Hello ladies and gents.

I've been in this weird place lately. Maybe not weird as much as a new normal for me. I finally got a laptop and I find myself on the computer (at home anyway) less than before. I think "ooh rats...I really want to blog this recipe but that would require me to get up, plug in laptop..."

I find myself with next to no time (like all of you. I know I'm no different). Here's what my days are like lately... let's start with the morning...

I get up at 5:00a.m. (sometimes earlier depending on my temp assignment of the week/month). I attempt to open my eyes for a good ten minutes. I stumble down the hallway and reach for the light switch. You know, the one that's been there forever, but for some reason seems to have moved in the wee morning hours. Finally find it and then mutter newly created obscenities to the bright light. I look in the mirror. And I turn that light right back off again. No one should see THAT first thing in the morning. That is a reference to my face. Ugh.

Coffee gets started while I wake up Resident Munchkin. Depending on her mood, she's either up and running (literally) or she's also muttering munchkin-style obscenities ("fiddlesticks and nonsense" is a big one of hers. Or if she's really mad..."poop." Uh yeah, I don't allow that one.) towards the light that I had to turn on again to help her up to the toilet.

Blah, blah, blah. I make her breakfast. Get her milk. Plop her on the couch. Turn on the same stinking Doc McStuffins/Bubble Guppies/Strawberry Shortcake episode she's watched a million times already so I can make my lunch (or simply put it in a lunch bag if I made it the night before), put on some kind of face, and find clothes that resemble matching and are (God willing) clean and semi-wrinkle free.

Remember I have made coffee and my breakfast is getting cold and/or soggy.

Sit down, attempt to drink coffee and eat breakfast and realize that I have XYZ to do before we leave.

I could go on and on about our mornings.

The evenings are about the same but in reverse. Make some food, sit down, say our prayers, start eating and then something pops into my head ("I should put the rest of this meal in containers for leftovers right now..."). Get the kid cleaned up, get her milk, give her a bath, read books, sing songs and put her to bed.

I collapse on the couch turn on the tv and fall asleep minutes later. I wake up around 1:00a.m. disoriented and stumble down the hallway and into bed.

It's only on the weekends we can slow down a bit. And only a bit. Getting adjusted to this life has had its ups and downs. Just when I think I have a routine down, or have it together, something else happens.

But I have learned a lot. And I've enjoyed a lot too. Even though Munchie and I don't hang out all day every day, the moments we do have together are very special. Even if we're grumpy and tired from school and work.

It's just the two of us. And now looking back at my married life more clearly, I can't imagine it another way.

And that's my incredibly long way of getting to why I haven't blogged.

But if it makes you feel any better, I've certainly thought about it. haha.

And that's all I've got for now. But here are some ideas rolling around in my head...

1. Blogging about personal finance and budgets. I've been getting quite good at pinching a penny.

2. Discussing my personal challenge to myself where I only buy food items I cannot make. For instance, I don't have a cow. So I buy milk. I've saved a lot of money and dropped a few lbs. This kind of ties into personal finance. And my ever-growing annoyance with the Food machine and the crap they try to feed/sell us.

3. My attempts at gardening again this year. Eh.

4. My attempt to actually start dressing like a grown-up. And a lady. A grown-up lady.

And that's about it. I've had many more. Like my newer obsession with taking pictures of clouds. But I'll save that for another day. Cross my heart, kiss my elbow.

A new year

Hello dear readers,

First off, let me just get caught up with all of you...ahem..

Happy Thanksgiving!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukah!

Happy New Year!

And uh...happy football day (since today is the Super Bowl apparently).

Life has been...indescribable these past few months. I decided to leave the assignment I was at because I realized  A.) The job wouldn't take me anywhere in the future and B.) my boss was a loon with dementia. She would buy me coffee one minute and then the next claim I had a conversation with another director that SHE had in my presence. Or she would ask me to do something I had done months past already. Or the best one, call me an "indentured servant" because I was "only a temp." Yeah. Good times. I danced a jig on my way out of those crazy padded walls.

I have been on a few temp assignments since. Sometimes going two weeks without an assignment in between. If I've picked up any skills lately, it's of being patient. The one I'm in now is good. It's with a large healthcare provider...who...apparently is downsizing. And by downsizing it means they're consolidating their affiliates into one big one and my bosses have to apply for their own jobs again. Uh huh. All I can say is that it's a three month assignment. And three months is better than none.

Resident Munchkin turned four and is (still) full of beans. She saved up to buy her first pet, a bird she named "Bob." Well Bob turned out to be a girl so, after one of our many Lucy marathons, we decided that Bob should be renamed. She is now...Hedda Hopper. She hisses, throws her food, and gets mouthy at random occasions. So in other words, she fits right in. :)

As of last night, I landed myself a snazzy new-ish (okay rather old-ish) laptop that I can now blog from. And drool on random pinterest DIY projects/recipes. And possibly take some classes online. Because dear readers, as much as I loved being a secretary and loooooove the insane world of temping, I have a child to raise. Hence, the need for more financial stability. I'm really not crazy about the idea of returning to school in any capacity. I love to learn, but with life as it stands, it just means one more big thing to tackle. And being a single mom is proving to be challenging enough.

Oh yeah, and I'm still legally married. What?? Yes, Captain Cluck still hasn't managed to turn in the rest of his papers for us to get a final court date. Mark my words, ladies and gents, this WILL be my year. A year to..

- Get a full time job (no matter how dull..preferably with little to none in the psycho boss dept.)
- Work on an incredibly long list of Zany house projects (painting, raised bed for patio, furniture, etc)
- Get rid of the 200+ lbs of man-beast that has been shackled to me for the past several years (aka bringing in the big guns...even if that means lawyers..ugh)
- Finish degree and find a way to get to a career path I can be content with both mentally and financially
- Continue to enjoy time with Munchie and try not to take life too seriously.

So in so many words folks, I'm back!!!

This post is brought to you by the words "Wine" and "Copious"

Good afternoon dear readers,

Many apologies for not blogging recently. I owe you a granola recipe at the very least! (Soon! I swear it!)

My temporary assignment is complicated and downright annoying sometimes. It's up for grabs and despite the fact I've been here since August, my boss claims I'm not qualified for the position. This from the woman who has been raving, RAVING, about me to my agency. But I don't have a Bachelor's Degree. I look at the job description and it's written out as "preferred" not "mandatory." I just don't know what to do dear readers. Aside from pull out my Zany hair. The higher ups (Dean, Executive Director) all want me to get interviewed. And while that makes me all warm and fuzzy for a minute, it doesn't exactly solve anything.

My agency has updated me that the boss wants me for another three weeks. So I'm grateful to have at least that. I have been and will continue to apply to other jobs with a vengeance during this three week period of time.

Tonight is a wine night. No, not because of the election (that calls for an antacid and a set of earplugs)...but because I don't know where my life is headed and it's driving me nuts. Recently I have considered going back to school. I honestly never thought about it before. Like I've told all of you, I like being a secretary. I'm good at it. It's (in the past and up until recently) allowed me to leave my job at work at the end of the day and have my life free to spend with the Munchkin and do other things that I enjoy. I used to make double what I make now, but the economy is in the crapper. I'm applying with literally hundreds of other applicants for a job that makes far less than it did four years ago. And since I have the Munchkin to take care of, I'm looking into my options.

I wish I could just simply go to school and be able to pay for it and living expenses but it doesn't quite work that way. So for now I pray for steady employment. School soon to follow.

And that's it for now. Stresscase Zany signing off...

p.s. Don't forget to vote! And if your heart brings you to a third party candidate, vote for them! This country needs another option than the boring two party system, don't you think? Okay, that's all I'm saying on that...for now.

Zany *cough* update

Good morning dear readers,

First off, let me say that for all my readers, family and friends that are on the East Coast, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I hope that you are safe. I cannot begin to imagine being in the middle of such chaos!

Second, thank you for your well wishes dear readers. I got over the flu and currently have some kind of upper respiratory cold thing going on. I ended up having to take last Friday off from work to take Resident Munchkin to the doctor because she was up all last Thursday night coughing. I tried everything and nothing seemed to work. Cool mist humidifier, steamy showers, propping up her pillow, etc. etc. Most of that night I held her as I sat up on the couch praying for her cough to go away. I hate when she's sick. The good news is that, while she still has a bit of a cough remaining, she is almost 100% better.

After some convincing last night, and much to my surprise, the Man took Resident Munchkin to his house last night. This is the first time he has done so since we moved out nearly five months ago. And this is the only the second time he's ever had her overnight without me since she was born. And she's nearly four. So I guess that's progress.

If only I could go home I would. But finances simply don't allow it. Nothing that time and rest won't take care of. And in the grand scheme of things, a cold is nothing to oh I don't know, losing my home in a crazy hurricane. It's all about perspective.

Anywho, that's all on my end.

Squirrel flu

I've been knocked sideways by the squirrel flu. Squirrel flu you say? Why yes, because that sounds waaaaaaay better than your run of the mill influenza. 

I knew something was amiss when, last night, I cranked up the thermostat to 75 while wearing long johns, two sweaters, and a pair of thick socks. While wrapped like a sickly burrito in a fuzzy couch throw. The Man (over to visit the Munchkin) looked at me like I was nuts. Until I threatened to sneeze in his general direction. And by sneeze I mean barf.

Just kidding. I didn't get sick until this morning. In the kitchen sink. I wish I was kidding about that one. Sorry readers. Pretend I didn't just admit to hurling in the sink. Pretend I said "I danced around the house with flowers in my hair..." Aaaaaaand go!

And now I'm at work. But it's okay...I'm surrounded by nursing students. If I pass out, let's hope one of them will know what to do with me.

I probably should head home. But then there is that whole "I need to earn a living bit" that has me in a bind. Blerg. The goal is to make it as long as I can. I figure if I'm not actively getting sick, I'm golden. 

And that's all I've got.

Squirrel flu. 

In the kitchen with Resident Munchkin- Baked Tomatoes

In my last post I mentioned my sweet neighbors and their gift of tomatoes. I wanted to do something different than the usual with them, so I decided to bake them. They turned out nicely, although I wasn't jumping up and down in my seat. Resident Munchkin helped assemble and enjoyed them as well. I think next time I'll cook them longer.

Zany Baked Tomatoes (adapted from an Eating Well recipe) 

1. Cut up some tomatoes taking up space on your counter (because they shouldn't be in your fridge. If they are, take them out now!)...the original recipe said to simply cut them in half and place cut size up. I sliced up multiple slices from each tomato instead. Place them on a baking sheet and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, oregano or any Italian blend you have laying around. Add Parmesan cheese (I had a little block in the fridge that I grated, but pre-grated is fine). If you have a little helper, this is a great project for them. Beware: cheese will end up in places in random places but smile and have them help you in the clean up process afterwards. Preferably while singing an impromptu silly song about cleaning. Quirky dance moves while singing/cleaning are not mandatory but highly amusing.

3. Bake for 15 minutes. Open the oven door and say "where the heck did the cheese go?" then pull them out, add more cheese and pop them back in. Wait another five minutes or so, turn off the oven and take the tomatoes out to cool.

Zany Notes:

* I think next time I might stick them under the broiler to get the cheese a nice golden brown. We had these alongside pasta and it was a nice, light addition.

Zany's granola recipe soon to arrive! Since I tend to do a pinch of this and a handful of that, I'm going to whip up another batch and attempt to measure for all of you. Thanks for your patience!

Neighbors

I love, love, LOVE, my next door neighbors. They are an older retired couple that have done just about everything in life. When Resident Munchkin visits her dad, I often go over and talk with them. They have a raised garden in back and have offered to help me build one in my backyard. They have property somewhere (I'm assuming they rent it out) that has a plethora of fruit trees and other goodies.

Lady L came over last night and brought me homemade concord grape jam, tomatoes, and peppers. I, in exchange, gave her a jar of my granola. I will also bring over some bread that I make this weekend.

I'm so thankful to have these two next door. And their two ankle-biter fur babies make for good security.

That is all.