Happy 2016!

So I must admit, I'm getting old, for the last few years I've been asleep, along with the hubby before the stroke of midnight.  Our kids wake us up to pop their kiddie bubbly for them, then we all go to bed at exactly 12:05 a.m., every.single.January 1st!

  So I know people make new years resolutions, I've personally never done that because well, I'm a chronic procrastinator, just ask my kids!  Makes me wonder if the people who actually do makes resolutions *ever* keep them?I mean seriously if you feel the need to sit down an make a list of things about yourself, your life, situation, what-have-you, do you really think you're gonna do any of them?  Besides maybe cutting back from 6 cups of coffee a day to 5?!?

  I think that this is one aspect of Romanian mentality that doesn't drive me nuts....they don't make resolutions, they know what needs to be done, and they do it, without any fuss, or social media announcements.  They announce things that matter: marriages, births, baptisms, important life events.  The rest is just the day to day of it all.

  I see all these meme's all over Facebook from friends that say something along the lines of "this is the year you'll receive God's blessings"....I have a problem with that line of reasoning.  I think if you are a Christian and know what the bible says, then you know you only receive His blessings by living a Godly life.  Posting a random meme about God isn't going to reign down pennies from heaven on you.  All through Proverbs and the Gospels, God's word speaks of honest men, doing honest work, and reaping the benefits of working for what they've received, and yes, God rewards the honest, God fearing man with opportunities, blessings, etc.  But everyone seems to be so BLESS ME oriented, as far as money is concerned that they have forgotten that God says that the MEEK shall inherit the earth, and that it is easier for a rich man to enter through the eye of a needle than to enter the kingdom of heaven.

  Okay so there's my Rant for New Years.  Now here's my Rave:  Hubby was out of work for like 5 months, it's been a ROUGH summer, fall, and beginning of winter.  Hubby just left at 3 a.m. this very morning to head back to Malta to start work.  It's gonna be hard on him physically, but it's good that I won't have to keep asking the parental unit for help......that's a BAAAAAAD feeling; being 37 years old and having to ask your parents to help you pay bills and buy food.  But now that he's going back to work, we'll be able to finish doing the home improvements we started!  So YEA for the Toma Family!

 Now for my Rave, which is an old rave.  Romanian version of potato salad, which is called Salata de Beouff.  Not sure if I spelled that right, but OMG it's good!  It's made with, potatoes, green peas, carrots, olives, pickles, chicken breast and home made mayonnaise, which yes, I have learned to make!  This stuff is so good, it will make ya go home and slap ya mamma!  It's made at Christmas and New Year!  Some make it at Easter as well, well, at least I do, cause it's just awesome!

  So there, my Rants, Raves & Faves for the end of 2015!

  

Going Home.

  So about this time next week I'll be loading up my car and heading to Bucharest to catch a flight to Baton Rouge, LA. to visit my family and friends.  I haven't set foot on American soil since Jan.19, 2009.  Bush was technically still president when I left.  When I landed in Romania 4 1/2 years ago Obama was en route to be sworn in as Commander-In-Chief.

  I'm excited to go home and see my family, especially my brother, who has since I left the U.S. gotten married and had a daughter.  My niece just turned 1 year old in May.  I can't wait to see them.  Also to see my best friend since the age 12 who also got married.  Another best friend who was in the birthing room with me when my oldest daughter was born has had 2 kids since I left, so I get to meet them.  A lot has changed since I left.  I've missed a LOT.  And missing some of those things has really pissed me off, especially missing my baby brothers wedding.  I missed that milestone of seeing him step up into being a man and husband.  I kind of helped raised him, so in a sense it was like missing my own child's wedding.  Not sure if any of you can understand that, but that's how it felt.

  I'm REALLY looking forward to eating!  Especially a medium rare filet mignon.  Catfish Po-Boy's, Boudin balls, fried okra, hamburgers, Pizza, Fried Chicken, etc., etc.  I make fried chicken here, but it just ain't the same as Popeye's or KFC!  Steaks don't exist here.  Beef is not a meat that is consumed a lot here.  Pork however is.    I'm a little more excited about the food than anything else; does that make me crazy???

  I think it will be interesting to see my kids reactions to the U.S.  my oldest daughter remembers it better than my younger two, especially my baby, Paul, who was only 18 months old when we left.   He has no clue about McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut, etc.  This should be a trip.  I think it will be a bit of a culture shock for me as well.  I've become used to seeing horse drawn carts on the highways, etc.   Bad road construction, not being able to find what you want or need.  I'll definitely be posting while there.

  One thing I'm not looking forward to is talking with one family member who has basically called me terrorist because of how I judge the U.S. government, both this and the past administration.  To me there are just one to many things that do NOT add up.  Evidently questioning your government, and expressing the view to never live there again makes one a terrorist.  This should be a *fun* July 4th for me!

  So I will keep you posted on our trip there and back.  Until then enjoy the warm weather!

Americans: What NOT to do abroad....

Okay, so this post is mainly for you younger people - you know who I mean....You college age kids whose parents are footing the bill for your adventure in Europe.

Rule 1:  It is NOT necessary for you to talk loudly everywhere you go.  This is NOT the U.S., people here in Europe don't want to hear your conversations.  While you may think that they don't understand English - they DO.  They just pretend to be stupid so they don't have to converse with YOU!

Rule 2:  If you absolutely insist on speaking loudly, at least speak with some appearance of intelligence.  The word 'like' is not a conjunctive word.  It does not need to be used, like, every other, like, 2 words, or like, whatever.....  The Valley Girl girl slang died a quick death back in the 80's, so please leave your 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' mentality at home in the U.S.
*Note:  History is NOT stupid.  Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it.  If that's the case then I feel sorry for myself when I get old as you idiots will be the ones in charge.  *sheesh*

Rule 3:  IT'S EUROPE, It's NOT the U.S., so NO, the rooms aren't going to be big like back home, and yes, the water heater has to be plugged in at least 2 hours prior to bathing.  AND DON"T USE YOUR FLAT IRON here - unless you want to knock out the power to at least 10 city blocks!

Rule 4:  Just because your daddy paid for your little adventure doesn't mean you are better than anyone else.  It doesn't mean YOU are wealthy, it just means your dad is an idiot for giving you everything you want instead of making you earn the money yourself.

Last Rule:  If you can't behave like a nice, quiet, intelligent, civilised human being, than for God's sake, and all us ex-pats actually living in abroad, JUST STAY in the U.S.

Desensitized ???

  So 80+ teens and young adults were ruthlessly gunned down in Norway by a lone gun-man.  But what REALLY got our attention as a society.....

....Amy Winehouse found dead in her London flat.

  Don't get me wrong I loved the late singer.  She could croon with the best of them, and had an awesome back-beat in her songs.  But, I mean c'mon, was it really all that shocking.  Ever since she made it BIG she's been in and out of rehab, making a complete hash of her live performances, and let's not get started on her marriage.  Yes, she seemed to be doing better, was looking healthier, and staying out of the press.

  But still, SHE took precedent in the Media over this incident in Norway.  Some friends and I were having a discussion regarding these two events over on Facebook.  Granted I won't go into the one about the whole conspiracy theory of it all......and yes believe it or not, there are some theories out there.  But I'll save that for another post.

  The thing we noticed is how desensitized we've become over things like this.  I mean 30 years ago, if someone would have said they were gay, HOLD THE PHONE!  Now, famous actor comes out and says their gay, gay marriages, Tibetan monk eats fetus in public, etc., etc.  NOTHING shocks us anymore.  We've become so desensitized by the media that absolutely nothing gets to us anymore.  Not knockin' the gays, just trying to make a point.

  We are constantly being bombarded with craziness and horror to the point where things that should make us gasp and cry, and start building bomb shelters in our back yard (film: Blast From The Past), but instead, we change the channel from the evening news to South Park, where even more despicable things are displayed, but oh wait....that's just a cartoon.....no harm there......

....and we wonder why our kids are so violent?!?

Learning Curve

  While I used to think of myself as somewhat intelligent, I now question that assumption.  I mean they say people who learn other languages quickly are smart, really smart!  So what's wrong with me???

  I've been in this country for 2 years now, and can only understand and communicate verbally on a small scale.  However I can read and write it dang near perfectly!!!  What's up with that, it's normally the other way around.  Most people learn to speak it first, and later they master the written part!!

  I always knew I was a little different, but c'mon!  Okay, enough squawking from me.  One thing I have noticed of myself though is that it depends on who you are conversing with when trying to understand and speak a second language.  For example, my mother in law, who I thought would be the very LAST person I would be able to communicate with, has been the first.

  Let me paint you a mental picture of my mother in law.  She's 58 years old, at least 6 feet tall, or just under it.  Set in her ways.  Never been outside this country.  She grew up under communistic rule.  She's got have things her way.  When she speaks with Marius or his siblings, etc.  It's not "harsh", but it's not "sweet" either, it is just matter of fact.  When asking why they did such and such, it's not in the the tone of "well, baby, why did you do that?"  It's more like "WHY?  Why did you do that?"  (conveying tone of voice is not easy).  I hope you know what I mean.....

...so you can see why I was thinking I would never be able to communicate with her.  I was scared, but it does make a person nervous.  However, with my mother in law, she is patient with me (something I wasn't expecting, as she is NOT the most patient of persons).  Another example, the woman who owns the little store in front of our bloc - I don't speak grammatically correct, and I mis-pronounce the words, but she is patient with me, helps me when I need help in saying a word.  She talks to me as if I understand her, and believe it or not, most of the time I understand about half of what she is saying.

  Then there are people who when I try to talk look at me like I'm a retarded alien from the planet Xenon!  So what I've learned to do is when I go to the market, or a banc, or somewhere new, where the people don't know me (like the people at the store by my bloc), I start off with saying "Scuze, nu vorbesti Romaneste foarte bine....." then go on to say what I want/need.  That usually softens them up and they know that I dont' speak well.  And they try to help.  Most of them do, I still get some cranky women from time to time who think the sun and earth revolve around them, and they start chastizing me for NOT speaking the language fluently!  Grrrrr.....I would like to rip them up out of their comfort zone and drop them in middle of Kansas where there isn't anyone around who speaks Romanian, and tell them, "OKAY!!  Your Turn.  You have 1 year to be fluent in English, now, let's see you do it!  And oh yeah, here are 3 small kids to deal with on top of it all!"

  Yeah, I know, wrong attitude, but I'm human, and well, that's just me.  But for all of you out there who run into emigrants, who don't fully speak the native language fluently, or even partially.  Be patient with them, especially if you see them trying.  For myself, when people look at me funny, cause they don't get what I'm trying to say, it makes me want to shut up and not even bother.  But when I see them trying to understand me through my butchery of their language, and then try to help me, it gives me a little more confidence, like, "Hey!  I can do this!"

  And I can, I mean I look at my husband, he speaks 5 languages, well 4 now really, as he hasn't used one of them in so long, it's kinda touchy with that one.

  So next time you run into a Mexican, German, French-man/woman, etc., and you see them trying to speak English, don't look at them like "YOU SHOULD BE FLUENT", don't give them attitude, help them out!  Encourage them.  And a lot of them probably know more English than they think they do, but are so self-conscious about their pronunciation and bad grammar that they are embarrassed to try to speak!  Encourage them!

TACI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  So I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but the people who live above me like to fight - and loudly!!!  We have been awoke at 3 a.m. to hear the sounds of furniture being shoved around, accompanied by shouting and yelling.

  I think most of time time they are near the bathroom when the fighting starts up, as that is where it is the loudest - in my bathroom.  Then sometimes they take it to the kitchen, and the balcony just off the kitchen.  I have no clue what they are fighting about.  However one time I did hear the woman yell a very bad word at the man.  The only reason I know this word is because in English when you say 'pull-up' it sounds like this Romanian word for a mans 'member'.

 So the other day, I'm in the bathroom, giving the girls their bath, and we hear the fighting, they've been going at it for a while now, and it had been one of those days, where EVERYTHING was getting on my last nerve.  So after getting the girls dried off, dressed, and sent to get under the blankets to keep warm, I was picking up in the bathroom, and just got tired of hearing their yelling, so I looked up at my bathroom ceiling and yelled at the top of my lungs "TACI" (pronounced 'toch' [short 'o' sound])! 

Taci, is romanian for shut up, Taci din gura, mean shut your mouth; gura means mouth.... 

...anyway, so after I yelled Taci as loudly as I could, the fighting stopped, at least we didn't hear it anymore.  Not the rest of that day anyway. 

Honestly, I have NO reason to be annoyed with the noise level coming from any of my neighbors, since my 3 monkeys make more noise than you find at a Metallica concert.....okay, not really, but it's close!  I mean they play loudly, and they fight even louder!  And of course I have to yell, so that they can hear me above their yelling, it's really quiet embarrassing, and I'm surprised none of our neighbors have ever said anything; in fact they usually stop my kids to talk to them, or will bring them treats from time to time.

So if you are ever in Romania, and someone is getting on your nerves just tell them 'Taci din gura'! 

New Year, New Rants....

  So just finished up my 3rd attempt at making Fudge.  The first time, I discovered how Hershey's makes it's syrup.  The second time, the middle was gooey, this time.....er.....not sure, waiting for fudge to cool and set.

....hmmmmm.....still don't know what 'sheen' is, as when it looses that, is indicator to stop beating and pour into pan....

..On the upside, have emptied about 1/2 a liter of milk into saucepan, and will be enjoying some pretty amazing hot cocoa/chocolate in just a few!  Aren't you jealous now?!?

...yeah, I wouldn't be either.

N-E-Way, Marius was home for like 2 whole weeks for Christmas and New Year.  Was so nice to have my little family all together for the holidays, this year was especially nice, since Marius' 2 brothers and 1 sister were all together for the first time in over 13 years.....there's a lot to be thankful for.

  We spent more than we should have on food - of which I cooked - I lived in the kitchen beginning Christmas Eve and ending the day after New Year!  I was T.I.R.E.D.!

  But as I said, it was totally worth it.  Money is made to be saved and to be spent, especially on special occasions such as this was for us!  Now if MY family would have been able to have been here as then too, well, I think I would have died right there, flown up to the pearly gates and asked St. Peter to pinch me to make sure I hadn't dreamed it all up!

...wooops, I hear the milk hissing at me......until later....

Benefits of being motherless

  Well, first of all, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  Since my hubby is working in Italy, and it's just me and the kids, we aren't really doing T-day here - too much food, for just me and 3 small kids.  And people here don't really do cornbread dressing, so, oh well.


So the temperature is starting to drop, it's 8 Celsius today, and my friends over in Prauge got the first snow yesterday.  Not to mention that they were predicting this winter to be the coldest Europe has seen in about 100 years.  So I needed to put anti-freeze in our Volvo station wagon - yeah, I drive a station wagon!


Marius was like just go get some anti-freeze and put it in the car, you're supposed to flush the system, but just put some in the resevoir, but don't start the car, I'll deal with all that when I come home at Christmas.  And so I went this morning, after bringing the kids to school, and bought some anti-freeze and water.  I then walked back my bloc where my car was parked, and proceeded to flush the system myself.

I got strange looks from passer's by, I mean most men here don't know what they are doing when it comes to cars, much less, (God forbid) a Woman!!!!

  But there it is, my car is now safe for winter, with fresh anti-freeze & water sitting peacefully in the radiator and it's resevoir.

This is where I'm grateful to my mom for not being around while I was growing up.  I love my mom and all, but it actually worked out better for me that she wasn't there.  If she had been, then I don't think I'd have the awesome relationship with my dad, that I do have.....

....and he wouldn't have taught me to change tires, brake pads, oil, and flush a cooling system.  I wouldn't know where spark plugs where, what they do or hot to change those either.  I wouldn't know where to find the steering & brake fluid, or bleed the brake lines; making sure to pump all the air out of the lines to avoid catastrophe!

If mom had been there, I would have learned about make-up, hair, and how to dress myself.  But then I wouldn't be able to take of myself in regards to car mechanics (making sure I don't get ripped off by a mechanic), or stranded on the side of the road and at the mercy of whatever freak happens to stop to "help" me!

I guess the draw back to that I always related better to guys than to girls.  I could talk "shop" about cars, hunting, guns, politics, history, etc.  Where all the girls ever wanted to talk about was clothes, shopping, boys, make-up, clothes, shopping, boys.....

...you get my point.  The draw back to that was that guys always viewed me as one of them; "one of the guys".  Which was cool, because that usually meant I had a shield from the weirdos and creeps, on the other hand, it kinda cramped my style while on the 'dating scene'.  Even if my guys didn't scare a potential suitor off, then I did, because they realized they couldn't pull the proverbial wool over my eyes! 

But then, I met a few guys like my husband, who were awed that I could cook well, wash clothes, be girly, but wasn't completely reliant on them to do all the "guy" jobs.  That I could hold my own with them, even if that lug nut was screwed on just a bit too tight, and I needed their muscle to loosen it for me.  They were just genuinely impressed that I knew which tool to give them when they asked for a crescent wrench!

So thanks mom, for leaving me in dad's hands!  Without his teaching, I'd be up a smelly creek without a paddle!

Politics Run Amok....

  So between the nudie scanners and sexual assault now being hung around the people's necks like the heavy yoke that it is, we now have the Senate Bill 510.....

....evidentally Big Brother doesn't trust The People to grow tomatoes in their backyards.  ALL agriculture will have to be approved and supervised by the Feds.

..My theory on this - they want us to eat only the chemically 'enhanced' food grown by them.  Chemicals that probably include the swine or bird flu (probably both), not to mention sterilization.  Hello, Obama's science Czar is all for copying China's 1 child law, as well as contaminating municipal water supplies that will render the drinkers of such sterile.

  I just read where both of my state senator's Mary Landrieu & David Vitter (Louisiana) recieved HUGE amounts of money to vote FOR SB 510.  Both of them voted to push the bill through the first stages last week, gee, I wonder how they will vote when it comes down to the wire?!?

What I wanna know is How much CRACK are you guys in D.C. smokin' these days?  I mean which version  of "Waiting For The Man" do you have on repeat 24/7???? The original by Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground, or Bowie's cover of it??

...I'm beginning to think George Orwell was a bit of a psychic.....

 Question: would a U.S. Citizen living overseas still be labeled a 'Domestic Terrorist' by the N.S.A. for speaking out against unconstitutional acts???

Loss for Words??

  So in my last post I mentioned Americans abroad and their behavior.  One that struck me as quite profound, is the 'like' lack of education among the younger generation.

  As my husband and I were walking back to the bus station in Portovenere, we past a group of men, one of the men who was speaking was  twenty-something man from the northern parts of the U.S. - he had the accent, ya know?

  Anyway, he was talking rather loudly (as Americans tend to do), and I swear to you every other second or third word was the word 'like'!

  I was suddenly aware of my generations lack of the vernacular when verbally communicating.  I know that I have been guilty of that in the past, back when I was in my early twenties.  Maybe it's an age thing?!?

  I wanted to turn around and tell him "DUDE!  Use your words!!"  I mean if you are comparing something you could say "The taste was similar to that of a ...."  instead of saying " It was like the taste of like a...."

....do you see what I mean.  My auditory and mental sense felt like they had just been brutally assaulted!  And I felt embarrassed for not just him, but myself and other people my age and especially younger.  It's like we all watched "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" or "Valley Girls" and the movie never stopped playing in our subconscious mind.

Digital vs. Film

 So I bought a new printer today, that has copying and scanning capabilities.  So I decided to scan my wedding photos....

...in the middle of doing that I realized that nobody has prints of candid photos anymore.  The only "REAL" photos people have anymore are either portraits that are taken in a studio, or on location by a pro., or photos taken by pro's of special events, i.e. weddings.

 So is this digital age really that great, cause hey guess what folks, when my motherboard fried back in June or July - it fried my hard drive as well - the one with ALL My photos on it. Thankfully I had uploaded most all of them onto my facebook page.

But photos that Marius had taken of the Restoration of Mississippi's Old State Capital - in which he did all the stucco and plastering work - gone!!

We hired a guy to build him a website, and brought him all the photos, we think he still has the digital copies we gave him, LORD I hope so, cause those photos were irreplaceable, literally!

This is one of the reasons I  miss film camera's - yeah they sucked cause if you took a bad shot, accidentally cut off cousin joe's head then you wasted not just film, but money as well - money on the film and money on the processing.

Too you don't have to worry about over or double exposure with digital - but sometimes that double exposure thing was really cool!

Not to mention that with film - you don't loose resolution.  There are a lot of pro's out there who prefer using film, just because they like quality of the prints it gives.  Granted film advancement has come a LONG way since the old days.

I Love my digital SLR - great for beginner's like me.  The digital helps you not waste film, as you can immediately see your shot, and see how you could improve it.  But, I gotta say though, I'm kinda missing film just for the whole, holding the actual photo in my hand quality!

Inquiring Minds Want To Know....

  So I've been requested to pick up my blog again, which I'm happy to do, only I don't feel like I've got much to say.

Not much has been going on, other than kids in school, getting sick, waiting to get paid, both myself and hubby.

It's been fairly uneventful, apart from fevers and vomiting - which has ceased for the time being.

On the upside, I did make a friend.  One mom of one of the boys in Isabel's Kindgergarten class speaks English.  Her husband is from Canada.  She is headed to Canada this week actually to spend some time with her hubby, then bring him back here to Romania at beginning of December.

She doesn't like Romania, and cannot understand why I'm here - actually a lot of people seem to be curious as to why I, an American with 3 kids (also American) choose to stay here in Romania.

Well I want to keep my family together, yeah, hubby is in Italy, but that is only a stone's throw away and a heck of a lot cheaper than the U.S.

It's not so bad here, yeah there are things that make me want to ram my head through a brick wall - but there are similar things in the U.S. - the idiots in D.C. for starters - from the White House on down to the Admins handling their mornonic schedules!

Got a care package from parental unit last week, which included Hazelnut coffee creamer - seriously, best stuff ever made!  Also included in pkg. was a candy thermometer - about to try my first batch of fudge.....

....so if any of you readers has a good, yet simple recipe, please share - please note that I can't find any type of syrup here, let alone corn syrup.  *note: dad did sent me some Blackburn's Pancake Syrup*  We've had pancakes twice this week.  Of course home-made - no boxed mixes!!!

Would love to go visit hubby in Italia first week of November - the kids will be out of school that week, not sure why, but they will.  However my hubby's family isn't real keen on helping me with the kids.

C'est la vie......
...or something like that.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

....No I didn't go to Vegas and win a big hand at Black-Jack.

I actually suck  money butt at card playing, even when it's just for toothpicks - God help me if I ever have loads of food stuck between my teeth and the only option to getting a tooth pick depends upon my winning at Texas Hold 'Em or Black Jack!  I'll have a teeth full of food - gross!!!

No, day before yesterday, I came home with the kids from school, and stayed outside with them for a little while, so they could run off some of that pent up energy.

While I'm sitting there watching the kids, and the expression on the faces of the neighbor's kids when they hear me talk - cause I'm an alien, who speaks in funny sounding language!

...seriously, that is how they look at me.  However I'm pretty sure I'm the best looking alien they've ever seen, I mean my skin isn't green or anything.  I'm a non-mutie type o' gal!  They even laugh when I talk, and ask my kids "Ce zic?" (what'd she say?)

So anyway, as I'm sitting there minding my own business (actually trying to mind other people's too, but language barrier sucks), one of the neighbors in the adjoining building starts talking to me.

He's an older guy, wearing a funny wanna-be cowboy type hat, tinted glasses (sort of a rosy/red tint) that happen to blend perfectly with that 'I've got a drinking problem complexion'.  PLUS he's missing teeth.

...don't I feel oh so special?

So he's talking to me, I can't understand him, not just cause of language barrier, but the lack of teeth, compounded with massive quantities of either wine or beer.  Isabel can't understand what he's saying either, and she's fluent in RO!

He keeps invading my personal space (which is one of my pet peeves), and then he asks me how old I am, was shocked to find out I'm over 30, he thought I was like 24 (he did score brownie points there).  He then compliments my blue eyes, and proceeds to tell me his wife is gone, and his kids are in England.

After he's said all this, as well as other stuff, of which I have no clue.  Out comes a couple who just got married Saturday, I believe he was trying to tell me they were leaving for their honeymoon, as he made the international body language sign for 'bedroom wrestling'.

Thankfully my 3 year old son LOVES his mommy, about a minute after this "sign language" took place, Paul runs over to me, wraps himself around my leg looks up at the old man and pointedly tells him:

"Mommy mea! My Mommy!"

I got out of there as quick as possible.  I wasn't scared and didn't feel threatened or anything like that, I actually found it humorous, but as I could smell some sort of alcoholic beverage on his breath, I decided that it would be better if I got the heck out of dodge as quickly as possible lest he start thinking I was enjoying his advances.

So lucky me, I won the "chicken dinner": being hit on by old man with no teeth, stinky breath, in a foreign language!

Now, aren't ya jealous???

It don't mean a thang....

....if it ain't got that swang....

And that's what it is folks.  Getting back into the swing of things after a much needed visit from my parents, who incidentally flew my hubby in from Italy for one weekend while they were here.

It was nice to have my some-what "whole" family together, even if it was only for a weekend.  Would be better if my brother, his new wife, my cousin Leigh, and her gang, her mom and dad (my aunt & uncle) coulda been here too, but maybe in a few years, after I win the lottery....

....yeah, right - I don't even gamble. 

It worked out well though, cause Marius was home for the kids first day of school.  My youngest 2 started Kindergarten this year, well Kindergarten and Pre-K, respectively. 

But my parents had to leave at the end of last week, so me and the kids have been trying to find our balance in the absence of our much missed "guests"!

While trying to get into the swing of getting not one but 3 kids up and ready for school this year is a bit of a challenge, I'm also trying to get back into the swing of my new paying gig - doing research and writing, which will eventually morph into me editing, and managing clients and other free lance writers.  YEA!!!

But in the mean time, here are a few pics from my mini family reunion:

Family on first day of school

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grand-Parents & kids on 1st day of school

At the Park

Maw-Maw & Pops with the girls

Me & Marius with the kids

Out for Pizza, Isabel didn't get her way - hence the tears

Maw-Maw made it better

Pops helped too!

Kelly Jean with her hearts

My 2 men

Paul is ALL about his parental units!

Kelly at the Bus Station

Dad & Darlene @ Bus station

On the Faleza with the family

With Marius

Dad & Darlene, getting ready to take a walk

Sleeping Giant

Angel Face

The Love of my life, Marius (this man gives so much for us)

A rare photo - I can never catch him smiling or laughing! (GO ME!)

Knees a knockin'

  So, while I'm letting laptop cool down and recharge, I'm flipping through the channels, and stop on a channel here called 'Euphoria'.  They were showing something called Video Fashion Daily.  Basically you know showing all the fashion runways, but it was for Spring/Summer 2010.

  One thing I noticed was, besides the EXTREMELY skinny models, was how when the models are doing the catwalk, that their knees looks like they are knockin' each other.  Kinda funny....

...I mean here are these beautiful women wearing [sometimes] beautiful clothes, and they look pigeon toed!!!

..It was kinda funny.  I had kind of an epiphany, if you will....No One is perfect, no matter what the camera lens says, or tries to say!

  All women wished they looked like those women on the catwalk, but if looking like that means I have to walk like that, forget it, and besides, I don't think they are allowed anything to eat, just water and cocaine....

....ummm, no thanks, been there done that....it was HELL, can I tell ya, H.E.L.L.  Seriously screwed up my nose (random nose bleeds), but for the grace of God, that's all been healed, and I'm still here to tell the tale...

...of my catwalk wannabe days!  Actually the opposite held true for me, instead of getting stick then, I blew up like Shamu!

I'm the only person I know who could get higher than a 747 in mid flight, and eat like a pig being fattened up for the Christmas kill!

Anyway, back to knott kneed stick insects masquerading as fashion models.  I don't envy the life they must have to live....

...Ego-manical designers, photogs, other models, and like, NO fillet Mignon for you dear - your 6'0 figure must stay below 105 pounds - Goodness!!!  Can you imagine?

*Just to be clear, I'm only 5'4", no where near 6'0!*

HER voice said....Pass the Award!!

  So my cuz, LTM over at 'That's Write' passed on some sort of award, thingy, in which I have to HANDWRITE answers to some questions, and take a picture and post here, which I will do now.

..Without further ado, here are the questions:

Write down (by hand!) on a piece of paper the following:
1. Name, Blog Name
2. Right handed, left handed, or both?
3. Favorite letters to write
4. Least favorite letters to write
5. Write out "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
6. Write in CAPS: BABOON, SPLENDOR, ONOMATOPOEIA, FLIP-FLOPS, HUZZAH!
7. Favorite song lyrics
8. Tag 7 people
9. Whatever else strikes your fancy

So here is a picture of my handwriting - atrocious as it is!!!  And below the picture, my typed out answers to these questions!:

Odessa's Handwriting

Okay, so my answer's were:

1. Name, Blog Name:  Odessa - Rants, Raves & Faves

2. Right handed, left handed, or both? - Right


3. Favorite letters to write - O, M, T, B

4. Least favorite letters to write - E (seriously, that letter is impossible in cursive)

5. Write out "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" Okay, you can see where I wrote that

6. Write in CAPS: BABOON, SPLENDOR, ONOMATOPOEIA, FLIP-FLOPS, HUZZAH!  You can see where I wrote those too.

7. Favorite song lyrics :I'm so obsessed, my heart is about to beat right out my untrimmed chest.  I believe you, like a virgin, your Madonna, and I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind.... ("Hey Soul Sister" by Train)


8. Tag 7 people I could only think of 3, so Danielle, Melissa, & J-Lo
 
9. Whatever else strikes your fancy "C'est lés bonton lés roulez!!" (my cajun coming out)

She works hard for the money...

  Yeah, that's right, I'm a working girl now.....

....not in the "Pretty Woman" sense either...so don't go there (i'm talkin to you 'Lee-Roy')!!!


No, some friends of mine have hired me to help them with their marketing business, part of this new job entails me doing research on technical stuff, and [gasp] writing articles for their blog!!

The best part - I'm getting paid!!  Whoo-Hoo!!!  Now, I can use my pay check to cover monthly expenses, and we can leave Marius' check sitting in the bank where they will 'bloom and grow, bloom and grow forever....Eidelweiss..."

...sorry, had a Sound of Music moment there.  Yeah, we are just covering all kinds of music ain't we. I know you started singing "She works hard for the money, so hard for it honey.." as soon as you read the title.  Well here's some more for you....

..right now, I'm listening to Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" as I'm writing this.  Not sure how my mind can "sing" a song from a musical, while listening to savvy 80's music.

Okay, that song wasn't "savvy" per se, but his video sure as heck was!  I remember seeing those Alabaster white chicks with their slicked back hair, black skin tight mini dresses and bright, glossy red lips, and thinking - I hope I look like that when I grow up!

...Obviously God didn't hear that little prayer, or he did, and thought a practical joke was in order!!!

I'm the total opposite of those 80's babes - who by now are, I'm sure are fat, saggy and horrid looking from all the partying that took place in hell-ay back then! (yes, my attempt at making myself feel better)

Upside:  I'm still fairly skinny (after 3 kids) and non saggy thanks to the fact that "my girls" never graduated 8th grade!

Anyway, back to paying gig - yeah, I'm excited, but it's also leaving me little time for my own little rants & raves!! ;)

What's really annoying though, is that my kids NEVER need anything, or fight with each other, UNTIL I'm eyeball deep into writing an article.  You know, trying to focus my thoughts, and put a coherent sentence together?!?

Ahhhh....but then school starts in like oh, 2 weeks!  YES!  I will have all morning to work tirelessly!  "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh, oh oh!"  -  Led Zeppelin "Black Dog" (guess what's playing now?)

Oh yeah, technology fix.  So my monster laptop, that had to have motherboard replaced....when I got it back - the blue-tooth adapter wasn't working - it is now!!!

Thanks to some guys over at the Windows 7 Forum!  They did their legwork and posted a couple of links to a patch and a drive file, that I for some reason could not for the life of me, find on the Dell website.

So now, the Blue-tooth is finally working - "Sooooo Happy." - Audrey Hepburn as 'Princess Ana' in Roman Holiday

Also, am getting better internet, a.k.a. DSL connection through cable company.  Will still have to pay for crack smoking connection currently provided by mobile phone company till April.

But it don't matter, cause my friends (new bosses) are going to pay for new connection, which will only cost like 10 Euro ($15) a month!!!

That's it for now, going to go jam out to "Stone Fox Chase" by House of Glass

Orange & Windows 7 - GAG!

  Okay, so I've mentioned *ahem* on occassion that my internet takes trips to the "coffee" houses in Amsterdam.  That connection comes to me through a 2 yr. contract courtesy of Orange Mobile; a company owned and operated by someone in France.  Okay, nothing against the French, cause they have wonderful food, and wonderful wine (at least I've heard), and of course Paris is the epicenter for fashion, isn't it?!?  But technology is Not their bag, baby, yeah.... Okay, I jumped the pond a bit there, sorry!

  I and my husband have both called the customer service center for the internet section of Orange Mobile on several occasions, especially when experience frustrating service, or rather lack there of.  Fortunately contract expires in April, not soon enough for me though!  I hate HAVING to pay for something that doesn't work properly!  I miss capitalism, and people who actually understand the concept of Customer Service! If your job, or circumstances necessitate a move to Europe in the near future, do yourself a favor:  Steer Clear of Orange!!!  I mean give them a WIDE Berth! 

  I have contacted my cable comctpany via email, cause I don't think anyone in my local office speaks English.  Anyway I've contacted them to see about getting DSL connected in my home; added to my TV contract.  That email went to Bucuresti, waiting for reply!  I desperately need better internet connection, as I'm starting to do the virtual telecommuting!!!  God Help Me!

  Now on to Windows 7.  WHY did Microsoft change??  XP was perfect, all they had to do was keep XP, just update the appearance.  I got my Dell notebook back from Dell Service Center in Bucuresti, where they put in a new Motherboard, and made my secondary HDD, my primary one. The old primary HDD (that contained all my pics, etc.) fried when the MB fried.  Anyway, I did have Vista Home Premium on old HDD, for some reason or other the idiots @ Dell decided I should have Windows 7 - they did this so they could charge me another couple hundred bucks for licensing, etc.  My BIL lives in Bucuresti - so he dealt with them.  He got the notebook and told them to jump off a bridge, he wasn't paying them for that!  I wouldn't wanna tangle with my BIL - he's like 6'5, and 220 lbs. easy.  His job is a bodyguard to the guy transporting money for companies and banks, etc.  He was an MP for the RO military as well!

  My point - Avoid Windows 7 & Orange Telecom at all costs, unless you have a wish to be bald!!!

Family Time

 
 So my hubby just left for Italy to go back to work yesterday.  Having him here was both wonderful, and exasperating at the same time.  Wonderful, cause well my family unit was once again together and a UNIT, even if only for nearly 2 weeks!  Exasperating, cause my hubby is a perfectionist, and I'm, well... NOT!  I'm just not nearly as anal retentive as he is about things.

  I think the thing that drives me nuts the most, is that he dresses me.  My mom sent me some really cute shorts from Old Navy, I like them, they aren't short-shorts, they fall just about 1.5 inches above the knee, they fit me, like they aren't too baggy or too tight, they FIT!  But he don't like them!  He says they don't look good on me, that I need a tan!  No matter how many times I explain to him, that freckled red heads don't tan, that they just burn and freckle up even more - he don't get it!

  As for fashion, well I'm still in comfortable, S.Louisiana, Cajun-girl mode.  I've yet to delve too deeply into the world of Euro fashion, mainly cause it scares the living be-jeezus out of me! I mean, do you remember the Z.Cavarrichi's back in the day, you know those pants that had the crotch that hung down to the knees???  My grandmother FORBID me to wear them!  I now understand why!  Well they are alive and well and thriving over in Italy - GAG!!!  Haven't really seen them here in RO, but I'm sure they'll show up eventually!  Here the women like obnoxious colored hair, I know I've mentioned this on another post, but it really is amazing.  Reminds me of that opening scene in 'Notting Hill' where Hugh Grant's character is describing his neighborhood, which includes the hair dresser where everyone comes out looking like the Cookie Monster, whether they wanted to or not....it's something like that; only not quite as nostalgic!  Needless to say I haven't even attempted going to a hair salon here!  I'm generally not scared of anything, especially getting my hair cut, cause hey it's hair, it DOES grow back, but these gals over here, and their hair-do's and hair color, yeah, I'll admit it, I'm SCEERED of what, or rather who, lurks behind the doors of those Frizziere's!!!! (Hair Salon in RO)!


  So yeah, he kinda gets on my nerves with the clothing thing!!!  But also, I never seem to do certain things the right way - his way!!!  No wonder all my hair is rapidly turning white!  That sounds harsh and unloving.  I do LOVE Marius with everything in me, if I didn't, why on earth would I subject myself and my kids to living in THE poorest country in Europe?!?

  Speaking of the kids, they were the 3 most adorable, well behaved, and obedient children while he was home.  No lie, the morning he left - it was like he took all the goodness with him!  Now they are back to fighting with each other, and not listening to me.  Today, my oldest did however get up and CLEAN their room without being asked!  I obviously praised her for that, as I want that kind of behavior to continue.  There is just something about the father's in family - the kids listen to their dad's no matter what!  Mom's, eh, mom, schmom - they're push-over's and door mats, doncha know?!?  Heaven help me!

  Internet connection is acting like it's going to through with drawls, which it very well may be - I cut off it's crack supply!!!  : p  So as soon as it gets to acting normal, or I can get my DSL connected (this week hopefully, gonna need it for virtual telecommuting gig), I will upload some photos of Marius and the kids - and no, I'm not really in any of them - I'm the shutter bug in the family!  : D

Awards, Crisis, A/C & Washing Machines....

  So my wonderful, witty writer cousin, Leigh gave me a Blogger Commenter award.  Yes, I like to comment, especially if I really like a blog, and I usually have something to say on Leigh's blog, cause well she's family, and I love her to pieces.  You should really check out her blog 'That's Write' by clicking here.


  So Computers are revolting against me lately!  First the Motherboard on my Dell Studio 1735 laptop fried, along with one of my 320 GB Hard Drives, the one with ALL my photos on it - GRRRRR!!!  Got that fixed, and back from brother in law 2 days ago, and now the fan isn't kicking on!!  WTC????  Back up laptop, a Toshiba Satelite, had to be sent to Bucuresti yesterday!  The keyboard decided to start smoking crack evidentally - the warranty expires in like 3 days.  Only, we have to wait for them to call my BIL back to tell him WHEN he can bring it in - with my luck that will be after the warranty expires!  Heaven help me!


  So hubby came home last week, we went and bought me a washing machine - something I've done without for a year and a half!  I've been washing by hand, and when I had blankets, etc to wash, my mother in law would let me bring her clothes, etc. for her to wash in her machine!  I used to hate laundry with a passion, even with living in the states - now I LOVE IT!  My laundry stays done.  Dirty clothes don't stay in the hamper longer than a day now!  *GRIN*

  As I've posted earlier, it has been extremely hot here - usually isn't that hot here in Romania, then again, last year we got all kinds of snow where we live, and from what the locals told us, they haven't seen that much snow here in Tulcea in like 20 years!  So much for Global Warming, eh???  Anyway, back to the point.  We were fine, with just having oscillating fans, even if my little monsters nearly destroyed them, but my son got heat rash from the top of his head to his feet, and everywhere in between - we took him to the ER cause it was so bad.  So we decided to talk to the landlord and see if we could get an air conditioner, and deduct it from the rent, which we did.  We talked to him, the next day, two guys came over with an air conditioner, (it also heats in winter), and installed it!  Everywhere else that sells the AC units told us we would have to wait at least 5 days, maybe 10, before their guys could install it!  But our landlord knows a guy, hehehe, and well we got it the next day, it comes with 5 year warranty, and the head guy that installed, i.e. owns the company, speaks English, so if there are any problems - I'm okay!!!