ain't nothin' like the good ol' summertime

Yesterday was a day of incredible storms passing through our region - high winds, hail (!) and heavy rains. But they came and went.

We invited our neighbors (and friends) out on the boat for an evening cruise and a visit to the local waterfront dive known for Monday night steak night (yum). Anyway, Paula suggested that it be a "kid-free" night (yay!) and my kids could hang out with her kids. Why didn't I think about that? Her kids (4 of them) range from 8 to 16, and mine will be 10 and 13 (this week!). So, really, while it's fun to do a family cruise, I'm all for adult fun.

So, the weather was iffy, but around 4 pm, it was beautiful and sunny - yay, we're on! Nevermind the dark, foreboding clouds off to the west.

So, at the appointed hour, we ditched the kids and drove into the approaching storm clouds. Uh-oh. The winds whipped up, the raindrops started. The rest of our party called from the marina and reported a tornado watch and high winds. They were taking cover at the bar and we were to meet them there. The skies opened up with torrential downpours. :-(

No worries, we were set with good company, good snacks and a cozy bar. Eyes pealed to the weather channel, we saw the satellite showing the storms passing through and the watch would be over by 7. Yay! We see sun! So, we finish our drinks and move to the boat for more appetizers. We make the short cruise across the bay to the waterfront restaurant where the storm has chased away the other boaters and closed the deck. That's okay because steak night is usually so crowded it's hard to get a table or docking space.

Aaah, good steak (no, GREAT steak), good friends (similarly temporarily liberated from the constraints of parenthood), an excellent beer (Hop Devil Ale) and a beautiful sunset.

The lake was absolutely calm and flat like a bathtub. We saw the end of the sunset, the clear, dark skies, and an incredible full moon. No one fell in (which was a distinct possibility as Paula fell in while docking at the same restaurant last summer). Our English friend kept steering the conversation towards American politics, and religion too - a tough combo in mixed company, but all was well.

Hope you enjoyed your day.

Baseball, apple pie and Father's Day.....

What's more all-American than Little League games on hit summer afternoons?

Nevermind that it interferes with the fathers' wishes to do what they want to on their day - it's good family stuff.

Anyway, Number one son's team was playing a team from the neighboring town that's been hard to beat all season.. Number one son's team is number one in their division (yay!) , but the 3 times they've played a team from this town they've lost. So, when I arrived, they were already down with a score of 10 - 1, and it was only the 3rd innning..

Not looking good.

After a little while, the score was 16 - 4, then somehow it got to 21 to 10. Yikes and it wasn't over yet! DH left to go home and catch some of the scores in the AC and I couldn't really complain since it is Father' Day, so I stayed and sweated and cheered number one son (even though I'm still ticked off in general about his mouth and his attitude - I do love him) Anyway, one of his team mates got not one, but 2 out-of-the-park home runs. Wow! Unfortunately it was too little too late. Anyway, the guys were playing really great and with any other team they would have had a great game.

Remember the lady with 6 kids? Well, she was there again and the toddler was cranky - it was nap time, and the baby was fussy - it was hot. And she was sooo patient and calm. (Why can't I ever be that way?) Anyway, the baby finally got comfy and I hear this loud beep emitting from the carriage every once on a while. (at first I thought it was from a maintenance vehicle or something) . I asked her about it, and the baby's on an apnea monitor. What the heck? It was going off on a regular basis - but maybe that was due to the baby's sweaty skin setting off the monitor, but it was scary that it went off so much. Turns out it runs in families and all of her children have been on monitors. Well, she wandered off to settle a squabble with one of the other children and I heard the beep and jumped up to jiggle the stroller and it stopped. Yikes.

Anyway.....

Then number one son was up again.

He got an OUT-OF-THE-PARK HOMERUN!!!!!! YIKES!

What a play! And dh missed it! This was a big hit for him, he's a strong hitter, but not consistent and not a fast runner at all, so he doesn't do well in a race for the base against a good throw.

So, the final score was 25 to 12. A big loss, but they finished strong. They're still in the playoffs and have one more regular game before the playoffs. Unfortunately, the game ran long and we have tickets to see Wicked tonight (yay!), so that pretty much kills our plans to go out on the boat this afternoon and go our to dinner. So, I'm currently looking for a plan B for dinner.

We took DH out to breakfast this morning and there's not much he needs, but I feel bad that there's no "nice meal" or at least the chance to hang out where he's happiest - the boat.

Hope you all hugged your Dads, husbands, kids and special men.

Enjoy the day.

Busy-ness

You know, I only have 2 children. And they're of an age where they are pretty independent. But there are days when we have to be in like, 3 places at the same time and it just doesn't work.

How do you do it with 4 kids? Or 6? There's a family on my son't baseball team with 6 kids. The Dad is one of the coaches, and the Mom comes to every game with a double stroller for the 5 month old and the toddler, and then there are 3 younger girls, maybe ages 4-10. Yikes. Everytime one of the youngers needs go to the bathroom, she packs up everything and pushes the monster stroller to the snackbar/bathroom complex. Yikes.

So, yesterday was one of those days for me. We had to help out at the church Strawberry Social which started at 4, the kids got home from school at 3:15, number one son had baseball practice at 5:30 I had to be downtown to meet DH at 6:00 for a reception and the opening of the Jazz festival (Frank Sinatra, Jr), and I arranged for darling daughter to go hang out a friend's house. Did I mention it was hotter than hell and I had to switch gears from hot and sweaty casual wear to chic and glam for an evening out in a window of opportunity that was only about 12 minutes long? Heh. Any way, I arranged for number one son to get a ride home from a teammate, and all was well.

So, the reception was outdoors and because of the iffy weather, they erected a tent for the food stations and bar - all the heat was trapped underneath and when I say hot, I mean H-O-T. My arms and neck were slicked with sweat, I had no appetite (a nice side benefit), sweat rivulets were running down the backs of my knees and I was so drained that I had more water than wine. :-(

I'm not talking about a lady-like glow, I'm talking all out wet. Yuck. Anyway, the theater was air conditioned, Frank was entertaining, and I took a cool shower when I got home. All is well.

Especially since our schedule is relatively light today. I'm enjoying my coffee and then I'll get dressed. It might be time for some garden weeding.

Enjoy the day.

Loving Day

I heard about this on NPR as I was driving in to work. I thought it was really interesting, and I'd never heard of it.

Loving Day
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Loving Day is an annual celebration held on June 12, the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia which struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in 16 states citing "There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause," .[1][2][3] In the United States, anti-miscegenation laws were state laws banning interracial marriage, mainly forbidding marriage between non-whites and whites. Loving Day is not an officially, government-recognized holiday, but is celebrated by a growing number of people throughout the United States, especially by those involved in interracial relationships.
The "Loving" side of the U.S. Supreme Court case consisted of Mildred and Richard Loving. Mildred Jeter was 11 when she and 17-year-old Richard began dating, and she became pregnant a few years later. They got married in Washington in 1958, when she was 18. Reportedly, Mildred didn't realize interracial marriage was illegal, and they were arrested a few weeks after they returned to their hometown north of Richmond. They pleaded guilty to charges of "cohabiting as man and wife, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth," and avoided jail time by agreeing to leave Virginia. They moved to Washington, D.C. and began legal action by writing to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy referred the case to the American Civil Liberties Union. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of the young couple, they returned to Virginia, where they lived with their three children. Mildred Loving died May 5, 2008 at the age of 68. Richard Loving died years earlier in a car accident. Each June 12, the anniversary of the ruling, Loving Day events around the country mark the advances of mixed-race couples.

It seems crazy that there had to be a court case to legitimize this. But in the end, they won.

So, go ahead, celebrate.

Enjoy the day.

No excuses

So, the humidity has broken, and I was dead set on going for a jog/walk before work this morning.

And I did.

Sort of.

Our young cat, Koala, got out this morning (how is another tale of sullen pre-teen defiance and early morning surliness, but that's not the story I'm telling this morning.)

So, both kids are frantic, their school buses are just around the corner and instead of herding her towards the house, they send her scampering off across the yard.

I have a dilemma.

I'm clad in my jammies with wild bedhead, and barefoot to boot.

Now, I'm the sort who has, in the past, showered and dressed before making breakfast for my houseguests. Even family.

What to do? What to do.

So, being the superhero Mom and cat-lover that I am, I throw modesty and self respect to the wind and grab the first pair of shoes that I can.

Oops. My new leather sandals. From Lands End. That I wore for the very first time yesterday. Did I mention that the morning dew was still on the lawn? :-X

Of course, all reason had not fled, so I grabbed a trenchcoat from the closet on my way out the door. Come on, you can't really expect me to run around the neighborhood tackling cats bra-less with just thin cotton jammies? Seriously.

Anyway, the kids were yelling, the buses were coming, the morning dog walkers were circling the block, and the cat kept sprinting further away.

Ay, yiy yiy.

Everytime I thought I was herding her closer to our house or forcing her to turn around, she found an opening and went to the next yard.

We live just a block away from a busy road. I don't want to think about the number of animal carcasses that I've seen on it in the 14 years I've lived here. And yes, she ended up in the front yards of the houses that border that road.

She was eying the back yard and had taken up refuge under the boughs of a large pine tree that the neighborhood kids use for a fort and for climbing. ( a really cool place, but that's for another day)

My neighbor the cat lady came over with a plate of food and treats. It didn't work.

I threw large pine cones behind Koala to startle her and she darted near me. I tried a football tackle and missed.

She ran around the side of the house and my sandals were wet and slippery (my practical side was trying not to worry that they were ruined and my Mom, cat-lover side was trying not to panic as she was getting closer to the busy road.)

I threw my trenchcoat over her and tried another football tackle. By this time, I was red in the face, hot, sweaty and panting. So much for a morning run. And I had a headache.

Koala went near the house and a rainspout and I was trying not to scare her under the fence she was eying, when neighbor and cat-rescuer Martha grabbed her by the scruff of the neck like a momma cat. Whew.

Now, I'm sweaty and muddy and relieved and I'm not going for a run.

So there.

Maybe later today.

Hope your day starts smoother.

And I haven't had my coffee yet.

Arrgggghhhh!

I drive home every day on a road that goes through a commercial area that has your typical fast food joints, strip malls, restaurants and gas stations - lots of places where people need to make left turns.

To accommodate this, the lovely road engineers planned and built what are commonly known as "turning lanes".

You know the ones - they're in the middle of the road, separated by a dotted yellow line.

Smart cookies, they are, planning to keep traffic moving smoothly and not backing up while everyone waits for someone to make a left turn across traffic on a busy street.

You're supposed to signal your intent, move into that lane and wait there for a chance to complete your left turn into the parking lot of the business you intend to patronize - you know, that sudden urge for a Big Mac, or a quick stop at the fancy-pants wine store, or the chi-chi little boutique of women's duds and home accessories. Or maybe it's a stop for bargains at Marshall's.

I don't really care WHERE they're going, it just pisses me off that every single day, there's someone (why is it usually a woman?) that is BLOCKING THE FREAKING TRAFFIC right into the major INTERSECTION!!!!!

I swear, I'm not usually a road rage kind of person, but this makes me feel like I'm going to blow a gasket.

Of course, I'm not usually looking far enough in advance to switch lanes and move around this imbecile - I'm the one who gets stuck - usually in said major intersection.

And when they finally make their turn and the snarl of traffic moves past them, when I look over at them they usually have a look of total oblivion to the back-up they just caused.

Aarrrgh. Dammit. It just makes me cranky.

Enjoy the day.

I must be losing my mind

I have a very clear and vivid recollection of posting this morning.

Really. Although I couldn't tell you what it was about.

Imagine my surprise when I checked back in here a little earlier today and there was nothing.

NOTHING.

Did I imagine it? Am I going crazy? Was it some sort of blogger glitch?

Has that happened to any of you before?

:::scratching my head::: Because I hope I didn't just make it all up. It was before work - I SWEAR I wouldn't have been drinking that early.

Honest.

In the AM, I'm all about the coffee.

The darker the better. I don't even want orange juice that early. Except maybe at a brunch. With generous amounts of champagne. But dammit, this is Tuesday, not Sunday.

I wish I could remember what it was about.

Hot, hot hot

Let me go on record as saying that "I am NOT a quitter."

But there's NO WAY that I'm running in this weather. My car was 103 degrees when I went to it midday.

It was 81 degrees at 8:30 AM.

Right now it's about 92. And humid. Oh, no, we don't get a dry heat here in Upstate NY. We are in high humidity territory.

It's weather like this that makes me so, so happy that I don't have to wear underwire bras anymore. :-)

I promise I will run when it cools down a little. I would run in the evening, but by that time, I've usually had a cool, refreshing, adult beverage. And the 2 don't mix.

Enjoy the day.

And I totally stole this, too

From Scott, who got it from Dawn (if I was any good, I'd figure out how to link them)

All about me me me me

(Well, here's one link - but only because it was in Scott's original post Dawn)

If you get something out of a vending machine, it's most likely the: chex mix
A word you sometimes catch yourself misspelling: separate
You least want people to see you as: apathetic
You're a little scared of: messing up my kids
The least attractive thing you do in your sleep: snore
The number of contacts in your cell phone: don't know, a lot - including some that I have no idea who they are
How many of them are restaurants: 1 pizza place
You lose your cool when someone: doesn't listen (kids!)
When you go to the drugstore, you often can't leave without buying: gum
Your dance moves can best be described as: out of date
The majority of your underwear is: comfy and pretty
Something you eat even though you hate how bad it is for you: loaded nachos, fries, chips and dip, the list goes on......
You think you're really not a great: housekeeper
How much cash is in your wallet right now: $22
The majority of your shoes are this color: brown, I think
You don't think you'll ever be able to get rid of your: belly fat
If your breath is bad, it's most likely because you had the: garlic
You feel embarrassed when you: fart :-)
The last public place where you used the restroom: restaurant
Something you don't like to debate in mixed company: politics
You don't think you can pull off wearing: a tube top - geesh, I'm 46
Something you own entirely too much of: books - oh wait, that's not possible, earrings then
Someone you would love to see in concert who might bring down your street cred: John Denver - yeah, I know he's dead
The last thing that you spilled on yourself: nacho cheese
If you were on a reality show, the producers would likely portray/characterize you as the: the loud one

I need a life

You know it's bad when you have no new posts on your favorite message board, no new emails, no blog updates to read, no one has taken their turn at Scrabulous - and yet you compulsively check back every 15 minutes.

Yikes.

Everyone else obviously has better things to do. On a beautiful, hot sunny summer morning.

In my defense, dh slept on our boat, number one son had a sleepover, darling daughter had a friend sleepover, and I have a laptop that can go with me to my hammock.

But still...... I need a life. I mean, it's not like I don't have 2 litter boxes to clean, breakfast dishes, 4 loads of laundry to fold, a garden to weed......

Priorities.

And routine chores are not at the top of that list. :-(

However, I'm working up the motivation to pack for our annual staff and family picnic for the Y.

Perfect weather this year.

Hundreds of people. Food. swimming pool. athletic fields. food. pony rides. games. prizes. fun. food.

:-)

Then number one son has a baseball game. Ick. His uniform pants are black. In this heat - crazy.

Anyway, I'm stocking up on the sunscreen and gatorade.

If I could find my camera (probably lost under a pile of laundry or stacks of coupons to clip) I'd post pics once in a while.

Enjoy the day.

June is bustin out all over

Well, summer is here.

Temperature-wise, that is. I know some of you have been dealing with this for a while already, but we just catapulted from spring to summer. It was 75 degrees at 5:30 AM when I let the dog out!. It'll be 90 today. With high humidity.

This is thigh-sticking, sweat-dripping in your cleavage, salt-in-your-eyes weather.

This is upstate NY people, not Louisiana, for pete's sake.

Needless to say, I did not run last night or this morning. Don't they say you should go every other day, anyway? That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

And the kids are still in school.

This month is birthday central. Both kids have June birthdays within 4 days of each other.

My anniversary is in September - you can do the math. :-)

Anyway, I'm not very good at advance planning. We usually throw something together informally. It's tough with the end of school happening the same week. Yeah, I'm a slacker.

They always have fun, and it all works out.

More later. Hopefully.

Enjoy the day.

A new leaf

I started jogging last night.

Well, sort of.

I half-walked, half-jogged with dd around the block last night.

I got all red in the face and hot and sweaty, and huffin' and puffin. I'm pretty sure a few neighbors snickered when I went by.

DD ran circles around me. Backwards. Little snot.

Just kidding, she's a good exercise buddy and actually reminded me of some good stuff during our warm-ups. She learned it in gym class. She has boundless energy and a perfect body. She'll be 10 this month and already has started talking about her jiggly thighs@@ I have ot nip this in the bud. First, because she's perfect, and second, because I want her to be happy with and respect her body.

Any way. I'm about to do it again, and it's even more humid.

I'm procrastinating, as you can see. For good reason. I'd rather have a cold beer. But this is better for me in the long run.

I'll let you know if I make it back.

Should've written this earlier

Monday was the perfect early summer evening.

Clear skies, calm water, mild temps.

And no meetings, sports, or other conflicts.

You know what that means?

Yup - a PERFECT night for a boat ride. :-)

Unfortunately, with the high price of gas - not *our boat, but a boat nonetheless.

We went in a friend's open bow 17 ft. boat, out on the bay to a favorite local bar/restaurant with a dock.

Monday's are steak night - beer, butter garlic strip steaks. Yum. And a very nice pitcher of (I'm forgetting the name) Hop Back Amber - or something like that. It was perfect.

I had a feeling dh might call, just as I was pulling out the ground beef to make burgers for the grill. He did. But - I gladly put them away and rounded up the kids. Darling daughter was in the hot tub with a friend and number one son was at the library with a friend.

When I went to get him, I spied him sitting outside of the local pizza parlor with his friends. And I just *ruined his night by taking him to the boat and interrupting his social life. He was really ugly about it. Cuz, yeah, it's torture to go hang out on a boat.

He'll be 13 next month, and I'm all for granting him small freedoms, but he seems to think he's more independent than he has a right to be. He thinks being a teenager is some magical stage where his parents won't interfere with his life.

Hah. Fat chance.

I guess you could say it was an almost perfect evening. A sullen pre-teen put a bit of a damper on it.

I totally stole this

The ABCs and XYZs of me
Accent: A hint of Philly, but not obnoxious, or anything

Bra size: smaller than it used to be. :-)

Chore I hate: picking up dog poop

Dad’s name: Carl Annar W. - very Swedish

Essential make-up: mascara

Favorite perfume: Clinique Happy, right now

Gold or Silver: silver

Hometown: Philadelphia (PA, not MS)

Interesting fact: Don't really have one - hmmm, I'm a PK

Job title: Director of Ministry Development, Administrative Assistant....

Kids: Number one son, almost 13; darling daughter almost 10 (like both have b-days in 3 weeks)

Living arrangements: married, in suburban split level in upstate NY

Mom’s Birthplace: Rosedale, NY (LI)

Number of apples eaten in last week: 1

Overnight hospital stays: two for kids, one as a child, one for elective surgery

Phobia: not sure I have one

Question you ask yourself a lot: Where did I got wrong?

Religious affiliation: Lutheran, ELCA

Siblings: 1 younger brother

Time I wake up: about 6:30... I don't really sleep in

Unnatural hair color: yes :)

Vegetable I refuse to eat: mushrooms... brussel sprouts

Worst habit: hmmm... cursing in front of the children - (yup, me too, Amy) and procrastinating

X-rays: I've had some - neck and spine, elbow, ankle....

Yummy food I make: spanakopita, pastitsio, cheesecake

Zodiac sign: Pisces


Who's next?

Nothing much

After SATC on Friday night, it was a pretty uneventful weekend.

I went to the funeral of an older friend form church on Saturday, went to a minor league baseball game on Saturday night ($10 included a picnic and the game - kids half of that, I bought my own beer - Rohrbach Brewing Company's Highland Amber - yum).

I went to church on Sunday, where I had to do the Children's sermon - okay, you can go ahead and chuckle now. I do this regularly at one church, but at this church, their tradition is that on the first Sunday of the month, the children's sermon is THE sermon. Yup, that's right, delivered by moi. To. the. whole. congregation. At a church that doesn't know me all that well.

Well, I'm happy to report that I did pretty well, if I do say so myself. The gospel lesson was about the wise man building his house on the rock and the fooolish man building his on the sand. Remember the children's song?

Anyway, I brought props with me - always fun with kids. A dishpan, a rock, a small bucket of sand and a pitcher of water. We made sand mud pies in the Sanctuary, up by the altar. :-)
I'll spare you the message, but we had fun.

Number one son and darling daughter went to our "home church" because they had to rehearse for next week's Sunday school program (exhausted yet? I am) and number one son gave ne grief the whole drive there because he had to go back again at night for Confirmation class. :::sigh:::: that s%&# just wears me out.

Anyway, later on, I went to the Greek fest to pick up Greek food for a picnic lunch at number one son's ball game (his team won, he had a 3 run hit!), and went shopping with dd at Target after dropping him off at Confirmation class. I was thinking that I was shopping for *me, silly me. DD found shorts, shirts etc that she loved. At one point she had 17 items to try on.

Anyway, I thought not much was going on, but I guess maybe there was a lot - just nothing very exciting.

SATC

You know what that means, right?

Sex and the City.

Yup. I joined the herds or women (mostly younger and better dressed than I was) to see the movie on the opening night. I usually catch semi-current movies at the dollar theater, so this was really out of character.

What a hoot.

I'll refrain from a review of the movie, but the audience cracked me up. There were droves of women, all gussied up in their best interpretation of SATC fashion and accessories. Most of them falling short, but you can tell they tried.

We tried to get in to a 8:30 showing - silly us, it was sold out. So we went to another nearby megaplex and got tickets for the 9:45 show (yes, past my bedtime). We were waiting in line at 9:20 after we had already gotten our tickets, and somewhere around 9:40 we (and a few other misguided souls) realized we were in the line for the 10:15 showing. Ack!

We switched lines, and went in to the theater - not overcrowded, but nevertheless, we had to sit in a corner by the wall.

What was the funniest, was the audience reaction to certain scenes. When Carrie gives her assistant a Christmas present, the entire audience gasped in unison as they caught a glimpse of the label on the box. Louis Vitton! Oooh. aaaaahhhh.

And there were a few other scenes where they gasped in dismay or oohed or aahed. It couldn't have been scripted or choreographed if they tried, but it was comical when it happened spontaneously. My friend and I couldn't help chuckling.

And in the middle something went wonky with the screen - it flickered and got stuck split horizontally. I thought the collective audience was going to have a cow.

Did I mention that of the hundreds of women in line, there were maybe 2 guys? Looking rather uncomfortable, I must say.

Anyway, if you liked the series at all, and you can accept certain things as outside of reasonable behavior; go see it. With a girlfriend or two. Dress-up is optional.

Well....

this morning, at least, I made it until 5:20. I guess that's an improvement. :-)

We'll see how the day goes.

I want to see the Sex and the City mob=vie, but I'm afraid that I'll fall asleep. :-(

dammit

It's 4 AM and I'm awake again. :-(

Yesterday, I was so tired that after I drove darling daughter to school, I fell asleep with the keyboard on my lap and woke myself up with such a start that I spilled my coffee.

Then, I fell asleep on the couch before dinner.

Geesh.

I've

been up for an hour.

Yup, it's currently 5 AM Eastern time. The birds are starting to chirp, but it's still pitch black out.

It's just me and the cats. I might have to do this more often. It's too early for coffee (I never thought I'd write THAT), but I'm loving the quiet and serenity.

DH left for 3 days in Philly, so he left the house at 4 AM. And while I wasn't really awake when he left, I wasn't asleep enough to to just stay in bed.

So here I am.

Just me and my thoughts and my laptop. Slowly, waking up enough to play a gazillionth game of Word Twist on Facebook. Everyone else is still asleep though, so my turns are over. :-(

And my turns on Scrabulous (addicted!), Scramble, Pathwords and Bubblewords.

Hmmm, wonder why I'm never caught up on laundry and cleaning? :-) But, hey! I'm doing important work here - I'm taking proactove steps to ward off brain atrophy and dementia. :-) Maybe even Alzheimer's.

I'm a little jealous of all of you who keep counting down the days (like 2 or 3) until your kids are out of school - we have a whole 'nother month here!

Off to get coffee - enjoy the day!

I just have to say...

I love my in-laws.

That's all.

Enjoy the day.

Never a dull moment...

So, the day started out uneventful. Darling daughter slept in, I enjoyed a quiet moment with coffee and the laptop, the menfolk had a sleepover on the boat....

Then we got motivated and hooked up the hot tub, assembled the hammock ( I probably already wrote about that), cleaned the mice cage, went to lunch, got dd a haircut, then went to the boat to meet my in-laws and the aforementioned menfolk.

All was idyllic - there were drinks and snacks and friends and family - all oohing and aahing over the boat. We had plans for an afternoon cruise, then dinner on the boat. I made bbq spareribs this morning, marinated chicken breasts to grill, Greek meatballs (keftedides), corn on the cob, chardonnay, watermelon. Aaahhhh.

Darling daughter had a primo spot on the front bow deck of the boat, soaking up rays, mother-in-law went to join her, I poured a glass of wine in my boat-approved-acrylic-wineglass; and I too went forward to enjoy the sun and relax before the cruise.

DD and number one son were going in and out of the forward hatch ( a little 2x2 window that allows access to the forward cabin - bedroom) - they were WARNED to stop before they got hurt.

You can see where this is going, can't you?

Yup. Suddenly, dd, goes down and bumps her elbow, knocking her head HARD into the edge of the hatch. She falls down below (onto the bed - no problem) I hear the cry and debate dropping my wineglass and contents on my MIL in my haste to reach dd. I opt to quickly shove it into MIL's hand instead, and jump swiftly and nimbly down the hatch to grab dd in my comforting mother arms to kiss her booboo and give her a stern maternal lecture about not playing in the hatch, blahblah,blah.

Instead, number one son yells that *I'm covered in blood. And sure, enough it's oozing, no almost gushing, from dd's head. Not a cause for alarm in and of itself, because as you may know, head wounds, no matter how minor, bleed significantly.

However, if you've ever owned a boat, especially a new one, you know that you CAN'T BLEED ON THE CARPET AND UPHOLSTERY. Seriously. It's true, so in addition to my care and concern for my daughter, I'm yelling for a towel and ice to apply pressure and look at the wound. I was also trying to ensure that there was no blood dripping, while dh was yelling about being careful, blahnlahblah - telling *me to be calm. (I am calm, dammit, just hurry up with the towel and ice, thankyouverymuch). It was immediately apparent that there was a large gash that would need more than just a kiss and a band-aid.

Did I mention that the first thing my number one son said was "I didn't do anything. It's not my fault!!!!" ? Poor kid, I can hardly blame him, because it so often is his fault or at least he's blamed.

So MIL and I drive to the nearest hospital, effectively crushing any plans for an evening cruise. Luckily the hospital was about 5 minutes away. We pull up and a security guard offers to park my car for me - VERY IMPRESSIVE.

Anyway, I'll skip the rest of the gory details, but we were seen right away in a special pediatric section, they were wonderful, dd needed 4 big staples in her head - apparently that's preferred on the head instead of stitches, she got a huge headache, a sore elbow and threw up a few times.

She went to sleep, we all ate dinner and I carried all of her 50 pounds to the car to go home to bed. And yes, my in-laws are in my bed - I'll be sleeping in dd's trundle with her, and the boys are on the boat again - with a sleepover for number one son. The show must go on.

We'll try again tomorrow for a nice cruise - although we won't go far due to the outrageous price of gas. :-(

Nice things about this hospital:

• Very close
• no wait
• they parked my car
• took dd in a wheelchair
• saw her right away
• were very nice to her
• brought her a popsicle while we waited in the exam room
• we were there, start to finish, for less than 2 hours - we were in a room and examined within 15.

Luckily, it was a head gash and not on the face or eye. Luckily no broken bones or concussion.

Thank God. Truly.


Anything fun and exciting happen with you this weekend?

Stay safe.











Anything exciting happen to you guys this weekend? It's not over yet.

If you want something done....

do it yourself, right?

I wasn 't very productive this morning (I skipped church, let darling daughter sleep well past a decent time), but I did set up the hammock (yay!) blow the leaves and crap off the deck, and refill the hot tub. Yes, I had to have the motor fixed (again!) and I'm just now getting around to filling it up.

If you've been counting along with me, this is the third motor since we got the hot tub last August. And it's a real PITA because you have to drain the tub, disconnect it, and lug the thing back to the store. Ugh.

This time, it sat empty for so long that I have to scrub gunk off the sides. If it fritzes out again, I'm going to blow a gasket.

Now, it'll take another 3-4 days for the water to heat up.

But I can lay on my hammock while I wait. :-)

(Thanks for the kick in the pants motivation, ETW - your pics were so great, I had to set mine up)

Sometimes

...crappy stuff happens that you just don't want to or can't write about.

No, the world isn't ending, or at least I don't think it will. Maybe I'm deceiving myself.

But it's just been a sucky few days. I scribbled some thoughts about it, but they'll remain on paper, tucked away in a drawer. I'd feel way to exposed here on the internet.

Anyway, Mickey's baseball game yesterday was a nailbiter. They were down something like 9 to 5 and came back to win 12 to 9 or something like that. At any rate, they had an amazing comeback. If they remain at the top of the standings, we'll have to rearrange our July vacation schedule as the playoffs and championships will occur at the start of our trip. That's okay, it will be worth it. Mickey had a few good hits - one that resulted on 3 runs! The weather, though cool, was fantastic yesterday - sunny and clear. We took a spin on the bay on our new boat. We'll see what happens today.

My in-laws will be back this afternoon (they went to Canada for a wedding and will come back here until Tuesday, then head back home.) I enjoy their company and their visits. They live in Massachusetts so it's a treat for them to spend time with the kids.

This time, we'll see if they provide a distraction for the tensions in the house, or help it to blow up. That's all I'm saying.

I've also been following this story.

Mother, father killed returning from daughter's Muhlenberg graduation

It's really hit home because Jacy's roommate is the daughter of the pastor that I work for, and because I also graduated from Muhlenberg College. (although it was a million years ago). I also know the road, and the area. I can't imagine the horror of such a joyous day turning so tragic. This woman's life has completely changed. She's still in a coma with multiple severe injuries.

Hug your kids, your spouse, your parents. Be safe. Be careful.

Enjoy the day.

The truely bizarre

Okay, when my kids were young, I breastfed them. I had nothing against formula - I used it on occasion when I had someone else watching them or I couldn't nurse. But I believed "breast is best" - it was convenient (no boiling water and mixing formula), cheap (duh!), easy, and comforting - for my children and for me. It was a forced slow-down, moments of quiet and respite from the craziness. I loved that stage of their lives and my life.

I let both of my children decide when they were ready to move on. I was in no rush, but as they became mobile and independent, they preferred to drink from a cup and be able to look around. They were both between 13 and 15 months old when they weaned. I would have let them continue - maybe (for me) until 2 years old. I was in no rush, but I do think there's a developmental milestone that kids reach at different ages - like learning to walk, potty train, read.

But check out this YouTube video . I think it's truly bizarre. Go ahead, check it out - it's a woman who's still breastfeeding her 8 year old. Yes, I know the video is a few years old, but it's still strange.

Hola!

..... Mi amigo de Espana!

Pienso que está interesante ver donde a gente venir de cuando ella está leyendo este "blog". California, Luisiana, Wisconsin, Connecticut.....

Deseo que usted los lectores dijera el " hi" , porque soy curioso.

Gracias por la lectura, yo esperan que usted encuentra algo de interés.

Enjoy the day!

Men in Trees

No, no. I mean Cats in Trees.

Yup. It's a classic cliche, but it happened tonight. Darling daughter's cat, Koala, bolted for the door when the kids were taking out the trash and recycling tonight. Yes, they had both doors open, like they live in a barn or something. :-)

Koala got a taste of freedom and sat smugly under DH's car in the driveway. DD was being level-headed and got a broom to poke her out towards the garage.

Nice plan, but Number One Son was in the way, blocking her charge for the garage and the door to home. So, she bolted in the direction of freedom - the back end of the car, left unguarded. She cavorted around the yard and then whizzed right up the tree. Like lightening.

Level-headed daughter turned into hysterical, distraught, sobbing child.

We got the cat food can to entice her. She pranced and gamboled onto another branch.

She didn't look too worried.

We did the special cat noises - you know, something like shweshwwesh over and over.

She wasn't interested.

We got the ladder. She scampered over and up to a higher branch.

DD sounded like she was strangling and gurgling, she was sobbing so hard.

I would have laughed, but DD was so obviously upset.

We went in search of favorite cat toys (the laser pointer is a favorite for amusement - ours and the cats.)

DH heard the commotion and opened the ladder to its fullest height. Cat jumped over him to another branch.

We gave DH the cat food. Koala was only mildly intrigued. He grabbed her, she grabbed the tree.

One more time, and she made the mistake of getting a little closer, and DH grabbed her without falling off the ladder.

DH saved the day! Our hero!

DD is now snuggling with her kitty and calming down.

Such drama.

aahhhh... the weekend

And nothing, NOTHING planned as far as kid activities. :-)

Darling husband went to his parents to celebrate the retirement of a dear friend who was his hs music teacher, 35 years ago. This man is retiring, yet he's still young and hip. He is extremely gifted musically and helped dh put together a kickin' rock band when he (dh) was the chair of a national conference last year in Boston. The members were all Y professionals and amateur musicians, but they ROCKED. Really.

Anyway, Peter was also one of the groomsmen in our wedding 14 years ago, and a really good friend. I'm sorry I didn't go with him, but after last weekend (the youth group fast), and some work commitments this weekend - it feels really good not to have to travel.

Originally, the weekend was filled with hockey and baseball, but the schedules changed. I still am the deacon at church and darling daughter is the acolyte and number one son has confirmation class - so we do have conflicts. And cats. And an elderly dog, 2 mice and a fish. *Someone has to care for them, right?

Anyway, today I need to motivate the kids (crack the whip, bribe, connive, threaten) to do some yard work, do the housecleaning that I've been avoiding and get ready for the invasion of the in-laws next week. (I love them - dearly, I just always have a lot to do to bring the house up to a level of readiness suitable for company, which can be a little stressful)

Then we might go to the Lilac Festival - they have a cool crafts festival there and sometimes good bands. Dh went to see Marshall Tucker last week and 2 years ago I took the kids to see Teddy Geiger. ( I know, crazy - but he's a hometown sensation)

Last night number one son went to the movies with a friend and I took darling daughter to finally see "National Treasure". I LOVED it, what a great movie. :-) Tonight I'm planning to meet church families and youth at the Drive-In movies to see the latest Narnia movie. Should be fun, but cold.

Enjoy the day.

It's Wednesday

I haven't posted since Monday, so I feel like I should come up with something, but I'm not "feelin' it".

What I really need to do is a massive spring cleaning, de-cluttering, garden weeding and hook up the hot tub.

On second thought, I can hide here. It's cheaper and less disruptive than planting a few explosives around the property, which is what is really called for. You probably think I'm being overly dramatic. I assure you, with all sincerity, that I'm not.

I'm not brave enough to post pictures.

I may be forced to take action soon, though, as I smell the scent of cat ammonia wafting through the air. I think the offending litter box is the one that number one son has placed in his bedroom so he can trap the cat in there at night with him. I do not approve of litter boxes in bedrooms, but since I'm not sleeping there, I acquiesced on that one. (I guess I spelled that right since it's not underlined by spell check)

I'm overwhelmed by mounds of laundry - and I swear I'm not letting it pile up. It accumulates as fast as I wash it. I think the people in this house wear multiple outfits when I'm not looking.

And the poor dog is so old that he poops every day. Because of that, he's banished to the laundry room, which can't be too much fun for him. :-(

And ants. They're back. For the astronomic fee we paid to Orkin, he's coming back. Tomorrow. Not fast enough. I've lost my appetite seeing them in so many places like butter dishes, and cereal boxes. (Maybe the no appetite thing has an upside)

Enough whining. Gotta go make an attempt on this mess.

You're not going to believe this...

A few weeks ago, I wrote about being frustrated with my number one son calling me from school complaining of a headache, an earache, not feeling well, etc. I thought he was avoiding something at school or being a wimp.

Well, last night he was playing back yard ball and got hit in the head. He came home and we put an ice pack on it and after a few minutes he was foraging in the fridge for leftovers for dinner.

How bad could it be if he was chowing down? We gave him a tylenol, told him this wasn't an excuse to call in sick to school and went to bed. He wandered into our room around 4 AM saying he couldn't sleep. Not too unusual, he's sleepwalked before. He wanted to go on the computer and I told him, no way, go back to bed. Fast forward to this morning - he gets up, gets the paper, makes toaster waffles (I know, I'm Mom of the Year), and plays with the cat. No complaints, I send him off with a tylenol just in case.

Dontcha know it, I get a call from the school nurse around 10 AM - it's like clockwork, I swear.

But she makes me feel guilty that I shouldn't mess a round if he got hit in the head, so I call the pediatrician. I explain to the receptionist what happened, as as my reservations that he's been pulling this crap for a few weeks now. She, too says that he should be seen since he got hit in the head. Oy Vey! So we go.

The doctor is thorough and asks about the headaches, talks about eye strain, asks about water consumption, does a vision test, blood pressure, etc. Turns out we should see the eye doctor, his prescription probably changed - I kind of knew that, he was due in the summer anyway.

But here's where it gets good.

The doctor looks into his ears as part of the work up and I warn her she might find potatoes and carrots. We chuckle and she looks in the second ear and says " You've got to look at this" She says there's something green in there. I look in an see something yellowish green and round. I immediately knew what it was.

A plastic BB! Number one says no way, they aren't green.
uh-huh, yes they are.
Two and a half weeks ago, he went to a b-day party where they all played with airsoft bb guns in the wooods. They all had goggles, and some had helmets, and they shot at each other. Typical 12 year olds, right?

Number one son came home and said he had an earache, he got hit in the head. No biggie, take some tylenol and don't shoot at each other next time, numbskull. Makes sense, right?

*That was the Monday that the school nurse sent him home with an earache and general malaise. Turns out she didn't even look in his ears! He hasn't had an earache since then and it wasn't bothering him, but it was not coming out on its own. The dr tried to use tweezers and to flush it out - no go. So she referred us to an ENT specialist, but said there was no rush.

I called and they took him this afternoon and had to use some vacuum hose contraption and finallt got it out.

Can you imagine? A BB in your freakin' ear for 2 and a half weeks!?

On top of it, the ped says that if a kid has a headache following a head hit, they consider it a mild concussion and they usually prohibit sports for a week (ack! hockey and baseball several times this week!), but she said it was hard to tell since he's been getting other headaches, so she said he had to sit out tonight and then keep a headache log for two weeks.

what a weekend!

The youth groups that I work with had a "30 Hour Famine" to pray and fast and raise money to alleviate hunger and poverty issues.

It wasn't a big crowd of kids, but they were great kids! They had better willpower than I did. I admit that I snuck a granola bar or two over the course of the day, and I *still got a wicked headache.

We did "drive-by prayers", where we piled in the church van and went to different houses and churches and said a prayer, then stuck a note on the door with a message that we held them in prayer and why we were doing it. It was fun because it was midnight and we felt a little ridiculous holding hands and praying in public. But once we were past that, it was fun. And meaningful.

We also baked cookies and delivered them to a nursing home and to the ER waiting room at a local hospital. We also went to an inner-city grass roots ministry that reaches out to kids in a really troubled neighborhood. We washed windows, hung blinds and sorted through boxes and boxes of games and books. At the end, we broke our fast with pizza and wings. But honestly, at that point I had such a headache that I really wasn't hungry. It didn't help that I went to sleep at 1:30 AM (the kids were still watching a movie) and slept on a floor. OUCH.

And my night wasn't over. Darling daughter was singing with her school chorus at the Red Wings game - at the 7th inning stretch which wasn't until about 8:30. Number one son wanted to stay for the fireworks, but I pleaded for mercy and he relented.

DD and a friend were oblivious to the ball game and eating funnel cakes when a foul ball came right towards us and fell right between their shoulders! It frightened us all and I could just imagine blood, tears and a concussion. They took the ball and got it signed by the two team mascots - Spikes and Mitzi. 3 more foul balls landed in our section - which was filled with families and classmates from her school.

I had plans to go to church this morning - I was the assistant minister and doing the children's message; but after sweating all night and having a massive headache in the wee hours of morning, I gave in and called the pastor at 7:45 and told her I was ill. I went back to bed and woke up around 12:30 - we were supposed to meet darling husband for a nice lunch and boat ride. After a cup of coffee ( I think the caffeine helped, I'm pretty sure it was a migraine - I felt nauseous and shakey and the lights hurt) I felt better and we all showered and dressed to meet darling husband and family friend at the boat.

We nixed the boating idea as it was very windy and choppy but had a HUGE early dinner at a great Italian/ steak restaurant by the marina. I ate enough for 2 days! Gorgonzola covered porterhouse steak, garlic bread sticks, salad, broccoli, wine and a mojito. Finished off with a shared ice cream covered, chocolate drizzled funnel cake. Yum. :-)

I feel much better now :-)

I hope you all enjoyed the day!

too much on the schedule

And it's not fun stuff either.

I work part-time. Sounds nice, huh? And I really like what I do. A lot of it is flexible and stuff that I can plan that includes my family. I actually get paid to do things like have family make-your-own-pizza nights, hikes, bike rides, movies, etc.

Except that I have not one, not 2, but 3 part-time jobs.

I work for a church as the office administrator for about 25 hours a week. I type the church newsletters and bulletins and keep the parish records. That's great and the pastor I work for is funny with a wry sense of humor. I also plan youth and family programs and coordinate small group ministries for 2 other churches. They're kind of related - I try to include both churches when I plan activities.

But the meetings are going to run me ragged. I have church council meetings to attend, youth group meetings, Strawberry Social planning meetings, and this weekend? A 30 Hour Famine sleep over with youth. Yes, a famine. That means no eating until Saturday dinner. :-(
(You can bet that I'm going to seriously sneak in a few granola bars in my bag)

Oh, and my Darling husband has a crazy schedule, too - fundraising dinners, board meetings, receptions with volunteers and doonors, blah, blah, blah and a fair amount of travel. And the kids have sports, open houses,.... you know the drill.

I like the work, but with multiple employers and congregations, I'm trying to be in too many places at once! The problem is that I'm attached to all of these places and feel that it's not just a job, it's a calling and so it would be easier to find work at one place, I don't want to leave any of them.

What to do?

argghhh

You know, I'm really glad I have this as a cathartic release. Because if I didn't, I might pull out my hair or tar and feather my children. I wonder if I could blog from a jail cell. Do you think they have wifi?

I don't really care if anyone is reading this or not, it's good for me.

I could literally feel my eyes bulging out this morning. And I'm an easy going kind of gal.

My darling daughter is a procrastinator - a pro. I've written before about her time-wasting antics, but this morning takes the cake.

She was sitting with me on the couch before breakfast and I went through a verbal checklist of the things she should have done before she lazed around or played with the cats.
Books gathered? Yup.
Homework in book bag? Yup.
Everything you need? Yup.

Why don't you use this time to pack your lunch? In a minute Mom.
You could get dressed? In a minute Mom.
Well, then let's get your cereal, might as well get a head start. Okay.

Flash forward to the breakfast table. Darling children are both entranced by the hidden pictures on the back of the cereal box. I come out of my coffee reverie to remind them that they don't have time for that nonsense. I give them 5-7 minute updates about the time, reminding them ever so gently and lovingly that they should be getting dressed, brushing teeth, packing bags. Yeah, right. I started harping on them to hurry up. Darling daughter puts down the cereal box and is holding the cat against her will. Reminder from me to get upstairs - the bus comes in like, 5 minutes.

I see the bus through the back yard at the neighbor's house. I call out a warning. Darling daughter comes tearing past me in a panic looking for her journal. Yes, the journal that she LIED to me and told me was already packed. In between taunting her about the time, number one son says "Why do I smell nail polish?"

Oh my gosh, somebody hold me back!!! I swear I need a whip.

No more Ms. Nice Guy. I'm going to start the day with a loud whistle, a bucket of ice water and a drill sargeant from the local National Guard office.

I can NOT believe that she had the audacity to put on nail polish when she was late. She did not brush her teeth or her hair! She went flying out of the house, with her backpack flying behind her to race to the corner as her very nice bus driver waited for her. I am so taking away all of her nail polish. It's a beautiful day and she's grounded. What else can I do? I really can't beat her or pull out her fingernails.

Arghhhh.

Enjoy the day. I need a Prozac or something.

Aaahhh

Mondays.

I really should plan on getting up earlier so that I can be better prepared for them.

The flurry of cereal boxes and bowls, the cats clamoring for a nibble of canned tuna, the dog frantically woofing to be let out for a morning pee, the lunches and snacks and garbagemen in the street.

All I want is a peaceful spot for my morning coffee without hollering for my kids to hurry with 7 minute warnings about the time. ::::sigh:::

Anyway, Feliz Cinco De Mayo!

We're having tacos at mi casa este noche. It's a kid favorite and appropriate for the occasion. Maybe it's not creative or a culinary masterpiece, but it'll do.

Hmmm, I can spice things up a bit with margaritas for moi. (yesh, I *know that's French) Or maybe make the kids eat wearing serapes and big hats. What do you think?

Enjoy the day.

Sundays

.... are a day of rest, it appears.

I just got back from doing the CROP Walk with darling daughter and some folks from a consortium of churches. It was a 5 mile walk, but dd and I bailed out at about the 3.5 to 4 mile mark. Frankly, I was glad that she started pooping out and getting a little surly, because my dogs were hot and tired. Woof.

Remember the last time I took an extended walk? This was a bit better, and a much faster pace, but my you-know-what still hurts - the stitches are *still healing and I'm still on antibiotics to clear up an infection I developed under the stitches and soft tissue. Ugh.

So thats my story and I'm stickin' to it.

It couldn't *possibly be because I'm out of shape or eat too much ice cream, right?

Anyway, I'm back at the ranch and resting my tootsies and fighting off the urge to nap, and I'm surfing around to my favorite blogs, boards, and games and it seems like almost everyone is taking the day off.

Harumph. I might actually have to go fold laundry.

Number one son won his baseball game and got a few good hits. Darling husband is relaxing (I hear snoring) in front of a hockey game, and darling daughter finished her homework and is trying to clean her room (that's because I threatened to toss it all).

Now if only I didn't have to cook dinner. :::sigh:::

Enjoy the day.

more addictions

I went grocery shopping last night on the way home from the Y.

It's probably not a good idea to shop on a Friday night, when you're hungry and tired. I wasn't going to do BIG SHOPPING.

Just a FEW QUICK THINGS for breakfast. You know, maybe $30-40.

Uh-huh. I spent $154.73

Not that I didn't need most of it, but I think I got carried away on skin care products. I needed moisturizer, and I've been thinking of improving my skin care routine. Something drastic like actually removing my make-up before I go to bed and something to get into my frown furrows. (is it any wonder I have *those?)

I definitely got confused between all the cleanser and moisturizer choices. Did I need an invigorating or a renewing scrub? Anti-aging or age-defying? Micro-beads or alpha-hydroxy something or other? Intense wrinkle-filling serum or night-time eye defense cream? I ended up buying too much and blowing some of my grocery budget.

The other aisles were easy - a few cereals, milk, eggs, some juice boxes and snacks for the kids, cat food... oh and let's just grab some ice cream, it's been a while.

I was going to grab a half gallon of Turkey Hill or Perry's or Wegmans, but I was thinking about how I missed out on Ben and Jerry's FREE CONE DAY. :-(

.... And about how much I used to love Rainforest Crunch (discontinued), Wavy Gravy (discontinued), Dastardly Mash (discontinued), and Phish Food (still around) and Chunky Monkey (still around).

So I decided to try Creme Brulee. I bought it on Friday night. At around 10 PM.
When I was making dinner tonight I had the last 2 spoonfuls. That's all that was left after I forced myself to put it away last night. You might have noticed the sticky keys on last night's post.

Definitely an addiction that my rapidly expanding waistline doesn't need.

addictions

yup. I have a few.

And I'm not talking about wine, ice cream or chocolate. Those are medicinal, obviously, and thus are exempt.

I'm not even talking about the computer.

Although sometimes I think I should.

No I'm talking about games.

Last year it was those maddening never-ending internet puzzles. You know, the ones where you have to solve a visual or word puzzle on a page before you can click through to the next one.

Right now it's Scrabulous and Scramble.

Before that it was Word Whomp. Hey, I thought the little gophers or groundhoogs or whatever were cute.

Long before I was on the internet, it was crossword puzzles and Games magazine. I even have one of those wall size crossword puzzles.

Now it's 11:15 PM and I'm involved in 9 simultaneous games of Scrabulous through Facebook.

Geesh, I need a life.

In my defense, darling husband isn't back in town yet.

Hey, if you can't sleep, you can find me for a game.

Messes

Everywhere.

My house is a mess.
At least not *this messy, but it is bad.

My car is a mess.
Worse than this.

My relationship with my children is fast becoming a mess.

My work is even a mess (but they don't know that - I am holding it minimally together)

My kid's rooms are a mess.
Like this.

My cats's litter boxes are a mess.
Worse than this. Hah. That pic is really a cake. :-)

My computer files are a mess.

My purse is a mess.

I'm too chicken to post real pics.

But I am not exaggerating.

And both of my children missed their school buses this morning. I drove darling to daughter to school. I made number one son walk. Mean? I don't think so. He walks home every day by choice, so I know he can do it. Besides, he's downright rude and disrespectful.

So, daughter got a ride and he didn't. But, I. am. the. MEANEST. Mom. In-the-world. Yup, it's true. And I suck. And I ruin his life. See why I didn't drive him?

Shuffle off to Buffalo

I drove to Buffalo this afternoon.

And back.

I left from point A at 1 PM. I returned to point A at 4:30 PM.

I think I spent all of 35 minutes at the destination.
It was 85 miles one way.

I'm tired. I think I drove at least 15 of those miles with my eyes closed. The rest of the time I fiddled with the satellite radio to entertain myself and keep from running off the road.

Why did I do this?

This is why.

After a month of preparations, DH went there this morning to take delivery of our boat. (Yay! Woohoo!) My job was to bring his friends who are accompanying him on the journey from Lake Erie through the Welland Canal to Lake Ontario and to our home port. Since it's a one way trip, they couldn't leave their cars there.

I'm not missing out on anything. It's good for him to get this out of his system - you know - the swears, aggravation and paranoia that come with driving anything new. And the canal is big, industrial and dirty.

They're sleeping 5 guys on a boat and it's cold. I took the kids out to dinner, I'm wrapped in a blanket, and enjoying a glass of wine. It'll be *much warmer next weekend when we go for our Mother's Day cruise. :-)

It's been 2 days

I need to come up with something.

Last night dh and I went to a nice dinner at the art gallery, sponsored by a big bank here in town. They do this once or twice a year and invite their big banking clients (not *us, the YMCA). It's a lot of fun, and the drinks flow freely. :-) I do behave myself, as I'm there as the First Lady of the YMCA. ;-)

Anyway, they have a tradition of mixing up the seating - spouses don't sit with each other - which is great for conversation and meeting new people, unless you're shy or uncomfortable with that. I love it, so I think it's fun. Besides, I can talk with dh at dinner any night.

Each table has a muckety-muck bank exec who plays host. I knew him (very nice) and several other people at our table - they'd all done business (construction, design, etc for the Y). Anyway, he decided to introduce politics as a topic of conversation.

Yup. Uh-oh. We had some folks with very strong opinions at our table, including a French businesswoman who is a staunch Hillary supporter and thought Americans were basically uninformed and ill-prepared to make any election decision. I left the table to make a phone call to check on number one son who was dropped off at home after hockey, so I missed the fireworks; but when I got back to the table, one of the men was GONE. He left the table in a huff because she was argumentative and kept dismissing his opinions.

Now, I don't care what side of the political fence you're on, the bottom line (to me) is:
1) it's great that we have the choices we do (how ever limited you may think they are - it's better than in a lot of countries) and
2) no matter how ill-prepared or uniformed or biased you may be - your vote counts *exactly the same as the person next to you and thus your opinion is just as valid.

I have to say, it definitely wasn't boring.

And afterwards, we got to tour the museum and see the new exhibit of American Impressionist painters.

I had fun. :-)

On the brighter side...

.....It's FREE CONE DAY at Ben and Jerry's.


Woohoo!

:-)

I wonder how many times I can go today? I think I need at least a double dose after my recent loss, don't you?


Life is good.

10:14 PM Update

I MISSED Free Cone Day.

How perfect. :-(

I forced number one son to go to school today, despite his protests that he was on death's door and that I SUCK because I'm mean. I caved yesterday and picked him up at lunch for an ear ache, but com'on, he slept a gazillion hours and had enough spunk and energy to argue with me. I think that qualifies as well enough to schlep off to school.

Anywhooo, he was well enough to walk home from school and not take the bus. so, I told the kids that we'd go to Free Cone Day later on - woohoo! right?

I fed them early, took them off to number one son's frigid baseball game. (45 degrees!? WTF? - last week I got a sunburn) Anyway, dh arrived to cheer him on, so I took darling daughter to run a few errands - drop off dry cleaning, rob a bank to afford a few ounces of gas before I ran out (now *that would be embarrassing), and sneak off to the mall to find something cute to wear to a work event with dh tomorrow and try on some new bras. (Don't I know how to live on the wild side?)

After all that, dd and I were on our way home (after dutifully stopping for milk for breakfast) and we realized we missed it. :-(

No chunky monkey, no cherry garcia, no chubby hubby. ::: sniff:::

I'm consoling myself with leftover lasagna (NOT as good as Karen's) and a glass of merlot.

See you tomorrow,

Tragedy strikes

Well, I didn't think it was actually a tragedy until it affected me.

Yes, I'm shallow.

The computer downstairs in the family room crashed last week.

Dd and I successfully printed some stuff for her science fair mouse project; and then ds wanted to boot up to play Runescape. He has this bad habit of not waiting until the little hour glass thingy stops and keeps pressing buttons and getting frustrated. He's been warned. And banned a few times.

Because of his crippling addiction to Runescape, the time he gets on the machine is rationed and monitored (sometimes ineffectively) by AOL parental controls. (Did you know that you can use them in Internet Explorer now, not just when signing in to AOL?)

Anyway, he *claims that it just froze and that he DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
"Really Mom, I didn't. It just went black." Uh-huh.

Anyway, I wasn't terribly upset. We had a computer geek guru coming over anyway to fix something on DH's computer. When I tried to reboot it, I got a message that something ws corrupted. Number one son could suffer a little without his precious game. Heck, the weather turned nice, go outside and play. And baseball and spring hockey started last week.

Then the news starting getting bad. When computer geek guru looked at it and inserted the start-up disk, he was puzzled because none of his abracadabra worked. So, he took the offending machine away to his magic den.

Then the really bad news came. He couldn't get ANYTHING off the hard drive. Nothing. Zipo. Nada. It's gone. All of it. Now, I've been using a nifty little Apple Macbook since June so I wasn't toooo worried.

Until I realized that all photos for about a year or so prior to my laptop were lost.
Okay, disapointing, but I can deal. If I couldn't remember what was there, I wouldn't miss it right? Besides, Dh has some stuff on the digital video camera.

Then I started thinking more.

All, ALL of my music was on Windows Media Player there. I bought a Sansa mp3 player before I went to the Apple, and so everything I own was on that. Was.

In a misguided attempt to declutter my life and home, I sold all of my CDs at a local consignment shop. And no, not all of my music was on the mp3 player. I ran out of memory. Yes, my wonderful dh bought me more memory - a memory card ( a year ago) and I never used it. I am just sick thinking about all that music gone. GONE.

And I feel stupid.

I think I need a large glass, no goblet of wine. Now. Yes, I realize it's before noon.

I know I'm going to hell for laughing at these

Okay, I have a bad habit of peeking in on blogs around the net. I'm not picky, some are rude, some are thoughtful, some are funny.

It's kind of like watching trashy reality tv - I know there are better things to do with my time, but I just can't help it.

Here's one I read semi-regularly, and last night, it was just too true:
http://www.thewvsr.com/042508.htm

Doesn't it make you feel a little superior about your fashion, manners, and parenting when you're in a crowd like that? It's a good little ego boost once in a while to remind you that you're not doing everything wrong.

Here are 2 more:
http://www.uglyoutfitsnyc.com/
http://fannypackantics.com/

What do you read? What do you find amusing and/or are slightly ashamed of? Your guilty-pleasure web reading?

Creepy crawly things

no, they don't go bump in the night, but I don't doubt that they crawl over us at night.

:::shudder:::

We have ants. Lots of them. The really big ones. Carpenter ants. They always surface this time of year, but they seem really bad this year. They've taken over the cereal boxes in the pantry. They are particularly fond of Honey Smacks. :-(

They've joined the spiders. Little ones. Everywhere. In the bathroom on the wall. The ceiling of the shower. Over the kitchen sink. This morning a HUGE black one was in the kitchen. Number one son said it was in his hair, he brushed it of (cool as a cucumber). Then he told darling daughterthat she stepped on it. She screamed and shrieked like something out of a horror movie. Then dropped the phone book on it. The yellow pages. Hah. There was a lot of yucky spider juice everywhere.

I've called the man from Orkin. He'll be here this afternoon. Not nearly soon enough. I expect John Goodman from Arachnophobia to show up and do a thorough inspection.

I almost died of a heart attack this morning. Number one son came up behind me and placed something cool and wiggly on my neck. I jumped and screamed and then tripped and nearly went face first into the kitchen counter. I'm sure that motion was really good for my stitches. Not.

It was a plastic snake. I don't usually fall for that nonsense, but this was moments after the spider excitement. Oy. Or, as my grandmother would always say, Uff da.

Oy

Have you heard about this:
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=143101&in_page_id=2

Naked Vlogging, or video blogging on You Tube.

Umm, no. Hell, no.

Not that they really *show anything, You Tube has it's standards, you know. But, really, why?

Not me, nope. Maybe I *am old.

What will they think of next?

Who I'd like to meet..

Anyone interesting. Well, duh. But I'm not pickey - they could be famous, or not. I just like to find out (as Paul harvey would say) "the rest of the story".

Including, but not limited to: Martin Luther, my great-grandparents,the Queen of England, Harriet Tubman, Walt Disney, Lynn Johnston, Gary Larson, message board posters,....

I'm not sure why Harriet Tubman is listed there, I actually wrote the list for my now defunct MySpace page. But why not? She's at least as interesting as anyone else from the past and she did some amazingly courageous stuff.

And Lynn Johnston and Gary Larson are two cartoonists who I'd like to get inside of their minds. How do they come up with the their funny insights?

Ouch

dammit.

&*^&*%&*% I just typed out a thoughtful post (yeah, really. and semi-interesting, too - but you'll bnever know that *now) and it got swallowed up in cyber space.

I wrote about sunburn and spring/summer weather; about baseball practice and a spring hike.

Grrr. It's lost now and I don't feel lilke recreating it.

:-PPPPP

Things *are happening around here

I just don't seem to have the time to put them down on paper, er, computer.

Last weekend was a blast - it was busy and I was exhausted, but it was great to have Emma's godparents John and Denise visit for her First Communion; and for my brother Erik and his wife, Sue to come up as well.

We hung out, we laughed, we ate, we lounged in the hot tub (Boy, am I glad I got it out of my laundry room), we drank, we ate. Okay, I didn't go in the hot tub, but I wanted to. Doctor's orders.

Did I mention that we ate and drank? And laughed.

Woo, boy. And then I slept all day on Monday.
But it was worth it.

So, I have a little time this morning, and what do you know? I forgot what it was that I was going to write about. Grrrr.

Isn't that always the way?

I have to get ready to go to a funeral today. Another one of my friends' mom died. I hate that we're at that age where we're losing parents. It sucks.

This could definitely be worse...

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.1
Mind:	8
Body:	6.6
Spirit:	8
Friends/Family:	7.2
Love:	5.5
Finance:	6.8
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

And of course, things could always be better. I guess I should say it's a 10 point scale. :-)
Take the quiz and rate your life.
Yes, of course, I took this off another blog I read.
It's a beautiful, sunny, warm day - I wonder if that influences people's answers and rating?

Kristin-ology

I copied this from Kate who ripped it off from someone else. No tagging, just a survey with random questions. Copy the list, edit the answers, and call it your name with "ology" on the end.


MOUTHOLOGY

Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. A really good bleu cheese or bleu cheese vinigraitte (sp?).

Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. eh, I don't really have one, but that doesn't mean I don't frequent what's convenient. :-)

Q. What is your favorite sit down restaurant?
A. Depends on the city. :-)

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. about 20% or more

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A. Steak, or a good salad, or potatoes.....

Q. What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. Cheese. And lots of it.

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A. Butter and honey

TECHNOLOGY

Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A. a pic of our Sea-Ray boat

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A. Too many. 3 But there's none in my living room or kitchen. :-)

BIOLOGY

Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right.

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. Teeth, splinters and more.

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. I haven't had too many - my first was in my late 20's, so I'm not sure.

Q. What is the last heavy item you lifted?
A. I'm not supposed to lift anything heavier than 5 lbs for about another month. :-)

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. No.

BULLCRAPOLOGY

Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. No. But I would want to finish everything and clean my house.

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
A. I don't think I would.. Maybe just change it to Kirsten

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Corals, sort of?

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. Gum. I don't remember swallowing any other non-food item.

Q. Have you ever saved someone’s life?
A. No. Don't think so.

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. Depends on how you interpret that.

DAREOLOGY

Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. Maybe.

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
A. No way, Jose!

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. Um yeah… I'm new at this anyway.

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A. Nobody, but nobody wants to see that..

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
A. I'd try. Would I be able to have a beverage of my choosing on hand?

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?
A. Absolutely not.

DUMBOLOGY

Q. What is in your left pocket?
A. Nothing.

Q. Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A. It's not good, but parts are humurous.

Q. Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A. Both

Q. Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A. Stand.

Q. Would you live with roommates?
A. One husband, 2 children, 2 cats, 2 mice, one dog and one fish

Q. How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
A. Too many

Q. Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A. I don't think I've ever had a "run-in", but my last speeding ticket was several years ago.

Q. Who is number 1 on your Top 8?
A. Huh? Is this the same as the Friends' List of Five?


LASTOLOGY

Q: Last Friend you talked to?
A: Friend? I've only talked to family today.

Q: Last person who called you?
A: A spam call :-(

Q: Last person you hugged?
A: My son, he fell off his skate board a few minutes ago.

Q: Last person to stick their foot in your face?
A: My daughter.

FAVORITOLOGY

Q: Number?
A: 7 or 13

Q: Season?
A: Fall

CURRENTOLOGY

Q: Missing someone?
A: Mom and Dad, definitely

Q: Mood?
A: Ambivalent.

Q: Listening to?
A: Yankees game in the background

Q: Watching?
A: Staring blankly at my computer screen.

Q: Worrying about?
A: Family, peace, deadlines.....

RANDOMOLOGY

Q: First place you went this morning?
A: nail salon :-) But it was really the afternoon.

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: See family and friends this weekend!

Q: What's the last movie you saw in theater?
A: Wow, it's been so long, I'm not sure. But I've seen a lot on my DVR this week.

Q: Do you smile often?
A: I try to.

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: Yes, I think so.

Move along, nothing to see here

Sorry folks, I've been a slacker. No updates in a week. :-(

I'm slowly trying to get back into my routine, but it's still really hard to limit my reaching, lifting, bending, etc - and when I do, I regret it and suffer for it.

And when I try to resume semi-normal activity levels, I find myself tired and in need of a nap. :-) That's not all bad, but it shows me that I do need to slow down.

I had 40 dollars worth of gift cards and Borders Bucks, so in a moment of generosity, I told my kids that I would share and let them pick out a book. That was great, except that I picked out more than I thought and ended up owing about 10 more bucks on top of the gc's. grumble...grumble....

Oh well, there are worse vices. :-)

These are 3 of the books I got:
Alice Hoffman Skylight Confessions
Elizabeth Berg Dream When You're Feeling Blue
Marisa De Los Santos Love Walked In

(I tried to insert them as links, but I'm not that html savvy, apparently)

I'll try to keep up more.
Toodles.