Really? SERIOUSLY??

So several things have happened lately that cause me to stop and say, "Really?" Most are too simple to put in a blog all by themselves, but all compiled neatly into a listing, hmmmm.

#1:  I hurt myself in my sleep. REALLY? Yes. I went to sleep all cozy comfy and woke with a crazy neck pain. I obviously slept wrong, but this pain has lasted for days. I would say that you have to be pretty talented to hurt yourself in your sleep, but in truth there is only one explanation. I am getting old. Just get me a cane and my pill organizer now.

#2:  We have an official closing date on our Houston home so I made calls to all our utility companies to schedule their shut off dates. Most were easy enough. The water company, however, was not. I called and was promptly told that I would have to hold to speak to anyone. So I held. For 20 minutes. It was crazy. When I finally got someone on the phone, I was told that they charge $25 on the final bill for disconnection services. REALLY? If I just refused to pay my bill, they'd shut it off for free, right? But because I want to do this all legit like, I get charged a fee. SERIOUSLY? Ugh.

#3:  I was looking for Halloween costumes for the girls. Most of what I saw were short skirts and tank style tops. REALLY? Even the cat costumes were short and skimpy. Okay, first these are costumes for toddlers. I don't plan on putting my girls on Toddlers and Tierras, so I don't need them to dress like street walkers to get some free candy.  And second, this is ALASKA!! Retailers, when will you learn to adjust your merchandise to the weather in your area? When we were in Houston, I struggled to find costumes that my girls could wear and not die of heat exhaustion. And here? It is 30-something degrees outside and I can't find a warm costume anywhere! When I asked some of the "locals" what they did with this crummy situation, they said that they put their kids coats over the costumes and when they go up to someone's door, they quickly open their coats and show their costumes as they say "trick or treat". Okay, so now I will have a 3 year old street walker who is learning that flashing will get you free treats. SERIOUSLY?? Seriously.

Now these next list items are theme related. Michael had to leave on a business trip. He is off to the east coast for a week. Off where the temperatures are warmer, there are actual restaurants at which to dine. Oh, and he is doing all this sans kids. Now this item might require a "REALLY?" all its own, but it isn't like he had any control over this. The company says go, so he goes. So I will forgo the obvious one here and just skip to some of the things I've had to deal with since he left.

#4:  The forecast is calling for rain. All. Week. Long. REALLY? It is cold here, if any of you were wondering. And there is very little to do with toddlers. There are a few small parks that we will go to if it is dry out. We just brave the cold and bundle up. And in truth, the humidity is so low that 32 degrees really feels more like 42 degrees so it is bearable. But add rain to the mix and we're stalled out. The rain brings in the humidity which makes the cold feel as cold as it really is, if not colder. Sadly, even a break in the rain offers no relief because the park equipment is all covered in water. This means that little fingers get wet and freeze almost on contact. So when it rains, we stay inside. The irony here is that the rain started the day Michael left. The day after his return? All sunny and clear. SERIOUSLY?

#5:  Last night I was starving with very little in the condo to eat. I was able to scrounge up something for the girls to have for dinner, but for me the choice was simple. Get the girls in bed and then order a cheesy, meaty yummy pizza. They actually have a Pizza Hut here--wonder of all wonders. And I love Pizza Hut. And guess what? Michael doesn't. So whenever he is out of town, my Pizza Hut radars start going off. I was thrilled at the prospect of eating my pizza in front of the TV with the girls all tucked into their beds. So I busy myself with the task of feeding the girls, bathing the girls, wrestling the girls into their pajamas and coordinating two bedtime routines. All the while, visions of pepperoni were dancing in my head. Once the girls were in bed and asleep, I got online and ordered my pizza. Yum! I hit the submit button and go to get my money. Just as I was pulling out a twenty, my cell phone rings. It's the guy from Pizza Hut. He is informing me that they do not have a delivery driver and won't have one for at least another week. REALLY? Wish I had known that before I put the girls down. Now I am trapped in the condo with two sleeping girls, no food and a very empty belly. Sigh. Cereal for dinner it is. (Oh and I had to use the milk remnants from Sarah's Happy Meal because I emptied my milk jug yesterday.)

#6: And of course, because Michael is gone, Sarah's diarrhea has relapsed. SERIOUSLY? Yep. She was completely over it. No episodes in at least a week's time. But the day Michael left, we had 2 episodes and had another one yesterday. Lovely.

So there you have it. Never fear, I am sure there will be more. In fact, I am getting ready to head to the grocery store with the girls. If you've read my blog for anytime at all, you know that my track record of stress-free shopping experiences at grocery stores isn't the best. So it should be a REALLY interesting day.