bad days with bright spots

today started out bad.....rain heading our way and me predicting it with the pain in my joints (like granny from the beverly hillbillies LOL) and my first task of the day was to tackle the health insurance. I cant say alot of nice things about our new President but what he has passed for Cobra is good.....especially since so many of his (and the congress) policies are causing so many lost jobs (for sure in the oilfield). anyway his new cobra policy makes it so that the former employee pays 35% of the cobra amt and the govt will pick up the rest and then once back to work depending on the amt of the yr gross earned you may have to pay some of it back. Well anyway, our cobra payment is over $1000 a month (insane for people who are unemployed) but with the new law we should only pay$400. Now if the people handling the insurance at the former employer new what the hell they were doing this would be fine. but they have only two answers for me...."we are constantly in touch with the insurance company trying to find the solution" and "pay the first amt and we will refund the difference when we figure it out" UM.........HELL NO! So I said I will send the 35% and she says she cant accept that. So I said put that in writing cuz I am not losing my coverage because you dont know what your doing. with as nice a tone as I could muster. I was totally pissed! I hate stupid!

but on the lighter side of my day it is warm and cool enough to open the windows and doors and enjoy the spring weather. I got to watch Ryan on the patio painting pictures and drawing with chalk on his easel. and while he was out there I got to mop the floors (even tho its gonna rain for the next 3 days and the kids will track the chalk back in again LOL but for now I have clean floors and it inspired me to pull the cover for the couch off and wash it. its looking pretty good in here and smells that wonderful clean sent that will disappear as soon as the kids get home hahaha

also news on the new rule of "no more sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's bed" Now that Jim is not on the road 3 wks of the month he has put his foot down (and he doesnt do that often) and unless they are very ill, there will be no children in our room at bedtime. So the first 2 nights Ryan came out of his room probably 15 times and when that didnt work he screamed (and I mean SCREAMED!) for upwards of 2 hrs "Mommy please I need You!" Now for those of you who know me well Know that killed me to listen too. I went in only once to assure him I was in my room and would be here when he woke up. It was torture for me and I am sure our upstairs neighbors (yikes!) Last nite being the third night he only came out for another hug and a goodnight kiss twice and cried (not screamed) for around 45 minutes. So I guess its getting better and I am gonna stay firm and be strong, knowing that he is just fine and he needs to be more independent. But let me tell you there is another part of me that is screaming go get him, snuggle him close and dont let go ;)

So goes the life of the Oilman

Havent blogged in a long time but in my defense life has been doing its best to keep us jumping. So here is our update in a nutshell....

First lets get the bad out of the way. My husband was layed off. It sucks!!! Since our wonderful new democratic congress took over they waited a whole 24 hrs before repealing a bill Bush put in effect thus canceling tons of new exploration. Then they systematically repealed govt leases. The oilfield is expecting a larger crash than that of the early 80's. So hubby is trying very hard to find work in Houston....hell in the U.S......but its not looking good. So he has several great leads over seas and it looks really like its gonna be one of them. I just thank God that I talked him out of going to Nigeria! WHEW!!!!

Now for the good news. Marissa had a talent show at her school and she and her bf Ashton were in it. Marissa sang a Cheetah girl song and Ashton danced. It was cute and we were very proud of her for doing it. Marissa also got new glasses which are now deep purple with her only requirement....RHINESTONES!!! LOL Both kids completed and lived thru the week of Taks testing. (for those of you who dont live in Texas that is the wonderful standerdized tests the get the kids all stressed out about) Marissa also had her school open house this week and her reading teacher showed me a short story Marissa wrote. The teacher was so impressed she recommended it for the schools Writer's Gallery. (that is a wall for the whole school and at the end of the school year all the entries are put in a book and put in the school lounge) and it was voted in by the other reading teachers. She was so excited!

I have also been on the road alot this month. Took two trips to Lafayette. The first was for fun....MARDI GRAS! Took the kids to the parade in Carencro and then out for Crawfish...yummy, yummy! and the second trip was not for fun at all but for a funeral. That was a hard one. But glad I went.

As for the boys, Ryan is still running and running and running. (he is my personal energizer bunny) and DJ is......well ..... a teenager :( I think it is now his job to just aggravate and exhaust me just to the point where I could leave him on someone elses door step and then he turns on the charm and we keep him LOL

such is my update and I will try to get on here more often so these arent so long ;)