Tuesday....original, huh?

 

We are feeling some of the effects from the hurricaine today. Rainy and wet....but nothing like what those poor people that took the direct hit are dealing with. My prayers are with them....such a horrible thing to have to go through. I can't even imagine leaving my home, only to come back to a pile of rubble. God bless them....

Tonight Betsy is going to WWE Smackdown....she is so excited. Ever since she was a little girl, she has watched it. She and her best friend always said that someday they would go....they even wanted to be tag-team wrestlers! LOL....I'm sure she will come home with a paycheck's worth of souveniers. Of course, it won't be the same without the Rock....but tonight she will get to see the Undertaker and Eddie Gurrero....childhood favorites.

Wee one is swimming at a friend's house right now....which means I am sitting here enjoying utter peace and quiet! I'm paying bills, which is not fun, but at least no one is yelling about not being able to find something, and the tv isn't blaring. DH is in the pool, cooling down from trimming the bushes in the front yard, and dinner is cooking in the oven.  Too bad it's meatloaf....ick. But, the rest of the crew likes it. I, on the other hand, will be enjoying a turkey sandwich. Mmmm....I'll "gobble" it up....get it?

Anyhoo....I filled up my gas tank today. $43 freaking dollars! And I know it will be on empty again before too long, being that I have to take and pick up wee one from school every day. Today because of traffic, I had to sit with the engine on for 30 minutes waiting to pick her up. You know how much gas that burns? The line was alllll the way around the school. Betsy doesn't work again until Thursday, which is good....although I made her give me $10 towards gas today. I am starting to wish John would have kept his motorcycle. A fill up was under $10 with that thing and lasted a long time.

Okay, I've put off these bills long enough. I'm going to get back to giving away my money....

Monday Morning....

Monday morning and back to reality....I spent 45 minutes with wee one doing some homework that she "forgot" to do. I should have checked her book bag last night, but between making her lunch and washing the 100 dishes that Betsy didn't do (but she did manage to sleep all evening....thank God for that....*enter sarcasm here), I forgot. So, during her usual cartoon time, we did a spelling sheet through half of Garfield and Friends, questions 1-5 in science through the second half, and then writing the spelling words five times as well as definitions through Arthur. I made her some toaster strudel for breakfast, but forgot about it in the toaster until she came to the word "nourish" whilst writing her definitions. She had eaten them both by the time we got to the word "starve" (*to perish through lack of sufficient nourishment). I tell ya, 5th grade is going to wear me out!

And so, here I sit, ready to start another week. I've got cleaning to do as well as sewing....and I really want to try my new craft. Tomorrow I'm going with my mom to her new condo inspection. It will be the first time I see it from the inside. I'm looking forward to it. I promised her I would help her paint and wallpaper when she gets in. It really is pretty from the outside, so I'm sure it will be nice on the inside.

A few weeks ago I downloaded the "site meter" (little rainbow like box in my about me section). Have you seen this thing? I didn't want it for use as a counter....since AOL provides one....but for the most awesome feature I've ever seen. When you sign into your account, you can choose an option that lets you see, on a world map, where your last 100 visitors come from. I just love that! I've had visitors from Austrailia, Italy, South America and even the Middle East! I love learning about other cultures, and how people live....so, if you are reading this from another country....leave a message in the comments section, along with a link to your own journal or homepage....if you have one. Oh, and if you want a site meter of your own, just click on mine and it will take you to their site.

Before I go, I will leave you with this little reminder....

Only 122 shopping days left! LOL...

 

****Correction....thanks to an observent reader....there are 116 days left. I don't know what I was thinking....just excited I guess! HoHoHo!

This may be the only time I ever say it but....my husband was right....

I really enjoyed the Mighty Eighth Airforce Museum! It was wonderful. So much history, memoribilia, artwork. It really is spectacular. We even got to talk to a man who was a fighter pilot during WWII. He flew a P-51and survived over 60 missions. A walking, talking tribute to the dedication and determination of our servicemen, past and present. It was awe inspiring. I highly recommend it to anyone who is in the Savannah area!

We started off our weekend at the museum, and then went downtown for a while. By the time we had finished the tour, we were hungry, and I had picked out a cute pub on the map for dinner. After parking I realized that Paula Deen's restaurant was just two blocks behind the pub, so we decided to walk past and take some pics for my mom. She loves watching Paula on the Food Network and asked us to try and get some photos. When we got there, we were surprised to see that there was no line....usually it's wrapped around the building. Apparently they were just starting to take reservations for the evening so JB decided what the heck....let's do it! So....we left our name and came back at the designated time....to find the huge line waiting for us! LOL....we didn't have to wait long, and we were hearded inside, up to the 3rd floor. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the buffet for only $17 a plate! Holy smokes....I have to say the food was very good....but nothing out of the ordinary. I was expecting to grab a plate and hear a chorus of angels singing as I ladled up scoop fulls of heaven on a plate....however, all I heard was the scuttle of servers as they filled the pans with fried chicken and shrimp jambalaya. I was disappointed with the desserts though. You could choose from banana pudding (yuck....but dh loves it so that was a score for him), sweet potato butter cake (which I would have liked but I had over dosed on sweet potatoes on the buffet), and peach cobbler. I had that, but it wasn't very good. There was one tiny piece of peach in it, while the rest was hard, semi-burnt topping and a thick cornstarch-sugar filling. All in all I would say the buffet was very good....but you are definately paying for the opportunity to say "I ate at the Lady and Sons restaurant".  I was, however, promised that we would eat at the pub when we go back in the fall!

I think the husband and I are getting old. It was 7:30 Saturday night and we were....sprawled out on the king sized bed in the hotel room, eating vending machine candy and watching "Eight Legged Freaks"....lol. I called the girls to talk to them and Betsy is like, "OMG....you are in the room and it's only 7:30? You guys are PATHETIC!!!!" lol....but you know, the best part of the trip was spending the evening, curled up next to John, watching cheezy movies and just enjoying being together. All together now...."awwwwww". LOL.

This morning we had a great breakfast at the motel. They had a continental breakfast and you could make your own belgian waffles and man....they were awesome. I was trying to figure out the machine when this little old man came up beside me and said, with a twinkle in his eye (I swear, he really did have a twinkle....I'm not just saying it!), "You gonna try that contraption?" LOL....he watched as I cooked a perfectly golden brown waffle. I learned he was from Florida too, and we chatted a bit about the weather, and missing the hurricane. After breakfast we checked out and went back downtown to explore the riverwalk and some of the shops. It was so nice. And the weather wasn't too bad either. It was warm, but not the oppressive humidity we are used to. I even commented to John as we stood in line for the restaurant how we were the only ones not fanning ourselves and commenting about the heat. I guess our blood is now "Florida thin" instead of "Indiana thick"....

We had a nice drive back home, and were greeted at the door by wee one....but not because she missed me. They had locked the door in the garage and I didn't have a key....so after pounding for a few minutes she drug her butt away from the computer to let me in....lol.

There's nothing like being missed by your kids....

Nuttin honey....

 

My poor dog....if old age and ailments don't kill him, I probably will....on accident of course.

Once again Percy has an ear infection. I tell ya, with all the money I have spent on ear drops and antibiotics for that dog, I could afford a full tank of gas! Last night I was cleaning his ears out, getting ready to put his eardrops in. I had him in the perfect position, and got the correct number of drops in his ear when my eye caught something on the worn off lable of the drops. I could make out the words "one drop" which made me think, "That's odd. I know I'm supposed to put in 5 drops. I only put one drop of the eye medi....oh #$&%*@*!!!!" Yes, I generously filled his ear with eye medication. I quickly got the q-tips and toilet paper and wiped out as much as I could. Percy just looked at me like, "You really are stupid, you do know that don't you?" Anyhow, I eventually got the correct medicine in his ears....and he seems to be fine. Of course now I will have to explain to the vet on his next visit why he has 20/20 vision in his ears....

I left the house at 10:00 am yesterday and shopped all day long. I didn't get home until an hour before I had to pick wee one up at school, which gave me just enough time to put the groceries away. I did rather well with shopping and didn't over spend. JB looked in the pantry when he got home and said, "Wow, we haven't had that much stuff in there for a while." I suppose that was his way of complimenting me on a job well done. I went to three stores yesterday and got all the sale items I had planned on. Of course, even though I spent $50 less than usual, I made it up buying craft supplies at Lowe's and Michaels. I'm not going to say what I bought or what I'm making....because then I'll feel the pressure of getting it done. So, I'll just say it's really cute, and I'll take pics when I do my first one.

Today I need to clean and organize for our little trip this weekend. Since I only have to pack for JB and I, it shouldn't be to much of a job....yeah right. I'm the QUEEN of overpacking. (Sorry Lisa, but I'm knocking you off the throne! lol). I have really tried to curb my enthusiasm for packing as though I may be in the middle of a blizzard and a heat wave in the same weekend....but it's so hard! And inevitably, I'm upset with the clothes that I pack so I make sure to pack "backup" outfits. However, I'm never happy with what I'm wearing, so really, I should only pack one outfit per day and save myself the trouble of folding, washing, ironing all that stuff. JB is easy. I just pack his pants, ask him what shirt he wants to take, then tell him, "No, I don't like that one. Wear this instead." and I'm done! LOL. I'm hoping the weather holds out for the weekend and we don't feel the effects of the hurricane until we get home on Sunday. Mom is coming over to stay with the girls for the weekend, so that will be nice.

Okay, I'm off to clean....happy Friday!

I've been hibernating....

Holy smokes, I just realized I haven't written in here since Monday....and I haven't been doing anything interesting either. I guess I'm just lazy....

I'm so mad about Betsy's job. I tell ya, she has the boss from hell. I just read an e-mail from her, telling Betsy she had done a cake order wrong, and how the man was upset, yadda yadda yadda....and Betsy didn't even work that day! She is going on and on about how she needs to pay more attention, so I respond to the e-mail (as Betsy) and say, "If you check the schedule, you will see that I didn't work on ____." LOL....I'm telling you, this woman picks on her like there is no tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, if Betsy did something wrong, I fully expect her to take the blame and try harder to fix it, however, when she is getting blamed for things that happen when she isn't even there???? I don't think so. ::end rant::

Wee one has had two huge tests this week, and another one today. We have been studying every night for at least two hours. I tell ya, I should just homeschool. Really. It would probably be less work that what I do to subsidize the "teaching" she gets now. Here's hoping she did well....she was very confident about the science, but nervous about social studies. I, however, can tell you what distillation is, as well as why the early settlers were angry with the British King! LOL....

I am going grocery shopping in just a bit. I was planning on going straight from dropping wee one off, in order to save gas, however, I wasn't ready. Somehow I got off track this morning, so I had to come home. I don't have my list ready either. I have some of it done, but I have to go through the sale papers. Hmmmm, let's see....a big 10 for 10 sale is going on....10 containers of sour cream? That's a lot of baked potatoes....okay, here's one for Julie....10 packages of Snoopy fruit snacks for $10. Want me to Fed-ex them to you? LOL....

Well, since my train of thought had totally left the station, I supposeI should go. I shall report back with all of my great deals....I'll just bet you can't wait!

Oh, and here's another annoying little reminder from yours truly....only 120 shopping days left! I don't know what is wrong with me....but I'm in a Christmas mood! LOL....

Some "tree"mendous pictures!

As you can see by the above pics, dh is finished putting the walls up on wee one's tree house. I was going to go inside and take pics as well, but it was getting dark out (much darker than in the pics) and I was afraid of spiders....lol. I'm such a wimp. He has really done a great job with the house, and the pics really don't do it justice....but it was late and I can't photograph worth crap. He is going to trim it all out and paint it next and then hook up the electric. I told him wee one will have a great studio apartment by the time he is finished with it....

Tomorrow is grocery shopping day....yippee. Sometimes I can go three weeks without shopping and be fine....and sometimes I can go a week and it seems we are out of everything. This, of course, is one of those weeks. I cleaned out the pantry, fridge and freezer today and found that I have nothing. I am out of everything! And, of course the sales don't start again until Wednesday. But I want to shop tomorrow. And we all know that if I shop tomorrow, I'll miss out on some freaking spectacular sale that starts the next day, or, I will not shop tomorrow and the sales will be total crap on Wednesday. What to do, what to do. It's just that Tuesday and Thursday are my usual "nothing going on run around" days....and I don't think I can squeeze by  until then. So why not just go get a few fillers? Because I can't. I have a certain "shopping pattern" and it can not be altered. (thank you OCD....lol). But I'm out of PLEDGE! Well, I can squeek by if I must....but it makes me nervous knowing that every time I press that nozzle, it may be the last, dying spurt of my poor little can....

Today I got the organizing bug and cleaned/organized my entire desk, including folders and such. I made lists of the girls school schedules in duplicate (one for the desk, one for the car), and I must say....it all looks really nice. No clutter to be found anywhere. I need to organize all of my sewing/craft things but I know where that will lead....straight to Wal-mart for some three drawer carts with wheels. Those things are awesome for organizing. I go nuts with them though, so I have to be very careful. I think if I had a 5000 sq. foot home, 3500 of it would be containers, all full of my belongings categorizedby shape, size, color, alphabetically, etc., etc. Today I stacked my "all occasion" cards by category and size....I just re-read that statement. I think I may need to get out more.

Well, Betsy is home from work, so I can go to bed and stop worrying about her driving at night....until her next shift that is. Night all....

What a weekend....

We had a great time at the office party on Saturday. We picked up two couples and one single (his wife had to work), and took the party bus to St. Augustine....

Once there we had the car valet parked (I was NOT going to walk two blocks in a dress and heels in 90 degree weather!) and went into the hotel. It is absolutely gorgeous....very fancy, very expensive, and very not us (we are Holiday Inn folk! lol). We made our way to the second floor and headed out to the balcony where the party was to be held. It really was lovely, and would have been perfect, had it not been for the 800% humidity. I knew I shouldn't have wasted my time straightening my hair because ten minutes after being out there I was Shirley Temple curly! They had huge fans on the terrace, so dh and I and the couples we were with grabbed the table directly in front of them. Of course, before dinner was served, the fan died....ugh!

The food was....well, interesting. They did have a delicious sangria....which I partook of....8 times! LOL....now, before you lable me a drunk, the glasses were probably only 4 ounces, so in actuality I only had 4 drinks. The best part of the dinner was the bisque they served at the beginning. Now, I know that I'm going to get a lot of "ewwwww's" from this, but trust me, it was delicious. It was pumpkin crab bisque. It was very thick and creamy and I know that sounds like a strange combination....but it worked. It was slightly sweet with a light dusting of nutmeg on top. It smelled heavenly too....the salad was a wedge of iceburg with mozzarella cheese, calamari olives and a house dressing which was very bitter. I didn't care for that. As a garnish, there were these very thinly sliced pink things....which we all guessed were smoked salmon. I decided to be brave and try a bite. I can't really describe the taste....imagine opening a bottle of your grandmothers oldest, strongest perfume and taking a huge swig....yeah, that's what it was like. Dh said it was some sort of marinated ginger. I don't know what it was, but I couldn't do anything but swallow it, being that we had cloth napkins and I couldn't very well spit it out! The woman across from me said something, and I thought she said she liked it. I kind of shook my head and she shoved a huge piece ofit in her mouth. The look on her face was priceless! She didn't have any qualms about using her cloth napkin as she yelled, "Ooooh!" and quickly spit it out....she said, "I thought you said it was good!" I was laughing at this point watching her chug her ice water.

The main course was a filet medallion, mashed potatoes, asparagus and chilean sea bass with some sort of sauce. Thumbs up to the meat (sans sauce) and potatoes. The fish was okay, but would have been much better cooked a bit longer and served with lemon, as the sauce was a bit heavy. Dessert consisted of three different offerings. Three glasses were filled with fresh berries and whipped cream, tiramisu and cream, and chocolate mousse with whipped cream. Needless to say, this reviewer found nothing wrong with any of them! LOL....During the meal there was a man who played acoustic guitar and sang. He was really good....actually, he sings at many of the local restaurants in St. Augustine. My uncle liked him so much that he asked him if he did parties. After dinner we sat and visited, talked and laughed. It was a really good time and so nice to get out with adults!

Today we didn't do much of anything. I had a bit of a headache....serves me right....and wee one had a ton of homework. We worked all afternoon on it while JB finished putting up the walls on her tree house. I will take pics of it tomorrow. It looks so cute!!!! All he has to do is trim it out and paint it. He did a great job. Betsy has been in a benadryl induced sleep all day. Poor kid. She has (I'm not exaggerating, they counted) 26 mosquito bites on one leg, 32 on the other and at least 15 on either arm. I didn't know about it until she showed me today. Apparently when she was helping her dad do the lawn, taking the clippings to the pile we have in the woods, she was attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes! I felt horrible when I saw them!  I bought benadryl today, along with anti-itch spray. She jumped in the pool this afternoon to try and stop the itching for a bit.

Well, it's getting late and I need to get things organized for tomorrow. Week #3 of school....woohoo!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!!

Today is the day....the day that my partner in life, the father of my children, my love and my best friend turns the big 4-0. Happy birthday sweetie....I love you!

He's my own, personal Homer Simpson....D'oh!

Hump day....

Being that I have already typed an entire entry and lost it once today, I'm going to type this in WordPad and then try to save it. Apparently AOL is releasing their "new" site to the public and glitches are going off everywhere. I miss the old AOL, the one with fun game chats and a "family" atmosphere. Now that they are trying to compete with Yahoo and MSN, they are becoming just another ISP....oh well....can't stop progress.

I just got back from dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It's my sister's last night here before going back home to Indiana, and we decided to take her out. Wee one is at church with her friend so it was just dh, Betsy, Jody and I. We had a nice time together. The food was really good too. I had the quesidilla special once again. Betsy had taco salad but said it tasted like hash. LOL. Now I'm stuffed and feeling sluggish. The sad thing is....I could go for some ice cream for dessert!

I finally got through my mountain of ironing. Of course, I have two loads of clothes to go in the wash, which will result in more wrinkles for me to deal with....I know that there are things I probably don't need to iron....some of Wee one's clothes, t-shirts and such, but I can't help it....I want her to be wrinkle free! LOL. I want to be wrinkle free....

Sometimes I can't believe that I am 36. It's been 20 years since I was sweet 16. Where does the time go? I still feel young. I mean, I know that 36 isn't "old" but it's getting there. To think hubby will be 40 this Friday is amazing to me. I mean, that is 10 years until 50!!!! When did this happen? I do have to say though, that I am feeling more and more comfortable with myself. I know that I am not teeny tiny....never have been, never will be....sure I could lose some weight. But on a scale from 1-100, I'm 90% happy with me. I'm not as worried about what everyone else thinks. Don't get me wrong....I'm not shopping in a mu-mu with rubber flip flops....lol....but if I'm not up to "society's" standards, it doesn't bother me like it used to. I never thought I'd say that....I always thought saying that would be like giving up....but it's not. It's growing up. Too bad I didn't realize this as a teen. Hindsight....

Anyway....enough of the philosophical stuff....

Being that I did not miss the turn to wee one's school today, I got my mileage reading. 6 miles round trip x2 means 12 miles per day. And of course, gas just jumped once again from $2.58 to $2.65! I can't believe it. It was $2.38 on Saturday! WTH? I am trying so hard to conserve, because at these prices, I'm gonna have to take out a second mortgage just to fund wee one's safety patrol comings and goings! Betsy is helping out, giving us $10 a month toward driving back and forth to work. Speaking of work....

Her bosses/owners are husband and wife. Last night when she was there, the husband came in and apologized for his wife's behavior! He said that she is very stressed having the new business and the two year old twins (no excuse in my opinion, but, whatever), and that she has been yelling at everyone. He told Betsy that he didn't want her to take it personally and that he hoped she wouldn't leave because of it. Betsy told him that it had hurt her, and that she was doing her best. I was really proud of her because a lot of teens would have quit a long time ago. She told me that even though it had upset her, she wouldn't leave because she likes the people she works with (other than Mary Jane), and she knows she needs the money for car insurance and gas. Awwww, she really is a good kid!

Well, I'm outta here for now. I am going to visit with my sis for a while and then call it a night....have a good one!

JBCoupe and de Couperin do not mix....

Last night I made wee one's lunch before I went to bed. I never do that. I always wait until the morning. Which left me wondering...."Did I do this for a reason? Does my subconscious know something is going to happen? Will we be late?" Well....

This morning we were right on time. So on time that I decided to set my little trip-o-meter to figure out just how far a round trip to school is, double that and multiply by 5, so that I can figure out gas mileage (how's that list for ya Kris? lol) So, off we went, wee one and I....a beautiful morning, listening to Menuet from Le Tombeau de Couperin on my new cd player. As we were travelling down the road, taking gentle twists and turns I thought to myself gee....I don't remember there being so many twists and turns. I looked at wee one who was in her own little dream land, enjoying the soothing music and asked, "Did we miss our turn?" She looked at me and said, "Oh my gosh....I think we did!" How embarassing is that? LOL. Now, my timing and mileage is all off, my calculations are down the tube....but thanks to my subconscious and the fact that I made her lunch last night....we weren't late. Oooooh, weird....

Wee one asked me what I was thinkiing about that kept me from realizing that we had missed the turn. Here is the train of thought that got me off track....

1. They are putting sidewalks in and I was thinking how nice it would be if they had those little curvy cross-overs like in small towns so you could just walk across the street. I was thinking of quaint little English towns and how some of them have streets paved with bricks and how I would love to live there, but I'd have to get used to driving on the other side of the road. I could get used to it here if I were a....

2. Mail carrier. I thought about being hot in the summer driving those mail trucks and then thought if I were in NC it would be nice but I'd have to contend with snow and worse, slippery leaves in the fall. Did you know they have "leaf days" in the mountains when the school busses can't get up there? Anyway, I was thinking how you would have to get used to driving wayyyyy up there to those houses on the top to deliver the mail, and wether or not they had community mailboxes in a central point to make it easier. I went on to think about the time we drove way up to see a subdivision and had to turn around by backing up to the edge of the mountain....where there was no guardrail. I believe it was at this point that I thought about the fact that we had driven too far.

The funny thing was when I was telling wee one about my thought process, I said "Mail lady" and she looked at me with huge eyes and said, "Male lady? Like a man dressed up as a woman?" I was cracking up and explained what I meant. It was at that moment that she burst out sining, "Dude looks like a lady!" and proceeded to sing it the entire trip to school. There was no way I was going to zone out again with her singing. Then she said to me, "You know how they should have ended that song?" I said, "No, how?" And she sings...."Dude looks like a lady.....yeah!.....::dramatic whisper:: Michael Jackson!"

My mornings are always entertaining.

Where did everybody go?

Ahhhh, you just have to love these journals and their ever present glitches. For some reason, my entire list of other journals is gone. The other day I couldn't get to my journal, and when I looked for it in the search bar, it said I didn't exist. Gretchen and other AIM users can't seem to leave comments and others have complained of missing entries. This is what we pay the big bucks for? LOL....I shouldn't talk, as I am still paying for it....(the $4.95 plan anyway).

It is 9:33 and I have already been to the bus stop, taken wee one to school, and gone shopping at two grocery stores. I am on top of things, baby! Of course, right now I'm sitting here getting sleepier by the minute. I need to get up and start working. I have a ton of laundry/ironing/sewing/cleaning to do. I swear, if my life gets any more interesting I'm going to burst!

Did I mention my husband's birthday is on Friday? He will be turning the big 4-0. I can't believe it. When we met I was 17 and he was 21. Where has the time gone? I've been with a man who has gone from shaggy to bald in less than 20....lol. Of course, he's been with a woman who has gone from shapely to schlumpy in the same time frame. I am planning a weekend get away to Savannah for his gift. He has wanted to go to a museum that is located there for a long time, so I figured why not make a weekend out of it. (That way at least I get something out of the deal! lol)

And on his birthday he gets the one thing that he waits for all year. Care to guess what it is? It's pretty hot....and crispy. I make him his favorite dinner....fried pork chops. The one meal I absolutely despise....both making and eating! I'm not a pork lover. However, he counts on this dinner every year. Actually, I make it for him on Father's day too. So on Friday I will go out and buy all the fixins for his southern meal. Fried okra and "greens" will be on the menu as well. And for dessert? An atomic cake. Yellow cake with layers of strawberries, bananas and real whipped cream. The new Disney movie "Valiant" opens on Friday as well, and I think we will take him to see it. It has to do with flying, which will fit nicely with the "aviation" theme to his birthday. (It's an aviation museum that he wants to go to).

Okay, I've sat here long enough....and now the phone is ringing. My mother knows just when to call!

 

Sleepovers and Spiders....

I'm so glad the weekend is almost over. Isn't that a terrible thing to say?

My dh (you can decide what the "d" stands for, I'm not saying....) is driving me freaking nuts. I don't know what it is....but he's annoying me today. Actually, I probably shouldn't blame just him....my hormones are all out of whack and pretty much everything is annoying me.

You know how you hear the stories of women who snap....and it's nothing that is particularly horrible that makes it happen. It's a build up of things and that final straw does it. Today, I felt a twinge of that. I know I complain about this all the time but....I'm going to do it again. I open up the doors to the washer and dryer, and there, sitting on the TOP of the WHITES basket is a balled up DARKFREAKINGBLUE shirt. Size XL. From the MENS department. It was at that moment I felt my entire blood volume rush to my head and I swear, steam was coming from my ears. I know, I know. It's a simple thing. Just pick up the shirt and move it the three inches to the dark basket....but dag nabbit....WHY DO I HAVE TO FREAKING DO IT???? I didn't wear it, I didn't remove it....and of course dh walks past as I'm standing there, like a volcano ready to blow. I looked at him and said through clenched teeth, "Do you know the difference between darks and lights?" He just gave me a "look" and stomped off. Arrrgghhhhh!!!!

But I digress....

As you can see from the pics above, wee one had a friend sleep over on Friday. I had to take the pics of her messy room. Believe it or not, when I walked in and saw the mess, I smiled. It just looked like they were having a blast together, and I thought to myself how wonderful it was to be a child and carefree. I happened to walk out of my bedroom to check on them at 10:30 that night, only to find them in the kitchen, getting ready to cook some soup! LOL.

JB showed me the spider this morning. It is right outside wee one's window. He was going to "dispose" of it, but wee one wants to see how big it gets. Ewwww. I hate those things.

Betsy worked last night and the other supervisor (the one who smokes weed) worked with her. This is rather odd since they usually only have one supervisor working at a time. Betsy said that when it was time for the girl's break, she and her friend went out to the car to "smoke", then came back in to finish the night. The owners came in and ignored Betsy, and went straight to the girl (who is their favorite for some reason), and talked to her. I'm telling you, this is getting ridiculous. The girl is high and these people can't tell? He's an EMT for goodness sakes! I can't wait until Betsy gets another job.

Other than that....it's been a pretty quiet weekend. The people across the street are moving out. They have had garage sales the past two weekends. I hope we get some nice neighbors with people our age who are friendly. The lady I took cookies to never did speak to me again, although she waves on occasion. I know the cookies were good....I tried them myself! Oh well....

One of those Q&A things or as it should be called, "I'm too lazy to be original"....

 

Here are some mindless questions and answers. For maximum entertainment, find a more humorous site to visit....

 

 

1. Do you like your name?

Not particularly, but I'm not usually called by my name. I'm mostly known as MOM! or Dear?! or Woof....(I'm sure you can figure out who calls me what!)

2. Are you named after anyone?

Well, my grandmother's name was Jerry and I was going to be Jerilyn, but somewhere along the way it got changed to Sherry. (My mom used to tell me as a child that I was named "Sherry" so I would "Share" my toys. She was so evil!)

3. Did you have a nickname as a child? No.

4. Do you have a nickname now? "S. Diddy"

5. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

Well, I like Tessa and Ginger. Maybe Beulah.

6. What is the most interesting name of your friends or someone you know?

My neighbor Endia.

7. As a child, who was your best friend(s)?

Angela Barbee (until I moved at age 7), Kim S-omething (until we moved again at age 9), and Dawn Gelon until she got smarter than me and was put in "advanced" classes.

8. Were you picked first or last for playground games? Somewhere in the middle.

9. Were you a teacher's pet?

 Not the "smart pet" but the "funny pet".

10. Were you a bully or the one being bullied?

Give me your lunch money and I'll tell you....

11. Tell us a sad story about something that happened to you in school. (We'll be standing by with our tissues and go 'ahhhhhh' all at once ;-)

When I was in first grade, I was deathly afraid of storms. I remember we were having inside recess because of the rain and I was looking out the window, just as the heavens opened and it poured so hard you couldn't see. I started shaking and crying and the Recess teacher, Mrs. Martin, came over and hugged me and stayed with me until it was over. I loved her from that day on....she even came to my bridal shower and had my kids when they were in school back home in Indiana!

Growing up a little (not) ...

12. When you were a teenager, did you sneak out of the house?

Only once....the night before my wedding (I was 18). I took my parents car and went looking for my hubby to be. It was after midnight and I was worried he wouldn't show up for the wedding! LOL.

13. Were you an 'instigator', 'collaborator' or 'innocent victim'?

Who me? You know I was the innocent victim....

14. Have you ever gone skinny-dipping?

No....I chunky dunk.

15. What was the craziest thing you did fashion-wise as a teen?

I wore black leggins, a gold lame shirt and black shiny blazer to look like Janet Jackson....quit laughing....I was known as Ms. Jackson after that....

16. Did you ever get so drunk you couldn't remember much of the night?

Yes. One time.

17. Tell us about something wild and crazy you did as a teenager you probably should have gotten in trouble for but never got caught. (We won't tell ;-)

If you want to know....e-mail me and I'll tell ya!

Growing up a little more (hopefully :-)...

18. Do you watch cartoons now? Have a favorite?

Yes, I do....kids cartoons would have to be Arthur and Tom and Jerry. Adult cartoons would be The Simpsons (for the sheer brilliance), and The Family Guy (Stewie....nuff said).

19. Ever buy a box of cereal (for yourself) just for the prize inside?

Maybe....

20. How long has it been since you've done something childlike (for example: ride a bike, play marbles, jump rope, build a sand castle, etc.)?

Just tonight I made a whirlpool in the swimming pool. It was the funnest!

Okay, that's it.

Enjoy!

Mid-day coffee break....

My throat hurts!!!!

Other than that, I'm fine. Just thought you'd like to know.

I'm waiting for the phone guy, since we have not had phone service since last Thursday. It's been rather quiet lately.

I am longing for a crisp autumn day. I hate this heat. I don't even have to curl my hair in the morning. Just go outside for ten minutes and the humidity does it's stuff.

My house is totally clean. All I have left to do is put the dishes away and fold a load of clothes. I've been sitting here at my computer so that I don't disturb anything. I'm in my element....

My throat still hurts....but the coffee feels good on it.

I organized my jewelry box today, and I'm wearing a ring other than my wedding rings and mother's ring. I'm not a big jewelry gal beyond a cross necklace. Lucky for JB, huh?

I can't remember what I wanted to write about....obviously.

I have been listening to my Amelie soundtrack in the car. It mesmerizes me, which, although relaxing for my mind and soul is not necessarily a good thing for other drivers.

My train of thought has left the station....

Oh....I wanted to give those who asked for it, the recipe for the Country Pineapple Casserole....it really is good. I would serve it on Christmas, along with an egg/sausage/ cheese casserole, coffee and cinnamon rolls. But that's just me.

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened (I never use anything but butter....)
2 c. sugar
8 eggs
2 cans (20 oz. ea.) crushed pineapple, drained
3 T. lemon juice
10 slices day-old white bread, cubed

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in pineapple and lemon juice. Fold in the bread cubes. Pour into greased 13x9 in. baking dish. Bake uncovered, at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until set. Yield: 12-16 servings.

You know what? I just realized I didn't drain the pineapple yesterday....which kind of explains why it didn't set during the cooking time. I had to cook it another 20 minutes. But, it's still good....

A better day was had by all....

I'm happy to report that Betsy is on the mend and is feeling better physically as well as emotionally....thanks to all of the wonderful, positive comments left by all of our journaling friends! Thank you so much! I don't think she will let her bosses comments (who, btw, is the owner), hurt her anymore. She is doing her best and if it isn't good enough for them, well, she will just take her skills elsewhere!

In other news....

There isn't much going on. LOL. I spent the morning buying thread for my sewing orders. $81 for 27 spools of thread....I couldn't believe it! I bought out the color that I needed in two different shades. I am reimbursed for the supplies that I need. I wonder if they would consider a $3000 digital sewing machine a necessity? Probably not. I had to turn in my receipt which shows line after line of thread, thread, thread, thread....caramel apple pops. I couldn't resist! They just looked so tasty and autumnal. (Yes, I did subtract the suckers from the total....) The girls have already eaten half the bag!

Wee one and her dad put up another wall of the tree house. I have to get out there and take some more pictures. It looks so cute! I can't wait until it's all painted. I made a nice dinner for them since they were working so hard. I fried some fish, made homemade cole slaw, potatoes au gratin, corn and pineapple casserol. It was all so dang good! The girls didn't care for the pineapple....it is along the lines of a bread pudding type dish....but loved everything else.

I can't believe it's already after 9! The days seem to go by so quickly now that the girls are back in school. My mornings are go-go-go from 6 until 8 then I'm on my own until 2:30....ahhhhh. Today after running around I came home, had a smoothie for lunch and took a little nap....but don't tell anyone! I am getting Betsy's virus and more than anything it has made us so fatigued. I just sat down from picking the girls up from school, making dinner, cleaning up and doing the first piece of homework of the new school year. Science....oh boy. I now know what physical properties are and the formula for density. ("You are my density....I mean destiny." What movie is that from????)

Well, I do believe I am going to go wash and moisturize my face, brush my pearly whites and get into bed. I'm becoming increasingly addicted to my new bed. I love the new mattress, and the comforter set I got is the softest, most cozy bedding I have ever owned. I love the color of my room, and the decorations....and the way the lamps give it that soft glow....I just love it! Am I weird? Wait, don't answer that....

Blah....

I've had one of those weeks where everything is just....blah. I've been on the verge of a viral infection, my hormones are wayyyyy out of whack, and once again I'm channeling Homer Simpson, having eaten almost an entire box of donuts in two days. I am also feeling bad for Betsy....

I took her to the doctor yesterday and she has a nasty viral infection. She text messaged me at lunch yesterday and said that her throat hurt so bad she felt like crying....poor kid. And, to top things off, she is having trouble at work. Here's the problem (advice is WELCOME....)....

Betsy works at an ice cream store. She was promoted to supervisor last month and is doing a great job. She takes her job and responsibilities very seriously, and is not one to fool around. She has gotten several tips ($10 a pop!) along with compliments such as, "You are the only one who seems to know what they are doing!" and she has several customers that will only have her as a server. Now, that in itself speaks volumes, I think.

This past week, her boss reprimanded her for some things that I think were uncalled for. The boss came in an hour after Betsy's shift was over and they were low on smoothie mix. She got on Betsy for that, to which she replied, "I made sure it was full when I left, they must have had a run on smoothies." This happened again with strawberries....same scenerio. Betsy once again stood up for herself and said that she had made sure it was full. The boss said she should have checked it. (Ummmm, didn't she just say that she did....and shouldn't it have been the next shift's responsibility to refill? Betsy doesn't know if they are low when she is not at work!) The third thing was cleaning a machine....which takes a good amount of time. Being that the bosses have the kids close the shop at 10:00, then have to mop, restock, clean, etc., etc., they decided that if they didn't have time to clean the machine, to leave it. Well, since they have been told over and over that they can't stay past 11 on school nights (legal issues),and they didn't have time to do the machine, Betsy left it. Now, this is what really pissed me off....

The boss im's her and reams her about not washing the machine. Betsy reminds her of the meeting, etc., etc. What is the bosses response? "You did better before I started paying you more." WTF???? That, to me, was TOTALLY uncalled for and VERY unprofessional....especially in an im. (She is blocked now, btw.) After this happened, Betsy got up and went to the bathroom and I sat here for a sec, waiting to talk to her. When she came back, she had been crying. I'm telling you, it takes a LOT to make her cry....a LOT. I felt so bad for her! Her father and I talked to her, and said that if she is doing her best, that she has nothing to worry about, and these people need to realize that when you work with teens, you are going to have problems now and then.

Oh, did I mention the other supervisor has: closed at 11 and left all her work undone (and since Betsy had to open the next day, did all of this girls work PLUS her own and did it all on time!), her cash register was off twice, she left the front door unlocked all night....and she smokes weed on the job? (same age as Betsy....and just got re-hired after quitting to go to another job, but wasn't  happy there).

Betsy filled out applications at two different places yesterday....and I don't blame her. Let me also say, that Betsy has been told by the two adult women who work there that she is the most mature teenager they have ever worked with, and one of them suggested to the boss that they make her a supervisor. I am very proud of Betsy for sticking it out and for continuing to be respectful to her boss, even when she feels she is in the right. I know teens can get snippy, but she has really dealt with this well.

You know, when I had toddlers, I thought the teen years would be a snap. They feed and clothe themselves, do homework, and talk with friends....ha! Shows you what I know! LOL....

I do believe I've found my soul mate....

All I can say is....paper towels and a thoughtful man? I'm in freaking heaven....Innocent Escapes (Why have I never seen this site before????)

First day back....

And so another summer vacation comes to a close, and we are ringing in the new school year....

Today was the girl's first day of school. They both had good days....meeting their new teachers, finding their classrooms, etc., etc. I have to say I was rather lonely this morning....but it only lasted a while....lol.

Betsy's bus schedule says that they are to be at the bus stop ten minutes before the scheduled pick up time so that if traffic is light, the kids won't miss the bus. No problem there this morning, as I sat there with her for 40 freaking minutes until I had to leave to get wee one ready for school! Betsy text messaged me ten minutes later to tell me that she had finally gotten on the bus. I tell you....this city has some MAJOR bussing problems. Some of the busses didn't even show up....so I suppose we should be glad for our *small delay. I could have taken her to school and been home in 15 minutes, had I known it was going to be that late. Sheesh.

As for wee one, we don't have to worry about the bus for her, since I have to take her and pick her up every day, due to the safety patrol. This morning there were cops all over the place....at bus stops helping the kids get on the bus, pulling over fast driving teenagers, and driving the parents nuts trying to direct traffic at the elementary school! I'm telling you, if they had just let us do it the way we normally do, there wouldn't have been that two mile back up! LOL....I had to go into the school this morning and hand deliver the "unopened box of your child's medication" (motrin for her migraines) so that she would have it if she needed it. (By the time I got home I needed it!) When I left her she was getting her official (not trainee) safety sash and being assigned a locker to keep her book bag in while on patrol. It was just too cute. The kids were so excited!

By the time I got home at 8:00, I had been in the car since 6:00 am! I can see right now that I'm going to have to get used to early morning humidity. My gas needle went down 1/4 of a tank today just waiting for the kids....I guess I'll be turning the car off while waiting. I can handle it in the morning....but in the afternoon? No way. The humidity was only 800% today....

Wee one was so nervous about school that her gerd was acting up over the weekend. So badly, in fact, that she was not able to stand for more than a few minutes before the sharp pains started. She has been on her Zantac now for two days and is feeling much better. She was so happy when she got home from school today. She said that her teacher was "wonderful" and that he talked "a lot" today. They played a few games, did some work, etc., etc. She came right in and did her homework....here's hoping that lasts longer than a week! LOL.

Betsy said that her day went well. She gave me her list of supplies wich consisted of two binders, pens and washable markers (we already had the paper). I thought I was going to get away with spending ten bucks on her....until she said that they need some sort of fancy schmancy (I believe that is the technical name for it) calculator for physics....which runs $89 at Wal Mart. (*insert muted trombone music here....wa, wa, wa, wa, waaaaaaaaaa!) I do believe I will be doing a search on eBay this evening!

All in all it was a good day for everyone. I still can't get used to the school year starting this early though....I guess I will never shake my northern habits!

Don't mess with Martha....

"Oh no you didn't just dis my homegirl...."

Once again I have been the oh-so-lucky recipient of a nasty comment from another AIM troll. It was in regard to my last entry about a sweet moment between mother and daughter. Heck, why don't I just show you the comment, and then we can analyize it together.

oh brother.  maybe you should change your name to martha or susie.  as in stuart or homemaker.  Inflated egos are so out of style.
Comment from mrsclean4ever - 8/6/05 7:35 PM

First of all, when making a comment, whether it be polite or extremely rude, you should always remember to capitalize the first word in each sentence, as well as those of proper nouns (words that name a particular person, place or thing). I do believe this is taught in the first grade and emphasized throughout elementary school.

Secondly, I am sure that the suggestion to change my name to Susie Homemaker or Martha Stewart was meant to be an insult, however to me it was a "good thing". I take pride in making meals from scratch, cleaning my house every day, and making memories with my children. Oh, and sometimes, when I'm feeling especially "Susie"....I wear a dress, nylons, and a string of pearls when I greet my husband at the door with his pipe and slippers. (This last sentance was an example of sarcasm:a mode of satirical wit, which I generally use in my entries).

Thirdly, I do agree with the commenter on one issue: inflated egos are out of style. Perhaps our commenter should check on the other two parts of her psyche; her "id" (instincts) and "superego" (conscience) and make sure that they are not inflated or deflated as well.

In closing, I think our friend mrsclean4ever has many issues to deal with, and should probably be pitied rather than looked down upon. Oh, and just for the record, her access to commenting is being

 disinfected from this journal....

 

The things we do for love....and Dasani....

Betsy called me from work this afternoon, asking if she could go to the movies with friends. They were going a half hour after her shift ended, so she would need me to bring her a new shirt, her makeup and her purse. I gathered everything up and off I went. As we were driving to the movies, she said, "Mom, I don't want my hair in a pony tail....I want it down." Now, any woman out there knows that if you have had your hair in a pony tail all day, when you take it out you are left with the lovely "bump" indentation that the elastic makes. I reminded her of this, but she really wanted it out.

You see, she was going to the movies as a final goodbye/get together with her first real true love. He is moving tomorrow and the friends were getting together for one last hurrah. I remember how it feels to be young and in love....and although they aren't "together" anymore, I know she still has feelings for him (and he for her), and this is going to be a hard goodbye. I knew that she wanted to look her best....so I told her I would try and help her.

She took the rubber band out and, as we thought, she had the lovely indentation. And because she had worn such a high ponytail, it was about an inch from her part, which made it look terrible! Luckily I had a brush with me and she began pulling it through her hair with all her might. She said to me, "I guess when I get in the theater, I'll go to the bathroom and wet it." And here is where her brilliant mother came up with an idea....

Luckily on her break she had bought a bottle of Dasani, and had about 1/4 inch of it left. So, as we are stopping at the various lights along the way, I was rubbing it into my hands, and then into her hair....and then she would furiously brush. We were laughing so hard as we drove down the highway, praying for red lights! Once we got to the movie theater, we realized we had a few minutes to spare....so I parked and came up with idea #2.

I would wet her hair, then turn the a/c on full blast and brush it out to dry it! She about fell off her seat laughing when I first turned it on, but hey....it worked! After about 5 minutes of this, her hair was soft and beautiful and, most importantly, dent free! After we were done she said to me, "Mom, you have got to write about this one in your joural....I won't mind this story!" LOL.

So, not only is Dasani the most delicious water around....it is also great for those "bad-ponytail-hair-moments-at-the-theater-before-seeing-the-guy-you-once-loved-who-is-now-moving-away!"

I would do anything for my baby girl!

New teacher....hooray!!!!

What can I say....I am thrilled beyond belief with wee one's new teacher. The school she attends is older, and they have problems with storage, so we are used to classrooms that have bookshelves, closets, etc. filled to the brim and overflowing with papers, workbooks, and other junk. Not in this class. The desks were in rows straighter than arrows, lined up with tiny tape marks on the floor. Books and papers were neatly stacked, largest to smallest, pens and pencils in holders....sharpened to precision. The room was sparsely decorated, but what was up was neatly done, just the right mix of 5th grade coolness with just a hint of whimsy here and there.

The teacher is teriffic. I think he won the kids over within five minutes. He was a Navy man for 6 years, detecting incoming missles with "radar". (He had the kids guess how he would detect it). In other words, he has excellent hearing! LOL. I told wee one that he is going to be a great teacher....but one that runs a tight ship. He made it very clear that the class is one big family, but he expects everyone to do their part to keep things running smoothly. This is just what wee one needs....to ease into the next phase of her school life. He is going to be especially watchful of the safety patrol kids, making sure that they are setting the right example for others. This class actually has the most patrol kids in it out of the whole fifth grade. Hmmmm, I wonder if that is a coincidence?

His wife is the assistant in the class, and is finishing her last semester of college. She is going to be a teacher, and from her little speech that she gave today, I can tell she will be a wonderful balance. She is implementing new ideas that she is learning, and is gung ho to teach....which I like. I didn't want her to get a teacher that was 20 years into it and getting bored. Wee one is really happy after being in the class, and ready for Monday!

JB went to my mom's today and pressure washed her entire house and driveway. Her houseis on the market right now and she is nervous about it selling. I don't know why....you think I'm obsessive about cleaning? I'm downright sloppy compared to her! Yeah....I do believe it is genetic! She had 5 or 6 showings today and one scheduled so far for tomorrow. I forgot what a pain in the butt that is, leaving the house on a moment's notice so strangers can walk through your house, ruining a perfectly good starburst vacuum pattern! LOL....

I'm not sure what is on the docket for the weekend. JB will be powerwashing the house and draining the pool, Betsy is working, wee one will probably be swimming at the neighbors and I will be....well....I don't really know what I'll be doing. Although, there is always washing and ironing....oh, and I have to change the bag in my vacuum. Wow, the excitement around here is palpable....

 

What to do....what to do....

Well, today I was supposed to take Betsy shopping (the graphic represents HER....obviously....lol), however she came into my room around 6:30 and told me she had "tossed her cookies". So now, I'm letting her sleep and will check on her in an hour. I did my big cleaning yesterday (yes, I gave in), so that I could spend the day out with her....I hate it when my kids get sick. You just feel so helpless!

Of course, I do have wee-one's classroom orientation this afternoon, so I have at least one "for sure" on my schedule. She is really excited about it. Last night when she came in from swimming at the springs, the first thing she said was something about orientation. Imagine that. Later on she told me that she swam with fish, got to touch some....yet the first thing she talks about when she gets home is school. Oh, to be young again! Trust me, next week the excitement will be gone and NOTHING will be said about school. Well, nothing except, " I'm tired, it's too early to get up, I don't want to do my homework, I wish it were summer again...."

We are draining our pool. AGAIN. Second time this season. It is as green as pea soup after going on vacation for a freaking week. It was blue and clear when we left....had 7 days of rain....and now I can't get it to correct itself. I've had it! JB has had it too....he wants me to go buy a new cover and shut it down for the season. However, we have a few months left and I think we should keep it open. So....we will drain, refill, and start on chlorine this time. We were using the Baquacil which is a different kind of sanitizing system....gentler to the user....and obviously not strong enough to cut it with the Florida heat, humidity and rain. So, it's out with the environmentally friendly and in with the kick a** chemicals....

Last night I spent an hour arranging my pictures into folders. I've never done that kind of stuff before, but decided I should. The other day I watched a dvd on my computer, and when it was over I was brought to a screen thatlet me look at my pictures as a montage. Now, I'm sure there are those out there saying, "Well duh....didn't you know you could do that?" To which I must reply, "Well nooooo, I'm not computer friendly!" Anyhoo....Betsy and I had a great time watching them. I put on classical music and we made up lyrics as the pics went by, made jokes and laughed our butts of for about two hours. I realized I had a lot of "junk" pics, so I cleaned house and now I have my neatly arranged and sorted by subject folders. It's so cool! Now, I just have to figure out how I found that montage thingy....

 

Computers and laziness make strange bedfellows....

What I should be doing:

Because my kids are gone all day with their aunt:

However, I am:

Instead of doing what I should. Of course, since next week the girls will be:

I shouldn't worry about being a lazy:

now should I?

(I'm getting my money's worth from:today, aren't I?)

More pics for your viewing pleasure....

As you can see, wee one's tree house is coming along....she and her father spent the day "raising the roof". It really looks great. It is turning out so nicely, in fact, that Betsy is thinking of having him build another one for her to move into. You know, a  nice little place of her own....lol.

It's been a quiet day today. I took Betsy and her friends to their orientation this morning at 8, then came home and did a few things before I had to pick them up again. Wee one had spent the night at my mom's, and came home later in the day. I spent the rest of the day sewing and making a nice dinner for the gang. It has been a while since the four of us have sat down to eat together. Between Betsy's job, vacation, swimming and what have you....

Right now JB is in front of the tv, Betsy is in her room and wee one is at yoga with my aunt. They have also planned one last trip to the springs before school starts. I can't belive how quickly the summer has gone. It seems like only yesterday they were finishing up the school year.

Wee one got the coveted postcard today....announcing what teacher she was assigned. Right around August 1st of every year, the phone calls start....wondering who got what teacher. She is happy with her teacher, although it was not the one she wanted. She wanted a specific team of teachers. So far three of her friends are in her class, all of whom are safety patrol as well.

When we got home from vacation, we tore through the mail, looking for the card. Saturday we ran outside, fighting over who would open the mail box. Yesterday I just happened to get the mail as she was riding her scooter home from a friend's house. Being the evil mom that I am, I held a flier high above my head, waving it and jumping up and down like an idiot. She comes careening toward me and jumps off the scooter. "Guess what?!" I yelled. Face full of anticipation she smiles and says, "What?" to which I reply, "It didn't come today, but here's a flier for you!" LOL....I love being a mom.

To make up for my meanness, I lether get the mail today. She ran up the driveway as I was emptying my bucket and said, "WooHoo! It came!" I asked her who she got and she said, "Oh, I don't know. I got my Toon Town registration!"
I guess it runs in the family....however, the card was in there, buried under a few bills and some snail mail spam. After all that anticipation and excitement, she reads it and says, very flatly, "Oh, I really didn't want that teacher." And goes on to look at the various stickers in the Toon Town envelope. Like everything else in life, the anticipation tends to be more exciting than the actual event.

I'm in such a crafty mood. I need to find something to make. I have a hundred ideas from a craft shop we went to in NC, but I don't know where to start. I'm terrible that way. I have so many ideas that I rush through them and although it looks good, it's not great. I need to slow down and concentrate on one thing. I wish I knew how to make one thing really well. I want to be passionate about something and put my all into it. I guess the only way to find out is to start trying things. But where do I start????

Okay, I'm outta here for tonight. I have to catch up on last weeks Reno 911 before tonight's episode. Ooooh, and Stella is on after that. Have you seen that show? I have a little thing for Michael Ian Black. He is so incredibly funny in a smarmy, sarcastic kind of way....and that really turns me on!!!! LOL....I know, I know, TMI right?

Pictures!!!!

This morning Betsy had a mandatory meeting at work and I ::gulp:: let her take the car on her own! She did a great job, and afterward stopped at my mom's and picked up my sister. They took my cameras in to be processed....and chose to have them done in an hour. I told Betsy I would have to take out a loan just to pay for developing and the fact that I wanted cd's! I have never done the one hour thing before....but now I'm glad she did that. The pics turned out great....and I didn't break the bank.

My favorites? Oh, you know they are the ones of Thomas the Tank Engine. My girls grew up with him....and we still love seeing him on tv. But, the original ones....when it was Shining Time Station. Ringo Starr was Mr. Conductor along with the station master Stacey Jones and engineer Billy Twofeathers. Then there was Schemer who owned the arcade with the Juke Box Band....oh, those were the days! I have to tell you....when I first got a glimpse of Thomas coming through town, and all those little kids smiling and laughing when they saw him....I teared up a bit. It was just so sweet and innocent. I miss having that with my girls. Of course, I was brought back to reality when I looked lovingly at Betsy, with tears in my eyes and she said, "Oh brother....you are nuts mom!" LOL....Wee one wasn't quite as harsh. She said, "That's cool....can we get some cotton candy over there?" Sigh....

Anyhoo, enjoy the pics!