If you’re me, you spend 3+ years letting her bully you. You don’t expect maintenance or repairs unless they are major. And even then you have to call several times to get anything done.

Color me frustrated y’all.

Until now.

That old bat finally pushed me too far and I won’t take her crap anymore. I’m proud of myself for standing up to her and even more proud of the way I’m standing up to her. Instead of stooping to her level of intimidation and confrontation, I scoured my lease and Texas Tenant Laws and crafted a letter addressing my concerns. I was civil (this time) and stated my concerns, as well as listed the NUMEROUS repairs that need to be addressed to avoid potential safety hazards. My lease is not the standard format that you would normally sign when renting. It’s a typed document that leaves a lot of the terms vague and easily open to interpretation. In the past this has worked out well for my landlady because she has interpreted them to suit her own interests.

Not this time though!

I spent yesterday morning typing up a letter, having it proofread and then proofread again, double checking everything against my lease and renters rights. Then I slapped a certified, return receipt label on it and sent it. This may have been overkill as we live in a town with less than 3,000 people but I want her to understand that I’m serious. I know this is going to piss her off, but you know what? I don’t care. I have rights as a renter. And I also have the right, as a person, not to be bullied by a stingy, rich old lady with nothing better to do.

Filed under: Growing Up, Life Tagged: landlady, renters rights, rich old lady, texas tenant laws ]]> http://katarena.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/taming-the-shrew/feed/ 0 katarena http://katarena.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/stormymittens-thundercloud/ http://katarena.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/stormymittens-thundercloud/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:17:46 +0000 katarena http://katarena.wordpress.com/?p=861 Continue reading →]]> I led a pretty charmed life as a kid. One of my favorite things growing up was visiting my grandparents on their farm. There was never a lack of things to do or space to run around. And the animals! Oh, the animals were my favorite. They had horses and cows, chickens, rabbits, dogs and cats. It was (in my 5-year-old mind) a magical place.

Around this tender age of five, I decided that I needed an animal of my own. One I could take back to my house in the ‘burbs to love and cherish forever and ever. So one afternoon my mom and I sat down to pick one out of a newish litter of kittens. I sat there and let the kittens crawl all over my lap while I petted and studied each one.

After a few moments I had made my choice. I just KNEW this little kitten and I were meant to be. He was a splotchy black and white little furball and I LOVED him. And I knew that this awesome kitten who was now mine would need a name, but not just any name would do. He needed a name that encompassed his furry little personality. And so, after a few moments of deliberation, I decided on Stormymittens Thundercloud. It was perfect! And I rode home with him on a towel in the backseat of my mom’s car and stroked his fur and talked to him about how much he was going to love his new home.

When we got home I made him the softest bed imaginable on the floor of the garage (my mom wouldn’t let him inside until he’d gone to the vet), and went to bed dreaming of all of the fun adventures we would have together.

The next morning I rushed out of bed to see my darling, precious Stormymittens and as I threw open the door to the garage he sprung into my arms…

No, I’m kidding. The little bastard was gone. The garage door had been left open a teeny-tiny crack so that he would have fresh air and the little asshole had squirmed underneath it and run away. I was devastated. And I learned an important life lesson.

You can never trust a kitten.

Although with a name like Stormymittens Thundercloud I suppose he couldn’t really be expected to live a domestic life.

Part of adding Good Crazy to my life has involved some serious introspection lately. Figuring out who I am and what I want. Thinking about the things I want for the Tiny Anarchist and our future. How to follow my dreams while being sensitive to his needs. Raising him to be a well-rounded, culturally aware citizen. Broadening my own horizons. I’m trying to prioritize my life and family goals so I can figure out the best way to move forward.

I’ve spent a lot of my life dreaming. I’ve made countless five-year plans, outlining each detail of how to get precisely from Point A to Point B. But I’ve spent so much of that time planning for a “maybe future” that I forget to let myself live right now. I will always be a planner, it’s just my nature. But it’s time to start acting on some of the plans that I’ve made for myself. The worst that can happen is that something doesn’t work out as planned and I move on to the next idea.

At this point, I’m a pro at life unexpected.

Filed under: CA-RAZY, Life Tagged: crazy, dreams, family goals, horizons, introspection, life, plan ]]> http://katarena.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/life-unexpected/feed/ 1 katarena http://katarena.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/good-crazy/ http://katarena.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/good-crazy/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:34:58 +0000 katarena http://katarena.wordpress.com/?p=794 Continue reading →]]>

{The only picture I snapped in NYC on my phone bc I was too busy taking it all in.}

Sometimes I stop myself from sitting down at my computer and just letting go of all of the thoughts that are jumbled up in my head. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m afraid of how you’ll receive them, or if I’m not ready to face them. My life is far from perfect but I’m trying my best to remove negative influences and energy from my day-to-day. It’s not an easy task when J’s facing an uphill battle at school; or when I realize that my finances are far from where they need to be; and especially when this single parent gig is taking its toll.

But Life isn’t about perfection. It isn’t about waiting for everything to even out. I’d be waiting forever and wind up disappointed if I thought otherwise. It is about finding the beauty in little things and taking time to appreciate the journey we’re on.

And sometimes? Even in the midst of chaos you have to stop and take time to do the things that really matter. Especially when they seem completely impractical. This is a relatively new thing for me. And learning to put aside the guilt and negative feelings is tough, but I know that it’s necessary because those feelings are the biggest negative in my life. That whisper, telling me that I don’t deserve things, or that I’m not doing a good enough job raising J? That voice is a liar and it’s held me back for entirely too long. And I’m fighting it full-force these days.

I’m learning to trust my judgement as a parent. To call and lean on a friend when I’m down, as opposed to holding everything in like I’ve done for the past 5+ years. I’m making my time with J meaningful. I’m taking time for myself and refusing to feel guilty about it. The latter has opened my life up to some pretty amazing experiences and I’m starting to cross some things off of my 30 x 30 list. Last summer I made the trek to San Diego for BlogHer and made some pretty great new friends. In January I made a quick weekend trip to New York City to see my all-time, FAVORITE show Saturday Night Live. I also spent the past weekend in the always lovely Austin, Texas and managed to snag a fabulous, orchestra seat for Wicked. Which, by the way, was even more amazing than I had imagined. (I may have an obsession with Broadway Musicals now.)

My life is crazy but I’m making a point to make sure that there is more Good-Crazy mixed in there.

What can I say? Kid gets excited about markers…

I hope you all had a Happy Christmas and Rockin’ New Year’s Eve.

I’ll be back in the swing of things soon I hope.

Filed under: Holidays, J, Life, Love, MI FAMILIA, Pictures Tagged: christmas, eve, new year, swing of things ]]> http://katarena.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/random-thursday-picture/feed/ 0 katarena DSC_0107 http://katarena.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/single-mom-social-life/ http://katarena.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/single-mom-social-life/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:37:46 +0000 katarena http://katarena.wordpress.com/?p=775 Continue reading →]]>
Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

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Being a single parent can be tough, especially when it comes to finding the balance between work, family, and fun. I’m a *completely* single parent. There are no “weekends at dad’s,” or regularly scheduled weeknights to plan on. On top of plotting, planning, and scheduling time with friends, snagging a good sitter, and paying for over-priced drinks all night, the cost of a night out adds up really quickly. This makes Girls’ Night Out a pretty special occasion.

For the nights in between? I’ve found that scheduling a Girls’ Night IN (in my world known as Wine Night) can be the perfect solution. Here’s how I make it work…

1. The end of the workweek rolls around and I’m ready to pull my hair out relax!
2. Dial up a friend and make a plan. A friend with or without kids will do.
3. Head to the store for supplies, aka, WINE. If your kid is going to be home (which mine always is) or if your friend has rugrats of their own, you’d do well to rent a couple of movies; and purchase some snack-type foods so that the little terrors will leave you in peace for an hour or so. 
4. I usually grab a bottle of my favorite wine or a new one that looks interesting and have my friend do the same. By interesting, I mean whatever new wine I can find at our dinky grocery store. Aaaand, whichever wine has a cool label.
5. Grownup snacks are easy. Cheese and crackers = Done. I usually go with Brie. 
6. Maybe throw together an actual salad. Greek Salad is a favorite around my casita. Just make it something easy so you can chat (and drink!) while you’re putting it together. 
7. Pop that cork, get out the glasses, and greet your friend(s) when they arrive.
8. Wrangle kid(s).
9. Pour yourselves a glass.
10. Catch up! And enjoy being in the company of someone who won’t ask you to help them wipe their nose or arse!

Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

This kid has a whole week off from school, Turkey Day is almost upon us, and…

IT’S THE WEEKEND Y’ALL!!!

This week’s Tuesday Ten is brought to you by the wedding I attended this weekend. Not all of these things necessarily refer to me, but most of them probably do.

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Top TEN Repercussions Of Attending A Wedding Reception With An Open Bar That Starts At 4pm:

1. You won’t believe people when they tell you that it is in fact “Only 6:15.”
2. All females, groom’s mother included, will have their shoes off by 7pm.
3. Your friend’s mother will give you inappropriate, yet awesome, advice.
4. You might make a pass at someone who has a date. Repeatedly.
5. There will be one girl you can always find  by the trail of spilled white wine. Shockingly this one was actually NOT me y’all.
6. Dancing with your show-off friend is not the best idea after 4 or 5 hours of drinking. HE can spin & dip you. YOU will NOT be capable of the same.
7. You will spend two full minutes trying to light a sparkler on the wrong end, only to be politely corrected by the father of the groom.
8. Going to an after-party at the hotel everyone is staying at is a terrible idea. One friend will leave with your check card, another with your phone, and you will leave your dignity somewhere around the same time.
9. The bride will also be drunk, and run into the hotel after-party yelling “I just consummated my marriage!!!”
10. You will wake up the next day thanking God that everyone was on the same level as you were last night

1. I know it’s Wednesday. Lay off me yo.
2. Kindergarteners are exhausting.
3. I finally mopped my kitchen floor last night. This makes me ridiculously happy.
4. One of my best friends is getting married this weekend.
5. Another friend told me the dress I was planning on wearing makes me look like I was a bridesmaid last season.
6. It kind of hurt my feelings.
7. I have a ton of things I could be doing but I have zero motivation.
8. I’m ashamed of the Pandora station I’m listening to right now.
9. I haven’t started Christmas shopping. And if you are already done with yours don’t tell me.
10. I might actually fall asleep at my desk today.

This is why I won’t link to, or watch the video that’s circulating the internet right now. I could barely stomach the brief description that my brother gave me over the phone. You see, I know who this girl is. We grew up in the same small town. I know her father, the vile man whose name will be known in every household by the end of the week, if it isn’t already. I’m shocked because this is a man who has gone out of his way to give me legal advice in the past. I worked where he banked. My mother went to high school with him. He’s well-known in my hometown. The only proverbial blip on the radar was when his wife divorced him a few years back. No one that I knew had a clue that something so horrendous was going on.

My heart breaks for Hillary, for what she endured for years. I am beyond proud of her for coming forward. Abuse is a vicious cycle. I hope that this can help her to move forward from the horrors that this bastard has put her through. I hope that he is ruined by this. I know that he is already ruined politically but I hope that it ruins every last inch of his life. I know that it won’t erase her past and what he has put her through, but I truly believe that there is a special place in hell for men (or women) who abuse, neglect or abandon their children. I hope that the justice system that he has “served” for so many years is truly just and that he gets the maximum penalty for what he has done.

It won’t be enough.

If you are going through or have been through something similar I encourage you to seek help. Please don’t let someone force you into silence. There are people who truly love you and want to help you. If you’re looking for resources a great place to start is www.bandbacktogether.com.