My 8th grade daughter needed some help with her algebra homework tonight. Because I can barely remember what I did yesterday, let alone what I did in math class 27 years ago, I had to Google the question in order to find the formula, which would help her find the equation. Confused? Me too.

One of the first websites I came across was called something like “Math is Fun!” which is where I sat and stared at my computer screen for a good three minutes before I could even figure out what I was looking at. It was basically a collage of letters, numbers, exclamation points and parentheses; then my brain exploded. Math is not fun for everyone. Just ask my brain.

The truth is, if it weren’t for the internet I wouldn’t be able to help her with algebra at all and I highly doubt that my parents would have been able to help me nearly three decades ago, either. You know, if parents had been inclined to help with homework back then. They didn’t drive us anywhere either. We rode our bikes. Uphill. Both ways.

I digress.

My point is, some people complain that modern technology is a detriment to the minds of our children, but if we didn’t have it in this house, the detriment would be all mine.

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Well, you have to admit – when I fail, I fail big.

I forgot about blogging somewhere between preparing for Thanksgiving dinner (which included my brining a turkey and making homemade pumpkin pie…take THAT, Martha!), four days of single-parenthood while my husband was visiting with my brother-in-law, putting up the Christmas decorations, the Ohio-State Michigan game and four nights worth of overnight guests (and I know they’re reading this, so I feel I should say that I LOVE having them here…really…*waves* *blows kisses*…I enjoy their company and it forces me to clean, so bonus) (except I didn’t get to enjoy their company because all I did was clean, so bonus negated).

There’s always next year, right?

Plus, I kind of have an addictive personality and I have been desperately trying to focus my addiction on exercise and nutrition. *gnaws kale* With the exception of a LOT of beer over the past few days, I didn’t go overboard. If you count the beer, then I went overboard and nearly drowned. The good thing is that I had enough empties to build a raft. I blame football.

Although I let my blogging slide, I still made it to the gym twice over the weekend. Excuse me while I puff up my chest. Now, excuse me while I stop puffing up my chest because it hurts my pecs too much.

And, it’s nice to have the Christmas decorating finished. We put everything up the day after Thanksgiving and it all comes down the day after Christmas. My daughter’s birthday is at the end of December, and because she gets completely cheated out of birthday presents each year, it’s the least we can do to make sure there isn’t a lit tree trying to steal her birthday cake’s thunder.

So yeah, I failed at NaBloPoMo, but I win at decorating, sore muscles and beer drinking.

Which, clearly, makes me a winner.

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My husband is cleaning the bathrooms right now. I am preparing to go upstairs and open all of the windows so I can get away from the bleach he has sprayed on the surface of everything. My nostril hairs are burning.

It was one of the things I loved about him when we first lived together; his Naval training had taught him how to clean a mean bathroom.

Of course, while I was a SAHM that was (mostly) my duty and the whole house was a lot cleaner back in those days. I remember picking up every toy after the kids went to bed. I can’t even fathom that I had that much time on my hands.

Now I work a lot and my husband works a lot, and our kids are involved in all kinds of activities, and we are involved in all kinds of activities. My house is rarely, if ever, clean.

So, in addition to the massive amount of yardwork he does throughout the year, my husband chips in with the housework (and laundry) sometimes too. As awesome as it is to have a well-scrubbed kitchen floor, it is hard for me to let the housework go. I feel like it’s still my job.

But, it isn’t. It’s our job now. And, I will try not to feel guilty, or criticize, because he is doing it.

Just don’t tell him I took all the towels off the bathroom shelf and refolded them.

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I missed posting yesterday, but I spent over 12 hours of my weekend doing volunteer work for three different committees and/or organizations. Unless you left food on your front porch to be picked up, needed food delivered, or are a special needs kid, I didn’t have time to get to you. Now you should count your blessings.

My husband and I got into an argument tonight. About stuffing. Then we went grocery shopping together, because nothing makes an argument better than going to a crowded store a few days before Thanksgiving and buying the stuffing ingredients over which you just fought.

We have relatives coming in town this weekend, which means I’ve been busy moving boxes and random junk from one room to our bedroom and wishing that I had time to repaint the house from top to bottom. Also, refinish some tables. And floors.

My daughter is a Science Lab assistant at her school and they had to bury a dead fish the other day. She and some other kids sang “Amazing Grace” over the grave.

We toured our daughter’s future high school yesterday. Gulp.

Then I ate so many tortilla chips that my lips felt like I went swimming in the Dead Sea.

I pulled my left glute muscle doing rear step lunges. The exercise looked like this, though I DON’T look like this. But, I did have a 30 lb. dumbbell, so clearly she needs to work out more.

From About.com Exercise

My rear step lunge looks impressive, doesn’t it? It wasn’t. It mostly involved me saying, “Ow!” and holding my left butt cheek a lot. You’re welcome.

A friend and I started a “world tour” of beers at a local bar. On Friday, we visited France, Belgium, and Brooklyn, then I headed to Mexico and she went to Canada. I hate to say that the worst of the lot came from Brooklyn, but I will. Because it did. What’s up with that, Brooklyn? You need to represent!

And now I’m pretty sure you would all like me to go back to volunteering.

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