I got creative today.....

I was wanting to create something today so I decided why not start with some pictures from a few days ago and do a scrapbook layout before I forget what I wanted to say.
I put Angelo's letter to Santa on the two pages...well, let's say ONE of his letters to Santa - he had about 3 going at any one time but this was the final letter right before Christmas. I broke it apart and scrapped it!

Not much else happenin' today other than the layout. I did manage to get out of bed before 11:00 a.m. I have an excuse though I was up until 2:00 a.m. watching the ER show on Discovery - pretty graphic but for some reason I like it. One of the patient's last night had been scalped by a piece of metal that flew through his windshield while he was driving down the road - can you say OUCH! It was pretty gross to boot, I almost couldn't handle it! Then he was worried about being disfigured on the back of his scalp from the accident. I have to say the gentleman had a pretty good self image if he was worried about the top back of his head being disfigured.

I finally finished the afghan I was crocheting on since this fall. I accomplished that late last night. I started on another afghan last night too - this one is pinks & browns - I think I am giving this one as a gift if it turns out half way decent.

I have to admit I have been kind of naughty the last couple weeks and ordered a few things off ebay...two cricut cartridges for cheap, cheap, cheap still in the original package (less than $25.00) and some fabric today....I really want to start quilting again. I accomplished a small quilt that turned out very nice a few years back and then had to have my gallbladder out and at the time I had 12 ornaments to finish for the exchange that year and then as we all know - time marches on and here I am 4 years later and haven't done anymore quilting. I plan to accomplish some more in 2009.

Tomorrow is the big celebration for the NEW year! We already have our reservations in at two places as we will be starting at one place and heading to another after dinner - "we like to move it, move it! One of the party goers is having a birthday too so things could get a little wild! I will have to have the old camera charged up and ready to go - I am always good for a few blackmail pictures that could show up at any given time anywhere on the world wide web!

Congrats goes out to some "NEW HOME OWNERS"! Way to go! So much closer to the rest of the world now! HA!

Ho-ho-ho and I thought I was going to die.......

Christmas was great - had a good time opening gifts and everyone of mine was a total surprise because I had no clue what I was getting - I scored! Angelo scored the biggest as always!

I got an awesome Brighton necklace with charms on it that I just love, love, love!

We hung out at home in the morning opening and playing with our gifts and then I whipped up an apple/huckleberry pie from some of the berries we picked in the summer. We hung out with my parents most of the afternoon and then called it a night and came home.

Once back at home I fell asleep on the sofa and woke up about 4:30 a.m. to go to bed and by 5:30 I was one sick chick. I spent the next 6 hours attached to the bathroom facilities in one way or another. NOT SO GOOD! At one point Joe asked if I wanted to go to the ER but I said "NO" and headed back to bed. Finally about 9:30 p.m. last night I was able to eat a cup of jello and drink some diet 7-up. I feel pretty much normal today but yesterday I seriously thought I was going to die!

We have the next week off on vacation - we were supposed to head to SLC but the roads are kind of treacherous and the Interstate has been closed off and on heading down south I-84 into Utah because of the winds & snow. I would hate to get that far and be stuck in that less than appealing (to me) part of the world!

I think I will play and look for something to do this afternoon/evening....something fun after my near death episode (okay, okay - so I may be stretching it a little)....at least my dogs hung out with me all day in bed and cuddled with me! That was probably the "best" Christmas present they could ask for....me sleeping with them all day between my "springing from the bed" to run to the bathroom.

Christmas Eve......

Well the big day is almost here.....

Tonight the BIG MAN in the RED SUIT shall fly through the sky delivering his special gifts to each of us.....some people think I deserve a bucket full of coal? What's up with that? I have been good, real good!

I am really having a hard time concentrating today on the work at hand! No wonder Ang has been so jacked the past few days especially! WOWEE....counting down the days and telling me each day how many days are left til Christmas.

I wanted to go to Wally World at 2:30 a.m. today but my lovely husband said I shouldn't.....first off he said I couldn't get "out" of the driveway - YA right, he has every morning why wouldn't "I" be able to get out of the driveway....I am woman, hear me roar, watch me plow through that snow! Secondly, he said he couldn't sleep and would be worrying about me at Wally World if I went! Thirdly, he said I would NOT be able to get back UP the driveway.....ya, again, right.....4 wheel drive and speed will get me up that sucker! I wasn't planning on taking the low rider....I was taking the CRV - DUH! Besides I didn't want to fight any crowds like it will be today and I thought perhaps, just maybe, if they got a shipment in there would be the highly sought after product of the week....a snow shovel! Yep, sold out all over town - no SS to be found anywhere! Go figure, we never have enough snow and especially that sticks around any length of time! Well I have a good 10 inches staring me in the face right now and more predicted in our weather fortune in the near future! I thought if I happened to find snow shovels I would buy a few extra and sell them on CRAIGSLIST and make money like they do with highly sought after local concert tickets - you know the old bend over and I will burn ya technique! Seriously, I could never do that to anyone....well, okay, maybe some naughty person but not the general population! Then I would feel guilty about my dirty deed for weeks/months...and probably years!

The funny thing about all the above chit-chat is dear Joe headed off to work this morning and apparently slipped on the stairs and fell on them.....I am laughing, it is NOT funny but I am laughing. It brings back memories of years prior when he did the same thing with a new puppy in his arm - only that day he was in his robe and sprawled out in the middle of the front yard in the snow with his tools exposed. The dog somehow survived that incident but no wonder she was a nervous nelly after that.....

I have called Home Depot and their truck that could possibly have snow shovels is stuck in Portland. The Kmart lady laughed at me when I asked if they had them. I stopped calling after that....I can only take so much humiliation on the Eve of Christmas.

There were blue skies this morning and I saw a flock of geese fly over in formation this morning - they are truly amazing to watch! It is beautiful just to see them flying in that "V" and how they switch positions around as they fly.

Afternoon has arrived and I still have not completed my blogation....I am getting ready to hit the town for a last minute rendevous with the items I think I must have. I located a possible SS delivery here in the VALLEY - SHHHH......I have a friend staked out at the hardware store awaiting the truck to unload the 100 shovels that came in on it today. That is a friend for ya, headin' out on Christmas Eve to grab 2 shovels for my mom & me. She is waiting patiently with 30 of her closest groupies who also want SS before more snow arrives.

Enjoy your Christmas Eve & who you share it with!

What I am "listening" to..............

I bought this CD a couple of weeks ago and broke it out this a.m. I absolutely love his voice! I hope he is successful in his career as a music maker!

Time keeps on tickin........

Well what a weekend.....


I spent Friday night at Joe's office Christmas party in combo with a retirement party for one of the "greatest" cancer doctors in the valley. It was fun and I laughed a lot - people away from the stress of work letting their office walls down and enjoying life. Food was great even all the SPAM recipes (the SPAM is a story in itself). Anyhow, this doctor is retiring and going to teach college courses in anatomy.....I saw WTG doctor but it will definitely leave a hole in the hearts of many patients and fellow doctors. He was my doctor when I had my battle with cancer and he was just an awesome doctor, you knew he truly cared!


After the party we hit Wally World and can you say "did the weirdos come out of the woods" Friday night or what - there was some interesting people wandering the aisles - kind of like Deliverance kind of people. We picked up a few of the last minute necessities from Wally World and headed home.

Saturday we woke up to more snow and headed out to Costco....early even.....but it was still a crazy scene....The lines were so long and Joe had so much fun standing in line the first time he decided to do it again (actually he had a friend who didn't have a card who was picking up an item for her parents so Joe was nice enough to bring her through on his card). I waited and visited with a nice gentleman from Garfield who was waiting for his family to come through the LONG line. Then we treated ourselves cuz Ang was with G&G and went to Thai Taste - YUM! I ran in to James there and chit-chatted a tid bit....

We then headed out to G&G's to pickup the kiddo and ended up staying a bit to visit. A meltdown ensued and we all left WITHOUT our Christmas spirit! I was supposed to go out with a friend shopping but had to cancel due to the current MOOD I was in.....Life sucks sometimes you know! Saturday evening turned around and ended on a positive note so that was great! I ended up crocheting some more on my blanket that I have been working on forever but it is almost done - I believe I have 8 more rows to go!

Sunday we went to lunch with some friends and ended up running in to James and her fam again - her kids are sooooo cute and I just had to ask "WHERE" they got their blonde hair - just to wind her up a bit!

I hooked up with a girlfriend and Joe hooked up with his friend and we went our separate ways to finish Christmas shopping for one another. WHEW - he is sooo hard to buy for! I am not exaggerating....he truly is!

Things I learned this weekend;
I am getting old - my body hurts after I shop for toooo long!

I ended last night by doing a bit of cleaning and throwing things out (AMAZING...yes, I know) but I have to say "good job Brenda" for accomplishing a few things. I then wrapped all of Joe's gifts but one which I will do tonight. I wanted Angelo to really help me on this last one.....because he is all excited about this gift and "disguising" it somehow so Joe can't figure out what it is!

We still have to get the tree up (ya, I know I am bad) but it is going to happen probably tomorrow night.

I work 2 more days and then I have 11 days off! Yippee! I can drink Rum & Coke or Tom & Jerry's or screwdrivers and not be accountable to the old workplace!

Can anyone interpret this for me..........

I have never been good at interpreting songs - I wanna know what this song is all about....I like it a lot!

THRIVING IVORY
"Angels on the Moon"

Do you dream, that the world will know your name
So tell me your name
Do you care, about all the little things or anything at all?
I wanna feel, all the chemicals inside I wanna feel
I wanna sunburn, just to know that I'm alive
To know I'm alive

Don't tell me if I'm dying, cause I don't wanna know
If I can't see the sun, maybe I should go
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming, of angels on the moon
Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon
Do you believe, in the day that you were born
Tell me do you believe?

Do you know, that everyday's the first of the rest of your life
Don't tell me if I'm dying, cause I don't wanna know
If I can't see the sun, maybe I should go
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming, of angels on the moon
Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon
This is to one last day in the shadows
And to know a brother's love
This is to New York City angels
And the rivers of our blood
This is to all of us, to all of us
Don't tell me if I'm dying, cause I don't wanna know
If I can't see the sun, maybe I should go
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming, of angels on the moon
Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon
You can tell me all your thoughts, about the stars that fill polluted skies
And show me where you run to, when no one's left to take your side
But don't tell me where the road ends,
cause I just don't wanna know, No I don't wanna know

Don't tell me if I'm dying
Don't tell me if I'm dying
Don't tell me if I'm dying

WHAT........

Christmas Tag
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper but "wow" bags are way easier!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial.
3. When do you put up the tree? well...hopefully before Christmas.
4. When do you take the tree down? Before February.
5. Do you like eggnog? Ummm that would be no - unless it is mixed in coffee then I can drink it.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A walking doll and kitchen set when I was 4.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband.
8. Easiest person to buy for? Angelo
9. Own a Nativity scene? Yes - it is white - Joe got it when he was still single in San Francisco.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards ? Sure, ya right.....
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't remember - I have been through therapy for it I am certain though....
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon's "CHRISTMAS VACATION"
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Not yet.....
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.....only because DiYan taught me that trick.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peppermint Ice cream.
16. Lights on the tree? Colored I think.....
17. Favorite Christmas song? Santa Baby
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home usually......
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? ANGEL one night, star the next night.....
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? morning....
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crowds of people and rush and rude people.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? The ones I have gotten over all the years.....
24. What is your favorite Christmas drink? Diet Pepsi with Egg nog.....
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new car....

I did it again.....

I "NEVER" cease to amaze myself....

So I just had to run to the bathroom to go potty - I took my water pill this a.m. - I think I missed the whole weekend of taking them so I am being a good girl today. So, I am sitting there not wanting to waste time so I am trying to clear my ears (yes, they are still plugged), I am plugging my nose and mouth and trying to pop them open - NOOO that didn't work either!

So I finish my duty and hop up and I don't now how or why but the next thing I know I am falling forward into the bathtub....so I turned to try to catch myself and that mission failed and I find myself laying on the edge of the bathtub on my side, my back hyperextended over the edge of the bathtub which popped as I hit.....and I might add my pants are down....I am laying there wondering if I just broke my back but WHEW....I could move and feel my toes, my next thought is THANK GOD I can move because this would just about put the cherry on top of my life....me, summoning an ambulance, them arriving with me sprawled out on the bathroom floor with my pants down.....don't EVEN picture that okay! Anyhow I managed to quickly get up....I still practiced good hygiene and washed my hands. The arm of my sweater is wet though and I am not sure how that happened.....

So far I feel okay - my ribs are burning a bit but what do I expect from that acrobatic feat?

I did call my dear husband to tell him I figured out what I wanted for Christmas.....I said a LIFELINE!!!! WOOHOO I am getting a new necklace with a pretty black button for me to push when "I have fallen and can't get up"!

Friday night celebrations....

I was in denial....you see Saturday we were going to go out of town to a cabin to play in the snow....with friends from sorority. Ang had been sick all week - it all started last weekend with a headache and fever, missed Monday & Tuesday of school, Wednesday was still not the best, Thursday he was suffering the big "D" and Friday he came home in a "mood" and whiny and crying....I was still thinking that he would HEAL by Saturday.....I was thinking this so positively that I went to the store on Friday night and bought him a new hat & gloves for the event!

I ventured out ALONE Friday night - I had hardly been out of the house all week....we needed Children's DRUGS....Oh and you probably don't want to refer to them as "DRUGS" in front of your child - just an FYI.....I said "I am going to get some DRUGS" - being funny and Angelo was like all over me like white on rice about DRUGS! Then I thought peachy, I can just see him going to school and telling everyone his mom went for DRUGS Friday night - ummm yaa...I can see the Valley DRUG Task Force knocking at my door already.

Anyhow, I ventured out and thought I would have some fun while I was out.....so I went to JoAnn Fabrics and wandered - I couldn't find a thing that I could not live without so I left there and treated myself to a special drink and then went to Shopko because I didn't want to FIGHT The WALMART Christmas SHOPPERS.....anyhow I get in, get out and get home and drug him up on the two Tylenol and send him on his merry way to bed......

I wrap my tasks up short of 11:00 p.m. and hit the hay also. At 12:53 he shows up in our bedroom sobbing, squeaking in his missing voice "I CAN'T take this anymore....I just can't take being sick" sob, sob, sob, "My throat hurts" sob, sob, sob, more "I can't take it" and then I fold and let him crawl into bed and it continues.....so at 1:45 finally I get up and go to the sofa to sleep and leave him in MY SPOT in the bedroom - everything went quiet and we all got a few hours of sleep. I was up at 7:30 a.m. and getting ready to beat the rush to the Minor Care when it opened.....We get there, get in 1st and they run a Strep which comes back positive. So we get the kid on antibiotics (not to be confused with DRUGS) and he is doing much better this a.m. but still speaking in a whisper.

So at any rate, when I should have been doing some Christmas shopping yesterday I was at the Minor Care, picking up anbiotics and a quick run to the grocery store for necessities.....an afternoon nap and making dinner last night. What a life huh - We should have been out of town at a cabin in the snow, laughing and staying warm by the fire........

I am doing fun things today and making Pretzel Hugs....who couldn't use a little extra heat from the oven when it is 14 degrees out......WHO ordered this ice cold weather anyhow?

HELP....we have been ELFED!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

My busyness..........

I created 12 recipe cards for my treat for my ornament exchange last Thursday night. Some ladies called me an "over achiever"....."OUCH" that hurt.....Six of the 12 stockings I handmade for the exchange...portions of each are hand felted.....It was fun to learn something new. I thought they turned out rather charming.

I created a photo folder with my Cricut.....

Down & Out in Lewiston, Idaho......

I will have to admit I am in a low spot in life (AGAIN) and feeling like a DUD......I have been sleeping a ton (whether that is the sadness I am in or the illness I am fighting I don't know...)

It all started about 5 weeks ago when I got this illness that has been kicking my butt now even after two rounds of antibiotics I still am feeling like have a pillow over my head and can't hear things, coughing, aching, and tired. I am ready to be well already - don't you think I have suffered long enough with whatever this is? I don't care WHAT anyone says I will not be submitting myself to a flu shot again....this all started about 10 days after I received my "free" shot.....a friend suggested that if I do get a shot next year to ask for the preservative free one - that I am possibly reacting to the preservatives in the mixture of whatever it is they inject into your body.

Someone in the house suggested I return to the doctor but I don't want to hear her say that it takes time again as I pay her my $20.00 copay.....THANK YOU VERY MUCH & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I have been working to complete my 12 ornaments that I made for the ornament exchange I am a member of, which took place last night.......that has kept me busy when I was feeling "alert" enough to felt on them and sew and cut them out.....it doesn't feel all that FINE to have a felting needle pierce your finger.....trust me on that one! Last night was our exchange and it was a load of fun even with my plugged ears and coughing spells. I will post photos as soon as I find my cable on my desk for the camera.....I took pictures of my creations and you can perhaps understand how detailed these were. 11 of my creations went to new homes last night and I hope everyone enjoys them as much as I do. It is so much fun to be together for a few hours and laugh out loud. I stayed late to help pick up with the organizers and another friend. I don't know how much I actually helped but I tried to be a helper.

I have, AGAIN, had some issues with my child being bullied - will this ever end? I am so DONE with schools these days - I am beginning to see why people opt to home school.....the system sucks people and it if it started to be straightened out NOW it would take a whole entire generation I think to get it back to a functional status. It is very, very, very sad to see what our public system is today from what it was 30 years ago. Something went very wrong when they started taking away discipline in the schools. Although this particular incident did not happen at the school it is the same two brats that were picking on him in school who have now taken it to the B&G Club.....apparently one choked him while the other punched him in the face.....of course, no one saw it and when Ang told the staff they didn't "hear" him (this is what I was told when I marched Angelo back into the club after picking him up that night).....and the staff apologized to him for not hearing him......I thought on this situation long and deep.....we wonder WHY there is a high rate of teen suicides and teens expressing frustration by shootings in schools....NOOO I am absolutely NOT condoning these things but what happens to a child who is bullied over and over for years and years and the system fails to hear them or stop bullies from picking on them? How long are children expected to put up with being picked on before they break? What is the answer to all this crap? This just hasn't set well with me with my being in a mood and not feeling well. I have said this before but "I AM DONE"....I said it a couple of years ago in a certain situation I was in with a family member. That is how I am now "I am DONE", I am done being Mrs. Nice and Smiley.....the bitch in me is beginning to bloom baby! I am certainly not saying my child does NOO wrong and is perfect but I am done apologizing for bringing these situations up to teachers and staff members! You are a part of molding my child's dreams and I fricking expect you to take it seriously! If the teachers and staff don't want to take care of these issues then perhaps an attorney needs to get involved or the law. I am DONE!

This on top of the holiday season, my illness and the mood I am in just isn't the grandest of combinations! You see this time of year I think about how much I miss people that are no longer here on this earth. The memories I have of these people and the laughter they brought to my life, not only my grandparents, aunts/uncles but dear friends who I may have only known for a short time or on a professional basis but they touched my life and changed me and I miss them! It probably doesn't help the situation by the books I have been reading on the concentration camps and the journeys people went through to save their families - I mean what better combination for the holiday season?

Sooooooo, in turn, I need to start digging myself out of this pitty party I am having and figure out how to find the JOY in the JOURNEY and the season we are in the midst of! Oh and by the way, sorry I didn't invite any of you to my PITTY PARTY....it is something I have to do ALONE....you see, in the eye of most I still paste on my smile and be happy......I hope I do a good job of covering up my PPP (private pitty party), it is quite the shin-dig sometimes! I try to function normally during the days and then by night I am so exhausted I crawl in bed by 9:00 which is unusual for me.

Any suggestions for dragging my self from the "PIT OF PITTY" are greatly appreciated but remember to "BE KIND" with your suggestions......

Just so you know....

100 Things About Me
Feel free to do this yourself too!

100 Things about me

I copied this tag from someone else's blog, it kind of shows that there are so many things in this world to do. I have done the one's that are highlighted. Enjoy!

1. Started your own blog (Duh, your reading it)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland /world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (the best thing I ever did!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Stayed up all night without going to sleep
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81.Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someones life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

THANKFULNESS.....or maybe not!

So here we sit less than 24-hours before the big Turkey Day! GOBBLE-GOBBLE!

We ventured out to Safeway to get groceries last night and I was amazed the stuff they were out of....you know little items like "TURKEYS"...ya - go figure??? Oh, they had the ELITE, MARINATED, Special ones that were priced at 25.00 for a 8 lb turkey but come on friends like do you want me to bend over so you can stuff ME??? They were out of coconut - ya - no coconut....figure that one too? and COOL WHIP........DUH! I told the checker and he wasn't all that concerned just said "YA, we were slammed today" - REALLY? go figure that one dude - it is fricking THANKSGIVING! I kept my trap shut in the spirit of the holidays and said nuttin' - I want the BIG MAN in the red suit to remember that I was kind two nites prior to THANKSGIVING and maybe he will stuff my stocking with something good! Not to late to try to get on the GOOD GIRL LIST Santa keeps all year!

So off to Rosauer's for more shopping - EVERYONE knows how much I love grocery shopping - NOTTTT - I frickin hate it......it is a pain in the butt - a necessity YES, a pain in the butt "DEFITINELY!" I am not like my mother, my brother or my husband who can go in to the grocery store for 1 item and the parking lot will generally turn over cars at least 2 times and if not 2 times - 3 times! That is nooooooooooooo exaggeration! So, when I go to the grocery store with them - I make sure I am pottied and have a good book/magazine...... The one item they went in for turns out to necessitate the use of a grocery cart to haul to the car and somehow between going in the store and checking out the 1 item has reproduced itself into 20 items!

So - back to my Rosauer's trip - after stepping into the parking lot of Safeway I informed a friend from church who was heading IN to Safeway that they were out of CHEAP turkeys - which she about faced and immediately left - of course we did visit for a few minutes!

Up the hill for us and in to Rosauer's.....now, I will branch off this story again to tell you WHY I don't shop at Rosauer's even though it is closer to my home and lots of the times has better sales than other stores.....you see 2-3 years ago I was heading out of the store and tripped over the flat surface of the parking lot (ya one of those days) and fell smack down onto my knees with two bags of groceries in my hands.....it hurt like HELL to be honest. I was embarrassed and in pain and had two bags of groceries.....people didn't see me and walked on by - ya right in the middle of the parking lot and no one offers to help the FAT LADY down - nope, walk on by you blessed people! Leave me on the ground in severe pain! Three people walked by me that day - not a word! Finally a disabled lady hollered over and asked if I was okay and brought a cart over for me to use to get up and support me as I hobbled to my car. My story here is if I was some skinny blonde chick laying on the ground - there would have been people all over me like flies on a hot cow turd - but since I am not they walked on by! So I never went back to Rosauer's since then! I have been in the parking lot and sat in the car when my dear husband thought he needed something but I wouldn't go in! I HATE there parking lot to this day!

Okay, so last night I folded and went. Amazingly, they had Cool Whip, Turkeys (cheap ones) and coconut.....YEH Rosauer's - you won me back! After my purchase and getting home I realized they over charged me 7.00 on my Diet Pepsi but I phoned them and they said to bring my receipt back and they will refund me.

Oh and SAFEWAY - I called your 1-800 number and told them about you here. About your turkeys being gone, no coconut, no Cool Whip and a few weeks ago when you had sales the same scenario.....I asked if they were folding or closing or bankrupt...they assured me that they were not! You need to get your act together because you lost me as a customer for awhile!

So my thankfulness message.....
I am thankful that I have the freedom to go buy groceries and shop where I want.
I am thankful for family & friends.
I am thankful for my puppy dogs even when they terrorize me and won't leave me along because I know that they are madly in love with me as much as I am with them.
I am thankful for my little guy that ain't so little anymore and wants to push my buttons all the time.....what would I do without that kid?
I am thankful because we have a new president heading for office that hopefully will make some positive things come to be and get this country on the right road, I am thankful that he is willing to take the office and put himself and his family in a position where they are in the spotlight and bad things can happen to them.
I am thankful for my sorority girlfriends and all they mean to me and a few other girlfriends who make my world ROCK even when we don't talk every day or week - we know we are there for each other!

So grab your Gobbler and have a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING PEOPLE!

Ears ringing.....

So my ears have been on strike for ummm, lets see, about 10 days now. They are ringing constantly makes me want to howl at the ringing like a dog or something. I feel like I have a pillow over my head, everything is muffled. So, since it has lasted more than 4 hours I sought medical treatment again......I find out this is normal for an ear infection - and it could be like this for another 3 weeks - WHAT? Okay, so talking myself out of panicking over not being able to hear and hoping like HECK I get ALL my hearing back - I mean this is my livelihood - hearing what the snot snorting, burping, jelly bean eating doctors are saying in their dictations. Do you think I could go on disability if I lose my hearing....ya, I didn't think so either!

Most of my readers have already heard this little diddy from last week. My son and I are driving down the road to go to gram's house and the big talk comes up.
A: "Mom, what is sex?"
M: "What, huh, where did you hear this?" (GULP - nearly run off the road in the vehicle)
A: "There was a girl on the school bus calling numbers on her phone and asking people to have sex. What does that mean?"
M: "Um, Ang, it is a special way God created for a husband & wife to touch. How do you think God felt about her calling people like that?" (Put it back in the BIG MAN's lap....)
A: "I think he was not happy."
M: "I think it made God very sad that this little girl was doing that. That was very dangerous for her to be doing that."
A: "Mom, she was also asking them if they wanted to have one-course....what is one-course mom?"
M: "Umm, do you mean intercourse?"
A: "Yaaa, that is what she was saying mom, what is that?"
M: "It means the same thing as sex - they are two words that mean the same - it is the special touching between a husband and wife that God created."
A: "Do you and dad do that?"
M: (holy camolie batman....) "Ang, this special touching that God created between a husband and wife is a thing that you share together and you don't talk about with other people."
A: "Sorry mom"
M: "No Ang, it isn't a bad thing, it is just something that you share with your husband or wife and don't share with others"
A: "Mom, what is a sexual offender?"

WHY me?....all in the same conversation....why didn't he ask good old dad?

He is 9....what happened to the innocence of our babes? I NEVER had a conversation at 9 years old on the bus about sex - let alone a cell phone and making random calls? What happened to the questions on the prank calls like "Is your refrigerator running? Well you better go catch it."

I did call his school principle the next morning to let her know the trash talk going on in the bus....there are little ones on the bus that don't need to have their little minds trashed quite so young! WOW - what happened to coloring and visiting with your friends on the bus, reading a book.....

My Guardian Angel was here....the one who doesn't like Sausage Gravy...

So....Amburger just dropped by with a HOT CARAMEL APPLE CIDER - how nice is that? AWESOME HUH! Jealious aren't you..... :p

Well....after overcoming my mortification of someone in my driveway and how messy my house is - I run out to the gate to meet her with my tatas flopping in the crisp cool air under my toothpaste laden t-shirt while fending off the 3 dogs from hell....mind you I have not showered, I did brush my teeth and have toothpaste all over the front of my shirt to prove it.....the shirt I have on with NO BRA - ya real fun! Now....I usually don't have toothpaste all over me but this morning for whatever reason the toothpaste had fallen off of my toothbrush and onto my shirt and I tried to wipe it off but it just made it looked like I puked toothpaste all over myself - real NICE!

Oh - I love the CIDER - how nice to have a friend bless me on this day! It has been a long week with being sick and being occupied all week with extracurricular activities.....

THANKS AMBERGER NO SAUSAGE GRAVY GUARDIAN ANGEL EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!! I love IT and YOU!

SHHHHHHHHHH....can I tell you something?

MY one ear is still plugged....I wanna SCREAM! Even my jaw was sore when I woke this morning. Of course working in what I do I start wondering....is it an abscess in my head? A tumor? ARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

Okay - so last night I went out and got to laugh a tid bit for a tiny bit - it felt good - to laugh! I was with my mom & my husband - Ang was back at home with grandpa....

It has been a long week and I am so grateful it is FRIDAY!

ohhhhhhhhhh and 1 more thing......

Do you know how much I LOVE Elton John music?

I am so thankful I had the opportunity to see him in concert this year! It still almost unreal that I did see him LIVE....every time I hear a song on my SIRIUS radio I almost want to cry......What a gifted person!

Still on the mend.....

Sooo - I was hoping to feel a TON better at this point in my antibiotics but not so. My ear is still plugged tight and I feel partially deaf, which I am sure is the case. I keep thinking one morning I will wake up and it is going to be all better but not so far.....

It doesn't help that I have had engagements the past week to be somewhere EVERY night - this week I have just wanted to curl up after work and fall asleep but nooooooooo we have had Harvest Dinner, School Meeting, 2 doctors appointments....etcetera...... I was "supposed" to be baking for a fundraiser on Friday night for our sorority but not to happen with my ears plugged, my sinuses plugged and feeling like I was drug through a knot hole backwards, it is all I could do to get a rotisserie chicken on the table last night (thank you Mary, Mary for the rotisserie cooker - we love it) oh and THANK YOU A&B FOODS for advertising whole chickens on sale this week!

So tonight I have plans, tomorrow night I have plans and Saturday night I have plans - can you say STOP already.....STOP THE INSANITY or STOP THE CAROUSEL and let me off already! I wanna day of down time.

I didn't call in sick this week because the first 2 days of sick leave are considered vacation days and I am hording my vacation days for the week after Christmas. I don't believe we have ever taken the week off AFTER Christmas as a family and we thought it would be a good idea to enjoy the days after the month of hectic Christmas activities - isn't that the life - it is supposed to be a peaceful time of year, a time of reflection.......heck the already are playing Christmas music in the stores and it isn't even THANKSGIVING yet.....

I am feeling rather owly this a.m. so WATCH OUT.....I get tired of having clothes set out for the kid and at least once a week somehow he loses his socks and then he tries to put the blame on me and it immediately pushes my button. When I start getting upset then that pushes Joe's button......I just hate that Angelo doesn't just get dressed....no, he has to start getting dressed, play with the dogs, start telling a story, or something - so he has to be reminded to GET DRESSED EVERY FLIPPING MORNING.................ARRRRRRGGGGGG!

So Orchards Elementary is having a book fair next week (November 18-21st).....it is a great time to pick up some books for kids - there are books for all ages (or at least supposed to be??) There is my advertising PLUG for the day.....

Another advertising plug - Friday night at "The Sage" there is a Ladies Night Out with some local Vendors - sorority is sponsoring it and the proceeds are being used for the "LOCAL" WISHING STAR FOUNDATION. I know Silpada will be there, massage person, purse "purson", Avon, candle person, some handmade cards, a raffle for a beautiful quilt.....YA hop on over or okay.....DRIVE!

Long weekend, getting sick & SI............

So...the story goes....I had Thursday & Friday off last week. I had planned to spend Thursday in town getting prepared to go to Post Falls for the weekend to visit a friend who had just moved back from Michigan after 15 years and do some shopping. Ya, well that didn't happen.....We made it up to Post Falls Friday afternoon and checked into a HOJOs (Howard-Johnson in case you were wondering). Let me rate the place....paper thin walls....I spent Friday night listening to the dude in 248's TV blare the ENTIRE night, I am NOT exaggerating the ENTIRE NIGHT! Now put that on top of my being sick - sore throat, fever, back hurting from the BEDS! LOVELY I know!

We touched base with my friend and her family Friday night, had pizza, laughed and had a great visit - this was prior to my falling ILL and room 248's TV blaring all night.

So I had a very unrestful evening on Friday with a fever, waking about every 2 hours and trying to reposition myself to get comfortable.....sore throat....I felt icky and I wanted to go postal with the TV in 248 and knock on the door but I figured better of that. What a stupid idiot in 248! Oh an by the way, 248 was talking on the phone the next morning and said he was making most of his money in cash now and therefore didn't pay taxes on it.....STUPID IDIOT!!! I would turn his badonka donka butt in if I could!

So the next morning before heading out for the day I went to the front desk and asked if 248 was spending that night or had he checked out because he left his damn TV on the entire night and I couldn't hardly sleep. They assured me he had checked out. THANK GOD!

So Saturday we decided to skip Cabella's because I didn't feel like walking around for 3.5 hours (that is the average visit time in there for the 1st time - I read on the web somewhere....ya, I am sure if I would have chosen to go and stayed that long I would have been laying in one of their displays somewhere....partially dead). We headed for Riverfront Park - what better way to spend a rainy Saturday than at Riverfront Park huh? I am feeling punk, there is no close parking to the IMAX without quite a walk in and it seems long when you are sick let me tell you. So I drag my punk ass to the Imax at 10:45 and find that Madagascar 2 is not playing until 12:30.....I try my best to paste my smile on and make the best of the 1.75 hour wait while my kid hounds me for quarters for the vending machines that carry such HIGH quality merchandise - YA right! The upside of arriving so early - we were 1st in line for Madagascar 2 and it was a cute movie.

After the movie you can guess what we did - hiked our punk asses back out of the Park in the rain. I was feeling pretty bad by now but I was trying to be a trooper. We drove around for a bit after that just cruising and seeing what has changed.

We hit Valley Mall and Joe wanted lunch so we went to TGIF because I cannot remember going there although he knows WE have - I seriously think he has lived another life with another woman because I do not remember ever going there but okay....... I ordered a bowl of onion soup which I couldn't even finish because, yep, I was so sick!

I had wanted to hit Old Navy but I just couldn't - I didn't feel like it and Linen & Things was closing...i.e. SALES - HELLO!!! - again, to sick......

The guys went to Toys R Us and I was four parking spots away from the front door of Michaels....now you will relate how sick I was.....I couldn't go in...I turned the heat on HIGH and reclined the seat and fell asleep for 1 hour while they were shopping. It felt good but when I woke up I felt worse than before I went to sleep.

Back to the HOJO - room 250.....slept some more, woke up tried to communicate with my family who were both watching movies, back to sleep, wake up they are watching scary movies - great now Angelo will have nightmares but if he wants to watch it then go for it.

I determined that the walls are like paper at HOJO as the next group to stay in 248 you could hear what they were saying too and the lady who was in there had the most irritating laugh.....Again, I wanted to go next door and tell her to shut up but I didn't......I knew this was part because of me being ill and tired and wanting to sleep - you know "CRANKINESS" at its best!

Sunday we touched base with our friends one more time for breakfast - I told them I wasn't feeling well but they insisted on going to Denny's.....I did eat breakfast but still felt punk. I thought I could be on the upswing after I had ate and after leaving there decided to tackle Fred Meyer in Coeur d'Alene - someone needed new UNDEROOS (not me either) and so we wanted to go there because they carry the proper brand....... By the time we left there I was shot. Joe ended up driving the entire way home which rarely happens as he gets tired and it was foggy and rainy and icky.....he didn't complain or anything about it - I mostly slept but did offer to drive at one point! I appreciate that from him - he actually realized how sick I felt.

Yesterday I worked all day with one ear plugged from whatever I had going on. I had called my doctor in the morning but of course, they were booked....
I did get squeezed in as the last patient of the day at 5:15 - I have a double ear infection......not so good. The pain really hit when I had to go back up in to the Orchards to go home - by the time I got home the change in altitude had caused severe pain and my head was throbbing - I was sobbing it hurt so bad - I feel for kids when they have an ear infection. That was bad and I am hesitant to even think about going downtown now.....

So the moral of the story is I got antibiotics and today I may feel a smidge better but I am definitely not the best.

This is how it is on November 11, 2008.....sucky for me personally!

But I do want to THANK ALL VETERANS OUT THERE FOR ALL THEY GIVE and HAVE GIVEN IN THE PAST!

REMEMER.......

Please remember to VOTE today!

If the line is long just think about how long we stand in line to order a pizza, get concert tickets or stand in line to get in to a venue....you don't think twice about those things....so try to be happy if you have to wait and just VOTE!

Don't care who you VOTE for just do it - it is your right!


BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL!

Bathroom story....and...it isn't mine!

Okay so....the story goes like this.....
My husband has to go potty and we are pulling in to JoAnn Fabrics. So he races in and disappears. I am looking at what I went for and a few minutes goes by and he comes up to me and says "I have to leave, they caught me in the employee bathroom". I think to myself "okay, so did they ask him to leave the store and not come back". I debated whether to finish getting what I needed or just abandoning my basket and leaving.

I stayed and got what I needed and waited through the extremely LOOONNNGGGG line at their groovy new checkout (ya right)....watched a 90 year old lady go right up to the cash register with her cane and checkout why she looked at us all standing in line like we were idiots. I was laughing to myself - I couldn't say something I mean she was OLD...but how the hell do these people get by with being oblivious and then you wonder if they are doing it out of confusion or spite....some oldies are spiteful little turds so ya just never know! So I check out and head for the car.

I ask my lovely husband what "went down" in the bathroom....here is the story he relayed....
He tried to use the public restroom and it said "OUT OF ORDER" so he thought to himself, okay do I dirty myself or do I use employee restroom.....so he opted for the alarm to sound (which is what the sign on the door says) and went in. He was in the stall (locked) as the door didn't lock and taking care of business when one of the employees comes in and tries to get in the stall and he said she really tried. He said "I am in here" and she waited outside the stall....not outside the restroom for him to finish up but outside the stall (do you find this a little weird?)...... So, when he breaks from the stall she immediately enters and relieves herself while he is washing his hands. She comes out and tells him that this is an employee restroom and he is not to be in it. He explains that the other was out of order to which she says he is still not to be in the employee restroom. So he was po'd and left.....

First off let me say that I think it is pretty crummy for a place like JoAnn Fabrics to NOT have a public restroom....moms and kids in the store and no restroom just doesn't make a good combo in my mind. I have written to corporate about this exact thing to no avail, no response, thus meaning they don't give a rat's a#s about it. It seems every time I enter that store I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now.....you know the tune....anyhow it was not a good thing to not have a restroom. Now the bad part of me (I mean the really bad part...yes, hard to believe but there is a bad little devil man that haunts me at times) wants to wear a dress in the store sometime with no undies and when the urge hits let gravity takes its course.....other than the shoes getting ruined I think it would only take a couple of times before they would catch on that they need to have the restroom in working order. Pretty gross, yes, I know....but I also think it is pretty stinkin' rotten to not have a public restroom in a chain store like JoAnn Fabrics.

Okay so that is my spoiled rotten rant for the day but I did have to laugh at my husband's little escapade.....tooo funny!

Tag Tag Tag Tag!!!!
You know the drill.Answer the following with one word:

Where is your cell phone? don't know....oops 2 words!
Where is your significant other? Work
Hair color? Redish
Your mother? Nonstop
Your father? Ummm....
Your favorite thing? Relaxing
Your dream last night? Nada
Your dream/goal? Happiness
The room you’re in? Living
Your hobby? Crafting
Your fear? Cancer
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happier
Where were you last night? Mom's
What you’re not? Skinny
One of your wish-list items? Bigger house
Where you grew up? Lewiston
The last thing you did? Typed
What are you wearing? Loungewear
Your TV? Old
Your pet? Daisy
Your computer? Slow
Your mood? Tired
Missing someone? Yes
Favorite store? Crafters Warehouse
Our summer? HOT
Love someone? Yes
Your favorite color? Changes
When is the last time you laughed? today
Last time you cried? 10/18

Weekend flyby........

WOW....last weekend was not from heaven okay.....fun but wow!

Friday I was asked to cover the late shift - so figuring I could use the OT I decided to go ahead and start work at 8:30 a.m. (as per usual protocol), thinking I would stop typing at 6:00 p.m. and get back on later Friday night to cover anything pressing. Well, didn't quite work out that way. You see I was the only person on the system after 3:00 p.m. and both of my favorite doctors decided to go at there rush job for the day about that time! I ended up typing about 80 radiology reports on Friday....oh, and just a clue that is a lot...that is along with the regular stuff I type....office notes, operative reports, History & Physicals (I had two amongst the x-rays over 20 minutes each - can you say woman dictator?), procedure reports....yada yada! My total lines for the day which finally ended at 8:00 p.m. Friday night - oh and that is 11.5 hours in case you are mathematically challenged - no lunch either! I typed about 255 lines an hour that day....yes, I continue to AmaZe myself - just in case you are wondering!

Needless to say by 8:00 p.m. I was pretty useless....I crashed....

Saturday was another soccer game for the kid - which....we WON! YIPEEEEE! One more gain YIPPEEEEE (I am celebrating that part definitely)! Even though they aren't supposed to keep score our team is undefeated thus far! We had a full day planned after the game - shopping, pizza, shopping - all to finish our costumes for the sorority costume party! Finally get home after 2:00 p.m. and throw together two costumes - which is basically what they looked like (threw together but "I tried")! Then dropped the kid off at G&G's and went to get SI for the mixture we had concocted for the party - it was Yummy - Pineapple Juice with Star Fruit Juice, 7-up and Rum! We had a fun evening of BUNCO at the sorority party with all the laughter and naughtiness that flows from my mouth....it just happens okay!

Sunday I slept in and had to rush to pick up the kid as he wanted to come home - ya, why I am not sure...but that is how it goes! We headed to Hayes to pick out pumpkins for the carving party we were going to at 3:00 and met some friends for lunch, had enough time after lunch to take a short nap and head out to carve pumpkins. I had high hopes of carving 4 pumpkins - I got 2 done - 1 was supposed to be Ang's but...well, you know how that goes - attention span 10 minutes max and he was off with another boy running around outside! I finished my bat pumpkin and then headed to his pumpkin to finish the Alien we had designed on his! WOW - I was spent after that - 2 pumpkins to gut (large pumpkins tooo - can you hear me whining already?).....then my friend & I meticulously went through the pumpkin guts picking out seeds to roast. I came home prepared the seeds and was up to 11:00 waiting for the finished product! They turned out okay - the roasted seeds and the carved punkins - just in case you were wondering WHAT?? I was talking about!

Things I managed to do last week - well, dumb thing #101 - I went to the casino and left my purse at a machine - wide open, cash showing and walked off from it....YA, pretty smart I know, I know.....so by the time I realized it I said "OH SH*T" out loud and rushed to the machine, guess what? it wasn't there....so, I found a security person who gave me the run around about giving her my phone number, on and on...no she didn't have it....about that time I hear my name pages overhead to come to the Information Desk - I take off to the ID.....where I find a young security person hold my driver's license and then he proceeds to identify me and give me my purse which is still intact, with money, debit card, etcetera....I worshipped, praised him, thanked him...wanted to kiss him but I held back! Hoping no one heard my name paged I head quickly back in to the main casino.....ya, no luck in that department - my party had heard and Knew what I had done.....makes me feel really good! What a dork I am! I did feel lucky though that the security guy found it and everything was there....that still is amazing to me! So I found a machine and won $40.00 - I knew it was my lucky night after that escapade! that is a significant win for me - the girl who goes out there SELDOM and only puts 5 or 10.00 worth of money in - playing it like pinball and just seeing how long I can play on the 5-10 bucks I flush down the machine!

YES, YOU CAN.....

Any of you HOMIES out there who want to preview an exciting mini catalog of cool stuff let me know and I can arrange for Angelo to bring it to you so you can order something from it.....he is doing one of those LOVELY fundraisers for school. There is wrapping paper, candy, stuff, jewelry, more stuff and stuff! You too can be the prideful owner of more stuff.....

Pretty exciting news huh?

Not much more happening.......I have to GO IN to work this afternoon which I am sooooooooo looking forward tooooooo.....yes, I am being sarcastic - for some "odd" reason I just dread it, DREAD it!

I am waiting for Miss K's mother to get with the program and post her pics from the B-day party....she must be busy chasing the little princess around - she is walking like a wild woman!

I purchased a lovely bracelet at the GEM show that I wore two times for approximately 6 hours and it broke which really pisses me off....I have made jewelry before and if something of mine broke that soon I would be mortified....but that is how you flush $26.00 down the toilet BRENDA STYLE! Yep, my bad luck pops up again to HAUNT me! DAMMMITT! It was really pretty toooo!

TURDMAN visited me today (Mr. UPS - the one in the brown suit) anyhow, he didn't let the dog out - THANK YOU very much and "AGAIN" he used the front door to drop the package and run! By the time I was able to jump from my desk which sits in the front window and retrieve a pair of pants to cover my sexy self he had parked, dropped and ran.....WHEW! Yep, you heard me correctly I was sitting here working, typing away, in my T-shirt and undies.....pretty lame and some day I will get caught bare a##ed because that is just my luck!

All in all, it being Wednesday, things are going okay this week! I got vacation time on the calendar for December and that gives me something to strive for.

The kid has 2 soccer games left of the Fall season and they are undefeated so far! Soccer has brought some stress back into my life that was in the closet for awhile but I will get through it - funny how people do things and think time will heal if everything is left unsaid and they don't own up to their verbal statements made and actions but you know what, it will never heal - there will always be a scar on my heart of hearts from what people have said to hurt me deeply and the thing is, it wasn't about me - it was about my boy, actions that made my husband literally sob....it wasn't even about me - that is amazing! He plays the game of going along with the person and speaking but I have nothing to say - I have no words yet and may never have words again for this person! I am cordial but I have no extra words to let the person no "YEP, things are A-okay....because I would be lying....I am still hurt/wounded" but I know I can go on. I see myself having grown in the past two years, grown knowing that I will be okay, that we as a family will be okay, we have people who support us as friends and family. Holidays may not be as "FULL" with bodies as they once were but they are filled with good people that don't bite.

I did not do that......

Okay - so the weekend blows by again - where did time go?

So, don't believe anything you may read about me teasing Miss K at her 1st birthday party! I did not take her ELMO baby and hold it while she was opening her other presents to tease her. I did not press his belly and make him laugh.....while Miss K stared me down with a look of "HEY, that is MYYYYY toy - put it down lady"! It wasn't me....I didn't do it! She didn't stop EVERYTHING she was doing until I put the toy down....I was not teasing her - it just isn't true! I would NEVER do ANYTHING like that to that little PRINCESS!!!

I am INNOCENT...yes, innocent! - I didn't do that.....I just don't do things like that!

It was a great party for a wonderful little lady! Happy Birthday again Miss Khloe!

This is how I work....

I am feeling guilty about the last post - I feel like I should erase it for fear that someone might find out how naughty I really can be....I have been stewing on this for 2 days - that is just how I work - guilt laden, paranoid.....I am fighting with myself to delete it but for now I won't - I will just bury it with other posts! Was it really so bad?

Okay, the remainder of the week has been pretty good....I mean this post alone makes me REALLY happy inside http://mrsdsblossomsmiles.blogspot.com/2008/10/one-year-ago-today.html to know that this family is full and happy and though there are things that trip us up walking on the path of life - there are blessings along the way! What a terrific little family with a beautiful little princess!

I also was working away on my ornament exchange and you know the post below about only having 6 stockings and needing 6 more and QVC has since sold out of the kit - then me writing Marie Osmond - ya, that was funny but anyhow, I got an e-mail back from dimensions craft site saying they would have the kit available to order on their site yesterday....uh ya - I checked from 9:00 p.m. the night prior to yesterday until last night at 11:00 p.m. - I don't know whose leg they were jerking on but it wasn't there.....so at 11:00 last night I popped over to QVC to see if by chance they had it and WOOLAH - somehow it popped up - I immediately ordered it and got my confirmation. Then curiosity got going and I went back in to QVC to find the kit again to see if they had posted my comment complimenting the kit and how easy it was and fun to learn hand felting.....it was NOT there anymore - is that weird or what! I recheck and confirmed that I had really ordered it and wasn't having a blond moment and YES I had - I wasn't living in the twilight zone but it was no longer available to order! DUDE - did they find one kit in the warehouse bathroom or what? Anyhow, wherever they pulled the one kit from that I purchased I am grateful that I don't have to make my own stocking pattern and design on the front of the stocking and order more roving to complete them! I hope these ornamental exchange ladies understand the hell I have went through to get this stockings....the blood I have sweated out of my fingers getting poked with that damn needle - last night the needle actually stuck in my finger after I was embroidering along - Joe just looked at me and said "I don't know HOW you do that" and laughed as blood bubbles up out of my thumb! OUCH!

I watched the last presidential debate last night - can we say "THANK YOU GOD" for it being the LAST one??? I have my own opinion on the whole situation which I refuse to express because I don't want to be bombarded by comments but can I ask "1" simple question.....???? What is the deal with Senator McCain's cheek - does he have an abscess or what? I mean the left side of his cheek was puffed out and he was only talking out the right side of his mouth? Just wondering....anybody out there know?

Okay - back to the keyboard....before I am busted for not producing WORK!

Maybe I shouldn't have....but I did!

Okay so last night was soccer practice and afterwards as my son was expressing all his frustration and I egged it on.....he was talking about a child whom I have known and he was saying how he was being mean but no one ever sees it and so I told him the truth.....after 9 long years of holding my frustration in I bled and let him hear it.....was I wrong?....probably!....do I feel guilty?...definitely!....do I hope he doesn't repeat it - mmmm-maybe yah! But I feel a piece of me relieved - I think he is finally at an age where he is beginning to see how kids act and WHY they act the way they do! He said this particular kid was spoiled and I said yep, he is spoiled Angelo.....he said "I mean spoiled rotten to the yolk sac!" I grinned inside! No one seems to see this particular child when he misbehaves and somehow Angelo is always to blame.......this kid punched him and Angelo told the person he needed to but that particular person didn't hear him....hmmm, could it be because he is the dad of the child?

Oh, and I was listening to a good portion of this all going on because I was waiting in my vehicle with the windows down, no music (so I could listen to them).....so I know most of what went on!

Another child who has done things to him in the past was being bad too - I said Angelo what did you do? and he said and I am quoting him "I kicked him in the nuts!" - I said "ANGELO, don't talk like that!" I don't condone that particular act but I was laughing on the inside because how he said it! I think he is finally going to stick up for himself which I want...not sure how far I want him to go yet with sticking up for him but I am glad he is sticking up for his rights and not letting kids stomp on him! WTG! I don't want a bully but he needs to stand up and take some of these bad acts on himself!

I need to get the list out that his grandpa gave him and start memorizing it with him and for myself....I love the list:

THE NINE GUIDELINES
1. LOVE GOD;
2. LOVE YOURSELF;
3. LOVE OTHERS;
4. HAVE INTEGRITY;
5. DO WHAT IS APPROPRIATE;
6. KNOW WHO YOU ARE;
7. DEVELOP A GOOD MIND;
8. HAVE A GOOD HEART; AND
9. GET A GOOD EDUCATION.

Sunday night ALREADY???

Time flies over the weekend - I can't believe the weekend is already over - I get nothing accomplished that I really "need" to get accomplished - like my housecleaning or straightening up or digging out! UGGHHH!!!!

Saturday morning was soccer bright and early at the field....OUCH it was cold out too! Anyhow, we won and ANGELO scored the 1st point - WOW - We were so excited! I think it got his game going in the right direction - he loved the scoring part. Afterwards we went to lunch with a friend and her son as her daughter and husband were out hunting....I asked her what the heck they traveled so many miles away when I just saw a deer not a mile from the soccer field????

I managed to get 3 stockings done for my ornament exchange and one more started....wow, only 8.75 more to go and the last six could get very, very difficult....you see I ordered a kit off QVC (Marie Osmond to be exact), it is a felting kit and I have wanted to learn to felt for quite some time (needle felt that is)....anyhow, so I order this cut which basically has the stocking printed on the felt and all the pieces that go with it.....so you cut them out, they have 2 needles (those were the ones I posted earlier this month) and the roving and bead/sequin embellishments and all the string to sew them together....a kit of 6....KEY WORD...6....so I go back last week to order my addition six from QVC and guess what??? they are flipping sold out.....don't know when or if they will get more....so everyday I go visit the site, visit eBay, visit DIMENSIONS crafts, and pray...pray that they will get more kits. So Friday I thought I would be "SILLY STUPID" and I actually emailed Marie Osmond on her website....how funny is that? Like I expect a response....NOT but what the heck - they will get a laugh! I mean I can make the additional six stockings from scratch but it would just be a lot easier on me to get a kit....ARRGGGHHHH!!! This is what I get for breaking my purchase up to two different paychecks.

So that is my drama for the weekend.....

Today I managed to sleep in until 9:30 a.m. as I didn't go to bed until after 4:00 a.m. - I actually fell asleep on the sofa with the dogs watching CODE BLUE but when I woke up at 4:00 a.m. I had NO DOGS with me - they had deserted me and were in MY BED in MY BLANKET!!!

I walked myself silly through COSTCO - can I tell you how much I don't like that store? I hate it - I mean they have good buys but it takes my family FOREVER to get through there - it is like a reception line after a wedding for my husband - he knows EVERYBODY and has to visit with them all! Can I say "OUCH, my feet are tired, my back aches and I wanna go home" as we are standing there visiting.....I know I sound nasty but I am exhausted and then I have the mindset that after we do all this shopping I get to come home and put it all away and it sucks pickles!!!

Oh well, looking forward to Desperate Housewives and sitting back and relaxing after din-din!

I am stepping in deep waters I know but....

I will be so glad when the elections are over. I watched 3 Idahoans debate last night - it was a local debate and WOW - the dude who is the independent was pretty radical....scary radical! I have never been much in to politics because I don't understand the lies and deceit they feed all of us, I mean there is no way that I could stand in front of people and say bad things about another person standing up there with me - No WAY - something isn't right about that and the fact that a lot of them lost their morals somewhere along the path of politics - or perhaps before they even started on the political trail!

I realize there needs to be change here and we desperately need some. I was getting my hair beautified the other day and this young girl who worked in the shop comes in with a swollen cheek and has an abscessed tooth - she has no insurance and every dentist she called wanted 500-700 dollars cash to pull her tooth and treat her? WHAT? I just don't get it....my mom is in the same boat, she is on Medicare and she has a tooth that needs treatment and she was given the option last week to have a root canal to the tune of $700 or have it pulled for $150 - now, how in the heck does a retired person on limited income with prices skyrocketing for groceries, utilities, etcetera afford $700 for a root canal - tell me? It is totally frustrating to me and reminds me how screwed up our country is - I mean we see all the adds and stories about these third world countries having no medical treatments and people are dying - I feel like we are not far behind but yet there is all the support monetarily being sent overseas - what about right here right now! Just kind of sad if you ask me - it makes me sad to even think about all the people with nothing and no healthcare, alone & helpless living here in the United States.

I am pretty simple on my thoughts and probably don't really understand the big picture but it is just sad and we need change.

I will vote - even though I feel like my vote won't count and I always know who will be president before I even cast my vote after work - which sucks and is wrong to televise that.

So what a lame post but the medical part has been wearing on my mind for awhile and irritates the hell out of me - if there was a way I could pay for my mom to have a root canal I would but I don't have that kind of money to give....if I did, I would, I know my mom likes to take care of herself and look nice and feel good about herself if she has no money or not! I would like to say she is proud but that is not the word I am looking for!

Anyway, I am off to save the world with my small little mind!

Fun & enlightening.....

Friday night I spent with a few of my friends scrapping at CPS, making a Halloweener star to hang somewhere....on the front door I believe....anyhow, it was fun, laughter and just relaxing to spend some time without too much responsibility hanging over us! Thank you to Kristi, Savan & the Queen for letting us play and laugh!

Saturday it was up at the break of dawn (okay well it seemed like the break of dawn after being up so late scrapping) to meet the sorority girls for coffee at The Sage - they have a wonderful rhubarb scone and I got the last one!!! We visited for a little over an hour and then it was off to the kids soccer game - after last Saturday I wasn't sure what to be expecting but all went well and we WON again - even though there is no winner or loser in Boys & Girls Club soccer! Afterwards I want to lunch with the family and then hit Joanne's - hey, my knee has got to be getting better if I can HIT JoAnn Fab and walk around there for a bit - I picked up a few goodies to embellish my altered BOO letters. The plan was for me to go back to CPS and finish the letter but I got busy visiting and was tired and knew I had an evening of festivities that started at 4:00 so the FINISHING part didn't happen.....although James enlightened me to the fact that she was concerned about my MISSING box of WTP checks....NOT the fact that they are missing but the fact that "I" ordered WTP checks to begin with - something MUST be wrong with me if I purposely ordered them to begin with or something CLOSE to that is what I was told! Okay, so no more WTP checks for me EVER.....never mind, this is the woman who orders antibiotics from INDIA through the mail!

So the 4:00 festivities was actually an auction to raise some money for a gentleman with cancer. I didn't know the gentleman but we knew who was playing for the auction (Marcos Dominguez) and so we had planned to go as a sorority group. They seemed to raise a lot of money for the guy and I feel like I really should know him but I can't figure it out. I purchased a couple things in the silent auction and one thing in the live auction - so I did help support the cause! Once the auction had ended and Marcos started up the dancing began. I was very impressed with Sandy Weaver (she teaches western dance classes) but WOWEE she can dance.... During these festivities I saw this dude and I knew he was making fun of me when I had one a door prize and had to go forward to pick it up....I noticed him making gestures on my way back to my chair, he was drunk, car salesman, you know the type!!! Anyhow, I watched him the rest of the evening and apparently he was quite "HANDY" with one of the ladies I was with who is married and we were laughing about him grabbing her boob 2x..... I was sitting by the door where people were stepping out to have a smoke and at one point he went out and was smoking and I must have gave him the SH#T eye because he came in and asked me why I was glaring at him and I said I wasn't and then he started massaging me and getting next to my face with his.....ick....I like my personal space and most people know that about me! He was definitely in it and he would NOT leave and he kept rubbing my neck and back.....HOLY CRAP....now what was I going to do! ICKKKKK As soon as he stopped I grabbed my stuff and left! I got in the car and quibbed out over it! GUCK.....ick, puke! I felt violated! I know his name but I am not posting it....but GROSS.....GROSS....grosss! DISGUSTING PUKE!

Sunday I slept in and then picked the kid up from G&G's and got a few groceries. Angelo decided he wanted to be a skeleton for Halloween so we picked up his costume - it was inexpensive which was good and he liked it which was another good! WHEW! After the shopping was done and the groceries were put away I hit the hay for a few hours because I knew I needed to watch Desperate Housewives & Brothers & Sisters - I think this is going to be a habit - the Sunday afternoon napping!

So what did you DO over the weekend?

I am raising my RIGHT hand in air & licking the window of the short bus.....

So if you keep up with my posts you know that I have been looking for my box of WTP checks for a week or so now....closer to 2 weeks - I was OFFICIALLY out of checks over a week ago. I ordered my replacement checks last Monday 9/22 and paid $5.00 extra to have them expedited. The case of the missing checks has caused me a lot of heartache, I missed out on a skein of yarn because the store didn't take debit cards - uh ya, "you might live in a redneck town if the craft store doesn't take debit cards....", I have been in an argument with my dear husband over having no checks and he has been tuned in to the whole Case of the Missing Checks though he hasn't participated in cracking the case (i.e. looking for the checks) - nope I am on my own in this mystery!
So here is where it begins....TURDMAN (also known as the man in BROWN - UPS) has delivered three times in the last two weeks, 1st time left the gate open, the dog got out.....he leaves...the neighbor retrieves the dog after a couple of hours of her sniffing all the pee spots & poop spots in the neighborhood and then yesterday when TURDMAN came, he dropped & ran (all quietly) on the front deck...so, that was the 2 times he was here....

The third time was apparently this...

The problem lies that I still had "thought" I had NOT received my checks so I just called to check on the order this a.m. and first off, I tell the lady I prayed (instead of paid - which we were both laughing) for speedy delivery and she tells me my checks were delivered to the back door by UPS on 9/24 - um that is 1 week they have been sitting at my back door. I don't use the back door and WHY may I ask does TURDMAN make 2 deliveries to the front door and then 1 delivery to the back door? I faintly remember a knock on the door but by the time I hobbled back there with my disability there was no one at the door and I thought "what the heck"....not thinking LOOK DOWN on the deck for a small package.

Uh ya - the phone call to the check center made me feel REALLY smart.....right now my right hand is in the air and I am licking on the front window of my home in between sucking on my finger from my new piercing!

I've been felting.....

Okay so I broke out the felt kit tonight and was going to town....it is really easy.....and then it happened.....

Should I explain that these needles are very sharp....here is the description of the needle...

The needle is very sharp; be careful not to stick yourself with it. It also has small notches near the point to interlock the roving and the felt (see picture above).

Well, ya, it pierced by index finger - and when I say pierced I mean "pierced". I know, I know....only ME....

I am wrapping this felting adventure up for tonight and going to bed to suck on my finger and cry.....

Update on my right knee....

I just got back from the doctor and she "thinks" I maybe have a small tear in a ligament or tweeked some cartilage - her exam didn't show a complete tear of anything in my knee.

My options were:
$2,000.00 MRI

or

conservative treatment with longacting anti-inflammatory and possibly PT in a couple of weeks (hopefully no PT), treat my knee pain by babying it along - if it hurts then I need to stop what I am doing and put heat and elevate it!

OH FLIPPING JOY!

Apparently it can take 6 weeks to heal these up!

The good things about this day so far are;
~I am alive....
~The man in brown (UPS) came and delivered my felting kit....YES!!!! and he didn't let LUCY the freak of nature dog out this time! GAWD sometimes they are so rediculously incompetent....last week he let her out as he left the gate open while he ran up to the deck - DUHHH! THANKFULLY, the neighbors caught her and put her in! I think I will refer to the man as TURDMAN - because he is dressed in brown!

Okay - so back to the keyboard because we are SWAMPED this week - feast or famine in my job and this week we are FEASTING!

My knee hurts, my knee hurts, my knee hurts....

There is my whining for the night! OUCH!

Okay....I did it!

Under the direction of my 9 YO son and friends....
I have picked up the phone and made an appointment with doctor in regards to me knee.....
"I DIDN'T WANNA DO IT" but....I folded and did it! Tomorrow I will perhaps have more of a verdict on my knee and "what's the plan Stan".....

What a weekend - Oh if I could only tell it all.....I keep wondering WHY ME? but WHY NOT me hey? We had our 1st soccer game on Saturday and we WON! One minor scuffle with the team and my husband but all survived....holy cat crap - some kids have noooooooooooo discipline and are little turds - yep I said it TURDS, aka brats, little shits - oh the list could go on! But hey, it was taken care of by more than one person!

I then went and picked up some stamps from a friend - now they get to sit in my storage area and "scream" to be used instead of at her home! I am really going to try to get creative here shortly - I will keep you tuned in on that one!

I did manage to get a few more rows done on the "ever famous" afghan I am working on! I really like the combination I picked out.....

I did a lot more cooking this weekend than normal - I must admit we tend to be out of the house on the weekend and not do a lot of home meals! But with my knee out of whack we stayed home on Saturday - because if I "had" to go into the store I may not make it back out or through the store that is how bad my knee seems to be presently. NOT GOOD.....I did manage to get an afternoon/evening nap in but ended up until 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning after the afternoon nap....WHY do I do this to myself??? We met with friends at 11:00 for pizza and then off to CPS to see what was shakin' there - I ended up spending the afternoon there working on some letters - which turned out pretty funtastic other than I still need to embellish them - that is where I got stuck so I left.

It was off to my parents to visit and get some vegies. I came home and made a loaf of banana bread and 2 loaves of zucchini/pumpkin bread. I was happy to be able to stay awake long enough to see Desparate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters - let the NEW SEASONS BEGIN! I think tonight is Little People Big World - which I need to watch it too! Survivor started last week and my man in the contest I am in is "Ace" - he needs to stay in at least until the last 3 to capture any cash out of this contest!

Oh and about my checks - still no sign of the 1st order....I did order new checks last Monday and paid EXTRA to have them here in 5 business days - well with my counting that would have been Saturday.....ummm NADA, not in the mailbox on Saturday - they better be here today or else I will have to BEEYOTCH about it, which I do so well!

What a weekend.......

Soccer starts today...........................

Yep...today is the big day....1st soccer game of the season for Ang! I am excited for him but also dread some aspects of the game day....I won't elaborate any further but it really puts my stomach in knots, I hate it! He got all new gear this year for the big day! His soccer cleats are a size 6 and I think I can actually wear them....I cannot believe how big his feet are....growing boy!

I really wanted to pay my respects to a person I have known for 35+ years today who passed this week of brain cancer but the funeral is an hour before soccer starts....and unfortunately, there is no way to go to both - I have NOT figured out the carbon copying of myself ~ I offered to let Joe go to the service but he copped an attitude! He suggested asking my mom to take Ang to the game but I know that would stress her out which in turn would stress me out with her complaining....so there you have it my life sucks sometimes!

I would also like to say that my knee is healed up but, unfortunately, it is still very sore. What to do, what to do! I have been icing it and heating pad back and forth, 800 mg of Ibuprofen t.i.d....well it is NOT healing it up very quickly! Joe has had to come home and try to make a family dinner each night and well, that doesn't make him all that happy either! I wanted to make some salsa this week but it hasn't happened but maybe today or tomorrow if my knee will withstand the salsa! Everything I attempt to do now takes about 3x longer than it normally would...that makes EVERYTHING I do a chore!

My project afghan is 2/3 done at least - I am not quite sure how long I want to make it but I don't want to skimp on the size! Then do I keep it for myself or gift it out to some lucky recipient??

Okay...I am going to say it....there are now less than 3 months til Christmas....ARGHHH! I have 12 ornaments to create very soon so I am not stressing out the night before throwing them together! I will keep you posted on this little project....these have to be handmade and I ALWAYS try to create my own idea! It is an awesome event to attend.....12 ladies, 12 handmade ornaments and an evening of sharing and laughter....oh ya....and food! At the end of the evening you leave with 12 individually created handmade ornaments! Each year we vote on the next exchange creation - this year it is Christmas stockings!

I just love this time of year.....let the fall festivities begin! Oh....does anyone know of a great Pumpkin Patch that is within 2-3 hours of L-town? Ang is requesting a trip to a Pumpkin Patch.....and there is an awesome one we know of in Hood River, OR - but that is a bit of an adventure! I always thought that it would be a blast to visit Roloff Farms in Vernonia too but the crowds scare me there!

Off to prepare for soccer! Argghh!!