Sorry – members only

Every other day, it seems, I get a flyer in the mail from Sam’s Club for a “one day membership” pass – but you have to pay an extra 10 or 15% on your purchases if you chose to use this one day “pass”.

Our family has grown to the point where I thought buying some things bulk in would be a good idea. Saving money is good. I was also told Sam’s has a larger – not large, just larger than what it used to be – selection of organic food.

Well – after dropping Ce off at preschool I stopped at Sam’s club to check it out. I figured since they so ruthlessly solicit me by mail at home that it would not be an issue if I didn’t bring along the guest pass.

Little De and I strolled in to the mega beast of a store where we were promptly stopped by the vested senior working security at the door. The gate keeper insisted that no one shall pass without a membership card and ordered us over to member services.

I grab a cart to put De in and head over to member services where we were again accosted by the vested one.

“Ma’am! You can’t shop unless you have a membership!”

I don’t know if she’s yelling at me because she’s upset or because of her hearing loss.

Either way – I assure her that I’m only using the cart to transport the runaway toddler and we’re heading right over to member services.

I’m surprised we were not escorted there by the other onlooking vested people.

So I go to member services where I start to wonder if there is a minimum age for workers at Sam’s club. I politely tell the woman that I did not bring along one of the thousands of invitations sent to me and wondered if we could be guest shoppers for a day anyway.

How dare I.

Seriously – “we don’t just have those passes sitting around up here. If you didn’t bring it you can’t shop unless you purchase a membership.”

Wow. Um, OK – well my husband mentioned something about his company having a membership.

“Well, what’s his name?”

“Well, he wouldn’t be on the membership since he just started the job.”

“Well he’d HAVE to be on the membership to use the membership.”

“OK, nevermind,” I’m starting to get highly annoyed at this point, “how much are your family memberships?”

She starts to run down a list of options for business memberships for me – which I told her I didn’t need. She then starts the hard sales pitch on the $100 per year membership.

I told her I just wanted to know the basic membership price.

“It’s $40 – but only two people can use it.”

Great – so I ask if we can just look around the store to see if it’s worth it – if we’d even buy enough crap to make up for the $40 annual fee.

“Go ahead, but you can’t buy nothin’ without a membership.”

The hostility was a bit too much for me.

My mind was already made up at that point – but we took a quick look around anyway.

It seriously amazes me the people that are allowed to work in customer services/sales positions.

I shan’t purchase a Sam’s Club membership anytime soon – ok, ever. I had no idea how exclusive the club really was. Maybe I should start selling my countless mail invitations on ebay! I’ve probably been blacklisted by the vested ones.

Yea! and Crap.

I forgot to mention that I’ve lost 5lbs on my new “lifestyle eating plan”. I’m getting closer to my fighting weight. Unfortunately, I fell off the new “lifestyle eating plan” wagon when I went to the public defender conference recently.

Even though I haven’t officially started yet they wanted me to join them for four days of drinking classes. I was able to join them for the last two days of drinking classes which included an office dinner and a dance.

For my readers (yea! I have more than one!) who are lawyers and do not have an annual conference like this, imagine law school. With a prom. And a bar. It was like that.

My whole point is that wine in itself is not part of my new eating plan – and wine induced munchies is certainly NOT a part of my eating plan. I think I’d be down 10lbs if not for that damned conference.

Six children are

at a playground. It’s in the high 40′s or 50′s. Four children are dressed in pants, jackets/sweatshirts. Two children are dressed in short sleeved shirts and shorts/skirt without shoes.

There are also three parents there. Two moms and one dad – two kids per parent.

Guess which kids belong to the dad.

I’ll not be too hard on the guy. He was out doing the exact same thing we two moms were doing – just without the proper gear. It’s cold season, man! Makes me a wee bit nervous about daddy staying home part time. And if I’m chilly with my sweatshirt I’m quite sure it’s too cold for the kiddos to be out sans jacket (or at least long sleeves).

Can you tell I’m getting nervous about going back to work?

I’m not ashamed

I’m excited.  I can hardly wait, really. 

 This coming Thursday night I’ll be home, ready and anxiously awaiting 

 

 

the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy.  

 

 

Go ahead, make fun.  I care not.  

As of

October first – I am a defender of the public. Yes, a public defender.

Wish me luck! I’m excited and terrified and optimistic and nervous………

I’ve been at home with my kids for five years. In law school I was fearless. I could do it all (I love me). I had confidence in my abilities- now I’m a big sissy. Scared of failure. Terrified that I won’t be able to juggle family and work and that one will end up suffering.

Any lawyers with young families please feel free to comment about how you make it all work – if you’re able to.

Wish me luck!

It ain’t easy

being an educated stay at home mom attempting to reenter the work force.

Since I’ve been home for nearly five years my husband appears to be somewhat threatened that I’m returning to work. It’s like because his schedule will be disrupted I’m causing all kinds of chaos in the daily life of the family and for nothing but personal gain (he actually flat out told me that it was selfish to go to work – but I’ll hold off on my gigantic rant about that for another entry).

So why is it selfish for a woman – who worked her butt off to get a law degree – growing up in a single parent household – read daddy didn’t write a check for law school tuition – or rent – or food…. – to want to use her degree and help some people in this world outside of her immediate family?
Don’t get me wrong – I’m having massive, major, beer drinking inducing, mommy guilt about returning to work. My youngest is only two. I feel like I’m throwing them to the wolves by taking a job. Why do I feel that way? My husband is willing to go part time to stay home with the kids part time – so they’d only be in part time care. And they both are little social beings. It’s the scheduling that is screwing everything up. And just discussing how we’re gonna swing this when work starts is causing fairly major fights.

Does he not understand that when both kids are in school we will have the same issues? Someone will have to take the kids to school and someone will have to pick them up. And it won’t be easy. Not even three years from now.
I really want to stay home – but if I pass up this opportunity I know it will slam that door shut. I don’t want that, either.

Thus – my slight depression. I don’t know what is right right now. It’s so friggin tough being a parent.

I should update

on my new eating plan – Eat to Live.

After three days I lost three pounds and am FINALLY in the 120′s again – barely – but there. Just five more weeks of this and then I can start to ‘cheat’ a little.

If any of you are considering losing weight, I highly suggest this diet -er – lifestyle change.

It’s uber healthy and hard at first, but the results are near immediate.  Yipee!!!

So, um, did any of you

know that  “the ‘ol snip snip” really can fail?  That the one percent is not just a statistical error? That it really truly happens?

Now you do.

*sigh*

I stand corrected.

This is the conversation that took place with my two year old yesterday.  It won’t be funny to you since you can’t hear her helium-ish, adorable, two year- old voice, but it’s funny to me:

(De is chasing me around the yard with an inflatable snake – pretending to “attack” the unsuspecting parents and laughing hysterically at herself)

Me: You’re a goofball, De.

De: I not a goo ball! (all indignant) I a horsey!

Ohhh kay?

Seriously, you had to be there.

So. Hungry. (and cranky)

OK – So I’m on day three of my Eat to Live diet.  I have, in fact, lost two pounds, but I’m one cranky and hungry mama.

I must be doing something wrong because the BOOK says that after eating seventeen pounds of salad I should be stuffed. Satisfied.

No. Nope. Satisfied is not the word I would use to describe me right now.

I need my latte.

I want some cake.

But my belly is looking flatter already and I know once I get over that hump of needing sugar and carbs and caffine – like, now – that I’ll be happy I stuck with it.

I need to learn to meditate or something.