my bloggin method I am going to also try to write the words on my hand each day. A little reminder of something poignant or even something silly. I am guessing it will change like my moods. Heck it may even turn out to be a conversation starter. “Why is that grown-ass woman writing on herself?” I have found that this is easier and harder then I first expected. Please share yours, feel free to leave them in the shout box over there ---->> Today’s 3 little words… Parenthood sometimes hurt Philosophies 2007-10-17T10:08:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/a_face_only_a_mother_could_love/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/a_face_only_a_mother_could_love/#When:18:55:00Z Isn’t this the face only a mother could love? My rusty Cichlid. Named her Hammy, because she seems to always come pokin her fins in the photos I attempt to take of my tank. She is one of 15 now residing in my 60 gallon. Going to be moving a couple to my new smaller tank that will be lulling me to sleep in my room very soon. As a scuba lover, I can apreciate the lifestyle of my fishies. ps: the lower left corner is the head of my dead bubble blowing pirate. Antics of the rugrats, Fuzzy Kids 2007-09-27T18:55:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/alive_and_kickin/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/alive_and_kickin/#When:19:00:00Z Thats right. Alive and kickin’ Just seriously been neglecting my blog. My punishment was swinging by for a visit to find a bland generic skin. *ugh* All my hard graphics work gone to the trash without so much as a chance to say a few words and have a moment of mourning. Thank You Chica, for the loaner skin until I can find the time to personalise things again. Whats been happening with me since late February? hmm Work basically. School year is over. Have a summer job working for a major high preformance car building company. Can’t tell ya which one or I would have to kill ya and I just don’t have that kind of free time. I test drive the vehicles that you may be purchasing in the future. As always I am lost in the land of soccer. Try-outs are complete, and this weekend is registration #1. Always a crazy time of the year. Kids are busy as ever. Trying to keep up with their social calendars will be the death of me yet. 7 short days until we leave for our much awaited family vacation. Hard to believe it has been about 9 months since mom proposed this adventure. Even harder to believe all of us are actually going to make the trip. I am very excited. The idea of 2 weeks away is very appealing. The idea of a full week in a lake house with my parents and my sissy’s family is very exciting. The idea of 48 hours trapped in the car as the only driver with my 2 kids...not so exciting! hehe The drive will be worth it though. Get to see Memaw and a few of my relatives I haven’t seen on happy terms in along time. Gonna have coffee with a g/f that is one of those friends that no matter how much time passes, it always seems comfortable and familiar. So that about sums things up. Same day, different panties. That's life 2007-06-16T19:00:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/birth_of_a_biker_chick/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/birth_of_a_biker_chick/#When:22:35:00Z I was surfin blogs this morning and visited a friend of mine. She got me to thinkin about my biker moments. Thought I would share how I fell into the biker chick role. My hubby has always had a thing for motorcycles. I enjoyed riding also, and was happy to take the “bitch” seat. I enjoyed the wind in my face, the scenery and not being responsible for keepin the tires on the road. In Feb 1992 I gave birth to my daughter, and Bri (my hubby) celebrated by purchasing a Harley. What a birthday gift huh? I was happy for him because I knew how much he loved it. I rarely rode with him as I seemed to be constantly attatched to the baby AND when my daughter was only 5 months old, I got pregnant AGAIN! (So much for the old wives tale that nursing mothers can’t concieve) Not real easy to ride 2-up when you have a basketball for a belly. I really started enjoying going with Bri once our son turned 1 (Sept 1994) We joined the local HOG. Made tons of friends. We went on group rides every week. It was a very nice way for us to spend time together and since we didn’t have a side car, we were forced to get a babysitter and have some adult fun. The catch here was in finding a “reliable” sitter. NOT an easy task. Very often we would get someone to agree to sit with the kids for 2 hours on Sunday morning, and come Sunday morning, the sitter wouldn’t bother to show up. Gotta love that! So being the nice understanding wife I am, I would force Bri to go without me. This went on for months. I didn’t know how to ride on my own, so I had to rely on these get aways for my chance to enjoy the bike. I became frustrated over missing out all the time. After about 6 months of this hit and miss ride time for me, I found myself at the Harley dealership one day with my sister. Think I was there to drop off the recent edition of our chapter newsletter that I helped publish. For some odd reason that day, I was feeling kinda gutsy and adventurous. So I started scoping out the bikes in the showroom. Now, I am a bit deficient in the height department. So finding a bike I felt comfortable on was no easy task. I had never rode solo. I had absolutly no clue where the gas pedal and the brakes were. But for some reason on that day, I decided it was time for me to take the hog by the horns and buy myself a bike. I remember my sister encouraging me between giggles. I had no idea if I could even get a loan or worse yet if I would ever be able to learn how to ride. But I was determined. I found out that the Hugger883 was built for us height deficient types. Both my feet laid flat on the ground, the bars were comfortable and I could close my eyes and feel myself navigating this machine down the open road. It just so happened they had a pretty bronze pearl model that some guy had just traded in. He had owned it for about 3 months and made a bunch of modifications to it before deciding he wanted something bigger. Seemed to be my lucky day! I asked my friend Rich, the salesmen, for an application. His response was “Don’t you want to call Bri and ask him about it first?” WELL… that just about pissed me off! How dare he assume I need permission to buy myself a toy. Even more determined then ever, I grabbed the pen out of his hand and started filling away. About 20 minutes later I walked out to go finish my shopping. I don’t think I really thought it would all go thru, let alone go so quickly. Within an hour my cell phone rang. It was Rich, calling to tell me I could come pick up my bike. O M G !! My Bike!! What on earth had I done?!? lol I took a deep breath and told him I would have to wait until later that night or the next day, when I could have someone come with me to drive my car home. Keep in mind here, I can NOT ride a motorcycle. I couldn’t have made it out of the parking lot pushing it without wrecking it lol The truth was I had to wait until later when I could get Bri to ride it home for me. But over my dead body was I going to let Rich know that LOL I made a stop off at the DMV to pick up the motorcycle handbook. My next task was to get the permit I needed to be able to ride my new bike, if I ever mastered being able to keep it upright and rolling. That night I studied like a mad woman possessed. I was going the next morning to take the test and I WAS going to pass!! Which I did (only missed one question too) I impatiently waited for Bri to get home that night, proudly showed off my new permit as I was pushing him to the car and off we went to get my ride. The next day I got up bright and early. I had spent the evening listening to Bri’s tips and hints on how best to attack learning how to ride. I knew everything there was to know about the make up of the bike. I know knew that there was no gas pedal, but a throttle. (Important knowledge) Much like with life though, book smarts doesn’t always make you an expert. Putting text into physical motion is a whole nother ballgame. We had a 150’ gravel driveway. My goal was to walk the bike out to the road and position myself so I could go straight. Our street was 3 miles long, that gave me time to get used to the feel before I had to think about making any type of turn. Long story short, that first day I never made it to the end of the driveway. I laid it down at about 100’. Sugarsand is NOT a bikers best friend! Lesson #1 I learned on my own. I’m not sure how much my bike weighed but it felt like a brass elephant when I tried to right it. It took all my energy to get it back on the kickstand, but I did. And when Bri returned from work that night, that is exactly where it sat !! My arms felt like wet noodles and my spirits were in the dirt. I mentally beat myself up. What kind of fool was I to think I could master this? How was I going to face the shame of having to take the bike back to the dealership and explain what a huge mistake I had made? The bike sat in the garage for 2 days while I worked up the guts to try it again. Sunday morning, before anyone was up I had gotten mad at myself for giving in. I took that energy into the garage, I started that bike and slowly worked my way down the driveway. I made it out to the road and away I went. Slow and ever so unsteady but I was rolling. I even managed to make it to 2nd gear. It is a very bizarre sensation to be at the controls. The force of the wind was greater, the fear of failing and smashing this pretty new bike. And OMG if a car had pulled out in front of me, I would have been a goner. Slowly I gained some confidence. I managed to turn around in a driveway. Going back to the house I found 3rd gear. Whew, maybe I was going to make it after all. At that time I was working 4p - midnight. So for 2 weeks I would have Bri ride my bike to work when he went in the morning, then he would come to my work, leave the bike and take the car home. At midnight in my town the streets are all but deserted. It was the perfect opportunity for me to hone my new skills and I quickly became comfortable riding. That has been many years ago, and now I ride without thinking about it. I guess it becomes 2nd nature like everything else. Knock on wood I have never laid a bike down since that first scary day. And Lord willing, I hope I never have to. I never forget how vulnerable we are on a bike. I assume no one is going to see me and that everyone is looking to run me over. Makes me a defensive driver I guess. Once you ride solo, it becomes like an addiction and I absolutly love it! Kid Bones 2005-01-23T22:35:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/sports_fanatic/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/sports_fanatic/#When:22:33:00Z Is it possible to be a wicked sports fanatic without having a “favorite” team?? I love team sports. Hockey, football, soccer even racing. Seems that sports has always been a big part of my life. In high school I was huge on team spirit. Didn’t matter if our team was losing every game or traveling to State Championships, it was important to me to show my support. I have above average knowledge of rules and stratagies on most sports. I think that is the part of the game that intrigues me the most. Knowing why someone gets a penalty before it is announced. Knowing why some cars chose to take a pit stop when others choose to stay out during a caution flag. These are the things that fuel my love of the game. Today is a big sports day. And like alot of people, I will be avidly watching the 4 best teams in football fight it out to earn their division championships and their way to the Superbowl. The big question flying around this week has been, “Whose your team?” With all of my sporting knowledge, that is the toughest question of all for me. I don’t have a team. Not in football or any of the other sports I enjoy so much. I guess it is normal for people to root for a team based on where they live, or where they grew up. Some choose by where they went to college or maybe by knowing someone who knows someone who used to play on that team. In my 20+ years post high school, I have not gotten attatched to any particular team in any particular sport. I tend to be the one who roots for the underdog, or will temporarily jump on the band wagon for a team my friends are rooting for. I enjoy good competition. I love to see the passion that people have for “their” team. Maybe I am missing out by not having a favorite. Or maybe I am secretly shielding myself from the disappointment of my team not making it hehe Who knows. I don’t think it makes me any less of a sports fanatic then the guy on the couch with his face painted sporting his team jersey rubbing his lucky team icon. And it certainly hasn’t stopped my passion for watching a good game. Bring it on!!!  Silly Nonsense 2005-01-20T22:33:00-05:00 http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/kangaroo_farts/ http://bucketofnutz.com/crazy/index.php/site/kangaroo_farts/#When:22:31:00Z My job is about as un-physical as they get. But what it lacks in a physical sense it makes up for in the mental realm. 7:30am this morning. Driving along enjoying the sun rise, humming my favorite tune or probably the one I last heard on the radio before exiting my car. Half way thru my elementary route. One of my 2nd grade boy riders (I will call him Dennis. As in, The Menace well cause it fits hehe) says to me… “Miss Chellie....Do kangaroos fart???” Supressing hysterical laughter I am thinking where the hell did this come from, when I glance in my overhead mirror to see Dennis sporting a brand-spankin new Outback Steakhouse t-shirt with a big ole happy kangaroo on the front. I take a moment to gather my thoughts before I reply knowing that it may be a trap of some kind. Go with the safe answer or so I thought. “Well Dennis, I would think that Kangaroos do fart.” Dennis then proceeds to tell me that Barney (the 1st grade boy sitting next to him) thinks they do fart, but that he is wrong. Because only mammals fart and kangaroos aren’t mammals. He learned that in science. So they can’t fart, right?.? 2nd grade was along time ago, but I am fairly certain mammals ;have babies and wean them themselves, so I believe kangaroos qualify. How to explain this in 2nd grade terminology without risking losing my job. I can hear Dennis now. “Mommy the bus driver told me that kangaroos breastfeed.” Good Lord it is a trap!!. As a person of authority in these kids lives and someone they grow to trust, I spend time listening to them no matter if it pertains to my job or not. So often kids go unheard because the adults that surround them don’t have time to stop and pay attention. If giving them 5 minutes of my time encourages them in some way, then it is well worth it to me. Even when it involves kangaroo farts! I ponder my reply knowing that it is important or they wouldn’t have asked. So what do I do?? I went for the safe comical answer. “Dennis, you might want to ask your science teacher to help you look that up when you get to class, but if I were to take a guess, I would think that if we ate nothing but grass, leaves and berries and hopped around on 2 legs all day and night...we would probably fart ALOT!” All in a days work!! Enjoy yours Behind the wheel 2005-01-19T22:31:00-05:00