I don’t know how you can be away from somewhere for 2 months, and go back, and it’s just like you never left! Lots of changes taking place this year. Huge budget cuts which should be a major challenge for all.

It seems that there will be 2.5 TA’s in our room. That could change. There could actually be less, depending on which kids actually arrive on Wednesday.

Ben managed very well on his first day at Technical School, and bought all his books. His were sure cheap! His were under $300. Sarah’s were well over $1200 for her first year. Blech!

Hubby and the kids went in to his folks to pick up a whole load of hardwood flooring! They had a flood in their house which damaged a portion of the hallway hardwood. The insurance company could not find a match for it, and since it’s in the entire main floor of their house, they’re replacing the whole thing! So, Hubby’s folks asked that if they removed the flooring themselves if they could keep it, (as insurance will save a pissload in labor that way, and the wood would just end up in the dump) They agreed, so we are getting enough free hardwood to do our kitchen, bathroom, back entry, and family room! All the rooms that I painted. I’m sure there will be plenty to do the dining room and living room too, but we’ll see how installation goes!

Tomorrow is the day. Tomorrow I go back to work for another school year. Part of me is happy, and part of me not so much.

I like the “freedom” of not working, but the pay sucks, and I have no kids at home, so no “legitimate” reason to stay home. I turn into a real procrastinator when I don’t work, because I feel like I have “so much time!” (although this summer I stayed productive for the majority of it). I turn into a real hermit when I’m off for a long time, and tend to not leave my house for much. I hope Nick and Tony haven’t regressed too much! I’m sad cause Doreen and Amy won’t be coming back with me. I don’t like that I’ll have to wear shoes and a bra again all day!
I like the routine of working. I like getting up at 5:15 am, working out, eating breakfast, showering, reading blogs and email over coffee, getting dressed, and leaving the house at 8:00 am for work. See how much I have done by 8:00 am when I work??? I get up by 7:00 even when I don’t work, and it takes me until 11:00 to accomplish that little bit, because I know it CAN! I like getting out and about and around other people. Laughing and having some fun at work. It will be great to see Nick and Tony and the kids again! I’ll be glad to get more dressed up than I have been this summer wearing my horrid painting clothes for the most part. I need the pay cheque after 2 months of no wage, and 2 kids to put through college! *eeks*

So as you see there are both good and bad things about going back to work. Bottom line is….Duty calls!

You add your cats toCatster :: Catster!! Now since it is gloomy and boring here, go add your kitty, and be friends with Smudge! LOL

This morning I tidied up around the house a bit, finished laundry, showered, made some nice hot muffins, and a pot of fresh coffee just in time for Amy and Doreen’s arrival. They had a tour around my house to check the changes out, and then we sat and visited for a couple of hours over coffee and muffins, and then went out for lunch.

More visiting, laughing and coffee, and finally 2 hours later we left the restaurant. We had a great visit.

It makes me sad. I’m really going to miss working with those 2 ladies. It makes me not happy to go back to whatever waits me on Monday.

I cleaned my house this morning, and then my Good friend Diane came for a visit for a couple of hours. We hadn’t seen each other all summer. She’s a TA like me, so she’s unemployed as well. We’ve both just been busy this summer. Her with her daughter who’s busy training, as she’s a member of the Canadian Junior National Figure Skating team which is big time cool beans. And I’ve been busy (say it with me people) PAINTING!

Tomorrow the two damn well retired bitches I used to work with , (kidding Doreen and Amy….. jealousy will get me no where… guess I need to have 3 grandchildren *gag* before I can retire too) are coming to check out my painted house, and then we’re going out for lunch. Likely so they can rub it in that I’m the only jack ass that has to return to work on Monday! Hmmmph!

Today was not so exciting! I thought I might escape and do something interesting, but NO. So I worked on the school webpage most of the morning, showered, had some lunch and went for groceries, and washed my car, which had gotten seriously muddy in our recent monsoon, near snow-type weather we had over the weekend.

Hazel called me this morning to touch base, and to tell me we were going out for lunch on Monday. Sounds like she’s had a good, but busy summer too.

As you can tell, I have nothing interesting to report, so I must bugger off and make some slopper!

Hubby took Ben over to the tech school to register. They scoped out the building his classes will be in, the bookstore, cafeteria, the parking, and all the other “important” things, as well as mapping out the most efficient route for driving there.

When they got home, Ben and I went shopping for back to school clothes. He’s grown quite a bit (finally!) He has put on 12 pounds since he started his “heavy labor” job. He’s wearing a size 11 shoe, and is about 5′11″ tall now. I’m sure he’s going to be the only guy in that school that only requires bi-annual shaving! We found some good bargains for both of us, and did our shopping in record time! Candi!! Ben bought a John Deere t-shirt! You would LOVE it!!! LMAO!

When we were finished shopping, I took Ben out to Sherwood Park, and he arranged to get a job back at the grocery store (different store, but same chain) that Sarah used to work at. He’s going to work part time there again while he goes to school.

That was about all we accomplished today, but at least Ben is all set for school Monday. He has 2 days left of ditch digging, and he’ll be pretty glad to be finished that!

Sarah has been dating a guy she met through a friend of a friend. They’ve just gone out 2-3 times so far. He’s 23, TALLER than her, handsome, a music major in University (a trumpet player), and an all around “perfect” guy. He leaves to go back to school in Toronto (other side of the country). Just her LUCK! LOL

I have long contended there are male jokes and there are female jokes. And there are unisex jokes. Here is a joke I consider a true female joke. I offer it to you in the hopes that women will love it and men will pass it along to a woman who will also love it……… A woman was sitting at a bar enjoying an after work cocktail with her girlfriends when an exceptionally tall, handsome, extremely sexy middle-aged man entered. He was so striking! that the woman could not take her eyes off him. The young-at-heart man noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly toward her (as all men will). Before she could offer her apologies for so rudely staring, he leaned over and whispered to her, “I’ll do anything, absolutely anything, that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20.00…… on one condition.” (There are always conditions) Flabbergasted, the woman asked what the condition was. The man replied, “You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words.” (Controlling huh?) The woman considered his proposition for a moment, and then slowly removed $20 bill from her purse, which she pressed into the man’s hand along with her address. She looked deeply into his eyes, and slowly and meaningfully said …… ….. ….. ….. …………………..
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This pretty little deer was roaming around our hotel. She wasn’t the least bit bothered by us! The rest of the pictures I took can be seen here. They’re very boring, and I didn’t take many!

I had a really nice day today. I left around 11:00 am, and did some “back to school” shopping for myself. Had a really nice, peaceful time, and then went to Mom’s and went out for supper with her.

Ben registers at the college tomorrow. EEK! How did I get so old??!!

We arrived home at 2:00 this afternoon. I unpacked quickly, and have been busy catching up on emails, and blogs, and such ever since! I went 5 whole days without internet connection!!!! *GASP* It wouldn’t have had to be, as I had the laptop, but the phone line into our room had a continual busy signal unless you hit the “flash” button several times. I fought with it for 2 days before realizing what the real problem was! Oh well. Did me good.

We had a pretty good vacation. We were complete and utter lazy bums! We watched a kazillion hours of Olympic coverage, read for hours and hours, and didn’t do a whole lot else. While in Calgary we took my SIL out for a really nice dinner, so that was nice. I had a totally boring day in Calgary while hubby was teaching, but once we got to Radium, it was much better. We both even made it back alive! *shock*

I really missed my early morning coffee chats with Candi! Just felt like something was missing all day!!! LOL

The kids didn’t wreck the house, in fact it had all been cleaned up nice before we got home. Sarah had some friends over Friday night, but all was good. Ben decided to NOT have friends over, so that was even better!!

I’ll post a few pictures later.