the tonedef blog

Sunday was the day to wrap up everything else that we had going on this weekend. Band Mom and I got up around noon and got ready to go. Then we headed out and picked up her mom. The kids were going shopping with my folks again today for a few hours. Band Mom’s Mom was getting a pedicure and Band Mom had to get some groceries and what not at Wal Mart. While there I also picked up a cable splitter and some coax. We finished our shopping at about the same time that Band Mom’s Mom was finished with her appointment. After we left we headed to CVS to pick up a prescription for Band Mom’s Mom. Then we took her mom home. Then we headed home.

Once home, I started finishing up the “game room”. I moved the Wii from the living room into the game room. I couldn’t split the cable since Band Mom was on the internet. Since she was on, we finished our Christmas shopping for Things 1 & 2 by ordering some stuff online. Then I couldn’t split the cable because she was on the phone.

A little before dinner time, Things 1 & 2 called and were ready to get picked up. So I went and got them, while Band Mom started prepping for dinner. When we got back, Band Mom was starting to cook and I finally got to split the cable and get TV on the new TV. I got that all set up just in time for dinner. So Thing 2 decided she was going to eat her dinner in the new game room watching Cartoon Network.

After dinner I got caught up on some DVR. After the kids went to bed, I moved into the game room and played on the Wii while Band Mom watched TV in the living room. I could get to like this game room thing. After getting all the mess from everything cleaned up (all the boxes and whatnot) I took all the trash to the curb before heading to bed.

Saturday, Things 1 & 2 were up first. I was up next. I had some breakfast then for some unknown reason got motivated. I took care of a few things around the house that needed done. This was way out of character for me on a Saturday morning. But it got done. The morning was spent just kinda getting little things done while Things 1 & 2 were playing. Band Mom finally got up and got her day started. Then around 1 I took Things 1 & 2 to my parents house so Band Mom and I could do our Christmas shopping.

On the way back from dropping off the kids, I stopped at Wal Mart and picked up a Gazelle that Band Mom had ordered and had shipped to the store. When I got back, it was obvious that we weren’t heading anywhere soon. So I settled in and watched Blade Runner on Netflix while I assembled the Gazelle. I got that done and then Band Mom and I laid around for a while.

We finally got moving and got ourselves dressed and ready to go. We did a little shopping online before heading to the old brick and mortar. With Things 1 & 2′s wish lists in hand we headed to Target. We knew a few of the items were there from our trip yesterday. We ended up getting almost everything we needed there. One stop shopping. We still needed some stocking stuffers and had to order a few more things online, but we pretty much finished our Christmas shopping 2 weeks before the big day.

We then headed to Texas Roadhouse for some dinner. After we ate it was off to the casino. We spent a few hours there and walked out even. If we’d have left earlier in the trip, we probably would have been up, but what fun would that have been? We finally headed home and went to bed.

Friday, Band Mom wanted to shop for a new Christmas tree. With the new configuration of the living room, Band Mom wanted to get a skinny tree. Our existing tree is your standard artificial tree with a wide bottom and we didn’t think it would fit in the room correctly anymore. So off we went. Our first stop was Target. We didn’t really like any of the trees there. We used the time though to wander around and get some ideas from Things 1 & 2 what they wanted for Christmas.

Next stop was Lowe’s. No luck there either. Then off to Pool City. They had one that Band Mom almost got. It was a pre-lit tree. All the lights were white. Band Mom woulda been okay with the pre-lit, but wasn’t sold on the white lights. We’re more a multi color house. So we passed again.

By this time everyone was getting hungry so we asked what the kids wanted for dinner. Thing 1 suggested Waffle House. She wanted some steak & eggs. So we headed there and had some dinner. After dinner, we headed home, with no new tree. When we got home, Band Mom laid down for a little bit, while I got our old tree and the lights and what not out of the basement. When Band Mom rose a little while later, we put the tree together. While Band Mom was putting lights on the tree, I helped Thing 2 create a wish list on Amazon.

After Band Mom got the lights up, the girls started hanging ornaments on the tree. Somehow, I got wrangled into this activity as well. I usually avoid this and let the kids do all the work (or have all the fun…) But we got the tree all finished. By this time the girls were starting to lose steam. Thing 2 layed down on the couch in the new room and started watching a movie. She quickly fell asleep. Thing 1 laid on the couch with me watching TV. She also quickly fell asleep. Band Mom and I didn’t make it much longer and soon headed to bed ourselves content that we were now one step closer to being ready for Christmas.

Monday after work I had to stop at Best Buy to pick up a new laptop which is going to be Pooh’s Christmas present. Don’t worry, I’m not giving away any secrets, she already knows its coming. Anyway I go to the store and grab the one that Band Mom and I had discussed earlier in the day. She had called the store earlier to make sure it was physically in stock and was the same price as the online price. If not she was going to order it from the web site and hope it got here in time. But they said yes to both questions, so I headed out to get it.

I then wander around a bit to look at some other potential gifts for other family members. I did pick up one small item for Band Mom. Anyway, I take my purchases and head to the checkout. Here’s where the fun starts. I can’t purchase the computer at the normal checkout, I have to go to the Dork Patrol (or whatever its called) desk to purchase a computer. Now I’m annoyed…there were 3 normal cashiers and no one in line. There was one Dork Patrol guy and he was waiting on someone. So now I have to wait. Not a major deal, but a bit annoying.

After a few minutes I finally get up to the desk and the Dork asks me do I know that this machine has been inspected by the Dork Patrol for any hardware problems, and that they have downloaded all of the latest driver updates, and Windows updates and tweaked the registry to make the machine run faster? No I didn’t. Oh and did I know that that would be an additional $30 for that service that I neither asked for nor wanted? No I definitely didn’t! So before I explode on this cat, I politely ask if there are any machines in the store that the Dork Patrol doesn’t do this to. He says yes, I should go back and check for a box that doesn’t have the special sticker on it.

Well, what do you know the machine I want to get there are no machines that haven’t been fucked with by the Dork Patrol. Now, I’m starting to get pissed. I want the machine at the advertised price, that Band Mom specifically called to double check the price of. So I stand in the section and keep an eye out for an employee (preferably a manager) so I can find out if there are any more in the back or hidden somewhere for a customer that actually doesn’t want some tech school drop out fucking up before purchase. A nice employee finally wanders over to see what I need. His mistake? I have now been stewing for 15 minutes and I’m about to ‘splode.

I first ask if there are any untouched machines for purchase. When the answer is not on that model at this time, I lose it and start flippin’ on the poor guy. I’m ranting about “bait-n-switch” and the BBB and just the general lack of professionalism of the store itself. The employee is trying to get a word in, but I’m on a roll now and he doesn’t have much of a chance. When I finally pause to take a breath, he sheepishly tells me that I have misunderstood something he said and that since there are no un-fucked with machines, he will gladly give me on at the original price without the $30 Dork Patrol upcharge. I instantly lose all heat and apologize for berating this nice helpful lowly employee. Rather than send me to a Dork Patrol rep, which would probably have led to me flipping out again, he offers to ring up my purchase so there are no more misunderstandings. I thank him and we head to the Dork Patrol’s cash register.

He rings up my laptop and my other item. I pay, including the use of a $20 gift card I had in my wallet from last year’s company Secret Santa. He hands me my receipt and my two items (unbagged) and says thank you. I thank him for his help and head for the door. Upon exiting, I’m asked by the door watching employee to see my receipt to confirm my purchase. He looks at the receipt and the 2 items I’m holding, thanks me and sends me on my way.

On the way home, since I’m already out shopping, I made another stop at Sam’s Club. I picked up a new TV for our new office/game room/bedroom thing we have been working on all weekend. And a gift for another family member. Then, finally I head home.

Now, here’s where the title comes into play. Once home, I look at the receipt from Best Buy to make sure Band Mom won’t see what I’ve purchased for her. I notice that the only thing on the receipt is my laptop. Not the other gift. Now this wasn’t some special receipt that only had the laptop. It showed the laptop, the use of the gift card, my credit card for the balance. Just not the second item. So obviously my scene in the store scared the employees bad enough that at check out the poor soul who caught the brunt of my anger just gave me the second item free. And then the person at the door who validated my receipt to what I was carrying out of the store didn’t want me to go off again so bad that he just agreed with the cashier and figured I had earned the free gift. Its amazing what no hair cut and being to lazy to shave for almost a month can gain you…

Sunday I got up sorta early (after the late night last night) to go and pick Thing 1 up from her sleepover. When I got home, I got some grub and proceeded to laze around on the couch. While sitting around watching TV, I put together the couch that we picked up yesterday.

Then I got comfy on the couch again and settled in to watch the Steelers game. The game should have been a gimme against the Raiders. But as with the rest of the season it wasn’t. The Steelers found a way to lose it. The defense once more didn’t show up for the 4th quarter. The offense performed ok, but not stellar; not like a defending Super Bowl champ anyway. That makes the Steelers a mere .500 team, 6 – 6… Sad, just sad…We’ve lost to some of the lamest teams in the league. The chance of a playoff appearance are quickly disappearing.

After the game, Band Mom wanted to make a quick Wal Mart run and then grab some dinner somewhere. I called my parents to see if Thing 2 was ready to come home, but there was no answer. Shortly after we got to the store, my folks called and said they just got home and missed my call. My dad ended up bringing Thing 2 to us at Wal Mart. After we finished our shopping we headed to Eat ‘N Park for some dinner. We ate and then headed home.

Once home, I put together the TV stand we purchased yesterday. I then put a TV that we were storing for Pooh’s roomate on the stand and was going to set it up. Unfortunately, there were no buttons on the TV and we are not storing the remote, so the TV is gonna hafta wait. Then the kids got showered and ready for bed. Then I just kinda lazed around watching some TV until it was time for me to head to bed myself.

Saturday. Sleeping in. No kids. Band Mom got up first and started kicking around the house. I got up about a half hour later. I got some grub and watched a little TV. I eventually jumped in the shower and got dressed and ready. Band Mom also eventually got ready. We weren’t in any real hurry. Finally we headed out.

Our big plan for the day was to hit Ikea. We needed a sleeper/sofa for the office, which technically is now becoming a game room/spare bedroom. So we got the couch and a TV stand. We also picked up some new cushions for some chairs we’ve had for a few years. We were going to get dressers for Thing 2′s room, but decided to put that off for another week or so. After our shopping it was dinner time. We ended up eating at Golden Corral.

After eating, Band Mom wanted to stop at Petland. She wanted to look at the puppies. As much as she wanted to get rid of our last dog, and as much as she wants to get rid of my dog (because he’s old and cranky), she would love to get a new puppy for the kids… She ended up seeing this cute little puggle. If I would have let her she probably would have walked out with the damn thing. My real problem with it. Its tiny. And my old dog is kinda unpredictable. It could easily become a $1000 appetizer for Loki. So needless to say, no new doggie today.

After the pet store closed we headed home. I fed and walked Loki. We sat around for a little bit and Band Mom did more research on the puggle and some other breeds of dog. A couple of hours later, we decided to make another trip to the casino.

It was a good night at the casino. It started slow, but we ended up staying for quite some time and Band Mom more than doubled her starting cash, and I also added to my starting cash by the time we left. We didn’t do as good as our neighbor (who we met up with there), but still good enough to put us in a pretty good mood. We finally went home and headed to bed. If I wouldn’t have had to get up early to get Thing 1 from a sleepover, we possibly would have stayed. Of course, that probably would have led to us not walking out with winnings, so I guess it was for the best.

Friday after work I hurried home. Band Mom (as president of the chamber) was involved in the city’s annual Christmas parade. By involved I mean she made some decorations for the chamber‘s float and she helped her chamber crew assemble the float, and then she and Things 1 & 2 along with others from the chamber would be riding the float. My role was originally to drop them off at the start of the parade for line up and then head to the end of the route to pick them up. However that changed to me driving the float since the only other person they had to drive a stick couldn’t drive due to a bad back.

So we got to the place where the float (which was a big ol’ pickup pulling a trailer) was parked to pick it up and head to the parade line up. Some wonderful person was nice enough to pull into half a parking space to box the truck in. So I had to carefully get the truck with trailer out of this little area without completely smashing the little car that boxed me in. That was very hard to do. Not so much because the truck/trailer combo was so big, but because I really wanted to teach the person who parked there a lesson…

Finally we headed to the head of the parade route. A little after other chamber members showed up and they finished securing all of the float items and putting the finishing touches on the decorations. Eventually we pulled out and did the parade. After the parade, the kids were heading home with my parents since on Saturday morning my folks wanted to take them to a breakfast with Santa. After the chamber folks broke down the float, Band Mom and I had to take the truck and trailer and drop it off to the people who loaned its use. We then went back to the chamber office.

After things were cleaned up there we headed home to feed and walk the dog. Then we headed to the casino where we ate dinner and played for a while. Band Mom didn’t have much luck, but I did ok. Not good, but not bad. After a few hours there we headed home and went to bed.

Sunday was a packed day. Thing 1 had her cheerleading/football banquet. It was scheduled from noon until 6. 6 hours…really? Well, Band Mom had to get up and take care of the first visit to her mom’s around 9. I got up around then and Things 1 & 2 and I got ready to go. Band Mom was getting out of the banquet, since she also had an afternoon run to her mom’s. Although I think she would have liked to be there for Thing 1, she had no desire to be stuck for 6 hours.

So a little before noon, the girls and I headed out to the banquet. Thing 2 took her DS and I took a book and my phone. The first 2 hours were a bowling party for all of the football players and cheerleaders. Thing 2 could have bowled, but she chose not to. So, she just watched the others and played on her DS and my phone. I read and also played on my phone a bit.

Around 2 we left the bowling alleys and headed into the banquet room. Time for the actual banquet. Every kid got called up by name and given a gift or trophy. That was a lot of kids. A break was taken in the middle (after the cheerleaders, before the football players) to serve food. They had a pretty nice spread on the buffet, with salad, fried chicken, rigatoni, meatballs, rolls, green beans, and potatoes. There was also a Chinese auction (where I won nothing) and a 50/50 (again no luck). Finally around 5:30 it was all done and we headed home.

Although it was a long event it wasn’t actually all that bad.

After getting home and chatting with Band Mom for a while, I got ready for the Steelers game. Luckily the game was the Sunday night game. Might as well have been on during the banquet. The Steelers lost to the Ravens in OT. Maybe one game this season the Steelers defense will actually play all 4 instead of only 3 quarters. Even with normally 3rd string QB, Dixon as the starter, the Steelers should have been able to win that game…:(

After the game I finally got to bed since the long holiday weekend was coming to a close and Monday it was back to work for me…even though the kids got one more day off than I…

Saturday was a day for leftovers. There were many turkey sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. There wasn’t much going on all day. Pooh spent most of the day with her boyfriend. She was taking the afternoon shift for Band Mom’s Mom to give Band Mom a little break. Everyone just hung out around the house all day long. We all eventually got going and headed to Target to get some stuff. Things 1 & 2 got some new school clothes. And we got some other stuff. We then got some grub before heading home.

Band Mom headed to her mom’s around 10 for the night run. Pooh got home while she was out. There was a little scare with her mom, but the doctor said it was ok and there was no need to head to the ER. When Band Mom got home, she and I headed to the casino for a little bit. Band Mom was too worried about her mom to have much fun this trip so we left after not very long. We got home and headed to bed, since Band Mom had to get up to do the morning run for her mom on Sunday.

Friday was Black Friday. That day that we in the US celebrate our addiction to consumerism. SALES SALES SALES. Stores opening at 6AM, 5AM even midnight. Last year, I got out of it thanks to Pooh. In ’07 I had to go. Same with ’06. And a few other years.

This year no shopping. YEAH! One, there was no big-ticket item that we were looking for that had some great deal. Also, since Band Mom has to be at her mom’s by 9AM for her morning round of care, she didn’t feel like dealing with the shopping stuff pre visit. I didn’t hear any good shopper getting killed stories this year like last year.

Our day was spent kicking around the house and eating leftovers from yesterday. For dinner we took Pooh’s boyfriend with us and headed to T.G.I.Friday’s for dinner. Dinner was good. After dinner, Band Mom, Things 1 & 2 and I headed home and Pooh went out with her beau.

The rest of the night was spent just kickin’ around the house and watching some TV.