Bitchin' and Bloggin'

Nearly a year.....

2010-05-20T08:54:00.001-07:00

I have been on sabbatical from my BLOG - I seem to have abandoned it for Facebook and never came back. I miss my BLOG and the journaling I did. I think I will make a comeback and start journaling again in a good way (ya, MARTHA style).

So much has happened in nearly a year of my LOA. Lots of good, bad and ugly but I am still alive and back and ready to play. I needed a break I guess.

I am currently looking to replace my 1999 Odyssey van - it is on its way out of this old world - getting ready to go home to Jesus. It has been a good car with lots of fond memories in its interior - the trip with the fam to Las Vegas and driving back to SLC at 3:00 a.m. comes to mind....ME being the driver with a full van of loved ones and me trying to stay awake driving in the dark with my dad piloting me in the passenger seat, telling me all of his tricks of the trade as he was a long haul truck driver.....helping me keep my eyes opened and alert. The same trip I spent sleeping in the van while Angelo who was about 3 was hopping from seat to seat as Vegietales blared on the CD player....the rest of the fam in the casino playing slots while I slept in the safety of my air conditioned van with a 3 year old child jumping, jumping, jumping - oh I don't remember so much that day while I was trying to sleep.

Another great, memorable trip was just the 3 of us pulling the tent trailer on a trip up through Washington and down the Washington Coast to the Oregon Coast and the memories made on that trip. So much fun. Geeze I hate giving the old girl up - I feel like I am betraying her!

I was considering a more compact vehicle but those Odyssey's sure have a luxury feel to them - I like that comfort. I also don't want another van but I do - I have my parents I need to consider when we go places all together. I battle with myself over buying with the thought of enough room for them, I would save gas and upkeep with a smaller more compact vehicle but then that puts them out in the cold for upcoming trips.

Time will tell how this plays out.....

Read this the other day.....short but so true.....

2009-07-10T10:41:00.001-07:00

People who hurt others hurt....
People who wound others are wounded....

I survived.....

2009-04-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

I survived Friday night's crop with Xi Phi at SJRMC conference room. I was really hesitant about going because I couldn't round up anyone to accompany me but once I got there I knew most of the people and even caught up with my 7th grade teacher. Nice to touch base with her. I will definitely make plans to attend next year. Never mind I only got 1.5 pages done.....I had a blast socializing with people I had not seen in awhile and laughing with them. Nice crop idea for their sorority.

Saturday was my birthday. Ang had a soccer game at 11:00 and then we went to lunch at Thai Taste and hit Becky's Fabric before heading to my parents for the afternoon where I mostly planted myself on their deck and enjoyed the day relaxing. We ate dinner with them (that was unplanned) and came home and watched a movie or two and the guys had bought me a birthday cake complete with candles - number candles to boot - that had to be Ang's idea! They surprised me also with a pink ipod - I just love music.

Sunday I attended the quilt show in Moscow with a friend and then met up with our husband's for a late afternoon lunch. It is a small quilt show but WOW what talent and so much to see. I loved all the vendors at the show and got some yummy fabric to start a quilt with. I also managed to plan some basil, oregano and cilantro in the morning and pull some weeds. It feels so good to finally be able to get out on a weekend and accomplish some things.

Wonderful....

2009-04-17T11:31:00.001-07:00

This was a blessing in my life this week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Never judge the book by its cover! What a lesson! Do you wonder what the church choir is like in her hometown!

It actually made me cry and as you know - I am not much of crier over things like this!

The Daffodil Principle

2009-04-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

A great little story.....

Several times my daughter, Julie, had telephoned to say, "Mom, you must come see the daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from my place by the beach to her lakeside mountain home.
"I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call. The next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I got in the car and began the long, tedious drive.
When I finally walked into Julie's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Julie! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and the children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"
My daughter smiled calmly, "We drive in this all the time, Mom."
"Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears and then I'm heading straight for home!" I said, rather emphatically.
"Gee, Mom, I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car," Julie said with a forlorn look in her eyes.
"How far will we have to drive?"
Smiling she answered, "Just a few blocks, I'll drive ... I'm used to this."
After several minutes on the cold, foggy road, I had to ask "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!"
"We're going to the garage the long way," Julie smiled, "by way of the daffodils."
"Julie," I said sternly, "please turn around."
"It's all right, Mom, I promise, you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
After about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church I saw a hand-lettered sign ...
"Daffodil Garden"
We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Julie down the path. As we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped.
Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.
Five acres of the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen!
"Who planted all these?" I asked Julie.
"It's just one woman," Julie answered, "She lives on the property. That's her home," and she pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.
We walked up to the house and on the little patio we saw a poster ...

Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking
50,000 bulbs
one at a time
by one woman
2 hands, 2 feet
and very little brain
Began in 1958

There it was ... "The Daffodil Principle"

For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top.
Still, this unknown, old woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of magnificent beauty, and inspiration.
The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration:
learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, (often just one baby-step at a time)
learning to love the doing,
learning to use the accumulation of time
When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Julie, "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the day in her direct way, "Start tomorrow, Mom," she said, "It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of our yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask ... "
"How can I put this to use today?"
~~~
Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards, Author

Spring break.............

2009-03-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

What are your plans.....

I have some.....I can't wait - relaxation and rest! Okay so it will be more like scurry/hurry/get as much in as possible but guess what it won't be sitting at they keyboard typing, typing, typing!

I am off to dinner with friends from sorority tonight! I think I may splurge and have a drink!

Green things to celebrate St. Patrick's Day....

2009-03-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

May green be the grass you walk on,

May blue be the skies above you,

May pure be the joys that surround you,

May true be the hearts that love you.
May your home be bright with cheer,

May your cares all disappear,

May contentment come your way,

And may laughter fill your day.

Wishing you always—Walls for the wind

And a roof for the rain

And tea beside the fire—Laughter to cheer you

And those you love near you—And all that your heart might desire!

Green M&M's - all the stir about what they would do for your desires.....isn't that funny what we remember?

What I would do for a pair of sneakers like these - do you love em or what? I wished I knew where I could lay my hands on a pair of these.....they are fabulicicous!

Last but not least.....I was hopin' to serve this tonight but I have a mtg to attend so I will be leaving the boys on their own - something was said about crashin' at my mom's house to see if she was having corned beef & cabbage today! Yummo!

Loves this too much not to pass it on............

2009-03-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend.

You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone
you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every
sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin.

Wonder....

2009-03-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

I wonder, how many burdens is Jesus carrying for us that we know nothing about? We're aware of some. He carries our sin. He carries our shame. He carries our eternal debt. But are there others? Has He lifted fears before we felt them? . . . Those times when we have been surprised by our own sense of peace? Could it be that Jesus has lifted our own anxiety onto His shoulders and placed a yoke of kindness on ours? ~ Max Lucado~

Take my yoke upon you. . .
and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

Okay....

2009-03-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here I am....I am busy with my new baby.....she is requiring most of my evenings. Who would have known!

Anyhow, not much happening - well actually there is a lot happening....a death in the family, a wedding, soccer practice started, ER visit in the midst of dealing with the SODL....

I have something still up my sleeve - actually two things - not all that exciting but, well, anything is exciting if it is new right?

As I have said before this blog was started as a vent for me and somewhere to share my excitement....these past few months I have been debating about what to do and the people closest to me want me to keep going with it, they say I write good and sometimes actually make them smile! Some of my family reads it though I have not invited my entire family to read along but I do have some changes up my sleeve and you could possibly receive something via e-mail. There is news I have been wanting to document but i don't want the whole world reading my news......some people just don't need to know all about my life.....

I am going to be making some changes in my own personal life and could possibly "disappear" for awhile....who knows what is in my bag of tricks....but the thing is, it is all good! My heart is yearning for betterness for me, my family and my friends! I truly cherish my friends and you are engraved in my heart - I just do that with my loved ones - I cherish you!

I am drained with some things that have went on in my life and it is zapping my strength and is no longer worth me fighting for or wondering about....things have definitely changed for me over the past few months and again, it is good!

I have searched my soul more than once and questioned things and asked my loved ones why and all to no avail....no answers to my questions, no solutions we can see.....I don't like the unanswered things in life as most people don't but life is good! Friends are good. If you have friendships cherish them, write those people deep in your heart - if you lose them it hurts like hell but it was worth the memories and the bumps along the way!

I don't seem to have a whole lot of spare times lately, between waiting for incoming calls, calls that you don't want and spending time with family the 24 hours in a day just can't seem to be stretched to fit all the things I want to do - if you have felt neglected by me I am sorry but know I love you and probably always did. Running a child to soccer practice and soccer games is just hitting for the Spring time rush as well as running a child to chess club and spending time doing homework just takes a lot of time - not that every minute isn't a gift to spend with him because WOW they grow up so fast!

I am not complaining at all just wanting you to know how important my family and true friendships are to me.....I am delicate and I don't like to be bruised by gossip.....I will just stop here because it is safe.

In the meantime think on this one:

Trusting God means thinking and acting according to God's Word in spite of circumstances, feelings, or consequences. The object of our faith is GOD - not our feelings, not faith itself, but almighty God. ~Warren W. Wiersbe~

We walk by faith, not by sight. ~2 Corinthians 5:7~

......Stay tuned.....

More recollection of last weeks events....

2009-02-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that Miss K and her momma brought me the 2nd book in the Twilight series last Friday and a lovely little gift from Starbucks.....one of my many addictions! EW-lala....thank you chickies - I know Miss K was on her way to get a new pair of shoes - you know a woman can NEVER have to many shoes! heehee! She has 2 top teeth coming in and boy are they cute! I just love baby teeth and how they look coming in - so cute - though I feel for the pain they endure to get those teeth in - OUCH!

Over the past couple of weeks my SIL had shared with me that she was coming to town with her sister from the Seattle area to surprise their parents. They came on Sunday and I guess the surprise was a hit and they had a great time! I am so glad all went as planned. I had been SWORN to secrecy which I took care of very well. My SIL wanted to know if my mom needed a bag of Parrot food for her parrots and so I had to skirt around that issue with my mom - trying to figure out if she needed some or not - she said no but my SIL brought a 20 lb bag in her suitcase. She surprised my parents yesterday showing up by having her sister drop her off down the road and walking in to the driveway rolling a suitcase behind her. I guess my mom was freaking out because she thought it was some kind of sales person - my SIL even peaked in their front window and my mom still didn't recognize her and was freaking out still. She was lucky she didn't get shot by my mom - you know she tends to get a little carried away when she is pissed off - vulgarities flying freely! Anyhow, my SIL finally made it to the door and surprised them. It was a good thing and funny!

Last night I got to go out and hoot it up with her too. Ya, the big L-town on a Monday night at 7:30 - we started to go to Arby's because we were just going to grab a drink and visit and she was going to show me pics on her computer. Well about the time we hit the parking lot there it started downpouring....now she is not afraid of the rain because she is a Portlandite and they get plenty of the wet stuff, I on the other hand was afraid to step out in the torrential rain and end up soaked. So I had a grand idea to hit the 4-10 and sit in the car and visit while we sipped on a drink - even though I have got spiders in my drinks from there before....I was willing to eat another spider for her. Guess what people - they were closed already - what is that all about? She saw A&W on the way and said a rootbeer float sounded good so I went to A&W and guess what people...A&W in Clarkston is no more - it is apparently going to be a Taco Johns....gut bombs - ugghhh! 3-strikes we were out - so I headed to DQ and we got pops and sat in the parking lot until 10:00 while we visited about everything under the sun and then I had to take her home where we ended up visiting some more. It was good to just be away for a little bit and visit 1 on 1 - it has been sooo long for us to be able to do that....when I am there we are busy running and when she is here her family is usually with her! It was good! Heck we used to have some marathon shopping trips in Portland - up at the break of dawn and hit the malls and were gone until they closed.....we have some great memories of that....the clerk barking at me "WHAT SIZE ARE YOU?" from the back of the store while I was standing at the front of the store - um ya.....let me yell that back at you - NOT! Eating Chinese in the mall and then going to the pet shop and me saying "I gotta go" and WHOOSH I was gone! The Toys R Us incident and the Ross store - I could still almost make myself sick about that - I will never understand how someone can leave their gifts in the toilet and not flush - PUKE! All the trouble we would get in after it was agreed upon we were shopping all day and then we would get home and no one would talk to us because they were all pissed off at us...um ya - memories - like the corner of my mind, misty water colored memories......Oh ya! Just think of the places we could find soo much easier with the GPS systems now.....no shop would ever be unfindable.

So I came home after that and watched True Beauty.....I haven't been a die hard fan but watch it only because Billy was on it. It actually makes me kind of sick the attitudes and insides of these beautiful people and how they truly interact with others. Sometimes that is not so good.

I ended the perfectly good day by reading a few pages in the Twilight series book....I am still trying to figure out what all the hoopla is about - it is okay but I am not HOH (head over heels) on this book - it is a love story, not true and I am having a hard time in this fantasy love thing! I like true grit, true stories, local history.....whatever that means! The book I bought even has the poster in the back of it - I will sell it to the highest bidder - I can part with it....

OP Challenge 2009......

2009-02-21T20:45:00.001-08:00

I decided it would be fun to be a part of an on-line challenge this weekend - the requirement was to use your OP (orange pile) stash of fabric. I started dicing & splicing last night about 7:30 p.m.

I made 3 of each of these blocks for a total of 9.....

I finished ironing the last one at 8:00 tonight! I am excited to see how this will all come together....

I did do other tasks today....did some errands, weeded through some papers on my desk and spent a couple hours this afternoon visiting with a friend from California who I was in church youth group with about 30 years ago! It was nice to touch base with her. Her mother died of cancer about 20 years ago - she was a great lady & friend of mine! It was so heartbreaking for me to be with her the last few weeks of her life - she knew it was only a matter of time and so did I ~ it was so hard for me to watch such a wonderful lady die so young and miss out on her kids lives as they grew up! Joyce you were a wonderful woman and I was blessed and am honored to have had y0u in my life!

Woe - didn't know that was coming! Maybe I should name this quilt "My Joyce Quilt"!

He graduated.....

2009-02-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

I had to make the trek out last night for new shoes for Ang. What we thought would be a task of simplicity turned out to take much longer. We started at Tri-State Outfitters and they had 2 pairs of shoes that were his "new" size as we were informed that when you go from a 6 to a 7 that most shoes go in to men's sizes. Nike does have 7 youth but of course, they don't order very many of them in because they aren't big sellers. Off we went to Famous Footwear. No luck there either - they could order them in but that would take a week and we waited too long as it was to get new shoes for him. I won't even tell you when he got his last pair of shoes but it was a trip we took last spring to Portland. Joe was getting frustrated by the time we hit Famous Footwear. The two workers were visiting and I thought he was going to blow a cork as he wanted service - funny thing! So, once I asked him not to be a smart A&* to the workers and to please be calm because that would set the whole mood for encounter there. Anyhow, the sweetest girl helped us and spent way tooo much time and energy trying to fit him with a man's shoe. I think we tried EVERY shoe they had in a men's size 7. Ang finally found a pair that he liked - they were bad....solid white...thick soled.....not to cool in my eyes and I was thinking if the kids saw him with these on he would be targeted for harassing. I whispered "NO" to the worker and she steered him on to something else. They were bad - like something an older person would wear - I mean older when I say older! Solid WHITE....SOLID WHITE! Anyhow, we finally ended at 7:30 with a pair of Nikes.....I won't even give you the price on those puppies! Hopefully they will last a long time though like the last pair! They look so BIG on my baby. His pants are shrinking too - they are getting too short so that will be our next adventure!

So this weekend I am planning on taking part in an online quilt challenge, it is easy and you are challenged to use your stockpile of ORANGE fabric. I only had a few pieces of orange and I was saving them for a Halloween project. So I ventured out and bought a few slices of orange fabric that is so way cool. The lady who owns the store I went to was helping me out and showing me this fabric and it is like a kaleidoscope if you cut it and put it together a certain way - but that ain't happening so don't expect that from me. It reminded me of some kind of trip you would take on drugs - not that I have ever experienced that but it was really cool looking and exciting to see the effects. She had a double mirror she was showing me with - all I can say is WOW!

That was my THURSDAY night adventure.....my baby graduated to men size shoes.....another step in his little life. It will certainly be interesting to watch him grow and see where those feet and size 7 shoes will take him over the next little bit....prayers that God will keep him protected and safe and help him make wise decisions!

Valentines day.....

2009-02-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

As a special request....some want to know WHAT it was I did on Valentine's Day. I had a secret place I went to early Saturday morning and then at 9:00 I hit the quilt store to start my project, I signed up for it months ago and was so looking forward to it. I worked diligently until about 1:00 when suddenly my brain was so boggled with the bazillions of pieces I had to sew back together in a special order that it went on strike. Piecing, pinning, sewing, ironing, sewing, ironing, pinning, piecing.....yadayadayada....it was fun but WOWZER. I got all my blocks done and ready to sew together which is quite the accomplishment considering that some of these pieces were 1.5 x 1.5 inches....uh-ya - that ain't big in case you are wondering! I started questioning as to WHY it was I took perfectly good (expensive too) fabric and diced it all up and was sewing it back together......especially after I had to take one piece off after I sewed the wrong piece on....that is where I was frazzled to the end! It was fun though.....trust me really it was!

I left the quilt store with my creation in hand and headed home where I found a nicely wrapped packages and 2 beautiful cards - one from Ang and one from Joe. I got a Starbucks mug which I love and 2 more pieces of Brighton jewelry - it has bling and is a heart locket - love it! I then got myself beautified for dinner - Joe had made plans for us and another couple to go to the Red Lion Buffet and reserved our table. I had a clam digger to start the night off right - the Red Lion makes awesome clam diggers - just an FYI. It was a very lovely evening and the prime rib was to die for, it was a tie for me between the prime rib and the strawberry/bacon/spinach salad - YUMMMO! At one point we got so tickled in a conversation that we nearly laughed ourselves silly, it is good to laugh like that once in awhile. We topped off the meal with a piece of red velvet cake that we shared. We ran in to another couple at dinner who was seating nearby so we visited with them off and on through the meal. After dinner we decided the evening was still young so we went to dance. It was fun to watch and enjoy all the dancers of all ages, it is nice to run in to friends and acquaintances too. It is so enjoyable just to relax once in awhile.

So there you have it - probably not that wondiferous to some but it was to me and that is all that counts right.....

Sunday I picked up my new glasses and can actually see - SHEESH maybe that would have helped at the quilting??? We did some Costco shopping and of course a quick trip to Joannes to see what I had to see. I ended up running into my aunt and 2nd cousin who is 4 - she is quite the little chicka - she had me cracking up - nothing like having a conversation with a 4-year-old in a fabric store and not knowing what is going to come out of her little mouth - she is adorable. She kept saying "Nana, she is funny!", oh ya....it was great! She had a hot pair of Batman sunglasses that I tried to talk her out of but she would have nothing to do with that business! I mean what better for a wardrobe completer for me than a purple pair of Batman sunglasses. What a cute little bug she is!

After that adventure I came home and crashed for a few hours only to wake up to watch.....yep, you got it.....Amazing Race, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters.

So here we are Thursday of the following week - what has been going on in the home office....welllll Daisy has eaten a No2 Pencil - black and orange....I think she was over stressed about all those figures of dog treats in her mind and how she could obtain more for doing less things the proper way. Speaking of which things are a little quiet - she is either ZONKED at her desk or off in lala land extending her 15 minute break beyond the allotted 15 minutes.....I am so going to BUST her in the act of pushing the limits!

Daisy has been at it again.....

2009-02-13T22:09:00.000-08:00

This morning I hopped in the shower to take a quick shower before work and when I got out to my desk Daisy (NOSEY ROSIE) had gotten in to some low cal candies I had on my desk....they have been on my desk for a week now, why today....I do not know.....my only concern for her safety is the warning on the label "EXCESS CONSUMPTION MAY HAVE A MILD LAXATIVE EFFECT"....ummm, ya! Would 12 candies for a 12 pound dog be "excess"? Hmmm...... This whole entire week she has had her HUNTING NOSE on....I don't know what is up but WOW....have nose will travel!

Tomorrow is my first day at quilting class. I am so excited. It is a 5 hour class and hopefully with "any" luck I will come out with a finished quilt top. I made a quilt about five years ago and promised myself I would do it again because I had so much fun but then "life happened", you know gallbladder removal, kid activities, motherly duties and here we are 5 years later. WOW!

Then my husband divulged his plans for Valentine's Day and I am looking forward to the plan too! He was so cute trying to not tell me!

Well this is a short post but I need to get myself organized and ready to go in the a.m. and check on Ms. Daisy's rumbling tummy! Lord help me!

I've been thinking......

2009-02-09T22:20:00.000-08:00

I have been on a vacation from blogging - long story but I am back!

The weekend was a hoot - I got to play with some friends Saturday morning and then Saturday night we had a Valentine Party to go to. I almost won the Bunco games but was tied with another glamorous gal so we had a roll off and she got a 10 and I got a 9 - so goes the way the dice falls! I was happy for her though! Had a good time laughing with friends and harassing the people I knew at the party....so good to let myself out once in awhile! I even managed a trip to Joanne Fabrics on Saturday too.

I have been visiting the past a lot the last month, thinking and remembering and trying to reason why I am the way I am......

On February 11th it will be 11 years since I had to have emergency surgery. I was hemorrhaging and was told by the "practicing" surgeon who did my surgery I had had a miscarriage only to find out 10 days later I had cancer and then about a week after that to have a total hysterectomy and removal of my tubes/ovaries thus axing the chance at ever bearing my own child. The bottom had fell out of my world that day when I was told I had cancer. Actually I read it off the path report myself and handled it okay for about 10 minutes and then I ended up spending 1.5 hours in the assistant administrator's office (which she gladly entitled me to) with my girlfriend....sobbing, cussing, crying, wondering why, if I would die. You see my whole life, like almost every girl, I wanted babies....babies to raise and care for and love on and laugh with. It was my dream, to marry, have children and grow old together! How could this happen? It hurt like hell and still does....not every second, minute & hour like it used to but it still hurts! That was my initial hurt & worry and then I had to face the cancer and realizing that I could die....people DIE from cancer...I laid awake in bed night after night pleading for my life to God, hoping that I would not die. Panic set in then....I couldn't breath from crying so much, why me? The day arrived for the big surgery....I still remember the details, walking into the hospital that cold morning and finding my hospital room decorated with things from my friends. Getting ready for the surgery - people who were there were worried and hurting for me and I was trying to be the upbeat one even though I was scared shitless.....how could this be happening to me at 32 years of age? How? Why me? Being wheeled back to surgery and lying on the gurney in line for the anesthetist to place the IV and get me relaxed....I remember the nurses in the hall talking about being pregnant and I was okay with that but I was thinking that they really should be more sensitive to what their patients may be going through. It was comforting to have people working on me that I knew - most people would be freaked but I was comfortable knowing that I personally knew the anesthetist and he truly was there for me, the surgeon was rooting for me, the nurses were rooting for me. that was good - that is what a friend is. They touched my life just knowing they cared. After surgery I remember not wanting to be told how advanced the surgery was - I was so scared. what if it had metastasized to other parts of my body? The doctor told us that the cancer was further along than he expected and I remember wondering what that meant? I remember my mom coming with my dog and sneaking her through the window of my room - that meant so much to me just to see and hold my Penny dog and love on her and she was so excited to see me, that helped my hurting heart. I remember how scared I was because friends would come and just stand in my room with no words and I thought for sure I was on my way out and dying by the way they just stood in the room nervously not knowing WHAT exactly to say. My room was lined from wall to wall with flowers....it meant so much but again I knew it must be bad if all these people sent flowers and cards - I must be dying. I remember a friend who is a nurse coming to my room because I was unable to sleep no matter how much sleeping medication they gave me I laid awake all night, all day, freaked out - not crying, not talking, just spaced...anyhow, my friend the nurse did Reiki with me and it was the most relaxation I had had in weeks....it was an awesome feeling....God was there and I knew it.

It took me a week to look at my discharge papers to see how advanced my cancer was. The plan was, after consultation with physicians out of this area and in much larger institutions, for 5.5 weeks of radiation treatment. That was a very draining experience also. It left lifelong reminders of my cancer war and my treatment. I can laugh and joke about it now but going through the radiation was very tiring and draining. I spent my time in the lead room on the lead table with the radiation praying a lot, trying to let my anger go. I wasn't freaked at being in the room alone. I just tried to pray a lot and pray that the treatment would do what it needed to do to save my life!

I just felt like I needed to write this out for my own self....it may be all nothingness to everyone else but I had to celebrate an almost 11 year victory over cancer. It was the worst time in my life truly. There are not many things that can drag you that low, I realize there are a few other things that can take you down but that has to be one of them.

This post isn't meant to be depressing - I just wanted to revisit and express my feelings on my blog.

It is just so many little things trip me up sometimes and I want to be sooo done with that stuff - life is just to damn short to cry over the crap that gets thrown at you for whatever reason. I love the people in my life who can forgive me for my shortcomings and not hold on to my failures and point fingers....that is what makes a family & friends true.

I am happy and very excited about life - I am ready to turn on my life and start living it for real! I am upbeat, have some exciting things going on with me personally.

Soooo....what do ya know?.............

2009-02-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

So things have been a little quiet here on the blogosphere....what is up with that? Oh well, my blog started out as a way to have a little fun and keep track of my life for me.

Isn't the sunshine great today - what a way to wake up - no gray skies and opening the blinds and having blue skies and sun! Instantly helped my spirit - sunshine for my soul!

I have a feeling this is going to be a good month for me and hopefully I can blog about some things that I have had on my mind and buried in my heart for awhile....thinking on them, stewing, deciding what I want to say and how.....

O Happy Day!

Superbowl Sunday

2009-02-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

I am off to a party of 14.....what teams are playing again - football lost my interest when the COLTS were ousted!

So more like....off to see the superbowl advertisements!

Ang aint going to be happy when he realizes he still has homework to doooooo!

Lord....help me make it through the 4th grade.....Pleeaasseee!

Pictures you requested...........

2009-01-31T18:22:00.000-08:00

okay for all the requests for pics from last week at the double digit birthday party....hold on to your seats! Here we goooo....

this is A winning 500 tickets out of a machine....which by the way is NO easy task....

Taking a chance with his friend on a game.....

a little wall climbing.....

WHEW!!!!

750 tickets here ~ another BIG win..............

Let the party begin.....a few friends, an arcade, cheese pizza, pop, brownies & chocolate chip cookies...what more could a 10-year-old ask for?

What a good time we had....lots of good clean fun!!!

Hey Friends.....remember this.....

2009-01-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

To the world you may be just one person, but to one person YOU may be the WORLD!

(I can't take credit for it but I am unsure where credit is due? - just love that quote though!)

Birthday Party.....

2009-01-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

Today was Angelo's birthday party.......
we went to Bumpers....he had six friends come. They were all pretty nice kids - wait, they were all extremely nice kids! I think they all had a load of fun hanging out and spending tokens on games. Pizza, pop, cookies & brownies......I will post photos tomorrow maybe - I am too tired to have the patience to wait for the downloading process tonight.

The party was nice and relaxing - don't get me wrong I am exhausted but it was a nice low key party and the kids were great and the parents were great! I managed to sink a few coins into the machines myself....

I finally bit the bullet and bought Twilight for myself today.....everyone is raving about it so I will give it a try! I am usually not into those kinds of books but I will "try" to do my best to read it!

Not much else happening at the moment ~ I am going to crochet some more on my latest work of art! Although I am extremely jealious of the quilting that is going on in someone elses life! GRRR!

Recent creations....

2009-01-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is one of my latest layouts - it was from summer vacation....

This is part of the above layout - Summer 2008 - Ang & his best friend!

These are the bookmark/tags I made for my sorority project......

Ang's party invites....you requested - you received! They were a little plain but I liked the simpleness....All with my CRICUT.....

What a HUGE day yesterday.....

2009-01-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

First & foremost.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. SAUSAGE GRAVY.....AKA AMBER!

CELEBRATE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE IN YOUR TUMMY!

BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS TO YOU!

~*~*~*~****~*~*~*~*~****~~~**~*~*~****~~~

Yesterday was a busy day - I had myself scheduled for a meeting bright & early on customer service - very informative - mandatory by my employer - it was enlightening to understand what customers expect from businesses - much more than a few years ago as we are more informed & knowledgeable as consumers and so many options available for potential customers.

Interesting and fun to meet some of the new people at work since I am working at home most of the time.

Anyhow.....I didn't realize I had scheduled myself for this mandatory meeting on the Inauguration Day! So I DVR'd it hoping to get some glimpses later! What a day huh? Lots of different insights and stories! I am so excited for a new start.....fresh ideas.....hopefully things will be better for all in America eventually, though I realize it will take lots of time and work and don't expect things to change overnight. I am happy for the Obama family but I also think about how much those girls little lives will change now and forever. I may think about odd things....but I wonder will they have slumber parties at the Whitehouse? Will dad still have tea parties with them in the midst of his new life? What will it be like for these girls down the road....only time will tell. They are now performing for the whole world and have secret service watching over them. God Bless those girls! I worry about something happening to our new president, I have since he won the election - hopefully my worries are never validated.

Last night it was off to sorority. I was in charge of the program so I had to "think" of something to do....I did sweat over this one believe me! I had thoughts about doing something meaningful and not a lot of work like in the past when I have done things. Then last week I had an idea, the idea arose because my Sunday school teacher passed away at age 98 - she was older when she was our teacher and most of the kids dreaded Sunday School with her but I always admired her knowledge and love of God. Anyhow, thinking about her and the meaningful things she did for me and our class. She at one time had us take little pieces of paper and write one or two words about each person in our class. Positive and uplifting words - nothing negative! Then we were each given our pieces of paper. I still have these pieces of paper in my bible today. It was just an meaningful thing to me! Sooo, anyhow for sorority last night I designed these little gift tags - that we can use as bookmarks, then I gave a heart to each person to write positive things about each person on and then we strung them on our bookmark (tags)! I thought it was a nice thing to do and uplifting but I am not sure what others were thinking. Sometimes it is just nice to read positive things about one's self.

Anyhow - I posted some pictures in the above post of my latest creations!

Soo....

2009-01-19T07:56:00.001-08:00

As usual the weekend is a fly by - where did that go?

I hung out with some friends on Friday night at a Scentsy Party! I almost forgot about the whole party invite but "thankfully" I called my friend to talk with her and and she asked if I was coming and I said....well never mind what I said....but I went and had a load of fun - never mind I was supposed to go to dinner with my family....OOPS! Ang had fun with my friend's daughter and J hung out with her husband - ummm ya, so at 10:00 p.m. when he came up the stairs to tell me we were leaving "I knew it was time".....

We hung at home on Saturday. I made a great recipe I got from http://hannahandlily.blogspot.com/ "Death by Potatoes" - wow that is one rich dish but it was good. I did manage to get some more scrapbooking, cricutting, cardmaking (invites for Ang's 10th b-day) and crocheting on my pink and brown afghan done. This will be a gift....I already know who the lucky recipient is! It will make its way in a box to SLC to my SIL, I know she will LOVE it through all the little errors and mistakes I made, it is turning out pretty nice - I tried to make my stitches a little tighter this time and used a smaller crochet hook - it has made it quite a bit smaller too but she is petite so it will work out great for her.

Sunday I buzzed around the house and organized my scrapbooking stuff a bit, funny how it can become so spread out in such a little amount of time. I headed out with some friends to have a little "us" time and hang! I was supposed to go with "Sausage Gravy" and get a facial but Joe wanted to have dinner out with some friends and so I knew I didn't want to battle that battle with him after the Friday night dinner out that didn't happen (oopsie!) - thankfully he understood!

I had to watch Desperate Housewives 100th episode last night and then Brothers & Sisters (for whatever reason - I love these two shows). Was that good or what? I made a bag of popcorn for me & my guy and we just enjoyed the shows!

Next weekend is the big double digit birthday for Ang....my baby turns 10. Amazing how fast that happened! He is such a great kid - hopefully through the next few years it will remain that way. We are having a birthday bash for him, we took him to Bumpers (it is an arcade/fun center) a few weeks ago to check it out and when we asked if he wanted to have his birthday party there his eyes lit up, of course he didn't want to react to "excited" but you could see those eyes saying "YES"! He hasn't had a big party for a couple of years so this is the year!

Well hi-hoe, hi-hoe it is off to work I go! Gotta get some morning buzz juice going and then hit those keys!

Love this quote......

2009-01-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."

~ Jane Howard~

Up notes...........

2009-01-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

So....I have been busy again working on scrapbook pages - Sunday I was with my groupies at CPS and I "almost" completed 2 layouts for a total of 4 pages.....I had some sewing to do on one and some "blogging" to put on the pages. Last night I finished that up and started another layout, all I want to say is WHAT??? was I thinking - I started at about 9:00 p.m. cuz Joe was watching something I am not that interested in.....at 10:00 p.m. True Beauty came on (which I only watch because the local dude on the show.....Billy Scharnhorst), I mean if it wasn't for him I would NOT watch it because some of those people are so brainless it is truly sad, no depth to their beauty that is for sure! Anyhow, I started doing a mosaic around some pics of Angelo swimming last summer. I cut little pieces of water out from the trimmings off of the actual pics....that is time consuming, at this point I am 2/3 done, it is fun - kind of like making your own little puzzle. Not sure I am 100% cool with it but it is a start - I have seen mosaics done with little squares of pics in scrapbook magazines and thought I would try my hand at it - so it is a step out of my comfort zone. I will post when I am completed.....

Ang had some exciting news on Friday - he is one of three kids in his class who are tied to compete in the school spelling bee.....GOOD JOB! He is way good on spelling and math - he was working on pre-geometry in his advanced class this weekend which I thought I was going to pull my hair out trying to help him - I was a bonehead math student - you know ALGEBRA.....basic algebra.....it is bad when he is in the 4th grade and is way beyond me! He gets frustrated because he needs help and I can't help him - which then leads to stress! I hate not knowing how to help him.

I am so happy that inside I feel so regenerated and wanting to complete stuff and organize. It has been a long time since I have had this energy inside and feeling so excited about life. I love it! I love the ember that is burning in my life! Sure, my life is NOT 100% but I am trying to focus on regeneration and joys. Life IS good - even in the midst of bad things in my life and friends nearby - life is good, the blessings we all have bestowed on us - you really don't have to look far to find something you are privileged to have - a spouse or significant other, a child, a home, a vehicle, an animal buddy, memories of vacations, friends or loved ones who touched our lives.....we all gottem somewhere we just need to find them and dust them off!

I am so grateful for the friends I have and the love they show me in whatever form it may be;

a smile
a note
a phone call
an e-mail
a picture
sharing
forgiving me for my imperfections and loving me anyway
gently prodding me to pick up my cross and trudge on
standing by me as a support when I feel like I can't do something
making me laugh when I feel like crying inside
helping me to see the good in things
encouraging me to forgive when I may not want to
Helping me STRAP my rose colored goggles on and leaving them on
just being there for me....encouraging.....cheering me on to the finish line!

You see....I am truly blessed!

THANK YOU friends!

Hopefully UP times just around the corner.....

2009-01-12T13:56:00.001-08:00

I am hoping for better times around the corner...you know once President Obama is in office. I don't expect miracles but this economy stuff sucks.....you see my friends lost their job and my heart is very sad for them and up until now the jobless news hasn't hit home....but suddenly it slammed into me - REALITY....it sucks big time! I hate that bad things happen to good people.....I will never understand that..... The worst part is that some high up idiot leaked the news out to the local TRIBUNE before the company even informed people and sent everyone into a panic! THANKS DUDE or DUDETTE - you are a loser ya know - perhaps you should apply for some "GOSSIP" magazine and get paid for your dirty deeds.....you have heard the song with the lyrics "DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP".....ya, you should haul your kahooter down somewhere and get a gossip job! Your mouth has caused pain in a lot of local families! To bad it wasn't your kahooter that was on the line to lose your position! Can you say "LOSER" as you look in the mirror each morning?

Okay - so more on the up note! I know, know, know that somehow this family will make it through this torrential rainstorm in their life and will come out the other side stronger! It sucks and I can't begin to image this but I know that they will make it! Rely on your friends if need be! If you need to talk pick up the phone and call any of us we will be there!

And can we all say Ba BYE to President Bush when he closed the whitehouse door for the last time ..... like really soon!

An opportunity rings.....

2009-01-09T11:16:00.000-08:00

Angelo's 4th grade class is raising money for their upcoming jet boat trip up the Snake River this Spring. They are needing to raise $2,000.00 for their class alone to go.

They have a great deal on a Southway Pizzeria card;

Cost: $10.00 for the card
You would buy one large specialty pizza and get one large 2 topping pizza free - Dine In or pickup only - NO DELIVERIES
This $10.00 card is good for 6 purchases and expires in June 2009

If you would like to help Angelo's class out by purchasing a card please let me know. I need to turn my order in for the cards the end of next week with the money.

Thank you in advance for considering a purchase.

Feel free to buy more than one card.

Again, thank you

Brenda

More LO from Sunday morning.....

2009-01-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

This is a 2 page layout from Ang's 4th B-day at the gymnastics gym. I am only a "few" years behind.

This is a 2 page layout from the Summer of 2007 when we went to the Pioneer Park and just hung out while Joe was at work on a Sunday afternoon.

An art project Ang did this year. I never know quite what to do with these treasures so I thought I would scrap it. Besides I thought he was a cute little turkey too!

I loved this layout. It is a picture from the 3rd grade rocket launch last year. I used aluminum foil to cut out stars and place behind my cricut letters. I though it turned out kind of funky, simple bu with a little spice from the foil!

Anyway, thought I would share my creations - shows I am busy - you know idle hands are the devils tools so I have been bizzeeee!

Just love this quote.....

2009-01-04T09:59:00.001-08:00

Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of another.

― Marquis de Condorcet

I got creative today.....

2008-12-30T21:13:00.000-08:00

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.......

2008-12-27T09:40:00.001-08:00

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......

2008-12-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

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..............

2008-12-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

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........

2008-12-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

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..........

2008-12-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

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........

2008-12-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

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.....

2008-12-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

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....

2008-12-14T13:01:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-09T16:55:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

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

2008-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

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......

2008-12-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

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....

2008-11-28T10:55:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-26T14:04:00.000-08:00

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.....

2008-11-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-11-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-11-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

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......

2008-11-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

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.....

2008-11-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

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............

2008-11-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

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.......

2008-11-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-10-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

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........

2008-10-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

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.....

2008-10-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

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......

2008-10-20T09:12:00.001-07:00

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....

2008-10-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-14T12:11:00.001-07:00

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???

2008-10-12T18:01:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-10-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

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.....

2008-10-06T11:42:00.000-07:00

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.....

2008-10-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

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.....

2008-09-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-09-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-09-29T18:28:00.001-07:00

There is my whining for the night! OUCH!

Okay....I did it!

2008-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

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...........................

2008-09-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

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!!

Ouch my knee and other random stuff......

2008-09-24T11:22:00.001-07:00

Okay....
seems I have really messed my knee up from the weekend.....
I can hardly walk on it this a.m. - it is so sore and I am not sure what to do about it! I do NOT want to take a trip to the doctor....you see I will get a huge lecture on issues I don't want to hear about - bet most of you can guess what!
It hurts to sit, stand, lay, anything.....
I did really nothing except walk on it but holy heck it is sore today - worse today than ever! I thought I was doing better last night!

I am "HOPING" to have a low census day on Friday from work - I really need some time just to be vegetating I think....actually I need to work on the home front but I am not quite sure how that is going to come down when I am incapacitated with my knee at the moment!

GRRRRR - if it is NOT one thing it is ANOTHER!

Oh and still no check to be found - I am now 2/3 nuts over looking for them! I am done - new ones are on the way....I had to pay an extra 5.00 for speedy deliver but it is for peace of mind I did it! Now I expect the lost ones to show up any day!

I was going to blog the fact that on Monday after soccer practice Ang had a slight meltdown about wanting to go back to his old school. He broke down and cried about missing his friends. He said he only had 2 friends at his new school and other kids were teasing him about cheating on his math because he gets 100% and another kid acused him of cheating at chess because he won him. I tried to explain to him that the kids were jealous and that he is a smart kid and has been playing chess since 1st grade. He cried some more! Angelo then told me he purposely got some math problems wrong so the kids knew that he wasn't cheating and wouldn't tease him and I told him not to do that because again, they were jealous of him and he should do his best because he is smart and he knows this stuff! He finally got through the rough spot in the road by the next day and has come home the last couple nights from school happy again - last night he was complaining because he got the longest spelling words in the class - everyone else was getting short ones and he got these huge long words....I tried to compliment him and build him up about how smart he was and that he should be proud of that and he was doing an awesome job! I love him so much and I hate to see him in distress - it is amazing what you go through as a parents at different ages in their lives!

Oh and YAAA - I ordered a felting kit through the i-net and can hardly stand myself waiting for it! I have wanted to learn how to needle felt for awhile and now I get too! YIPPEEE! I need more crafting time and less time being a responsible adult I think....sounds good anyway!

Still missing & other THANGS....

2008-09-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

First and foremost - the WTP checks are still MIA - I have searched HIGH and low and all to no avail....I wonder if I inadvertently tossed them away in the garbage or something! It is all James fault because she told me that my van was a mobile FEMA unit and I could survive on the french fries strewn through it for a month.....OH LORD, so I cleaned it (though she wants pictures posted and um....well....it is NOT that clean okay!)..... Which leads me to my excursion yesterday when I stopped by a "unnamed" store and wanted to buy one skein of yarn and guess what....this store didn't take debit cards - WHA?? - this day and age and no debit cards because I am totally OUT of checks - I had to do without the "MARY SAGE" skein of yarn I though I needed! I am trying to finish up the afghan I am crocheting....ARGGGHHH - oh well, soccer starts on Saturday and I will carry it along and work on it during the soccer game, it will keep me warm as I work on it!

Life was sorta busy this weekend....I spent Friday night at the fair walking, walking and walking....first off the walk from the parking area to the fair, through the fair, back through the fair, standing in line for pulled pork sandwiches, more walking! It was all worth it because I was with Miss K and her mommy! It was fun to spend some time "walking" (did I mention that before?) and visiting! Time goes by so fast though and we really didn't visit enough! More girl time needed!

Saturday (after Friday night at the fair and all the walking) I got up bright and early and headed to do street cleanup with the girls from sorority....I was 10 minutes late on arrival and they had already taken off down the street without me...I could hardly believe it (HA)! Joe & Angelo accompanied us as well as one of the other girl's husband....the more the merrier right? Anyhow, the street cleanup required (guess what?) more walking.....OH LORD - can you say fatigue.....
So after the street cleanup and a little bit of chit-chat at Taco Time it was back to the fair for us and more walking from the parking area to the fair....and then more walking through the exhibits and animal areas. We had planned for Ang to meet up with a friend to ride the rides so he wasn't alone....so we walked through more the exhibits with the mom & dad of the little girl that rode the rides with him and had lunch - then we sent them on their way to go home and relax and we would deliver their daughter back to them LATER.....about that time is when the skies broke loose and drenched us all! It seemed the entire community was now running for the safety of the fair pavilion to stay dry and guess what - no where to sit (MY ACHING FEET)! It rained and rained and rained but the kids were troopers and wanted to continue riding the rides so as long as the carnies kept the rides open we let them until around 8:00 when we told them the party was over and we needed to GOOO! They were hungry so it was out to pizza!

Sunday morning I got up and could hardly WALK but I was alive! My feet were killing me but I knew we needed groceries so it was off to MOSCOW for a trip to WINCO. I hit Michaels oh so slowly and Joanne Fab for a quick run through! We got back to L-town and were all exhausted so we just hit the homefront and relaxed for a few hours.

Oh "WHAT A WEEKEND"!

oh and YAAA.....missing....my WTP checks.....

2008-09-19T11:05:00.001-07:00

It seems I have misplaced my brand spankin new box of Winnie the Pooh checks.....I have searched high & low, inside and out, up and down....yep, James I even partially cleaned out my car - you dealt me such grief last Saturday! Where are those puppies......I have 2 checks left and umteen bills to send off....okay, maybe not umteen but ....a couple more than 2! Dang I hate when I lose things!

I am going crazy searching, cleaning, thinking, dreaming, wondering...where the HECK they are!
Say a prayer that I find them like SOOOOOOOONNNNN!

It can stop now....

2008-09-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

I woke up in a good frame of mind and ready to conquer anything that happened my way! Best mood all week.....

I am being tested because so far in 2 short hours I have been told two very very sad things!

Can I please have some good in my life now? Anytime now - showers of blessings?

Okay, Okay....

2008-09-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have not much to say - I am recovering from a down swing in my mood yesterday! Funny how a few "small" things can dampen one's spirit and that is what happened! I have decided that it is really out of my hands kinds of things....though it doesn't make it any easier to let go and let God! I was fighting with myself over the fact that yes, maybe I am not a kind/nice person.....but, I decided last night that I truly am a good person and if someone doesn't want to treat me HUMANE then that is the way it will be - I will do my best to get through it and go on - I am not saying it doesn't HURT like hell to be treated like a beat dog but W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R....I am not sure why the person wants to treat me this way whether it is because of my weight or my life, people tell me this person is jealious of me but I think "OF WHAT?", I don't have anything extraordinary....my life is simple...okay, simple on the outside but complicated on the internal side! It is so hard to battle through my emotions when I had a day like yesterday - THANK GOD it was only one day of bad feelings and not days and days...that is a blessing!

I also had some nonconfrontational issues in my life on Monday....things that hit ya right in the gut and knock you on your butt and it basically all happened in a 2-3 hour period of time. I tried to think positive and remember I am worth being treated humanely but it still knocked me down!

You know the interesting part is if you were to come upon this individual, they think they are pretty A-1, right in line to sit next to the throne of God....I am certainly hoping that I know a different God in my life and that my God is a HUMANE God that treats a person in the right way.

Things are way better today though.....I have pulled my boot straps up and carried on! Nothing I can do but go on......pick up my battle gear and armor and march on!

I try, I really do!

Okay - I need an uplifting post.......

2008-09-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I just got this picture from my SIL - it is my great nephew after his 1st day of preschool (ya, I know, you are amazed that I am a great aunt).....

This picture says it all.....

Mikie is a little go getter....busy, nonstop, energy packed and I even tell his momma that she is going to be spending a lot of time going to school to get him out of the office...you see Mikie's mommy was a lot like Mikie.....I remember when she was about 4...I was talking to a friend in Australia and she proceeded to climb on the kitchen table with a toy guitar and dance around because she knew she was out of reach of me and there I stood with the phone waving my finger at her mouthing for her to get off the table while I was trying to be totally involved with my Australian phone call.

Anyway, loved the photo because he is totally WIPED OUT and cute with his bee hat on!

NOT good ~ my heart is broke......

2008-09-12T10:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had asked for you to pray at 7:00 for the mother-to-be and her new little boy in Russia as they were facing unforeseen complications - Nikita's birthmom had wandered from the woodwork of life after three years of no contact and decided she wanted to be his caretaker.

For reasons not understandable my sorority sister's aunt has lost her battle to become Carter's full time mother - please continue to pray for Mona and Carter (Nikita). I am sure her heart is broken after 3 years of pregnancy with this little boy in her heart, visiting him in April and dreaming of this day when she would go and bring her boy home to his forever home and his big brother as well as all the entire family to meet.

More prayers for comfort for Mona and her family!

read the update here.....

http://bubblessimplelife.blogspot.com/

Blessings!

Prayers needed.....

2008-09-11T08:09:00.001-07:00

One of my sorority sisters aunt has been in the process of adopting a little boy from Russia for three years. She is actually in Russia at this time starting her 10-day waiting period and received devastating news. You can read her note below at my sister's site. She is asking for prayers THURSDAY (TONIGHT) at 7:00 p.m.

http://bubblessimplelife.blogspot.com/

As an adoptive mother myself I know the emotional rollercoaster one is on when you are waiting on the legal system. It is a very emotional time. I just ask for your support with prayers tonight for her! She has been carrying this little guy in her heart for 3 years and now to be in the last nine days of waiting and have this happen is devastating!

THANK YOU ALL and Blessings to everyone!

New Week.....

2008-09-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Where do the weekends go?

We hit the Bull Bash Thursday night - good seats thanks to friends getting there early and saving for us.....good fun and a definite TO DO next year!

Friday night we had purchased reserved seating tickets for the Rodeo under the roof above the chutes....yep, awesome seats - I was positioned right above where they brought the bulls/broncs out to put in the chutes - it was interesting to see this side of the rodeo. The clown/bullfighters were good - Lloyd Ketchum is always great to watch him dance with the bulls and the entertainment clown was good - he was out of Utah - No one (in my eyes) will ever match up with Flint Rasmussen - that man is entertainment at its best! He was the last clown I had watched who actually made me laugh out loud! The riders were awesome - I don't like the calf roping though - it makes me sad and I am always dreading the calf getting permanently injured - THANKFULLY that did NOT happen Friday night! I got a few good pics....I am thinking I would like a better camera now - my husband had offered to buy me a nicer camera but I wanted the one I have for portability and ease of carrying it in my purse - which it is awesome for that but you just don't get the close ups you want!

Saturday a.m. it was back up early a.m. to hit the parade which started at 9:59 a.m. - we hit downtown before 9:00 but the roads were already blocked off so we were rebels and went through a few road blocks to hit the courthouse parking lot and walk down a block on the main drag to catch a spot on the sidewalk to watch the festivities. Mr. Joe got his hairs cut at the barber why I crocheted on my new project and secured our seating arrangements. Things can get out of hand in this red neck town on rodeo weekend ya know....three chairs on the sidewalk, myself posted in one holding them down! I managed to only get hit with a slight sunburn from my security post!

After the parade we ran for the car and hit the road and got out of Dodge because of traffic - back up to the Orchards for lunch.

Then it was off to visit my parents - my mom's Birthday was Friday and Angelo was all twitterpated that we didn't visit with her on her Birthday and had went to the rodeo - his last comment before bedtime at 10:45 p.m. Friday night was "I can't believe we missed grandma's birthday to go to the rodeo"! Ummm, ya thanks Ang, not like I already had guilt issues over it - thanks for adding a little more guilt to my life! I didn't say that though - I just said "it is okay, she understands"!

After the parental visit we all came home and pretty much crashed.....Joe went to bed, Angelo went to bed and I perched on the sofa to crochet and watch some TV - quiet time, alone, just me and the TV, a cold diet Pepsi...a dog next to me! Ummm, ya great until I wake up at 2:00 a.m. with a big kink in my neck from falling asleep!

Yesterday was spent getting a few errands done and pretty much everyone was tired and cranky so we came home and did our own thing.....some days are like that you know! Joe made some pasta sauce so I had it pretty easy as far as cooking wise! I did manage to whip a batch of pumpkin/zucchini bread up - it is Pretty tasty....

1 week 1 day post 1st day of school.....

2008-09-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

Whew....I can actually say I feel so relieved with Ang not being in private school. I thought, and it may still, come back to bite me in the backside but so far he seems happy and I don't hear about fights every day between the kids and how mean kids are to him. I was tired of it and I don't even want to revisit that road right now.

I am happy for him. He seems excited and has met some new friends already, some boys actually live within walking distance of our house that we never knew existed prior to this school change. I am happy for him - hopefully down the road we can get the boys together if they are nice boys, the seem nice.

I had to laugh last night at his homework because he came home with a REFOCUS paper -which is the equivalent probably of when I was a kid of being put out in the hall or sent to the principle's office....anyhow, he said it was just a practice so they all knew how to fill the paper out....he swears, he even suggested we call the teacher! So, Joe was calling the teacher today....I am soooo hoping he isn't lying....

Not much has been to happening in my life - I did end up getting a $20.00 gift certifacte from IHOP from the manager that waited on us who SWORE she was not rude - YA RIGHT....perhaps she has two personalities then....anyhow, I couldn't find anyone to take it so I passed it off to my parents - hoping they would get better service than we or others have.

Over the long weekend we didn't do too much just ran some errands cleaned around the house a little. I did end up buying some awesome halloween fabric - I would so love to put a purse together using it but we will see if that happens. I really love when school starts and I know the holidays are around the corner - it is my favorite time of the year, the cool/crisp air and it only gets better day by day through the fall season.

I have also started an afghan to keep my hands busy...I just hate sitting watching TV doing nothingness....I must have the hands busy doing something. My grandma was like this - she was always working on something in front of her television in the evenings.

I sort of got addicted to Big Brother this season - not sure why but somehow I got sucked in to the drama. My husband's workplace draws names of the players and they have a pot of money and whoever has the player who lasts the longest wins the pot - DAN is Joe's man on the show. I am so excited he is still actually "IN" the game! It will be exciting to watch the last few episodes.

I am headed to the BULL BASH tonight - I am a first timer at this event! I hope it is action packed.....I love the bullfighters and watching them. Tomorrow night we are headed to the RODEO....YEEHAW....how do I get myself into these messes anyhow! I hate crowds.....

I think I might even have a Mikes Hard Lemonade tonight to celebrate....ummm, just Celebrate LIFE I guess!

WHA??? - A QUICK response from IHOP.....

2008-08-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

I took it upon myself to drop IHOP a note via the net yesterday afternoon - this is the QUICK response I got.......

Dear Ms. Bitchin' & Bloggin:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us concerning your experience at the IHOP in Lewiston. While it is always disappointing to learn that we have not lived up to our guest's expectations, it is invaluable to receive feedback so that we are able to continually improve our level of guest satisfaction.

We are sorry to learn of the service level and food quality you encountered at this franchised location. However, please be assured that the matter will be shared with the proper individuals to address your concerns.

I have forwarded your concerns to IHOP's Franchise Business Consultant for the West region. They will contact the franchise owner regarding your recent dining experience in this restaurant. We are confident that the franchise owner or his representative will contact you shortly to better understand your concerns. It is our hope that you will once again allow us to earn your trust.

Thank you for keeping us informed.

Sincerely,

Teara P.

Hmmm....wonder what this means.....later today THIS ONE arrives...

Dear Bitchin' & Bloggin':

I send my sincerest apologies to you and your family for your experience at the Lewiston I-Hop. Nothing I said to your husband was intended to be rude (WHATEVER....you copped a "tude" lady), in fact I greatly appreciated the fact that he pointed it since the product had just been delivered to us by our supplier the day before (WHATEVER x2 lady with the "tude"). I did go and check the product as soon as he left. It is our policy when guests have a poor service and/or food quality experience that we take care of their ticket. In talking with your husband it was clear this was not a good experience and that is why I took care of the ticket. At no time did I think you were looking for free food. I have discussed this with my general manager and I will be sending coupons along with an invitation to try us again. Once again, I am sorry if I appeared rude, it was not my intention and I send my sincerest apologies.

(name erased to protect the guilty)
Manager-on-Duty

Anyone up for an invitation and some IHOP coupons? I double dog dare ya!

IHOP experience......

2008-08-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Followup post from my scheduled weekend events....

Saturday we got ready early and wanted breakfast so we thought that IHOP sounded okay....not so much after we were finished.

First off I had to ask for a menu for the special that is advertised on TV....so after capturing that menu I decided to order the Oregon Berry choice.

I need to step back a moment for the drink order though - we ordered a carafe of OJ and I asked for a glass of water along with it.....uh ya, a glass of 02....we get the OJ and 4 glasses - there are obviously 3 of us at the table but she brings 4 empty glasses.....okay, I can deal with it - not a big water drinker but I was trying on this particular day.....

Okay so now back to the Oregon Berry pancakes.....so when they bring the order to our table - there are only strawberries on my pancakes....picture shows at least 3 types of berries but I for some odd reason get strawberries only. So I tell the waitress who assures me the manager made them and then asks ME to move the whip cream topping so she can see underneath to see if there is another type of berry - NOPE...so she takes them back to the kitchen. .45 seconds later she arrives back at the table with the same stack of pancakes and one (1) extra berry that is not a strawberry - HECK you guys go ALL OUT DON'T YA! So okay I can deal with it.....

I ordered two eggs over easy.....you know..runny in the middle....NOPE, over hard....so I tell the waitress and she says - "I am sorry, here is your bill".....OKAAAYYYY - not scoring any points with me at this point!

I must add that I am not sure if my pancakes were supposed to have a lemony flavor to them but GROSS - I was hoping for your regular kind of pancakes but what the HECK at this point!

So, I have eaten the whites of my eggs, my two pieces of sausage and now I am playing with my pancakes and visiting with my husband and son who is eating a Go-Gurt (YOGURT) with his Create-a-Face breakfast. I am visualizing on the package that is says 8-14-2008....hmmm...thinking to myself, it is 8-23-2008.....that would mean 9 days outdated....NO WAY! So I ask for the package of YOGURT - YEP, 8/14/08. Okay, I figure he is probably not going to DIE from some poison that was in it that has spoiled but HOLY HECK - this is IHOP!

We head to the payment counter and my husband tells the checkout lady about my overcooked eggs and has the Go-Gurt packet in hand. She quickly tells him she will have to get the manager. He tells the manager about the eggs which is apologetic about. However, when confronted about the outdated YOGURT she cops an attitude with him which doesn't fly - her exact words were - "SIR, it does NOT actually EXPIRE on 8/14 - it says "BEST BY", that does NOT mean it has expired". My husband responds by saying "IT EXPIRES ON 8/14"...to which SHE responds "NO SIR, IT IS BEST IF CONSUMED BY THIS DATE but that DOES NOT MEAN IT IS EXPIRED!"....to which HE says...."Would the HEALTH DEPARTMENT think that it was okay to serve YOGURT that is outdated by nine days?"...to which her response was almost expressed in a song like manner "No sir they wouldn't, I will buy your breakfast for you!" To which we skipped out the front door to her tune!

Now, that was great but we weren't expecting free food - it would have been much nicer which she have taken off her NASTY PANTS before she came out of the back and when confronted about the outdated yogurt say something to the effect of "OH WOW, I am SOOO sorry, thank you SOOO much for pointing that out to ME, I am going to go back and make sure we don't have any more that we are serving that is outdated"!

I am so tired of peoples stinking attitudes!

Was I busy.....

2008-08-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

As usual there is always one weekend in a summer that EVERYTHING falls into and this one happened to be IT!

Weekend Schedule;
5:00 p.m. Friday - off of work
5:30 p.m. head to town to grab a bite to eat
7:00 head to Hot August Nites Cruise on Main
7:15 find places to sit in middle of closed street
8:00 friends arrive to join us in the middle of the street
9:00 get in argument with a "cruiser" trying to go down closed street (Additional Post to Follow)
9:30 watch another cruiser try to go down closed street and have words with another spectator
10:00 pack up and head home
10:30 finish making potato salad
11:30 hit the hay for the night

Saturday
5:15 a.m. wake up - no reason - just wide awake
5:30 - 6:30 a.m. play on computer
7:00 make "TO DO" list
7:30 Angelo arises from slumber
8:00 Head out to IHOP for breakfast (Additional Post to follow - WHO-O-WHY does everything happen to me)
9:00 Hit STAPLES to drop off some copying projects for Sorority
9:45 After finally finding someone to "MAN" the copy center in the store - drop off copying project - tell them to HOLE PUNCH the 1000 sheet copying project....(Additional post to follow)
10:00 Head to Costco to pick up items for sorority dinner on Sunday afternoon
10:30 Leave Costco to head for home to drop groceries off and pick up cooler and potato salad for family reunion picnic in the park
11:15 Head for the park for family reunion.
11:20 - 4:30 Play at the park with family.
4:30 Back to Staples to pickup copy project - which is not paper punched - remind copy man that items need to be paper punched to which he has no response but quickly hands me the giant Paper Punch for ME to start paper punching - I respond by saying "your kidding right?" to which he has no vocal response but....gives me a look of "NO, I am not kidding - punch away GIRLFRIEND" to which I quickly grabbed PAPER PUNCH and punched away!
5:15 leave staples after paper punching 1000+ sheets and head for home.
5:30 get home - get in pj's for the evening.
5:45 start looking at copy project and realize wrong end of calendar was paper punched.
6:00 make phone call to sorority sister and explain to her that me (being the half-wit I am) paper punched the wrong end of the calendars at Staples and also need to borrow a roaster for our dinner project on Sunday. Sorority sister tells me to bring my copy project over and we will paper punch together on the correct side and we can pick roaster up.
8:00 back home again
8:15 back in pj's
8:15 - 9:00 prep for tomorrow morning's cooking project
9:05 HIT the bed and immediately fall in to deep slumber

Sunday
7:00 a.m. arise from deep slumber to begin the cooking project & catching up on washing some clothes
7:15 husband enters kitchen and takes over cooking project - WHEW!
7:15 - 11:00 madly wash clothes, fold clothes, hang towels outside, clean kitchen, dispose of garbage.
11:05 hop in shower to prepare for the day of festivities
12:00 head for town to stop at dollar stores
1:00 arrive at sorority sisters home who has graciously offered her backyard for our sorority festivities.
1:05 start decorating for late afternoon party.
1:50 finish decorating & run to car
2:00 hit secret location for SI and a Diet Pepsi
2:15 arrive at my parents house to borrow a Hawaiian shirt and a big kettle
2:15 - 2:40 visit with SIL, bro, nephew, nephew's girlfriend, two great nephews...
2:40 sprint to car with kettle and shirt - open door and 8 lb bag of ice falls on my foot - OUCH - no time to cry though so hop in car
2:41 head for home - en route make phone call to husband who wonders WHEN I am going to be home.....
2:50 arrive home - put ice in cooler, drag supplies in.
2:55 start watching pasta for husband as he jumps in shower, drain pasta, mix sauce with pasta so we don't have conglomerated pasta dish....
3:15 start packing things to car and leave for picnic function
3:20 stop at mini mart for more Diet Pepsi....
4:00 arrive at sorority sisters home, unload car and crash at picnic table.
4:00 - 8:00 party, celebrate, drink, visit, clean up (though I was the least helpful of all by this point)....drag myself back to the car, crawl in......
8:15 arrive home - unload car, put food away, pans in sink to soak, get in pj's to watch remainder of Closing Ceremony of Olympics......fall asleep on sofa, wake up, bribe child into putting lotion on my feet....go to bed and crash big time!

And WOOLAAAHHHH here it is Monday morning......

Out of the mouths of.....Doctors.....

2008-08-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

Come on a trip with me to what I listen to every day....sit back and grab a glass of something relaxing.......just today here is what I have heard....

~ She is a horse woman.....hmmm....and I say, does that mean she is part horse/part woman - has she thought of a career as a circus sideshow?
~ The patient sleeps with Benadryl at night....hmmm.....in the bottle on her pillow or what?
~ To the nursing home with Dr. WHOKNOWS....hmmm....so is he driving her there or is she sharing a room with him......

All in a days work....

Regarding Chinese gymnastics.........

2008-08-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting on one of my adoption blogs - it is one person asking questions and the response from an American living in China...

Just wondering about Fei Chang, she is the 20 yr old on the Chinese Gymnastic Team. Now that she has won the gold and now will benefit with a substantial amount of money and endorsements, will she be able to leave the program and go onto college? I'm sure she is proud, but, she did not look like a happy young lady inside. You could just see it on her face.
Response: She will have some endorsements especially if she gets more gold medals during the games. She likely did not get sufficient education while in gymnastics training to go to college. Maybe, but usually not. She will likely go on, as most athletes do in China, to be a coach.

Her's is a bitter-sweet story. They have to endure grueling stretching exercises to turn their feet inward and build muscle strength, not to mention the heartbreaking stories of their childhood being stolen away to a life of Gymnastics.
Response: This is a global story, not just a China issue when it comes to elite gymnasts.

Does the Government provide tickets and accomodations to these girls
families to be at the Olympics with their daughters?
Response: I am sure the parents are given tickets but not sure about the other aspects such as hotel rooms, meals, etc.

I happen to have photos that include three of the gymnasts on the current China team who trained in Beijing at the Shichahai sports training institute when they were 4-6 years of age in 2002. My daughter was 9-10 at the time taking an expat gymnastics class, she's now 15. That makes those gymnasts around 12 years old. Even China Daily has reported that 4 gymnasts were under the age of 16. I worry that they will be stripped of their medals! These kids have spent their lives in residential gymnastics training. The women's coach was one of their coaches even in 2002.

I feel like it's Friday already.....

2008-08-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

I worked last Sunday so I feel like today should be Friday.....fortunately starting at 10:30 this a.m. every hour I work from here on out through Saturday at midnight is OT - yeppers....time and a half!

I was trying to get tomorrow off but unfortunately, for whatever reason, I cannot have it off - so it is six days in a row of typing and my arms/neck are killing me but what the heck! Joe has tomorrow off - we had planned to go to Boise if I got the time off but that didn't work out - so I will give him some HONEY DO's to get done tomorrow....though not too many because I don't want to overwhelm him. First and foremost on the list is to get the registration in for Angelo to attend a new school! I think we are 100% now on sending him public....I was still feeling very uneasy about it until I went to a birthday party last Friday night with parents from the private school and there was a lot of much needed confirmation for my heart from parents! Yes, it makes me sad that he must leave his friends but he needs to function at his speed and level and public school is the only option for us here in L-town! So there ya have it! I have nearly all his school supplies ready for school - just a couple of things left!

I have been dealing with some anger issues this past week - anger because of the way I am treated....you know, life just plain sucks sometimes! As I have said before, I feel like I am a pretty good person, I don't like to intentionally hurt people or make people feel bad and I could never purposely do something to anyone to make them feel bad! I wasn't raised that way, don't get a thrill out of playing with people's emotions and I don't need Power Trips! No, I didn't have the perfect childhood but I was raised with a brain and taught to be fair and treat people like humans but that just isn't how the OLD world is these days!

I, like most, have been keeping an eye on the Olympics this week! The other night as I was watching gymnastics I told Joe there is NO WAY those Chinese girls are 16 as they kept saying they were.....NO WAY! Later on the broadcasters said that there is belief that they are NOT 16 and Chinese government has faked their paperwork to make them 16....sad! Then there is the little girl who supposedly was NOT presentable, because of her teeth, to sing at the opening ceremony - WHAT? I saw her picture on the i-net and she is a doll! But, I have no doubt it is the truth! I have been reading adoption blogs on Chinese adoption for 4 years now and I have NO DOUBT this stuff really happens! That along with everything else they have done to prepare for the Olympics - it is just is a sad feeling in my heart that things go on like they do in the world!

I don't know if I am weird or what - do I think and let things bother me too much? Sometimes I hate being so sensitive to my emotions - I HATE IT!

On an up note....tonight is an ice cream social for sorority! I think it will be fun to see people and visit for a bit!

Beginning Day is coming up too for sorority! YIPPEE! I really hope I, as well as all the others, have a good year that is fulfilling in our hearts and we can put aside the petty things that don't mean a thing in the realm of things.

Some of the things I have been enjoying lately are;
~Hummingbirds buzzing at the feeder and bickering with each other - it is really cute actually....wished they realized there were 4 spots for them and they don't have to FIGHT about it!
~The thought of seeing my family in a couple of weeks at our family picnic.
~Buying school supplies for Ang - it is just plain fun to go out and buy brand new crayons, markers, paints.....I can remember how exciting it was as a child - doesn't that sound like it could be a ULTRA-Cool scrapbook page too - just one on school supplies?
~Spending a few hours with Kristi chatting at the store last Saturday! It was fun just to touch base and visit - knowing we both had to gather our warrior equipment and leave the safety of the store and head out to fight more BATTLES in life! Life is really not so much fun sometimes but isn't it great just to see a friend a know that you support one another in your lives?
~Spending time with Ang and knowing that in just a few days he will be back at school. Life goes by so fast...way too fast! I need to enjoy the moments more!

And the Thunder Rolls and the Lightening Strikes....

2008-08-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for the storm this morning....my only wish is that it would do it all day cause it matches my mood! I love the lightening and thunder....all I can hear is Garth Brooks singing in my ears - "and the thunder rolls & the lightening strikes....." oh ya baby! Thank you God for the thunder & lightening this morning! Truly, I needed it!

Only wished I could say this to your face....

2008-08-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

KMA - I am so sick of being jerked around!

Awesome yellow squash recipe.....

2008-08-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

In recognition of all the excess YELLOW SQUASH out there....I have a great recipe.
I have made this twice now and it was yummy both times;

Try it....I dare you!

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
35 buttery round crackers (Ritz) crushed
1-1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Spokane, school shopping and Elvis again........

2008-08-04T17:55:00.001-07:00

Spokane and school shopping....and ELVIS again....
Saturday morning we arose bright and early to go to Spokane for the day. First off Joe had to get his hair cut so I sent him to the barber with Ang and I stopped off at the coffee shop to visit with sorority friends....it is always good for girl time and laughter! Joe showed up to pick me up and we headed up the hill towards Spokane. We really weren't sure what we wanted to do once we got there so it was an unplanned and spur of the moment trip. We hit Northtown and walked the entire loop of the mall plus hit Sears and Kohl's - total purchase was around $10 at Barnes & Noble for a mind buster game for Ang.

We stopped at a ladies clothing store I like to shop at and I purchased two special pairs of underoos for myself - they were a bargain at 2.50 a pair on clearance and they are usually 8.00.

From there we went to Costco to look for a replacement sewing machine for Rosie who died and had to be returned a week ago. They have a new Singer out that seems to be a little heavier machine and has a metal bobbin case, I am 99% sure that is the boy I am going to bring home. Now to figure out a name for him and hoping he won't have to be returned. I would have purchased him then but he goes on sale in August 11th so I shall wait and birth him here locally (hopefully they will have him).

By this time, as lame as it may seem we were hungry shoppers and wanted to go somewhere a little nicer since we don't get up to Spokane very often so we went to Black Angus. My gosh the waitress was really pretty good but they were so S-L-O-W on getting the food to us and drinks I thought I was going to go bezerk....seriously! We were sitting at a table where you couldn't see the next table and guess what....after listening to their conversation for an hour, not trying to listen but because they were speaking so loud we had no choice - they decided to leave and it was ELVIS....yup - you may remember my last encounter with Elvis was when he was in the Portland area on Spring Break and he was pumping gas - well Saturday he was eating at Blank Angus - he popped out of the table next to ours and I could hardly believe it! I was in such awe I forgot to ask for an autograph! Damn his hair looked good though and those sideburns - Wow, I was all shook up, ya baby!

From Black Angus....with our to go cartons in hand - they always have WAY to much food for a person....we detoured to Krispy Kremes because Ang had been begging all day to go to that donut shop where you can watch them make donuts....so we did! Now, I don't visit there often but....with the economy the way it is....they have been forced to cut back their HOT & NOW free donuts....the cut them in 4 pieces now and serve them with toothpicks....1/4th of a donut! YEP, it is the truth - my son was saddened by this but at least he has the memory of the day when you could go in and be served a fresh/hot donut for free. Furthermore, with the 1/4 of a donut - you have to ASK apparently now because they weren't serving them to anyone until Angelo asked and then she cut them in fourths......

After the let down of Krispy Kremes for the kid we "HIT THE ROAD JACK" and hightailed it for home! We made it back to L-town a bit before 10:00! What a day hey!

Sunday I read the paper and hit all the stores with the adds for school supplies. It is that time of year to prepare. There was a slight bump in the road when Ang asked why he had to go to a new school and we talked about it again and he asked if his friends new he wouldn't be back and I said "no" and then he said he didn't want to talk about it anymore. I tried to explain to him but he started going in to this hyperventilation mode where he breaths really loud and fast through his nose.....so I shut up! MELTDOWN time for me! I crashed until dark last night before I arose from my cave of doom.....

Thankfully, today is a bettery day. I got up and made a lunch for Ang for Kids College this week and then whipped up a loaf of homemade banana bread. Tonight I am making Mexican Rice and Pork Verde - hopefully it all turns out!

I have 100+ things to do so I better shut up for now....

On strike because, well everyone seems to be so I joined.....

2008-08-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Me and my favorite babe - Princess K

Okay - so I am breaking the strike line (at least the imaginary one) and will blogggggg.....

It has been a fast week - I mean it seems to have went by like a lightening bolt!

Highlights of the week....well there were 7 Blackhaw helicopters that flew over my house on Wednesday - that was cool...actually didn't know what they were until I read the paper the next day.

I have been researching a replacement for Rosie and went to Bernina last night and although I appreciated the lady waiting on my greatly - not only because I personally know her but she is a great person - however, the head chick pissed me off....I was looking at a new machine and she said I could try it out in their classroom in the store if I wanted to pay $25.00....that just doesn't sound to cool to me, ya know...I mean I am a potential customer going to possibly purchase a $800 plus machine and they don't even want to let me test drive one. I am still contemplating what action I should take on this....whether to call the store, the main headquarters or just let it fly! I think they need to know though.....I mean I don't have this kind of money falling out of my bum so it is quite a purchase if I decide to do it! In the past when I bought my Deco there they were awesome with me....Hmmm...stew, stew, stewing on this.....

I looked at an awesome anniversary band - it was sweet - omygosh - if only I had another $3500 falling out of my bum I would have this baby! Investment right??? Maybe???

Other than that my life is pretty lame.....way lame.....The kid has been in Kids College all week and will be in Kids College next week too! It has been good for him - he really, really enjoys the computer classes. I actually think he "may" be coming to terms with starting at a different school too, at least Joe thinks so!

Oh and I think we are heading out of town for awhile tomorrow - simply just to get out of town....

ROSIE was a NOT SO good sewing machine....

2008-07-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Rosie 2006 ~ 2008

If you have been keeping up with my posts you will know that I broke Rosie out of her box this past week and booted her up to prepare to make fleece hats for a service project for sorority. Bright and early Saturday morning we headed out of town to a cabin to sew for 5 hours. The thought of getting out of town for awhile to relax was great!

The problem arose early in the afternoon, sometime after lunch. I was zoom, zoom, zooming along with a straight stitch and KAbAM!!!, Amber screams which makes my heart skip a beat, there was a thread jam and my needle was torqued....ya, not so good! I spent about an hour trying to fix my machine only to find out the bobbin case was cracked - ya, these new fangled machines are GENUINE PLASTIC parts! So, I packed Rosie up and brought her on home. I was a little concerned about returning her because I had bought her in Hillsboro, OR in November of 2006 as the COSTCO MAN told me today....(uh ya....2006, and she has been in a box until last week - does that explain how much I sew?). Anyhow, they refunded my money in a genuine PLASTIC Costco gift card...which is fine...at least they refunded my moolah. I had done some researach last night on the net and for a new bobbin case it is between $40 and $50...that is 1/3 of what the machine cost - am I being stupid or does that seem like a lot for a replacement?

At any rate, Rosie was returned with a broken bobbin case...cracked and marred from the needle. We did get 29 hats sewed up and ready to donate along with 11 more cut out that Amber-dini is going to finish up with her Brother sewing machine...I figured yesterday - she and I both had Brothers and it probably averaged between the two of us with the machine problems we had - one machine running full time! She had her load of problems with her's too!

Anyhow, it was a fruitful day with lots of laughter and aside from the Amber scream which made my heart skip and Penny turning on the stereo which was on full blast but not on a station - so just imagine the sound that blasted out of the speakers! Penny screamed and sat down as fast as she could on the sofa - only to tell all of us later that this was the closest she has ever came to peeing her pants from being scared! The rest of us either screamed or jumped! Loads of funnnnn always with these girls!

OH and yaaaaaaaaaaa....IF ANYone out there has a good recommendation for a new machine can you send me your opinion....I am looking into getting a new one!

So SEW...puking has stopped....

2008-07-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

For those who care....the dog's on the mend, she is still a little down and depressed but she is using her leg a little now. No puking and I almost have everything caught up wash-wise that had been used to clean up or been puked on....seems there was a lot more puking going on than I was aware of! Not so much of a good day in my life! I honestly did feel like running, don't know where, don't know for how long but I needed an escape and I was stuck....that is the worst part knowing you are HERE and have to be responsible!

So in looking to the not so distant future, on Saturday the ladies from the sorority I am involved in are heading to a cabin for a few hours to work on a service project. We are making hats from fleece for the cancer center here locally. When patients lose their hair from chemo their heads tend to get cold so there is a need for hats and we are fulfilling it. Here is the part where the sewing comes in, I have had a brand new stinking sewing machine still in the box for 1.5 years...I have no room to set it up and use it so it has stayed safe in the box until this morning. I broke Rosie (that is her name - How is that for a name "Ice Woman"?) out of her confinement in the box, styrafoam and plastic packing and got her out so she could breath. She is a lightweight which is good to carry but scares me about how she is going to stand up to my craftiness. She has a bunch of additional add ons (walking feet, quilting feet, screwdrivers, needles...she is HOT!)- I hope she isn't to hard to talk in to working for me! With any luck I will have a few minutes and a few inches of space to put her out tonight on the table and sew something up and see how she works, that way she will be all ready for Saturday when she takes her first road trip to the cabin! I can see in the future that she could embellish my scrapbooking pages too, as well as sew that shirt I have been wanting to make and just bought the material for....oh baby, she is going to do so much for me if I just can make the time for her to be a part of my life!

Okay enough for now - gotta get some stuff done so I have time to take Rosie for a test drive!

Injured Dog & anti-inflammatories....

2008-07-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Okay - so last night ended on a great note.....

The kid was playing next door with the neighbor kids last night until dusk and apparently Luci (our freak of nature dog) aced out the gate when he left......this is a normal for her! She loves to run and be chased and was playing with the kids. Right before the kid decided to come home at dusk the neighbor's dog (which is 3-4 times bigger than her) leaped on her and they started at each other - she screeched and came home with an injured leg....

I figured it wasn't broke because I felt from her paw up and she didn't growl until I got to the joint where her leg joints into her body.....she wouldn't walk on it and just laid around all last night and early this morning.

So I waited until the vets office opened and went in to get her treated knowing that we really cannot afford a HUGE vet bill. He felt around and couldn't find any breaks but offered us the option of an $80 x-ray or we could be conservative and wait it out and use anti-inflammatories (the drug from hell). I made the decision to do drugs and not an x-ray, even though the kid was cheering from the sideline that he wanted an x-ray so he could see it....uh, NOOOO, not for $80.00 - I will check one out of myself from the people hospital and bring one home for you kid!

So after a few minutes waiting in the waiting room for the orders to get written I pay the $50 vet bill....they hand me a green bottle of anti-inflammatories (drugs from hell) to feed the dog.....

It is now 10:29 a.m. and I think, gee, for the most part the kid has been helpful other than nonstop talking at the vet....why the young vet just smiled....ya, just wait dude - you probably don't have a human kid to call your own....just wait bud! I decide to work on my MOM OF THE YEAR award and race to McD's to get the kid a McGriddle that he whines about all the time....We barely make the 10:30 cut off for a McGriddle, but we get it and then the kid wants Purell or hand sanitizer to clean his hands off with (my blood pressure is rising but I am still working on Mom of the YEAR here) - NEVER has he asked to wash his hands before prior to eating but what the heck - so I ask the McD's lady for a hand cleaner and she says they are out til the truck delivers. I take the kid around the other side of the drive-in to let him run in and wash his hands so he can eat his McGriddle.....

He jumps out and I decide to feed the dog a 1/2 pill (the drug from hell) which was the order, 1/2 pill once a day or 1/4 pill twice a day - well, if anyone knows me the 1/2 pill is the best idea because that is a 1 time deal a day - I do good if I remember one time rather than twice....trust me! Luci eats the pill because it is a chewable....which amazingly were less expensive than the capsules! WOW that was EASY (just like the STAPLES ADDs).

The kid gets back in, I drive off and immediately upon getting his sandwich out he starts complaining about Luci's hair being all over the sandwich.....I about blow a cork (screw my Mom of the YEAR award, I have just spent nearly $5 on a sandwich that he has been whining about).....I have lost my patience in less than 3.75 hours of being awake.....that was the first short circuit for me today! I grab his sandwich and throw it in the bag and tell him to eat it when we get home....he quickly calms down gets the sandwich back out and starts eating it!

Things were pretty much "quiet" for a few hours until early this afternoon when Luci starts vomiting (UH YA, the drug from hell has reclaimed itself)....I clean it up after she does it all over the kids bed and the kid informs me that Luci is eating her own puke....GREAT - YA just gotta love dogs, you wouldn't find me eating my urp up! BLUCK! It gets cleaned up! Things are pretty quiet for a few hours...I mean the dogs are wandering wanderers but things are quiet! I am typing along - that is my job....typing doctor's notes so my ears are pretty much occupied daily! About 3:30 I hear the dog under my desk and she is gagging and ready to hurl (you got it, the drug from HELL again)...I get her out and move my chair back and step in another pile of slimey puke...CHIT....I get up to get something to clean that pile up and find two more slimey piles in the bedroom...DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!

I get it cleaned up, sit back down and wonder why the HELL do I have dogs again? Remind me? Oh ya, they are cute and cuddly and company when you are lounging around!

So, after I work my shift for work - making up the vet visit time away this morning to obtain the drug from HELL...I get to wash the items the dog has messed up and bone the chicken out for soup and be happy when my darling husband calls, he never gets it when I am cranky when he calls me at night before he comes home? Do I have reason to be a little on the nasty side tonight? I mean seriously! I just want to run away.......

Weekend at a glance....

2008-07-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? The weekends blow by and the week days drag onnnn....WHINING reallly LOUD!

I finished a 300+ page book, it was a great book, a memoir! I had started to read it in Salt Lake at B&N on vacation but I didn't want to shell out big bucks to buy a book I would read once - it was like 15.00 - so it just wasn't a 6.95 novel! "JesusLand" was the name of it! Very sad but true story. I checked it out of the library Thursday evening and had it read by Saturday morning. YEH MEEE!

Saturday we had a birthday party to go to for our friends little boy - he turned
"1" - it was a nice little party in the park with a BBQ. Fun to relax and visit with people. We came back home after the party and rested in the air conditioned home and headed out at 5:30 to meet friends for dinner and go to see our favorite little singer....apparently she had laryngitis so another singer was there in place of her. Had a great evening of laughter and visiting with friends. I don't have to to have a drink to have a good time, no-no....maybe that was "You don't have to take your clothes off to have a good time, no, no"! Sorry - tunes just seem to flip in to my brain at any given time! I tasted a Grape Nehi which was a new drink for me - I just tasted it - that stuff could be very dangerous - tasted like grape Kool-Aid....

Yesterday we had to pick up the kid at G&Gs house early. We left there and went to Sears to check on some lawn mower parts and a parts for a BBQ grill but of course, the repair shop handles that and they are only open 9:00 - 5:00 M-F and 10:00 - 3:00 on Saturday - so that narrows it right down to next Saturday when I am out of town. What a joke!

We had to go pick up some SI because I had one scoop left....oohhh-la-la! I took the SI home pronto because it was MELTING....it was so hot out! We lounged around most of the day. I cleaned up the kitchen, made macaroni salad, chocolate zucchini cake and zucchini patties for dinner and watched Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - the old one and then Big Brother and called it a day!

Exciting huh? I betcha all wished you had my life!

OH NOOOOO.....X2

2008-07-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

First off - tragedy for today - I am one glass short of being out of SI! Off to the store tonight or tomorrow for some moe SI! This is all your fault James....although it is a good thing (as Martha S. would say)!

Secondly, we all loaded up and went to Costco last night for a restock the cupboard and fridge night. My idea of going there is more like a man would have....go in, conquer (get the stuff you need) and GET OUT! It is never that way with my husband, he enjoys reading the labels, looking things over and visiting with everyone he may run in to. Not that I don't like visiting with people but it seems he knows everyone in this town and has to stop and chit-chat. As I have said earlier in my blogs....if I send him in to the grocery store for a couple of items I can usually count on the parking lot spaces having three changes of cars in them before he comes out! YEESH!

We had two cars as I met him at his work and we rode together in one car so I had to drop him back off at his car and Ang chose to ride with me. The change of schools this year has really been burning in my heart. I know that in my mind I am pretty set on him going to a different school for various reasons. So I decide to try to talk to him about it because the last time was a meltdown for him. Unfortunately, it went into meltdown again last night....he first expressed his denial that we were going to do that to him and thought we were only kidding him. Then it was "I BEG OF YOU, if you do ANYTHING in your LIFE please don't take me away from my friends" and then he named 3 friends that he said he would NEVER see again. Okay, so it broke my heart.....but I know Joe is set on him not going back to private school, I am 80% set on sending him to public school.

Life just plain is hard sometimes! I hate that we have to move him but I also hate some of the things that he has went through there...not saying a different school is perfect but I really feel that the school has not done anything to promote his advanced reading & math skills and I am hoping that he hasn't "lost" that ability in his brain from 4 years of not being challenged in school and allowing him to "just be".

On a side note today is Friday and that means at 5:00 tonight - I have 2 days of weekend! YIPPEE! Plans include a Birthday Party for a 1-year-old tomorrow at the park and going out Saturday night to see "I-EEEE"....a.k.a. Blue Healer - she is an awesome little singer! Any plans up your sleeve for the weekend?

I met a fellow BSP Sister...

2008-07-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I am out with my family and some friends. We are enjoying dinner (yep, I folded and went out - but it was cheap eats & drinks)....so anyhow, I am watching this group of three ladies as they are visiting and seem to be enjoying the evening as well as one another's company. They take a few pictures and then left. A few minutes goes by and one of the ladies in the group comes back in and approaches our table, she asks if one of us has a silver truck in the parking lot....I am think O CRAP, she hit our friend's truck.....we all just kind of go blank and she then goes on to say....it has a black purse in the front seat of it, again I think O CRAP someone broke in to her vehicle, we all just sit there until our friend says she does and the lady goes on to say that she saw her window cling with Beta Sigma Phi on it and she just HAD to come back in to meet the person. So we actually both say we are members and start visiting with her - she is President this upcoming year in her chapter, as the two of us are in our sororities. We go on to visit and find out she is from California, somewhere by Yosemite (something with the name Angel in it - that is what I can remember anyhow). She is also in an on-line chapter. How cool is that? I mean it was fun to meet a fellow sister and visit for a few minutes and laugh! She would have fit in our group here perfectly - she was a crazy lady! Anyhow, we did the funky handshake because I brought it up! A bright spot in my day! Yeh for Beta Sigma Phi and fellow sisters!

Not much happening....

2008-07-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Just working away this week.....not too much excitement going on in the house! I have really made a committment to myself and my family to cook at home more and have really been trying. We went out to breakfast on Saturday and that is all the eating out we have done. With the exception of Saturday night with the scrapbooking we ordered pizza as a group. Last week for cheap eats we went to Costco one night and for the three of us to eat at their little venue was $9.47. We did go to Starbucks on Saturday (Joe & I) and had plain iced tea which I believe is the cheapest thing on their menu next to water. Pretty trivial, I know, but I am proud that we have been committed to doing this - Joe even cooked the entire meal on Monday night which was nice to get off work and clean up a little around the house and not worry about the cooking part - his Italian stew was good too - lots of fresh vegies from my mom's garden. I made stuffed peppers last night with the left over rice from Joe's dinner the night before and green peppers from my mom's garden. They turned out the best, I would even say they were the best I have made, simple too!

I did catch Big Brother last night - I missed the first show but I am really not into it...seems they are all the same stuff - different people same stuff. Joe's workplace always has a bet going on, they draw for characters and each chip in $10 and whoever has the last man standing wins the pot - well, it ain't looking so hot for Joe....he drew Brian and he was put up for nomination.....

The dogs have been pretty quiet - other than Daisy has a new fascination with one of Ang's old toys - a little tiny Tigger that he got in his Happy Meal at McDonalds sometime in the last 9 years.....she carries it around like it is her baby. Twinkie and her get in some huge wrestling matches lately over this little stuffed animal...it is pretty comical to watch. Daisy will get so frustrated there are times when she just stands and stares at Twink and barks, nonstop until I scold her. Last night Daisy even took a nose dive off the sofa to get her baby, I couldn't figure out what the heck she was doing and she jumps back up with us with her baby Tigger in tow. Then she just plopped down and rested her head on it. This morning I woke up with tigger on the bed with me - it is pretty cute, at least I think so. And...yes, for all you people who gross out over the thought of dogs in bed with you....my dogs do sleep in my bed - I like to call them my personal heaters...Twinkie gets under the covers and sleeps next to my legs and Daisy-Dog sleeps at my feet usually on top of the covers.

Pretty boring household this week so far but I am okay with it! I don't want more drama right now, "Mama can't take no more drama" is my feeling!

RE: Mom O Matic: Into The Wild

2008-07-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

I had to post this link - this was just what I needed for my day - I laughed until I cried....OMG! This is so funny!

Mom O Matic: Into The Wild

Oh...and most importantly....

2008-07-14T10:59:00.001-07:00

Though SI can't fix EVERYTHING....
Today, SI is comforting me....
and to think just a few weeks ago,
I would have been without SI to comfort my aching heart!

Thanks James!

Stunned by actions.....

2008-07-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

I was having a perfectly good day on Saturday and it is amazing how one phone call can put a knot in your stomach and get adrenaline pumping....

I can't really write about the situation that we had occur on Saturday but it is a bad thing.....police are involved.....families are upset but we are okay! It is just the fact that you have been violated and it is out of your hands, nothing you can do except rely on the system to make it right or slap hands!

So, instead of being upset about a violation against us I should be happy that we are safe and good thinking was used by certain people and they deserve solid gold stars for thinking!

So I am rather dreary and down today, kind of nervous and sick to my stomach feeling!

I feel much better with a night's sleep....

2008-07-10T09:11:00.001-07:00

WHEW - I posted the message last night about school - it really troubles me that I make the "right" decisions for my son. I do feel better this a.m., maybe I just needed to vent and blow some steam....I had already vented earlier in the evening to my husband and a friend - it felt good but I needed to do it again...kind of like a volcano I guess!

So tomorrow is Friday and I have plans....YIPPEEE! A night out with friends and laughter - I am so looking forward to it! I am bringing Mike along....perhaps his friend Smirnoff...he is a grape guy, fun loving, lets ya loosen up and relax. Hopefully we will have SI there! Mike and Smirnoff are pretty well mannered, pretty quiet until you let them out of their bottles - that is when things start happening!

Again.....wear your waterproof mascara because I had a friend once who had some makeup failure and all I am going to say is Mike was involved! So - grab your waterproof mascara!

Big decisions.........

2008-07-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

It has again been one of those days.....maybe it is mid week when everything builds up on my plate.....I feel like I need to vent tonight - so read on if you want and if you can't handle some bitchin' then wander on.....

As most of you know we have had Angelo in Catholic School since he started school. We are very seriously considering pulling him out this next year! We have been so frustrated with his schooling, the phone calls, the treatment. I hurt for my child to be torn away from his friends and put in public school but yet I am so tired of some of the things that have gone on the past four years! Four years of garbage that I have recently been mulling over in my brain....

Perhaps it was kindergarten when our child was ahead in class and he was placed with a child who was having trouble listening, sitting still, concentrating.....was it then that you started putting his fire out? I know most people think their children are "smart" and you should. I just want to say when he started kindergarten he could read and was above 1st grade in his reading level...ya...that was then, he could also do simple times tables....in kindergarten! Grandma and grandpa had worked with him to add money and taught him these things. I am not angry about him being placed with the child who was having a hard time...what I am angry about is not feeding his mind and being the start of putting his fire out...or what I like to say is "dumbing him up" - ya, making him an "average" student instead of challenging him....

Maybe it was 1st grade when you were frustrated with him because he was so literal, you expressed it to us in teacher conferences....ummm....an example would be is if you said something was glass and it was actually plastic - he would say "actually that is plastic?", is there something wrong with that? He was really an innocent child at the time - not trying to be a smart mouth.... Was it when you put him in the hall multiple times throughout the year because you didn't want to deal with him....where he missed out on making his Thanksgiving project and the day you watched Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and you had put him in the cafeteria and forgot about him and another employee at the school found him sleeping at the table....alone to boot? Did you dim his fire then? When I asked where his Thanksgiving project was and he said "I didn't get to make one because I was in the hall"! Uh ya, 1st grade, special project and he is in the hall - Saweeeet of you! Thanks! Ya...I am pissed!!! You betcha!!!! I hurt for my son....I wasn't treated this way in school nor were any of the other 30+ students I went to school with....
Still no challenge for him - could all these so called problems be related to no stimulation of his mind that wants so badly to learn and explore - did you dim his fire more?

I know that I shouldn't be so angry and I should forgive and forget but that is the hard part....forgetting/forgiving, this is my son, my only child.....as every parent you want the best for him, you expect the best for him.....

His 3rd grade year has actually been the best....his teachers understood him, they worked with him and challenged him and tried to re-ignite his fire. Both were awesome teachers! One of his teachers actually had worked with him in kindergarten and knew how advanced he was and expressed that to us - thanks for that confirmation! I actually shed tears this year when the year was over because "WOW" they worked with him and they worked with us and they understood and most of all "they listened to him and reached to try to gain him back" - now that is what a "Christian" school should do in my mind and heart!

And yes there is the cruelty of other kids....I know kids can say cruel and hurtful things but I guess I expect more from, yes, again, a so called "CATHOLIC" school. Maybe for teachers and employees to perhaps listen to what is going on between kids....and not tolerate unkind behavior. I am still mulling over the last day of school and the two boys telling him he couldn't play the game with him because he didn't have a family...because he was adopted! What do you do as a parent, the last day of school....like you call and say something and what is the teacher/principal going to do --- NADA, it is the "LAST" day of school!

So, I just kind of threw up all over my blog with the above - but I am just so unsure of what to do with him for next year.....do I go in to the partially unknown at Catholic school with a new 4th grade teacher and knowing what has happened for the past 4 years there! It is so hard as a parent to know what is the answer, you want the best for your child - will we damage him by changing schools in the 4th grade and putting him in public school and having him go through culture shock at that age? Will we have more problems at public school? He would be challenged I know in public school because they have programs for kids that are behind or ahead.....I don't know....Catholic school has no programs for kids that are advanced in areas or are falling behind - it is made for the "average" child.....I know parents who left the school because their child was having problem in a specific area and the teacher just left them behind in the dust and went on with the rest of the kids.....huh?, yep it really happened!

Oh and besides the fact that we are paying for this treatment too...uh ya! Cold hard cash flowing out the pocketbook.....

If the school has did anything it has caused me to grow inside and become momma bear and she is starting to come out of her den more often lately! I had a mom that stood back and for the most part years ago life was good - parents didn't HAVE to step in but not now - you got step in, dust of your cleats and warm up because you WILL be going to bat for your child!

Any advice for decision making would be greatly appreciated! It really does burden my heart and makes me sad that he will change schools - there are some very positive things about the school......