… for this?

Apparently some folks were crazy enough to do it. Not me. I prefer my nice soft mattress, as opposed to the curb. Call me quirky that way.

My sweet Catholic Family gave me some fantabulous birthday presents while we were on vacation at the Lodge, including a gray and white Webkinz cat named ‘Frizzia’ due to the frizzy looking fur sticking out all over her little body. It’s fitting that way. So finally after arriving back home, I’ve had the chance to check out my Webkinz online world. Let the excitement begin!

Ok, so in checking out the website, I’ve found this cool feature that allows me to visit the CK’s and their WebKinz pets when we’re all online together. And what else can I do? I can feed Frizzia, decorate her room, dress her up, play games, go shopping for all kinds of stuff with the KinzCash that I earned while winning contests, and more. And it’s all free, at least so far it is.

Fun right? Think again. Enter BOB, another online WebKinz pet owner and total stranger to the Catholic Family:

• CS: Hey Mom! I added you to my list of friends and now I’ve got 4 friends!
• CG: Yeah, I added you but I only have 3. That’s ok.
• ITCM: Who’s the extra friend CS?
• CS: Oh that’s just BOB. He has a humungous house with lots of rooms. He asked if I would be his friend so we could play a game together and I said ‘yes’.
• CG: I don’t really know BOB, so he’s not my friend.
• ITCM: Um, I’m not keen on BOB… and I don’t want him on your friends list, CS.
• CS: I was going to delete him anyway. He hasn’t been online lately.
• ITCM: *freaking out*

A long talk later, one that we’ve had repeatedly in our home and at school, the CK’s have been set straight on internet safety again. To think how quickly this kind of thing can happen, right under our noses! Creepy BOB situations like these are exactly why parents need to be extremely vigilant with regard to kids playing games over the internet. We are. Or so we thought until BOB mysteriously appeared in our home uninvited. *egad*

And I’d be surprised to find a little kid named BOB online with a majestic WebKinz mansion befriending other little kids…

Something doesn’t smell quite right there.

Tonight is the last night my family and I will be spending at the Great Wolf Lodge, and let me say very honestly that I’m NOT. LOOKING. FORWARD. TO IT. Why? Well, it’s not because I don’t want to leave. I’ve had my fill. And it’s not because I don’t want to return back to my regular office job. IT issues are piling up as I type, and I feel obligated to resolve them. But rather, it’s because of this dang air conditioner that keeps waking me up every 10 minutes. You read that right: EVERY 10 MINUTES that thing goes off to keep our room cool!

Why. Why don’t these Great Wolf Lodge people realize the air conditioning units burst off so often that guests are not able to sleep? Oh wait a minute. This is a family resort… so they’re probably figuring we parents don’t get a complete night’s sleep anyway, so what’s an annoying LOUD air conditioner on top of it all? Well they’re wrong. And thank goodness I brought a box of Chardonnay to remove myself from reality through the night. I’m sorry it had to go to this. Wait… no I’m not. This parent of Great Wolf Lodgers needs some actual SLEEP.

Fix the air conditioning folks. Seriously. Where’s that box?

UPDATE 6/27/07: One glass of wine after posting that blog knocked me out cold. Combined with a day of waterpark fun… didn’t even notice the loud air conditioner until 5:30 a.m., just in time to get a cuppa Starbucks coffee from the cafe down the hall. No complaints from me this morning!

… do NOT wake me up. Just leave me here listening to the live one-man-band beside the pool with my digital camera, tanning oil, beach towel, iPod Nano, novel and bottle of water. No computer issues are important enough to wake the IT Chick right now. Not a single one. Now just move along.