Don't make me open a can of whoop-a$$....

I knew nothing good could come of AOL opening the "AIM user" floodgates....watch out folks....the trolls have been let loose! (With, of course, the exception of Gretchen!;)

 

Waaaaaa, waaaaaaa, waaaaaaa
Comment from shoeflyinyourpie - 6/28/05 6:40 PM

Steeeeeee-rike ONE....

Take a chill pill.
Comment from shoeflyinyourpie - 6/30/05 7:25 AM

Steeeeee-rike TWO

It's not good to beg for presents.
Comment from shoeflyinyourpie - 6/30/05 6:39 PM

I agree....which is why I don't....oh and....

Steeeee-rike THREE

You are OUTTA HERE!

 

BTW, today's entry is below....I just had to clean this mess up first! LOL....

 

An early birthday present!!!!

Yesterday dh surprised me with a new cd player/stereo for my car. I was totally surprised. I had no idea this was his plan. My cassette player had not worked for two years and I told him not to mess with buying a new one since the car is older and it just wasn't worth the money. However, sometimes when I would start the car the tape deck would start clicking and you would have to actually turn the car off to get it to stop. It happened to him the other day and he decided that I needed a new stereo. What a sweetie!

Before he left with the girls, I had some bags for Good Will in the back and he took them out. I didn't think anything of it. When he got home he came in and took my hand and said, "I'm going to give you your gift now....I can't wait." For a fleeting second I thought....OMG....he bought me a NEW CAR! My heart was racing....no wonder he took everything out of it! LOL....still, I love my new stereo. I tried it out tonight taking Betsy to work. She agreed that it was cool.

Oh yes, the doctor appointment. I was scheduled to see someone at 12:30. I got there at 12:15. I was called back at 12:30, and proceeded to wait until 1:45 for the doc to come in. Now, I'm sorry but that was ridiculous....being that there were a total of TWO other people in the waiting room with me. Sheesh! You know, if you are going to eat lunch, don't schedule patients during that time. There was an announcement on the wall of the examination room stating that there had been so many recent no-shows that they would charge you if you didn't' call and cancel. I was so tempted to write, "And how much do we get for waiting over an hour?" However, I didn't. Although I did steal a pen. LOL....I signed in with it and it was really nice. They had like 80 of them, so I didn't feel guilty....actually, I did feel a little guilty....but an hour and 15 minute wait? Come ON! Oh, and guess what? During the FIVE minutes he was in there with me, he told me that I have a virus and to take tylenol and use salt water nasal spray. Crap. All that time to do what I knew to do already. My throat is still hurting so bad....but I'm not as tired.

This morning Betsy and I scrubbed the pool....scrubbed it so good in fact that I broke the head off the vacuum! All I can say is thank God it happened at the end of the last swipe I had to make. Our pool looks horrid. The rain has really made it cloudy and it has a lovely green tint. I'm going to have to go stock up on chemicals tomorrow. After that I cleaned up the house and vacuumed out my car....and I managed to keep that vacuum in one piece!

I grocery shopped too....and got my sugar. 10 lbs. of it. I filled my plastic container and the table top shaker, but didn't use any of it. This morning I had international coffee....with no sugar! It wasn't bad....

Okay, I'm off to surf whilst waiting to pick Betsy up. Have a good one....

Wednesday....

I thought this cloud would represent the weather around here rather well....although upon closer inspection he looks as though he doesn't feel very well....which works right along with my theme....

I just finished a mug of scalding hot tea with honey....it seems to be the only thing that helps. Can you believe it? I have been out of sugar for three days now. Not a speck in the house. The only thing it has prevented me from doing is having my coffee....I am going to the store after the doctor today....should I buy more? I'm tempted not to....I wonder how long I could go before I really needed some? Hmmmm....

We ended up ordering pizza last night. I was just too tired to cook. I have already taken out stew meat for a nice dinner so I shouldn't have any complaints. Although, JB is taking the girls out tonight to shop for my birthday. The last time we were at the Hallmark store I took wee one over to the display of Charming Tails, pointed to the exact one I wanted and said, "If daddy wants to know what to get me for my birthday, show him this." We will see what happens.

This year Betsy will buy me something with her very own money....how fun! I pointed her in the direction of a dvd so that she wouldn't have to spend too much....not that I really would have had to worry! LOL....just kidding honey. I know you would spend your entire paycheck on me just to show your love and appreciation for all I do....(no pressure there!)

I can't believe I am going to be 36. That means I am four years from the big 4-0. How could that be possible? I don't feel that old. I feel....34. That was a good age. Not quite old and not too young. I'm not complaining....heck, I will take all the birthdays the good Lord deals out to me. I'm just amazed at how time flies.

Okay, enough of that.

Well, I should get going and....oh, who am I kidding. I am going to go back to bed until it's time to go to the doctor. Goodnight!

Whine, whine, whine....

(To be read in an annoyingly whiny voice,) "I don't feel good....I'm tired....my throat hurts....I want to lay down....I have a headache...." etc. I'm sure I'll think of some more things to complain about later. I have an appointment with the doc tomorrow. I will spend $50 to find out that I have a throat infection and need a z-pack. I could save a lot of money if they would just let me call in my own prescriptions.

Betsy is on the mend....which is great. She did the dishes for me this morning. Of course, I made her the above pictured blueberry pancakes, so she owed me. LOL....I keep walking around whining and she is so sweet. She rolls her eyes and says, "Oh be quiet!" What a bedside manner....

Man, it is really pouring out there! Kinda strange that I got a paper today from the insurance company stating that we do not have flood insurance....and for the past two hours it has been pouring as though my neighbor's name is Noah....oh crap. The kid down the street's name is Noah....

Wee one is on day two of vacation bible school and she is having a blast. They are doing a program that has them traveling across the country and today was Chicago. They were also supposed to wear baseball caps. So, we headed to Michael's and I bought a plain blue denim cap and red, white and blue fabric paint. I made her a Cubs hat and she said it was a real hit. She proudly told everyone that I made it and a kid said to her, "Your mom must be an artist!" LOLOL....it was so cute. She made a pennant and said she wants to hang it in her room. After they got home she ate a quick fluff sandwich (don't judge, it's summer and veggies are optional), and ran down to her friend's house to swim. However, it started pouring about 5 minutes after she left so I'm assuming they are playing inside....

Hey, the news is on....they just announced a flood watch. I had better go....I've got to call my ins. agent....

Points to Ponder....

 Thoughtfully gazing into the bathroom mirror this morning as I was brushing her hair, wee one pondered the age old question, "Mom, do you really think that mermaids would wear bras made of sea shells while swimming?" Huh. You know, I've never really thought about that before. Personally, if I were a mermaid swimming free under the sea, I wouldn't bother wearing anything. And besides, I'll bet it's really hard to come across a supportive yet breathable size DD sea shell. (*I would like to thank the folks at The Disney Store, for providing the Ariel t-shirt that sparked this morning's "Wee one's Wonderings....")

We were up early today, as she is attending vacation bible school with the little girl down the street. They have to leave at 8:15 in the morning, and today we had a scheduling conflict. She has been cat sitting for my aunt and uncle and today was her last morning shift.  I had her over there working at 7 am....slave driver that I am.

Betsy is not fairing so well in the "sick" department. She did really good yesterday and actually  managed to eat last night with the family. She hadn't gotten sick since work. However, last night was apparently a bad night for her. She just called her boss to tell her she wouldn't be in and I sent her an e-mail saying the same. I checked on her a few minutes ago and she is dizzy, nauseous and warm to the touch. Poor kid. I gave her a few sips of water....here's hoping that stays where she put it.

I got about 1/2 of my sewing done yesterday whilst being angry at dh. He was being a crab ass about vacuuming the pool. This happens every year. The rain comes and screws up the delicate balance of shock and sanitizer....and we are left with a lovely greenish floor that needs vacuuming. It is usually Betsy's job but, *see above. I was inside preparing his Sunday dinner....which left wee one who can't reach over the sides well enough to vacuum. Being that it was 90 degrees and 487% humidity didn't help the situation. He complained, slammed doors, muttered....crap that drives me NUTS. So, in my anger I sat down at the sewing machine and sewed my butt off (I'll show him....make me mad and I'll just go contribute to the family finances! Hey, wait a minute....). Actually, once I hit my stride I go into a sewing "zen-like" state that is rather peaceful.

Today? Well, I will be periodically checking on Betsy and cleaning. Wee one won't be home till after lunch time which means it's kind of like having a few hours to myself....oh yeah....

Happy Monday!

The Supervisor is Sick....

Well, from the title, what I'm hearing and this graphic you should have a pretty good idea of tonights entry subject. The good news? I don't have to stay up until midnight to pick Betsy up from work....the bad news?  I had to do it early because she is sick. She didn't feel well earlier in the day, however a pepto bismol seemed to take care of it. Obviously it wasn't enough. She went to work and did fine for a while. On her break she went to the grocery store and got some of her favorite Cambell's "Soup in Hand". Needless to say....it is NOT her favorite anymore. Poor kid. She talked all the way home about feeling guilty for having to leave the other two workers to close without her....awwwww. Such a conscientious worker. I just told her goodnight and hopefully she will be able to sleep it off. She doesn't work until Monday, thankfully. I also told her sister to stay far away from her....I don't think that is going to be a problem.

It rained all day today....which was very nice. I ended up watching a movie that I would highly recommend.

"Love Me if you Dare" starring Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard....it is a French romance/dark comedy. I absolutely loved it....and yes, it does have subtitles, but it is very much worth the extra effort of reading! lol....I would rank it right up there with Amilie and À la folie... pas du tout (He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not). 

The dh, wee one and I went to Best Buy to look for a stereo headphone adapter. I can't find one anywhere! It's just this little thing that you plug regular earphones into that makes it big enough to use in a stereo sized plug (did that make sense?) My dad had one years ago....I need it for the digital piano....so I can practice without being laughed at. I am rather rusty after so many years of not playing! I am going to try Radio Shack tomorrow. If all else fails....I will turn to the internet. You know, you really can find anything you want on the web....and some things you don't!

Wee one has her summer art camp coming up in a few weeks. She is looking forward to that. I let her pick out which ever one she wanted....however, she didn't realize until today that she picked the one during the 4th of July week....which means only 4 days of camp for her. She was not happy....however, her father scheduled things at work so that she could go in with him in the morning, and he could also pick her up in the afternoon. (Oh yeah!....I don't have to drive into the city at 8am! Go ME!) I think she is ready for some structured fun this summer. It's getting rather boring around here. Well, when she isn't working with her dad on the tree house. She is so excited about that. Tomorrow they are working on putting up trusses for the roof. I swear, he is making this thing so sturdy and professional I just may be able to rent it out to a single person, or a young couple! LOL. I better not give him any ideas or we will have a small village in our back yard!

Okay, I'm outta here for tonight....happy Saturday!

Freaky Friday....

Is it just me or is everyone's AOL running sllloooowwwwly today? Of course, living in a "I-need-it-right-now" world, if I have to wait 7 seconds instead of 3 for my page to load I think something is wrong....

It was a humid one today....although not as hot. We have 7 days of 80's in the forecast which is strange....and a chance for rain every day. Apparently there is a blurb on the radar screen and another tropical storm is headed this way. I'm all for it. When I picked Betsy up from work tonight I had the windows down and a lovely 74 degree breeze blowing through my hair.

I took wee one with me tonight to pick up her sister. As we were driving we had the 80's station on....her very favorite. She knows all the words to the songs....at least her version of the words. I couldn't help but laugh out loud as she sang along with Huey Lewis' "I Want a New Drug". She was belting it out and I said to her, "What did you say? You want a new what?" She looked at me and said, "What are the words?" I said, "You tell me what you sang first." She said, "No, you tell me...." Finally she said, "I want a new TRUCK." LMAO....lately her dad has been talking about trucks and that if he had a semi she could ride with him. I guess she has freightliner on the brain!

Anyway....

I've been staying up rather late recently. I was up until 2 am last night. Of course I was being imed incessently by a drunk New Yorker....but that's okay....(love ya K!) Something about the night time, everyone asleep, I just like to sit and surf. It's relaxing....I don't look up anything in particular (so quit thinking what you are thinking! ;o)....just random clicking for hours. Am I alone in this or do others do it too? I will start with one web page, then click random links. Sometimes I end up somewhere interesting....and others I don't.

Wow....I need to get a life!

Let's see....what is on the agenda for tomorrow. Well, the dh is working so that means....shopping! LOL....no, I'll probably sew. It's supposed to rain anyway.

I seem to have writers block lately. I have nothing entertaining or fun to say. How depressing.

Okay, I must go....mom is iming me and she always seems to know when I'm doing two things at once on here. I don't want to get in trouble!

Ummmm, well, I can't come up with anything clever right now....

I'm not quite this sick....but if I could go to bed right at this very moment, I would. I believe I am the lucky recipiant of a sinus infection. However, I will not take up your time complaining of my ills....(you can feel sorry for me if you want though....)

I took Betsy to the dentist today. I don't quite understand what happened though. She had the same hygenist as I did yet she had no pain....no x-treme scraping/poking/prodding....no need for a blood transfusion due to sandblasted gums....and she is the one that hadn't been to the dentist in three years! I religiously brush, floss, and fluoride treat my teeth and she comes out ten minutes later laughing, saying that I am a wimp. I don't get it. Of course I'm glad that it didn't hurt....but it ruined the wonderful build up I gave her in the waiting room. I told her how the digging and scrrrrraping would feel....how she should stay still even though she will feel like jumping out of her seat....that there is no crying in dentistry.... I know, it was pretty mean of me wasn't it? It's all good though....she was laughing while I was torturing her.

Afterward we went to Wal Mart to get dog food, Pine Sol, and to exchange a curtain panel. I kid you not, when I got to the register my cart was full. Why is it when I go into that store, any shred of frugality immediately leaves my brain? While standing in line we played the "how much will this cost" game. I'm usually able to guess within a five dollar range of the correct total. Today I guessed $78 and she guessed $72. We were both wrong....$100.48. It must have been the sale on Dove chocolate that put me over the mark.

From there it was on to Payless....my favorite shoe store. They didn't have anything that I really wanted, however I needed a pair of walking shoes. Luckily, I found a pair for $10. They are really nice too.

To round out our "mother daughter" trip, we stopped at the new library. I have to say, as libraries go, I wasn't impressed. It has a very "businesslike" feel. The other branch is much more "cozy" and "bookish". This one is too open and airy. However they had all the latest books....including the Three Hour Diet (Lori!). I didn't get it though. I felt that it would be rather hypocritical being that my car was laden with the aforementioned Dove chocolate. Instead I got a book on tape to listen to as I sew.

I did manage to sneek in a nap this afternoon, as I will be on the road at midnight tonight, picking up the resident supervisor from her ice cream post. Luckily, she has day shifts next week....I don't mind driving at night, but I'm just so freaking tired. And being sick makes it all the more uncomfortable.

BTW, thanks to all that played the "one word" game. It was a lot of fun....and a lot of nice things were said! I did get a few links that I thought I'd pimp....so if you feel like jaunting over to read....please do so!

http://journals.aol.com/shayreen1/shaysjournal

http://journals.aol.com/fayeann36/LifeAintItGrand

http://journals.aol.com/joolsinwa/randommusingsofmymind

 

I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm cheating....oh, and I stole this from Kim who stole it from Karen....thanks guys....

 

One word...

Please leave a one word comment that you think best describes me.

It can only be one word.  No more.

Then copy and paste this into your journal so that I may leave a word about you...

 

Wednesday....

If this were a girl it would be my *darling wee one. She is going to get in BIG trouble in a minute if she doesn't stop what she is doing. She was sitting next to me playing the piano and I asked her VERY nicely to stop playing....so of course she decided to play a little louder....to which I yelled a little louder....and of course that caused her to slam her hands down on the piano and....CURSE LOUDLY. Oh man....she is gonna get it! I'm calling Nanny 911.

My annoyance level is rather high today, as I'm running on 5 hours of sleep. My mom was here last night and because of her pain, she wasn't able to sleep....which made me nervous so then I couldn't sleep. Tomorrow she starts physical therapy and I am just praying that she will be getting some relief.

Anyhoo....

The kids are definately getting bored. Betsy stayed in her pj's all day watching Comedy Central, and wee one spent the day playing computer games and visiting with her gram. I told Betsy she needs to find something to do between shifts at the ice cream store. I would have her get another job but since the gas prices are at $2.18 around here, I'd rather she find something to do at home. I can't believe how expensive it's getting.

I just went outside and it is rather nice out there. There is a breeze and it isn't hot-hot. I should go out and get some fresh air. I'm never outside. I have no tan. I look like I live in Alaska. (no offence Jaime!)

Holy crap....I just heard Betsy ask her father if she could help him take apart the pool vacuum and put it away. Man, she must be bored! LOL.

Okay, time to take dinner out of the oven. Chicken pot pie is on the menu tonight....and no, it isn't Swanson's. I made it. Of course the crust is from a box. Come on, give me a break....it is summer vacation...

Daddy Day!!!!

Happy Father's Day!!!!

I think dh had a nice day today. This morning he took Betsy to open the ice cream shop up for the first time on her own. He wanted to be the one to take her....awwww. When he came home I let him open his gifts from wee one and I. He got the sticky car thing from wee one, and a classic truck magazine. I got him a "filler" gift since what I ordered hadn't come in yet. I got him the pilot episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard" on dvd. He loved it. Of course, he got cards as well. Wee one loves picking out cards!

We went to church after that and heard wonderful music and a great sermon. We went to check on mom after that, since her hip was still hurting. I have "diagnosed" her with a herniated disk. The pain is constant, and is now beginning to become numb around the hip and to the front (yes, she is going to the doctor tomorrow and hopefully for an MRI since the pain has kept her from sleeping more than 5 hours since Tuesday!). I was able to talk her into coming over and spending the night....

At 3 dh picked up Betsy at work, and she presented him with his pie. He was pretty happy about that one! LOL. And, I have to say that it was very good! We had a nice lunch and then a lazy afternoon sitting around. Later on my aunt and uncle and grandmother came over and visited for a bit. All in all it was a nice day.

Of course, today was emotional for us. The first father's day without my dad. It's so strange. I can't believe he has been gone for three months. I sure do miss him. We reminisced about him for a bit today when my family was over. We laughed over things he used to say and do. Father's day always meant a lot to him. Besides God and his wife, we kids were the most important thing in the world to him, and he believed that being a father was a gift. He was a dad who would open his cards first and read, out loud, the verse and then hug us before moving on to the gift. He was one heck of a wonderful father....

Today would have also been my husband's father's birthday. He has been gone for five years now, and I know John misses him. His dad was gruff around the edges, but soft hearted as well. I miss him too. We had the ability to joke with one another very easily....he was quite a character!

For those of you who are lucky enough to still have your fathers....give them a hug, tell them you love them and how much they mean to you. And for those who have lost their loved ones, enjoy your memories today. I know I will.

 

Saturday....but I'm not in the park and it isn't the 4th of July....

It must be "bed in a bag" week....Julie got hers and I got mine! I absolutely love it too....The colors flow perfectly with my house, and add a little brightness. The comforter is so soft! I've never bought a comforter that is soft right out of the bag. It's a Trading Spaces brand. I didn't even know TS had a bedding line. (I am so out of the loop....) The only bad thing about it was the huge picture of the oh-so-annoying Paige Davis on the front....really, is there anyone more annoying than that woman with her square hairdo? Sheesh. I loved the first host....Alex I believe. I wonder what she is doing now? Anyhoo....

Well, it is 10:17 on Saturday morning. What has Sherry done? Let's see....I got up, drank a cup of coffee, ate two donuts that my mom brought over, then sat my fat butt right here to check my mail. How's that for being lazy? Betsy is at a friend's house and dh is outside with wee one working on the tree house. Of course I have a ton of laundry that I have got to get done, and I have to pick up the house. Oh yes, I also have to go out with all the other bad mommies who haven't yet gotten their husbands a father's day gift and pick one up.

Actually, I did order him something, but it isn't going to be here on time. Probably because I didn't order it until last night! LOL. *Procrastination....putting off today what you can do tomorrow*. So, I have to get a "filler" gift. Nothing big, just something to open. He is such a good boy when it comes to Mother's day or my b-day. Actually, he already got my b-day gift and he still has 3 weeks! Awwwww. Maybe I'll up my spending limit to $15 today for that! LOL.

My mom is here for the day and possibly the night. She has pulled a muscle in her hip and is in terrible pain. She went to the doctor yesterday and he prescribed a muscle relaxer....which made her very sick. I tried to get her to come home with us last night but she wanted to stay home....and endedup becoming so dizzy she couldn't walk. So this morning she showed up with her nightgown, John's father's day gift, a bottle of Tylenol and a box of donuts....I think the donuts were going to be a bribe for us to let her stay! LOL....I'm glad she is here so we can take care of her.

Well, I should probably get going. I've got places to go....shopping to do....have a good one! 

Ouch, my hair!

As I sit here, wee one is "doing" my hair. Actually, it feels as though she is ripping it out by the roots....she has been brushing it, and has just returned with the "basket of torture"....which in reality is the basket of rubber bands and barettes I have for her. She just told me she was going to give me the "Pippy Longstocking" look. No, I will NOT post pics.

I was supposed to take Betsy to the dentist today for a cleaning, however the hygenist's child was sick and therefore didn't come in. I'm glad they called to let me know before Betsy took her antibiotics! (She has to be pre-medicated due to her heart murmur). Now I have them all ready to go for next week. Of course that meant I got up early for nothing! I thought about going back to bed but I didn't....I started cleaning, then took Betsy to work, picked up mom and went father's day shopping for John. I only got him ONE thing. It's this sticky doohicky that you put on your dashboard and your phone, money, sunglasses, etc. will stick to it like magic! It's not magnetic and it isn't sticky to the touch....but dang it, it works! I saw it the other day at Linens N Things and decided that wee one could get it for him. I bought one for myself too....lol. I'm at a loss for what to get him! Betsy is getting him a mint chocolate chip cake from the ice cream store with her 20% discount. That should make it only $18. I tell ya, that place is expensive! They have a payment plan for their large cones! (*enter rim shot here).

I now have pigtails....

I think I am getting a cold. My throat is scratchy and my eyes are grainy. I sneezed a few times today too. I am probably getting sick from the freezing cold weather that is in my house....dh likes to keep it around, oh, 50 in here. Outside is a whole other story. It feels like you are walking into an oven out there. This is our winter....there are no kids out during the day. After the sun goes down, they all come out. It's kind of creepy....lol.

I'm going to go now as my head is aching from wee one's attemts at making me beautiful. She keeps saying, "Keep your head straight!" and "Sorry, Sorry!" She's yelling at me now for moving. I guess she is getting me back for years of follicular torture! Have a great night!

Pictures from the past....

My mom brought over an old photo album that she didn't know my father had. It was full of pictures from his childhood. We think his mother may have made it for him before she died. Although the pictures were taken in the 30's and 40's, the film was developed in the late 50's.

I could just get lost in these pictures from the past. They are of my father, but at a time that I know nothing about. One thing that is apparent however, is that he had a very happy childhood. He is smiling in every picture! His family was one out of the story books. His parents met and married young....true love from the moment their eyes met. My father was their only child and they loved him fiercely. Dad's childhood was filled with fun and family, church on Sunday and dinner afterward with family.

All of the men were barbers. Picture #4 is of my dad and his father, standing in front of one of the ladies shops. This was, technically, the location of his first job. The ladies would give him a magnet, and he would ride around on his trycicle picking up the hairpins that would fall. I smile every time I think of him doing that!

Included in the book of pictures were birthday cards that dad's family had sent him as a kid. One came from his uncle who was away during WWII. He talked about learning to use his guns, and how the power would "knock you on your fanny!" He also said, "I sure hope the next time I see you this war is over." These are such treasures....I'm so glad my mom found them.

I guess I'm in a melancholy mood lately. Must be the rainy weather.

Flag Day!

My dad loved Flag Day. I can still see him now....outside in his homemade cut off shorts and t-shirt with the arms cut out, hanging the American flag. He was always the first one on the block to display it for the holidays (Flag Day, July 4th, Memorial Day, etc.).

You know, most people who lose a loved one have the most trouble on the first "big" holiday without them, but for me....on this day that most people will not realize is even a holiday....this is the time I miss him the most. My dad loved being outside. He would spend hours working on the yard or in the garage....his work bench would always have two things on it no matter what the weather or temperature. A cup of coffee and his pipe. The radio would be tuned to the latest Cubs game or Bob Collins; and religiously at 12:00pm....Paul Harvey. Summer was certainly dad's season. He was known for his famous "bucket wash". He would see a dirty spot on the car and instead of washing the whole thing, would get out his trusty bucket and rag and give it a quick clean....in one spot. John used to love it when we would pull up in the driveway and there was dad, crouched down beside the car, pipe in mouth and rag in hand scrubbing away on a fender. Seems to me dad always had a sheepish grin on his face when we would catch him doing that!

When the girls were little and we would come over, dad never missed a beat between what he was doing outside and playing with them. They would immediately get on the bike that was kept there for them, and start riding in circles. As they would pull up to where dad was, he would pretend to fill up their "gas tank" at Papa's Garage, check their oil, whatever needed doing....and then off they would go until they ran out of gas again. My girls still reminisce about that.

So today when I put out my flag, I will take a moment and be thankful for the freedom it stands for. I will also be thankful for the privelage of having 35 years with the greatest father I could have ever asked for. I love you Dad! 

Monday again....

I haven't been utilizing my Animation Graphics subscription lately! Bad Sherry! LOL....they came out with some new alien ones....I thought this one was cute.

My desk is now conditioned and moisturized. You see, I have a bottle of hand lotion that sits on my desk. Since my hands were dry I decided to use some (makes sense....). *Well, dh was sitting at the computer so I leaned over him and pumped the bottle. Apparently it had been a while since I used it, and it had hardened up a bit....so when I pushed down on the plunger, it squirted all the way to the piano, hitting everything in between.* Needless to say, dh was not amused. (Okay, I'm just going to say it right now because I'm giggling....go back and read *this* paragraph with your mind in the gutter....LMAO. I apologize in advance for my immature behavior....lol).

ANYway....

I grocery shopped today and did rather well, I must say. I went to two stores and spent under $200, and that was after three weeks of not shopping. I also ordered a new bedspread from Linens -N- Things. I ordered it with a 20% off coupon code and picked it up at the store, thereby saving myself about $30. Of course, if I add in the gas that I spent driving there and back....oh nevermind.

Wee one is spending the night at her Gram's tonight. She is packing as we speak. I am going over there in a bit to wait for Betsy to get off work. They are showing her how to clean out the machines tonight which means only one thing....she is probably going to get promoted to supervisor! The owners have hinted at it and she is ready for more responsibility. I really am proud of her. She has done so well!

Okay, I'm going to go surf for a bit before going to mommy's. She has that slooooooowwww dial up so if I want to do some speed surfing, I've got to do it here! (She is going to yell at me for that comment! ;o)

 

Sunday, snails and strange comments....

It's amazing what you can find creeping up your porch screen....wee one brought this little guy to me a while ago. Have you ever felt a snail? They feel like those squishy, sticky things you get out of gumball machines. You know the ones that your kids throw against the car windows as you are driving, startling you, causing you to swerve whilst screaming at the top of your lungs that, "IF YOU DO THAT ONE MORE TIME I'M GOING TO STOP THIS CAR AND _______(*enter threat here). Anyway, Gary was released back into the wild after taking the picture and is now 2 inches from where he was to begin with, three hours ago.

It's been a relaxing Sunday. Dh and wee one built the first wall for the tree house and then mowed the lawn. Betsy worked all day and I went clothes shopping alone. It isn't so bad taking the girls with me, however, when I have the girls and John, I can NOT concentrate. Last night at the mall I was looking for a bathing suit. I did fine for a while, as they were shopping at Sam Goody. However, it was like baby ducks following their mommy once they found me. I circled the same rack of clothes three times to see if they would follow....they did. So, today I enjoyed a leisurely stroll through WalMart, trying on clothes and taking my time. It was so nice. (BTW, I didn't buy anything). Right now everyone is home relaxing in different parts of the house. Betsy is eating her soup, John is snoozing while watching Maximum Overdrive, and wee one is sitting behind me on the floor, organizing her Barbie clothes and singing "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie" over and over and over again. Go figure.

I got a strange comment the other day on one of my entries.

Your life sounds too good to be true. I hope it is.. but I doubt it.
Comment from boisefutimes - 6/11/05 1:51 AM

I don't try to make my life sound good. In actuality, I try very hard not to sound as though everything is wonderful all the time. I don't candy coat what I write here. Trust me, my life is far from perfect. My husband is not happy in his line of work, my kids misbehave, I have suffered with serious OCD, we have credit card debt....we are a family with joys, sorrows, good days and bad days. I suppose the difference is that I choose to find the humor in the bad/sad/frustrating happenings of our lives. Face it, no one has the perfect life. It's how you choose to deal with the difficulties that makes the difference.

This is why I love my journal. It's a therapy of sorts for me. I've learned to "not sweat the small stuff" by writing out my frustrations in a humorous way. It's amazing how your attitude can change just by looking at lifes little foibles through laughter.

My husband may not be thrilled with what he is doing at work, however we are thankful that he has employment when so many are struggling to find work. My kids may misbehave, but I am so lucky to have two healthy (albeit sometimes ornery) children. My OCD is under control. As for the credit card debt, well, three out of four isn't bad....

So, boisefutimes, don't doubt the fact that my life is good, because it is....warts and all.

 

It runs in the family....

So, my secret is out....what does the JBCoupe family do on lazy, rainy weekend days? Go to the mall? Noooo. Go to the bookstore and leisurely peruse the literature? Noooo. Take in a good movie? Noooo....we clean. Dh has been organizing his garage, getting rid of things he doesn't need and making more room now that the motorcycle is gone.He's got his fan going, his music playing and his sweet tea within arms reach. Don't let him fool you....he enjoys cleaning just as much as I do.

It's been raining for two days now....and boy has it been nice! So cloudy and cozy. Wee one and her friend swam from 10:00 until 3:30 yesterday, with a half-hour lunch break. They were both almost asleep watching a movie when her friend's dad came to pick her up. Afterwards we had dinner and my mom took Betsy to work.

Dh and I decided to take a drive and get some Dairy Queen. We hadn't had it in so long. I asked wee one what she wanted about a mile before we got there, since her ability to make a decision is thrown off as soon as we are up to the speaker and ready to go. She chose a Snickers Blizzard. And she wanted a MEDIUM. Now, wee one and DQ have a love/hate relationship. She loves to eat it, and it hates to "stay down". She is somewhat lactose intolerant and DQ is one of the things that she has to eat in moderation. I reminded her of this fact and suggested the small. She, of course, whined, begged and pleaded for the medium. I, of course, gave in and told her, "If you get sick from this, I am NOT going to hold your hair back for you!" Let me say, she enjoyed every bite of the thing and sat back in her seat with a triumphant smile on her face. Fast forward to 11:00 pm.

Parked outside Betsy's work waiting for her to finish cleaning, wee one tells me she thinks she is going to puke. She asks me to turn off the car because the vibration is making her sick, and wants to take off her shorts because the elastic is pushing on her stomach. I helped her lay the seat back, and cover up with a blanket. After a few moments of resting she looked up at me with her big blue eyes and said in a whisper, "Mom, why is Dairy Queen ice cream so cruel to me?" I couldn't help it....I burst out laughing. I reminded her that I had warned her and do you know what she said? "Well why didn't you MAKE me get a small? Why did you let me get a medium?" Sigh. Then she told me that she was going to listen to me next time because I knew best. Woah! Can I have that in writing for your teenage years?

In any case, we made it home without a "repeat" of the Blizzard. Poor kid had to sit there for 25 minutes waiting for Betsy....who works at an ice cream shop! LOL....after about 10 minutes she told me she wasn't going to look into the store anymore because their advertisements were making her sick. She is fine today, however, she has yet to ask me for a popcicle....

Tonight I believe we will take the girls to the mall and the book store. It looks like the rain is settled in to stay. We are getting the wet weather associated from hurricane #1 this weekend. I wonder how many we will get this year. I have to say all this rain is making our grass so green, and all my new plants look wonderful.

Okay, I've got to wash some rugs. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Squeeky mouse and silent chair....

Isn't my mouse cute? I got him in St. Augustine....it's a special edition Charming Tails. I bought one for a friend for Christmas and thought they were so adorable. Now I MUST collect them! I've been on eBay and the one that I wanted that was $20 at the store was....$4 new in box. How's that for a deal?

My computer chair has been squeeking. Every time you sit down it sounds like Dracula emerging from behind a door. Today was the last straw when dh was on the phone with the insurance company and every time he switched positions he squeeked. "My drivers liscense number? Sure it's squeeeeeeeeek...." So, being the mechanical genius that he is, he turned the chair over and squirted the heck out of it with WD-40. Of course, it still squeeked because the source was under the back of the chair, which meant he would pry it off (along with about 100 mini nails) to squirt underneath. It worked....then he had to start hammering. After nail #15 bent, he whipped out the electric stapler. Now my chair doesn't squeek, but the back is studded with shiny silver staples. That's okay though, since I have a decorative throw over the back at all times. I guess the point of this long, drawn out paragraph is....my chair doesn't squeek anymore.

Wee one has a friend over for the evening. They are playing hide and go seek in the house right now. Wee one can't seem to find her friend....she just asked me if she was hiding under my desk. They have already run outside to check the progress of the tree house and asked if they could swim. It's been drizzling, so I told them not until tomorrow. Dh and I put the tent up for the girls, which made them very happy. They get their sleeping bags and pillows and camp out in front of the tv....that is after dh goes to bed. He told wee one that he was sleeping out there tonight. You should have seen the look on her face....too funny.

I spent the day cleaning out wee one's closet. I have four more bags for Goodwill. I can't believe how much crap that child has! After I had been cleaning for about an hour, she came in and said to me, "Mom, you aren't letting me see what you are throwing away!" and I said, "You are darn right....now get OUT!" LOL. She was able to see through the bags and saw that I am getting rid of her electronic battleship game. Well, if it hasn't been played with in 12 months, it can go!

Hmmmm, I had something else to say, but I got distracted with Betsy sitting here, reading as I type. I hate when people do that. Especially nosey teenagers!

Okay, I'm outta here.... 

Beach bums....

As you can see, we had a great time at the beach yesterday. The sun was behind us and the breeze made it about 10 degrees cooler, which was so nice. The water was wonderful as well, just cool enough to be refreshing.

My mom enjoyed herself as well. Yes, I realize that there are no pictures of her in my entry. That is because I was threatened with my life if I put one in here. I don't want to get grounded, so I'm not going to disobey my mom!

Wee one had a great time playing in the sand and using her boogie board. She just can't get the hang of that thing....she slides off before the waves come and ends up getting sand burns on her legs from dragging behind. Betsy spent her time doing the usual....listening to her cd's. She does not like the beach, but will go if we ask nicely....lol.

Dh and I took a half mile walk together down the shore. It was so peaceful. Along the way we saw a couple who were fishing. When we headed back we saw that the man had caught a pretty good sized fish. And when we came right up on them we saw that he had caught....a baby hammerhead shark. Now, correct me if I am wrong but if he caught a baby....doesn't it stand to reason that mommy would be somewhere nearby???? Wee one had caught up with us at that point and saw the shark....and didn't go in the ocean past her ankles for the rest of the evening....lol. Smart girl!

This morning we got up early, picked up mom and spent the morning in St. Augustine. It was nice....and HOT. Very humid too. I ended up getting two of the little mice figurines that I collect and a "Caribbean Fruit" Yankee candle. It smells sooooo freaking good! Well, I should say that so far it smelled good in the jar, however now that it is lit, I can't smell it very well. Yankee just isn't what it used to be. I do have a Yankee peach candle that smells every time I burn it....and I bought a knock-off candle at Wal Mart that, unbelieveably, smells great when I burn it. Go figure. And it was only $4.

Well, I suppose I should go and....hmmmm, I don't know. The girls are watching a movie, dh is snoozing on the couch....looks like I can do pretty much whatever I darn well please....oh, who am I kidding. I need to vacuum.

The dog days of summer....

This graphic pretty much sums up how hot it is around here lately. I mean, I know it's summer, and I'm in Florida, but man oh man is it warm. And the humidity has hit with a vengance. Today my mom came over to swim with wee one....isn't that sweet? I had some errands to do and Betsy had to work, so it was Grammy-wee one day. Tonight she is spending the night at Gram's as well since Betsy has a dentist appointment in the morning. Pretty sweet deal for me! LOL....

Tomorrow is beach day! Well, technically it's beach evening since we will go when dh gets home from work. I had him take Wednesday off so that we can spend some time enjoying the salty sea air. I just love sitting there in my beach chair, listening to the waves crash on the shore. It's so relaxing. Wee one usually makes sand castles while Betsy reads and listens to her music. Mom will be with us tomorrow which will be nice for her. She has only been to the beach once since we moved here, so she is excited. On Wednesday we are going to St. Augustine. A mid-week mini vacation. It should be relatively tourist free which will be nice.

I have to keep myself awake for another two hours until it's time to pick Betsy up from work. She has the late shift this evening. It still amazes me that she is old enough to work. She called me on her break and said she was having a great time at work. She is working with all the kids she really likes tonight. I'm so glad that she is enjoying her job....and I'm so glad she is working in the next county. She has made new friends from another high school, which has been good for her.

Oh yeah....dh called the other insurance company for our auto policy and with Betsy included they quoted....ready????....$1800 a year! We paid $1700 last year without her! It pays to shop around I tell ya. I'm thrilled....and she will be too because she won't have to pay as much!

My lips are dry. "Could you bring me my chapstick?" LOL....I love that movie. Anyone care to guess what that quote is from? I'm asking for that dvd for my birthday....which is coming up July 3, for anyone who cares to buy me anything....lol. Hmmmm, which reminds me....only 3 more days until someone elses birthday!

Sunday....

Today it was just wee one and I at church. Betsy had to be at work at 11:00, and John had an appointment to show his motorcycle at 10:00. This weekend was "promotion weekend", so I had to take wee one at our usual time, or I would have either gone last night with the family, or earlier this morning. In any case....

Wee one loves her new class. The 5th and 6th graders get to meet together and it is, in her words, "totally cool". They had a special band playing today from a Christian college and she said that they were "awesome". They even got to go up to the stage and stand while they played. I asked her if they were young and she said, "No, they weren't young. They were in their 20's." LOLOL....she said there were three of them. One playing the guitar and singing, one just singing and one playing the drums and not singing because, "You know the drummer has to concentrate so he can't sing." What a nut. When I went to pick her up she was sitting in a circle with 5 other girls on bean bag chairs, looking up their favorite verses in the bible. I asked her what hers was and she said John 3:16. She read it to me and I said, "Do you know what that means?" and she replied, "Well, not quite, but I like how the sentances sound together. It was written well." God will be happy to know his book has gotten a positive review! LOL

While at church, my husband successfully sold his motorcycle. And guess where the guy is taking it. Come on....guess. Yes, in two weeks it will be on a boat to jolly old England! Can you imagine? The man is moving there to live with his son, and needs something that will get good gas mileage. See, now, if we owned the bike and were in England, I'd ride it more....that's what I told my dh. He just rolled his eyes at me and mumbled something as he walked away. I can't help it....I just don't like riding the bike anymore. When Betsy was little we had one and it was fun....but we were younger and more innocent. Now, all I do whilst riding is worry that someone will hit us, or that we will hit a bump and go flying. And of course being a man, he thinks I'm being critical of his driving....which I'm not. I'm very confident in his ability to control all things mechanical. It's the other person I worry about! But, that is neither here nor there, as it is S-O-L-D!

I bought some salmon to grill today, as well as some tillapia. (one or two l's, I'm not sure). I made cucumber dill sauce for the salmon (yum!) and homemade coleslaw. I baked cookies yesterday so the dessert is done. Maybe I'll throw in some baked potatoes as well. I just love Sunday dinner!

It is so hot here....sweaty,sticky hot. Tuesday we are going to the beach, which should be nice. Of course that means I have to wear a bathing suit, which is not that nice. Of course, that is what a cover up is for. I'm looking forward to it as we haven't been to the beach since last year. I'm a little leery though since dh and I watched a National Geographic show on sharks and how they, on occasion, swim in waist deep water. Spooky. I'll have to remember not to wear my chum scented sunscreen!

Saturday....

My husband is such a weiner. I had my Saturday planned since he has to go into work. I was going to go grocery shopping and errand running with the girls nice and early to beat the rush. Then he tells me that someone is coming to look at the motorcycle and I have to stay here in case he shows up without calling. WTH? Exactly when did I become your personal assistant? Sheesh. So what am I doing now you ask? Sitting here....the girls still sleeping....wondering how long it will take me to run to the bedroom and put on a bra if the guy pulls up into the driveway....(I'm not wearing one because I just got up and haven't gotten dressed, not because I let the girls "hang out" on a regular basis! lol) Now my day is messed up....thanks to Mr. Weiner.

Yesterday I took the girls to the mall and got wee one three dresses and two skirt/shirt combos. They are so cute! I will have her model them and take pics. That girl is growing like a weed. I was rotating two dresses every other Sunday for church because everything else she had was too small. Now she will be quite fashionable! Betsy was looking for a bathing suit and a skirt (gasp!) but didn't find anything she liked. I told her that she and I would take a day and go looking together, now that she is Ms. Moneybags. LOL. She worked to close last night, again tonight and then Sunday during the day. I'm so proud of her....she has really taken to working and does such a good job.

I've got to check the chemicals in the pool today. It has rained for four days in a row so they should be totally off. I hate when that happens. I will put in $50 worth of crap, get my levels perfect, then it will rain and ruin everything. Ahhh, the joys of pool ownership!

Have a great weekend!

I'm tired....

Once again I made a dental appointment six months ago, not realizing that we would be on summer vacation by now....and had to get up at 7:30 for a 9:30 appointment. Will I ever learn?

Now, I'm not a wimp when it comes to the dentist. I sail through fillings, relax during crowns and have been known to cat nap through root canals. So what proceedure makes me sweaty palmed and nervous? Yes, it's my annual cleaning. I HATE it with a passion.

The hygenist I have is from New York. Now, there is nothing wrong with NY'ers....one of my greatest friends is a sassy city gal....but this girl is tough. When she starts with that water pick thing, I start sinking....lower and lower into my chair. Today she seemed to favor the "pick" thingy....poking and prodding, almost as if she were enjoying herself. As I was sitting there I realized that I could put myself through this for free at home if I could figure out a way to use the sewing machine in my mouth!

After she finished she said to me, "You bled a bit more than usual." I wanted to say, "Yes, when my gums are sandblasted they tend to do that." However, I just smiled and mumbled something about flossing more often. She agreed that I should ( I do every other day!) and went on with the worst part of the appointment....the cleaning.

You know that shivery feeling you get when you hear nails screeching down the blackboard? Well, to me, that is what having my teeth cleaned is like. It makes me nauseous as well....and she is no more gentle with cleaning than picking. After all was said and done, my teeth felt clean and smooth....and my gums puffy, sore and ground down to the bone. What a way to start the day.

To make myself feel better, I went home and picked up the girls and spent the day at the mall. I didn't buy anything, but they had their own money and got a few trinkets. Betsy then said she would treat us to lunch, so I suggested McDonalds only because I didn't want her to spend a lot of money. I admit I was getting a bit hungry since I hadn't eaten anything all day and my gums had finally deflated back to normal. As we were about to turn, Betsy said, "Oh good! There's a Taco Bell....let's go there!" Which ended up saving her even MORE money since I don't like that place! LOL....little sneak. That's okay though....I enjoyed my bowl of Rice Krispies when I got home.

All in all it was a nice day, even if it did begin with a trip to the dominatrix dental hygenist. Hey, I'll bet there's a chat room for that....and I bet I know who's in it!

Nothing much to say today....

And so, here we are, week 2 of summer vacation. What can I say....the only thing that has changed is that I stay up later and sleep till 9. Today I ran to the bank, picked up some medicine at Walgreens and sewed. Oh, I made a meatloaf, a cake and a pot of coffee too. Betsy had her friend spend the night last night and she is still here now. They are going to a special program at church tonight which should be a blast for them. Wee one has had a great time getting her make up done and trying to teach Betsy's friend how to play the piano. She had sticky notes on all the keys so that she would know which ones she needed to play. LOL. 

Let's see....I got an e-mail from my dear friend Cheezy, commplaining that I wrote a long entry but have no time to write to her. I tell ya, she is such a whiny butt....pmsl. I love her anyway though. Ummmm, I got two applications for credit cards in the mail, along with some coupons for a weekend sale at Belk. I love Belk. I buy all of John's clothes there. I switched all of my calendars over to June this morning. My desk blotter was extremely messy for some reason this month, so I was thrilled to turn the page. June looks so clean and neat. Give it a few days though. People will eat over it and spill various snacks, put glasses of cold beverages on it only to have the condensation wrinkle the paper. Doodles will suddenly appear in the margins.

I just got mail. Let's see what it is, shall we? It's my BBC America newsletter. I'll have to check that out later. Lately I've had the urge just to sit here and surf. There is so much out there I'd like to read about and learn about, but I never do any of it. I think about it, and the sheer amount of things that I don't know overwhelms me and I give up before I start. I should take a class. In what, I don't know.

My desk is dusty. I can see it in the sunlight. Today would normally be a cleaning day, but I didn't see the point since we have a guest. I just can't clean with other people here. Oh, I can vacuum here and there, and pick up, make the bed, etc. But I can't do my normal cleaning. Oh well....it'll be here in the morning. The clasp broke off of my new summer purse. Well, I have had it for probably 2 months now. But still. JB says he is going to fix it for me. It's still sitting here on the desk though. That's okay....I really didn't like the purse anyway. It didn't have enough room for all my crap. I have to carry so much with me at all times, it's ridiculous. That freaking dog is yelping in the kitchen again. He did it last night while we were eating....then got up himself. He can do it when he wants to.  So, here I sit, screaming for him to hush. Of course the entire household can hear him but NO ONE goes to pick him up. And since his yelps are reaching an ear splitting crescendo, I do believe I will quit this most boring entry and go pick his whiny a$$ up.

Later all....

 

*Disclaimer: My dog can walk, it's just that with the arthritis it is hard for him to get up whilst lying on the kitchen tile. He can do it if I have just sat down to eat and he wants some....but usually he's lazy about it and barks until I pick him up manually. Typical MALE! LOLOL....