Ugh.

Just got off the phone with UPS. I shipped our xBox out for repair. The repair place never received it. Now we're going through a tracing process, which will take up to 8 days. And, the best part? Since I shipped it through a UPS store, they will keep in touch with them, not me. So, I have to go through the UPS Store that I shipped it from.

This is most frustrating. And damn it! I want my xBox back!

Edit: I know this is a very first world problem. I'm just frustrated, 'cause there is no way I can afford another xBox, and I was counting on it keeping me sane this semester.

One of my favorite bands (who are from NOLA, and I hope they're okay) has their entire playlist downloadable for about .99 on their website, and even though it actually limits my use (my cd burner crapped out) I much prefer downloading stuff since I have some inkling that the money is actually going to them.

The owners of the intellectual property no doubt don't care, but they would make a whole lot more money off of me if I could take their intellects for a test drive first.

Very true. I buy cds rarely, and I'd say that about 80 percent of what I've bought in the past five years were the result of free downloads back when I was using Kazaa. That or fanvids, which are a whole other category of copyright issue.

I should not be more nervous about Dave's interview than he is, but my stomach is doing flip flops. ION, damn did he look hot when he left here in a suit this morning.

Mal sat on his own! Tripoding, or frog style, or whatever it's called.

Yay, Mal!

Lily is getting so big and even prettier!

Today is Aidan's first day of school.

Yay, Aidan!!!

Today is Aidan's first day of school. We leave in an hour. They're already ready. This might have been a mistake.

Good luck to Aidan! And his momma.

vw, I hope they find your xbox. I love mine, too. Although it hasn't been played in a long, long time. I really should pass it on to my 16 year old brother in law. He'd probably get more use out of it.

I've had my tea and Owen is happily watching tv. Time to go get in the shower and figure out what we're going to do today. We need diapers and soda so a trip to Sam's is probably in our near future.

Timelies. I need more tea.

Today is Aidan's first day of school.

Yay! Good luck to all of you. I bet he loves it.

I should not be more nervous about Dave's interview than he is

Awww! All kinds of job~ma to Dave.

vw, that sucks. Xbox~ma.

oh, and job~ma for Dave!!!

And yay for Froggy Mal!!! I love the little pudgy creatures when they figure out how to sit up.

And yay for Froggy Mal!!

Yay! I forgot to mention this myself. It's a whole new world for them when they can sit -- different perspective.

vw, that sucks. Xbox~ma.

I kind of feel silly now that I even mentioned it. There's so much horror in our world, and even kind of in my life, that the silly xBox just seems so silly.

It just proves to me that I shouldn't have nice things...or something like that. At least that I shouldn't be spending money on that kind of stuff. I bought it for $50 off my brother, and shortly after it started having problems. I know he wasn't having problems with it, so they are newly developed problems...maybe from a bad game we rented from Blockbuster or something. But, then I decided to get it fixed (probably another $40). It was shipped out, which cost money. And now I'm just thinking I never should have been that selfish, and maybe this is what I get to learn that lesson.

And now I'm just thinking I never should have been that selfish, and maybe this is what I get to learn that lesson.

In. No. Way. is this true. Everybody needs a break and a stress-buster, and if a game system for shooting aliens and bad guys isn't that, I don't know what is. It's not selfish -- yes, bad things are happening in the world, but your life is still important, and taking care of yourself (which includes having fun) is a big, big part of that.

Good luck, Aidan!!!!!

...

I'm wearing my cervical collar (neck collar) again. I did something to my neck while we were in Maine this weekend. Soon after Scott and I were married, I was in a car accident. A young guy hit my car from behind. Every once in a while, it gets aggrevated. This is the worse it's been in some time, though. Scott's still arthritic from his Lyme Disease infection. At this point, the only thing that's keeping me from laughing hysterically at our pathetic summer, is the now seemingly permanent instinct to cry at the drop of a hat. Or maybe that's the other way around. Whatev. Bored now.

My kids start school, tomorrow. I'm so sad to see them go. Chris is in kindergarten, and I can scarcely believe it. In my head, he's no bigger than Ellie or Lily, or at the most, he's Owen's age. Julia is starting first grade, which is less shocking somehow, because she was born old, and being only 17 months older than Chris, in many ways, it's like she was never a baby. Benjamin is now in fourth grade. His first grade teacher is now Christopher's kindergarten teacher. It's all making my head spin. Hey! Maybe that's why my neck hurts.