Merry belated Christmas to all!

I hope that the holidays were wonderful for everyone! I know that my kiddies are certainly very happy with their spoils, as they've barely shown their faces in 2 days. I have to walk into their bedrooms and remind them that it's time to eat or shower or maybe get a drink, go pee...stuff like that. LOL And there's no losing Tyler, I can hear the slaying sounds of his light saber being thrusted and jabbed into his imaginary opponent for about 4 hours of my day. We will go through numerous batteries this week, I'm sure. Their gaming chairs were a big hit, as well. Corey sat greasy haired, in his chair from the time he woke up yesterday, until it was time for bed. As I said, I had to remind him to eat and shower! Today, I'm taking them to use their gift certificates and just do some running around. Get us all out of the house for a while.

I found that the 3-4 days preceding Christmas left me feeling very melancholy. It's the first Christmas without my dad, and though I really tried not to let it get to me, it hit me with a vengenance. My kids were with their dad, my boyfriend was constantly working, (he put in about 120 hours last week), and being home by myself every night, just wasn't a good thing. I felt really bad, for not truly being in the holiday spirit, but I was dealing with a ton of turmoil in my head. So eventually, I just gave up the fight and allowed myself to whimper, whine and cry until I couldn't whimper, whine or cry anymore. It was truly relieving, to an extent. At least I got it out of my system!

It's kind of funny, because I thought that I was dealing with everything pretty well. My sister had actually been really sad and "down" for weeks, I was there to help and try to pick her back up...had no clue that I was spiraling down myself. I kept thinking that I just wished that we could all have the holiday together, just one more time. Don't know why that was my main focus, but that was at the forefront of all of my thoughts. Every single time that would pop in my head, tears would pop into my eyes, and there was just no stopping it.

By Christmas morning, I was doing better and very excited for my kids. I went to Brian's in the morning and watched his kids open all of their gifts, we exchanged ours, and then we sat down for breakfast together. I realized then, that even though my parents aren't around anymore, I truly do have the love of his parents, and that was a huge comfort. My kids got home shortly after, ripped through their carefully wrapped packages in record time and then we all trooped over to my brother's for a wonderful dinner, a few drinks, and a ton of laughs.



It came out that every single one of us had been going through the same exact struggles this past week, about dad and that also left me feeling that at least I wasn't the only one. My brother came out with this picture of my dad, has to be one of the best ones ever taken of him. He was fishing that day, and there's a whole story behind the huge grin on his face, but it's truly a picture worth a thousand words.

On top of this picture, we all got a gift from my aunt. I don't know where this came from, but all of the sudden a package was handed to me and I was told, "open it". What I found inside almost made me crumble...here it is....









I know that you probably can't read what it says, so here it is;

Merry Christmas From Heaven

I still hear the songs
I still see the lights
I still feel your love
on cold wintery nights

I still share your hopes
and all of your cares
I'll even remind you
to please say your prayers

I just want to tell you
you still make me proud
You stand head and shoulders
above all the crowd

Keep trying each moment
to stay in His grace
I came here before you
to help set your place

You don't have to be
perfect all of the time
He forgives you the slip
If you continue the climb

To my family and friends
please be thankful today
I'm still close beside you
In a new special way

I love you all dearly
now don't shed a tear
Cause I'm spending my Christmas
With Jesus this year!

So, with that, I put aside my selfish tears and was happy that I had my kids, my brothers and sisters, my boyfriend and all of my friends, to make new memories with. I'm truly doing okay, I think I've already gotten past the biggest hurdles. I am very thankful for what I did have then, and what I do have now.

On that note, I'm fixing breakfast and then me and the boys are off to hang out and spend some gift certificates!

Have a great day!

~~I AM A LURKER!~~

I don't know how it happened, but I've come to the conclusion that I am a bonified lurker these days. I have been trying to keep up with my usual reads, and comment on very few, but just haven't been in the mood to write very much.

This is what's happening these days;

My oldest has been having issues at school and home...I'm trying to get him straightened out, which has been no small task. For those of you that don't have teens (or pre-teens), talking to them is similar to talking to a wall! Yikes! I'm doing everything I can to work out all of his issues, but this ain't easy! We are spending next week together and I hope that having more one on one than usual, will be a stepping stone in working out these issues.

Brian has been working day and night, barely sleeping, and I've really been missing having the quiet and intimate time that I'm used to having with him. While I'm trying very hard to be patient and understanding, it's wearing on me a bit. Tonight, we actually got a few hours of "alone" time, and we spent it sleeping. When we woke up, I made some dinner and then we took some silly pics, we were just getting ready to go to bed, when he got called in to work....again!

This is the way I get to "see" him, for the most part lately....






This was one of the pics from tonight, it was after several other pics had been taken. By this time, we were laughing so hard that our bellies hurt and we almost had tears running down our faces! (And those are underwear laying near his head...don't ask!)




Only a few days until Christmas...it's hard to believe, it feels like Halloween just passed. Here is my Charlie Brown tree....

I let the kids decorate it, and didn't even rearrange it after they were done! LOL I hope ya'll are proud of me because normally, I would wait until they go to bed and then go to town moving things until I am satisfied! This year, I thought they did a pretty good job and just left it at that!

You will notice, that it's very bare underneath...that would be because the children will search through the house to find their gifts! Nice, huh? I'm not taking that chance again. All of their gifts are at my sister's house, which is where they will stay until the night before the kids open them. I'm not having them ruin their Christmas this year!

I'm heading off to try and sleep now. I hope everyone has a great holiday, if I don't write before then!

Merry Christmas!

~~THERE SHE BLOWS~~

I have felt it gurgling within me, for a while now...I have held back more times than I can count.

A few days ago, I walked in the door after work to find; one child kicking a bedroom door and the other one yelling at the top of his lungs. I lost it. Yes, mommy had a severe meltdown. Many tears were cried, and they didn't come from my eyes. While I really felt bad for also yelling at the top of my lungs (thus acting as childish as them), I needed to let them know that I'm tired of them walking all over me! It was actually refreshing.

I warned them that if their disgusting rooms were not cleaned by the time they left for their dad's this weekend, that mommy would clean them however I saw fit. I also warned them, that whatever I found on their floors, I would assume was something they didn't care about and would be put in a trash bag and thrown out. They freaked! Both were in tears with Tyler laying on his floor, I could see how overwhelmed he felt, but I didn't care. A mommy can only take so much, before she loses her ever loving mind...and I did. There, I have admitted it. Isn't that the first step? LOL

Now, this isn't just coming out of the blue though. I have asked them (very nicely), several times, to just clean their rooms. Simple as that...'just clean your rooms and you will have a happy mommy'. But they didn't heed my warnings and have now paid the price. They were both a wreck and you literally couldn't even walk in them. Most of their belongings had no "place" and were just thrown all over. How they can find anything at all, is beyond me!

My house may not be perfect, and I certainly, "let it go" from time to time...but this was way beyond that! When their doors would be ajar and I would walk by these monstrosities I would literally cringe. That's pretty bad! For a few weeks now, I've actually considered going in there and doing it myself, but what will that teach them? That they can keep it as messy as they'd like, and I will just march right in there and pick up their mess? Nah, I don't think that will work!

Tyler did a great job, while Brian and I ran out for a bit, he really worked his butt off, (with a bit of instruction from my next door neighbor), but regardless, he has cleaned it and kept it very neat for the remainder of this week. I am happy! Corey however, hasn't heeded my warning and his just, "picked up" a bit and thinks that is suffice. Little does he know, that mommy is sticking to her word and going in there this weekend while they are gone and seriously going through it with a fine tooth comb! He will not be a happy camper when he returns to find that I have gone through ALL of his belongings! (insert evil laugh and grin here) I think there might be a bit of pleasure in this and actually look forward to it!

Well there you have it, that's my rant for the day! Have a great one!

~~HODGE PODGE~~

*Cooking has never really been one of my strongest points, but I get by. The other night while making dinner, I had a shelf in my cupboard fall and glass rained down, all over the stovetop. It just so happened, that I had JUST taken dinner out of the oven, and glass was everywhere! I cleaned up the mess, salvaged what I could, recooked some veggies, and we ate whatever hadn't been right in the line of fire.

The next day I decided to cook something light for Brian and I (my kids were with their dad). I made some Velveeta shells and cheese and baked potatoes with all the fixings. It turned out good, a pretty fool proof meal, or so I thought.

I was done with mine, and gave Brian an extra helping of mac n' cheese. He's a happy camper and gets about 2 bites into it, and I hear him crunch on something very hard. All the sudden he starts sputtering, and spitting his bite of food onto the plate. He finds something white and hard in there...yeah, it was a nice hunk of glass. There was one pot on the stove when everything fell the other night, it was clean and I didn't even think about checking it before cooking with it. Ugh! What a dumb ass!

**My man has been MIA lately.

Work, work, work. Last Sunday he was called in at 2pm and worked straight until Tuesday. No sleep, nothing. I was pretty upset, because he is working on heavy machinery digging around gas lines with no sleep. That just doesn't make sense to me!

I've been having a hard time sleeping too. I wake up every couple hours feeling around, to see if he's there or not. So needless to say, I feel pretty whipped by the end of the day.

Will be glad when he doesn't have to work all hours of the day and night anymore!!!

***The basement is flooded.

Yesterday, I woke up at 6 and made my way to the basement to get some laundry out of the dryer. I didn't turn the laundry room light on, I know my way around. Well, I should have...I stepped in about an inch of cold water. Blech!

Water was flowing out of the top and bottom of the tank, and it sounded as if I had a waterfall in there! LOL I woke Brian and had him turn off all the water, got the kids ready for school and then cleaned up the mess.

Things went as smoothly as they possibly could. His cousin came over and had it replaced by about 1, yesterday afternoon.

I still have bags full of wet clothes, that I have to wash ASAP, but all in all, things are back to normal now.

****Christmas shopping.

I've done pretty well on my shopping, thus far. Actually, have tons more done than I normally would by this time. Can't believe that there are only 24 days until Christmas though! Yikes!


Well, that's what is going on around here! What's new and exciting on your end???

~~HAPPY BELATED THANKSGIVING~~

Here is my second attempt at this post...yes, frustration is starting to take hold here. It is teaching me a lesson though...SAVE EVERY 5 SECONDS! lol Back to the issue at hand...

Hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! =) I was without my boys, which kinda sucked, but Bri and I still had a nice day. My family usually gets together for the holiday, but it just didn't happen this year, with everyone kind of going their separate ways. We ended up going to Bri's sisters for the day. It's about an hour drive and the roads weren't great, once we got near her house, but it was worth it. I've tried uploading some pics (twice today already) and am not getting any cooperation so far. Trying again!

Viola, above is a view of the table before our feast! The day was very relaxing...we feasted and then played some Hold 'Em and proceeded to feast some more. What could be better than that?

Here are some before and after's of "the turkey". They raised six in all this year...and one just happened to be our dinner. (Kinda made me feel bad, but at least I know it was a well fed turkey that I ate!)






The blur in this pic was Bri's bil Chris, who was very slowly inching his way out of view. I tried several times to get him next to his bird, to no avail!



Here is Brian and I, caught totally off guard by his sister who had no idea how to work our camera. I was mid sentence, trying to tell her what button to push...I don't know what he was doing. I just know, if you ever have any pics you need taken...don't let MaryLou take them for you! (And she thought this was a good one!) lmao

And last but not least...here are 2 pics taken last week at his parents house. This is Max showing his love and adoration for Bri's dad....





Yes, I'm making an appointment to have him fixed...ASAP! lol But this is him after...you think he liked????



Have a great week everyone!

~~Kids, the blues and recent happenings.~~

Well, Tyler made it back from camp last week. He had a great time and when asked if he was good while there replied, "not the best, but I wasn't too bad either!" LOL I was almost afraid to inquire about why he wasn't the best but, I'm a mom and it's my job, I asked anyhow. He said that he just got a "little wild", from time to time, "that was all!" I can deal with that, the kid does have ADHD and isn't on any meds for it! He also informed me very gently, that he didn't want to hurt my feelings, but that he really didn't wanna come home. Said that he was just having so much fun and that he really missed me, but he still wanted to stay. LOL Gotta love him for being so sweet and honest all at the same time!

~~Funky feeling!~~

Don't know if it's just a matter of the time change, coupled with the fact that winter is fast approaching, but I've been in a funk. I'm cranky and crabby, don't feel much like dealing with anyone and just want to sleep, sleep, sleep. This past weekend, I had Friday off and actually took 3 naps throughout the day. WTH is up with that? Brian has been sick and joined me for each one of them, (which is very unlike him to nap once in a day, let alone 3 times) but this cold has certainly taken the wind right out of his sails.

Friday night, we finally managed to get ourselves out of bed and get ready for the Wing's game. The trip there was smooth, even with massive construction and to top it off, we got great parking. The seats were a different story. LOL While we could certainly see great from the upper bowl...and I'm talking the UPPER BOWL, the walk to our seats was brutal and left our legs burning from the exertion. While at the game, we really had a good time and the Wings won, of course.

Saturday was another lazy day, we didn't do anything to speak of. Until that evening, when we went to that Hold Em tourney at our friends house. The tourney was fun, the company good (though Bri and I weren't getting along too well), the food was also very good. All in all, it was nice.

Sunday, I got up and met my sister and my niece for some shopping. Didn't stay out too long, had too much to do at home. When I went back home, I got through a bunch of laundry and then just chilled for the rest of the day. It was the most lazy weekend I've had in a long long time. I kind of liked it, but then felt guilty at the same time, for not being more productive! Ugh!

I also forgot my son's parent teacher conference yesterday, isn't that nice? Turns out, his dad didn't forget and raised a big ol' stink about something going on between my son and a neighbors little girl. From the sounds of it, it was more a misunderstanding than anything. Nothing to go all ape shit about, but that's just the way he is. Ugh. Glad he's a part of my past and not my future.

Just found out too, that one of my sons best friends' mother passed away this morning. It's a total shock, as I just talked to her yesterday and even saw her the week before when I went to pick Ty up from camp. It just blows me away that this has even happened. It's really hard to even contemplate what might have transpired from yesterday afternoon when I talked to her, to this morning. My son isn't usually one to be too emotional either, not that he isn't loving, but he's not the touchy feely type at all either. When he calls me at work in tears, I know something really bad has happened. I think that this has hit home as I went home to have lunch with him and he already had everything set up. I wish I had taken pictures...it was great. He had bologna sandwiches, with shredded cheese for each of us, they were adorned with cheez-its in the shape of smiley faces, napkins, pillows on the floor, and he even got me some juice. It had to be one of the sweetest things he's ever done. Awww!! Yes, it is one of those mommy moments when you know everything you've ever done and every bad moment you've ever had, has all been worth it, for something like this. As a reward, I made him a strawberry, banana smoothie before coming back to work. He loves me! Awww!!!

When I get home, will have to call and find out what arrangements have been made for Nate's mom and might go up to the bowling alley to watch Bri for a while.

Bon Jovi is also tomorrow...that should be fun. Will let you know!

Have a great weekend everyone!

~~Nothing much.

Not really all that much to report here. No more outrageous phone bills or anything of the sort. This week has pretty much been uneventful...just the same ol', same ol'.

Although, my youngest has made his first unchaperoned trip to camp. He left on Monday, and comes home tomorrow. I was fearful that after a day or so, that I would get a call telling me to pick him up, but all has been quiet, so far. This camp is an "outdoor" schooling type environment. My oldest went last year and absolutely loved it, I'm hoping that Ty feels the same way about it, but we'll see.

Tomorrow, Brian and I both have the day off work and are planning on going to see the Red Wings. This will be my first hockey game in years. I'm really looking forward to it. Go Wings!!

It's looking like Saturday we are going to a friends house for a Texas Hold 'Em tourney. There are going to be 3 other couples. Should be fun.

That's really about it for me. Like I said, nothing much here!

Have a great day and weekend!!! =)~~

~~GOOD AFTERNOON!~~

Hi everyone, and hope that this finds you all well. I think I am definitely getting back into my blogging routine now. Things at work are mellowing a bit, and although we still have our "bad" days...we are getting into our groove a bit more.

Now don't get me wrong, doc's are still having little temper tantrums on a daily basis and people (patient's) are still rude as ever, but screw 'em! LOL We are just trying to do our thing and go home...nothing more, nothing less.

Things at home, are the usual daily chaos but it could be worse. Kids are kids and they make mistakes. Here's just a small taste...yesterday, I'm sitting down to eat dinner and decide I will open my mail, bad move. The only bill in there was for the home phone, no big deal, it should be about $30. Yeah right!!! I open it and see under current charges....$250! I'm thinking to myself, "there is no friggin way!". I turn it over, to look at the long distance charges...there it is, in black and white....7 calls to Canada, made by my dear son. One of them was for 81 minutes and cost about $150! Oh yes, I was fuming! I maintained and didn't yell or scream, like I really wanted to...but oh, was I furious! Brian and I went downstairs and discussed it for a while...it just blew me away. Wasn't prepared for it, at all.

When I finally came back up, his brother says to me, "well mom, Corey says he knows it's no birthday and christmas presents for him for a while!" Of course, being the smart kids that they are...they are always pulling the, "make mom feel guilty", card! So, this spurred a long convo with Corey. I asked Corey how he thought he would feel, had the circumstances been reversed??? He replied that he would probably be really angry. I told him that it was also a little stressful in that, there are many other things I could spend $250 on! Yikes! Life goes on!

Today, I should have a chance to get to each and every blog on my sidebar, we have no patient's here at work and it's downright boring already. So, I think that is what I'm going to do right now.

First, I'm going to try and include a picture of the sunrise from this morning. Let's see if this works.

~~BLOG NEGLECT!

Okay, I know that I've been slacking bigtime, when it comes to posting but I've even been too pooped to blog. To make matters worse, it's kind of difficult to blog, when I feel like there are spies all around me! Our new digs at work are not even near as private as they used to be. It's not like we can really "hang out" reading blogs and go unnoticed doing so. It helps that I used to work there prior, and can figure out who some of the spies might be. But it's still an uneasy feeling, knowing that the big kahuna can walk up at any moment! Ugh!

So, the big "move" has had me a little out of sorts and I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things. Will try to make my rounds tonight and to be a better blogger from here on out! ~

=)

Taken from Mt. Peace of Mind at Leeza. I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you'd like to play, go right ahead and let me know you did! =)

Directions: Go to Google and click on the images link. Type in the following and post the first (or your favorite) picture the search engine finds.


~~The name of the town where you grew up
~~The name of the town where you live now
~~Your name
~~Your grandmother's name
~~Your favorite food
~~Your favorite drink
~~Your favorite song
~~Your favorite smell

WAY BACK WEDNESDAY!

I'm very excited because this is one, I actually get to participate in! For those of you that don't know, this game is brought to you by Mama Duck, and if you choose to play, you should let her know that you have. This week's theme, is pictures of you with pets!

While, I don't have anything from long ago, (hence the reason I can't usually participate--my ex husband actually took ALL of my pics from my past!), I can show you the one pic I have of my dog, without me in it!

Her name is Tamika, she was a siberian husky and the most lovable dog I've ever had or even known! She was ALWAYS gentle with the kids and just loved everyone, up until the last days of her life. Unfortunately, I had to put her to sleep just this past March, but there is certainly no forgetting her or what a great dog she was.



Next, is my newest edition Max. Most of you have already seen pics of him. I got him in April of this year. Was kind of looking for a dog, but not really truly looking at that point. He more or less fell into our laps and we all just adore him. He is a puppy still, and has his moments...but he's so cute, you just can't stay mad at him for long.

First one is how he looked up until yesterday, when we shaved him. (And yes, I was having a bad hair day, so what!) LOL



The next one was taken tonight, did the best I could trying to hold a puppy and take a pic in the mirror! LOL But this is Max sporting his new do! Took some getting used to, but I really love it now!!!



Well, that's it for me! It's time to catch some zzzz's!!! Have a great night and sweet dreams! =)~~

WORKING OFF THE CHEX MIX????

Ok, so this is our Chex Mix endorsement. Didn't plan on it being, but obviously he couldn't rip himself from the bag even long enough to take a picture!




As you can see from this pic, he is sporting a small spare tire...(mine is carefully hidden, thank goodness.) As his mother says, we must be very "happy", to both be putting on so much weight! Ugh!

This next one displays how we are coping with the weight gain and trying with all our might to, "work off the Chex Mix". Now these are some aggresive aerobic maneuvers, you probably shouldn't try this at home!



If anyone needs any guidance on how to lose that spare tire hanging around your waist, just ask! As you can see, I'm working hard at it! Ok, well not so much, but it was one of the most relaxing days of the summer, and I loved every minute of it! Gone are the hazy, lazy days of summer! Miss them already! I have that same spot resered for next year though! Can't wait!

Night all! Off to do what I should actually be doing, instead of this! =)~~

ONE OF THOSE DAYS!

Yeah, you know those days...the ones where you just KNOW upon waking, that you shouldn't even get out of bed! My first clue was when the alarm went off at 6 a.m. I got up to shut it off and immediately felt pain to the left side of my face. My sinuses are S-C-R-E-A-M-I-N-G!!!! With every inhaled breath I take, they feel like they are going to explode. The pain and achiness extends from my upper cheek, back towards my ear and even a little behind my eye. I honestly think I would allow someone to shove a needle into my cheek and drain fluid, if I were guaranteed relief right now!

To top things off, I had to really run around like a chicken with my head cut off to get ready this morning. Had to do laundry, pack the kids for the weekend and get myself and both of them ready...all in about an hour. I showed up to work about 6 minutes late (7:51 a.m.), notice the nurses car isn't here. We have patient's due in 9 minutes. I rush in; unlock doors, turn on the lights and computers, get the schedules ready, etc. By 8 I'm pretty much prepared for the day ahead. There's only one doc here, it shouldn't be too bad.

Around 5 minutes after 8, two patient's come walking in. Both say that they have appointments and that they've been waiting outside for me to get in, for about 10 minutes now. Been here, but whatever! The first one was the 8 am appointment, the other one was 8 am yesterday! I get today's 8 o'clock checked in, and talk to the other one about rescheduling. Ok fine, he aplogizes for messing up and coming on the wrong day, and leaves. Since the medical assistant still hasn't showed up, I take and weigh the other patient and get her in the room. I then come back to the front, answer the phone, and it's the assistant...she's in tears, saying that her brakes went out this morning and she didn't know if she could make arrangements to get in. The nurse calls immediately following my hanging up with the MA. I tell her what's going on, and she informs me that she has a meeting she forgot about, and won't be in until later...probably this afternoon. I'm on my own! Fun!

The very early part of the morning went well...nothing too earth shattering. Around 9-9:15, all hell broke loose. Phones started ringing off the hook. I had 2-3 people on hold at all times, for the better part of an hour. I also had to check in/out all patient's and continue to weigh them and put them in the room for the doc. She was also getting very bitchy and would just start ranting as soon as I'd walk the patients charts back to her. I decided I'd do the drop and run thing, for the rest of the day. I have enough to stress about at the moment and can't sit around listening to her, while I could be getting rid of the ringing phones.

Since I started typing this, it has mellowed dramatically. Maybe I've gotten past the worst of it. I've also taken some Advil Cold & Sinus and my face isn't hurting quite as badly. Thank you
Peanutt, for leaving me some of your stash! Love you!

I LOVE MY MECHANIC!

I picked my car up yesterday and it really is purring like a kitten. My brakes are also waaaaaaaayyyyyy better! He also fixed all sorts of little things; replaced a bulb for the interior light, cleaned the whole engine, new plugs/wires, new belts. My brother told me he was pretty anal, but I had NO idea! LOL He made me a receipt that detailed every single part he bought, everything that still needed to be done, etc. I was really impressed by how thorough he was! He also wants me to bring it back next week, just so he can check the lugs and make sure they haven't loosened up any. Yay Wayne! He will definitely get lots of referrals from me.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS!

My oldest son started band this year and he loves it! He picked the saxaphone and finally got to bring this huge contraption home this week. I showed up at the house Monday afternoon, to find him and 3 of his cronies, all with instruments in tow. I went into the house to make dinner, and after about 15 minutes, thought I was going to lose my mind! OMG! The sounds that were eminating from their instruments were A.W.F.U.L! He played every second that he possibly could...and even had very chapped lips by the end of the night!

I love that he has shown an interest in music and is trying. I love that he is excited about it and wants to learn something new. However, I don't love the pounding in my head when he plays his instrument. I see a script for Valium in my immediate future! LOL

NO CUDDLING, NO INTIMACY, JUST GIVE ME SLEEEEEPPPPP!

Gone are the days where we will stay up until 3-4 in the morning on a work night, so that Brian and I have, "our time". I've been barely able to hold my eyes open past 9-9:30 lately! What a loser, eh? He has stayed with me every night this week, showering and grooming just before bed, with high hopes of us maybe heating things up a bit...HASN'T HAPPENED! While this is a very new trend, he is none too happy about it.

Last night, for example, he goes to take a shower about 10:30. While in there, I was in bed trying with all my might to just hold my eyes open. I managed, until he turned the shower off, then I must have dozed off. I was startled by him just a minute later, peeking his head into the bedroom and saying, "oh good, you're still awake!" (Yes, he was very surprised to see this!) Little did he know, that him opening the bathroom door is what jolted me out of my little slumber. LOL I saw the giddiness on his face too...a fleeting moment of pure joy and happiness. I managed to stay awake for another minute or so, while he brushed his teeth and happily jumped into bed beside me. He then turned on some Ultimate Fighting show and immediately, it was lights out for me. I was snoring in less than a minute, he said!

I feel really bad for neglecting him like that. But goodness, I really am exhausted. I've been back to work just a few weeks now, I have to get up more than an hour earlier than I'm used to, and my body is obviously tired of staying up until 12 or later, every single night. Tonight we have a little date, and are heading to a nearby Apple Festival (weather permitting). Let's see if I can do that and then stay awake until 11 or so, and show my man the love that I'm too tired to express!

Have a great weekend all!

HE GOT OUT OF JAIL...BUT MIGHT BE GOING RIGHT BACK...

Ok, not literally, but my brother did get out of the hospital on Thursday night. I went and spent a few hours with him on Thursday, he said boredom was really setting in. While there, his doctor popped in and spent about 45 minutes, explaining everything about diverticulitis. He told him what to eat, what not to eat, how to avoid future problems, and explained a little more about the surgery that will be in his future. It was great, it gave all of us a much better understanding. Or so I thought...

Yeah, Friday night, he was out drinking with a buddy of his. I'm pretty perturbed about the risk he's taking. This is my brother that I've always looked up to. I've always felt that he made pretty wise decisions and had a great heart, to boot. Don't know what to make of this side of my sweet, lovable brother. Don't know if I should broach the subject or just let it be. It is his life and ultimately, his body and his decision. Just think it's pretty careless after his ordeal.

Oh well, off to other things.

THE PEANUT BUTTER WENT DOWN GOOD, BUT...

I had just posted a pic of my dog eating peanut butter last night. While it was absolutely hilarious to see him in action, and I took many pics to capture his true adoration of his peanut butter. I now regret it, bigtime! Let me 'splain.

Last night I went to bed really early, had a splitting headache. I woke up at 4:49 this morning, I thought because my body just wasn't tired anymore. After glancing at the clock and laying there for a minute, I realized that there was a very odd noise coming from the hallway. It kind of freaked me out and I got up and peeked my head out into the hall. Didn't see anything unusual, except for Max. He usually sleeps under my bed, but I guess Brian forgot to put him in my room before going home last night. No biggie. I head to the bathroom, (which is only a few steps), and all the sudden there is something squishing between my toes. I turn on the light, and look down at my foot. It's red! Not quite the color of blood, or the consistency, but nasty. I turn around and look in the hall and there is a huge pile of vomit! To the right of the red pile, there is a nice brown pile! 5 a.m. exactly, I was gagging, tears rolling freely down my face! And that was how my day began!

THIS CAR HAD BETTER LAST FOREVER!

My mechanic gave me another friendly call yesterday. I now need calipers and new rotors...$170. My grand total is now $722! Joy!

On a good note, he says the motor is purring like a kitten and he is going to drive it for a few days just to be absolutely sure! And hey, my car will be like brand new, by the time I get it back. Woo hoo!

THIS SHOULD BE FUN!

This weekend, even though it's a weekend with the ex, he has agreed to let Brian and I have them all day Saturday. We are taking them to Cedar Point in Ohio for a day of roller coasters and very expensive greasy food! Does it get any better than that?

The kids have never been, and they aren't gonna know until we get there on Saturday. I have a feeling they might guess, when we get close, but that's okay! I can't wait to take 'em and have a blast, just the 4 of us!

I'm off for now. Lunch decisions have to be made, and that's serious stuff!

Have a great day! =)

This is my dog on peanut butter! LOL

~~RAIN RAIN GO AWAY....I TAKE THAT BACK, IT'S OKAY~~

On the way home from work today, the sun was shining bright and it seemed awfully hot. During my short commute home, the oh-so-accurate weather guy announced..."It's now sunny and 87 degrees, but with that humidity, it feels more like 90!" He goes on to say, "Way to take the last day of summer out with a bang!" He wasn't too far off, a bang there was.

I knew earlier, that they were calling for storms, Peanutt had gotten an alert while still at work, that it was headed this way. But the sunshine that was glinting in my eyes and the sweat that was beading on my forehead during my drive, sure didn't indicate what was about to come.

Not that this was one of the worst storms ever, or even remotely close to it...but it was a good one! It started with the oddly blue/gray typical pre-storm skies, then changed to a soft light green. You could see several small funnel clouds in the distance, but pretty far up there. To the south, there were still some bright blue skies with billowy clouds.

I stepped out onto my patio, and big, fat, perfectly rounded drops began to fall. While it felt good, they were hitting with a little bit of force, I knew what was about to come. I scooped up the dog and headed in.

I bet it wasn't 3-4 minutes later and the wind began to howl making the trees just bow. They were swaying back and forth and from side to side. Almost like the wind was coming from every direction. I ran to the front of the house, where you always get the best view (our storms usually always come from the northwest), and it was kind of scary. The sky had now changed to a sand-like color, almost like the color of dead fall leaves, there was now almost constant thunder and lightning, the wind had picked up even more, and the rain was falling fast, hard and at a severe angle. It was as dark as if it were midnight and didn't look like there were an end in sight.

This went on for a quite a few minutes, anxiety creeping its way in there a bit, when I saw the brightest blue light and heard a boom that would certainly wake the dead. It was a deep dark ocean blue in the center and ballooned out gradually getting lighter as it went along, until it was almost a white color and then disappeared. I can only assume that it was maybe a transformer blowing, or that lightning struck a little too close for my comfort, but yet, I could see down the street and around the corner, and they still had power. I was also talking to my next door neighbor during all of this, and when that boom hit, my cell phone went completely dead. I paced the floors and tried calling her back a few times, with no luck. When I went back to my watch, out the front window I could see light skies in the distance. It rained and poured for another 15 minutes or so and then the sun began to peek its way out.

That was a good hour ago, now it's dark and no longer muggy. The air feels fresh and clean. I stood outside for a long time, just enjoying how peaceful it is out there. The street was utterly quiet except for the chirping of crickets. I wasn't bothered by pesky mosquitos, I wasn't hot or cold...it was one of those times where it was just perfect out! Stars in the sky, and just a soft whisper of a breeze. I wish I could just stop my mommy duties and hang out there all night long, but I can't! Back to reality for me, I have laundry to do! =)

P.S. My neighbor came over after the storm passed through...she said when she saw that huge flash of light and heard the boom, it had her so shaken, she turned off all her phones and lights and went and sat in the back room in the dark, until it got quiet again. She was too scared to "storm watch" anymore! LOL (I guess I know who not to have accompany me, if I ever become a storm watcher!!!)

Have a great night!!

~~NOT GOOD NEWS~~

Tonight my sister called to inform me that my brother went into the hospital some time yesterday afternoon. He has diverticulitis and has been hospitalized once before for it. I guess he wasn't feeling good on Monday and when his wife got home from work yesterday, he was doubled over in pain. Right now they have him really doped up and said that he's pretty badly infected, but that he may be able to go home as early as tomorrow evening. They also said that he should probably start considering the surgery to correct it, because he's running the risk of a bowel perforation, if he doesn't! Big decision to make because it involves a bag for 3 months until they can go back in and reverse it.

I feel so bad for him. Wish there was something I could do. Going to try and leave work for a while tomorrow and go visit him. May head up after work too.

So hey, cross your fingers and say a little prayer for us that everything turns out okay! Thanks! =)

Goodnight everyone!

WHAT'S AN EXTRA $200?

In yesterday's post, I told you that I was having problems with my car and that it was going to cost about $600. Last night I got a call from my mechanic. He said that he had called around to several places, and it seemed like the parts were going to be very expensive. He said that we may be looking at $800 now. I'm sure you could probably hear my wailing, from wherever you reside, when I hung up that phone. (I think I will just avoid all other calls from him!) LOL


HERE, LET ME PULL THAT OUT OF YOU...

Now I know your dirty minds might be conjuring up many things with a topic like that, but just stop it! LOL I'm talking about my apology. Yes, I did get one! But not without a fight! We went all day yesterday without speaking. Around 5:30, he called me to ask if I was ever gonna call him??? LOL Come to find out, he was mad at me all day because I was "mad at him!" Long story short, after going back and forth voicing our sides of the situation, he finally called and said that he was really sorry and that he shouldn't have said what he did! Thank you! That's what I was looking for!


PLAYING IN THE RAIN CAN BE CONTAGIOUS!

A while back, I posted about the day that Brian and I played in the rain. (We were actually working in the rain, but we made it fun.) We were soaked and both looked like drowned rats, but we laughed and actually had lots of fun.

I had no idea about this, but my dog also loves to play in the rain! Now I was under the impression that small dogs were usually timid, and scared of water, other dogs, stuff like that. Not Max! He will walk right up to dogs 4 times his size, and bark at them. He is very cocky, and makes it known to everyone that he will not back down from anything. (Well, except the vacuum.)

Yesterday, my sister shows up and we let the dog out in the backyard, so he wouldn't jump all over her. She's looking out the window at him and just starts cracking up. I look outside, and see him laying right under the water spray. He looked as though he was taking a shower, rolling his furry head from side to side. It was hilarious! Did I mention that his fur is pretty much like a lions mane???? That there is tons of it, and if it gets the least bit wet, he smells rancid??? Time to make an appt. with the groomer! LOL Oh well, he enjoyed it!


HE'S FINALLY FREE!

I finally let my son be ungrounded, after about 1 1/2 weeks. He was very appreciative and said that he had learned a very valuable lesson and that he would never do anything like that again! (Remember the jewelry fiasco?) So hopefully, he means what he says and I can look forward to no more incidences like that! Can't help but wonder what will be next! ::groan::

So, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. That's all I have for you today. (Wasn't that enough?)

Have a wonderful day! =)

NEW CLUB!

I found a very nice club near my house. My sister and a couple of friends went on Saturday night. It's located right behind the hospital where I just had my surgery, on a drive that I thought was strictly for hospital access only.

This club was like a beach tiki bar. It's either indoor or outdoor. I never even checked out the inside, but the outside was awesome. The bar itself, was located to your right, as you walk in, and to your left was a huge dance area, with pedestals (for those who really like to be on display). There was a large screen that displayed a silhouette of a naked girl dancing to every single song they played. (Yes, the men were certainly drawn to this feature!) There were tables all over, no stools though. It's a stand up or dance kind of place. LOL All of this was overlooking the river and there was a full moon. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, probably around 70 degrees.

I had a really good time and will definitely be going back there in the future. I think what I enjoyed most was not only the atmosphere that the club itself created, but the fact that EVERYONE was extremely nice and there was absolutely no drama. A good time was had by all.

Will have to scan a few pics that were taken while there. It was a promotion for Bud Light and they took a head shot and let us choose what sport type we wanted our head planted on. At first, I picked football, just because Brian is such a big fan. Talk about frickin' hilarious! My pic came back and it looks just like my son...yes, I truly look like a boy! My sister asked if I could get it redone, which I did. This one was better. It was a female referree with huge knockers! LOL

MY CAR IS A HOOPDIE!

Brian took my car for a routine oil change this weekend. The guy took one look at my oil and refused to even change it! He said that there is water in it, which probably indicates a blown head gasket. I'm so completely illiterate, when it comes to cars and what all of that actually entails. (As is Brian!) So, I give my brother a call, to see what he knows about it...how easy or complicated it is...etc. The first words out of his mouth were, "Oh shit, Stace." That right there, told me what I needed to know. Oh shit is right...this is gonna cost me a bit. So not what I need right now, but just the way it goes sometimes. At least Brian has 2 vehicles, and I don't have to worry about getting a ride to and from work. From what I'm told, my engine will be "almost new", when this is all done. Let's pray for that to be true and that nothing else goes wrong any time soon.

OPEN MOUTH INSERT FOOT.

Everyone knows that there are certain topics that you just don't bring up to certain people. (Especially those who know you very well). It's just downright inconsiderate and can be very hurtful, to boot. While watching a movie last night, my beloved said something that pretty much cut me to the core. He was joking around and making fun of something that was happening in the movie. Something that I just didn't find to be funny, at all. Knowing me as well as he does, it's just a subject that shouldn't have even been broached, let alone laugh about.

When I said something about him being pretty inconsiderate, for saying what he had said, it didn't even phase him. After the movie was over, he called me 'crabby', and left. I haven't heard from him since. Like it was my fault, that I got a little upset about something that truly just crushed me! How frustrating!

So, I'm waiting for a bigtime apology. Will see what happens. Not going to stress over it.

Hope everyone has a great day! =)

I MUST HAVE SOME BLONDE IN ME...

I was pretty sure lastnight, that I would be up at the butt crack of dawn, but lo and behold I slept until I just didn't feel like sleeping anymore! Yay for me! (It's 9:43 in the morning, and I just woke up about 10 minutes ago.) Gotta love that.

Lastnight we went and hung out with some friends. Before leaving the house, I let the dog out in the backyard. We were due to be over there at 6, and I was running behind. Brian and the kids were already here and waiting on me to finish getting ready, so I was pretty much rushing around. We got there around 6 and had some pizza, watched the video from our trip, and then started playing some games.

Around 9:30, I got a call from my next door neighbor. I didn't pick it up, because we were right in the middle of our game and I didn't think it would be anything too earth shattering. At 10:30 or so, she called again, I couldn't get to the phone in time. I finally picked up the voice mail from earlier. She had left a message stating that I needed to let the dog in because that barking was making her crazy, and she was about to strangle my pooch! OMG! I FORGOT ABOUT MAX AND LEFT HIM OUTSIDE! What an idiot! Needles to say, we had to finish our game in a rush, and get home to let my poor dog in! When we got home, Max was already in the house, safe and sound, and all of the neighbors lights were off. I guess she finally realized that she had a key, and could let him in herself! Oops, I guess my roots really should be blonde.

Well, I'm off to clean, do some laundry, go get an oil change and some new windshied wipers. Hopefully, will make it to the grocery store as well. But first, I'm going to let my dog in from outside!

Have a great day!

What comes around, goes around???

WHAT COMES AROUND, GOES AROUND???

Do you really think that theory is true??? I'm thinking that it might be!

Remember that unfamiliar being that lives in my house???? You know, the one who has been getting into lots of trouble???? Yeah well, he started feeling really sick last night. Bad sore throat, uncontrollable runny nose, etc.

He woke up this morning feeling even worse. Even stayed home from school, which he never does, (well unless, this will become a new trend. Who knows, because I have no clue who this person even is!) Anyhow, he stayed home and looks, sounds, and feels awful. I ran home a while ago to dose him up with Tylenol and Benadryl Allergy.

I sure hope that he feels better soon, but can't keep myself from thinking that maybe there was a more divine reason he got sick....

I'M SORRY BUT WE ARE EXPERIENCING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

I know that comments aren't enabled right now. Still working out the bugs on this template. Can only cut and paste the code while at work tho...dial-up takes way too long to show me what changes have been made.

Hope to get it straight soon!

New look!

Yes, I found a template that I like and decided to try it out. Still have a few bugs to work on, but I think I really like it. Hope everyone likes it as well!!!

Have a great day!

Where oh where has my little boy gone???

The pre-pubescent stage has hit my household with a vengeance. It almost feels as though someone has come in and stolen my mild-mannered son, and replaced him with this unfamiliar being that I've never met before.

Here are a few examples;
Just after my having surgery last month, this unfamiliar being decided that it might be fun to start a fire, (in a wooden box, no less), in the next door neighbors yard. Mind you, this was only 3 days after my surgery and I was still hazy from pain meds. Both of my sisters were also at the house that day, looking after me, cleaning the house, and looking after the boys. What great mommies and babysitters we are! We had no idea! Corey even walked in with what appeared to be soot on his face. That should have clued me in right there...especially when I asked what was on his face and he got all defensive. But no, stupid mommy that I am, I blow it off as he must have just been playing in the dirt. Later on that day, my next door neighbor comes over and says that one of the other neighbors saw them doing a rain dance around a large fire! When I talked to Corey (aka unfamiliar being), he said that "Alex (next door neighbor) lit the fire!" Upon further questioning, he admitted to supplying the matches from MY BASEMENT! I hobbled over and talked to Alex's mom, we got what facts we could and gave all the kids a good talking to. I also called the ex and let him in on what had happened. The next day, he came over, we again talked to the kids about what they had done and the ex actually bent Corey over his knee and spanked him (hard too). Finally, this made an impact on this creature. He was crying like a baby now. This was the first sign of any remorse. The first emotion that he showed about any of this, and that pissed me off.

Actually, it pissed me off and scared me at the same time. My son isn't like that. He is the one, that for his entire life, I can just give him and evil look and he'd be reduced to tears. He has always been very easy to deal with, he has always been mellow and laid back and was one to go with the flow. NOT ANYMORE!

This past weekend, this wonderful trend continued. I was getting the boys ready to take them to the lake on Saturday. When I went to get unfamiliar being his swimsuit, I noticed something sparkly in his dresser drawer. Upon further inspection, I realized that those were diamonds sparkling away...my diamonds! (2 rings from my mom...who isn't here anymore). I was crushed. There can't be any excuse for this one. At first, I didn't know what to do or say. He didn't act disturbed or guilty that I was in his drawer. I was trying to gauge his reaction to my being in there, but there was none. I scooped up my jewelry, so that he didn't realize what I was doing, and pulled out his swim trunks. I walked into the bathroom, just trying to decide how to approach him. He actually followed, and I just blurted out..."I would like to know what these are doing in your drawer????" At first, he said that he didn't know...and then it changed to him saying that he was just "looking at them". Now, these are things that are left in my jewelry box downstairs...if he was curious or just looking at them, they should have been put right back. But they weren't!

We went ahead and went to the lake, but it was definitely on my mind all day. It weighed heavily on me. I'm just so disappointed. I guess this is what all parents of teens or pre-teens were warning me about. I just never imagined that I would have to worry myself with these things. Pretty naive of me, I know.

For now, he is grounded. He is coming home, doing homework and spending some quiet time in his room to think. I've thought of having him write an essay on the importance of respecting other people's property...something like that. Hell, I don't know! This is totally out of the realm of things that come in the parenting handbook.

I do know that grounding really didn't teach me a whole heck of alot, when I was growing up, but taking away his priveledges, is all I can think of right now.

So, fellow bloggers, I'm asking for your words of wisdom here...I'm just at a loss. Can I expect my son to return to me anytime soon? Is this just a small dose of bigger and better things to come? Am I a complete failure in the parenting department? What? Help!

Oh yeah, and wish me luck, I think I'm gonna need it.

Some vaca pics.

Dale Hollow lake. The view from the rt side of the boat.



The view at the end of the cove where we parked our boat.



Sunrise on the first morning!

Grateful...

I was just doing some cleaning around the house. I opened my front curtains and caught a glimpse of my next door neighbor. While I know it isn't polite to stare, I just couldn't keep my eyes off him. He was diagnosed with Stage IV throat cancer in March of this year, (almost the same exact time, my dad was diagnosed). My neighbor was fortunate, in some respect, that they were able to offer him some very experimental and aggressive treatment, and prolong his life. While these past 6 months have been very hard on him, he at least has a little more time with his family. He has a wife and 13 and 11 year-old boys. I know I'm going around the point here, but just wanted to bring you all up to speed.

While openly gaping at him out my front window, I couldn't help but think that he truly looks like a dead man walking, and that brought me to my current state of sappiness. It made me feel grateful...

Grateful that....I have 2 little boys (well 1 "little" boy, and one, not so "little" boy), running around. Grateful that I have good friends and a family that would be there for me and stand beside me, no matter what might come my way. Grateful that I have a good hearted man, that can show me how much he loves me, just by looking in my eyes. Grateful that I have running water and electricity. Grateful that I have a house to clean, a lawn to mow, and all of the things that could be considered just "average", or nothing special. To me, they are all of the things that shape my life, and I'm happy with that!!

You see, I don't currently have a relative with cancer to take care of, or to worry about, but I've been there before and know how it feels to have someone you love fight to make it through each passing day. I don't usually think of each day as potentially being my last. Even though I know that anything can happen, you just never know. It's still not something I think about on a daily basis. I wonder what it feels like to be in his shoes...to be faced with something that it's just impossible for you to conquer...to be living on borrowed time...to see your kids walk out the door for school each morning, and wonder if it will be the last time you ever see them again, because you may be gone by the time they get back. I know this is a time to "catch up" and let feelings be known, I watched my dad do this. It's a time to get in every last thing that you want to before it's too late and there are regrets, when your time has come. It's a time of fear, and pain, and I'm sure, many many prayers. I wish him well in his battle, and will definitely have him in my prayers.

On that note, I'm going to give my kids a little hug and to tell them that I love 'em.

Must be blooper day!

Lastnight, Brian, his mother and I, all made the 1 1/2 hour trek to Timbuktu, where his children live, to go to their new school's open house. On the way there...I was trying to tell Brian something, when he interrupted me...I put my hand up and said, "Can I finish you?" To which his 68 year old mother replies, "I'll close my eyes if you want me to!" Oh, it was definitely another classic moment!

Most embarassing work moment ever!

So today is my first day back to work in almost a month. I got here at 8 am sharp. I was well rested and ready to start my day. Getting the kids off to their first day of school, went off without a hitch, and all seemed good.

It was about 9-9:30, I answered the phone here at work. A patient was calling and asking for directions. Here is what I said...."From the Lodge Freeway, you can take I-94 to Southfield, and you want to make a rt. at the second street...take that past the next main "intercourse", and we will be 3 blocks down on the left." Now, as soon as the word came out of my mouth, I was just appalled! I couldn't believe that I had said that, of all things. I look over at the nurse, who is just crying by now. I'm cracking up, can barely get any words out...oh my goodness, I just wanna crawl under my desk and die! LOL Of course, it doesn't get by the patient either, she busts out laughing. I said, "oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, this is my first day back to work after almost a month, and apparently I wasn't quite ready to come back, after all!" LMAO

How do you even excuse yourself for that one???? The patient came in about 45 minutes later, and not a word was said about it. I still wanted to crawl under my desk but, oh well, shit happens!!!!

That had to be my biggest embarassing moment at work! I'm sure we will have many laughs over this for weeks to come! So, hopefully this will brighten your day as well.

Home sweet home.

Hi everyone! Hope this finds you all doing well, and enjoying your Labor Day Weekend. I just got in last night, around midnight. Still trying to recoup. I missed my kids desperately...had never been away from them for this long, but it was very sad to leave, at the same time. It was honestly the best vacation I've ever had! As I told Peanutt, I couldn't have been happier had I been vacationing in the tropics...this was truly paradise!

The first day was lots of work, with loading the boat full of enough rafts, life jackets, clothing and food for 6 couples for 9 days on the water. We also had to drive the 16x80 foot boat to our first location which, at 6 miles an hour, takes a really long time. LOL We finally found a nice cove and parked it, tied up, unpacked, and got in some time for some wonderful food. We played some euchre and watched some movies and then it was off to bed. The next morning we all got up really early and I actually caught a beautiful sunrise, right over the mountains. (Pictures to come later today or tomorrow). The weather was a little iffy for a while there, but we got a few hours of sunshine each day, for the first few. I was also pretty sore from the long drive, but I did make my way to the waverunner after a day or so of recouping.

The lake is just miles and miles of unspoiled beauty. You are surrounded by mountains, beautiful coves, beaches, and a ton of slate. There were blue herrons and cranes everywhere, and Brian and Terry even spotted a bald eagle, right at the end of our cove. There were also many many islands, some with sandy beaches, others strictly made of slate with a few trees on top. There were no houses down near the lake, only a few scattered way up on top of the mountains. It was so tranquil.

The houseboat itself had a living room and kitchen, 2 full bathrooms and 6 bedrooms. Not all of the bedrooms were of the same size, and we actually lucked out getting one with a closet and drawers, and one that you could actually stand upright in. (Well Brian could almost stand upright...LOL) The front of the boat has a large deck where we barbequed and had all of our coolers. The back was where we stowed all of the life jackets and rafts. The upper level had a slide and a 6-8 person jacuzzi. It was wonderful.

After the first few days of limited sunshine, we did have lots of rain. It was mostly at night, but it drizzled and was gloomy for about 3 days. The last 4 days or so were just picture perfect. We took the jetskis about 30 miles away, to the dam and basically just did some exploring. We also got to see the Kentucky/Tennessee border, which was awesome. There were cables and markers above the water, red on one side, green on the other to indicate which state was which.

One of the couples also brought their boat and we took a ride at sunset one of the nights we were there. We had our hearts set on dinner at one of the marinas, but we hit 2 of them and they were actually closed, due to preparations for the holiday weekend. The third marina had really good pizza, so we settled for that. On the last night there, we also hit one of the marina's for dinner. It was pretty good. However, the best part of it was the little trick that they played on me, telling the waitstaff that it was my birthday. I had my back facing the kitchen and waitresses, so at the end of dinner, someone comes and throws a hat on my head (little did I know at the time, that it was a Dr. Seuss type of hat, only with purple and white stripes), and they all start singing "Happy Birthday", to me! I could have died of embarassment, but it gave us all a good laugh and I got my meal and dessert for free! LOL

It was a wonderful escape, and one that I needed desperately. I'm glad to be back home in alot of ways, but I still miss Dale Hollow Lake. Counting the days until we go again next year!

Pictures to come soon...just downloaded them!! =)

Good morning.

Good morning everyone! Today, I actually feel like I might be able to do some productive stuff. Feeling more like myself than I have in a few months now. What a relief.

The kids spent the weekend with their dad and are now back home. We need to get to the store for some ingredients for dinner, and I was thinking about maybe taking them to the show and for a haircut. Have to play it all by ear, don't wanna overdo and wind back up in bed again.

Well, that's it...was just saying hello! Hope everyone is having a good day!!!

Update as requested.

Well, I've made it through the surgery. I can't say with flying colors, but I've made it through. The first day was Vicoden filled and I really can't remember too much of anything. I don't even remember being rolled into the operating room. All I do remember is the doctor telling Brian that it was a "very bad gallbladder", and that it was filled with infection. I also remember trying to wake up from the anesthesia and just feeling like I'd never be able to, but I just kept saying that I wanted to go home. The nurse told me that I had to drink something and get dressed, then I could go. I got dressed and took a few swigs and I was out of there. Don't remember the ride home, or much of that night.

The next few days were not that great, but I felt a little better with each passing day. My stomach muscles have been very sore and getting up has proved to be one of the biggest challenges. Here I thought that this being done laparascopically would make it very easy...I don't think so. It's still surgery, and your body still pays the price for it.

Today is Sunday, 6 days after the surgery and it hasn't been a great day. I almost passed out in the shower, and had to call Brian out of church to come home and tend to me. I'm feeling a whole lot better, as the day goes on, but I think today will be another day of sitting around not doing much.

We only have a few days left until we leave on our boat trip, and I haven't started packing or even prepared, at all. I'm hoping tomorrow and Tuesday find me feeling up to it. If not, I guess Brian will have to pick up the slack for me. I just might be spending the entire 10 days sitting on the houseboat, just soaking up the sun. There could be worse ways to spend a vacation, I guess. LOL I'm sure that the next few days will find me feeling much better though.

So, all in all it's been a little bit of a rough ride, but I am making little strides each day.

I'm also ready to blog again, if that tells you anything! I must be a tad bit better! LOL Hope everyone has had a decent week. On my way to try and catch up with what's been happening, right now.

Now you knew I'd find a way! LOL

Yes, I managed to get the computer upstairs! LOL It was no easy task either, just so you know. This crap is heavy, and made me swear that I would start saving now for a laptop! My kitchen was the only choice I had...there is just no room anywhere else. It took a while, and rearrangement of the entire kitchen, but it's here. I'm grateful too, because I really don't wanna lay around just watching tv all week.

Anyhow, it's 9 am and the boys are still sleeping. We all went to bed rather early lastnight, but I haven't heard a peep coming from their rooms as of yet. I worked alot around the house yesterday, and I enlisted their help. Three people folding clothes, really gets the job done in a hurry! Brian came over last night and we took all the kids to ride the 4-wheeler for a while and then went and got an ice cream. Was a good productive day, all in all, but by the time we got home, I was pooped. Pain kinda sucked yesterday too, but I can't even take a Motrin until after the surgery. Nice!

And yes, I'm aware that I'm rambling...I know. Today, as much as I look forward to having this surgery done, a little trepidation has worked it's way in there. I suppose it's all normal, but I did wake up in a sweat this morning. I've never been cut before, except a few years back, when I had some dental surgery (but for some reason that seems vastly different than this). I really think that is what's creeping me out the most. I asked at the surgeon's office, if I would have to come in for suture removal and they said, "no, you won't have stitches". Ok, that REALLY gives me the willies. So, let me get this straight, I will have 4, approximately 1 inch long incisions, and no sutures???? Give me sutures....close me back up...please! I'm sure they know what they are doing, but that just doesn't seem right to me. I know, I need to chill out. My visions of my innerds creeping out...well, it isn't pretty though. The surgeon also said that I should be good to go for the boat trip...did I neglect to tell him that the vast majority of this trip will entail jetskiing? Oops, my bad! Yeah, I didn't mention that. I've already decided that I won't even be going out on them, unless it's a very calm day! No jumping, or throwing myself off, no riding in wakes of other boats or skis. None of that! Hope everyone will be kind enough to chill and wait for me, when traveling! If not, hell, I might not ever find my way back from Dale Hollow Lake. LOL My vacation just might become permanent.

Well, one child has made his way out here now. I should run, have lots of stuff to do today!

Be back soon as I can!! Have a great day!

Last day!

Today is my last day of work until September 6th. I have no idea how much I will even be able to get on the computer, considering it's located in my basement, and I don't know how long it will be before I can climb stairs. Plus, I'm leaving on 8-24 for that houseboat trip. So, this is probably it, for a while. I don't really know how I'm gonna manage...I am quite the addict here! (Might be finding a way to move my computer upstairs this weekend...LOL) What a loser, eh?

Hopefully, I can catch up with everyone soon! Will see!

The verdict is....

I have finally found out why I'm having so much pain! I have gotten a true diagnosis! It's about time! (doing a happy dance!)

I have gallstones, kidney stones and also a cyst on my left kidney. I saw a surgeon today, and will be having surgery on Monday to remove my gallbladder. He said that we will deal with the kidneys after this gets done.

It's relieving to at least know what is wrong and to actually have a plan to make it better. The pain has been sometimes unbearable, for the past 2 months. After working all day, I just wanna crawl into bed and sleep...it's the only time I'm really comfortable. Even though, at night now, I can't sleep too well anymore. Could that be because of all the napping? I don't know, but it's a possibility! Could it also be the nagging ache under my right rib, that just refuses to leave me? Maybe! Regardless, it should be taken care of by next Monday!

The surgeon also had some concerns about the cyst and fluid in my left kidney and the stone in the right, but says we will deal with that after the gallbladder is done. He says my kidney's are still functioning good for now, so we'll leave it be.

I'm actually excited to have the surgery, if you can believe it! I know I probably sound like a crazy woman, but living in pain for months on end, just isn't right! I'm tired of wigging out because the pain gets so intense that I just can't stand it and start taking it out on whoever is closest to me. Not fair to the kids, Brian, or the patient's that call or come in the office. I've been doing my best to keep it under control, but sometimes I just can't take the pain and lash out.

So, hopefully, all will go well and I can be happy and pain free very soon! Will keep you posted, when I can. Have to run and fill out a bunch of papers for work. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Game time!

This was taken from Cy's Blog (see sidebar).

1) Reply with your name, and I'll respond with something random about you.
2) I'll tell you what song/or movie reminds me of you.
3) I'll pick a color/flavor of jello to wrestle with you in. (Maybe)
4) I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5) I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6) I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7) I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.
8) If I do this for you, you must post this on your blog. You MUST. It is written.

Hope you play along.

Have a great day and will post something real tomorrow.

=)~~

Doesn't add up...

Yesterday when I got home, I did have a very long talk with Corey about what had happened the night before. I asked for as much detail as I possibly could. This is what he told me...

Apparently, Jody went to take a shower and when she got out she walked into the bedroom and basically collapsed on the bed. She wasn't unconcious, but was talking crazy and acting very strange. Al (the ex), called 911 and she was taken to the hospital. After arriving at the hospital, I guess they did check her out and then she couldn't find Al, so she left and walked home. He looked for her for 2 hours, before going back to the apartment and finding her there. When he got there, she was furious and kept saying, "you and the boys just need to go!" She was under the impression that he wasn't going to meet her at the hospital and since she had to walk home, she wasn't a happy camper. Corey did also say that she's very stressed out because she works ALOT! He says that she's usually gone from 6 am to 8 or 9 at night, and hardly ever has a day off. He went on to tell me that her oldest daughter also really has her stressed because she got into trouble with the law! (Ok, this girl is 14, red flags going up!) I asked what the heck a 14 year-old could do to get in trouble with the law, he tells me that she was going to illegal sites on the internet. (Don't think I even wanna know just what that entails.)

Right after talking to Corey about all of this, I get a call from Al. He says that he is still staying with Jody and that things are fine. He goes on to tell me that she feels very bad for what had happened and that the hospital told her this was a result of her not eating for a day and a half and just working too much. She wanted to make sure that the boys were okay and apologize for what had happened.

I relay the message to the boys, telling them that apparently her sugar had dropped to an extremely low level and that was the reason for her acting so strange. Corey's reply, "hmmmmm", with this strange look on his face. I ask him what he's "hmmm'ing" about, and he says, "that's odd!" "What's odd, Corey?" "It's odd that they are saying she had really low sugar from not eating, she ate a bunch that day!" I say, "really?" He's like, "Yeah! She had chinese for lunch and dinner...shrimp fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, and cookies!" (More red flags!)

Now I am absolutely stumped. I am inclined to believe my son, if he said that she ate, I'm sure she did. So, did she have a nervous breakdown after all? Is he just wanting to hide it from me, because it could come back to bite him in the ass??? Because I could say that my boys shouldn't be around her (and her punk daughter)??? Was she lying to Al, so she didn't have to admit to him that she's gone batty??? I DON'T KNOW!

It seems that none of this is adding up and I now have more questions than answers!

Who's going to the funny farm?

At 3 o'clock this morning, my phone was ringing. That always makes me jump right up and immediately start freaking out! It turned out to be the ex...who has the kids for the week. My heart was about to pop out of my chest. I answer the phone, barely able to choke out the word, "hello", with all these horrible visions running through my head. He says to me, "Stace, I need you to wake up!" That didn't help my anxiety, at all! I said, in this shrill voice, that hardly even sounded like my own, "what happened???" He finally assures me that the boys are okay, but VERY upset, and that he'd like to bring them home, so they can get to bed. I told him that was fine and proceeded to ask what was going on and why the heck, (at 3 am were they up), let alone upset! He says, "I had to take Jody (his g/f), to the hospital, and my best guess is that she's had a nervous breakdown". In my head, I'm now wondering what the heck my kids have seen and heard, and I'm not too happy. He then goes on to tell me that once arriving at the hospital, she left without anyone knowing, and that she couldn't be found for about 2 hours. To boot he also throws in that he will take the boys back in a few days, once he "makes new living arrangements". We hang up the phone, and I just have this stuff playing in my head over and over, I am wired.

I start trying to figure out the scenarios...did he make her freak out and get to that point? Is she just stressed from trying to do it almost all on her own? (His job pays very little, he gives me some child support, and she also has 2 kids of her own to take care of.) Did they get into some knock-down-drag-out argument just tonight? (And in front of the kids???)

The kids got home around 3:50 this morning and appeared to be calm, cool and collected. They didn't seem distraught by any means, didn't look as though they had been crying. I talked to them for a few. I asked Tyler what had transpired and he just said that she had gone to take a shower and then dad had to take her to the hospital because she had a nervous breakdown. That bit of info really didn't help me out too much. I asked if they had been up all night, and had gone to the hospital too, which he said they had. That kind of pissed me off. I don't know exactly what happened, but he could have called me and I would have picked the boys up. I wouldn't have cared what time of night it was, they are more important, and I don't want them around anyone, who is so unstable that they "may have had a nervous breakdown!"

So, hopefully today the boys will catch up on some sleep in their own beds, and will give me some more answers when I get home. I feel it's my right to know exactly what they may have seen, heard, or been exposed to.

My other fear is that this might cause him to start harrassing me again, which scares the crap out of me! His g/f was my savior because once he met her, he finally stopped obsessing over me and the kids. I just have no idea what is in store...you never know with him!

Ugh ugh ugh!

Painting the town red, or maybe just the bathroom!

So, since I am all by my lonesome this week....I'm bored to frickin' tears here. On Monday I came home from work; took a nap, and then just got really sick of staring at the same 4 walls. I needed dishwashing detergent, so I decided I'd make the trek to Target. Big stinking mistake! LOL Yes, I got the detergent, and 40 other things. I found a bikini marked down to $6...and had to have it! I got 10 new pairs of underwear, some lingerie, new mascara, and a toy for Max. Ugh! I'm such a sucker!

Yesterday, I went home...pulled off my shoes, curled up in bed, and thought how great it would be to nap for a while, AGAIN. Instead I laid there for about an hour or more and finally decided, I was going to get my butt up and bleach the entire bathroom. I cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom! Literally. I scrubbed the ceiling, floors, toilet, sink, tub, walls. After I finished with this, I had this brilliant idea that I would paint. Right then! LOL I did not think this out or plan it, at all. I ran to Sears Hardware, picked up some paint, rollers, tape, and then headed home to start on my wonderful project. I taped and then painted the first coat of trim. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you the color I picked, (though I'm sure you've already caught on, with the blog title), red! Yes, the color I picked for my bathroom was bright red! Don't know where I got the inspiration, but I just went with it. I have no clue what type of pictures and accessories I'm going to get, but hey, that's okay. I'm sure I will figure it out, and soon. I want it completely finished by the time Brian and the kids get home. So tonight, I get to go home and paint the second coat of trim and then start rolling it. I'm hoping to finish all of the painting of the walls tonight, and then start working on painting the cabinets! Fun fun. Tomorrow I think I will start looking at accessories. We shall see. When all is complete, I will post some pics for ya.

Wish me luck!

And the wild sunflowers grow!

Sunday the 31st was the 11th anniversary of my mom's death. On my way back from the family reunion I was going to be passing right by the cemetary and decided I wanted to stop off there and pay a visit to mom and dad.

I pull in and start walking over to their plots when I notice something odd...it looks like there are these big stalks right around my dad's headstone. As I get closer, I realize that they are sunflowers. There is one on each corner and it looks as though someone deliberately planted them. I made a note to myself to call my aunt, figuring that it had to be her! I busied myself for a while, cleaning off their stones, stuff like that, then I left.

On the way home, I did call my aunt. We talked for a few and then I asked her about the sunflowers. She told me that she didn't plant them, nor did anyone else. She's talked to her kids and all of my brothers and sisters and it is a mystery how they got there. To add to all of it, shortly after noticing them at the cemetary, she went home and went to weed her flowerbeds and noticed 2 stalks of her own...yes folks, she also has 2 mystery sunflowers that she did not plant...Hmmmm! Isn't that ironic???

My aunt happened to be the closest one to my dad before he passed and they both have sunflowers from unknown sources. The only thing I can think is that maybe one of my dad's floral arrangements that was left there after the funeral had some sunflowers in them and they seeded. That's my best guess. Still a little strange though!

All alone.

Well, the weekend has gone considerably better than the end of last week. I was very frustrated and cranky by the fact that I was nearly starving to death on Friday and the day at work was not one of the best either. I have now recovered and have eaten like a queen over the past few days and the test went fine to boot. I didn't really appreciate the IV too much, but I knew it was coming and hey, you have to do what you have to do.

Friday night, (after eating my ham, cheese, lettuce and mayo sandwich), I headed over my brother's house to hang out with a bunch of their friends and my other sister. (I actually headed over there only because my sister had said that she had already been drinking for quite a while, and this was at 7:30 in the evening. When I asked her if she needed a sitter, her reply, "probably". I knew that she was well on her way to being hammered and that she might need a sober person nearby. LOL) We had a good time. I (well, we) stayed until about 10:30 or so, and my sister begged me to go to the bar. Wasn't really in the mood for that, after having the test and everything, but I went along. Took her home around 1 and went pretty much right to bed.

Saturday, I did some stuff around the house and then went to a friend's annual b-bq bash. The food was excellent, and it was really nice to see alot of people that I hadn't run into in a while. The band was also pretty good. Wish I would have taken my cam though...the bass player had cow print pants on. I sat there the whole time, wondering just what the hell would inspire him to wear those pants, let alone in public. It was truly hilarious. I should know that I should always take my camera with me, to capture these moments. I admit it though, I was just being lazy because I needed to change the memory card in it! What a loser, eh?

Today was Brian's annual family reunion. There weren't half as many people as last year, but we had an absolutely gorgeous day and was still lots of fun. The food was also excellent here, thank goodness. I'm making up for my starvation bout. (Jello does not make for a great dinner! Trust me on this one!) LOL After the reunion, Brian and his kids left for the upper peninsula for a week.

I've actually been looking forward to him going for a while now. I don't mean that in a bad way, but "me" time is great for everyone, every once in a while. Not to mention, that I don't have my kids for the next week either...they are with their dad. It will truly be time for me. Now that it's here though, I know that I'm going to miss him, bigtime. Oh, who am I kidding, I already do miss him and it's only been a few hours. I know that this is going to be the best thing for us right now though. It couldn't have happened at a better time. We truly need this break. It seems we have become professionals in the arguing circuit lately, and that's not good for any relationship. Just a hump, I'm sure. When he gets back hopefully we will have a new appreciation for each other. (We better, we are going on vaca in a little over 3 weeks and will be spending 10 days together!) LOL

Well, that's about it for me. Will make my rounds in the morning to catch up with everyone!!!! Hope you had a good weekend! My guess is, Slacker had the best, just a hunch! LOL (wink wink)

Night all!

Just plain "shitty"!

Yes, today I am going to change my mood on my blog, to shitty! I mean this literally and figuratively! Gross, eh? (Yes, I know that this surely qualifies as TMI or too much info). However, here is my plight...

I found out recently, that I have kidney stones (again). In my plight to find out what is wrong, I have seen; my primary care, a surgeon, I've been to the ER and today, I get to have an IVP test done. I'm almost at the end of my rope.

I'm not imagining this dull ache in my back, that can suddenly go from an ache where it feels like someone has punched you in the back, to this intense sharp pain (that's sort of like a running cramp, but sharper than that), that goes from just below my right rib cage and wraps around to the front, in a matter of minutes. When it hits, it normally starts off dull and ends up intense, it lasts for sometimes up to several hours and there is just nothing that makes it better. (Changing positions, medication, heat, etc.)

I've also recently been plagued with nausea, which also is very unpredictable and pretty much causes me to rarely eat breakfast or lunch. It's just easier that way! Who likes to be nauseated all day at work?

So, I finally get a diagnosis and am somewhat relieved because at least I know what is plaguing me! But I should have known, nothing can be that simple in my life.

The other day, I spoke to the urologist, who seems to think that I shouldn't have any pain with the stones, since they are still located in the kidney. He thought my next step should be an IVP test, to try and get a better look at the kidney, urinary tract, and bladder. So in preparation for this test, I have had to be on clear liquids since 12 noon yesterday, take citrate of magnesia (which clears out your system...yummy), and today I'm not supposed to even drink anything (but sips of water as needed). Now what I find to be so ironic is that what causes kidney stones, is dehydration...and yet, for this test, that is precisely what they want me to do to myself. LOL Seems kind of odd but, whatever!

So yes, this has my panties in a bunch...I'm hungry (and want a ham sandwich with mayo and cheese), I'm thirsty (and long for a cup of coffee with vanilla creamer), and I'm "shitty" to top it all off! Hope this test is worth all of this "shit"! LOL

Grrrr....anyone wanna mess with me today???? I think not!

Furious and seeing stars!!!!

You know some people, no matter how hard you try to bend over backwards for them, just cannot be pleased. I'm very used to that working with the public, (as a secretary in a doc's office), and I know that I shouldn't let it piss me off...but sometimes, I just can't help it. This is what transpired...

Me: Blah Blah Neurology how can I help you?

Beotch: Yes, I need to make an appt. with Dr. so and so.

Me: Our next availabe is 4 pm next Thursday.

B: Oh, do you have anything for tomorrow or Monday?

Me: Are you having problems, or is this a routine follow-up?

B: (very sarcastically) I need a referral to another physician, my physical therapist says there is nothing more they can do for me.

Me: Ok, well I can take a message for you.

B: (very loudly) I am NOT leaving another message. I've already left 4 of them, and noone has bothered to call me back! And I WILL NOT leave my number again!!!

Me: Ooookkkaaayyy! (I work this front desk 5 days a week and this name is not even familiar to me...I have no idea how she could have left so many messages without me even seeing one of them!)

B: Well, I'll just take that appt. that you offered. (Very snottily) What time was that?

Me: That was 4 pm.

B: Fine! (she slams phone down)

Okey dokey then! I hang up the phone and am somewhat irritated, but whatever. Just another phone call.

Patient then calls back and this is what she says;

B: This is xxxxxx xxxxxx, and I want to cancel that appointment and you need to ask her what other doctor she can refer me to!

Me: Ok, I will do that.
(She hangs up on me...AGAIN! WTF?)

I get off the phone, a little more pissed off this time. The nurse asks me, "what's going on?" I give her the low down. She asks the patient's name, and when I tell her she is like, "no way, I have tried calling her back!" She goes to get the phone message and it says that when she called the patient back, she was told, "this is a big building and we have no idea who that is!" LOL

So, I decide that I will try and call too. I call the number that the patient herself gave the nurse and get, "I've never heard of this person". So, I go into the computer system, look up her work number and find an extension. Only, the extension that is in there gives me someone else's answering machine. Can't leave a message there! Ugh! (Yes, at this point, I'm getting beyond pissed!) I then call the main number there and just ask for the patient...lo and behold, they connect me.

Me: (Patient name), this is Dr. so and so's office, returning your phone call. I wanted to let you know, that after I got off the phone with you, the nurse recognized your name, and said that actually, she had made attempts to contact you about the message you left. Unfortunately, when she tried to contact you by calling the number she had written down, they said 'this is a big building, and we don't know who that is!'

B: Well, I give my work number out each and every day, and I KNOW that I gave her the correct number. So, don't you call here accusing me of giving out the wrong number, because I KNOW my work number! It's her mistake, and she took it down wrong!

Me: The purpose of my call was not to accuse you of anything maam, it was to help you in resolving the situation.

B: No! You WERE just calling to accuse me!

Me: As I said before, I was calling to HELP YOU IN RESOLVING THIS...(patience wearing thin now).

B: No, like I said before, you only called me to accuse me of giving the wrong number.

(Ok, I admit it, PART of the reason that I called her back, was to do just that...it was the only way I could possibly get back at her for treating me like shit! But still...I was going to help her in getting her issue resolved!)

Me: The message I have states that you need a letter to your insurance company. We need to know the details of what this letter needs to say.

B: That's NOT WHAT I NEED NOW!!!! I need to see another physician.

Me: Can you hold a moment please?

(By now, this beotch literally has me shaking...I take my little messages back to the doc and tell her that she HAS to talk to this irate patient, because I can't get anywhere with her! She gives me the type of doc that she was referring the patient to, and says that she will be calling to speak with her about it in a few. I go back to the phone...)

Me: Dr. so and so says that she would like you to see the Physiatrist (not to be confused with a psychiatrist, but MY opinion is that this one needs that too...BIGTIME.), and she will call you shortly to discuss this.

B: (slams phone down)

The doc calls me in her office a few minutes later, (and she was now fuming too). She says that the patient was VERY rude and ended up hanging up on her too! (Now this is highly unusual, patient's hardly ever treat the docs like shit!)

I go about my business and just try to forget about what had just happened....go on with the day. About an hour later, the doc calls me in her office again. She says that she was looking in her past notes about that patient and even noted how incredibly nice she was, and that she now REALLY remembers her and her history. Apparently, at her visits, the doc says that she remembers very clearly thinking that the patient was very nice and compliant for having the injuries that she did and that this was a very significant personality change for her. That's not good, at all. She's now thinking the patient is manic and needs some serious help.

Now, I'm feeling bad and concerned for her. (Funny how that can happen, when an hour earlier, I was ready to reach through the phone and just strangle her!) Anyhow, the doc is trying to get in touch with her primary doc to discuss the case. Don't know what will happen with that. Will try and keep you posted about how that turns out!

Gonna post other stuff in a while! (Feel better getting all that off my chest though...welcome to mine and Peanutt's working world! LOL)

Have a great day all!

Me: