I'm crackin' skulls!

Busy day at Job #2, the zoo that is the public library. I'm on the verge of kicking out this group of hooligan teens. We already gave them 2 warnings (really 3 but I just got back from lunch so I'm not up to date on their goings-on) and I mean it, if they even get strange looks on their faces, I'm throwing them all out! The page here said the other employees here never want to throw people out, but I have no problem doing so. I dare them to make me throw them out! I'd cherish the opportunity! Please let me do so! Please please please, as James Brown would say.

I just got back from lunch and it's still a zoo here. I picked up McD's and took it to Ma and P.'s house, where they are taking care of the baby for the day while S and I are at work. This is the 1st time my mom has had to watch her for us, since this is the 1st Saturday I have had to work on one of the baby's visitation weekends, and I was a little nervous about the whole operation. When I picked up the baby last night, I told her 2 things, 1. that the amicus atty. would be visiting us that night, and 2. She was going to my mom's house today. So I prepared her, but I always feel like nobody on earth can parent her better than I (and that's probably pretty much true!), even though my mom is perfectly capable. I packed up bags of toys, healthy snacks, drinks, videos, crayons, books, change of clothes, etc. etc. so that she would have an activity-packed day and hopefully have some fun.

So we had a good time having lunch together, and she seemed to be having a good time. My mom said they had all gone for a walk earlier, and they'd been painting and dancing the "Hokey Pokey", etc. She got a cool alligator and turtle game in her Happy Meal and we played with that. We did each other's hair and ate some of the chocolate we'd gotten my mom as a gift. But when I had to come back to work she got a little pouty, and I had to explain to her that I had to go back to work for just a little while longer, and then tonight me, her and S will all go out for pizza at the restaurant (Star Pizza!) together! I also think she was getting a little sleepy. Then we put on The Muppet Movie and then I had to go, so hopefully she is relaxing and enjoying the movie (I know my mom and stepdad are!). And maybe will nod off soon! My mom said, "It's been non-stop with her," in an exasperated but good-natured way, and I said, "Welcome to my world!"

Tonight we are indeed going to the wonderful Star Pizza to attempt to have a meeting with my Mardi Gras krewe, the Krewe of Alexandria (a librarian group named after the 1st Library--Tito J. thought it up). We need to start planning the party this year, if indeed it is going to happen. I'm not sure it will b/c lame-o's keep dropping out of the Krewe due to their so-called money woes this year. Oh, like we don't all have money woes! I'm in credit card debt to the outrageous fucking tune of $13,000 so far thanks to our custody battle, but you don't hear me whining and bitching about it! (Well, you do but not where throwing awesome parties are concerned!) I made it a priority to stay on the Krewe this year, I've been on it since we started something like 7 yrs. ago and I don't want to give up on it now. So anyway, we'll see how this meeting goes tonight, but I'm at my limit of tolerance these days and I'm sort of ready to just give up on it if nobody else is going to be as committed as I am. To be honest, I sort of don't want 1 more thing on my plate right now, but I thought a kick-ass Mardi Gras party would make me so happy that it would be worth it.

My mom just called me and put the baby on the phone. The baby wanted me to come and get her, and I explained for the millionth time that I had to work so that I could make money and buy her toys, books, pretty clothes, etc. My mom says she is just getting lonely and probably needs a nap, too. I said that I hoped my coming over for lunch didn't cause a setback, but my mom said to not worry. My mom also had told me when I was there that the baby had said to my mom earlier that my mom is very nice, and that the whore is mean and that Dickhead is mean and that they both yell at her. She said to my mom, "You haven't yelled at me once." As if that's something extraordinary!

The visit last night from the amicus was a nice one. He was with his wife, and they came in and he asked the baby to show him her room. We went up there and he looked around (he was very friendly even though the couple of times I've seen him and talked to him he's been very rushed and curt) and looked around the entire place, including looking in the baby's closet. We offered him some gourmet cookies, but he declined and the baby ate 2. He said that we had a "very clean" house and that it looked like the baby was well-provided for. No shit. We then outlined our many concerns about the whore and Dickhead, and he said he was going to visit them too. He said that in a jury trial, he will be able to make his recommendation to the jury on his opinion--they don't have to rule the same way he does, but I'm sure every jury does listen to the amicus since, after all, he's the baby's unbiased attorney.

I spoke to a friend today who had a weight-loss surgery yesterday. I was worried so I called her last night and today to check on her. She is in a lot of pain but says that this is normal; also only drinking liquids! I told her to just imagine the bikini that she will wear. Her surgery cost $15,000. Hearing things like that don't make me feel as bad about the money we are spending on our court case--though it still makes my stomack sick to think of it. I just keep trying to remember how much it will be worth it. It's like that joke about divorce. Why is divorce so expensive? Because it's worth it. Same with child custody battles.