Jessica Moe

So, if you’ve talked to me recently, you know that we have a bit of an ant problem.  Hey! It’s So. Cal and we are backed up against a bunch of brush…I am really seriously against any kind of bug spray in my house.  We are exposed to way too many chemicals as it is and I don’t think there is any reason to add to that with something lethal…

While poking around the internet I found a surprising method to repel the little buggers (actually, I rather like them…they really aren’t hurting anyone and they are just doing their antly duties, so while I wouldn’t necessarily *invite* them, I would do my best to minimize the casualties and redirect them–I say would because my husband’s desperate screeching about the “BUGS!” precludes me from doing so…)

Anyways the answer to your ant woes is apparently (drumroll please!) ground cinnamon!  That’s right, you heard me…I placed some ground cinnamon on the windowsill in Issa’s bathroom and found that the ants are *gone*…and the room smells lovely!

So, if you don’t know–I am a bit of a coupon maven…and I wanted to share something with you all that you may not know about Target.  Target has some interesting sales sometimes…and a little known extra added bonus for those of you who pay attention.

Take Lysol Cleaning wipes, for example,  they come in many different sizes and generally speaking the unit price is consistent across sizes or decreases, but sometimes you will find a special bonus package that includes two of the same product bundled together.  Last night, a friend and I were in the store and she wanted to buy these cleaning wipes.  She had a coupon 1.00 of of the purchase of two canisters.  Obviously, with the coupon, it is best to purchase the larger size…but I examined the prices and found that the special bonus package was a dollar and about .40 less than purchasing the two separately…AND what most people don’t know…is that that coupon the 1.00 off of the purchase of two…applies to the special bonus package meaning that in the end she SAVED 2.40 off the price of two canisters.  This works for everything from deodorant to toothpaste…and, if you find a “buy one get one free coupon” believe it or not…it will also work. You can buy one bonus package of deodorant, for example, and get another one for free! So, you purchase two at a reduced price, and receive two for free!

Just thought I would share

So, the other night we went go-kart racing with a group of people from husby’s work…there isn’t much to tell about the whole experience…other than there are these teeny tiny karts that go really really fast around an indoor track….and by really fast I mean about 45 MPH.

I was pretty nervous to try it out since I am “Miss Safety” 25 years running…but after the first round I started to figure out that the cars were pretty safe, I wasn’t going to crash and die or anything…and I decided to get a little gutsy with the second round…I had seen some people crash and they just went right on with no problem and so I thought….ok, I can put the pedal to the metal and try to finish in a place other than dead last.

So, I started out the second round and I was doing super well. I was passing people, I got hit once, I hit someone…I spun out…I was taking curves and learning how to pick up speed….on one of the final rounds, I figured out how to really reach the max speeds around corners…and then it happened…

I was rounding one of the corners, the big corner that I had learned how to pick up speed on…I had the pedal to the floor and I was going about as fast as the little cart could take me….and then out of nowhere–WHAM! I slammed into someone who had spun out on the track…I just came around a little bend and there he or she was…stopped, sideways…

My head snapped forward and to the side and then snapped back before my body had a chance to recover position. I heard/felt a little *pop* and an excruciatingly sharp pain shot through my neck and up my head to my eye, wrapped around my ear and headed down my arm….The world closed in on me, everything went black and I saw stars and although I didn’t lose consciousness–I could still hear things despite a very loud buzzing in my ears–but it took me a while to regain a sense of where I was and what had happened. I recall very little of what occurred next. I was still reeling from the impact when I felt someone trying to pull my helmet off my head. I could hear myself yelling in agony as they pulled my helmet upwards…I heard Issa saying “It’s ok, she’s my wife…” and then they pulled the little sock thing off my head and I felt myself protesting against the jostling of my vertebrate…every movement brought back the blinding pain and darkness that had closed off my periphery and all I could do was place my uninjured hand over my wounded head-propper-upper (aka, neck).

Somehow, someone pushed my kart to the entry/exit and Issa helped me out to a chair…I was given some ice and as I tried to put together what had just happened…everyone was offering me water or a wet cloth or something (so sweet!)…but they all pretty much insisted that we go to the hospital…and I agreed…so…

Off to the ER to get my neck checked out just in case…and as we were sitting in the ER Issa was kind of telling me what happened…

Apparently, he heard the crash and looked over to find that to his dismay–it was me…he said he hopped the fence and ran to help…the staff was not happy with the fact that he had breached their perimeter, which is why he was saying that it was “ok” and that I was his wife…and he was the one pulling my helmet off (no props for that one)….but he told me that it freaked him out and he was really worried…and I could tell by how patient he was being at the hospital (4 hours on a work night, God love him)…

So, I just want to say that when I needed him most, Mr. Moe came to my rescue without a moments hesitation.  There are many reasons that I know he loves me, this just gives me one more.

So, there is this new show on A&E called “The Cleaner”, and frankly…it has nothing to do with this post, except for the fact that I heard this song during the last few minutes of the show and I felt it was extremely appropriate for what has been going on lately… So here it is…

Waiting For My Real Life To Begin — Colin Hay

Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I’ll keep checking the horizon
I’ll stand on the bow, feel the waves come crashing
Come crashing down down down, on me

And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in
But don’t you understand
I already have a plan
I’m waiting for my real life to begin

When I awoke today, suddenly nothing happened
But in my dreams, I slew the dragon
And down this beaten path, and up this cobbled lane
I’m walking in my old footsteps, once again
And you say, just be here now
Forget about the past, your mask is wearing thin
Let me throw one more dice
I know that I can win
I’m waiting for my real life to begin

Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I’ll keep checking the horizon
And I’ll check my machine, there’s sure to be that call
It’s gonna happen soon, soon, soon
It’s just that times are lean

And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart, let the light shine in
Don’t you understand
I already have a plan
I’m waiting for my real life to begin

So, I got this e-mail from Issa today.

From: Husby

CC: Everyone

Subj: Tonight’s softball game

(Maybe I can convince my wife to play!) Come play we need you!

Re: Tonight’s softball game

omg, seriously? eek. that’s not a very good job of convincing me. Are you trying the peer pressure method?

Re: Re: Tonight’s softball game

Yes, and we’ll get you a glove, although I think you should go buy a $15 mitt for future use.

Re: Re: Re: Tonight’s softball game

Here’s my hesitation–you’ve seen me. I lack coordination. I have never played softball in my LIFE….and you know, you get so worked up when you guys lose or whatever…..lots o’ pressure. And what do you mean “future use”?

Re: Re: Re: Re: Tonight’s softball game

Zero pressure. We are just playing for fun! So, not to worry. What do you mean you haven’t played softball before? I thought you played back in the day.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Tonight’s softball game

Uhm, no. Me no playey neva. Volleyball? Yes. Tennis? Yes. Softball? No. I guess I could try if your back was against the wall…but I’m scared I wouldn’t know how to hold a bat!

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Tonight’s softball game

Great, you’re in. Love you. See you tonight!

So, that was it. My fate was sealed. In the course of 20 minutes…I was in a softball game, and I have never EVER played before. I was nervous but I dutifully tied on my running shoes and showed up at the appointed time for the game. I was assigned right field, where the ball never goes…and successfully avoided any actual “playing” time–for a couple of innings. I knew it couldn’t last forever, though…my “Please don’t hit to me–Dear GOD! Please don’t let them hit to me!” prayer was only going to work for so long.

Then it happened.

Somewhere around the third or fourth inning, this guy walked up to bat…and lined himself up with yours truly. I don’t know how I knew, but I just knew that he was gunning for me–he knew I was the weakest link and he wanted to run those bases and I was just praying that it wasn’t going to be as bad as I had pictured it in my head. I stared down the line of mowed grass that led straight to the base….and I positioned myself right smack in the center of that line, which happened to be the center of right field and then, just like I thought–*smack*…that ball came FLYING towards me, eclipsing the sun…it was slow, and quite…I heard Issa in my head “Watch the ball go into your glove, don’t watch your glove!” and so I stuck my hand up…watched the ball and wondered, as it came closer, if I was in the right spot…how stupid I would look with my glove in the air if I wasn’t in the right spot and it fell behind me…knowing full well that I was experiencing a bit of sun blindness and risked not being able to see the ball if it hit the ground “CRAP, CRAP, CRAP!”–SLAP!

The - ball - fell - into - my - glove!

Like something from a movie! There was a LOT laughter and even the other team cheered and clapped for me. My team gave me tons of praise and Issa was BEAMING from across the field…it was truly a proud moment.

There were high fives all around when we got back to the “dugout” and while that was the last of my exciting plays, I did have two other successful “stops” (granted, I threw one ball way left when it should have gone right…but how much can you ask from a girl who has never played before?).

All in all I had a good time, and they were incredibly gracious in asking me to come back again. And I think I might.

Now, if I could just learn to hit the ball.