“Hi, Darrell ~
Yes, you are still in the running for the Systems Administrator position. Hopefully we will have a decision within the next couple of weeks. We are in the big middle of open enrollment for our benefits and our 401(k) meetings are all next week. Sorry for the delay in getting back with you. No decision has been made at this point.
Thanks a bunch!”
Still in the running- Yay! 😀
Next couple of weeks. GROAN!
No decision has been made. 🙁
DH and I agree- she’s just been too busy to check his (and maybe others’) references. This is probably the busiest time of the year for her.

Andy started refusing a BFing here and there and 2 days ago he refused 2 in a row (we were only doing 3 a day) so I decided to see if he’d ask if I didn’t offer any more. Nope. 48+ hours now and I don’t even hurt. Yup- he was refusing because there wasn’t any.
All done with that. *Wipes hands on pants and moves on*
He’s drinking most of four 5.5ish ounce bottles of “magic” formula. That’s not a whole lot but I guess it’s okay.

You can read about DH’s interview here. Despite no real job offer yet, we are starting to pack up things and prepare for a garage sale. It’s kinda fun- for now. 🙂 We are hoping to hear from the company really soon.

2 3/4 hours after the start of the interview (good sign right there) and I finally hear some news. Very brief and cryptic though:
“Hi, I have to pee soooo bad, my cell phone is gonna die, I’ll call you back after I’ve charged it in the car. Went well, they love me and I love them. Have to take a 2 hour test when I get home. Call you soon.”
And that was it. LOL.
2 hour test??? Huh??

DH and Bren have been gone 6 hours now. It is creepy quiet. Andy is acting out of sorts- I guess he’s never been separated from Bren this long. Come to think of it, neither have I.
A big thundery storm came through a bit ago. Good chance more is coming too. Adds to the creep factor. So does having no computer game or cartoon sounds in the background.
I made a giant potato salad (with ONIONS and CELERY! Ha!) and heated up a divine mesquite smoked brisket. I’m set for the next 27 hours or so in the food dept. 😛 The brisket is so good that I didn’t even put any kind of sauce on it. Andy loves the potato salad as long as I don’t goof and give him a sliver of onion. Haha. Just like his Dad.
DH is well equipped with new clothes and new leather notebook. We spent until 3:15 a.m. completing his application. Ack. And then I cut his hair!! Of course, just as I was dozing off at about 4 a.m. Andy started crying. That kid….
We’ve both put more emotionally into this endeavor than we meant to. I hope it works out and he loves it and moving doesn’t take out of me what I think it will. *Crossed fingers* And if he thinks he’ll hate it, I hope he declines instead of deciding to bear with it. Money isn’t everything.

Andy is following in the footsteps of my techo boys quite nicely. Yesterday he found Bren’s squarish kid’s digital camera and held it up to his ear and chattered away, with lots of Dadas thrown in. It was obvious he was calling Daddy on the phone.
This morning, in a fit of desperation for just 3 more minutes of remaining horizontal, I handed Andy a small calculator. He immediately picked it up, pushed a few buttons and turned to the tv, fully expecting it to turn on.
*****
Wish Darrell luck on the interview. He and Brendan are going up there tomorrow. They’re bringing Mimi back for another visit. 🙂 Despite this just being an interview, we can’t stand not planning for if it works to our specs. Bits of conversation include what large items to keep, do we need to hold a garage sale and how to move the rest. It’s hard to sit still.

Andy learned something new yesterday. ANGER. Boy, can he get MAD now!!! He and Brendan were playing in the tub with all kinds of toys and lots of water. Andy was having a ball because I usually bathe them separately, giving Andy only a toy or two and a trickle of water. When I pulled him out he screeched and kicked and hollered. Oh my. You’d think he’d done it a million times before.
*****
We went shopping to get Darrell some nice interviewing clothes. He got a nice light gray dress shirt that has a touch of blue in it to go with his darker gray pants that have a touch of blue in them. We also bought 2 ties with grays and… a touch of blue. LOL. The ensemble works really well. New clothes always make me feel good about myself, I hope it does for him too. Not that he lacks in the confidence department. He even said he’s looking forward to this interview (huh??! lol) because it really doesn’t matter if he gets the job or not. It’d be totally opposite if he were currently jobless.
The plan is now for him to go up the night before and the boys and I stay here. That’s a switch. Usually it’s us that’s gone.
Also, Brendan’s hair is much darker brown than it used to be. Andy Andy still doesn’t take more than a few crawl-steps at a time. He slithers like a snake quite well.
Brendan keeps asking for a Pokemon game. Haha. Not until you can read!

If you ask Andy where his bottle is, he will look around the room for it. If you tell him to go get it- he will! Yeah!
If any of you out there have a baby who refuses their formula, this turned out to be the magic formula (punny haha!):
3 oz water
1 scoop formula (would normally make 2 oz)
2 oz Yobaby drinkable yogurt
This makes slightly more than 5 oz. If I change the proportions in any way except more yogurt, he won’t drink it.
Yobaby Drinkable is bottlable and sippiable and comes in 2 flavors- banana and peach.
PS… the huaraches were DIVINE. The peach creme cake… too much spice. I’d use 1/2 t next time and make the dessert taller by using a square brownie type pan. Otherwise, it was good.
Here’s my invented Huaraches/ masa cakes recipe:
2 c dehydrated masa flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1 can chicken broth
In a bowl, mix ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Pat into roughly 1/3 inch thick patties with hands.
3. Heat skillet to medium-high heat. Add 2 T oil and fry cakes until bottoms are brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Brush tops with more oil, flip and brown the other sides.
Serve hot topped with meat (such as perco adobado), guacamole or refried beans and lettuce, cheese and salsa.

DH has an interview for a potential job on Monday that is 6 hours away from here. The What Ifs are killing me. I can just imagine me here alone without adult company, assistance or a car, trying to pack a whole houseful of crappola my DH can’t be parted with (and some of my own not to mention a BUNCH of toys) while he is up there starting a new job all by himself. All the while watching the kids and my usual mothering stuff.
Will the house sell? Will we find another within our rather small budget? Will this interview be a waste of time?? When DH first emailed them he asked the salary and they replied that it started out at what he currently makes. He was nice and replied back saying that was what he made now and he was looking for $15,000 more so,even though the position is perfect for him, thank you, but he’d keep looking. They immediatley replied back with- due to his experience, they’d bump it up some, please come meet with us.
So KNOWING what salary he requires to make the move and still wanting to meet him… would they really go up $15,000 or are they being cruel and making him take off work and spend $100 in gas for a dead end?
UGH!!!!! Half of me wants to start packing now to get ahead of the game and the other half is saying Whoa, Nellie, it’s just an interview. And ALL of me is wondering if we’re on the threshold of a really big change in our lives and will it be a good one?

I made a simplified version of Alton Brown’s Brown Rice Salad last night. I’d more likely call it a side dish- maybe Bacon Brown Rice. It was very good and nicely different. DH didn’t care for it as much as I did. He thought it was too vinegary but then he had his without the fried onions and they really cut the twang. This is a good time to use brown rice instead of white- you can’t tell in this recipe! Leftovers make a good lunch.
6 slices bacon
1 small onion sliced into half circles
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 t dijon mustard
1 t Splenda (or Sugar)
1/2 t black pepper
2 pouches Uncle Ben’s “Ready Rice”
Fry bacon and set it aside to cool. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon drippings. Fry onions in remaining grease til edges are golden (about 5 min). Add remaining ingredients plus crumble the crisp bacon and add it too. Cook stirring often until the liquid is absorbed and serve warm.