***Since I am tired of trying to come up with a clever introduction, I am going to let the Friday Fragments button speak for itself***

***Congratulations go out to my good friend Julie who is now a licensed CPA in the state of California.  I know how hard she has worked to get to this place in her life, so it would be so great if you went over and told her how excellent she is.  She also likes to be told that she is hot, smart, and pretty, in case you are at a loss as to what to say to someone you don’t really know.  Also, she hasn’t posted in awhile (hint hint), so just make a congratulatory statement on the first post to pull up if you are so inclined.

***I have been having some various little issues with the blog, so a friend of minehas been helping me out with them.  the thing is, in my mind, “helping out” when it comes to blog stuff means I send a panicked email to Mr. Lady, Judith Shakespeare, and thegothmom with “HELP!” in the subject line, and they fix it.  Because they are nice like that.  This other friend?  Not so much.  He wants me to figure out how to do it myself.  As in, he fixed it for me, and then went in and deleted everything he had done and is making me do it myself.  “Teach a man to fish” and all that.  So please bear with me/us for the next little while if things get all wonky on occasion-it is just me, learning to take care of my own stuff.  A novel idea, no?

***It has been a bonus mail week for me.  I got a package of guacamole mix from a friend (we don’t have this kind here, in case you were wondering), some clothes for Owen from this wonderful online boutique, and the Publisher’s Clearing House envelope telling me that I am a guaranteed winner.  Isn’t life grand?

***Also this week, I got a payment BACK from a creditor I have been paying for umpteen months.  This was what I hope was the last creditor of the ex’s to be paid off, and it is now done.  Because I am so weird about money, especially in the last few years, I actually called and made sure it was, in fact, paid in full.  The man with whom I have been working (and I never thought to say this about a creditor but he has been wonderful to work with from day one) laughed when I called, because as he says, “We don’t often get people who call to make sure we haven’t made a mistake before cashing the check!”  I was a little confused, because according the my last statement I still had three payments left, but he said that they wrote off all the interest, which was over $1,000.  I can’t begin to verbalize what a relief this is.  Of course, now I get to start paying off the bills of MINE that have gone to collections because I have been unable to pay them while paying off the ex’s bills, but since my bills are less than $5,000 as compared to the estimated $15,000 of his, well, it isn’t so scary.

***We finally got a library card.  Want to know why?  Well, besides the fact that we are all voracious readers, that is.  It is because Steve finally got tired of me complaining of not having anything good to read.  See, also due to the ex (and tell me this: who defrauds the public library system in order to get a fucking library card?  Really?  And then is assholish enough to not take the audio-books back so that a fine of $1,000 is racked up?  Someone who is intent on ruing an ex’s life, methinks), I haven’t been able to get one, and won’t be able to until May.  And it isn’t funny, but at the same time, it really kind of is, you know?  Feel free to laugh-I am.

***Sam performed wonderfully at his concert on Wednesday, looking so cute up there onstage with his white shirt and sparkling bow-tie.  And it never fails to cause me to tear up when I hear kids’ voices raised in song, even if they are terrible.  Which Sam wasn’t, by the way.

***Eli had his first drive time with the teacher on Monday; he was pretty humbled, for about two days, and has since spent the last two days terrifying Hannah, who drives tonight for the first time.  And in reference to Driver’s Ed, I have found that I love Fridays even more, because they don’t have class, therefore we all get to sleep in.  That extra 45 minutes this morning was like heaven, I tell you.  HEAVEN!

I think my brains is purged enough by now, so you can move on to Half Past Kissin’ Time to get the names of some other Fragmenters. Enjoy!