I am going to admit it.  Sometimes I get very crabby and irritable for no real apparent reason that I know of.  Could be PMS, could be the state of the economy, could be the weather, could be because as I sit here at my desk, I listen to George Bush on CNN saying that the economy is ”the most DYNAMIC economy in the world”  and that the bailout was the right thing to do and that the United States is going to re-coup most, if not all of the bailout cash. Hmmm…I am skeptical.  Seven hundred BILLION dollars is a lot to recoup!  Meanwhile, I am buying granola bars that always had six to a box, and now I feel duped because I am paying about .45 cents more per box, but only got 5 in the box!  Watch out, friends!  Read the labels at the grocery store!  The food manufacturers are feeling the crunch as well, and they are hoping that we are not noticing!  Don’t be fooled!  We are paying more money for less product. I am MAD!  I wanted to take my box of granola bars back to the store and ask for my money back, until I read the fine print “contains 5 granola bars.”  Ugh.

I will definitely be tuning in to the Presidential Debate tonight.  This election has really peaked my interest. I am doing as much reading and research as I can about the candidates.  I have not made a solid decision as to who I am voting for yet, but I am leaning more towards Obama/Biden and that decision has leaned that way since the selection of Sarah Palin as a Republican running mate.  As much as I would love to see a woman president someday, the thought of Ms. Palin running this great country makes my skin crawl.  I don’t like her….at all.  Please don’t email me and give me all kinds of crap about “strong, independant women” as I do not want to hear it.  Refer to the first paragraph of this post, M’Kay?  Don’t want to hear it. Although I do love Tina Fey’s impersonation of her. She is dead on!

What is the deal with incredibly rude people?  Mr. T and boy #1 went to a local music store yesterday after school.  The boy needed to exchange his cornet for a trumpet.  In 5th grade, the trumpet players start out on a cornet.  Basically, a smaller, compact trumpet.  Now that he has moved up to middle school band, he needed to start using a real trumpet. Now, for those of you that know boy #1, you would know that he is usually quiet, soft spoken and a rule follower.  He goes by the books.  Apparently, when we rented the cornet, there was supposed to be some “oil” in the cornet case. There was not. Never any oil. Boy #1, at the start of band last year, told his band teacher that he did not have oil for the instrument.   The very cool band teacher told boy not to worry.  They had plenty of extra oil in the band room and he could use that. Okey-dokey, then! Problem solved, right?  Well, not really.  When they were at the music store to make the exchange, the lady working the store proceeded to scream at my boy. She told them that they “NEVER, EVER rent out an instrument with out the oil. NEVER!  She accused him of lying, and of stealing the oil.  Uh-huh. Just what an 11 year old boy wants…a vial of trumpet oil!  When they came home and told me the story, I quickygot out pen and paper and shot off a “customer is always right” letter to the owner of the music store.  They piss me off.  And I told him that in the letter. Don’t mess with me.  And don’t ever mess with my boy!

On to boy #2.  Each week, his teacher sends out a “conduct slip” giving the parents an idea as to what happened that week in class.  She is a tough cookie, which is good.  Boy #2 needs his teachers to hold him accountable. The slip reflects different categories of conduct, such as “Excessive talking in class”, “Missing assignments”,  “Fighting on the playground”…you get the picture. Well, each week, boy #2’s conduct grade has been going down.  He came home with the last conduct slip with three check marks.  All three for “Not following directions.”  Well, he had a little surprise waiting for him after that came home. No TV, video games, or computer until a new conduct slip comes home with a better report.  We figure, hit ‘em where it hurts, right?  We emailed the teacher and told her we were on it and that he would have some privileges taken away.  This week, if another slip comes home with check marks,  Momma gets a brand new purple ipod Nano.  I kid you not.  I am not playin’.  If he were struggling in school with anything, we would not be so harsh.  If he were failing a subject, we would get him a tutor.  Screwing around and talking in class is not acceptable.  Boy #2, if you are reading Mommy’s blog, (which you should not be….your grounded from the computer!  Go clean your room!) you have to start shaping up. I mean, I really don’t have time to take your ipod and delete all of your songs off of it and download my kind of music!  You know how much I hate the Hamster Dance! And lets face it, I really want the orange one instead!

Tomorrow is my yoga/Pilate’s/tai chi class, which I love!  I finally found an exercise class that I enjoy. Except I am not going tomorrow. I am playing hooky so that my good friend, Mrs. Tennessee and I can finally get together and catch up.  It has been at least a month or so that we have gotten together and to be honest, she is better for me than yoga/Pilate’s/tai chi.  She “gets” me and she is like my own private therapist. Except I don’t have to pay her.  I always feel so much better after talking and hanging out with her.  We talk, have coffee or lunch and de-compress!  Although sometimes when we get together, it is for something a bit stronger than coffee!

There is a ticker on CNN counting down to the Presidential Debate….5  hours 53 minutes. Let the mud slinging begin!

I am a little nervous as tonight is the first Parent/Teacher conference for Middle School. I don’t know what I am nervous about. Boy #1 does fine in school and he is generally a good kid. Nothing to worry about, I am sure.  I know he gets really nervous about it, for some reason and Middle School does “student lead” conferences.  This should be interesting!  He is going to go through his progress with us!

My trip up north was good!  We had a nice time and the weather was gorgeous!  I have never seen so much vibrant fall color!  It was incredible!  Hopefully, I will be able to post some of my photos and you can see for your self.  The best part?  My boy and my nephew, Tyler took 3rd place in the fishing contest!  And that is out of about 25 teams of two!  Way to go, boys! Fun times.  My Mom of course, cooked like a crazy lady so no one went hungry, that is for sure!  The FOOD!  Ughhh…I think I gained a few lbs.  Maybe I should go to yoga tomorrow.  On second thought…..nahhhhhhhh!