Thursday, April 2, 2009

Baby May Be A Little Craz-ay


"Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."


There has been much argument in the maison de Miss Amber Lane avec Bennyboo (I'm sure that makes no grammatical sense in Francais).

We've already established that I have a thing about a clean house. Yet somehow its been in hyper drive lately - ever since I got my wedding gown ... its like I've been thinking WG is too good for this messy room, WG needs a sweet smelling, cat free zone, WG deserves better than this. So cleaning has been happening room to room like nuts all week by yours truly.


Bennyboo would contribute from time to time- but on Tuesday when we came home from dinner and I started cleaning and Bennyboo flopped down on the couch to watch Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy while I cleaned the living room ---- after I had been the one working all day hadn't sat down any longer than for dinner ... I lost my cool. The argument was relatively mild and ended with me stomping upstairs to clean "my room" and Ben finishing his movie (that was actually my idea -- and I didn't see but a few minutes of it ).

We made up around bed time with me explaining to Boo that since we are expecting a house guest for Friday evening there are some things that I would like to have accomplished and they need to happen by Thursday night. Boo expresses that he understood and would try to be more helpful and we drifted off into dream land.


Fast forward to my arrival home Wednesday evening. I walk through the front door to find Bennyboo on his computer and NOTHING.... I MEAN NOTHING had been done around the house.

Now I'm going to clarify before I sound like a complete bitch (too late eh?) I'm not talking about cleaning ceiling fans and bleaching tiles and nitt picky things - I'm talking wiping counters in the kitchen, finishing dishes and vacuuming cat hair off the rug....visible cat hair. I'm talking picking up dirty socks and taking out the garbage. Things that ANYONE can see needs to be done.

Ladies (and gents?) I was HEATED! It's just not fair. Why should I work all day - physical work with residents, up and down on my feet all day; and then come home and do everything here as well? Especially when Boo isn't employed currently?!?!? Yes, he is working on some free lance things but without deadlines - he has infinite time to do some home cleaning maintenance - especially since he already knew that I was stressing about it and had already asked for his help!

The argument on this day was not mild. Glass was broken, sandals may or may not have been thrown. We hardly talked for four hours.

BUT. Shit got done.

We've since REALLY talked about what we expect from each other and think we've come to terms. We've agreed that sine Boo has a different standard of cleanliness and doesn't "see" the things that he sees that I will leave him lists of things that I would like him to do during the day as he has time. I did that today and it worked! Hopefully going forward this will be one of the keys to our success. However, it seems to be cyclical- things go well for a few months and then it starts all over again.

Rewinding just a bit though- notice how I mentioned glass got broken and sandals thrown? What's up with that shit?! Back in high school when I lived at home with Ma Mere I was notorious for throwing things - telephones especially- but I thought that now in my mid twenteis I had the problem licked. Apparantly not.

Several nights ago I was attempting to hang wall hangers on my bulletin board. I spend 15 minutes trying to simply "screw in" these hangers when there were no starter holes. Eventually I got so frustrated that I took my hammer to the cork board and beat the crap out of it. The board cost $7.00 but the relief I got from ripping it to shreds was priceless. When I showed Bennyboo he smiked and shook his head as though to say, "typical Amber".

When Boo and I were fighting Wed I tossed a decorative plate strewn with Yankee potpouri and a candle; frisbee style onto our hardwood floor - it shattered accordingly. Boo was not amused.

I'm pretty sure its not healthy but sometimes I get just so blindingly angry that I feel "something has to break". I meantioned I had this problem in high school - well one thing has changed since then. In high school I just did it, threw something neve thinking about the reprecussions. As an adult I feel my body tensing up, start to throw something or beat on it - and then I stop myself, think about if what I'm going to do is going to damage something irreplacable or expensive and then do it accordingly.

I'm about to make an analogy forgive me if its out of line; but its almost like the feeling you have when you try to prolong an orgasm- you to try to keep it from happening and you try to restrain yourself- but in the end- you just can't help it- you do it anyway because it feel so good.

Ugh.

Between this and my control issues/anxiety I'm pretty sure I could keep a therapists family fed for decades. I'm not against therapy- a time slot set aside in which I can talk about moi and only moi?

Sold.

Anyhow. Assistant called in sick, again, today. I had a to do list 100 miles long and crossed off 1, count em', 1 thing on it again because I was doing her job. I kinda miss my job - I sure hope she's repaired for the weekend. I have a friend in town and I AM NOT - working this weekend (ahem- famous last words I'm sure). That's the trouble with working for a 24/7 community. Activities occur even on the weekends, like it or not.

Well, I'm outta here. Hope you'll still read after finding out I'm a crazy, cleaning, diva.

Happy Thursday. Just one short day left!

Loooooove!

Miss Amber Lane

Tonight I'm Feeling: Tired, Content, Crazy


Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Bang, bang. Shoot, Shoot.

No seriously. I'm posting from work right now because here at the end of my day I have such a warm feeling of accomplishment and happiness and in a typical work day my friends, that's rare. So I thought I would share before my tires start making pavement on the long road home.

Nothing substanitally out of the ordinary happened to day. Well, with the exception that my assistant called in sick for the second day in a row (how's that for my thoughts on my last post where I was longing to take a sicky myself...karma!) leaving me by my lonely on a busy day. I found myself quite amused earlier today when I realized that on days that I'm here by myself when my assistant calls off- its her job that I end up doing instead of my own. My job is supposedly the "important" job, definitely the higher paying job - but her's by far, hands down is the most urgent job. The stuff she does when she's here- is the stuff that HAS to get done when it HAS to get done.

So that's what I've been doing today: her job and when I had a few moments a scattering of my job. On the upside of that though I'm getting paid more to do her job so I guess no complaints.

Today has made me appreciate her more (and also long for the days when I wasn't the boss and calling in sick just meant making a quick phone call to my boss, instead of when I'm sick now and I have to call the office a hundred times a day to make sure things are covered and everything is getting done that needs to get done) so though I'm not sure she's considered an admin. assistant I seriously think I will appreciate her on the day for said position- she deserves it!

But yes, though I was busy doing double my normal work- I had a great day. Here's what I accomplished:

A Day in the Work Life of Miss Amber Lane:

-Arrived early
- Made arrangements for activity coverage in my place so I could take assistant's place to drive residents to doctor's appointments
- Dropped first res. to doctor
-Returned to office interviewed two potential volunteers and completed paperwork
- Dropped two more res. to doctor
-Picked up first res.
- Returned to office- led trivia game
- Folded and stuffed party invites for Easter
- Dropped next res. at doctor
-Picked up 2nd res. at doctor
-Returned to office to drop res. off
- Left again to visit hobby Lobby to pick up craft and bulletin board supplies
-Pulling in to Hobby Lobby got call that final res. was ready to be picked up from doc
-Picked res up, she came with me to Hobby Lobby
-Returned to office
-Began social then delegated to Care Manager to complete
-Discarded old flowers, and washed vases for tomorrow's flowers
-Applied postage and mailed Easter invites
-Helped clean a messy bathroom
-Typed and pritned tomorrow's schedule
-Sat down to blog

BUSY DAY!

Yet, like I said; somehow I feel happy and accomplished not worn out and frustrated and that's such a good thing!

Alright well I do have a few more things to finish up before dashing out the door.

Happy Tuesday my lovlies! Only three more days left!

Hooray!

Miss Amber Lane

Today I'm Feeling: Hapy, Accomplished, Satisfied

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Honeymoon

So I know its still such a long way off, but I've been daydreaming about our honeymoon. In our 5 years together Ben and I have spent 1, that's right 1 night together in a hotel- and believe me that night was not romantic, we were downtown for New Years in a queen bed next to another queen bed where our friends slept. Not sexy.

So I've been having thoughts about what I would like our honeymoon to be like. I stop and close my eyes and think about what I want it to feel like. So far I've come up with this:

Warm
Sunny
Water
Bare Legs
Air Conditioning
Flowers
Soft Sheets
Sleeping In
Swimming
Peaceful
Romantic (That's a given me thinks)
Worry Free - no hurricanes, no foreign language, no long car trips with me as the passenger

Clearly this means that we must go tropical. We've been tossing around the idea of Jamaica. It seems to be the laid back, no worry kind of place where Ben and I can really unwind- Ben's not much the adventure seeker and I've got to admit on vacation I don't mind just being a beach bunny/ pool shark.
The travel advisers mention however that the best time to go is March, April, May ---we would be going in late June/early July ---would it be bad then? Does anyone know?

Also as I'm sure everyone is aware- the cash isn't free flowing in Amber and Ben land. What is the most economical way to plan a trip like this? Ben swears by Expedia and the I think that planning a trip of that caliber without ever making contact with a live person is daunting. What are your experiences with this?

I've got to be honest I've never left the continental United States without professional assistance and the thought of doing that makes me a scoshe nervous.

Like I mentioned though - we're not quite ready to book yet - Expedia won't even let us have a quote for any sooner than next February so we have time- I'm just getting anxious about all the money committments we have coming up over the next 15 months.

Anyhow.... This weekend has been nice- but like always WAY too fast. I'm dreading going back to the grind tomorrow and have considered taking a sicky- but know that I won't- I may actually need it someday and will just kick my own ass so tomorrow I will trudge in.

You already heard all about my day yesterday- I accomplished a lot- today was precisely the opposite- I accomplished nada. Went to the future in-laws and showed off the dress, did the same at Meggies- then Boo and I went to Best Buy for nada and left with exactly that. We had dinner at IHop and have spent the rest of the evening on the couch. This weekend is the end of that however- I need to get back to my old, motivated self.

I've been a potato recently- probably because my work life has been so draining of late.

Hopefully I get a handle on that this week.

Alright Lovies, goodnight! Sleep sweet!

Miss Amber Lane

Tonight I'm Feeling: Laxy, Happy, Dreamy